Tallahassee Reports has recently documented the relationship between City Commissioner Jack Porter and the progressive group Local Progress. The group promotes left-wing policy solutions and encourages their members to implement these policies in their home jurisdictions.
The group states that “Despite large investments to get progressive candidates elected to office, very few resources exist to support elected officials once they begin to govern.”
To address this problem, the group funds a project with Local Progress called the Progressive Governance Academy.
The Progressive Governance Academy “exists to ensure that state and local elected officials that align with us have the resources, assets, tools, and skills that are needed to become powerful and effective leaders.” ( emphasis added)
With Porter’s relationship with Local Progress, it is important for citizens to know where the group stands on issues that may, at some point, be considered by the Tallahassee City Commission.
Provided below are positions on selected local issues taken from “Local Progress” resources.
Law Enforcement
On law enforcement, the group states that “Community members and advocates around the country are doing vital work to redefine and re-imagine what real safety looks like in their neighborhoods. They are making the case that increased public safety does not come from additional police officers, arrests, jails, and harsher punishments, but rather a dramatic investment in critical resources addressing the root causes of trauma, economic insecurity, housing displacement, and drug abuse.”
Local Progress holds up as example to follow the actions of a San Francisco city official who was able to overcome opposition from the police union and convinced elected officials to divest $10 million from the police department and redirected that money to the city’s general fund for social programs.
Guaranteed Basic Income
Local Progress supports guaranteed basic income programs. The group states “We need an economy that works for the people. One where we can all afford groceries, rent, and everything we need to live and thrive.”
On guaranteed basic programs, Local Progress states, ” That’s why localities across the country continue to pilot and expand guaranteed basic income programs – with impactful results. These programs – which have taken off in counties, cities, and school districts alike — provide low-income families with money to spend on what they know will best support themselves and their families.”
Local Office Dedicated to Immigrants and Refugees
Local Progress takes the position that local governments should create bureaucracies that facilitate the needs of immigrants and refugees.
From their website, ” A standing function of local governments, regardless of their size, is to provide services, welcome, and integration for new arrivals and migrants. In recognition of this, in the last decade, many localities have created staffed immigrant affairs offices (pg. 7), such as an “Offices of New Americans” (ONA) in Nashville, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) in Denver, or Office of Welcoming Communities (OWC) in Jersey City. Smaller localities may also have dedicated immigrant-focused efforts in their local government, but may embed it into their structure in other ways (i.e. as part of broader racial equity or community engagement efforts).”
Local Progress instructs their membership, “the first significant step for government support is to ensure there are dedicated government personnel to oversee welcoming programs.”
School Resource Officers
Local Progress is against having school resource officers in public schools.
From their website, “There is no substantial evidentiary support for the proposition that suspensions or police presence in schools create safer learning environments. To the contrary, studies have shown that schools are no safer, even after years of punitive policing and disciplinary measures, than before such policies are implemented.”
The position of Local Progress is that “Policing is not only ineffective, it also hurts individual students’ academic performance. One study found that experiencing an arrest for the first time in high school nearly doubles the odds of a student dropping out, and a court appearance nearly quadruples these odds.”
Critical Race Theory
Local Progress supports the use critical race theory through the implementation of ethnic studies in schools. The group notes that “Ethnic studies, by definition, take power away from Eurocentric and white supremacist narratives.”
Local Progress promotes a equity plan adopted by a California school district as an acceptable approach.
From their website, “One of the most important goals outlined in the Equity Plan is to make ethnic studies a central focus of their curriculum. Ethnic Studies as a course comes directly from the rich history of activism that emphasized the importance of intersectionality and Critical Race Theory throughout the state of California.”
The Equity Strategic Plan will begin to transform culture by explicitly directing a review of current practices from the standpoint of equity. Gender, disability, and race equity are training and professional development directives for parents and educators, specifically the use of Critical Race Theory.
“Local Progress” Group Promotes Progressive Policy Positions to Local Leaders added by Staff on
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This says that Porter has violated this law: Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.
Darn auto spell… make that “maniacal” clowns.
You know you’re on to something when the local Progressively-Marxist plebes are directed to jump on the site and attack the messenger for exposing their devious plans. LMAO at these mania levels clowns.
Keep up the good work, Steve and TR.
@Steve Stewart
You stated: “If you know of another local elected politician that has had travel expenses paid for by a person or group with an interest in local government business and has not properly disclosed these expenses please send me the info.”
That appears to be an accusation you are making against Porter. However, your “attack pieces” don’t mention who you think paid for part of her trip. Where’s YOUR evidence to add credibility to your very public accusation? You ask for mine about other politicians but don’t show us evidence of yours. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours first.
Local Progress is a 501(3)(c) corporation and is not allowed to provide income to elected officials.
@ DeepStatePropagandist… Don’t be too hard on yourself, sweetie. I’m sure you’ll convince someone somewhere.
“If you know of another local elected politician that has had travel expenses paid for by a person or group with an interest in local government business and has not properly disclosed these expenses please send me the info. I will right another “attack” piece. Thank You Steve Stewart.”
Ooof. They have grammar check software nowadays, you know? Maybe you turned it off because you thought it was Marxist or something?
@Edward Lyle –
“Sounds a lot like today’s Progressively-Marxist Democrat Party platform to me, aye sport?”
No. It really doesn’t. Can you point me to anywhere wherein the Democratic party is pushing legislation to provide for the state ownership of the means of production? I’d love to see your evidence!
@Concerned Citizen:
“I am sure the Tallahassee Democrat will provide the type of cover up for local politicians you would prefer. ”
It’s more like it doesn’t matter; as long as Richardson and Whats-Her-Name and Daily are on the commission, it wouldn’t matter if the Pope paid Porter to goto the Moon to harvest Moon Money; they’ll never be able to do anything except get voted down 3-2 on any issue of substance.
” This place may provide the ONLY service for those of us who ask more questions than “What did you eat at Amelia Island, councilperson?””
Did anyone actually ask that question though?
” I enjoy politicians being asked who is funding them. ”
I’m sure you were outraged when the Florida legislature passed a bill specifically excluding that data from freedom of information requests when DeSantis was flying all over the place to achieve his Participant ribbon in the Presidential primary, right?
@Deep Provocateur I am sure the Tallahassee Democrat will provide the type of cover up for local politicians you would prefer. This place may provide the ONLY service for those of us who ask more questions than “What did you eat at Amelia Island, councilperson?”
Feel free to sit in the dark though if you prefer. I enjoy politicians being asked who is funding them. It seems, I don’t know the word for it, but maybe Journalism?
DeepStatePropagandist = Hypocrisy on full display. For the record:
Marx·ism
/?märk?siz?m/
noun
1. the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, later developed by their followers to form the basis for the theory and practice of communism.
Sounds a lot like today’s Progressively-Marxist Democrat Party platform to me, aye sport?
Instead of: ” The group states “We need an economy that works for the people.” how about you just go to work and support the economy. The Audacity of today’s liberal youth believing the world owes them something is stunningly stupid. All the flowery words used by liberals are only euphemisms for wanting more free stuff paid for the taxpayers.
“I always thought this publication would offer a more middle of the road reporting to its readers”
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.
Look at the comments below yours.
“This IS Marxist.” –> Doesn’t know what Marxism is.
“This sounds like a Long Con Bribery Scam, Bribing Local Elected Officials with Power, Gifts and even Money, to get them to do what YOU want them to do no mater if it is bad for the People that don’t believe in your ways.” –> Doesn’t know what capitalization is.
“There is nothing “progressive” about these progressively-Marxist clowns.” –> Doesn’t know what Marxism is.
That is the core demographic they are trying to reach. Idiots who think anything they got told not to like by Fox news is Marxism. Why give nuanced reporting when it is more difficult and generates fewer clicks?
It appears TR is doing everything possible to see that Porter is not reelected. That’s very sad.
I always thought this publication would offer a more middle of the road reporting to its readers. These continuous “Porter attacks” certainly indicate otherwise.
If you know of another local elected politician that has had travel expenses paid for by a person or group with an interest in local government business and has not properly disclosed these expenses please send me the info. I will right another “attack” piece. Thank You Steve Stewart.
And remember, former (thankfully) city commissioner Debbie Lightsey was very instrumental in getting both Porter and Matlow elected. Watch out for whomever she supports. Btw, ask Lightsey how much she received “back-in-the-day” from Canopy developers in and outside Tallahassee!
@Edward Lyle: PROGRESSIVEly worse and worse
There is nothing “progressive” about these progressively-Marxist clowns.
What a load of manure. I disagree with every point they make.
This sounds like a Long Con Bribery Scam, Bribing Local Elected Officials with Power, Gifts and even Money, to get them to do what YOU want them to do no mater if it is bad for the People that don’t believe in your ways.
This IS Marxist. It only seems fitting that we have a couple on payroll in Tallahassee.
The altered minds of Tallahassee will jump right on voting for people that want to cause chaos and exploit weaknesses in the social fabric. Well done! It’s like Gillum never LEFT