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Florida Democratic Party Reaches Out To Voters During Century Stop
September 13, 2018
The Florida Democratic Party brought their statewide tour to Century Wednesday afternoon as they look to gain support in Escambia County, a traditional Republican stronghold.
Only one Century resident — other than local candidates or the mayor — attended the meeting.
The tour is part of the party’s effort to ensure they are reaching voters across the state and bring attention to their candidates in rural areas that have not seen a Democratic candidate in decades.
“We are here to talk about the issues that are important to the rural areas of Florida. We know that rural counties have been particularly hard hit by the last 20 years of Republican rule,” Terrie Rizzo, state chair of the Florida Democratic Party told NorthEscambia.com. “We have a record number of Democratic candidates that have stepped up to run and present issues to the local areas.”
Rizzo said the visit to Century is part of the party’s 67-county plan, because “every county in Florida matters”.
For more photos, click here.
“We deal with a lot of poverty, and we deal with a lot of infrastructure needs that go overlooked, as well as transportation to get to things such as education, transportation to health care and transportation to jobs, Vikki Garrett, Democratic candidate for Florida House District 1, said.
“I have a real concern about out public education from the state level as far as the resources we can bring back to District 1,” Garrett said.
“We will build up Escambia,” Democratic Florida Chief Financial Officer candidate Jeremy Ring said. “Probably starting from Pensacola, especially with all the defense work. And the communities start to build opportunities moving north.”
Ring is a former state senator from Broward County and was one of the first people to work at Yahoo during the the company’s early years. If elected, he would be first Democrat to win a statewide race for a Florida office since 2006 when Alex Sink won the CFO job.
The Democratic Party’s “Rural Tour” stop in Century was billed as a “Rural Education Forum”, a topic Century Mayor Henry Hawkins said he holds dear.
Carver/Century K-8 School, the last public school inside Century, closed in May 2009 as the students were consolidated into Bratt Elementary School and Ernest Ward Middle.
“In the past 10 or 12 years with two superintendents, they have closed every predominately black school there is in Escambia County,” Hawkins said. “Century was the last one.”
Hawkins said the county spent millions more building a new facility at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill, instead of spending millions less to move students to the former Carver Middle School in Century.
The one local resident that attended the event, Tawana Jones, told the panel that there is more to Century that most people see.
“I don’t want you guys to think we are all just needy and poor, because that is misrepresentation of us,” Jones said. “There’s a lot of us that work, that have great jobs, that are productive members of society. So we are not all poor, we are not all begging…..there are people that are doing well in Century. I want that to be portrayed about my community.”
“Century has a lack of resources for its citizens, and school is that resource. That is the main resource,” Jones added. She said “the majority” of the children in Century do not attend Bratt or Byrneville elementary, Ernest Ward Middle or Northview High schools because they are too far away. In the school attendance zone that includes Century, Ernest Ward is the greatest distance away at about 16 miles.
Pictured top: (L-R) Florida Democratic Party chair Terry Rizzio, Century Mayor Henry Hawkins and Florida CFO candidate Jeremy Ring. Pictured inset: Jeremy Ring. Pictured below: U.S. House candidate Jennifer Zimmerman (left) and Florida House District 1 candidate Vikki Garrett listen during Wednesday’s discussion in Century. Pictured bottom: Hawkins listens to Ring. NorthEscambia.com photos. click to enlarge.
Comments
23 Responses to “Florida Democratic Party Reaches Out To Voters During Century Stop”
Since socialism is such a bad word now…….let’s get rid of social security, medicare, public schools, interstates, don’t give 12 billion to farmers because they’re losing their farms due to Trump’s tariffs, etc.
I don’t believe people on here know what socialism is. They just know Hannity, Carlson, and foxy friends have been saying it like it’s a dirty word.
@ Walter, totally agree with you. So glad to know there are other great Americans that do their research and know the TRUTH.
So sad some are being deceived by Satan’s DEMONS, ( Obama, Clinton and the whole lying, cheating and manipulative Left, liberal agenda.
Remember, Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy., WHAT ? , anything he can.
Vikki Garrett failed to mention, they will be glad to give you transportation to the voting booth to vote their way and THEN,(wait for it) they Forget all about you. Promises made, BUT NEVER KEPT!
@ Kate, sorry you are Very DECEIVED and misinformed.
Praying for you and others like you who need to know THE REAL TRUTH. HIS NAME IS JESUS!
May the Lord, the Creator of LIFE, not for killing HIS children, Bless you.
Walter, you are so wrong, Democrats are not for killing babies or open borders you sound like FOX, try watching a few other news stations you might open your mind. We are not for open borders all the other junk you had written. Maybe you should talk to some real democrats so you can learn what we think and feel. Trump pays women to not tell about his sexual behavior outside of his marriage. He constantly lies and has no idea how run a government. Black folks are a lot smarter than to follow a liar who cheats.
@Walter
Dilly Dilly
The DNP in today’s generation has sold their souls to devil ( far left extremist & Socialist Party’s agenda ). All the intelligent blacks,hispanics,asians are standing with President Trump all the way! The democrats are for open borders,killing babies,same sex marriage,downsizing the military,handcuffing the men & women in blue,warping our education system to our future adult leaders in high school & college,gun-control,intolerance to free-speech,accepts surrea-law,etc.,etc.. Now do you understand why true Americans will never vote democrat again!!
I love republicans who know everything but actually know nothing. Democrats are not socialists. Look at the republican party and you see real SOCIALISTS. A few in control and you can’t step out of line. Can’t wait to see Scott go to Washington, he will get his butt beat into submission. He will still lie and cheat, you are what you are.
Did I miss an announcement somewhere? The citizens of northern Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties had an opportunity to hear from four candidates for state offices! As best I can tell, after researching, making phone calls, and searching local media outlets, there was no notice of this meeting. Only a select few were informed, so of course there was no audience for the candidates to address. How embarrassing for the visitors to Century, and the local citizens; all that effort to meet with the local voters, and “only one Century resident was present.” Regardless of party politics or political affiliations, the local voters should be outraged!
M in Bratt, I know $15,000 per student sounds like a lot, but it isn’t when it’s put in the context of what that money has to cover. Actually, 29 states are operating on school funding at amounts less than they were in 2008. Sadly, Florida is second on the list, spending about 22% less than it did ten years ago. How people spend their money says volumes about their priorities. Looks like education just isn’t important enough. And now we have a Secretary of Education who never attended public school, never been a teacher, or even a school administrator. She supports charter schools with little to no oversight, using public school monies to fund them. Call me cynical but at the rate we’re going, I see a future where public education is set up to fail by continued budget cuts, conditions that discourage talented people from choosing teaching as a career, and declining student achievement. That’s the perfect climate for an argument for charter schools. BTW, the same kinds of schools DeVos would choose are the same kind that failed miserably in her own state. But, hey, like Amway; anything to make a buck.
I’m confused; If you keep open and maintain a predominantly black school it’s racist. If you close the same predominantly black school, and assimilate the students into other schools, it’s racist. The school system can not win in this discussion.
Also it’s worth noting that these people love to point a finger at the “underfunded schools”. Most of the public would be astonished to know that schools in this county spend +-$15,000 per student per year on their education. The school system, like the Town of Century does not have money problems, but they do have a bunch of spending problems.
I wonder what is so bad about our country that it’s all the Democrats fault. I know one thing it wasn’t the Democrats who voted for the liar in chief. And for those who think all politicians lie please list 300 lies that Obama, Bush jr, and Clinton has lied about. The liar in chief has over 3000 in less than 2 years.
My dad was a die hard democrat and if he could know today what’s going on he would roll over in his grave. I will certainly not be voting democrat I agree with a few of the others that says no socialist government and that goes for me also! I also wish this race thing would quit popping up this is just a cop out to lay the blame.
We don’t need anymore Democratic hogwash in our country. That is what is wrong with America today.They are trying to make this a socialism country. You think you got it bad now just wait and see what happens if the demo’s get in.
I agree with Lou, No you Can’t have my Vote…….. I don’t want Your Socialist Governor Come November!
The demise of Century has nothing to do with party. If that was the case, escambia county has been republican run for how long?
There’s just not enough people who care about Century enough to attend meetings and roll up their sleeves. But we don’t waste time to complain when something has been taken away.
Young people are leaving because there are no jobs and there’s seems to be a lack of enthusiasm/creativity in starting small businesses by local residents. But there’s quite a few out of towners who are making money in Century.
According to Ms Jones, the majority of the children in Century do not attend Bratt or Byrneville elementary, Ernest Ward Middle or Northview High schools because they are too far away.
Where do those children attend school? Is there data backing that statement? Just curious.
>>>>From the Century town limits to the first driveway into Ernest Ward is 15.5 miles
From the southern end of the Ernest Ward District (around Barrineau Park Road), it’s 18 miles to EWMS, 23 miles to Northview. From Nokomis to EWMS is13 miles.
If EWMS had been moved to Century, it would be 20 miles for the Nokomis students, 22 miles from Barrineau Park Road.
The distance argument is invalid.
“Actually from Century the drive to EWMS is 19 miles (18.9) ..a long drive whbe a school in Century.”
From the Century town limits to the first driveway into Ernest Ward is 15.5 miles.
Well it explains a lot about the mayor. Birds of a feather
Actually from Century the drive to EWMS is 19 miles (18.9) ..a long drive whbe a school in Century.
Wasting his time in the panhandle. Pelosi, schumer, and other liberals have no chance here.
Grandpa used to say, “There’s safety in numbers” and I’m thinking how well that applies to this meeting.
“The fewer the better” Grandpa Mac. Know you’re giving that big laugh now.
Hawkins and crew have it all backwards. A school doesn’t build a community. It is an engaged community that builds a successful school. Century Carver K8 didn’t have a supportive community. Keep voting democrat and the whole country will end up like Century.
Mayor Hawkins,
Why do you constantly bring up the race card? Century’s last school to close was done so because of the failing grades year after year. Combining those students with an already-established successful school was a great thing for those students. I know because I was part of the transition. You cannot keep schools open when they continue to fail. Something has to change. I don’t care what color your demographic is. Education needs to become a top priority among so many families, not just black families. What I see happening, though, is that your top students are leaving public education. They are going ahead and participating in dual-enrollment or even doing full-time online school. What will this leave in our public schools?
Mayor Worry about the City of Century & not what buildings being built in the County……..
As Far as the Democrats…….. Don’t Waste your time with All of a suden Concern after the Last Administration Cokehole on the taxpayers! There is NOTHING you Can tell Me that interest me. No you Can’t have my Vote…….. I don’t want Your Socialist Governor Come November!