To reflect on the news of the day, Jacksonville Today seeks to include a diverse set of perspectives. These opinion columnists are independent contractors who are paid for their contributions and are not involved in news decisions.
Featured image for “OPINION | We don’t have a labor shortage”
January 18, 2023

OPINION | We don’t have a labor shortage

The U.S. workforce suffers from the unwillingness of corporations to pay workers a wage that signifies value, worth, dignity and respect.

Read More
Featured image for “THE JAXSON | The railroads of Jacksonville”
January 17, 2023

THE JAXSON | The railroads of Jacksonville

Today, Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia continue to be served by several railroads.

Read More
Featured image for “OPINION | A tale of two parties”
January 16, 2023

OPINION | A tale of two parties

It looks from the outside like Urban Meyer is coaching the Duval Dems and Doug Pederson the GOP, but it’s not really that simple.

Read More
Featured image for “OPINION | How to fit a gas station into LaVilla”
January 10, 2023

OPINION | How to fit a gas station into LaVilla

These examples of urban gas stations show that a Daily’s station being proposed for LaVilla can be improved dramatically with some minor changes.

Read More
Featured image for “OPINION | The lie of invisibility”
January 4, 2023

OPINION | The lie of invisibility

Banning books eliminates an opportunity for students to expand beyond their own surroundings and worldview.

Read More
Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Florida’s disappearing citrus processing industry”
January 3, 2023

THE JAXSON | Florida’s disappearing citrus processing industry

The orange tree has been a major part of Florida’s identity for centuries. From Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville and the Citrus Bowl in Orlando to the annual Orange Bowl in Miami, the impacts of the citrus industry are firmly planted within the state’s built environment. Unfortunately, it is an industry in perilous decline. Rise and decline Florida’s days

Read More
Featured image for “OPINION | The 2023 mayoral race is getting real”
January 2, 2023

OPINION | The 2023 mayoral race is getting real

It is now 2023, and city elections are all but upon us. If you’re in the mayoral race, you’d better have introduced yourself by now, and done it thoroughly and memorably, because odds are good that the oppo bomb will drop on you soon enough, as the campaign will likely move into increasingly negative territory through March, then May. As

Read More
Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Waterfront parks: 5 models for Jacksonville”
December 20, 2022

THE JAXSON | Waterfront parks: 5 models for Jacksonville

Downtown Jacksonville boasts one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the country, but historically, our public space along it hasn’t kept up. While investments like the popular Riverwalks and the ongoing renovation of Friendship Fountain Park have been positive additions, the city has a tendency to get in its own way, notably by spending $25 million and counting to turn

Read More
Featured image for “OPINION | ‘Citizen of the year’: Notes on Kent Stermon”
December 18, 2022

OPINION | ‘Citizen of the year’: Notes on Kent Stermon

Warning: This essay addresses the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, dial 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org/.  Political journalism is a game of access and scoops. And Kent Stermon, who took his own life at the age of 50 under clouded circumstances, offered both in his surprisingly brief life,

Read More
Featured image for “OPINION | Remember, reconcile, repair”
December 14, 2022

OPINION | Remember, reconcile, repair

“Take ‘Em Down!” is an ineffectual narrative strategy to effect change.  Is it a demand of adamance? Absolutely.  A passionate plea for empathy? Of course.  A spirited rallying cry, pithy enough for posters and T-shirts, and to fit into the mouths of young protesters who chant the phrase while elder dissenters offer themselves to the law as a martyr for

Read More