Yesterday we broke the story of an upcoming book by Darlene Tye, City of Jacksonville retiree. She broke her 30-year silence because she felt it was time to take the book off the shelf and get it published. She’s 91 years old and knows time is ticking and hopes this book will be an encouragement for others to stand up and fight for their rights.
You can read more about yesterday’s story here: https://eyeonjacksonville.com/breaking-metoo-accusation-of-former-mayor-tommy-hazouri-in-upcoming-book/
Part of her story includes being forced out of the Civil Defense Director’s job so a friend of the Mayor’s could be handed her job. That’s called NEPOTISM and is the granting of favor to relatives or friends. She tells what happened when she learned she was being demoted and the Director’s job would go to an unqualified young man. A man who would be in charge of the safety of 700,000 residents. This was a serious issue to her because it was a big job and one that included keeping Jacksonville residents safe in disasters. It wasn’t a job for the faint of heart or for the unqualified.
Ms. Tye was highly qualified and was well-known in her field. She led the department, was a spokesperson for Civil Defense and had numerous articles published about Civil Defense/Emergency issues. She knew her job well and was highly qualified to remain in it.
When then candidate Tommy Hazouri met with her to solicit her vote, he promised her she could keep her job when he became Mayor. He saw no reason for her to be removed from the position. But alas, when he became Mayor, he broke his promise. And those broken promises by the Mayor broke her heart.
Check out how she was told she no longer had the Civil Defense Director’s job. Can you imagine being treated this way?
Ms. Tye names names in her book and is unafraid of any retaliation for publishing it. She believes all who have been treated unfairly should stand up and be heard so others will feel confident to do the same. This she believes is important not only for women but also for men.
As for the tactic of new Mayors putting their buddies on boards and in executive offices, nothing has changed. We see it still today and can only hope that one day a Mayor will be elected who will do what a great Executive should do. Hire the BEST and MOST QUALIFIED person for the job and eliminate nepotism from the hiring plan. That way the city wins and integrity reigns in the halls of City Hall. What a wonderful time that will be for our city.
Again, we give a Wink Eye to Ms. Tye for having the courage to break her silence and publish her book. Eye believes it going to be a winner.
For more information about Ms. Tye’s lawsuit, which she won, check out this link: https://www.leagle.com/decision/19892005707fsupp129811814
Please note: We have reached out to Mr. Hazouri for his comments and we have not heard back.
She craved anything leadership related and enjoyed being around the world of entrepreneurial CEOs. She watched as they made decisions; pondered how they would make payroll when cash flow was tight; and appreciated how they created career opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people. Because of her experiences, she has emerged as a key resource for the media and others who want to understand important insights about executives, management teams and board dynamics.
In 2008, Billie became discouraged as she watched some of her clients struggle with the political economic impacts on their businesses. The same CEOs who mortgaged their home and charged up their credit cards to make ends meet to build a business and keep others working, now watched as their government bailed out the big banks who had mismanaged their resources. She cringed as most of her clients laid off employees for the first time and she vowed she would help them… somehow…someway.
That somehow…someway showed up in the Tea Party Movement in America. She formed one of the largest tea party group’s in America (more than 9,000 members strong) and helped bring attention to America’s debt problem, out of control spending, over taxation and regulation strangulation on companies.
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She has been an active participant in the media as a guest on CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, Bott Family Network Radio and co-hosts a political/financial radio show in the Northeast Florida market entitled, Smart Money.
She was the first speaker at the House of Representatives Tea Party Caucus inaugural event and was invited by Heritage Foundation to speak at their prestigious annual Heritage Resource Bank, and on their National Security Panel live broadcasts.
She spoke at the Congressional Republican House Retreat in Pennsylvania in 2012. She was also the co-host and co-producer of the CNN Tea Party Express Debate in the 2012 Presidential Election.
She is a firm believer that America needs more entrepreneurs and more opportunities for people to use their God-given talents and passions to better themselves, their communities and America.
Her favorite quote has become her mission to help CEOs succeed:
“Vision without execution is hallucination.” – Thomas Edison
