Jacksonville 2015 mayoral candidates divided on potential Cuba trade mission

[thelakelander]

Bill Clinton was president, the Jacksonville Jaguars were kicking off their debut season, and the big movie blockbuster was "Toy Story."
In 1995, City Councilman Eric Smith and a small group of business leaders and JaxPort executives traveled to Cuba.

That's the last time a Jacksonville elected official went on a trade mission to the island nation, which used to be one of Jacksonville's biggest trading partners before the United States clamped an embargo on it 50 plus years ago.

Smith, who left the City Council in 1999, said Jacksonville is long overdue for another official trip to Cuba, particularly when other cities are launching their own visits to forge relationships.

"Jacksonville is standing in line," he said.

So far, President Barack Obama's surprise decision in December to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba hasn't spurred any trip planning. Neither JAX Chamber nor JaxPort, which identifies Cuba as a potential market for future cargo growth, has any trips in the works.

The mayoral candidates are split over whether they would personally go on a trade mission to Cuba.

Mayor Alvin Brown said he wants to see what Congress does to the decades-old embargo. Challenger Lenny Curry said flatly he won't go.

City Councilman Bill Bishop said he would visit Cuba "as soon as possible," calling it inevitable that the embargo will come to an end at some point.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-01-03/story/jacksonville-mayoral-candidates-split-potential-trade-trips-cuba-other

[urbanlibertarian]

Sanctions have punished the Cuban people who are also being punished by communism.  Isolation has helped keep Castro in power.  Let's treat Cuba the same as we treat China.

[strider]

Just based on this article, we can see that Curry is small minded, Brown is politically minded and awaiting someone to tell him what to think and Bishop is open minded and using common sense. 

Cuba, I think, was mostly an embarrassment to this country and a few large corporations with influence lost a lot of money.  The opening of relations has more to do with the passage of time and the moving on of major players than anything substantial.  It should have happened a long time ago.

The word in the sailing world has always been that Cuba and the Cuban people you interact with there are good, hard working and pleasant to be around. I look forward to sailing there in the next couple of years.

[JeffreyS]

The word in the sailing world has always been that Cuba and the Cuban people you interact with there are good, hard working and pleasant to be around.

I would add more educated than most of the Caribbean to that list as well.

[vicupstate]

Just based on this article, we can see that Curry is small minded, Brown is politically minded and awaiting someone to tell him what to think and Bishop is open minded and using common sense. 

Spot on. Judging by the rhetoric, the 'someone' that Curry is parroting is the RNC. I sure hope this guy isn't running for Mayor just as a springboard for something else.