City Commission Meeting

Yesterday we had a great interview with City Commissioner Jack Donovan. He really gave us some great insight into the legislative perspective on the 130 Meal Limit issue. Tomorrow we might have a last minute shoot down at St. Francis House where we would get our own footage of the 130th person being turned away from being fed, as well as getting an interview from Kent Van, who is the director of St. Francis House. We are trying to get this material prior to the big City Commission meeting on Thursday the 18th. The City Comm will be addressing the 130 meal limit at that meeting, and on possibility is that there will be a suspension of the 130 limit while they instruct staff to investigate the issue. Also, David is traveling up to Starke tonight to film Pat protesting the scheduled execution of an inmate up at the State Prison. This is just yet another example of Pat's activism. Busy busy...

Busy Week

We are in full swing here over the past week.  We just completed shoots with Pat and his band (Gainesville Liberation Orchestra) having a band practice; Pat and the rest of the local candidates on UF's Plaza of the Americas talking with the students passing by; a great shoot with the Home Van making their rounds on Thursday; and a wonderful interview with Fr. John Gillespie, who is a prominent local rights activist in his own right.  Tomorrow, there is a big rally at the downtown plaza against the 130 meal limit.  Should be good.  Now if we could just find time to edit...

Let the Debates Begin

This evening marked the first of potentially six debates that the candidates for Gainesville's District 4 City Commission seat will participate in. It was a well contested, yet highly unanimated affair, with all of the candidates (including Pat) sticking to the script. There were no low blows, and no exchanges between any of the candidates. It was the first time that any of the Civil Indigent team has had the opportunity to hear Penny Wheat (the front runner in the race) speak, and she most definitely held her own. Ms. Wheat really knew how to work the crowd (the only candidate to leave her seat and venture out into the crowd to talk) but her answers all seamed a little rehearsed. Randy Wells did a great job and really kept up with Wheat on every question. Nathanial Sperling put in a really valiant effort in what proved to be his first public debate, only showing his nerves a few times. There was also an introduction of a fifth candidate to the mix this evening, Mason Alley, who showed an interest in the community and the issues, but lacked a gusto for the event. Pat was really in top form. He was the only candidate that connected with the audience, getting laughs at a few points, and did a great job of showing that he has a grasp of what the issues are in Gainesville. He was, of course, slanted in all of his answers towards talking about the poor and the homeless, but he was also the only person to say it like it is. It was a good outing for Pat. This election may not be a done deal... with a potential split between Wheat and Wells, who knows what could possibly happen?