By Jacob Engels
Last election cycle, many were concerned about electing a State Representative that lived in Brevard County. Before redistricting, East Orlando had been accustomed to having a legislator that lived somewhat near our area. Sandy Adams, who went on to serve one term in Congress, lived near East Colonial (still does) when she was our State Representative from 2003 to 2011.
Always easy to get a hold of and frequently at public events, East Orlando residents had the blessing of having a public servant who served the people and wasn’t afraid to interact with the community when Adams was our legislator.
Now, fast forward to today. We elected Tom Goodson over Avalon Park resident Sean Ashby (although to be fair, Sean Ashby won Orange County), and lets be honest, Tom Goodson is no Sandy Adams. Goodson, who rarely attends events of any type that are out of his comfort zone (conservative groups, business oriented & corporate functions), which are usually closed to the public or cost money to attend, may finally be stepping out of his comfort zone.
Last weekend, he swung by Timber Creek High School to support the Relay for Life event that was taking place. We are not sure how long he stayed….but hell if it was just for 10 minutes…..it’s better than nothing right? Hopefully this is a sign that Representative Goodson actually intends on serving the OTHER PEOPLE (non-brevard residents) in his district.
Will he finally make that trip to Bithlo that he said he would to educate himself about the serious problems facing that community? Will he hold public townhall meetings in the East Orlando area? Will he even try to live up to the reputation that Sandy Adams had as a tenacious constituent advocate who rarely shied away from public events? Maybe, maybe not. I’m betting on the latter, but miracles do happen.
If you would like to see more of your State Representative and figure out what he is or isn’t doing for you in Tallahassee, then email him at electtomgoodson@gmail.com as that is the only email we have been able to find or call his Brevard office at (321) 383-515.
Jacob Engels, is the Founder of East Orlando Post. Along with the Post, he owns several other businesses and is currently enrolled at Valencia College. Jacob has lived in Avalon Park since it’s founding and enjoys playing with his black Labradoodle Jasper, listening to indie rock, and seeking out new business ventures. He can be reached at info@eastorlandopost.com
