Naturally, David Straz is a well known public figure. Using that clout, David Straz is putting in the bid to be Mayor of Tampa. Certainly an attractive choice considering he is a billionaire (like the President--and that's working out so great!) and has good business sense.
"Pull yourself up by the bootstraps" is his own philosophy even! [2] Considering the City of Tampa has 21% poverty rate and 16% of Tampa cannot access health insurance, according to the Census Quick Facts [4], perhaps not everyone in the City has the opportunity to pick themselves up by the bootstraps. In fact, the myth of meritocracy in an inequitable City is dangerous in the minds of many children of color and poor children of all stripes because it simply is often not achievable due to systemic barriers. Such rhetoric is actually dangerous enough to cause children and young adults to engage is risky behavior. [5]
See this excerpt from the Atlantic about "picking yourself up by the bootstraps.":
"“If you’re in an advantaged position in society, believing the system is fair and that everyone could just get ahead if they just tried hard enough doesn’t create any conflict for you … [you] can feel good about how [you] made it,” said Erin Godfrey, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of applied psychology at New York University’s Steinhardt School. But for those marginalized by the system—economically, racially, and ethnically—believing the system is fair puts them in conflict with themselves and can have negative consequences."[5]
As if that wasn't scary enough, David the Rich also (unsurprisingly) voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. He says he regrets this decision [2] and will not vote for him again in 2020 [1]. Actions speak louder than words, friend, besides that he has made many donations in his long life. It is true, sometimes he does donate to Democrats but in general, especially between 1998 to 2006, his largest donations go to the Republican Party [1].
Now, it is one thing to regret a vote. We all have, I am sure. I believe in making space for growth and that is the tenant's of restorative justice I preach so boldly. However, restorative justice isn't usually a process you develop when you decide to run for Mayor in a blue city and realize your problematic voting history will come to light. Aside from that, Straz would have to do years more worth of work in reparative work to undo the harm he supported. He was moved to vote for Trump in 2016. Let's remind the voting public of some of the soundbites of Trump's 2016 campaign:
"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
In February, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke had offered some support for Trump's campaign: "I think he deserves a close look by those who believe the era of political correctness needs to come to an end." When CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Trump whether he would disavow the support, Trump replied, "Just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, OK?
"You know what else they say about my people? The polls, they say I have the most loyal people. Did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay? It’s like incredible."
During a town hall with MSNBC, moderator Chris Matthews asked Trump if there would be punishment for women who attempt to procure abortions after he hypothetically outlawed it: "The answer is that there has to be some form of punishment." Matthews asked him to clarify if he meant punishment for the woman seeking the abortion, and Trump responded, "Yes, there has to be some form."
[6]
That is only a small fragment of the abhorrent things that Trump said in 2016, before Straz casted his November 2016 vote. If he stood by and supported the misogyny, racism and xenophobia of Trump then, it is doubtful that he has reformed enough in the past two years to truly understand the full consequences of that. In order to verify, I thought I would review his platform.
Unfortunately, there isn't one. [3] Other than a notable name, what would Straz have to offer the City? Do not fall in love with celebrity--look at how that is working out in the White House.
Say No to Straz.
[1] https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/William-March-David-Straz-exploring-run-for-mayor-backs-away-from-Trump_162291684
[2] http://floridapolitics.com/archives/277724-david-straz-comes-out-with-four-early-endorsements-for-tampa-mayor
[3] https://davidstrazformayor.com/about-david/
[4] https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/tampacityflorida
[5] https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/internalizing-the-myth-of-meritocracy/535035/
[6] https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/blog-post/16-donald-trumps-most-controversial-statements
