With one of the most brutally honest web page bios of any political candidate, Joe West is confident, despite a history of addiction, homelessness and failed marriages, his leadership would be better for Tallahassee than the slick, professional, scandal-ridden leadership of the politicians currently running the city.
Sober now for 20+ years, West said, “The only way one recovers from addiction issues is to become brutally honest with oneself and to stay that way. My bio is written as someone in recovery. Someone living in recovery must be honest with himself, must take responsibility for his actions. I have learned that.”
West said living with very little, he knows how to live within his means and how to do the right thing. He thinks those skills would serve the city well.
He’s lived a much different life than the current mayor and his predecessors.
Mayor Andrew Gillum has a college degree from FAMU and walked straight from college into the political world, serving on the Tallahassee city commission. From the outside he has the perfect family, says the perfect words, is slick and polished. Yet his tenure as mayor is surrounded with scandal, corruption and rampant political ambition.
West said he is not interested in relatives getting city contracts, lining his own pockets or climbing the political ladder.
“I am somebody who is willing to step up and say what we have now is not working. Let’s try something new or go back to what worked before,” he said.
West is calling for the office of mayor to no longer be elected but to rotate among the city commissioners as it did in the past.
“I am a candidate who is calling for the removal of the very office I’m running for,” he said.
“We don’t need half a million dollars for the mayor’s office and staff,” West said.
He believes the power of elected office combined with citizen apathy breeds arrogance and unethical behavior.
“If you need ethics written down, something is wrong,” he said.
“We have allowed our local elected officials to creep over lines and to continue to creep to the point where they’re so far past the lines, they don’t even know where the lines are. We, as citizens, have never stepped up and said, ‘no, you can’t do this,’” West said.
“Unfortunately, we’ve created a mold for what we consider to be leaders and that mold’s broken or should be broken. My hope is maybe if the City of Tallahassee can change the model for doing business on a political level, maybe that will catch on in other places and people will become engaged and hold people that represent them accountable,” he said.
Joe West: Breaking the Mold added by Karen Murphy on
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When one has lived a life such as yours being brutally honest is all you have left. Surely you do not expect we would choose you over one with truly sterling character and hard work. Congrats on your recovery. As for me and mine, we will choose from those who did not need recovery. Stay with your own kind and help lift your comrades in despair.
Allie,
I’m sorry you are or have been living with someone that is active in their addiction.
You are quite correct in saying an active addict or alcoholic lack morals and/or ethics.
Having more than 20 years of clean and sober living I’ve watched hundreds come and go back out. I hope you’ve found peace and happiness in whatever endeavors you chose to follow.
To Snidley,
I’m really sorry but this is the cleaned up version of me. I’m pretty comfortable with who I am and wouldn’t feel right trying to project something I’m not. Thanks for your input.
For some reason I’m not able to add something to my response to Regular Voter, I will NOT accept donations or gifts from vendors or contractors doing business with the COT.
If you promise not to wear a tie at the commission meetings, you have my vote!
After living with an addict for years, morals and ethics are not words I would use to describe the person!
Real people, unconnected, unbought, and not afraid to talk common sense running for office. Can you imagine? Good job Joe!
Go, Joe! You have my vote.
Honesty?
Our lock step lefty liberal self defecating “D” voters do not agree with this radical concept known as honesty in their local government officials and will NOT cast even one vote for honesty.
Except maybe this time.
If we get a “good do the crime – serve the time” result from the FBI investigation of our local “usual suspects” then there’s an excellent chance those same self defecating “D” voters will cross party lines in droves and sweep in this new concept of honesty for the first time in many local citizens lives.
Now of course if the FBI employees working the Tallahassee corruption case turn out to be Jim Comey “weasels” well then we are all screwed and honesty will never raise it’s head in the Capital City ever.
I personally would take a shave and try to look more like a political candidate and less like some intoxicated dude who just spilled beer on you at a local biker bar if I were Joe.
But hey that’s just how I roll. Good luck Joe!
Whit your first statement you decided to insult all Liberal Democrats. How much of respect do you expect from me back? Do you want me to call you smtg back? Not too difficult. Have a Blessed Day!
Let me be get in the line to vote for you
Joe, thank you for running. Would you please provide a bio and resume for us voters to review? I agree with you that ethics has been lost by our city commissioners serving today. Will you agree to not accept any campaign contribution, gift, benefit or service, regardless of value, from any person or company doing business with the city?
There’s a short and long version Bio on the website.
Gojoe2018.com
Go Joe. I love your honesty more than anything else. This city is nothing more than a sewer for political payoffs. I will support your effort.