Arash Kamiar: Interview with Councilman Tommy Hazouri

[Metro Jacksonville]

Arash Kamiar: Interview with Councilman Tommy Hazouri



Tommy Hazouri is a former member of the Florida House of Representatives. He is the third mayor of Jacksonville after consolidation and an eight year member of the Duval County School board. He was recently elected as an At-Large City Councilman, Group 3.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-nov-arash-kamiar-interview-with-councilman-tommy-hazouri

[Chris Hand]

Arash, another interesting one-on-one discussion. You're developing quite a knack for this long-form interview format, which is in the thoughtful style of Charlie Rose of PBS and Terry Gross of NPR.  Are they models for you?

[Tacachale]

Great interview. Very informative and enjoyable conversation with one of Jacksonville's most interested people.

Words of wisdom: avoid drawing attention to that bogus crime article of yours. The only person it would impress is out of office.

Otherwise, very good.

[Tacachale]

^Yes, Arash's bogus crime statistics were quite impressive, but it's really the bogusness that's the problem.

[Tacachale]

^Yes, Arash's bogus crime statistics were quite impressive, but it's really the bogusness that's the problem.

Curry's bloated fear mongering was the issue.  Having also supported the winning candidate for sheriff, the crime figures and rhetoric that Curry used to get into office were abominable.

Where did all that rhetoric go, by the way?

No, the issue was Metro Jacksonville being turned into a vehicle to attack Curry and support Brown using bogus statistics.

[Tacachale]

^Yes, Arash's bogus crime statistics were quite impressive, but it's really the bogusness that's the problem.

Curry's bloated fear mongering was the issue.  Having also supported the winning candidate for sheriff, the crime figures and rhetoric that Curry used to get into office were abominable.

Where did all that rhetoric go, by the way?

No, the issue was Metro Jacksonville being turned into a vehicle to attack Curry and support Brown using bogus statistics.

so no clue where all that panic displayed by Curry's campaign has gone?  Was all that runaway, out of control crime solved by him being elected?  It was pretty urgent to him during the election.  Haven't heard a word since, really.

Seems like your candidate used anti crime rhetoric to attack Brown and got called on it, Taca.

Love you man, but unless you can explain the absence of this issue since Curry got elected compared to pre election Curry, I think the point is elegantly made.

It's a long way from what we were talking about, but Curry did start on this in this year's budget, like, 3 months ago. Millions back into Jacksonville Journey and hiring more cops and CSOs. It was easy to miss, the media doesn't seem to cover that kind of thing anymore.

[Tacachale]

^The issue is that this is just one of many inherited messes he has to clean up. He's making a solid start, but either way, the whole "what crime problem?" schtick obviously wasn't very persuasive to many people.

But you know what, I'm not going to continue this here. I'm sorry I hijacked the thread for what's really a very well done conversation with Tommy Hazouri.

[TheCat]

I love terry gross, who doesn't?

Charlie Rose, I've only listened to not as much. Terry, is an enigma and I'm still trying to figure out how she does it. Charlie, he's a rigorous questioner - I get that. Terry shows up and the interviewee knows that they have a job to do.

My best models are who I perceive to be mediocre. Marc Maron is an example. Long, indulgent interviews that are frustrating because "get to the point!" but I'm still tuned in and leave with a really nice picture of the person he's talking to.

Thanks for the compliments, hopefully, these will get better and more interesting.

As for bogus crime numbers...no. They were not bogus and like Stephen said the major point of the article was how Curry was fear mongering. The numbers are accurate. Stay tuned another crime article is on its way 

[Tacachale]

As for bogus crime numbers...no. They were not bogus and like Stephen said the major point of the article was how Curry was fear mongering. The numbers are accurate. Stay tuned another crime article is on its way 

Dig your heels in if you want, but the reason I brought it up is that the article makes the site and yourself look bad. It convinced no one but other Brown partisans. Having seen your subsequent contributions (like this one), you can do better.

I said I'd move on, and I will now, but I'd strongly recommend you don't try another crime article without first running it past someone who knows what they're doing. If you like I can put you in touch with some criminologists at UNF.

[Tacachale]

In this interview Hazouri mentions that his uncle was a Presbyterian minister. This was A.E. Hazouri, who led the Syrian Presbyterian Church, later named Mt. Olive Presbyterian Church. There are documents of its founding here:

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/248063

According to these documents, the congregation was formed in 1912 under Reverend Hazouri. Services were first held in a Presbyterium "pastorium" before moving to St. Pauls' Church at 1300 West Church Street. The Syrian Presbyterian Church incorporated in 1924 but continued to hold services in St. Paul's. In 1934, they built their own church in Riverside at the corner of Margaret and Gilmore Street. According to the documents, services were held in both "Syrian" (presumably Liturgical Syriac, spoken to this day at other Arab American churches in Jacksonville) and English for the children. The church sponsored a mission to Sidon, Syria (present-day Lebanon). A.E. Hazouri lived at 601 1/2 Liberty Street, the same place Tommy Hazouri identifies as the location of the family home and grocery.

Syrian Presbyterian Church was later renamed Mt. Olive Church and has since closed. It was used as a Congregationalist church for a while but now seems to be a different denomination. Here's a picture from 2009:

http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/951/

[TheCat]

Taca, thanks for sharing the history.

 I'll respond to the false numbers thing later, sigh. Or, you can refer back to the thread where we debated on this issue. Show me where the numbers are wrong...I'll fix it.