Identifying Local Opportunities

The local newspaper I chose for this assignment is the Florida Times-Union, based in Jacksonville, FL. Below are the five articles I found that could present local opportunity:

1. No more loans, Jacksonville tells parking garage firm owing millions
https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20200129/no-more-loans-jacksonville-tells-parking-garage-firm-owing-millions
This parking garage is connected to our Vystar Veteran's Memorial Arena, and has been there since the early 2000s. In recent years, more and more people are opting to not use a parking garage, and instead park elsewhere that may be cheaper or more convenient. Because of the decreasing sales, the owners of the parking garage have been securing loans through the city of Jacksonville in hopes that business will pick up- but it's not. The city is now refusing to give the company any more loans.

The problem is that this parking garage is not making enough money to stay open, so they keep getting loans from the city, but now the city is tired of giving them loans and refuses to give them anymore.

The person that has this problem is the owner of the parking garage. They now either have to come up with the money to pay off all of these loans and stay in business or risk having the garage torn down.

2. Full JEA board to leave by end of February
https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20200128/full-jea-board-to-leave-by-end-of-february
JEA, our electric company here in Jacksonville, is becoming privatized so all of their Board of Directors are leaving by the end of February. This was a decision by them to leave because they don't agree with the privatization, and there are unknowns going into the new way the company will be run. They mayor now has to appoint an entirely new Board.

The problem is that all of our Board of Directors are leaving in a month and now the mayor has to find replacements for all of them.

The person with the problem would be the mayor, because he now needs an entirely new Board within a month.

3. State workers are sounding the call to end poverty wages, stage protest in Jacksonville
https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20200128/state-workers-are-sounding-call-to-end-poverty-wages-stage-protest-in-jacksonville
Workers all over the state of Florida are protesting unfair and unequal wages. The minimum wage is just over $8/hour, which even working a full-time job is not enough to support a family and pay bills. These protests are aiming to make employers aware of just how little these workers are paid, and how they are not able to afford basic necessities because of these wages.

The problem is that the state minimum wage is not a livable wage. Working 40 hours a week at $8.50/hour would only amount to $1,360 a month before taxes. That's not even enough to pay one month's rent in some places.

The people with the problem are the workers that are un/under educated and have to work these minimum wage jobs.