Retired ATC. Afterwards I got myself educated and taught undergrads for another decade. Retired again. Now teach at OLLI@UNF. Great fun!
United States
Joined April 2015
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Richard Birdsall retweeted
The Queer Woman Who Took on Jim Crow America -- Why Don't We Know About ... youtu.be/ooW01dagWUE?si=n18M… via @YouTube
Another toilet sits silently in a front yard, waiting to be picked up by the city at some undetermined future date. Blighting, meanwhile, a neighborhood landscape. BUT, also saw a rabbit family gamboling about someone's front yard. But got a photo of only one.
These sorts of issues have been presented to the Florida legislature repeatedly. The leg just shrugs. Ed vouchers serve many purposes but none concerning public education.
Richard Birdsall retweeted
One of the most striking things about Amendment 3 is that almost everybody who’s actually studied this plan thinks it’s a bad idea.
Fiscal watchdogs and Wall Street Analysts.
Sheriffs and first responders.
GOP and Dem leaders of counties both urban & rural
orlandosentinel.com/2026/10/…
The president on AI: "I have the highest of IQs. I have the highest. I'm fine, and I understand that stuff ... I understand it much more than I think any president would, because I do have an ability on this." time.com/article/2026/10/01/…
Sheer irrationality. School board considers allowing secured, unloaded weapons on K-12 school campuses. Why allow them at all if they are inaccessible, unloaded and thus useless? All to remedy embarrassing incident with school principal. jaxtoday.org/2026/09/30/scho…
At work these days, putting together short courses for OLLI-UNF. Not exactly the latest devices but still usable. all aging -- like me: a 12-year old iMac, an 8-year old monitor, 20-year old desk and chair. The windows (physical, not digital) are new, though.
Richard Birdsall retweeted
Given 1st iteration of an informal analysis of the 1st year impact of Amendment 3 on JAX. $2B budget -$265M (1st year impact) = $1.735B. Keeping public safety whole and meeting debt requirements leaves about $125M. This leaves nothing for Quality-of-Life services....
JAX Civic Council created a tool to juggle the JAX budget to fill the estimated $300M hole should the proposed Amendment 3 pass. An eye-opener. jaxtaxfacts.com/
Richard Birdsall retweeted
Jacksonville Civic Council, a business organization made up of about 100 CEOs, says it opposes Florida's proposed Amendment 3, warning the homestead property tax cut would "sharply reduce services" and strain police and fire. - via @JAXTDY jaxtoday.org/2026/09/21/civi…
Given 1st iteration of an informal analysis of the 1st year impact of Amendment 3 on JAX. $2B budget -$265M (1st year impact) = $1.735B. Keeping public safety whole and meeting debt requirements leaves about $125M. This leaves nothing for Quality-of-Life services....
Richard Birdsall retweeted
Big, big loss but a well-deserved and eloquent departure on his own terms. Mark always found a way to say something unique about a story, even when it had been written about a millions times prior. I had a lot of fun writing along side him, and I’m proud to call him a friend.
After 43 years at newspapers — 25 at the Florida Times-Union — I’m taking a buyout. I’m grateful for everyone who has been on this ride: the colleagues in newsrooms and press boxes, the people in thousands of stories, and anyone who read one of them.
jacksonville.com/story/news/…
A real loss to both the newspaper and the community. @TUmarkwoods has been a clear, rational and, even, an occasionally poetic voice informing readers of what is important and true. I will miss his columns. So angry of the fiscal realities leading to his retirement.
After 43 years at newspapers — 25 at the Florida Times-Union — I’m taking a buyout. I’m grateful for everyone who has been on this ride: the colleagues in newsrooms and press boxes, the people in thousands of stories, and anyone who read one of them.
jacksonville.com/story/news/…
