Franco "Dok" Harris
So today, we had Franco "Dok" Harris speaking to us at Chatham.
First of all, he was late. So that was frustrating.
Secondly, he arrived wearing a suit over a casual shirt and JEANS. I understand that he was trying to present a "casual" image, but it was so obviously fabricated and that ticked me off. Do something because you sincerely mean it, not just to pretend to connect to the everyday person, cause we all know you are not, and that this is all part of your campaign strategy. Grrrrr.
He went to Princeton, and then became involved in entrepreneurship, as a small business owner.
He rambled veeery boringly a lot about various business and marketing strategies. It was all money money money, money was the solution to everything. It got very old, very fast.
"If you give a child a job at 13, he won't pick up a gun at 15."
So uh, you're into child labor, then?
He also brought up the whole "taxation of students and the sick" along with a lot of other digs at the current mayor. Really, guys, it just makes you sound as desperate as you probably are. Sick of it, and I don't even know the current mayor's policies or anything. I don't know if it's merited or not, but it's annoying.
He wants to use casino money to pay the city's pension.
He talked about crime, and how it is about personal relationships. Kids used to swap baseball cards with officers, youth felt comfortable around the police. The only way to solve violence long term is to create a sense of community.
He is the only one limiting campaign contributions.
He wants to be a mayor that will go into the schools.
He encourages business owners and the community to go into the schools and speak to the children.
He wants support given to single mothers.
He wants fathers to take responsibility, but recognizes that current programs are failing at this.
He believes that "school doesn't end at the door"
He IS a fan of some charter schools, which really irritates me, 'cause I'm strongly against those.
Also a fan of the Pittsburgh Promise overall, but he has his issues with it. How do you address the kids who do not want to go onto college, who do not really see themselves living to that kind of age?
Again mentions mentoring, start motivating the children at a much earlier age to go into college.
Early childhood education phone line to find out information.
As for the libraries...
He says he would have had a plan way ahead of time for what to do, again namecalling Ravenstahl.
He will set up computer & internet centers in communities, as a temporary solution until economic stabilization.
The libraries being shut down are in neighborhoods with low access to begin with.
Rec. centers, parks, and pools closing down.
His temporary solutions will involve places for seniors to come together and enjoy themselves as well.
15% of his time as mayor would be spent devising contingency plans.
Just because they have the lowest circulation rates in the city, it doesn't mean those specific branches are being used less.
He will work for new revenue services.
Pittsburgh is losing population & revenue for 30 yrs. due to few job opportunities.
He wants a bookstore in every community (!!!)
but then a girl asked about B&N closing in Squirrel Hill and there basically being no independent book sellers in the city, and he dodged the question entirely.
Believes there are only 3 causes of crime:
-Structural poverty
-Substance Abuse
-lack of economic opportunity.
EVERYTHING was about economic opportunity for this guy. SO ANNOYING.
He wants a program for high school athletes where they'd be PAID to play with kids. O.O I...am in shock about this one.
Poorest areas are most obese, so where is the hunger?
BAD FOOD IS CHEAP.
It's not hunger, it's food insecurity.
Programs teaching kids how to urban garden and having vegetables in the community as a result.
A girl named Amber (who I am going to e-mail after this) made a statement about how she volunteered at the library since she was in elementary school, and she got really frustrated with all his money talk as well, cause she called him out on it, clearly asking if he was or was not going to bring the libraries back. She wanted to know how he would incorporate youth as working for the community for more than just money.
He just replied that he wanted community service to be stronger, particularly to youth.
Oh, it would have been so annoying were it not for the EDU majors. Dr. Johnson called her class out to pester him with education related questions, and it was so awesome watching them corner him and hassle him xD
Re: the environment, he wants to work on green technologies to reduce carbon emissions, clean water, and clean air.
Also wants measures in place for simple home things to do, such as insulation.
He says we are the right sized city to launch new environmental technology tests.
So far, Acklin is the better of the two to me, although I know pretty much nothing about Ravenstahl except he allegedly wants to tax students and the sick. I do not know if I want to believe this, alright, because it seems like mudslinging to me. But I'll look into it.
First of all, he was late. So that was frustrating.
Secondly, he arrived wearing a suit over a casual shirt and JEANS. I understand that he was trying to present a "casual" image, but it was so obviously fabricated and that ticked me off. Do something because you sincerely mean it, not just to pretend to connect to the everyday person, cause we all know you are not, and that this is all part of your campaign strategy. Grrrrr.
He went to Princeton, and then became involved in entrepreneurship, as a small business owner.
He rambled veeery boringly a lot about various business and marketing strategies. It was all money money money, money was the solution to everything. It got very old, very fast.
"If you give a child a job at 13, he won't pick up a gun at 15."
So uh, you're into child labor, then?
He also brought up the whole "taxation of students and the sick" along with a lot of other digs at the current mayor. Really, guys, it just makes you sound as desperate as you probably are. Sick of it, and I don't even know the current mayor's policies or anything. I don't know if it's merited or not, but it's annoying.
He wants to use casino money to pay the city's pension.
He talked about crime, and how it is about personal relationships. Kids used to swap baseball cards with officers, youth felt comfortable around the police. The only way to solve violence long term is to create a sense of community.
He is the only one limiting campaign contributions.
He wants to be a mayor that will go into the schools.
He encourages business owners and the community to go into the schools and speak to the children.
He wants support given to single mothers.
He wants fathers to take responsibility, but recognizes that current programs are failing at this.
He believes that "school doesn't end at the door"
He IS a fan of some charter schools, which really irritates me, 'cause I'm strongly against those.
Also a fan of the Pittsburgh Promise overall, but he has his issues with it. How do you address the kids who do not want to go onto college, who do not really see themselves living to that kind of age?
Again mentions mentoring, start motivating the children at a much earlier age to go into college.
Early childhood education phone line to find out information.
As for the libraries...
He says he would have had a plan way ahead of time for what to do, again namecalling Ravenstahl.
He will set up computer & internet centers in communities, as a temporary solution until economic stabilization.
The libraries being shut down are in neighborhoods with low access to begin with.
Rec. centers, parks, and pools closing down.
His temporary solutions will involve places for seniors to come together and enjoy themselves as well.
15% of his time as mayor would be spent devising contingency plans.
Just because they have the lowest circulation rates in the city, it doesn't mean those specific branches are being used less.
He will work for new revenue services.
Pittsburgh is losing population & revenue for 30 yrs. due to few job opportunities.
He wants a bookstore in every community (!!!)
but then a girl asked about B&N closing in Squirrel Hill and there basically being no independent book sellers in the city, and he dodged the question entirely.
Believes there are only 3 causes of crime:
-Structural poverty
-Substance Abuse
-lack of economic opportunity.
EVERYTHING was about economic opportunity for this guy. SO ANNOYING.
He wants a program for high school athletes where they'd be PAID to play with kids. O.O I...am in shock about this one.
Poorest areas are most obese, so where is the hunger?
BAD FOOD IS CHEAP.
It's not hunger, it's food insecurity.
Programs teaching kids how to urban garden and having vegetables in the community as a result.
A girl named Amber (who I am going to e-mail after this) made a statement about how she volunteered at the library since she was in elementary school, and she got really frustrated with all his money talk as well, cause she called him out on it, clearly asking if he was or was not going to bring the libraries back. She wanted to know how he would incorporate youth as working for the community for more than just money.
He just replied that he wanted community service to be stronger, particularly to youth.
Oh, it would have been so annoying were it not for the EDU majors. Dr. Johnson called her class out to pester him with education related questions, and it was so awesome watching them corner him and hassle him xD
Re: the environment, he wants to work on green technologies to reduce carbon emissions, clean water, and clean air.
Also wants measures in place for simple home things to do, such as insulation.
He says we are the right sized city to launch new environmental technology tests.
So far, Acklin is the better of the two to me, although I know pretty much nothing about Ravenstahl except he allegedly wants to tax students and the sick. I do not know if I want to believe this, alright, because it seems like mudslinging to me. But I'll look into it.