A Few Minutes with the Mayor – November 2014

The following scenario has not happened, but with all things possible is certainly worth contemplating…

It took months, but the sale of the old courthouse to the We Operate Efficiently Corporation finally went through. WOE had worked at obtaining the building even before the citizens of Jacksonville became aware of what was happening. It all started when a small, but vocal group had objected to city ownership and operation of the complex. Sensing their opportunity, WOE’s board began a campaign behind the scenes to influence the City Council that the city should indeed sell the property to private business… specifically WOE. They would offer one million dollars… three times what one of the protesters was seeking.

The night of the Council meeting was rancorous. The citizens who attended were unorganized, whereas WOE was ready with all sorts of business charts, statistical figures, and claims purporting to show how they would be magnificent stewards of the property… and, of course emphasizing the benefits to the city in expanding its tax base. WOE even offered to allow the city the use of a section of the building for city council meetings and other uses. With that promise in-mind, the Council took up the question on their agenda. Almost immediately, a Council member made a motion to sell the property to WOE. The motion was seconded and debate began. The debate lasted for forty-five minutes when suddenly the question was called. The audience was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. With a roll call vote, the count was three to three. All eyes were fixed on the seventh Council member who, realizing his name would be the one remembered no matter which way the vote went, in a voice so low that no one could hear him, voted to approve the sale. The Mayor asked him to repeat his vote in a louder voice which he did to groans from the audience. Never mind their dissatisfaction, WOE had succeeded.

The sale went through in a thirty day escrow. On the thirty-first day, a letter was sent to the City, Art Presence, the Farmer’s Market, the Boosters, and the Rotary Club. The letter informed each that they had ninety days in which to suspend all activities using the Courthouse grounds or property, including the former Children’s Museum. The property was now WOE’s and no longer would serve as a community center or commons. This included the City’s annual July 4th picnic as well as the Veteran’s Day assemblies.

WOE moved into the building. As they did, they installed security doors on the inside. In front of the doors was a solitary desk with a huge 20 foot screen over it. On the screen was the visitor’s image covered with horizontal scanning lines under which, proclaimed in huge red letters, were the flashing words NO ENTRY. The message was clear. No private citizens could enter. This was no longer their property.

It was at this time the people living in Jacksonville began to change. It was almost as if the sun were blotted out by ominous, gray clouds. Gone were the usual smiles and cheerful good-will with one another as they went about their daily business. Even the people, who had something in common when walking their dogs in the morning, ignored each other. It seemed Jacksonville was no longer “fun.”

As for the million dollars the city received from WOE: within a year it was gone. The same people who were counting the money even before they received it, spent the money on sundry programs which no one thought important before they had it.

Whew! End of story. That’s enough contemplation. What a nightmare!