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Black Democrats Support Rick Baker, White Liberals Have a Psychotic Breakdown

July 31, 2017 - 3:00pm

The latest poll in the St. Petersburg mayoral race from St. Pete Polls (shown below) has former mayor Rick Baker winning 39 percent of the black vote. Current mayor Rick Kriseman is only getting 28 percent of the black vote.

While this race is nonpartisan, Rick Baker is a Republican and Rick Kriseman is a Democrat.

As you can imagine, white liberals are losing their collective crap.

They are literally foaming at the mouth. How dare black people give the vote white liberals have taken for granted for so long, to someone other than a Democrat?

Well, to quote the Tampa Bay Times when they endorsed Rick Baker: "Unlike any mayor before or since, he (Rick Baker) focused on improving the city's poor, black neighborhoods in the Midtown area south of downtown. He helped bring a grocery store, a credit union and a full-service post office to that community. He also helped lead efforts that brought Midtown a health clinic, a St. Petersburg College campus and the sprawling Job Corps training center."

Well there's a novel idea. Vote for the person who invests in your community.

Vote for the person who comes around at times other than election time.

Vote for the person who hasn't ignored your community.

Apparently for the people polled, that person is Rick Baker, not Rick Kriseman.

To add insult to the injury of those who think they should own the St. Petersburg black vote by virtue of simply being a Democrat, 40 Midtown black pastors endorsed Rick Baker.

Now, the strategy of the Democrats in seeking the black vote has been to point out that Rick Baker is a Republican and Rick Kriseman is not.

That strategy isn't working. Nor should it. Actions speak louder than words, and like it or not, Baker has a positive record with black folks.

Like it or not, Baker's history with black folks isn't the Trump tale Democrats want to spin.

The best way to combat Baker's record of accomplishments in the black community is to post up with Kriseman's accomplishments.

Where are they?

What exactly has Kriseman accomplished positively in Midtown?

We know about the closing of the Walmart Grocery store.

We know about the closing of Sylvia's.

We know about the closing of Walgreens.

What improvements has Kriseman made in Midtown?

How has he made life better for the black community whose votes he is now courting?

We know he wanted to give taxpayer money to the local Democratic Executive Committee to spruce that place up, but what has he done for the black community?

We know he has concentrated heavily on downtown, but what has he done for MIDTOWN?

When I ask these questions, I get anger and insults, because black people aren't supposed to question.

We are only supposed to hand over our votes upon request.

When white liberals tell us who the progressive is, we are simply to say "yes'm boss, here is our vote".

Never mind that the progressive is responsible for dumping 200 million gallons of raw sewage into the water.

Never mind that the progressive has ignored the black community in favor of other communities.

Never mind that the progressive has shown the black community he will ignore it again, once he gets what he wants; after all, he did it the first time.

Honestly, the candidate in this mayoral race who has focused almost exclusively on the black community has been Jesse Nevel, but I'll talk about him in a separate column.

This hysteria emanating from the left because they didn't put in the work in order to reap the rewards of the black vote required my attention.

I've said it before. I'll say it again.

Stop taking the black vote for granted Democrats.

You are not entitled to the black vote. You have to earn it just like you do every other demographic.

You have gotten the bulk of the black vote for so long, you feel as if you OWN it and us.

You. Do. Not.

I know that you get mad when I, as a Democrat, tell you these things.

#StayMad

Leslie Wimes, a Sunshine State News columnist, is founder and president of Women on the Move and the Democratic African American Women Caucus, www.daawc.com. Follow Leslie on Twitter: @womenonthemove1

Comments

Always about race. This white democrat would have me think twice about Kriseman after handling the sewage and dumping it into the Bay. Plus there's always some crime on the news that's happening in St. Pete.

All he did for the black community is ensure they remained south of Central.

Still don't like your STYLE, but your message is dead on target. Good Job!

"Literally foaming at the mouth"???? Got any pictures of that? Or did you mean "figuratively"? No matter, I'm too turned off by Rick Baker buying ad time on that environmental TRAVESTY of a show "Siesta Key" to vote for him. The doctrinal statement regarding marriage on the website of Northside Baptist is also enough to make me shudder. If you believe a wife should submit to her husband in all things, you are never going to win my vote. Blech.

Something tells me this Julie person doesn't have a husband. She still isn't talking about Kriseman's accomplishments in the black community.

As I get ready for work this morning, I'll be returning my ballot for St. Petersburg mayor. I have been a democrat all my life, I'll be a democrat until I die. I came back here to see if anyone listed Mayor Kriseman's accomplishments for midtown. They have not. You see, I don't live in midtown, I live downtown, where we do not face the same challenges as those who live in midtown. I have no complaints as far as how Mayor Kriseman has handled my area. I'm quite pleased. He has done a great job. It is for that reason that I am casting my vote for Rick Baker. Progress is not progress if it doesn't include ALL. The questions raised in this article are legitimate ones. I saw no legitimate answers here, or anywhere on the Kriseman campaign website.

Vote based on your best interests as you and others seem to be doing. All areas should be included in so-called projects and not excluding others. All politics are local. And people in the party don't always have to vote for people in their own party especially when someone is mayor of a city or governor of a state, although granted many probably would also raise enough about it.

Mayor Kriseman’s urban affairs agenda focuses on creating opportunity and building up people. Mayor Kriseman worked with Commissioner Ken Welch and others to implement the South St Pete Community Redevelopment Area. It has already allowed the city to grant about $350,000 to nearly three dozen South St. Pete businesses and organizations. The 22nd Street S (Deuces) Commerce Park will be vacant no more. Development and jobs for our community are coming to this site. Mayor Kriseman’s strategy is working. The most recent data shows St. Pete’s African-American poverty rate decreased 8.5 % in one year, outpacing the nation, the state, the county, and the cities of Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa. Business registrations in the CRA are way up. Since Mayor Kriseman took office, we’ve seen a 174% increase! When the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African-American History Museum was being threatened, Mayor Kriseman chose to save it. The building is now under the ownership of the City, and it's future is bright. A record number of homes in South St. Pete have been renovated or removed to make way for new home. In January of 2014, 358 homes in the area known as ‘Midtown’ were vacant or boarded. Today, that number is down to 127. The number of vacant and boarded homes in Childs Park has fallen from 188 to 40. New development, new jobs, and new restaurants are coming to 34th Street S and the Skyway Marina District. Mayor Kriseman “Banned the Box” for all city job applications, removing the requirement to disclose a prior criminal record when applying for a job with the city. Mayor Kriseman kept a campaign promise & brought back community-oriented policing with the ‘Park, Walk, and Talk’ initiative. Police officers are now building stronger relationships with the community. Mayor Kriseman appointed a new chief of police within his first few months in office. Together, Mayor Kriseman and Chief Holloway have moved our police department and neighborhoods forward. Mayor Kriseman implemented a youth diversion program, giving minors second chances and no record for first offenses. Mayor Kriseman signed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns pledge, standing with police officers and neighborhoods. Mayor Kriseman changed the police department’s high-speed chase policy in order to protect citizens and officers.

You really didn't have to type all this out since it's the very few accomplishments Kriseman taunts on his website: KrisemanforMayor.com/the-issues/ However, this column focuses on the black community specifically, Midtown. So some follow-up questions for you: 1. How much of that $349,000 in grants was awarded to black business owners in South St. Pete? 2. Again this column focuses on the black community and the lack of economic growth and opportunity within said community so why reference "ban the box?" It reads as an insinuation that these people are criminals. Victim blaming is not usually a Democratic campaign strategy. 3. Chief Holloway doesn't live in the community. How effective can he be at community-oriented policing in a community that he doesn't reside in? 4. Did Kriseman implement the high-speed chase policy before or after those young black girls drowned after being chased by the police?

To add to what was written, the claim of reducing poverty was found to be mostly false by politifact. Stop the lies Kriseman. It didn't help with the sewage crisis, and it isn't helping with the Midtown crisis: Kriseman said, "We are seeing poverty being reduced in south St. Pete at a number larger than the national average, the state average, county or Tampa and Jacksonville." The statement is flawed from the start. To support his claim about south St. Petersburg — which is not entirely comprised of black residents — Kriseman referred to data about the city's overall black population, not even narrowed down to the south side. That data has problems. At face value, 2014 Census data showed a decrease in the poverty rate for the city’s African-American population through 2015. But that ignores critical facts, including the wide margin of error for Census city data that indicates there is no discernible difference between the years Kriseman highlighted. A more comprehensive look at five years of data does not show a strong trend either way. For a statement that contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give the reader a different impression, we rate this claim Mostly False.

I received this article from someone at the NAACP, and I've been sharing it with everyone I can think of. It's time we vote in our best interests, and not who a select few who get their palms greased by the Kriseman administration tell us to.( Renee Flowers, Ken Welch, Darryl Rouson, all can go to hell).

Your right I paid a lot attention to the Presidential election.And city and state they run they destroy economic growth and over tax, over regulate.Goggle it numbers don't lie!!!!!!!

Just wait until the white liberals really return to their roots and show their racist true colors. They always show their true colors when they don't get their way.

Let Midtown rot, until they as a community are ready to do something about it. Cut off ALL money until they step up. They have 12 people on the PTA at midtown schools. The only time they show up for anything is when they think they will get a free handout, or some free air time at someone else's debate. Step up, or shut up and step off!

I live in Midtown. Kriseman hasn't done sh*t for us at all! I couldn't wait to turn my ballot in for Baker, and yes I am a black democrat. I don't care who doesn't like it!!!

I live in South St. Pete, and I'm a democrat. I voted for Rick Baker already. The people I know are voting for Rick Baker. Kriseman has ignored us, has jumped through hoops for everyone BUT us. It is time for him to go. Ms. Wimes is saying what this BLACK man knows to be true. Oh, and whoever that was that called Ray Tampa Rat Tampa, you hit the nail on the head!

Why is race always part of this woman's writings? Must be part of her agenda, but it's lazy reporting (I guess for lack of substance) and written for the clicks, which I guess is fair since she is In the business of writing and not really a "journalist", just gets old seeing the same old rhetoric article after article.

She just happens to be correct, THIS TIME, except for the stupid Trump knock (she had a decent commentary until that snide amd baseless comment). But it's not just white liberal Democrats and Progressives who assume they should get the black vote, but black liberals are doing it just as much to their own people. She doesn't mention that fact. Wimes' form of racism is subtle, abut it's there.

I guarantee this person is white. Guarantee it! The article is discussing the black vote, and white folks STILL want to control stuff! SMDH!

Bet your black. You sound instantly racist.

This Wimes lady is as stupid as stupid gets. First, she doesn't live in Midtown, St. Pete or even Pinellas County. Secondly, she suggests she has spoken with residents who are whining and that's a lie. Thirdly, she fails to point out what a horrible job Rick Baker did as mayor. For instance, violent crime in St. Pete far outpaced all the other municipalities in the Tampa Bay Region every year during Baker's term. Murders, robberies, assaults, and rapes were out of control. Thefts, auto thefts and burglaries reached unprecedented numbers. Furthermore, Baker is a well documented liar. He has even admitted that he likes to lie. Finally, at least for now, Baker invested maybe, just maybe, 15 million dollars in Midtown over a nine year period. This is peanuts. We need hundreds of millions to eradicate generational neglect. Baker's miniscule investment came despite the city's BOOMING ECONOMY. Kriseman is the best choice for mayor, by far.

Rick Baker is and has always been absolutely honest in every way, always, period, and to state anything contrary does eliminate all one's credibility.

Hey Ray Tampa, how is that $2700.00 the Kriseman campaign just gave you spending?

Well I DO live in Pinellas Ray Tampa, and all you do man, is try to get paid by anybody you can. You did it on the Charlie Crist campaign, you are trying to do it with the Kriseman campaign. You are the one running around trying to see who you can get money from. You are nothing. You never have been, and you never will be. This sister is telling the truth about the Kriseman administration not doing a damn thing for midtown, and it doesn't matter where she lives. What's sad is poverty pimps such as yourself running around stepping and fetching for pennies. You are a fool, man. That's why the people with REAL influence don't deal with you. Keep running from corner to corner looking for a piece of cheese. Your name shouldn't be Ray Tampa. It should be RAT Tampa. You are a rodent.

William Pena Wells, I saw you on Tomas Kennedy's Facebook post. You are the guy that stalks Leslie and some other girl. Wow dude, you brought it here too? You need serious help.

Why? Because I disagree with a journalist's political commentary? Anytime people want to post an opinion to persuade someone that something is true, they should expect that people are going to disagree. And anytime Leslie Wimes says something that is not factual and accurate, I am going to say so. Unless nobody is entitled to an opinion but her? Is that what it is "Miami Man"? And I am always willing to stand by my name and not a silly fake name. Why don't you?

All I see is this William Pena Wells guy fixated on Leslie Wimes. LIST KRISEMAN's accomplishments in the black community. If this William Pena Wells can't seem to do that, then perhaps he is a deranged stalker after all. Trying to shoot the messenger doesn't change the message. What has Kriseman done for Midtown?

Say it!

Face it, Leslie Wimes is a Republican. She never met a Republican she didn't like. But hey, she whines the Democratic Party has not paid attention to the Black voters....But isn't she the statewide President of the African American Women's Caucus of the Democratic Party??? Why hasn't she been doing the job of advocating for her constituents?

well said Sir. Say it!

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