Today City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow outlined a plan to help local businesses deal with the economic challenges brought on by government regulations due to the coronavirus.
TR recently reported about Mayor Dailey calling for an emergency meeting of the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency to discuss how local government could help with the devastating economic impact of the coronavirus in Tallahassee.
Based on comments from other city and county staff, it appears behind the scene discussions took place last week related to relief for struggling business owners.
Matlow’s plan has three components.
First, Matlow proposed that the Blueprint IA approve $10 million to fund $25,000 interest-free loans for small businesses.
Second, he wants the “entire Office of Economic Vitality staff” to help local businesses navigate the process required to connect to State and Federal resources.
And finally, Matlow advocates freezing all other OEV spending for six months.
Matlow published his plan on his Tallahassee City Commission Twitter account as shown below.
Commissioner Matlow Proposes Plan for Small Businesses added by Staff on
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Blueprint penny sales tax is for infrastructure. Or is it?
I fail to understand why Newlow is so popular.
He crows about how he is for common sense and ethics. Let’s take a peek.
He only nominated for an open seat appointment those who donated massive sums of money to his campaign. When this was brought to his attention, as well as how uncouth Tabitha Frazier was, he said he doesnt hold anyone to a different standard than the one the President of the United States is held.
Then he proposed, legitimately, a City-run broadband service without purpose, revenue stream, or sense.
Now he is, without shame or irony, proposing that a massive massive bailout be received for those businesses who, for better or for worse, failed to prepare or have reserves on hand for
this. I could go on, but I have work to do beyond hanging some pictures of stolen dot-print superheros and throw weird toppings on some pizza and calling myself an entrepreneur.
It’s outrageous Newlow suggested this, and really must think we are fools to not figure out what he is doing here. How many times has he recused himself over his business interest?
He is neither ethical, smart, nor a good businessman. Look up what he did to another business when they tried to use the phrase “Pies.” He is not a nice guy, or a humble servant, or looking out for small businesses. Apparently noone else can now have a Pizza Pie shop here in tallahassee.
I figured this place had higher standards.
Perhaps being a decent person who didn’t enter politics for personal gain and has a real interest in bettering the community is why he’s popular. Did you have a bad pizza or something?
Yes, thank you, Dan.
I disagree. A decent person would not get elected, and then only propose for open seats uncouth and unqualified donors. A decent person would not propose that he gets a raise within a year of being on the job. A decent person would not propose a nonsensical, redundant and wasteful infrastructure plan as his signature proposal. A decent person Dan, would have recused himself from the blueprint meeting.
And, taking a closer look at your post, you actually agree with me. To say that Matlow did not enter politics for personal gain, by any measure, is false. Why would he propose he get a raise? Why would he not recuse himself from the blueprint discussion to maintain the integrity of the process?
Was it because he wanted to steer or influence the conversation? What about his business partner? Did that even come up? His business partner is not disqualified right?
His business partner has many other restaurants that seem to qualify, and a reduction of his business partners debt certainly is an advantage for Matlow.
Why would he post something on Facebook about him not taking the money if what he did was not a conflict of interest? What about the appearance thereof? Why would he need to cure a wrong that doesnt exist? Section 112.313 is quite clear, and his Facebook post is an attempt to cure a wrong.
He should have recused himself from the meeting and the vote. He chose not to. He should face the consequences for his miscalculation. Simple as that.
At this point you’re going to need to explain to me how he DIDNT violate the ethics laws. And it should be something more than the usual Tallahassee this is how it works here, he’s a decent person.
Local businesses should be working directly with their local bank on these short-term low-interest loans, not the government. Blueprint IA can use their/our funds to work with the local banks to underwrite and/or guarantee those loans, but local government should not try to become the bank.
Freezing OEV spending and reassigning staff priorities is all good.
Good Plan Commissioner Matlow BUT, YOU should NOT be the one to Bring it up, discuss it or to even Vote on it since, YOU yourself is a Small Business Owner that could benefit from YOUR Proposal.
Matlow is a staunch Gillum and Bernie Sanders supporter an endorser.
Even more troubling several weeks ago he was advocating to double his city commission salary.
On the plus side he is a successful businessman and doesn’t kowtow to the mayor and quite frankly is a little more on top of it than the mayor.
He needs to make a sharp right turn and denounce Gillum and Sanders and beeline it to the Supervisor of Elections office and register as a Republican. I believe deep down he is a conservative, he just has not realized it yet, but will soon, hopefully.
Sound reasoning. I hope he does. Happened in Mississippi a month ago.
https://yallpolitics.com/2020/02/24/mississippi-gop-welcomes-eight-party-switchers-to-the-republican-side/
We need a party for America-loving Americans. For now, the GOP fits the bill.
Hope, write that book.
Excellent question.
Comrade Matlow should declare a conflict of interest and pass on applying for any no-interest pizza bailout if his recommendations are implemented.
And how does Jerry propose for him and his friends to get at the pizza parlors
Still its difficult, very difficult, to trust anything a leftist proposes to “solve/help/or have any positive impact on anything whatsoever.
Nationally and locally leftists have pooped so much and so often in the nest we elected them to oversee, in their own selfish interest, that 98% of the public just want you leftists to just shut your greedy selfish pie holes already and quietly wait on the sidelines for the 2020 Trump landslide.
Other than that…have a nice day.