North Florida listening tour update

Posted on 08/18/2011 @ 11:43 AM

By David Abrams, North Florida State Coordinator.

The CMF team arrived back in Miami late Tuesday night following 5 days of listening tour visits to Orlando, Gainesville, Jacksonville, & Daytona.

During this trip, I couldn't help but notice 2 common words directly or indirectly stated among our most animated and excited supporters. 
 
Michael Bowie, of Gainesville, stressed the power of a Political Action Committee, also known as a PAC. He said if "you want to make a difference up there {Tallahassee}, we have to go make some serious changes".  Bowie also thinks it's time to hold our legislators accountable by stating "report cards are extremely important because it can then show people how they voted on these various issues". These "various issues", of course meaning the dozens of  Children's issues we fight for yearly in Tallahassee. April Griffin, who is a member of the Alachua County school board closed the afternoon by mentioning "it's just sad, why should we have to be feared--but if that's what we need, I think we give it to them."

Following an incredibly energized group Monday afternoon in Gainesville, we shortly traveled on to visit CMF leaders in Jacksonville for a  Monday evening meeting.

This is where Elexia Moss, of the Jax Kids Coalition, brought up her concern that "a lot of politicians in political leadership listen, but do not hear." I got the sense Moss is tired of being patted on the head by politicians while not seeing any positive results or change for Florida's children.

Tuesday morning we made our way to Daytona for a 1:00 P.M. meeting. This is where Volusia County School Board Member, Candace Lankford, so powerfully expressed her concerns for what has been occurring in Tallahassee regarding our youth. She boldly stated that it was time to "take a stand, and we have been too nice for too long." She also brought up a scary point that "because we do so much for children, we live in fear that the little we get, might be taken away from us." Lankford then defined the definition of insanity while referring to "what we've been doing for so long, that hasn't worked."

We have created a brief movie for your enjoyment summarizing the last 5 days and titled Northeast Florida Regional Roundtables.

Oh, and for the two common words- political action- seems to be it! Hear what roundtable participants have to say by watching the video below: