Wrist Slaps for All!
I went to the town hall meeting about Gainesville city budget issues last night. I got there a little late because I had to rush from the other side of town after getting done with a job later than I had hoped. I arrived at about 6:10 as city manager Russ Blackburn was giving a Powerpoint presentation on what a great job the city is doing keeping expenses down. Then came the much anticipated citizen comments, so I was right on time.
About 100 people had come out for the 6pm meeting in some lousy weather. Most of them had come to complain about high taxes or some other injury they felt they were suffering, which is the very purpose of a meeting like this. Someone should have told the city commissioners. Instead, it was another chance to tell the citizens why they were ill-informed and just wrong.
After the first citizen commenter finished, there was a few seconds of scattered applause. Mayor Lowe, who has very high standards for decorum, warned the people not to applaud because applause disparities might, “make people feel bad.” However, when one of they city’s plants took her turn to speak, she spent most of her comment time scolding the citizens for, “not doing their homework before speaking.” She said this several times without rebuke from the Mayor for making anyone “feel bad”.
No matter what complaint about higher taxes and fees, which are very real things, the city commissioners blew off the concerns of the citizens as if they were imaginary. Only one man came out and said what most of us were thinking: “This is a waste of time. We just need to vote you people out.” Amen, brother!
Six more weeks of campaigning
I don’t even have to see my shadow this morning to know that there will be six more weeks of campaigning
Happy Groundhog Day, everybody! I participated in the 4-A’s (African American Accountability Alliance) Forum last night, and although I thought I performed well, I did not receive their endorsement. Sitting City Commissioner Craig Lowe did, which goes to show you that the 20 or so voting members were not among those who felt burned by Lowe’s ramming through of the Transgender Bathroom Ordinance, even likening it to the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s. In the district 4 race, they also endorsed Penny Wheat.
I’m glad I went. I will not shrink back. I am moving on! And I will try to have the video clips processed for tomorrow.
First Forum of the Campaign!
I have always looked forward to the candidate forums, and we will be starting with what I think is the best. The 4As (African American Accountability Alliance) is always well attended, and the debate is always lively. Most gratifying is that they also make an endorsement at the end of the night, and it’s not an empty one. The candidate they endorse usually gets help on his or her campaign. This forum is on Monday, February 1, at 6pm. It’s located at the Alachua County Health Department Building behind the Food Lion on Hawthorne Rd. It’s proper address is 224 SE 24th St, Gainesville, FL.
Come on out! And bring camcorders!