by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“Moving trend lines can be like moving an aircraft carrier. You can move the rudder but the vessel turns slowly,” said Skip Cramer, executive director of Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI) of the 2008 report on “Blueprint for Prosperity.” He then added, “We are now seeing the compass change, but we have more challenges ahead.”
Blueprint for Prosperity was founded by Mayor John Peyton as a way to increase per capita income in Duval County and therefore increase the quality of life for citizens. He was inspired in 2001 to regard per capita income as a barometer of Jacksonville’s overall status by business consultant Henry Luke, who now serves on the Blueprint for Prosperity executive committee.
“Henry and I discussed per capita income when I was a candidate for mayor and at that time we had a disturbing trend,” said Peyton. “Per capita income in Jacksonville was actually declining. We must rally around raising our per capita income because declining per capita income is not a story with a happy ending. It destroys communities and we’re better than that.”
The process started in 2005 and has since monitored key indicators for progress including jobs, income and wages, education, family stability, public safety and housing.
The 2008 report lists improvement in prosperity and cites a 5.3 percent per capita income increase in the last five years. Jacksonville’s income per person is now within .1 percent of the national average. Duval County has also averaged a 1.2 percent growth in average wages over the past six years.
This year’s report also concludes that the current national economic slowdown may not be felt as much in Jacksonville as in other cities.
According to the report, “The diversity and strength of Jacksonville’s economy can act as a buffer against the economic volatility that other cities and regions may experience.” In terms of net job growth rate, a Blueprint benchmark, the state of Florida and Duval County both reflected a net loss of jobs in 2007, but with Duval County at a lower rate, 0.5 percent compared to Florida’s 1.2 percent.
The 2008 report also points out the socioeconomic disparity that continues to be an issue in Jacksonville. The gap between white and black per capita income increased from 46.6 percent in 1999 to 54.3 percent in 2006.
Other benchmarks with wide gaps between racial groups are infant mortality, poverty, and high school graduation rates.
Cramer made it clear as he detailed the results of the study that while the latest statistics form the basis of the findings, much of the data is a year or two old.
“We’re looking in the rearview mirror, but the question is how do we compare?” he said.
“This is an impressive improvement,” said Peyton. “But it’s time to work on the major factors. Clearly the murder rate is our most important issue.”
The murder rate for the entire state of Florida was 6.2 per 100,000 population in 2006, while Jacksonville’s that year was 13.1. In 2007, Florida’s murder rate increased to 6.4 per 100,000 and Jacksonville’s to 13.9 per 100,000.
“There is no government remedy for the murder rate. Government has a role, but citizens must be engaged in the effort,” added Peyton.
“The bottom line is the quality of life is getting better in Jacksonville. We have made progress toward raising per capita income,” said Cramer.
To view the entire report, go to http://www.coj.net/Mayor/Blueprint+for+Prosperity/default.htm
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