Election Day is here. Never in my lifetime have I witnessed so much emphasis by both parties and candidates on getting to the polls to exercise your right to vote. Political commentators are predicting the largest voter turnout in the history of our country. This prediction has been supported by the record number of people that have taken advantage of early voting. Of course, there are more races than just the President. From the Duval County School Board, to the Public Defender, to retention of Appellate Justices, to Constitutional Amendments, Tuesday’s results will greatly impact our nation, and our community. Given the significance of the election, I could not help but address the positive impact lawyers will have on the outcome.
First and foremost, there are a number of attorneys running. This includes long time supporters of this community and members of the Jacksonville Bar Association, W.C. Gentry for School Board District 3 and Bill White running for re-election as our public defender. A number of attorneys have assisted in campaigns from walking precincts, to raising donations, to educating citizens on how their choices Tuesday could impact this community and our country. I wanted to recognize and thank the D.W. Perkins Bar for their pro bono efforts in our community to restore voting rights to citizens who had lost those privileges and were lawfully eligible for reinstatement. There are dozens of voter precincts throughout the First Coast. At almost every precinct, there will be lawyers volunteering to serve as official poll watchers to help insure that every single person’s vote is counted. Of course, as we learned in 2000, if there is a dispute over the election process or vote counting, lawyers will be making the arguments of the aggrieved parties to the Supreme Court.
So while most of us take only a few minutes out of our busy lives to cast our vote, think about the impact of the thousands of attorneys and other citizens in this community and our country that have willingly sacrificed hours of their time, their money and themselves to educate citizens and make sure every vote is counted.
Florida vs. Georgia revisited
Hopefully, as you read this I have the game shingle with the final score proudly displayed on my office door rather than the door next to mine, which happens to be Erin Pooley’s office (a great young lawyer and associate – but a UGA Alum). While the exposure and economic impact of the Florida vs. Georgia game is huge for the City of Jacksonville, what is the impact on law firms and other service businesses in the area? Let me preface these comments by saying I know that the television and fan exposure leads to more people and more businesses moving to Jacksonville; which leads to more clients and eventually more money for all of us. I believe in “trickle-down economics” (couldn’t help the Ronald Reagan plug). However, the Florida Georgia game costs us money now!
Considering the time spent “at the water cooler,” reading articles, making plans for tailgating, trying to get tickets, and trash talking or commiserating afterwards; this game probably costs law firms, accounting firms, architects, engineers, etc. millions of dollars in distractions and lost productivity. Just think about how many game related articles and e-mails you read, never mind the telephone calls. Even alumni and fans of other schools get caught up in the hype…Come on ‘Nole fans, we saw you checking out the pre-game info and hoping Tebow or Harvin would get sick so Georgia could beat Florida.
Novmeber 13, 2008 Member Luncheon
Please make plans to attend the Nov. 13 Jacksonville Bar Association member luncheon at the Hyatt. Rick Mullaney will be our featured speaker. Rick is always an entertaining speaker and he will address consolidation and what it has meant to the great City of Jacksonville. If that is not enough of a draw, I promise to arrive and start the meeting on time. This meeting will be the most entertaining and last luncheon of the year. Please RSVP to the bar office at 399-4486 or [email protected]. While reservations are not required for entry, they are necessary for the Hyatt to prepare enough food and tables. Our December event will be the “Bench and Bar” Reception at the Aetna building on Dec. 11.