Young professionals meet Alvin Brown

The Burrito Gallery downtown played host to a Young Professionals networking and fundraising event for Alvin Brown's mayoral campaign. Rainy weather moved the event from the patio into the eclectically adorned walls of the restaurant's interior where the diverse crowd gathered to hear from the candidate. 

Brown did not disappoint.

In attendance were several staffers from the Audrey Moran campaign, brought over by local lawyer and former Moran supporter, Jimmy Midyette. There was also a strong showing from the area's Young Democrats; including local President Ryan A. Clarke, who is running for a state young democrat seat, and charismatic Vice President Justin Spiller.

Brown's speech was short, but to the point. His primary focus was clear: creating jobs. By making use of public/private partnerships and building on our strengths in the fields of logistics (JaxPort, Airports, rail, I-95 & I-10), the medical industry (Mayo, Baptist, Shands and St. Vincent's), aerospace (Cecil Field) and financial/insurance industries, Brown plans to spur economic growth and increase jobs. Local government needs to make it easier for businesses to operate in Jacksonville, and streamline the approval process for new projects.

Reduction in unemployment will lead to progress in other areas. As Brown said, "The best crime prevention policy is a job." The prevalence of good well-paying jobs is the best way to reduce poverty and crime, raise standards of living and equality, and build back up our ailing city budget. 

Fixing the city budget is Brown's second priority. He wants to do this by bringing more jobs to Jacksonville and by making government work "smarter" - not by raising taxes. 

What does "smart" government look like? It includes modest pension reform; keeping a defined contribution retirement plan for public workers, but scaling back benefits to a sustainable level. It includes upholding those pension obligations and not taking "pension holidays" that boost short-term cash but build long-term debt. It includes addressing the elimination of duplication, fraud, waste and abuse in government.  It includes a comprehensive review of city services, contracts and programs to find where inefficiencies lie, and to correct them. And it means ending the unethical practice of giving government contracts to political friends.

Alvin Brown has a positive vision for the future of Jacksonville, and he has the experience to make that vision possible. He has diverse experience, which gives him the ability to approach Jacksonville's problems with a different perspective - yet he still has the native knowledge of growing up in this city.

Overall, I was impressed by what Alvin Brown had to offer in his speech at the Burrito Gallery. He is a man of knowledge, dignity, conviction and experience. He is not flashy, his style more mundane and friendly. He gravitated toward the wallflowers in the group, but held his own with the charismatic elbow-rubbers that enigmatically worked their way through the crowds to him. 

"One city, one mayor" was the chant from the crowd at the conclusion of the event. It's relevance to the topic at hand eludes me, especially since moments before Brown made sure to get the point across that this election was not about him, but about our city and its people. The election is about one distinct choice though: that of maintaining the status quo or capitalizing upon this moment in history to change Jacksonville for the better.