Inside Jacksonville's culture of corruption and Republican civil war

I am a demolition contractor in Jacksonville since 2001 and have lived here for 56 of my 58 years of life. Everything that has been said about the corruption here is correct and I deal with it on a daily basis. I have good friends that are on both sides but the common theme with both are corruption.

 

I have been in development biz in SW florida for 20 years and it isn’t that way here. Work with some of biggest names/companies in the area and it just doesn't happen here. I cant take friend who is in upper county position fishing unless we go next time on his boat. Can't even pick up lunch tab. Google stadium naples for last time anything like that went down here

 

Probably correct as to Miami and especially Hialeah, but I grew up in SW Fla and heard several stories back in the day. Not exactly corruption, but Im reminded of one story involving a prominent car dealer getting shot in the butt while entertaining the mayor's wife. Don't recall the local news outlets covering that one.

 

back in the day is operative words there. trust me, I have had clients that would have gladly delivered a bag of cash if it would have helped and I am in a position to know if wheels would have been greased on those deals. Heck, the county commission told Collier Enterprises, the company set up by the family the county is named after, no on several zoning applications in the last several years, applications that were not that far outside of what has been previously approved.

 

There is a convenience store south of Immokalee on the corner of SR-29 and Oil Well Road (?) that owes its existence to some old fashioned pay to play corruption. But that was back in the day as you said.

 

I know the location well. Believe it or not Barron Collier is proposing a development at that SW corner right now. Ave Maria is growing and the development is going to stretch to 29.