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Monday, September 4, 2017

Why would Lenny Curry freeze out the non-profit community?

I believe it is so he could benefit one of his biggest campaign contributors, Gary Chartrand and his pet charter school KIPP.

From the Times Union article, Mayor's plan to reform Jacksonville's Children services took place in secrecy

Critics of the mayor’s sweeping overhaul have said not only that they were excluded from the process, but they were intentionally shut out. Notes from a meeting with more than 40 nonprofit and children-serving organizations show that none of them had been asked for input on the legislation, or knew anyone who had.
Curry’s office said it called on a team of “child resource advocates” to advise about the reforms. But, records obtained from the city and the commission — and comments from the Jacksonville Children’s Commission CEO and board chair — seem to directly contradict claims by a city spokeswoman that current commission leadership was “empowered by the mayor to oversee the study and analyze the information provided.”
Instead, emails show that input on the process was kept to a small group, including current Jax Journey leadership and two past commission board chairs selected by Curry himself.
Some invested observers have said the legislation will give the mayor — and subsequent mayors — too much influence over children’s programming. City council members who once stood beside the mayor in support of his reforms before ever seeing his plan are qualifying their statements now that the legislation has been made public.
“Ultimately, this legislation … becomes a marketing ploy put together for politics, not kids,” Children’s Commission Board Chair Matt Kane wrote of the reforms in an email to the Curry administration. “It’s renaming some things. I like the term ‘at-hope’ kids, but you don’t need legislation to call them that.”
Silly non profits, why would you expect to have any influence over Curry? Your history of good works? No you need to pony up to his super pacs, like Gary Chartrand did, if you want a seat at the table. 
Jacksonville is officially becoming a banana republic.

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