Remembering State Senator Jim King

Remembering State Senator Jim King

Former Jacksonville Mayor Delaney contrasted Senator King’s fairness with the usual run-of-mill Republican politician in Northeast Florida. Delaney told Morris Communications: “As solid as a Republican as he was, he was most interested in things that seemed fair,” Delaney said.
The article (below) notes that Senator King would not support an outrageous $250,000 cap on pain and suffering from medical malpractice, pushed by lugubrious Governor JOHN EDWARD BUSH (a/k/a JEB BUSH). State Senator King got the cap doubled.
Unlike other Republican legislators, State Senator Jim King impressed me – he had a heart and soul.
Unlike some politicians, he lived in the world of ideas.
Unlike some politicians, he cared about making life better for future generations.
Unlike certain other Republican politicians in Northeast Florida, Senator Jim King did not take extremist positions simply for the purpose of taking them. State Senator Jim King was a Republican politicians, but not quite like some of the others in our area.
I will always remember Senator Jim King’s thoughtfulness and kindness, starting with in December 2006, the first time that I spoke to the St. Johns County legislative delegation in support of a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway. State Senator Jim King liked the Park idea. He helped break the ice. He was interested in finding solutions (not creating problems).
At a St. Johns County Legislative Delegation meeting in 2007-08, Senator King closely questioned St. Augustine Mayor JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, Jr. regarding plans for the state-owned historic properties in St. Augustine. Rather than just shovel money into the City’s coffers to maintain the state buildings, Senator King offered a more realistic suggestion – giving the City the “deed and title” to the buildings. That suggestion took Mayor BOLES by surprise. Mayor BOLES (no poker face on this occasion) did not know how to respond. State Senator Jim King had called BOLES’ bluff. Of course, the City of St. Augustine and its City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS did not want “deed and title” – they wanted greenbacks.
“Deed and title” to the state historic buildings need to be transferred to the National Park Service for the St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway. And in memory of Senator Jim King, who saw right through St. Augustine’s flummery.
State Senator Jim King also used his vast knowledge of procedure and details to change the formula for allocating school funds to school districts. Previously, “cost of living” was the factor on doling out state funds for education. That weighted funds to South Florida, which has a great many wealthy people.
This discriminated against poor and rural people in North Florida.
State Senator Jim King’s school funding bill lives on. Senator King (unlike many politicians who don’t understand the details of government) went to the heart of the matter with his amendment. Senator King grasped that technical formulae can cause grave injustices. Such formulae (like the injustice formerly dealt the South by double-weighting age of housing in HUD discretionary balance formula for Community Development Block Grants) are the arcane stuff of which injustice in the world is rooted.
State Senator Jim King reminds me of former U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker – a liberal Republican, a good Republican, a Republican who cared about people (not just the wealthy).
State Senator Jim King often worked to fight injustice. And we salute him.
Senator Jim King will be missed.