Travel records reviewed by Tallahassee Reports shows that Leon County’s progressive politicians have elected to attend conferences with left-wing agendas while ignoring the Chamber’s Annual Community Conference which focuses on a broad range of Tallahassee centric issues.
The records show that City Commissioner Jack Porter, City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, and Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe have traveled to conferences that are sponsored by far-left groups and promote far-left policies.
Records also show that Porter, Matlow and O’Keefe have not attended the Chamber’s Annual Community Conference over the last three years and are not scheduled to attend this year.
The Annual Community Conference is a 3-day event which is attended by over 500 business leaders, small business owners, non-profit organizations, and local elected leaders.
Porter Travel
Travel records show that City Commissioner Jack Porter has attended multiple “Local Progress” conferences. The group focuses on progressive issues.
From the Local Progress website:
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.”
Taxpayers funded a portion of the costs associated with the Local Progress trips.
Public records indicate Porter has never attended the Chamber’s Annual Community conference, and she is not currently registered to attend the August 20, 2024, conference.
Matlow Travel
Travel records show that taxpayers funded Commissioner Matlow’s trip to the Aspen Ideas: Climate Conference in Miami during May 2022. The conference was sponsored by the Aspen Institute, a left-leaning, Washington, D.C.-headquartered think tank.
The cost of the trip was approximately $1,000.
Public records indicate Matlow has never attended the Chamber’s Annual Community conference, and he is not currently registered to attend the August 20, 2024, conference.
O’Keefe Travel
Leon County Commissioner David O’Keefe chose to attend the Arena Summit in Atlanta held April 18-21. The stated mission of the conference was to “convene progressive changemakers to strategize about how to secure Democratic victories in 2024 and build lasting progressive power in the state and across the country.”
O’Keefe paid his own expenses to attend the conference.
Public records indicate O’Keefe has never attended the Chamber’s Annual Community conference, and he is not currently registered to attend the August 20, 2024, conference.
How else are they to learn to be prosperity-impairing neighborhood intoxicators if they don't hang out with the Regressive elitist Lex Soros gang and get a jump on mal-spending tax-victims' earnings?
Then again, the Chamber of Crony Socialists pushing for special privileges, cheap pliant foreign labor visas so they don't have to consider hiring locals, etc. is not much to e-mail home about, either.
@Isabel You said.....
"Strength of the democratic agenda is very important."
"Tallahassee is truly sliding into a darkness."
Tallahassee is a Democrat City. The Democrats are the ones sliding Tallahassee into Darkness, they are the ones destroying Tallahassee, AMERICA. Now you know.
The city doles out ritz carlton attendance passes to only the best behaved boys and girls and the most obedient in the "executive scheme" aka the executive team.
Very true first comment on CoC. Never understood why we are paying for a vacation for bankers execs and career politicians.. at least do hold the event in town somewhere where regular people can have a voice.
I applaud he commissioners that want progress not the archaic Tallahassee.
Strength of the democratic agenda is very important.
Tallahassee is truly sliding into a darkness.
The progress of the city that will be open to changes is important.
Right now we have old good buddies working together that cannot even keep our aiport opened.
Soon no airlines will fly here.
We cannot keep businesses.
Why don't we just close the mall as well.
Sarah.. what are you drinking?
Wink'n, Blink'n, and Nod right there.
@ Immanuel... Don't you have some door hangars to get to? There is a distinction between these two organizations.
The CoC is a "business" oriented operation that is directly connected to the future and growth of the City... on the other hand, Progressivism is a dangerous and warped "ideology" that seeks the sexualization of children and the destruction of our Republic.
... lay off the weed and try to keep up
Let me add to the Matlow trip. He also took the head of the Leon Democrat Party with him to this trip. The City Taxpayers paid for both of their hotel stay for $500 each.
This group is funded Soros’ Open Society.
The fact the Chamber of Commerce's Amelia Island junkets are paid for property taxes is ludicrous