Staff Reports
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a Democratic candidate for governor in 2018, issued a brief statement Tuesday calling this week’s Special Session “a complete embarrassment to our state.”
Gillum also took a swipe at a education policy bill (HB 7069) Gov. Rick Scott is considering that, among other things, could funnel more money to privately-managed charter schools.
The session “was called with a total lack of transparency, and thanks to HB 7069, Floridians’ tax dollars are almost certainly about to enrich for-profit charter school executives,” Gillum said in the statement.
“I’d urge Governor Scott to veto this bill—if only he and Speaker (Richard) Corcoran would come out from their smoke-filled room. This session is a case study on why Florida needs new leadership.”
3 comments
Reid Friedson, PhD
June 7, 2017 at 11:15 am
Right on Andrew Gillum. The Sunshine State of Florida is plagued by transparency problems from public meetings to public records. Sunshine is the best disinfectant for corrupt practices in Florida. Start investigating Rick Scott and his appointees especially to boards of state colleges and public universities who then allow the sucking up of money to their incompetent, corrupt, law breaking crony administrators and trustees who conceal evidence and obstruct justice. Teachers must run schools for a living wage not political cronies who are both arrogant and incompetent.
Mike Thompson
June 7, 2017 at 1:26 pm
Friedson – Gillum would not know transparency if it bit him in the buttocks. I am a resident of Tallahassee and have seen it first hand. He lords over a Florida city with the highest crime rate, he has used taxpayer money to open restaurants for his friends, used taxpayer money to purchase an email program that he used for personal political gain and to benefit Hillary Clinton’s campaign (remember what Hillary and the DNC did to Bernie), he is currently under investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s office at the bequest of the State Attorney, he worked full time as Mayor and amazingly a full 40 hours a week for People for the American Way foundation for several years at the same time(George Soros group), he has managed to make the City of Tallahassee one of the highest taxed communities in the State, he has among the largest budget for ANY mayors office across the country. I don’t care for Rick Scott, but I care even less for Andrew Gillum. You are a researcher, do some research. Andrew Gillum is not all he is cracked up to be.
Preston Scott
June 8, 2017 at 5:33 am
Ditto. Gillum, in fact, turned into a turtle when I asked him about his work for PFTAWF…first, he threatened to sue when the “Foundation” part was not in the introduction (even though Al Sharpton’s show on MSNBC identified him as working for PFTAW without the Foundation part – something you watch over and over on YouTube). When Andrew is asked anything he does not want to talk about he pulls his head into his shell and hides. If you simply listen to what he DOES say it is nothing. No life experience at all. He voted to give himself more than $100,000 in taxpayer money (something locally called “deferred comp”) which was neither deferred nor allowed via the City Charter. When the act was brought to light by local independent reporting the Commission he was part of stopped taking the money immediately, but has he given the money back? Nope. He gets it when he steps down from the Commission. I am barely touching the tip of Gillum’s iceberg. Transparency is NOT something Gillum should be talking about at all.
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