Jacksonville City Council District 4 Candidates Use Homeless As Political Vehicle

The story ran on Jacksonville.com. Before going any further READ THAT ARTICLE.

All four candidates used the homeless buzzword in their closing reasons during this interview, but then again it's basing on what the Times-Union chooses to write or post. The two with Political Science educational backgrounds didn't even have the ability to relate educationally or realistically to the problem or possible solutions.

George Banks is a nice old man who wants to walk around and feel safe from the homeless. He's the first one of the political science educated.

Earl Johnson is middle aged and is able to empathize between the multiple parties homelessness affects. From the overview he's been on boards, but he's courting the businesses. Republican but wishy washy. No solution offered. He's repackaging what he's heard from others at tables. He's the younger one with the political science background. Least one to trust out of the bunch.

Don Redman went from speaking about criminals in one paragraph, then the following he's relating about stepping in human waste from homeless...but from the context he's stereotyping homeless as criminals. That...and he's got five kids.

Linda Storey seems the most unlikely candidate if you take the story at it's value. My translation: She's got design management training, but doesn't realize her nice thoughts don't mean jack when it'll come to zoning locations...making abandoned places into shelters isn't the answer.

If I had to pick out of the four honestly, I'd pick Linda Storey. Out of all four, she's the one that pulled from her heart. Maybe it's because she's a woman or maybe it's because the other three aren't. All I'm saying is even though I think she's probably got 'rainbow monkeys' and 'daisychain' dreams...doesn't mean she won't listen to what needs to be done to solve Jacksonville's homeless problem.

She's already listening to her own heart...while the other three are only talking 'lingo' while running for political office.

That all being said...in all fairness...did the reporter bring up the statement of homelessness to write a story based on reaction, or is homelessness finally THAT BIG OF A PROBLEM that none of the candidates went deeper than that subject?

Deal with it.

That being all said, maybe sometimes news print isn't 'all that'. Honestly, I'm going to make an effort to try to contact each one of the candidates and offer them an opportunity to give their version...but on the flipside...unless they can give an accounting of what they perceive homeless families going through; as well as alternatives; I'll still stand on the premise that they're just talkin' trash to get elected, are as guilty of stereotyping people as much as their potential constituents.

Am I wrong? Convince me with your mind and not your intelligence of intellect.