Fareed Johnson: Sen. Keith Perry’s endorsement reflects shared values that are embraced by Independents, Republicans, and Democrats
Letter to the editor
As Election Day approaches, the true colors of Gainesville’s city leadership are becoming apparent. Several members of our city commission have turned to social media to drum up support for my opponent. Despite this, I’m committed to running a clean campaign. With the same enthusiasm that marked the start of my candidacy, I’m proud to accept the endorsement of Republican State Senator Keith Perry.
Why would a candidate for the Gainesville City Commission embrace this endorsement? My entire campaign is built on the principle of bridging the gap between parties for the greater good. Senator Perry and I share common values: supporting businesses, fostering safe neighborhoods, and ensuring fiscal responsibility. We also recognize the importance of training, employing, and providing housing for formerly incarcerated individuals to help them reintegrate into society.
Unfortunately, some city leaders have no record of upholding these values, and my opponent’s campaign does not reflect them either. This endorsement brings me halfway toward my goal. It’s disheartening that certain city leaders, who identify as Democrats, are resisting my efforts to unify this community. It’s hard to believe that the party of criminal justice reform, race relations, and social equity would dismiss a candidate like me.
I’m grateful to Senator Perry, as well as to the Independents, Republicans, and Democrats who understand and appreciate the goal of bridging the gap to make Gainesville a great place for all. “People over parties” is one step closer to becoming more than just a slogan—it’s becoming a reality. I look forward to the privilege of serving you!
Fareed Johnson, Candidate for Gainesville City Commission At-Large
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I love this! Unfortunately Facebook seems to think it is spam, I cannot understand other than what may be considered conspiracy theory but maybe I posted too much today, or maybe it is my theory of the opponent paying off Facebook to take down a post… just saying fishy games
The far-left will never support anyone who leans towards the middle.
It’s against their culture and what they’ve been told to do.
You want to be part of this? No Thanks.
Gainesville Sun
“A growing political scandal involving candidates recruited to run as spoilers in Florida statehouse races should have a familiar ring to Gainesville-area residents.
A similar campaign was run here three years ago — and the lack of consequences for these underhanded tactics might have emboldened political operatives to employ them elsewhere.
Republican state Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, faced a serious challenge in 2018 from Democrat Kayser Enneking, a University of Florida anesthesiologist. But Republican operatives helped an independent candidate, Charles Goston, act as a spoiler in the District 8 race.”
Florida ranks #1 in public schools🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸.
Sorry if you didn’t get Medicaid expanded so you’d attract more illegals here. They went to California and Minnesota instead…. How’s that working out, by the way? 👿🤡👹👺💩
Someone tell Mr Johnson that if he lays down with dogs, expect fleas. Perry is a crooked politician who accepted $100k illegal money from FPL and has since gone to war with Gainesville and it’s citizens helping the state GOP take over GRU and county governance.
Jazzman is right, don’t be fooled!
Jazzman is not right. He is a leftist just like me. You know one of those folks who wants to take from the people who work and produce and give to the non-producers.
Must explain a lot of itching amongst the current crop of locally elected politicians.
They must be happy some don’t mind scratching for them.
That’s right you do lay down with all the dogs, that’s why you have fleas right.
Sure, but if you lay down with developers and private equity, expect money. I suspect Mr. Johnson is more interested in his own financial well-being, than in that of the city. A quick look at his LinkedIn page shows *NO* endorsements from former employers or co-workers. If people who worked with him don’t recommend him, why elect him?
I can’t think of anyone who isn’t more concerned with their own financial well-being.
That being said, if he can improve my financial well-being and quality of life without raising my utility rates and taxes I’m all for it.
It’s not like the local democrats haven’t been using the spoilers forever as well. to close primaries. like they did for Alachua Sheriff last election(although it didn’t work), I’m not sure why we have so many local charter races that are Partisan for things like Sheriff and Tax collector, which I don’t think should be Partisan races anyway. let all the candidates debate on their platforms.
I was looking at Johnson’s Priorities section of his campaign website and noticed his plan to work with developers and private equity to build houses tha
Well who else do you work with to build housing? 🤣 Stupidity at it’s finest… But I bet you have a 401k can’t make this 💩 up
I don’t want to build houses for felons. Let them stay at work release until they’ve saved enough for first, last, & security like the rest of us.
Or if you’re a convinced felon you can just run for the Gainesville City Commission. More to come…
@ James Gardner
Or if you’re a convicted felon you can run for President like Donald Trump.
Well the choice is clear. This young man’s main goal is to make our community better. He wants to help others. Having spoken to him he is sincere in his goals. He is not a self centered want to be politician. No one knows me on this site. So why should my opinion matter. Well, because I care about the town I have lived in since 1995 when I retired from the U.S. Army. And like the Army, we need to work together for a better Gainesville and I feel Mr. Fareed Johnson is a person that can work for a better Gainesville. Thanks
I’m willing to give him a chance.
I’d like to say we can’t do any worse than before but look at those other idiots who were elected…Saco, Eastman and Willets are but a few.
Want to make Gainesville better? Make better choices and stop electing the village idiots.
As a Cuban-American, I feel the need to apologize for that communist skank Saco. She’s all about resolutions condemning Israel for their response against Hamas in Gaza, but doesn’t have a word to say bout the human rights atrocities being committed in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Where is the resolution condemning Maduro for stealing the Venezuelan election? Not a peep from her – she won’t condemn her fellow communists.
Talk to James Ingle, he too is a hard working, an electrical tradesman with sincere desire to help others. He has a record of service to back that up. Check him out. Actions and community service should count for something. Not partisan endorsement’s right!
Stay tuned it’s about to get juicy! 😂😂😂
He wants to “provide housing for previously incarcerated individuals”?
Does he mean felons?
We don’t need to be providing housing for the worlds’
Felons here paid for a la taxpayer.
A better idea is: A work release program or work camp until the felon can save enough money and pay their own rent is the kind of candidate that’s needed.
.we’re still screwed.
The felons, bums, & panhandlers at Grace need to give back to the community if they’re going to receive the public money…
There should be a work camp thing at Grace and mandatory piss tests for residents there.
Otherwise, bus the “previously incarcerated individuals” back to where they came from.
Whatever happened to personal responsibility?
I encourage you to speak with him. I worked in the Criminal Justice field all together 20 years. And there are some felons who deserve a second chance maybe even a third.
And those are the ones that we should help. If Grace were run better it would help weed out the freeloaders and those who truly are sincere about a change in their. Personally I believe it should be entirely founded by the churches in the community. Instead of missionary trips to other countries how about fixing our backyard. We all have personal beliefs in how to handle issues, my biggest gripe is the ex- County Commissioner (bondsman) who started this mess as a 10 year end to homeless should be paying for it. Yes, Rodney Long who would sleep out with the homeless as a show. The same real estate agent who sold Moms kitchen to the city. Remember that.
I believe he’s referring to Perry’s program that assists felons in getting on their feet after incarceration
To Consider This: I think so too. The House of Hope was great to assist ex offenders to transition to the “real world”. It was faith based and supported by churches and local donors. I don’t know the statistics of those that succeeded but it was better than zero. The residents had a strict schedule and were required to work. They had chores to do and bible study. Some of these people never had structure in their life. It was a good start. Also, Keith Perry is instrumental in providing employment to ex offenders with his roofing company. As much as some people despise him, he does more for the community than the ones that spew hate towards him. He is not perfect but he is passionate and believes God put him in this position to help others. If he recommends this man then, I will give it strong consideration to vote for him. And if the media is trying to limit his voice then, I know he is worthy of my vote.
Agreed helping ex prisoners is fantastic, seeing them at polling places holding Elect Perry signs kind of ruins it for me. I guess its better than being on a hot roof or is it possibly coercion by a party that places every possible barrier between a felon and voting? WWJD? Participation as a full citizen would help felons regain dignity and strength of character, why treat them as second class forever?
Anyone who believes God made them a candidate for office should be avoided. Especially if they’re supporters expect to hear a recommendation from God.
Thank you. I know who deserves our vote. It’s not the radicals who run on excuses, envy and repeat self-destructive policies like your opponents do.
I suspect that the reference to training, employing and providing housing for formerly incarcerated individuals might be referencing Sen. Perry’s many years of supporting the House of Hope, a transitional ministry that helps those who want to turn their lives around after serving time in prison, as well as his roofing company’s willingness to hire motivated individuals who are on the right path after having made bad decisions in the past that resulted in convictions and jail/prison sentences. It would be good to find out what Mr. Johnson thinks the role of city government is/should be in these cases. Sen. Perry doesn’t strike me as someone who is expecting the taxpayers to enable criminals, but as someone who has shown in his private life that he supports giving people who have made mistakes and are motivated to do better a second chance…
My vote is already in for you during Early Voting. 😉
I just posted it.
Thanks – two people have already sent me screenshots of their attempts to share my post – and they were also deleted as “spam.” Their definition is “It looks like you tried to get likes, follows, shares or video views in a misleading way” – which makes no sense at all since I don’t try to do any of those things at all, much less in a misleading way.
Fareed: what do you actually stand for? When I listen to you speak, I hear nothing but hollow, preprogrammed political word salad that uses a lot of words to say nothing. If you want support, start saying what you believe.
All I know about you is that you are seemingly obsessed with opportunities for criminals, which is not compatible or welcome in this community.
– Should Gainesville continue to fund “low barrier” shelters / NGOs like GRACE Marketplace, despite their proven failure in reducing homelessness and their proven record of attracting criminals from out of town and even out of state to prey on our community? How would you solve the homeless problem in Gainesville (the problem is homeless people coming to our area, camping in woods, sidewalks, and parks, begging for money on curbs, at gas stations, inside businesses, and committing a disproportionate share of crime, wasting community resources).
– Should voter ID be required to vote in elections, whether city, state, or federal? Should illegal aliens be allowed to vote in US elections? Should illegal aliens be allowed to get driver’s licenses? What is your preferred term for illegal aliens? Do you use the correct terminology, or euphemisms like “newcomers” or “neighbors” that hide their illegal status?
– How does uncontrolled, unlimited illegal immigration benefit citizens who are trying to find jobs, buy homes, live safely? How specifically does it benefit or harm the black community? Do you support ICE and the enforcement of immigration law?
– What are your thoughts about the size and cost of Gainesville city government, including number of charter officers? Does the city government need to be increased or decreased? By how much? How would you accomplish this?
– Does the city DEI office offer any tangible, concrete benefits to the taxpaying citizens of Gainesville? If so, what are they? If not, will you pledge to eliminate this office?
– Does the city’s “Sister City” program offer any tangible, concrete benefits to the taxpaying citizens of Gainesville? If so, what are they? If not, will you pledge to eliminate this program and associated vacations–I mean business travel–for city commissioners?
– Do you support the creation of the GRUA, or do you think that the city has run GRU just fine? If you think the city has done a good job, explain how the $1.7 billion in debt benefits taxpaying citizens of Gainesville. Explain how the Kyoto Protocol, “net zero”, and all these other Green New Deal programs provide a specific, tangible, financial benefit to taxpayers over the next 5 years. Over the next 10 years? If there is no tangible financial benefit, will you pledge to oppose these programs and eliminate any govt structure dedicated to supporting?
You might get quicker and more public answers if you go to his FB campaign page. I believe he even has some videos there. Asking here isn’t going to get you answers. Having said that, a vote for his opponent is nothing more than a continuation of what has been running the city into the ground for 30 years, just take a look at the organizations that propping up his opponents campaign
We’ve shared many on customers for a better GRU as well.
These are all great questions, but the only choices in this race are Johnson and James Ingle. Ingle has been endorsed by Harvey Ward, so if you want more of the same, go ahead and vote for him. Or vote for Johnson in the hope that he will listen to the public the next time Eastman proposes some San Francisco policy.
Don’t get me wrong, voting for Ward’s do-boy James Ingle is out of the question, but Fareed has been advertising and occasionally posting on here for months, but I still have not heard a single coherent position from him.
How is he going to oppose Ingle and win an election if he won’t take any positions? As far as we know, he is exactly the same. All I hear from him is about how we need to provide opportunities and *housing* for criminals.
Gainesville Dad: I don’t live in GVL, but I follow with scared amusement the people running for the commission/GRU. A big ad for Johnson popped up on the Chronicle long ago, and I went to his site to see who he was. I too was struck by his mastery of word salid. His whole site was very slick and well written, but saying Nothing.
It looks like a tenth grade civics student was assigned “write a generic campaign ad that lists no issues, but uses every political buzz word known to mankind that everyone can agree with, and no one can object to.” A+++ for the result. Any D, R or I can copy this ad for their own with no changes and it will be suitable.
“I believe in citizen input, community empowerment, and stakeholder involvement in all aspects of government for continuous improvement of our constitutional government that can only happen in America. If you agree, vote for me.”
Yes, but are you for or against tax hikes?
Crickets.
Anyone with a shortage of their daily dose of meaningless word salid, read Johnson’s web site.
I am prepared to lend my support
Jeffrey Epstein’s values were shared by Republicans (Trump), Democrats (Clinton), and Independents (Prince Andrew). Working for your own financial interest instead of the citizens’ also is shared by Trump, Clinton, and various independents (Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin, for example). Just because self-serving hypocrisy is favored by members of both parties doesn’t make it worth voting for.