Croft Commentary

The Game, by Neil Strauss Have you ever found yourself in a slump? When you feel directionless and lack motivation. I've been feeling like that a bit lately. But after a couple of weeks I got tired of it, and decided to try and do something about it. So I started to research good books to read to motivate, offer new perspectives, consider new skills, and help clarify my direction in life. Of course, who has time to read though? Between work and the kids, I sure as hell don't. But as a resident of the largest city by land area in the continental United States I'm on the road quite a bit, which offers the perfect time for audiobooks. The Jacksonville Public Library offers a variety of ways to access audiobooks. My favorite is the mobile app and web service Hoopla . Using the app, I can connect my phone to my car audio system and listen to the books as I commute or take a lunchtime jog. I can also increase the speed of the playback, allowing me to turn an 8-hour boo...

In the summer of 2011, I finished up my Master of Public Administration from the University of North Florida and was looking for a job in the nonprofit or government sector. In a surprising bit of serendipity, a new Democratic mayor, Alvin Brown, had been elected to office and was looking to staff his administration. I had been very active on social media and the blogosphere covering the 2011 mayor's race, and reached out to a couple of contacts I had made. I got a call to serve and accepted it gladly. Me at work, calling somebody. Photo credit Tonya M. Austin (TMA1) Four years later, I look back at my time here at City Hall and I am truly grateful. I have learned many lessons and had so many great experiences serving the people of this great city, and I don't regret a second of it. What have I done in the last four years? Here are a few highlights. I've had the honor to serve as Webmaster, managing the web content for the largest city in Florida. During that time...

Introduction As governments and governance make the shift toward network models, civic groups are going to have an increasingly important role in accomplishing the public interest. As government transitions toward becoming the "steering" part, nonprofits, for-profits, and other civic organizations will become the "towers" that make policies work. Civic groups, in these conditions, will have an increased role in the policy formulation process. Public policy is determined over a process with multiple stages. Viana (1996) identifies four stages in her model: Agenda setting Formulation Implementation Evaluation The best stages for civic groups to provide input and influence public policy are in the agenda setting, formulation and implementation stages. In this paper I will attempt to demonstrate how civic groups can influence public managers and elected officials in the agenda setting, formulation and implementations stages of public policy...

INTRODUCTION Civic groups have always been involved in the public policy process in the United States. The rights to assemble and petition one's government are protected in the bill of rights for this very purpose. The framers knew the importance and impact that an organized group of citizens, like themselves, could have on public policy and governance. The methods and structures of public administration have changed over time with the advancement of new technologies, and so too has the involvement of civic groups. This paper will discuss the three primary paradigms in which civic group involvement has been viewed in the study of public administration: the New Public Service model as advocated by Denhardt and Dendhardt, the traditional or Wilsonian model, and the New Public Management model as advocated by Goldsmith and Eggers. The New Public Service model, as discussed by Dendhardt and Dendhardt (2007), focuses on the use of dialogue between public administrators and the pub...

Apparently these congressmen and women of the grand 'ol party are against the pork spending of earmarks, even if they put the earmarks in themselves. Here's a clearer way to put out your message: don't propose them in the first place. I understand the purpose of earmarks. If congress passed a separate bill for each bit of spending it is their job to dispense, everything would be too bogged down and menial to get anything accomplished. Congress works slow enough as it is, let it multi-task. Earmarks also serve an integral part in the negotiating process of getting votes required for passage. Sometimes these concessions go too far and they should be pointed-out and criticized, but often times they help in the consensus building process. Earmarks, like the filibuster, are integral to the proper functioning of a democratic legislature. But fair warning: you can have too much of a good thing. GOP senators will vote against own earmarks : "Two prominent Republicans v...

Introduction Terrorism has become a priority topic in law enforcement. Our nation has waged wars, detained prisoners, created a new government department and stepped up national defense measures in order to better combat the threat of terrorism and prevent another attack on our soil. Our first line of defense against attack on our soil does not lie with the CIA, FBI or the United States military; it lies with our local law enforcement agencies. Local police will be the first on the scene in a response and in the best position to stop an attack before it happens. A good national security strategy would provide support for these local enforcement agencies as they endeavor to keep their communities safe. Using data from a US Department of Justice Study in 2004, this paper will analyze where local law enforcement agencies have made improvements, where they have remained stagnant and where they have backtracked as we face this new threat to our safety. Emergency management is the proc...