On July 12, Damon Victor who is running for the Leon County Commission District 3, appeared on The Steve Stewart Show.
Victor has lived in Tallahassee for 35 years and over the last year he has become increasingly frustrated with “some of the decisions being made” by elected officials.
These decisions include the Northeast Gateway vote and the funding of Doak Campbell stadium repairs via Blueprint economic development funds. He said he felt it was time to run for commission to make changes.
For 25 years Victor has made orthotics and prosthetics. Over the last 16 years, Victor has had his own business, Victor Technologies, where he is also involved in product research and development.
The primary issues Victor is focused on are the North Monroe corridor and infrastructure on West Tharpe Street.
Stewart asked if Victor is against creating a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to address issues along North Monroe Street.
“Yes, number one the CRA doesn’t have anything to do with the county. At this point we are trying to get out of a CRA as a county commission, that we are paying for but do not have a seat on the board,” Victor said. “The money was there, the public had a plan, called Blueprint. It was supposed to fix Monroe Street, West Tharpe Street, and South Monroe; before Welaunee and before 2019.”
Stewart discussed the increase in homelessness on North Monroe and the increase in tents along the Monroe and I-10 corridor. Victor was asked what he might do about this issue.
“Tallahassee needs to take ownership of the homelessness issue,” Victor asserted. He went on to say that the Kearney Center is overwhelmed, and it can’t be solely relied upon. “We need another center. We need to build shelters and public restrooms and the outreach portion with Big Bend Continuum Care is important.”
When asked about the homeless camps and if Victor believes they should be illegal, especially if local government were to build “brick and mortar” shelters to assist the homeless, Victor replied that camps should not be illegal.
“I lay on the civil liberties and individual rights side,” said Victor. “We can motivate individuals to get the help they need. It’s about connecting the person to the right services at the right time.”
On the vote for Blueprint economic dollars to go toward the FAMU stadium repairs, Victor said he was for it. Victor said the funding was economically sound and FAMU needed the money so that they would have a football season.
Victor stated that he was is not for the Children’s Services Council and argues that unelected officials should not be making decisions for use of taxpayer dollars.
Also, Victor was asked about the recent vote by commissioners to expand the urban services area on the southside of Leon County to include three large parcels where a national developer planned to build homes. “I would have voted no,” Victor responded. He explained that the urban services area should be expanded “in a balanced way.”
Victor stated the community should vote for him is because he brings the “spirit of service” and innovation to table, and he has a “strong commitment” to the job.
Leon County Commission Candidate Damon Victor Addresses North Monroe Issues added by Lynsey Kirk on
View all posts by Lynsey Kirk →
PS…Ol, Fogey,
Duly noted… my intention was not to offend but to bring attention to a very real problem. I am sorry if I offended you. I will strive to do better in the future.
Sincerely,
Hope
Ol’ Fogey,
When your Party protects our borders from crack and worse perhaps you have a valid point. Seems to be a pretty accurate description these days. Perhaps you need to look inward.
A note to @Hope. When you use words like Democrack you immediately lose the argument with people who think. If you cannot make your case based upon demonstrable fact, somebody will shred it.
Wow…i bet most of u go to a church on Sunday… My GOD… U PEOPLE Are SO ignorant of what the Bible say …WOW..GROW UP.
I think he has very good views on most things. I need him to clarify his position on “homeless camps” not being illegal. I have the right to use a sidewalk as do all others. Do I have the right to pitch a tent. Do I have a right to doing that on any public property, green space, ROW, or easement?
@ Edward,
“Your retorts seem to be more of an emotional response rather that a rational thought… are you sure you’re not a Democrat?”
Come on, Edward you can do better than that. You don’t have to resort to gaslighting… perhaps you are just a little on edge because your candidates campaigns are taking a downward spiral and subconsciously not in alignment to your true ethical standards (which I know are very high).
I will be taking a vacation for respite and relaxation soon and perhaps you should consider the same.
@Edward,
Thanks, for explaining that. I’ve been hearing lately about different states having different rules for their primaries regarding NPA voters. I hadn’t given it much thought before this year.
For the record, I think you have a good head on your shoulders.
@ Hope… If you’ll take the time to read my post on Minor, I’m certain you’ll come to a different conclusion than that which you’ve stated. Your retorts seem to be more of an emotional response rather that a rational thought… are you sure you’re not a Democrat?
… and may you too have a Blessed and Better Day
@Hope,
Taking the Lord’s name in vain is not comparable to expressing an opinion others may not like. I’m sure you have been taught not to take the Lord’s name in vain. I did the person a favor and you know it (or should know it).
@ Ed,
Apparently you missed my explanation.
“If they are going to unload their frustrations they should do it under the incumbent’s thread who is actually responsible and should be held accountable for the problems in the present.”
I stepped up because I don’t want to see candidates treated unfairly. It was the perception..
I didn’t see you unloading on Mr Minor’s, the incumbents, thread who should be held accountable.
A lot of the people pandering aren’t homeless. Some of the homeless need mental health and drug rehab care. Many of the homeless choose to live that lifestyle.
I believe Mr Victor’s response was very compassionate and informative. And perhaps if his tack was implemented it may not be so frustrating for you and Ray.
Have a blessed day!
@ Barb… Florida is a closed Primary state, so as a registered NPA I am unable to vote in Partisan Primaries. Non-Partisan races and General Elections are open to me. I will be voting in the upcoming Primary. As a strong fiscal and social Conservative, I don’t find either “Political Party” to align closely with those beliefs. That said; I lean right, and strongly supported President Trump… and will again. I didn’t care at times for his demeanor, but I remain in complete support of the America First agenda.
@ Hope… I’ve carefully re-read both my and Ray’s post. I don’t find where either of us even mentioned Mr. Victor, so I don’t know where you’re coming from with asserting that we “disrespected” the candidate. I do see where we both were offering thoughts and opinions on the “issue”. You may wish to reconsider who is actually unloading their frustrations in this thread. And by the way, I have viewed – and always do view and/or attend – all available candidate forums conducted by whomever, in a effort to make the most informed decision possible.
On the whole, Victor seems like a good guy and the kind of candidate that we need in local politics.
But I do have a couple of issues with his policy.
It’s easy to say that FAMU and/or FSU need the Blueprint money, but it is the wrong application. That’s simply taxing the local citizenry and transferring the money to another agency. We need to NOT think of local taxes as a big bucket that all governments can tap. After all, we’re not the feds and they’re a great (bad) example of that kind of thinking. We also have to think long and hard about all funding for HBCUs. Promoting “Separate but equal” does nobody any good. We, as a society, need to get to point where we really are color blind instead of artificially supporting this continued racist behavior.
Snidely has addressed the homeless issue rather well….
@ Ray Burke: How is being Homeless a CRIME? Some of the Homeless have been Bussed in from other Cities, THAT needs to stop and we need to go after those Cities doing the Bussing Hard.
@ Barb
Respectfully, Ed and Ray were disrespectful to this candidate Mr Victor. Victor was asked a question and he simply answered it. I bet neither one have viewed the Tallahassee Democrat WFSU candidate forum for this race.
If they are going to unload their frustrations they should do it under the incumbent’s thread who is actually responsible and should be held accountable for the problems in the present.
I have never seen such a focused, informed, and educated group of candidates. They are kind, caring, and are not tied to special interests. They all are aware of the corruption and politics and they want to make a change and I applaud them for that.
As for the “political grid” you stated did not speak to you regarding Ander it clearly spoke to me that he scored a perfect score.
I am confused that you admonish one commenter for one his usage of his language and then you compliment other commenters who are regurgitating on innocent candidates.
It would be nice if people would become more informed before they make comments.
@Ray, thanks for your post. I thought it was heartfelt and educational.
@Edward, if you are registered NPA, how does that work as far as voting in the primaries? I hope you don’t mind me asking; I have always been a registered Republican.
@ Hope… notwithstanding that I wholeheartedly agree with the premise presented by both Ray and Pat… I am empathetic to those who suffer with mental challenges. I’ve had and cared for friends and family who have lived with and died from their debilitating mental conditions… both naturally occurring and created by the Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex. To answer your questions in order:
No, I am registered NPA
Yes I have… and then some
Yes
Yes… and then some
Yes
Not a deciding factor in my candidate research and choices
Homelessness – like climate change – has been around since the beginning of time, and will continue until the end of time. We can only help those who truly want to be helped. As old and cliché the saying may be, it holds true today… “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink”. I’m all for showing the homeless the path to success in their life and funding (to a reasonable degree) those resources… but if they choose not to take that path or refuse those resources, my empathy stops there, and so should our tax dollars.
And for what it’s worth, I intend to give Mr. Victor a close look and fair consideration. I don’t dismiss someone just because I may disagree with a position – or in-part thereof – they may hold… you should consider that yourself going forward.
When did being a burden on society become a political agenda?
When did your failure become the taxpayer’s responsibility?
My generation had a goal to get a great job, make lots of money, own a home and take care of our family.
@ Edward & Ray…
Are you registered as a Democrack, have you stepped up and run for office, have you made a political contribution to a conservative, have you spoken at a public meeting to decry the pandering in the streets and asked for more law enforcement intervention, have you asked a conservative candidate to put a yard sign in your yard, do you keep voting in candidates who accepts bundled contributions mainly from the Ghazvinis election cycle after election cycle after election cycle?
We have a homelessness problem and we also have a mental illness problem along with Democrats who say they’ll do something yet never do anything that YOU have voted for and voted for and voted for. You are part of the problem!
This candidate has stepped up owns his own business yet you crap all over his page with your rants. Look inward to the problem instead of crapping all over someone else. Have a nice day!
More people more crime!
@ Ray… you are 100% spot-on, and I appreciate another with the courage to call it what it is. What perpetuates the homeless problem even more is many in local government players viewing it as part of an economic model. Keep in mind that the more homeless a community has, the more federal taxpayer dollars that community can draw down into their coffers under the false pretext of seeking to solve the problem. So you see, there is no real incentive for local Political Swamp Rats to curb or lessen the problem. It pays to ignore the problem and simply offer banal promises.
I’m sure my answer is going to sound really mean, but this homeless problem we currently have is not going to be dealt with by creating additional shelters. We’re going to have to criminalize homelessness and enforce those laws. I have owned businesses along the Mahan/Weems Road corridor For several years now and have watched the homeless population spiral out of control there. Two times my business has been flooded from homeless messing with the water pipes at the back of my building ( not speculation , have it on video tape). I have cleaned up countless piles of feces, and the dumpster at the rear of my property is used daily as a urinal. I have seen rampant drug use, homeless laid up in doorways of the shopping center getting high, I have seen them arguing over who gets to sit in the wheelchair for the next “shift”. For those wanting to extend pity, I challenge you to get out of your car and look in the hedges at the Walmart at Mahan, behind those shrubs it’s literally shin deep in beer cans… They get a dollar, go across the street and buy a beer, and the cycle repeats itself all day long. Hey scumbags, why don’t you try taking some of your empty cans back over to the trashcan instead of just littering the earth I have to live on?
There are approximately 12 help wanted signs in a four block area of the Mayhan capital Circle intersection, if you don’t have a job right now, You don’t want a job right now! I see money get tossed out to these people all the time, we need to stop doing that if we want to alter their behavior. A lot of these so-called homeless people are doing exactly what they want to do!
One of our businesses was a service business, And we can handle some pretty rough looking laborers. I have witnessed my wife give someone an advance on a salary, promising they will come to work for us, they’ll be there Monday morning….nada, nothing…. Most of these people don’t want jobs, they want money and the ability to wallow in their own self pity, Or enough money to live in the manor in which they’ve become accustomed. Most don’t have any desire on actually bettering themselves.
They are absolutely a few instances of severe mental illness, the guy who walks along Weems Road screaming at God, my heart goes out to him because you can tell he’s officially nuts. However for the guys who hang out at the Circle K from 10 PM till 2 AM slamming beers, they’re living their best life!
We need to enforce our laws on vagrancy, panhandling, public defecation, standing in the middle of roadways. We’ve made homelessness quite “comfortable” for many of these people. I understand My generalizations don’t cover every homeless person out there. There are genuinely people who fallen on hard times and want to get back on top. However in my extensive experience what I have witnessed does cover about 90% of these people.
Rick minor had his chance to bring to fruition the Monroe Corridor which would be a win for all of Leon County and he failed.
Mr Victor seems to be the candidate mostly focused on bringing this to fruition and also he is a businessman which gives him an advantage as he understands the value of owning a business and it brings a respectability and responsibility in and of itself.
I think Joey Lamar is a formidable candidate and very impressive, however I think that Mr Victor’s focus on the Monroe Corridor is a win for us all and the front runner in this race.
The increased homeless citizens are a result in a large part of the idiot Biden adminisration sending our National economey down the crapper. Lets focus on getting those people the hell out of office and thus out of the business of intentionally tanking our national economey for their pie in the sky woke @55 agenda.
That and that alone will resolve 1/2 of the homeless problem here and nationwide. Then we should try and help the mentally ill, the drug abusers, and just allow the voluntary homeless folks to live the life they chosen. Many get a SS check and a VA check and have no wishes to live any other way…leave them alone.
Spending a bunch of money to try to mitigate what the Biden administration has done to our homeless citizens us pure foolishness and will be resolved soon after we vote the adults back in control nationally.
I however will vote for Victor over any incumbent.
“If you build it they will come” is a slight misquote of Ray Kisella (Kevin Costner) in The Field of Dreams but true none the less. Does any sane person think building a second homeless shelter will not lead to third homeless shelter and before long we are on the hook for more homeless shelters than there are shots and boosters for Covid.