You may not be aware but right now there is a big election coming up. You have no vote and you will either benefit or suffer from the consequences of the voting tally.
The vote is for the new City Council President and the race is on between Tommy Hazouri (D) and Danny Becton (R).
Many months ago, Tommy Hazouri threw his hat in the ring and no one else was on the ticket. Instead of waiting to see who else might step forward, many of the members of the City Council “pledged” their vote to Hazouri. Deal making was done and Hazouri made promises that he would do this and that to help those who voted for him.
But now Danny Becton has stepped forward and he is asking for support from those who didn’t pledge to Hazouri and those who did.
We have spoken to many of those who pledged to Hazouri and they are all saying the same thing, “I must keep my word. My word is all I have.”
Nice talking points and they ring hollow.
Their first pledge should always be to the ones who put them in office and how they expected them to vote — on the values they ran on.
We understand deal making, promise making and all that political mumbo jumbo. We don’t care about that. We care that those we elected will vote their values that match ours. That’s why they won in the first place. We do not want them to vote for someone who could harm us from their position of authority and from their political platform’s values.
As we have seen across the nation, COVID19 has unleashed the fury of tyrants in power. We in Florida have been blessed with Gov. DeSantis (R) who has followed the facts, established guidelines to keep us healthy and quickly reopened a healthy state – unlike what happened in New York at the hands of Andrew Cuomo (D).
We should be thankful he won last November. He ran against Andrew Gillum (D) who recently was found passed out in a drug-induced state in a hotel room with other seedy people. Gillum’s values did not match ours and he followed the Democratic talking points to the tee during his campaign. If Gillum was Governor during this time, we would not be healthy, we would not be free and we would not be reopening. He would be following the example of other Democrats across the country. We would be under tyrant rule.
Eye on Jacksonville has written about a story from many years ago that reflects on the values of Tommy Hazouri. That story is of a woman — Ms. Darlene Tye – who was in an important position with the City, was promised by Hazouri during his campaign that she would keep her job if he won, and when he did — he had her removed from that position by a young man who was buddies with Hazouri. When Ms. Tye sued Hazouri and the City for sex and pay discrimination, she won. The courts ruled Hazouri was wrong.
After the ruling, Hazouri and others in his administration put Ms. Tye in a tiny room in City Hall and left her with no job to do and an old typewriter. She was being punished and sidelined for speaking up. During that year, Ms. Tye typed out her story and reported on the continued shame she experienced at the hands of Mayor Hazouri.
You can read all about it and hear Ms. Tye speak to us in the videos posted.
This story and the fact Tommy Hazouri stands for the political platform of those who do not match the majority of the city council’s values is enough to tear up their pledge cards and reconsider their vote.
Deuteronomy 1:13 states, “Choose men of wisdom, understanding and experience to represent your tribe.” This is the standard by which we should vote and the standard by which those we put on the city council should vote as well.
The vote for City Council President should not be taken lightly. Our city is under Federal investigation and if Mayor Curry leaves office before his time is up, the President of the City Council will take his place. What man would you want there? What values will keep us safe? Who has proven he is a man of his word?
To each member of the City Council: Always look past the promises made and into the man who speaks them. Look to their past votes. Look to their values. Look to the stories of their life.
If Ms. Tye could not trust Mr. Hazouri, why would you?
That’s our opinion. What’s yours?
