Delores Weaver now backs Brown for Jacksonville mayor

[Jaxson]

Delores Weaver now backs Brown for Jacksonville mayor
Posted: April 11, 2011 - 7:30pm

By Timothy J. Gibbons

A major Audrey Moran supporter, Delores Weaver, said Monday  she’s supporting Alvin Brown in the race for Jacksonville’s mayor, although she hasn’t yet decided if that support would be financial.


Weaver and her husband, Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, contributed at least $60,000 to the Moran election effort.


Weaver said she is backing Brown because his views are similar to Moran’s and because candidate Mike Hogan, a Republican, was too far right.
“I don’t think that Mike is in tune with any sort of vision,” she said.


On the other hand, even though Brown is a Democrat, he’s not a liberal, Weaver said, and has ideas that closely track Moran’s.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-04-11/story/delores-weaver-now-backs-brown-jacksonville-mayor#ixzz1JGdy4RmE

Source: The Florida Times-Union - http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-04-11/story/delores-weaver-now-backs-brown-jacksonville-mayor

[buckethead]

Howzabout that qualifier?

On the other hand, even though Brown is a Democrat, he’s not a liberal, Weaver said, and has ideas that closely track Moran’s.

We southern conservatives need to move away from the idea that liberal = the devil.

That line really wasn't necessary... except that it was indispensable in our fair city.

Western democracies are a liberal concept.

[Diane Melendez]

You beat me to that quote buckethead.  

On the other hand, even though Brown is a Democrat, he’s not a liberal, Weaver said, and has ideas that closely track Moran’s.


If Brown is not a liberal, why is the Democratic Party giving him money and touting his time working under Al Gore?   He's not a liberal?  What exactly does that mean I wonder?    

[hillary supporter]

Howzabout that qualifier?

On the other hand, even though Brown is a Democrat, he’s not a liberal, Weaver said, and has ideas that closely track Moran’s.

We southern conservatives need to move away from the idea that liberal = the devil.

That line really wasn't necessary... except that it was indispensable in our fair city.

Western democracies are a liberal concept.

Well said!
its official, we have a real race!

[danno]

What will Wayne do??  Will it be a house divided??

[tufsu1]

If Brown is not a liberal, why is the Democratic Party giving him money and touting his time working under Al Gore?   He's not a liberal?  What exactly does that mean I wonder?     

Forget the D and R labels...people should note that Audrey is/was more liberal than Alvin

[Diane Melendez]

Political party should not matter at the local level Stephen, but in Jacksonville it still does, that's the reality.  Of course Ms. Weaver can support who she chooses and I absolutely support her right to do so.  I was amused, as was buckethead with the choice of words she used to describe Alvin. She states Alvin Brown is her next best choice and I believe she means that.  I just don't see him as a good choice at this point in our city.

Mike Hogan does not need my endorsement to win the election for Mayor.  He will be the next Mayor of Jacksonville.  I seriously doubt that an endorsement by Delores or Audrey is going to help Brown all that much at this point and may cost Moran some credibility with the local Republican community, if and when she chose to run for another public office.  While people who I consider friends and care about have indicated they will vote for Brown and had voted for Audrey, the reality is that Audrey came in third place and Brown has a very difficult uphill battle that short of a miracle places him in the position of loosing this race. If there was ever a chance for the Moran vision to take hold it was while Audrey was in the race.  Brown is not Moran by any measure.  Behind the scenes dealings which were engineered to get some financial support for Brown from the Civic Council a few days back did not go very well for him.  I think a look at the next set of financial reports will give more insight into who is doing what with their support and money.  

While I completely understand that there are those who will continue to think that Brown will beat the odds here and win the election, the politcal fabric and past voting habits of Jacksonville will make the realization of that next to impossible.  Remember that Obama himself did not carry Duval and that was at the height of Democrat involvement and excitement.   Shelton hit it out of the park with the piece you guys posted today and what happens with and to local Democrat candidates.

What I am more concerned with is where Jacksonvillle goes after the election.  I worry that many who supported Audrey have flocked to Alvin Brown with a bunch of expectations that may not be in line with who the man is and what he can do for Jacksonville and when he loses, will be devastated once again as they were when Audrey lost. He is still very much an unknown to most of Jacksonville.  Nat Glover had street cred and name recognition after years as Sheriff and lost his race for Mayor.  I in fact voted for Nat when he ran against Peyton, because I felt he knew the community and city operations much better than John Peyton did.  The substantial learning curve Peyton had as a newcomer horribly hindered his administration and he inherited a healthy budget and $35,000,000.00 overage in our budget balance. Brown would be coming in cold to this government at a very difficult time.  Someone who knows how local government operates will be at a much greater advantage going forward.  Brown is simply lacking the practical knowledge of local government this city needs at this juncture. It will take someone with an understanding of local politics and how our city government functions to get us back on track financially. Federal connections that may have been impressive in 1994 don't matter in 2011 Jacksonville, nevermind the fact that Federal funds will be much harder to come by today than 10 or 15 years ago.  That alone takes any supposed advantage Alvin Brown may have with government at any level out of the mix, IMO.

[tufsu1]

goosd point Stephen...Diane says Alvin can't win, but Glorious could?

[Timkin]

What, Diane, makes Mike Hogan the hands-down winner , to you and Glorious? I just have to hear this from your perspective .. please

[Timkin]

Cmon   

[ChriswUfGator]

[duvaldude08]

At the end of the day, I am atleat happy they Brown is being supported. There is no way I see this city go to hell in hand basket again. If Hogan gets elected, this city will be stuck in its current stay for atleast four years. Thats depressing to even think about 

[Timkin]

Me too DD08.  I do not know either man personally.. Whoever wins has a  huge mess  IMO on their hands.   But Alvin just seems to me to want to accomplish so much more.

[Diane Melendez]

Guys, Glorious dropped out of the race last November.  Her run is not relevant to the current race and I am just her friend not her campaign advisor any longer. LOL What Glorious does is her business and hers alone and should not be measured by me. She is her own woman.  I supported her because of her vision and at a time she was the only Democrat of note on the ballot. She is also a sitting elected official with a hands on understanding of legislation and city operations that Alvin Brown could not touch.  She would have hit the ground running but we always understood it would come down to numbers then, just as it will now. Part of any run for office is knowing when possible, becomes maybe and then not likely.  Councilwoman Johnsons local experience and understanding made her a very attractive candidate.  The November elections made it quite clear to me that there would not be a win for a Democrat woman in the race for mayor in 2011.  When Alex Sink went down to Scott, inspite of her skills and funds, it was more than clear where public sentiment was.  That was reinforced again when a  fine candidate like Deb Gianolis lost her race. She would have been stellar for Florida.  I knew Glorious could not win, not because she wasn't a good candidate, but because of political climate.  I also thought that Audrey would probably not prevail either, which was sad because she really had done everything that people claim a good candidate should do.  No one worked harder IMO.

Stephen, I am not looking for a job.  LOL  I like retirement.  I have always been involved and engaged in Jacksonville, you know that from the Metjax days and from JOL. Many years gone by now.  My thoughts and actions are based now as they always are, upon a good long and thoughful look at the question before me.  In this case the race for Mayor.  Your statement reminded me of one Steve
Diebenow made when he was working on the Peyton administration nearly eight years ago. I was talking to him about saving the old Brewster Hospital.  He asked me what I wanted and I told him I wanted an important piece of history saved.  Reggie Brown had told him I was looking to be given all the property in front of the LaVilla School fo the Arts.  LOL  That was a complete lie and fabrication that Diebenow himself would laugh about later.  At the time my dear friend Glorious was a Republican as well.  That did not hinder our ability to work toward positive resolution of several public issues.  

The years of involvement in this city are infact what has me well in favor of Mike Hogans platform of financial reform in Jacksonville.  There is much that people don't know that happens behind the scene's with our tax money and future that the general public is unaware of.  It's not because people don't care because they do.  It's because it is nearly impossible for the average citizen to follow the movements and actions of an entire city government.  I have had the opportunity to speak with Mike Hogan now several times.  I can tell you that not only is he competent, he is far more open and understanding than people come close to giving him credit for. I the core of my being I know that in order for Jacksonville to go forward into a sound future we must first deconstruct and debug our budget and city systems which are out of control in ways people cannot imagine. I embrace a wonderful, cultural, compassionate and exciting future for our city, but my years have also taught me that sometimes we have to pause and take stock of where we have been and where we are before we can move forward in a positive way.  

Dreams and vision are crucial, but so is common sense and balance.  What is before all of us is two to three years of rebuilding our finances and drafting a good solid plan for our future that is not only fun to talk about but a reality we can happily live.

[Steve_Lovett]

Our "fiscal responsibility" has already delivered Jacksonville one of the most poorly funded & maintained park systems in the country, a school system considering dropping sports or going to a 4-day school week (after already dropping one high school class period), inadequate public transportation, reduction in trash collection & recycling, a largely vacant and decaying downtown, libraries closing or reducing hours, and unemployment & foreclosure rates that are far above national averages.

Jacksonville is in dire need of wisely reinvesting in itself.  We need to attract the young, the innovative, and the entrepreneurs.  And, they not only need to be attracted, they need to be welcomed as leaders.  The things that historically made Jacksonville a beautiful city and an icon of commerce and culture need to be rediscovered and brought forward in a progressive way.  Jacksonville's quality of life and competitiveness with its peer cities are at stake.

I don't see anything in Mike Hogan's platform of financial reform that gives me confidence in this regard.