Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 6-20-17

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Democratic Candidates For Governor Faceoff At Forum
College Hill Neighborhood Assoc. & Crime Watch Meeting
The College Hill Neighbor- hood Association and Crime Watch Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 22, 2017, 6-7 p. m. The meeting will be held in the Christian Life Center at St. John Progressive M. B. Church,
2504 E. Chipco, Dr. Bartholomew Banks, Past0r. “Togetherness Makes Our Community Stronger.” Please
join us.
Cynthia Few, President,
(813) 541-3104.
ANDREW GILLUM ..Mayor of Tallahassee
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Florida faces many chal- lenges, and Democratic can- didate for Governor of Florida, Tallahassee Mayor, Andrew Gillum said he’s got a plan to attack them.
That includes fixing the economic gap that exists for many of the state’s residents, the Florida A & M University graduate told a crowded room of fellow party mem- bers Saturday at a guberna- torial candidates’ forum at Leadership Blue, the annual fundraising conference for the Florida Democratic Party.
“The greatest thing we face is that 1⁄2 of residents can’t make ends meet,” he said. “We can’t focus on the educa- tion system if the only jobs we’re creating are low-wage jobs.”
For nearly two hours, Mayor Gillum joined oppo- nents: Chris King and Gwen Graham, in sharing perspectives on a range of topics, including the econ- omy, education policy, and healthcare.
Although the election is more than a year away, the trio of candidates have been campaigning for months. Each had dozens of support- ers on hand sporting t-shirts and other paraphernalia and handing out information to
GWEN GRAHAM ...Former congresswoman and daughter of Bob Graham.
conference attendees.
In the forum, all three em-
phasized routinely why they are the better candidate while avoiding attacks on each other.
Winter-Park housing fin- ancier King touted his back- ground as an entrepreneur, while Graham, a former U. S. Congresswoman and daughter of former U. S. Sen- ator and Florida’s 38th gov- ernor, Bob Graham, pushed her political experi- ence.
All three agreed that the Donald Trump presidency was a great problem facing the country and that Gov. Rick Scott had done little to move the needle on state’s economy.
“When I hear Rick Scott say ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’, you know what I hear?,” Gra- ham said. “You’re going to have to work three jobs just to get by.”
Gillum said Scott’s blun- ders have resulted in Florida turning away billions from the federal government, money that could have cre- ated thousands of jobs.
Only a Democratic gover- nor can reverse the damage, he said.
“Good jobs,” Gillum said. “That’s what you would get with Gov. Gillum. Good jobs with dignity.”
CHRIS KING ...Housing financier in Winter Park
Good jobs require a skilled workforce and that starts with bolstering the education system, he said.
More resources should be pushed toward early child- hood education so that it is “high-quality and accessible for all,” he said.
Additionally, more stu- dents should be exposed to trades and taught how to monetize their skills, he said.
Healthcare also needs to be accessible and affordable to all, he said.
“The next governor has to expand Medicare, full stop,” he said.
Many of Gillum’s re- sponses were met with en- thusiastic applause from supporters, many of whom wore blue t-shirts with Gillum’s signature “G” on the front.
While some citizens may have a tough time deciding for whom they are voting, Tampa attorney Fentrice Driskell said King is the outstanding candidate.
“What you see is what you get,” said Driskell, who at- tended Harvard University with King. “He is a person of true integrity and he offers the best vision for being the next governor of Florida.”
Story written by Sen- tinel Feature Writer, Kenya Woodard.
Expanded To Help Ex-Offenders Get On Track
Members of the West Central Florida Neighborhood Services advisory board: (sitting) Norene Copeland Miller and Gloria El- liott; LaNita Brown (standing).
10 Years Later:
Re-Entry Resource Expo
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
When members of the West Central Florida Neighbor- hood Services advisory board hosted the first Re-Entry Re- source Expo, several vendors and a few dozen gathered at the Lee Davis Community Center.
On Saturday, dozens of ven- dors lined the perimeter of the courtyard at 5508 Co- Working and Collaboration Exchange ready to engage with an estimated 150 ex-of- fenders and supporters about a variety of topics and serv- ices, including employment opportunities and legal and housing assistance.
“The most important thing ex-offenders are looking for is a second chance,” said board member Norene Copeland Miller.
“We know there’s a great need,” she said. “A lot of peo- ple are running into road- blocks because they have background challenges. Eas- ing the transition from incar- ceration to work means connecting ex-offenders with the people who can equip them with the resources nec- essary to acquire and keep a job.”
In addition to employers, the expo featured career serv- ices experts who reviewed re-
sumes and offer interviewing tips.
Debraca Russell, a career coach with Ready 4 Work Hillsborough, said while the job search can be difficult for ex-offenders, it’s not impossi- ble.
The first step is shedding the mindset developed while incarcerated, she said.
The second – and perhaps most important – is to be honest about your period of incarceration. That means ex-offenders should list the job duties assigned to them while incarcerated, Russell said.
“Don’t hide your work expe- rience; employers are going to catch it,” she said. “Put your institution on (the re- sume), but don’t say ‘correc- tional facility’.”
Veronica Gaither, who is not an ex-offender, said she found the career information useful for her and an ex-of- fender friend.
“I’ve learned what to say and what not to say,” she said. As the expo heads into an- other decade, board members remain focused on getting ex- offenders off the street and “giving them some hope,”
Miller said.
“We feel like we’ve made a
difference in the lives of some families,” she said. “We’re going to continue to reach out to the community.”
PAGE 10 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017