Compiled by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Happy birthday, former Mayor Ed Austin. You’ll be 80 on Saturday.
You’ll follow your usual routine, of course, heading off to your favorite Riverside deli for breakfast with pals Mike Hightower and Bobby Stein.
They’ll undoubtedly have some reminiscences, but why limit it to them?
The Daily Record checked with a few of your other friends, acquaintances and former fellow workers:
My birthday wish to Ed Austin: “To the greatest public servant in the history of our city, happy birthday. Jacksonville has been changed forever because of your leadership, influence and character.” My favorite quote from Mr. Austin, who was quoting Admiral Rickover: “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit.”
— General Counsel Rick Mullaney
Ed has always been quite an outdoorsman but had never killed a wild turkey. He was hunting for wild turkey one day before daybreak on Spencer’s land. He heard a turkey gobble and kept trying to call it in closer so he could try to shoot it, but the turkey never would come closer. So, he shot at the turkey, saw it fall and then ran as hard as he could to where the fallen turkey was. It was a huge turkey and he bent down to pick it up but couldn’t. He then looked down and the turkey’s legs were tied to a stake. It was not a wild turkey but a domesticated one which had been placed there just for Ed to shoot.
— Chief Judge Don Moran
Gosh, I could fill the night. Many stories will never meet the light of day, for various and sundry reasons — none illegal or immoral — just personal.
We (Audrey, Rick Mullaney, etc.) refer to “Edisms” or “Ed Austinisms.”
Virtually all of my management experience comes from some experience with Ed — a saying, anecdote or an example that he gave. Edisms included: “You can’t fill a top position for political reasons” and “Always hire talent — always, always.” That may have been one of his best talents — seeing in a 25 year-old new law graduate who would rise to the top. At one judge’s investiture I counted nearly two-thirds of the judges as former employees of Ed. Of the 10 City General Counsels, seven worked for Ed and one was Ed.
The first black attorney in any Duval County public office was hired by Ed — he later became the first black Supreme Court justice. Judge Susan Black started with Ed. State Rep. Mark Mahon started with Ed. I could go on and on.
Other Edisms included “A daughter learns from her mother, but a son learns from his father — even when you may not know that he’s learning — how you drive a car, how you treat a wife” and “Doing what you think is the right thing — no matter how politically unpopular it may seem, is ultimately the best politics.”
The latter probably best defines Ed’s public service — he simply was unafraid of the political consequences of any decision that he made. As State Attorney he would prosecute someone who the public or media didn’t want to be prosecuted, and he would drop charges on someone who the public or media wanted hung from the nearest yardarm. It made working for him very easy on moral calls — he has an unbelievable sense of fairness and justice, and the ability to bring out common sense in the midst of a crisis.
He modernized and professionalized the operations of City Hall when he became mayor. The City was nearly bankrupt — there was a huge budget hole. Not many actually realize how much he changed the operations of City Hall. He cut the workforce by about 10 percent without a layoff. We were out of landfill space — plain out. He brokered a deal to get a new landfill up and operational.
Without the River City Renaissance Plan, which never would have passed a referendum (Ed didn’t care — it was a good and right plan) we would never even have been looked at by the NFL. And he put together the plan to bring the Jaguars here — everything else prior was just talk. Ed had to actually design the plan and find a way to pay for it. I had a part in that, and I bristle when someone calls it a sweetheart deal. Though the City borrowed the money, the Jags and Jag-related revenue basically pay for the Stadium bonds. And they have been fighting to get a better deal ever since because the deal is too good for the City.
— University of North Florida President and former Mayor John Delaney
I worked for Ed as an assistant State Attorney from September of 1969 into the ‘70s. I also served as General Counsel for the City and hence for Ed when he was mayor in the early ‘90s.
My favorite Ed story is when I was a young prosecutor we were working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on a gambling investigation. Ed, deceased federal Judge Buddy Nimmons and I rode with an FDLE agent to execute a search warrant in a high crime area. As we approached the house where lottery receipts were being counted, a car sped toward us with two of the targets of the investigation inside. The agent stopped them, ordered them out of the car and sped off to execute the search warrant. This left Buddy, Ed and I to guard the suspects. Also a large crowd of definitely unfriendly folks started to gather. It was a hot day and Buddy and Ed took off their coats showing they were unarmed. I told Ed I was keeping my coat on so they might think I was armed and I boldly ordered the crowd to keep their distance. I told Ed that he and Buddy were trying to get us all killed and that I was not going on anymore field exercises with him or Buddy. In fact that was the last time I ever went anywhere with the police. It was also the first of several times I bailed Ed out of a jam. I could tell you some City Hall stories but they have all been printed. Ed is a great guy and a great mentor (other than trying to get me killed) and I enjoyed very much working for and with him.
— Circuit Court Judge Charles Arnold
To the best boss I ever had, happy birthday. I was a prosecutor for 11 years under Ed and I loved it. He would tell us to go down there and fight hard for the State and put the bad guys in jail. But, he also said, “Don’t ever let me catch you taking advantage of the defendant through something procedural.” He always wanted a fair trial. He really taught me that and I use it on the bench all the time.
As for a story, he and I were trying a first-degree murder trial of a cop killer. On the first day, two of the best public defenders in town showed up to represent him (the defendant). One of them was a couple of months pregnant. With a room full of prospective jurors, the other public defender got up and said, “I apologize, my co-counsel is pregnant and she may have to get up and leave all the time to go to the bathroom.” Well, you can’t object to motherhood. So, Ed got up real slow and said, “Your honor, while you’re at it, tell the jurors I have a bad back and I’ll have to get up from time-to-time also.” The room burst out into laughter.
— Circuit Court Judge Brad Stetson
I was trying a case with him and was examining a witness. Everyone knows Ed is a little hard of hearing, so when I sat down from examining one of the witness, Ed reached over grabbed my shoulder and whispered to me, “Great job.” Well, the problem is because he’s hard of hearing everyone in the whole courtroom heard it. Even one of the jurors nodded like he was agreeing with Ed. I’m sure it wasn’t because of what I did or said, but because Ed said so. Ed was a such a presence in the courtroom, if he said it was the case, everyone probably believed it. He’s a great man, about the best man I know. I wish him a wonderful and happy birthday.
— Denise Watson
Ed Austin is the best of Jacksonville. He has been this city’s General Counsel, Public Defender, State Attorney and Mayor. In each of those roles, he created an office of integrity and professionalism — offices that cherished the public trust and fought for those it represented. Ed Austin took young lawyers and instilled values that would last a lifetime.
“Ed Austinisms” are legendary. One is “Someone who has no enemies has never really stood for anything.” My personal favorite is “Just do what is right.” Happy Birthday Ed. Thank you for all that you are and all that you have done for our City. We love you.
— Audrey McKibbin Moran