Warren Jones says "political pressure" changed human rights vote, suspects mayor

[Tacachale]

Here we go.

Warren Jones says "political pressure" changed human rights vote, suspects mayor's office
Posted: August 17, 2012 - 8:34pm  |  Updated: August 17, 2012 - 8:37pm
By David Bauerlein   

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-08-17/story/warren-jones-says-political-pressure-changed-human-rights-vote-suspects#ixzz23r8S7Fwc


Before City Councilman Johnny Gaffney cast a decisive vote against adding gays and lesbians to Jacksonville’s anti-discrimination laws, he told two organizations during his 2011 re-election campaign he would support such policies.

Gaffney did not respond to requests for an interview Thursday and Friday. He gave different explanations Wednesday about his reasons for voting against the measure after backing it the previous week in a council committee.

City Councilman Warren Jones, who sponsored the bill, said Friday he thinks “political pressure” caused Gaffney to oppose the bill. Jones said he suspects that pressure came from Mayor Alvin Brown or his allies, but he said he does not have any proof.

“I know the mayor is glad it didn’t land on his desk,” Jones said.

...

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-08-17/story/warren-jones-says-political-pressure-changed-human-rights-vote-suspects#ixzz23r83kaDo

[Cheshire Cat]

I believe I just said this on the other thread about Gaffney did I not?   
Gaffney did what he was told to do. 

[Timkin]

Politics are sickening. 

[Jimmy]

It's hard to get a fair shake in this town.  What a disgusting outcome, if all this is true.

[sheclown]

I believe I just said this on the other thread about Gaffney did I not?   
Gaffney did what he was told to do. 

Diane, I was thinking the same thing.

[sheclown]

to quote Stephen:

The institutions that we all own in common have been abandoned by the kind of people and leadership qualified to run them, and it is not going to get any better until we can shove a number of these fools and ideologues out of the way and put in panels of people who really care about this city and the people who live in it.

[Timkin]

It's hard to get a fair shake in this town.  What a disgusting outcome, if all this is true.

Jimmy .. until and unless we get rid of the people who will never be a party to true equal rights, we will NEVER get a fair shake in this town. Not on human rights, not on public opinion or input, not on historic preservation NOT ON ANYTHING..

WE voted many of these people in and now our cries are falling ON DEAF EARS.

If Alvin Brown will ignore Delores Weaver, which of us do you think is getting his attention? .

This is sickening. and it is not just sickening over the human rights bill but on everything in general.  Its a slap in the face and a " Thank you for voting for me, SUCKER.. Now up yours"   mentality.  and it is wrong on every fathomable level.

With the few decent Council people outnumbered and bullied by the other idiots we elected , We do not have a snowball's chance in hell .

[sheclown]

It's hard to get a fair shake in this town.  What a disgusting outcome, if all this is true.

Jimmy .. until and unless we get rid of the people who will never be a party to true equal rights, we will NEVER get a fair shake in this town. Not on human rights, not on public opinion or input, not on historic preservation NOT ON ANYTHING..

WE voted many of these people in and now our cries are falling ON DEAF EARS.

If Alvin Brown will ignore Delores Weaver, which of us do you think is getting his attention? .

This is sickening. and it is not just sickening over the human rights bill but on everything in general.  Its a slap in the face and a " Thank you for voting for me, SUCKER.. Now up yours"   mentality.  and it is wrong on every fathomable level.

With the few decent Council people outnumbered and bullied by the other idiots we elected , We do not have a snowball's chance in hell .

Oh, yes we do. 

It isn't so much that people aren't being heard, it is more that people aren't speaking out. (I'm talking not about the brave souls who spoke about their struggles with the ignorance and prejudice.  I'm talking about those folks who know about the corruption in the local politics and just shrug their shoulders).

Folks need to stop fighting "southern style" being afraid to step up and speak the truth.  And they need to start screaming it from the top of their lungs.

We give our power away every time we choose not to make waves or disturb the status quo.

It is way past time for people to talk about these things.  Speak up like Diane, like Warren Jones.  Like Metrojacksonville.

So many people say they ought to speak up but never do.

Jacksonville, free yourself.

Shine a light and watch the rodents run.

[Timkin]

It's hard to get a fair shake in this town.  What a disgusting outcome, if all this is true.

Jimmy .. until and unless we get rid of the people who will never be a party to true equal rights, we will NEVER get a fair shake in this town. Not on human rights, not on public opinion or input, not on historic preservation NOT ON ANYTHING..

WE voted many of these people in and now our cries are falling ON DEAF EARS.

If Alvin Brown will ignore Delores Weaver, which of us do you think is getting his attention? .

This is sickening. and it is not just sickening over the human rights bill but on everything in general.  Its a slap in the face and a " Thank you for voting for me, SUCKER.. Now up yours"   mentality.  and it is wrong on every fathomable level.

With the few decent Council people outnumbered and bullied by the other idiots we elected , We do not have a snowball's chance in hell .

Oh, yes we do. 

It isn't so much that people aren't being heard, it is more that people aren't speaking out.

Folks need to stop fighting "southern style" being afraid to step up and speak the truth.  And they need to start screaming it from the top of their lungs.

We give our power away every time we choose not to make waves or disturb the status quo.

It is way past time for people to talk about these things.  Speak up like Diane, like Warren Jones.  Like Metrojacksonville.

So many people say they ought to speak up but never do.

Jacksonville, free yourself.

Shine a light and watch the rodents run.

Sheclown..  People in droves stepped up and pled their case to this panel at several meetings , and countless hours , some talked, some cried. 

And after all of that , Kim Daniels and her esteemed posse  of incompetence, still denied basic rights. 

TO WHOM do you propose we scream and yell to that will listen and take heart and make changes? I don't believe these people will change their tune.

[sheclown]

I know that people spoke up.  I'm talking about the blatant corruption.

The fight for human rights in this town was inspiring.

Now, it is time to speak up against the corruption.

Kim Daniels is horrible, but the REAL issue here isn't the fact that she is ignorant.

The real fact is that the people spoke and had the votes in place UNTIL THE BACK ROOM DEAL

It is one thing to deny human rights to a group of people.  That is ignorance and fear.  It is quite another thing to deny the citizens of this town the RIGHT to grant human rights to a group of people.  That is CRIMINAL.

[sheclown]

Florida has the sunshine laws to protect its citizens from this sort of crap.

The REAL crime is that the folks who spoke up, cried, inspired all of us, won the day until the good old boys had their way.

That, my dear friend, Timkin, is what needs to be investigated.  Ethic complaints need to be filed with the state over this.

[Timkin]

I see.  If that would be instrumental in putting them out of office I would be all over it.

[Cheshire Cat]

A few years back the issue of Sunshine Law violations was part of a Grand Jury investigation while John Peyton was in office.  Long story short, the outcome was that the jury found Sunshine Law violations, but decided that those members of council who had violated that law had suffered enough due to the public exposure.  No action was taken other than a slap on the wrist.  It was at this time that the Ethics Office was opened to take the heat off Peyton and others.  The problem was the Ethics Director, Carla Miller took the job seriously and would not be manipulated.  Great efforts were undertaken to shut the office down and as some may remember ended with the Brown administration asking her to pay back some salary when they had decided to close her office.  It was only through her unwillingness to be bullied, some good council members involvement, the Ethics Commission themselves and the demands of the public that this did not happen.

In another case a well known local attorney took Sunshine Law violations to the state level only to see those at fault be given a small fine, which by the way they are not forced by law to pay.  That self same attorney was warned by members of the administration at that time, that pursuing these charges (if unfounded) would result in their own prosecution and then asked the attorney if this was worth it?  The attorney did not back down, but the lengths one has to go to in order to pursue charges with the state require appearances at the state for hearings and tons of paperwork all equating to a very heavy work load.  Most people cannot or will not get involved in this tedious process.

The problem is that many of the remedy's citizens "think" we have under the law have been crafted by the very politicians they are supposed to keep in line.  Believe you me, I have had enough conversations with past SAO agents while assisting in some ongoing investigations to know that even the best evidence is no evidence if authorities refuse to act on it.  In the case I mention above, the leader of the Grand Jury at that time was a well known political player of the day. The outcome was predictable.

That takes us to solutions often bantered about that range from recall to seeing that so and so is not elected again.  Both these things are easier said than done.  Recall is a seriously difficult and time consuming effort that requires a good, provable reason for the recall as well as lengthy petitions all to be delivered at the state level.  Costly and very involved so seldom pursued.  Threats made to local politicos about them not getting elected again because of their actions and voting habits also generally fall of deaf ears because voters fail to follow through.  For instance, Don Redman ran unopposed in the past election even though many swore he would be voted out.  It is pretty well understood that enough funding and support can end up with "desired" people remaining in office whether they be democrat or republican. Certainly there is no chance of change if office holders are not even challenged for their seats.   Those not associated with the two main parties have next to no chance of being elected to local office. 

One of the things that people used to rely on to help them make difficult choices about candidates was main stream media.  We looked to them for thorough investigative reporting and fact finding.    We can no longer depend on them to provide the clear and concise facts we need without a heavy does of opinion. I find that to be a shame.   Now we get spin and in some cases media writing themselves into the story line by imposing their own political choices and views on readers and listeners.  There is one printed media source in Jacksonville right now that gives valid facts without spin and that is the "Daily Record".  The TU is all over the place with regard to issues.  Take Alvin Brown for Mayor.  The paper supported him, yet a few month's into his term some with that self same paper were calling out his administration over many of their actions and suing his office in order to get public records which by law should have been readily available.

Having said all of the above, I still see some signs of positive change and that I believe is a result of allowing politicians to kick the can of broken promises down the road until they have come to the edge of a cliff that they will either build a bridge over or fall into it's chasm.   They can't build that bridge alone.


Diane Melendez



 

 

[sheclown]

Awesome Diane.  Thanks for this.

What do you suggest that the average person do with her outrage?  Is there anything?

If there was ever any issue which could ignite a real and significant change, I think it could be this one.  Perhaps the problem with previous battles is that only a few people spent enormous efforts to fight the corruption.

Could this battle be won with a thousand little helping hands? 

[mtraininjax]

If Alvin Brown will ignore Delores Weaver, which of us do you think is getting his attention? .

+1