03/28/2025
We Deserve Better Leadership. Our Community Deserves a Better Future.
It’s time we start calling things what they are.
A massive chunk of our Blueprint tax dollars was handed over to a wealthy university football program—money that was meant to build infrastructure, expand opportunity, and improve quality of life for everyone in our community. Yes, the university brings in revenue. Yes, the football program draws crowds. But when you’re proudly announcing you’ve saved $20 million, maybe it’s time to consider giving something back to the people whose money helped prop you up—especially when the majority of this community never supported that deal in the first place.
This isn’t just about one decision—it’s about a pattern. It’s about the way things work when big money enters the picture. Promises get made. Communities get sidelined. And a handful of elected officials—who don’t represent the values or voices of the people who put them in office—make decisions that serve a select few while the rest of us watch our roads crumble, our neighborhoods sprawl without planning, our schools get neglected, and our voices go unheard.
Just look around: Meridian Road is congested. Thomasville Road is a mess. Roberts backs up constantly. Bannerman has been an issue for years. But where is the real advocacy for infrastructure? Where’s the leadership on responsible growth—on making sure that as we expand, we’re actually improving lives instead of just paving over the problems?
Instead of working together—city commissioners with county commissioners, school board officials with community leaders—we’ve got a three-headed monster. Each piece doing their own thing, rarely in sync, and far too often disconnected from the people they’re supposed to represent. And when you follow the money, you start to understand why.
Meanwhile, we’re watching a slow, calculated dismantling of public education. The war on public schools may feel like a national issue, but its impact hits right here at home. When we defund and politicize our schools, we hurt kids. We hurt teachers. We hurt families. And we weaken the very fabric of this community’s future.
I’m not anti-growth—not by a long shot. We need growth. But we need it to be thoughtful. We need it to be innovative. And we need it to include the people who live here—not just the people who benefit from campaign donations and ribbon cuttings. We have the talent and the heart in this community to do it better. We just have to stop settling for the same names, the same broken promises, the same backroom deals.
We need more of our neighbors to care. To speak up. To show up. Because until just 10% more of us get involved—really involved—we’re going to keep getting exactly what we’ve been getting: unchecked spending, forgotten neighborhoods, ignored schoolchildren, and a political culture built on self-preservation, not public service.
And while it’s easy to get discouraged, not all is bad. There are some leaders out there working to unite people, put differences aside, and actually serve the greater good. As a community, we need to recognize and support those leaders—because they’re the ones who can guide us toward real, lasting progress. Things are getting done—but we can do so much more, and we can do it better, if we choose collaboration over conflict.
There is a better way. A better way to lead. A better way to govern. A better way to grow. But it starts with us.
And to our local leaders—here’s the hard question:
Is what you’re delivering what you promised?
Is this growth truly for the greater good, or just for a select few?
Is it thoughtful? Is it innovative? Is it inspiring?
Does it reflect the community you swore to represent—or has it become a platform for entitlement and personal gain?
Because the people are watching. And we’re ready for something better.
– Jeremy Rogers
Renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium are now set to include new jumbotron's and video boards inside Florida State football's iconic stadium.
