On Tuesday, August 13, the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates held a political forum featuring candidates running for City Commission Seat 1. However, City Commissioner Jack Porter backed out of the event on Monday citing concerns that the forum would not be fair to her.
Porter has participated in forums during the campaign season sponsored by groups that seem to be friendly to her campaign. These groups include the Tallahassee Democrat, WFSU and the Tallahassee Community Action Committee – a group that has labeled TPD officers “cop killers.”
However, Porter has not responded to questions submitted by Tallahassee Reports over the course of the campaign related to her position on law enforcement, taxes, and her travel to progressive conferences.
In addition, the leadership of the local Democrat Party has encouraged candidates not to respond to TR’s inquiries about their campaigns. While Porter and Dot Inman-Johnson have followed this advice, other Democrat candidates like Jeremy Rogers, Rudy Ferguson, and Louis Dilbert have been willing to answer questions in print or on The Steve Stewart Show broadcast on RealTalk 93.3.
Porter has also refused to participate in a podcast addressing local issues hosted by Preston Scott with The Morning Show with Preston Scott on WFLA 100.7
The story was very different four years ago when Porter was new to the political scene. She appeared on The Morning Show with Preston Scott, The Steve Stewart Show, appeared at the NEBA forum, and she advertised in the Tallahassee Reports print newspaper.
Now it appears Porter is avoiding specific questions from the same people that gave her a platform to spread a campaign message that helped get her elected.
What are the questions?
Porter is a subject of an ethics complaint related to her travel to progressive conferences around the country. Media outlets friendly to her campaign have refused to ask questions related to the topic.
Also, Porter is promoting the fact that she voted against the city of Tallahassee property tax increase. However, media outlets will not ask her about her comments to WCTV in 2023 that she voted against the tax increase because it increased funding to law enforcement.
But the issue with NEBA – a group on local business – maybe related to her position on economic growth issues which would have surely come up at the forum.
For example, Porter was the only elected official to vote against the Amazon project which now employees approximately 1,500 people.
Also, Porter voted against the Northeast Gateway which is a project that many view is critical to meet transportation and housing needs.
NEBA Board President Hugh Tomlinson told the gathering of about 100 people that Porter had withdrawn “because she perceives today’s event will somehow be conducted in an unfair manner to her.”
Tomlinson continued, “That is unfortunate as NEBA has a long-standing history of running respected candidate forums and today will be no exception. It’s disappointing that our members, who are Tallahassee voters, taxpayers and local employers, will not hear Commissioner Porter’s positions on these important issues facing our community.”
Steve what about Laurie Cox skipping the conservative school board forum at the elks lodge and sending her husband as a sit in? Not one word mentioned anywhere, 100% bias that you chose to not report on that. That conservative forum should have left her seat empty, they didn’t- Alan Cox sat debated her challenger- really? Shame on all the investigative reporters who become bought and turn into political propaganda machines.
Hi Tony,
I appreciate your comment. The bottom line is TR can't cover every issue and every forum - we simple do not have the resources. We are growing and we hope to get there. Feel free to subscribe or donate. Cox did not attend the Capital Conservatives forum because she was out of town - not because she was avoiding questions. She has been on The Steve Stewart Show and she did a podcast with Preston Scott and is willing to answer questions. Again, thanks for your comment. Steve S.
Oh wow forgot about that Can we get an update on Curtis Richardson backing down from radio interview? Northeast people need to think about a Rudy/Curtis/Dianne city hall...
@Nesquik ... Yeah, Florida Commission on Ethics is investigating. I stated "likely" because the City Attorney told Commissioner Porter how to handle the financial reporting of her trips to Local Progress conferences. She ignored the advice and did not disclose how those trips were paid for which is a violation. It's kind of cut and dry. Jack is hoping whatever the consequences will be after the election so she is stonewalling. Smart strategy by her and her "team" ("Hi, Ryan!"). She has consistently refused to answer any and all questions, and long before there was an ethics charge filed. She has been going to these conferences, but doesn't want people to know. Why? Is it because the organiztion in question is so progressive she doesn't want anyone to know? I don't know, but when an elected official hides trips it smacks of Andrew Gillum and his trips/gifts. The old "Where's smoke..." adage comes to mind. She ditched NEBA because it was not a forum controlled by media outlets who have been protecting her. It had nothing to do with TR or anyone else.
Here's a 54 minute sit down with Curtis Richardson which I did in June. Dot did one, Rudy did one, Louis did one, Jack Porter did not. https://www.spreaker.com/episode/campaign-2024-tallahassee-seat-2-city-commissioner-curtis-richardson--60539055
So, we have a candidates forum held by the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates... and the incumbent seeking reelection backed out of the event at the 11th hour fearing that the forum would not be fair to her?
Seems that our own little AOC Mini-Me has some pretty thin skin and an inability to deal with adversity. Either that, or Pizza Boy Matlow didn't have time to prep her and tell her what she thinks. She even has her minion staffers trying to defend her on blogs... lmao at this fraud.
Bye Felicia
We were promised a radio interview with Councilman Richardson and he backed out! Thursday is the last chance please get him on.
Guaranteed to do better than your 44% DavidB
She's an intellectual coward. Plain and simple.
will you hold Curtis Richardson accountable for backing out of appearing on the radio show?!
Likely ethics violation? That's probably a tort in civil court if you don't delete it Steve/Ish
These are supposed to be "non-partisan" elected officials. We know it is a silly notion because they turn their collective noses at anyone who is not on "their side" of the political spectrum. Yet, Porter is so scared of being asked any question in a forum not controlled or influenced by the Tallahassee Democrat or a group which fawns at her every word that she has to find any excuse to avoid it. She, Ryan Ray, and Jeremy Matlow sling mud, sow division, and make baseless accusations (think temper tantrum) when things not exactly as they demand and require. (Think Ray telling Rudy Ferguson to leave the Dem Party because he defended law enforcement.) Tallahassee has made mistakes when it elects kids to do adult work. It happened with Andrew Gillum (remember how young he was when elected and the end result?) and it has happened again with Porter (likely ethics violation which has been documented by comments made by City Attorney and actions she took). If she cannot handle a community forum where there is a chance of a question or two outside her preferred narrative she has no business making the difficult decisions City officials must make. Has any other candidate backed out of a NEBA forum? I don't think so ... ever.
Did you see what she said about you in the newspaper Steve?