The Greg James Community Show

I remember when my daughter did your CH at the longest table she so she so that was that bring that back that was great that was great was great moment for the kids hey go ahead on the tag and share we are in the studio today with one of the most hardest working women in the world that's right go ahead on the tag and share let's get everybody in it's going to be an amazing show today let's get everybody tuned in want want to say good afternoon and once again welcome to another inspiring motivational Wednesday right here over that's right Hallelujah 95.3 I'm Greg James and guess what I'm waiting for you know who the conscious chick uh she's held up in traffic so she's saying on Mayan she's about a block away and uh she's on her way but listen I'm excited about the show today so much going on in and around Tallahassee H listen for those of you who love football it is well under way and certainly want to give a big shout out to all of you who are tuned in today around the city hey go ahead call a neighbor call a friend let them know that the Greg James Community show is on the air and we've got in the studio I declare her to be one of the hardest working women in the world I mean she's a hard work state representative Allison T want to say good afternoon State Rep how are you I'm doing great how are you great I'm wonderful I'm wonderful listen for those of you who don't know we're going to be talking in depth exclusive with the state representative today we want you to know that there's so much going on in our legislative session it's reelection time but one of the things that I'm proud to say about this amazing servant leader is that it's always a work day for her it's not about reelection it's about working and she has always been working even when you were the Democratic chairperson you worked throughout the whole state I did and um you decided to venture into well I came home after my term was as chair and I came home and worked very closely with the community on a lot of really important things including for those of you don't know after Hurricane Michael I actually stood up and ran a hurricane relief Supply transports um shelter from here to Panama City and um did that for 90 days after Hurricane Michael and uh and then also worked hard on getting the independence Landing project funded this was before representative right so so your work in the community your work for people uh years before yes my my mother served others through her church so I grew up watching someone give back every day even with everything else she had on her plate to do so for me I have found um the the joy of serving through many many different ways I was on the Children's Home Society board for nine years you know I've been involved in things up throughout the community where we're giving back and doing things for others and that's part of um what drives me wow and you know it takes a real big heart to serve and certainly will we're grateful for the heart that you had and for the service that you have been providing for our community uh leaving the Democratic party chairperson role you continue to serve let's talk a little bit we never I never really asked this so now I get to do it because I've got a whole hour with you and for all of our listeners I want you to follow us step by step how did you decide to run for I would never I didn't ever have that as an ambition or goal uh what happened was um in 2019 2018 there was talk about the mayor about Bill moner leaving the Senate to run in a special election for mayor and then um I need that Senator representative Oley would try to run and run for the Senate so I thought well the seat will open it'll be a special election maybe I can do this but I will tell you what drove me to make the decision it was the the the very clear understanding that I have and has been born out during my time in the house that no one was going to talk about the vulnerable people that that I felt moved to come to serve and it was through you know my son Jeremy Richard who you know who has developmental disabilities and really no one understands the path of a family that like this other than someone walking that path who has the ability to serve in the legislature to build the relationships to make this case and I do think that I've done that very successfully over the last four years somebody asked me once when I was running the first time what do you want to do when you grow up and I said I've pretty much done on that I am coming for a specific reason us to make sure nobody's Left Behind including people with Developmental and other disabilities I want to make sure that there's nobody who's forgotten in this process so that was the reason I ran wow so okay wow someone just text and said she's an amazing woman that was caught my attention thank you and I'm somebody just that and I was reading the text message so so so so so it's you know it's the thing that I like about what you just said is that the passion that you have not only to serve your son but to serve everybody is what serving in a position is all about and I'm I'm just so disturbed by you know the opportunity to run for office is always available for anyone but I'm I'm just always disturbed about anybody who seeks to run for office who has no service under their belt and and and because if you have no real service under your belt and if you don't understand the needs of the people that you're trying to serve then what service can you offer I mean so I just celebrate you today I celebrate the fact that one you know what it means to deal and serve come onr come on in here Chris come on in come on come on in our broadcast has just been interruped showing love as she make her way in to break nothing down so we're just talking about the heart of serving leadership and we're just talking about how um aliceon has just had that heart to serve people and to serve them with a genuine one a genuine spirit and important is that well in the words of frankly Frankie Beverly who we memorialize today shout out to Frankie Beverly and his to the family of he said over and over you could be sure there will be sorrow but you will endure where there's a flower the sun and the rain oh but it's wonderful they're both one and the same and that's from his song Joy and Pain and I know that right now you're experiencing both sides of that right you're experiencing Joy and Pain sunshine it's like sunshine and rain and so having a servant's heart and serving in the way that you do you take the good and you take the bad that goes with it can you talk a little bit about that um especially in this climate well I'm gonna tell you I was hired to do a job by the voters yes you in 2020 and in 2022 and I show up to do that job whether people like me or don't like me whether we agree on a policy position or we don't whatever it is I'm GNA show up and I'm GNA do the work because that's what you do when you're do when you and the fact is that all of us every single one of us are one step away from a disaster it doesn't matter what your Walk of Life is what where you come from how many gifts you may have anything can be the thing that does you in my job is to help be there when something is doing somebody in so that I can bring resources and support for those people sometimes there aren't enough sometimes there's plenty my job is to connect hurting people with resources I didn't come here and my my faith requires me to do for the least of these because government is is doing everybody the the able-bodied the wealthy those of us with lots of privilege we're doing fine it's the people that that need us the most that I came to serve and I think that's important U Pastor grg to differentiate right because when we talk about the least of these absolutely that's everybody seems like in this climate right everybody's feeling the heat of inflation everybody's feeling the heat of rising the rising cost of housing everybody's feeling the pressure of just maintaining day-to-day functions in addition to that it feels as if resources and and you can speak to this because you're open available you host office hours you're talking to the you're available to whether they like you or not you accessible they know you're going to be in bid toown somewhere you know or in Jefferson County somewhere or somewhere within your representative district can can you speak to right now who the least of these are like who are the least of these we're all going through all of us in yes the middle class and those of us hoping to get into the middle class are struggling right now because of the cost yeah the cost of living the cost of everything that's going up homeowners insurance is through the roof auto insurance is climbing you know the cost of housing in fact just yesterday a mom a single mom with two kids was talking about how she's a teacher she brings home two whole thousand dollar a month and her rent is $2,000 and she's very stressed out and I'm struggling to figure out how to help her I mean this is really really hard and so um but that but we're all struggling right now not and then you take you take that GR then you take in the senior citizens struggling they're living on fixed incomes you know we all saw what happened in that this the senior living facility after the tornado where no one was there for that 300 people that lived in that apartment complex then you talk about the the and that's just people living there much less people who are in nursing homes or ALS and or or at home with someone who's struggling to take care of their loved one while they're also maybe working two job and have a child to raise as well so I mean that sandwich generation I mean we just have to have empathy and we have to appreciate the plight that other people have so there's nothing you can't sit back and judge you can't sit back and say I'm not gonna serve you because of this or that of the other you know um God my God says love thy neighbor as thyself and that's what we do no matter he walks in the I just want I just want it's amazing that you mentioned you know mother who makes 2,000 or rent is 2000 and you're trying to say what do I do to have her just this week today is Wednesday I believe this Monday I was calling s to say hey I'm talking with someone homeless and how can you help me what what what do you have available what can you research and sure enough I mean you know it's like we are encountering people who are hurting and I I believe that people understand saying people who have a heart to help and a heart to serve and I think you have been demonstr not just by being in office as a state representative but just by the work that you have been doing over the years prior to being a state representative that people are going to call you because they know if I call not the representative but if I call she's going to do what she can you during Hurrican Michael I was on the roof of tmh getting medications to get in a car to get to pan City for people who had no no help and we were delivering it on Hurricane Michael no I'm not kidding so that was before I was elected I was just plain all alent and when when this when my time is done with this office I will go back to being plain old Alison but you know Christine I want to ask you this I just I find it and I mentioned this earlier I find it hard to embrace uh individuals who want to serve in a public place with people who resume does not identify no type service even though the opportunity office is available well you know um why you ask me that question I'm just if I could let me just make one thing clear we are a citizen legislator right and every citizen is supposed to bring with them expertise in something that they bring that will will help people understand wow policies and and and issues and I've done that I can't tell you that my opponent can well since we talking about your opponent Purp nobody in trouble somebody said the state representative is you know your opponent um he served on the uh code enforcement board fory and he's served on a road Improvement Task Force in Pensacola and he's uh that's it so um I don't know that people understand I I do cuz you we've been in these streets together you know we continually the street um I don't think that people understand that public service is public service and I want to say this point pastor and representative the deal is that at some point people have to understand that the role of legislator has to have with it an incumbent competency of the culture that they represent I'm just saying you know of the culture of the people and I you know I I don't I don't agree with everything that everybody stands for I some things I'm stally against but what I can see is a heart of service yeah what I can see is somebody I can access I can see somebody I can speak to and I can talk about issues and who gets it and because they've been in the streets you know they they understand what they represent in that space and it's not just a position to take you know favors or to take and I'm not in insinuating that that's the case but I think that for a long time particularly in District nine you know it's really important that people get a sense and feel of connectedness to their state representative that that that somebody they know right it's somebody they like it's somebody they trust I'm not saying that they agree with them but it's somebody they know like and trust and so it's interesting how politics is playing out in this hour but I want to encourage and I know that we've had this conversation that politics even at the state level are local can you talk about that because there's a lot of local there over how much was it almost a billion dollars in Surplus in Florida the state of Florida would would it be right would it be I want you to say that so so it's for the record that people understand that we have a budget in Florida that is balanced and requ our constitution requires us to have a balanced budget very important for us to say this right so the money we bring in we have money to cover what we spend that's the role of a legisl right that's then above that because of rising property taxes because a thousand people a month they coming to Florida because of sales because of business we have a bill would it be worth of surplus funds in the rainy day fund yes oh in the rainy day fund can can you talk about how important it is that people understand what that means right for us as Floridians and why it's important to have somebody they know like and Trust have access to influentially to that type of resources well my you um so so my background is I come from my mother was one of eight children they picked berries and toac in the streets of in the fields of North Carolina to help feed each other okay she and for seven siblings um and and my father riing and orphanage so I come from very humble beginning so the notion of spending money that is not mine um it requires extreme and fierce stewardship and protection of that public trust with the public dollar so making sure that we're efficiently and effectively um and intelligently spending the public dollar is something that I pride myself on as something I'm very very focused on so um in terms of the B so the Florida Constitution requires us to have a balanced budget there is no deficit spending in Florida and it canid and so that's why it's really important to know what's going on into the budget so one of the projects that I did get funded was $3 million for the Hope Community which is our only family um housing opport Unity or or homeless shelter for people with children who are homeless due to no fault of their own um and then we've also got the Carney Center but the H the Carney Center financially has done pretty well in the budget but the Hope Community had not and they needed refurbishing the other thing I got money for was brehan house which is housing for pregnant homeless pregnant women so that their babies can be safely and in a place uh where they will have a crib and basic Basics supplies to help their loved ones so that so homelessness has been something I've been tackling from those perspectives much less of course building a whole affordable housing community for people with disabilities and then um obviously working with the Refuge house on um you know securing more dollars to help them and help them serve their families um the home that is gonna be my big project for next year that's gonna be my focus so so I made and that said her voice just sitting here listening it's news to my ears that you Champion these projects oh wow but these are projects that help every day that help every and in your District beond half Leon Jefferson and Madison the other thing is I got 999,000 for The Elder Elder Elder Care Services Center so they can build out their kitchen so they can prepare more meals that we can put in cars their Meals on Wheels throughout the Big Ben not just tallah but throughout the Big Ben so I mean the other June I were discussing earlier I was very fundamental in making sure Jefferson County Public Schools got their school back from the charter school system and they're the only K12 school district in the entire country that is a Community Partnership School not un like say PS here which has provided those wraparound services for 25 years to children to children that would have been like my mom forgotten abandoned children in the fields which by the way scor to be yes standardized testing assessment I were listening to this right two things I want people to understand first of all we have a republican control legisl yes okay let's just put that out there right how difficult it is to navigate through what she just mentioned a rep control leg and tell them what that means and yeah what do rep to 30 8 excuse me 84 to 36 um Republican votes against Democratic votes anything can for 15,000 people are listening to us okay that's that's that's our numbers that we car thank you you just made it clear thank you Christie we have a republican control legisl and executive branch and executive branch there are 80 state representatives who are Republicans there are 30 that are Democrats super majority the chances of that 30 getting anything done tough is tough I've passed 14 bills I've gotten this last session alone I had 17 projects funded now three of them didn't make it past the vetto pen but I got the rest of them and so I so listen I just work I keep my head down and I work and I work on policies that I know that I can explain and that are nonpartisan issues so the a lot of the work I've done has been for vulnerable people since I got elected and then um this this past session I passed a bill that is considered Landmark which goes to guardianship of vulnerable people including seniors not just people with developmental or other disabilities all of us where we can have supported decision makers um supported supporters help us make decisions just like you consult with your husband maybe about what kind of car you're gonna buy you know like that kind of thing know and you make decisions together so rather than have to go for a fullon ,000 guardianship um this way you can you can make decisions it's going to save our families a lot of money and a lot of heartache and it's considered the best law of its kind in the country I think that that we need to rail back on the effectiveness yes because you know you you know I get to this and I it makes my skin itch um partisanship and how it plays out on the local level well partisanship is really ugly during campaign timeses and we're seeing that seeing people try to divide us yes over culture War issues that really had no problem we were trying to really address with the bills that we we that we're all fussing and fighting over um but I will tell you that when it comes to the process you know I work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle yes from a position of we're both human humans you love your community as much as I love mine you love your family as much as I love mine your faith means much as much to you as it does as does mine let's find out what we have in common and how we can work together and I frankly think that's what voters want to see versus the fing and the F because that is frankly below us as a people when there's so many there's so many needs and do I care like I mean I'm not going to serve somebody only if they're a Democrat I'm not going to serve somebody only if they're you know the same as me I want to serve every every person deserves to have their say and and and to teach me something that's the whole purpose it's like you know as again we are a citizen legislature we bring with us what we know that means there's a whole lot we don't know and we got to listen to people to learn it so but before you get there right you you got about I'll take this from the Bible gota know them that labor yes know them gota know them um The Book of Ezekiel and I'm just going to pause for a brief moment to throw this in since we're on a Christian station Ezekiel says and until you see what I see until you go through what I'm going through you will never understand the pain coming from eight a family of eight that's why food insecurity is such a big deal to me yeah because you like growing up we had Garden in the front yard my dad with Fish And we would eat out the garden and my and the fish that my dad would pick you know until we till they were comfortable in our lives that as a young child that's how we grew up was picking the the you all the stuff out of the garden in the front yard and I loved it the were Housey and days as far as I'm concerned it gave me a whole lot of value values training and appreciation and you know my parents just never stopped working you've done so much and this is your third ter this will be my third ter when I'm reelected when she she's right there right because to get reelected folks gota vote right and I think that I think that there's there's there's partisan agenda but then there's Community issues and I'd like to get some thoughts on how are our local folks with Community competencies rallying rallying around I I hope I'm not throwing I'm just you know just saying what you're say how we rallying around rallying the community around the community's issues because I think that the divisiveness comes from things that are really they're not outside us but they're not like everyday things that people are encountering right and and I think that there are everyday things that people are encountering that are not being talked about busy talking about the corre absolutely so how do we rally the community around that reality because I think that's why votes aren't happening because voters don't matter the the the everyday things that people are dealing with take a backseat to the agenda ISM and I know that you are a convenor of of of of All Sorts you you bring people together how can we make that practice in community to combat the inherent polarities that we are we're gonna have to do more that you're G have to bring people of all stries of all political Stripes of all divides of all differences together to talk through these things I liked it when we used to do the longest table you know I did one we were talking about that for you guys my daughter shared one for the Leon County Schools I think we've got to let down our guards and talk about and and stop take let down the shields not the guards let down the shields partisanship and how we've got to look at each other suspiciously or like you don't think like I think so you're the enemy and remember we gotta look each other look at each other as neighbors friends and when we do that when you're when you're hurting I'm gonna come check on you yeah and when someone needs something that's that's Inc combing upon us as neighbors and friends to make sure that we're not leaving anybody out and you do that every day of the week Christi I see you all the time doing it so we're just gonna have to do more of that but this election is about all that it is about instead of letting us divide each other along these ridiculous lines let's talk about how we can do more together and bringing hope and optimism and kindness kindness kindness kindness and dropping the Judgment against one another back to to the center here because that's where most of us are I mean honestly if you if we were to sit down and talk about okay these issues were never going to agree on and that's the way I do it in the legislature I know that there are people does that mean I hate them as a human being no don't are there people over here that are maybe going to be go further than I want to go um and do I hate them for that no I don't I try to do what's best on the whole for the Three Counties that I serve and am I gonna get every vote right no no human being will but I've got to get it right for the whole and I think I've done that over and over extremely well and I think that one of the things that I think goes with your voice is the fact that you're just physic I mean you I thought was busy until I wake up and go to your page I mean if it's not feeding someone it's a meeting if it's not a meeting it's helping someone and I think that's what servant leadership is about and I don't want to say this but I think people who are buying to serve in public office need to really examine do I really care about the people I'm going to serve or I am I just allowing all that I have to embrace me to push me forward well that's the interesting thing you know somebody asked me once when I was first running what do you want to do when you grow up pretty old I'm pretty grown up I'm good with that so I didn't come into this to grow up and get something for myself right because I right there's nothing I have a you know there's nothing I'm I'm aiming for I don't have a next step my step was to come bring voice to something that wasn't being talked about and then some and then you serve people who are are not starting out on first base like the rest of it's important to reaffirm that fact right because you're not coming here looking for do looking for ingredients into to put together a bread with yeast to make it rise your bread is baked right it's cut you just letting people bring their peanut butter ham and make their sandwich right and so I think that's really important because that speaks to why you can efficaciously serve because your service isn't contingent upon pleasing anybody other than making sure the needs of your District that is so important to understand and I'm not hting anything about anybody I'm just saying that again we as voters we have to demand a certain level of community competency from those who are running an office we have to demand that they are even if we don't agree with them we have to demand that they are accessible we have to demand that they are approachable and we have to demand that not demand we have to vote for people who we see making impact and on the flip side for folk like you who probably you know have a real problem with touting all that you do because it's hard it's hard to tell people everything you do but people gotta know right and it's not boasting when you know that this is your job and you have to make it clear and you do make a good you do make it clear you publish it you email it people have access to your website you're showing the things that you have advocated for that are on the governor's desk or the bills that you're working with that's public service right that that's public service and a lot of this you did before you got there you were the Democratic chair you you had to not just parlay partisan issues but you also had to have a significant Community Reach in the work that you were doing you had to make sure that the heart of the community was the central focus of the political agenda I'm saying lot but it's true every bit of it's true and I'll tell you when I see bills come up that impact us directly I will call I will stop and I will call people in the district and say I'm looking at house whatever you pull it up on your laptop please and tell me what you think of it and does it hurt you does it impact the way you do business does it impact the practice that you are in if you're you know a physician or even the hospital or a business person or a realter or you know all of the things that we all care about I ask the questions if I don't have a read on it and that's the beauty of having served in the community and knowing who to call on to get the straight skinny on a that's right and I do that routinely throughout the session because again you know I count on the people who've informed me to be in this position to continue to inform me about legislation that's on the desk and so um that I have to can weigh in on yes ma'am yes ma' I know for a fact because she had a bill on she had a bill on the table about the um interest rate increases for short-term financing and she called me and was like Christin what is this tell how this access to credit tell me how this tell me does it impact Equity that people have put into their so I wanted to know exactly how it was going to impact the people that you know and we all care about and it led to a meeting with the leader of the organization that was advocating for the rate increases wow and it was a very awkward meeting right because I'm there as an advocate telling them you know well how you that they they had to come back a second year and fix it to address exactly what you said was the issue so yes that's the beauty of me knowing you so I can get you to the table that's the point of my service for this District that's right and I do that routinely yes you those of you just tuning in we are talking with State Representative of District n 10 for those of you who are listening through the airwaves if you're in part of Leon part of Jefferson and and Madison all of Madison all of Jefferson this is your step state representative and her voice is a voice that matters when it comes to issues in our community and I believe that Christi and I are extremely happy I don't know who's the happiest me or her to be able to know that we have a voice that really is concerned about the people so therefore I want you to tell all of your friends to tell all of their that out primary you've got to get out in the general because she has a okay uh you know I I think that people need to go and vote for the people they want to stay in office yeah I I think that that's it you know I can't convince you you need to go and vote what um shout out to Nicole Eric ever who says we've got to support what we want to keep and if we want to keep our people that we know we have connection to that have cultural and Community competency in place for us to continue to do the good work that we do on the community level this ain't big somebody getting money right this ain't big organization with a global headquarters somewhere off in Spain getting money from the state government this is local groups like Elder elder care services this is local groups you know local groups like the group she founded to deal with housing um vulnerability among disabled C these are local people looking for resources to create local Solutions and the money is there we have I ain't gonna go there because somebody gonna get mad um we have an opportunity and and I feel this like in my spirit we have an opportunity to recognize voting for what it is in this climate and voting is our responsibility and when things go down I don't care who run it I don't care who you don't like I don't care what what scares you you got to go vote you it's our responsibility because if we don't vote for the people that we want to stay there then we get somebody that we don't know and then we have to school them in cultural competency School them in community competency and you don't know who's on the other side of those issues that are pressing them to make certain decisions that may be against the better interest of your District absolutely I will tell you that my colleagues on the Republican side get a consent agenda every day of all the bills they have to vote for whether they whether their Community wants it or not they have to vote for it or they become punished they get removed from a committee that their office gets moved their parking place gets moved I I don't have to work under those same pressures because I'm a Democrat and I actually have more freedom than some of my colleagues do on the right so this is this is what you you're going to have someone who has to follow in lock step if you vote for my opponent and so I don't do that I actually thoughtfully review every bill and I can tell you for every Bill why I voted a certain way I can tell you and it was always based on feedback from my community whether it was a popular Bill to vote for or not a popular bill for I rely on the listeners that are listening here and this community to give me the feedback I need to make the decisions that's representation my district and that's what I do every day but that there there is no Freedom especially for freshmen um coming into this process who um who have to follow the will of the speaker wow and that's who's and that that the house Campaign Committee is is what's funding my opponent along with um develop money from South FL sou Miami you know I think that one most scary scary situation scary that we find ourself in dealing with local politics when big funds are coming from out of our state outside of our area to fund candidates to make sure that their message is out that's why we've got to be able uh I hate use this analogy but I got to use it we got to be able to take the two fish and the Five Loaves and we got to say Okay God we got to we got to get up and we got to feed the multitude of news we got to share the good news about what you're doing we've got to do it a different way because you're not going to get the big money that's coming in I'm grateful to day that I was able to give you a little donation well funded party behind me own I'm raising money as as fast and as aggressively as I can so I get the message out stay on the air right all of that and let me just make this announcement today I need today I need today I need today I need somebody to put this in thread I need today at least 50 of our listeners I need you to go to the website uh and support aliceon tent she needs your contribution to come and alongside her to fight against all of this money that's coming in for her opponent that's outside of our city outside of our County she needs that I need 50 of you to make a contribution today Allison what's that website how they Allison tent.com that's it Allison tent.com somebody put that in the thread Allison tent.com I need you to go to that website today I need you to donate I mean whether it's small or great just donate just say hey we are supporting you it takes money to operate these campaigns especially when the big dollars are coming from developers and they're coming outside of our community to support someone who has no knowledge of community service and that's my opinion I have to be careful because you know some sometimes people get lawyers on me and try to spous C syis all kind of stuff so I have to be careful with how I say what I say but at the end of the day the point is clear we've got to keep support thank You Ren for putting that in the thread we got to keep supporting those who are working for us to make what happens in our area Happ and let's just make it plain so I'm looking at the article that um the great that was written in the Democrat a couple of days ago by Jan Bennett hey Jan hopefully you listen today um basically she she talks a little bit about you know um the the the opponent here um and his activities I want to make sure that they were clear and that I'm being um that I'm being correct he served on the Leon County Code Enforcement board um He's listed as serving as the past chair on the Pasco County Aviation board and it says that he is a member of the greater tallah haaz Chamber of Commerce and a leader of the West Pensacola Street Redevelopment stakeholder grout and then I go to Alison's Dan website okay she's the founding chair so so so let me just make sure that I'm understanding you just gave us the resume not the resume the resume of the income that well that's the community that's what we see that's what we're told that's what we see Research indicates that while on that Pasco Aviation zoning board that he swung a favor for someone to develop property right there in the north noise ordinance Zone by the airport so that developer has given him another $50,000 so that one oh and so I think we need to think about this right because so what's going to be sacred in the cap you know think about that now just recently there's a push P they're doing on me that said what would would you vote for Alison tant if you knew she voted for Dei voted against Dei changes and that she supports Dei and I'm like you're damn right I support Dei because this is what my community wants I want to protect those Provisions I want for Fu and for FSU and for TSC to have those Provisions because like guess what else diversity equity and inclusion there's actually a whole there's a whole section of study that actually has a whole program for foster children at FL that's equity and inclusion sure and diversity right come from nothing then there's like the whole program at Tallahassee State College for students with disabilities that's Equity div diversity Equity inclusion there's the whole program for vets at Florida State University there's all kinds of programs that are all about diversity equity and inclusion and and for them to be targeting that as something bad that's something I'm proudly gonna say I'm proud to stand behind all of those protections for all of our citizens to have more opportunities in life to get ahead that's meaz this de which kind of mess um it really is and I think that you speak to why it's a mess because it's not 100% racial no you know it's Geographic it's psychographic it's it's it's uh or you know phys phys you know physiological it's all these things right but if you let people spin you and polarize you into one place you miss the need to be confident and to be understanding of all of the different people and circumstances and things that are occurring and I I I think that there's opportunity for both of the ticket to reimagine the conversation on the EI and U because I for me Equity is a biblical term you don't get to you don't get to own Equity you know what I'm saying when you talk when you talk I don't get that but I will go back to your resume all right yeah all right the founder of keys which stands for keys to exceptional youth success okay dealing with students with disability this a scholarship fund sir she um also worked with TCC to create the sword job certification program and state recognized a summer Institute for teaching Life Social Independence and job skills for students with disabilities she's also an Advisory Board member to the Florida Center for students with unique abilities she has been on the ESC Council in the district advisory Council for Leon County Schools she's a member of the Tallahassee Rotary Club rotary one time she's a member of the Capital Women's Network she's a member of Tiger Bay she's a board director's member for the and learning center she's on The Advisory board for the adult and Community Education Program for Le County school she's on the Anti-Defamation League of Florida she of was one of Tallahassee Democrats 25 women you need to know she is the she has been the president Treasurer and advocacy advocacy chair for the Children's Home Society in Tallahasse secretary for Tallahasse Community College Foundation she is the she has been the chair of holl Lights opening doors for children program board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters do I need to like keep on is it too much wow and and you know this is what service is all about and it's service and you effective service effective service and you only get to know what those needs are when you're walking in the shoes with a person absolutely that is the truth and you can also in that walking that with that that person see that you are one step away from being that person that needs the Helping Hand of anytime or Mentor as a child with a mentor so like we went when opening George for children that was an initiative of my Law Firm back in the day we went we chose Bond Elementary School back in the day when it was the lowest performing school and we sent in all of our staff our lawyers our support staff and and our and our lobbyists in for going in at least weekly maybe twice a week to read to and help with do homework help with young the children in that school and it was so amazing we made such a difference for that school we did it throughout the state I was the coordinator here in tallah we were all of our offices for the state in the state started as a private practicing attorney in your law firm and expanded it to all of the law firms I mean you can't you can't you can't train that that has to already oh incidentally the um the talli state college um connections program and sore program that was something that we created right here in Tallahassee which became the an aaga study of the governor's office which has now led to the creation of a Statewide job training Collegiate Collegiate training and lifelong learning for people with disabilities across the State of Florida this is something I did before I was ever elected and is not Republican and it's not demat it's not human being the other thing by by the way is that I took that experience and while and right after I got elected I was at one of the at the hospital at the HCA hospital they had 426 job openings it was right after Co so I went to the chamber and I went to Lively I went to TSC and I went to FSU and I said we have 426 job openings what can we do to help this so that's what led to the creation of the talent Hub and that whole Workforce issue that our chamber is focused on bringing together employers um the education piece whether it's CTE whether it's um Lively whether it's Tallahasse State College whether it's viu in Florida State ringing bring that whole so that we are creating job certificates and academic programs for to meet the job needs of this community yes and that's everybody that's everybody not just disabled people so that's why you've seen a huge increase in nursing programs to meet nursing needs you've seen an increase in the radio radiology tech field with to to develop people who can help clean the screens get ready for the next next x-ray or the next scan I mean it is across the board what we've seen not to mention manufacturing and some other things and then the job serves kids are going to school and leaving school with a job certificate that gets them into the middle class and that's what I came to do because I saw it firsthand with my own child who you know little on the different side my son Jeremy everybody's got to work so it's not just him that has to work it's everybody and it is a burning pressing need that I have to go work in that space to get that done and that's why I'm on the higher ed and and Workforce I'm the ranking member of that committee the one that brought the Tallahassee I brought the Tallahassee um idea to them we codified it into state law this last session because you're focusing on people I'm focusing on making sure we are working to ensure that when our chamber is working with employers and with and and that our employers are working with those seeking jobs as well as those who are providing the education yes for those jobs to make sure that we are getting these kids into the workforce into the workforce because everybody's yes yes you know for those of you who listen I've gotta say this and I think Christi you said it well is that you cannot be at a place where you don't share what you do it's important it's important for listeners who join this broadcast to know the work that you're doing many of them may not get your newsletter yes they may not get an opportunity to look and see what's happening on on the news but they do get an opportunity to tune in to hear you talk about fighting to ensure that b being this Coalition rece funding that the the sord program these job opportunities were made available to kids with disabilities and you're not just doing that because you have to do it you're doing it because you care and there's no popularity in being a public Serv there's no money in it when I ran for office and I when I discovered that I was like oh God yeah so no I don't do this for the money and the fact is I actually my paychecks I donate a lot of to to nonprofits area to it then serving in a position like a state where gives you an opp opportunity to help create legislation and policy that can make a difference and and money can't pay for that it goes down in history that now the governor has put into place this Workforce opportunity that started out with you saying we got to do more you can't that's very gratifying too Lely and I took took them our whole plan they like let's do something with this and the other also in my first session you know the whole um transition program that that is wonderful at Leon County Schools I made that a model for the state and that is something I passed my first session to make sure that every child has the same opportunity that my child had that's right you know and that is my whole goal is I don't want to leave anybody out you know and so no matter what what they're struggling with we've got to do better for each other no matter what it is that's what it's speak the fact that it doesn't matter if you're Republic demat policy is good policy right good idea is a good idea and if you got the idea let's see how we can move the idea forward and I want to close with this um y'all came to the appalachi ridge a States neighborhood with a Florida retail Federation you and Senator Cory and keep in mind we had seniors in that place that their roofs were literally de I mean we had it was it was bad in Southside all over we had really really horrible stuff happening in in our neighborhood and that event was our opportunity to be able to bring those people to their state and local representatives in state government who was by the way very prevalent in the recovery efforts from that tornado I had never seen the state I made that comment I had never seen a state that directly engaged in storm recovery areas usually you know County or or I had and maybe they were just really hyper focused on getting the lines back up CU that was an apocalypse but you know I had never seen that that level and to see you both together addressing the needs of the community to see you talking to neighbors to see s talking to neighbors neighbors crying on the shoulders because it was traumatic that's what good government is right that's what good government does and you brought the Florida retail Federation so that just because you have a Dr or R behind your name doesn't mean you don't have connections to the business community connections to the development Community you did a whole development you had to hire developer to do that right you had to go through the Florida state legisl latest the ship process to get funding to be able to get the Monies to be able to do the development ranking on the commit which is the business community so that's I work you know one of the things that we don't talk about is like in Florida in North Florida we don't have big box corporations up here right we have mom and pop businesses these are retailers small business owners who are living their dream and my job is to help them help facilitate them living their dream well and so and and and and carefully and and that we are in a supportive Manner and that's what I bring to the process is that understanding of the business community that that I that I'm aware of in my and that I serve in my community well I mean you know Chris conscious it has been we could not have done this in 30 minutes we have to make an exclusive because listeners need to know and they need to hear what Public Service looks like thank and certainly I mean I mean I just can't say enough for this amazing servant we Round of Applause round ofuse friends and all about list who are in the Leon the Jefferson in the Madison area listen I want you to get out to vote and I'm not gonna tell you who to vote for but I'm voting for Alice 10 I mean that's and and I'm gonna tell you that's who I'm and I'm voting for her because we got to keep her working she's working she's working and we gotta keep working she's little lady I feel so bad see told all the big old water bottles Pastor J and she does it and and and when you got a heart to serve you get the strength you need yes so certainly we want to thank you so much for joining us today and I appreciate all that you do and I only appreciate all that you do but I'm grateful that we're friends grateful for both of you and so Christin with the final 60 seconds we got remain said to be said we better report what we want to keep wow with the final 50 seconds that we got remaining representative it's only oh wow well thank you first of all thank you for having me on the show I love being your friends I love this community I I'm I I'm actually leaving here to go walk door to door um so and I just want you all to know that my door is always open I'm I am I move throughout the community to make sure I'm listening and hearing what I need to know you inform me and I then take your voice to the capital and I'm very proud of that and want to keep doing it and I sincerely ask for your vote amen said church is over it's been an amazing time thank you so much Tracy Kia thank you all so much for joining us online once again our guest today has been state representative Allison T from District 9 for those of you in Leon Jefferson Madison let's make sure we spread the word and don't be ashamed to tell them that I'm voting for her therefore guess what look for you to do say it's been an amazing day people like right here coming up next none other than you know who he watchs this microphone and these turntables like nobody else in the gospel world that's doc d after this Hey listen better and show thank you all so much get out and vote for Alison tent that she is Andy somebody's going to follow up with you uh reie stated that uh she is in need she need to get in touch with somebody at the H house so we're g to follow up with you as well Hey listen keep it lot right here every Wednesday until the general we're going to be interviewing some amazing guest okay and we're going to share you why they are amazing