On January 23rd City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow appeared on Above the Fold with Tallahassee Reports Editor Steve Stewart. Matlow discussed current local issues as well as challenges facing Tallahassee in 2020.
The full audio of the interview is available here.
Stewart and Matlow began by discussing the issue of firms participating in local government contracts, campaign consulting, and private sector consulting.
“I think, on face value, the problem is, ‘Who’s looking after the public’s interest?’” Matlow said. “You have folks who are taking money from private interests. Those interests want something from the government. Those same individuals are also running campaigns for local candidates. They’re raising money for those candidates to get elected that support their same interests.”
He said one solution to the problem is a change in City policy to promote the public’s interest.
“I think we could say if you work as a campaign consultant and you get paid by a campaign, you shouldn’t be eligible for any type of government contract,” he said. “I think those need to be widely separated. We can’t have overlap. The government’s position should always be to protect the public’s interest.”
Matlow also discussed the recent debate over the Tallahassee Police Department publishing pictures of juveniles arrested for felonies. He expressed support for a change in City policy, noting that, often, the juveniles in the pictures are ultimately not charged with a felony and instead are placed into diversion programs.
“When you take somebody’s mugshot who’s been arrested, not convicted of a crime, hasn’t pled guilty to a crime, and you put it on our Facebook, and the media puts it on their Facebook, it comes with a stigma, when the public kind of assumes they’re guilty, and that stigma can follow you for the rest of your life,” he said.
He said there should be a public value in posting a juvenile’s mugshot on social media. He also emphasized that law enforcement should be reaching out to juveniles and trying to prevent them from getting involved with crime.
At the end of the show, Matlow outlined what he views as the City’s challenges in 2020. He listed crime, poverty, and infrastructure as major issues, and he said one of his top priorities is engaging the Tallahassee youth.
“We have people come to our office that say there’s nowhere for kids to go after school,” he said. “They’re going to get into trouble.”
He said he wants to provide more programming for youth in the area and embrace volunteers interested in getting involved.
For more interviews on local issues, listen to Above the Fold every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on WVFT 93.3 FM.
City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow Discusses Local Issues on Above the Fold added by Lexie Pitzen on
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Nothing for kids to do after school?
How about…homework?
Exactly, I had plenty to do after Home Work…….. Chores, Yard Work, Hung Out with Friends. Built Forts in the Woods, etc.
It’s refreshing to have a Tallahassee City Commissioner voice concerns against the corrupt system in place of everyone scratching each others backs in a somewhat legal method which results in questionable decisions not in the public’s best interest and unearned income enriching those Commissioners who choose to behave in such questionably legal back scratch/get paid activity.
But to what end will Mr. Matlow’s strong talk take us?
I submit the problem is actually deeper than Mr. Matlow can effect any changes on: because not only are all the other elected local officials on board with the back scratch/get paid decision making process. More importantly the majority of local voters condone this type of behavior and will keep electing these type of leaders.
Local voters think its OK for elected officials to enrich themselves in the back scratch/get paid method of politics and are just fine with it. What must be shocking to the majority of local voters is Matlow is voicing words that are making the voting sheeple think he’s against that type of self enriching politics.
Local voters must think Matlows just new and will soon begin to accept payments from political decisions which are not in the publics best interest.
It’s our voters that must change first because right now our leaders are nothing but clones of the corrupt local leftist majority voting sheeple who elected them.
I dont think even an FBI investigation every 3 years or so will curb local corruption.