I'm Aron Davis, a 27 year old software engineer running for mayor of Plantation, FL. AMA!

Why are you running for mayor?

The city is due for an overhaul. I want to improve things.

We lack modern tech that allows the neighboring cities to run smoothly. We don't keep track of key statistics, so things rarely get improved.

Finances and city activities aren't transparent. The website is unorganized.

We lack environmentally friendly programs such as composting.

Traffic is an ever-growing problem that isn't being addressed (and they're only building more residential housing units).

The town halls aren't resident friendly.

I'm a software engineer so I see the way technology has thrust other cities forward. Besides fixing all of the issues I mentioned above, I want to establish some form of municipal broadband to spur competition in the ISP sector and drive new business to the city. I also want to set an example by replacing our local First Past the Post voting system with something more fair and representative of the people.

TLDR: a lot of reasons. My website has them written out more thoroughly.

Talking about your website... It is very nicely made, with a quite thorough list of your concerns, plans, ideas, etc. I wish you good luck.

One question I do have revolves around your supposed "other sources of revenue". What exactly do you have in mind there? What makes you (a software engineer) believe that you can find extra money where previous mayors (likely with more experience in finance) have failed?

Thanks!

When I say "other sources of revenue" I mostly mean initiatives that would fund themselves.

I would love to explore funding for something like a municipally ran charter school for example (state funds).

Some other ideas I had in mind were applying for federal/state grants, developing municipal broadband, and maybe even a local lottery (if the laws allow it). I'd have to work with the state to see what else might be possible.

To my knowledge, none of the previous mayors had a financial background. I'd at least have the advantage of being familiar with tech :P

Why a charter school, instead of supporting Broward County Schools?

Because if it's run by the city, the city has the control (and the state funds it). It would still be a public school. I don't have a problem supporting Broward County schools, but if we want more control, a municipally ran charter is the way to do it given our current system.

What exactly do you want more control over?

There's not anything in particular that I want more control over, but enough residents have expressed their dissatisfaction with the public schools here that it warrants exploring other options.

That and I'm not convinced that the county manages our funds appropriately.

Perhaps their dissatisfaction isn't from Public Schools doing something wrong, but rather in the citizens not listening to the correct stories.

We hear over and over how "schools suck" ... and yet never hear about how parents don't spend sufficient time with their kids, how parents expect schools to be nanny, teacher, parent and guard. How parents don't support school staff disciplining and teaching.

Perhaps the public school would do better if they had better funding and parent involvement.

Rather than abandoning a system needing improvement, perhaps uniting an effort to refactor the system might work better in the end.

Personally, when I hear a tech related person going into politics, I immediately hear "libertarian technocrat" who thinks they can fix everything the same way code can be rewritten.

I agree that the county schools could be improved, but there has long been evidence of corruption there. A lot of people don't trust the county. I think your explanation is an oversimplification of the problem, but if we could fix those issues, it would help.

The reality is that the directive for better education needs to come from the state, but I would love a local point of comparison. Fair competition with the county schools so-to-speak.

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Definitely not a libertarian, but maybe some libertarian tendencies (like I think marijuana should be legalized, regulated, and taxed). I have trouble putting myself into a political party/category. I realize the differences between code and government lol

I'm mostly self-aware and wouldn't consider myself a stereotypical tech person.

Lmfao is a local lottery considered standard practice for fund raising in America? Lottery stinks of corruption.

Definitely not standard practice! haha

It's one of those far-out ideas for sure, but I'm open to everything if it can be done right. The reality is that a lottery is probably not an option. However, there are ways to prevent corruption from leaking into something like that.

You don’t seem to have any idea on “ Other sources of revenue “

Fair enough, but I think it's something we should at least be looking into. I didn't claim to know everything about it.

In one of the Netflix shows out now (I think Flint Town), the chief of police sold the rights to name the narcotics dog, as a way to creatively raise money they didn't have.

Would you be interested in an administrative position? lol

But it's structural point to everything else you have said. Everything you want to improve will take funding.

You have the options of cut funding somewhere, raise taxes on something already existing, or tax something new.

If you can't do any of that, then you can't do any of your ideas.

I plan on cutting the fat in the budget. As an example we operate several facilities at a loss and we don't keep track of the percentage of residents that use them. If we track the data and find that no one is really using them, you get rid of them or do something to increase their usage or at least make them break even.

I'd only increase taxes if we had to.

The whole idea is more of a statement about keeping an open mind rather than specific implementation.

South Florida local government is some of the most corrupt in the country. I'd vote for you, but I honestly believe you'll be threatened or coerced to keep things the way they are and nothing will really change.

What's the alternative? lol

Vote for someone that will go along willingly? If that were the case, I'd at least put up a fight and drag a few of 'em down with me :P

• Your website looks really clunky, try streamline it more. Like when you go to the donate page, the navigation links at the top disappear. As a young person who is also a software engineer, i feel like your website should look and work better than it is right now.

• can you use a professional photograph of you and your wife instead of a zoomed in selfie? Use less dog pics. Your bio is way to damn wordy. Just get to the point. Maybe just use bullet points of the work you've done in the community. I read the bio two times and did not really get what you did for the community or why you are even running.

• your issues are TOO specific and at the same time too vague. Don't make people click a link, then another link, to see what you stand for. Just pick 2 or 3 issues that are most important to you and write the title in big bold and right under it write about how you feel in a very short paragraph. Put pictures of you doing something in the community too. I would pick Traffic, Education, and Finance.

• are you even canvassing your district and putting up banners? reddit AMA's aren't that effective in actually getting name recognition in your own community. who really cares what reddit thinks. 99% of them aren't your constituents.

Your website looks really clunky, try streamline it more.

It's half customized and half done via an online software service. I've partially been fighting the system to get it to look how I want it. Noted though!

can you use a professional photograph of you and your wife instead of a zoomed in selfie?

I could, but I'd have to pay someone to do that and don't see much value in it.

I read the bio two times and did not really get what you did for the community or why you are even running.

I honestly haven't done much for the local community. I'm hoping to change that. I'm running to fix the issues I've listed on my Issues page.

your issues are TOO specific and at the same time too vague. Don't make people click a link, then another link, to see what you stand for. Just pick 2 or 3 issues that are most important to you and write the title in big bold and right under it write about how you feel in a very short paragraph. Put pictures of you doing something in the community too. I would pick Traffic, Education, and Finance.

I'll try to get rid of the few more generic ones, but I'd rather keep them all there. I'll expand them all by default to make it easier to go through. I've been meaning to put in an "expand all" option.

are you even canvassing your district and putting up banners? reddit AMA's aren't that effective in actually getting name recognition in your own community. who really cares what reddit thinks. 99% of them aren't your constituents.

Canvassing and banners are the next step.

would you be interested in running for mayor of Atlanta?

Haha I wasn't a fan of the traffic there and that's a much larger bullet to bite :P

I think Plantation is small enough and familiar enough for me to manage.

Why would a software engineer make a good candidate for mayor?

For starters I know how to use a computer lol

My degree is in Management of Information Systems so I have experience outside of just the computer world.

As a software engineer I have a good idea of what we can and can't do with tech. I would love to incorporate modern methods of data analysis to drive the city's day to day functions. My job requires me to be logical, analytical, and keen about making things faster and more efficient. I would love to run the city that way.

There's an old saying, "what gets measured gets improved!"

Not a specific question but thank you for running! It's nice to see more young people with STEM backgrounds running for political office. I'm getting sick of so many old politicians who have nearly no understanding of science and technology trying to regulate it.

Thanks!

For starters I know how to use a computer lol

I laughed, but it's kinda true. Our leaders need to start getting a grasp of technology and more importantly how technology can help improve just about everything when applied correctly. Collection of data is huge. Hell, when I had my brief moment working for local government (EDS for local elections) I helped introduce the idea of dual monitors to help improve productivity.

Do you see outdated technology infrastructure as a challenge? (old computers, outdated software, ect.) How can we tackle it?

Do you see outdated technology infrastructure as a challenge?

I do. Part of the solution is to upgrade it. The other part is to provide training or bring in people that are more familiar with the modern world.

The businessman in me knows that it'll cost money though. Need to be careful about the costs vs. benefits. Some things will be worth changing, others will not.

According to NextDoor (lol) the real question should be : are you in favor of keeping blue bags?

What I'd really like to know is what you're specifically talking about when you say "facilitating alternative means of transportation" ... that could mean just about anything.

Oh man, not the blue bags! That's a sensitive subject here lol

If I'm being honest, I think we should get rid of the bags. As a system it encourages people to illegally dump their trash and it makes bulk pickup more of a pain than it needs to be.

I would love to switch to bins (if the price is right) and let people opt out of the actual bin part if they want.

"Facilitating alternative means of transportation" could mean just about anything and I left it vague like that on purpose because every area is going to be unique. At a basic level, I would love to have bike lanes throughout the city, a few pedestrian bridges, and some additional bus routes during rush hour. I'd also be interested in elevated light rail and some parking garages if it wasn't such an eye-sore. Before any decision would be made, I'd have a thorough traffic analysis done and listen to what the experts have to say :P

A large part of the traffic stems from people trying to get onto 595 to get to their jobs outside of the city.

Haha, I like to ask the blue bags question just to see what reaction I get. Some people (even non-residents) are very passionate about it!

FWIW here's my take : relatively expensive trash bags and cheaper recycle bags incentivize low usage, and higher rates of recycling. If you can figure out how to do that with bins, I'm all ears. Otherwise, it's best to leave it alone.

To your "transparency" platform, I would love to see some real numbers about all of that made easily accessible to play with. Total monthly fees collected, total bag purchases, contracts paid out, etc. – let the armchair economists amuse themselves.

Neither method seems likely to affect illegal dumping. (dumpers gonna dump) Same for bulk pickup. (people can wait for a month, or they can't) Education and sane enforcement, both done visibly, would likely be more effective remedies for either of those problems.

Anyway, onto the real question about traffic & transportation...

With the exception of limiting growth you're outlining solutions that most definitely can not be enacted by any mayor.

Bike paths and lanes are great features to have, but they're not going to solve traffic problems for very many people. Given weather, distance, etc. I'd say that's at best a 10% solution, at which point you've already created a bike congestion problem on the road and at certain destinations.

Light rail? For grins I just googled and found cost estimates between $50M and $250M per mile ... which won't get financed here by anyone, probably not even with State of Federal subsidies. I'm sure not voting for that bond! Getting buy-in from all the other nearby municipalities would be super, but that's not something a first-time mayor of Plantation is going to make happen. Certainly not before autonomous vehicles make the whole investment worthless.

Federal and State agencies have the resources for and control over University & 595. (441 & 595 isn't even within the city limits, so whatever) I can save you the money on that traffic analysis : the problem is too many cars (probably a majority coming from outside Plantation) proceeding through those intersections during peak times. Unless you can convince industry to accept more work-from-home, or at least more widely staggered start times, that isn't going to change.

Making "express" bus transport to Nova, downtown, FLL, Weston, the beach, etc. might help some. But that would be an uphill battle both on the supply and demand side. If BCT could make that work economically, presumably their experts would already have figured it out. Bus services would have to be cheap, very convenient, reliable, and pleasant – or Plantation residents would go back to their cars. All Plantation's mayor can do is ask, market, and hope.

Sorry man, I appreciate the engagement here but what I'm hearing from you is vaguely big talk about huge ideas and no real substance. Real plans with at least supportable estimates or GTFO.

Even what you're saying about the apparent cornerstone issue for you – muni broadband + NN – isn't specific. You'll speak with residents and experts to deliver effective synergies? Buzzwords ... check!

If you're truly interested in public service, maybe start with city council first. I'd possibly vote for you there.

Most of our recycling (other than metals) goes to a landfill though :( Especially when people don't know what's recyclable and contaminate what's collected.

People dump illegally (usually in dumpsters) to avoid having to buy the specific bags. That's what I would be targeting by switching to bins.

Education and enforcement would help, but that does come at a cost.

I'd rather we continue recycling metals, reduce plastic usage, and get rid of paper via composting.

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The armchair economist is sort of the whole appeal of transparency lol

You have people scrutinizing everything (holding the city accountable) and then eventually they'll offer free advice when they can't keep their mouths closed haha

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Like I said, I would have a traffic analysis done before actually doing anything and would listen to the people that know more about it than I do. Those were just some ideas. There's an entire field dedicated to this type of work. You'd be hard-pressed to find any mayor that would be qualified to do something like that alone.

Just for amusement, Wikipedia says $15-$100+ million per mile and are you familiar with the county's proposed Penny for Transportation? It includes all of these types of shenanigans.

I'm not saying that I'd 100% gun for these things, just saying that they're options to look into. You're basically saying to do nothing lol

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Sorry man, I appreciate the engagement here but what I'm hearing from you is vaguely big talk about huge ideas and no real substance. Real plans with at least supportable estimates or GTFO.

You're not going to like the other candidates then lol

Even what you're saying about the apparent cornerstone issue for you – muni broadband + NN – isn't specific. You'll speak with residents and experts to deliver effective synergies? Buzzwords ... check!

I did do a basic estimate here, but I'm not going to pretend like they're solid numbers to go by. You're not going to get numbers on any of these things until you're in office and have the credentials/resources to get the info required. That's also part of the whole transparency thing I'm pushing for. All I can promise is that I'll look into these issues and make a decision on a solution based on the costs and relative effectiveness.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

Either do some good traffic analysis so we know where to go with development in the future or implement a composting program to start lowering our environmental impact (and save some money on waste management).

Maybe something else if you can convince me!

Will you usher in the rise of robot overlords?

Yay for another SWE engaging in politics.

Will the robots settle for more mundane things like yard work?

Posting from my throwaway account. My company submitted a proposal for a big bid that was open in Plantation. We are a small company but we could have done easily the project at a much cheaper price than who won it. We didn't end up bidding because the requirements did not make sense for the work that was required. I concluded that they designed the project parameters to give it to an already chosen company.

My question, what are your thoughts on small businesses?

I prefer smaller businesses over larger ones, but recognize the importance of both. If we're looking at it from a city contract perspective, I'd have to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis, but generally speaking I'd go with whoever we could trust that has a proven track record (price matters too of course).

I don't know the details of your specific contract/bid, but the requirements should fit the project (aka common sense should be used) and be fair to everyone involved. Competition is important.

There are a fair amount of people going through homelessness. I see many of them on street corners asking for aid. What programs do you have in mind to help these people?

Edit: are you planning on having any debates with your competition, or hosting any events so people have a better chance to get to know you?

That's a hard question. I want to help these people, but I know what kind of trouble attracting the homeless can bring. I don't think it's an issue a single city can handle.

In my opinion, it should be addressed by the federal/state government. I honestly haven't given it much thought on the local level.

The way I see it there are two kinds of homeless and they need to be treated differently:

1) People who have mental and addiction issues that need to be treated medically.

2) "Healthy" people going through a rough patch in life that need temporary support to get back on their feet.

In regards to the latter, I think we can help them out most by not making it illegal to be homeless and by providing some kind of network to get them the jobs/resources they need.

This response was pretty off the cuff for me. Have any resources I could read up on?

Broward Housing Solutions is pretty great and sending some funding their way would likely be helpful.

I'll check it out :)

Can I just say, I don’t know much about you, but I really appreciate someone admitting they aren’t an expert in an issue versus BSing their way through an answer like most politicians do. Honesty goes a long way with me.

Thanks! I think it's important to know your limits and seek help in areas you lack expertise. Can't do it all alone.

This sort of honesty and openness to discussion is incredibly refreshing. I think politicians fostering real conversations with voters is critical to improving our elections and government, and I'm glad you're making an effort to demystify the choices you have to make.

I appreciate it! You're not the only one that feels that way. I've had my fair share of experiences with BS political answers. I'm not a fan.

Your first group are the ones you see. The second group you don’t see, because they’re getting help. They don’t “look” homeless, but they are.

Well never fix homelessness without addressing mental health, which is a federal responsibility and possibly a state responsibility.

Well answered, Id vote for you!

Thanks!

I’m not in plantation and it’s probably more of a county spending issue, but getting people reliable housing improves their health and reduces the cost of public health services overall. Health insurers are starting to invest some money in public housing (kaiser specifically) and the city of Seattle reduced their public health spending by more than they increased their housing spending.

reduces the cost of public health services overall

That's why I see it as more of a state/federal issue. I can look into public housing though.

Are you for or against high speed rail throughout Florida?

I would love to see high speed rail going somewhere between Broward and Miami. There are a lot of good jobs in Miami that aren't worth driving for (IMO). Not sure if we have a good place to put it though. Would need to be done properly.

If we're talking rail that goes out of state, as a resident I would love a shorter travel time to anywhere that's not Florida lol, but it would depend on where it would go.

I quit my job in Doral partly because of the distance (I live in northern Broward). I mainly drove but several times during my time at the job, I took the bus and/or Tri-Rail and it just took way too long each way. A faster transportation system with more west-of-turnpike connections would be great. Soon there will be a new BCT route going down 75 express lanes, so that's a start.

I am trying to move this year, Plantation is one of the areas I'm looking into. Whatever the case whether I move there or not, I look forward to seeing how you can improve the city. Good luck in your campaign.

Thanks! Most of the cities around here are pretty nice.

If the FL government were to allow local municipalities to decriminalize marijuana, would you be in support of ordinances that decriminalize/legalize marijuana?

If so how much do you think is an appropriate amount of possession?

I live near plantation, it’s really cool to see a young STEM grad running. I’ll make sure to let my friends there know about you :)

Considering we allow both alcohol and cigarettes, it dumbfounds me that we criminalize marijuana. I would absolutely love to see marijuana legalized, regulated, and taxed.

If we're talking strictly decriminalization, I wouldn't be able to give you an exact number for possession, but I'm sure we could figure out something reasonable (I don't personally use marijuana). The stuff is everywhere here anyway.

Thanks!

This is pretty cool. Who would've thought I'd be scrolling through Reddit to find something on the Plantation Mayoral race. I guess I have a few questions:

• Do you have a preferred candidate for the open state house seat in District 98?
• More of a school board issue, but how can we work to improve public schools in Plantation? With the exception of Central park and maybe South Plantation, most schools in the city are not the greatest.
• Unscrupulous sober homes and recovery residences in the area have become a real issue amongst the general public, with the general attitude being a simple "not in my back yard" outlook. Local government's ability to regulate gets a bit grey when we consider the ADA and FL Fair Housing Act, due to the fact government cannot require a sober home operator to seek licensure if they are not providing what is statutorily considered substance abuse services. Do you have any suggestions relating to how the city should go about regulating bad actors while still staying within the confines of the law?
• Do you have an opinion on the big Hyatt law suit that the city went through for I don't even know how many years?
• Any thoughts on drainage issues in the Acres or the ridiculous tree permits that Broward County requires for an entity like SFWMD to come out and trim dangerous foliage? This presents a real problem in the event of a hurricane because debris gets knocked everywhere.
• Thoughts on Rep Randy Fine's bill from last session relating to the interruption of services like trash collection (HB 971)? If you're not familiar with the bill, it would mandate that local governments could not charge for services like trash collection unless those services were actually provided. (e.g. in a hurricane, if garbage is not collected on Tuesday night as it was scheduled to be, should homeowners still receive a full bill for that month, the same as if service were not interrupted?)
• What makes you the best qualified candidate? Can you list your top 5 priorities, if elected?

I think it's really cool you're doing this. Good luck in the election, my friend. November is going to be messy all across this state I think.

• Unfortunately I haven't been able to attend any of the debates regarding 98. I still need to read up on all of the candidates. Have any candidates that you think I should pay special attention to? After quickly glancing at their websites, I'd probably say Elaine Geller (but our views wouldn't align perfectly).

• Schools are mostly a county issue. We can try and work with them, but at the end of the day they have the control. I'd encourage parents and students to speak with the county about any issues they may have (or speak to the mayor/council so they can pass along the info). I am interested in starting up a municipally ran charter school so we can have more of a local say.

• At the very least, we can report the bad sober homes to FARR. Other than that we can look into what some of the other cities are doing, but really the state needs to act on it. Fort Lauderdale has short-term rental permits for instance. I think the best approach would be to incentivize running the sober homes properly. Perhaps allowing them to opt into a city program if they allow us to inspect their business. As you've alluded to, it's something we need to be careful with due to legal ramifications. The mayor and council should absolutely be hammering Tallahasse about this.

• I spoke to the mayor/council about this at one of the city council meetings (this was within a month ago...it's still going on). I think at this point (post lawsuit) the whole thing should be dropped. Fines are designed to discourage unwanted behavior (regardless if you agree with them or not). The Hyatts' legal fees have become their fines at this point. I don't think we should be wasting city funds suing residents for "minor" offenses and it concerns me that the attorney's fees were never audited. Moving forward, I think the city should find a way to work with residents on issues like these (regulate them rather than fight them). I'm sure some form of compromise can be found.

• The Acres is handled by PAID. They were working on a plan the last time I attended one of their meetings. I'm not familiar with the county requiring tree permits (have anything I can read about it?). I do wish to relax our current tree ordinances and incentivize/encourage planting hurricane resistant trees in proper, safe locations.

• I like the idea of holding people accountable, but I think the "specified period" needs to be reasonable and well defined. As long as there were no loopholes, I can't think of anything wrong with it off the top of my head.

• I think I'm the best qualified because I'm the most "modern". I'm logical, intelligent, analytical, friendly, and believe that our government needs to be inviting and transparent. I want to bring the city into the 21st century. I haven't seen any of the other candidates advocate for that. In no particular order, my top priorities would probably be relaxing tree ordinances, resolving traffic issues, measuring city statistics (so we can improve how it runs), making the budget accessible, and making the city more "citizen-friendly". I would highly recommend going through the issues page on my website. I have 22 issues listed there so far.

I hope I didn't miss anything in that massive wall of text :P

Thanks!

What methods have you been using to spread the word about your campaign? Not exactly sure how local elections work apart from congress.

Showing up to city meetings and events, picking up trash while shamelessly advertising, networking with everyone and anyone, candidate forums. Eventually I'll start going door to door canvassing and I'm working on a "float" for a parade. I'm hoping I can do some of the heavy lifting online (that's part of the reason my website is so thorough).

As a former Cooper City person, and fellow IT person, what do you bring to the table as far as perspective that makes you a good fit? Personally, I didn't get a perspective on things until I was in my 40s, and most IT people are not great at communicating well, as and not very good at teamwork, as well as only seeing their way as the only correct way. Personally I'd be rather reticent about you due to your age and career, though I've learned to find out more before making a decision. Since I have friends still there, "Show me what you got!"

I see the world as a world of tech! I'd say I'm more "modern" than my opponents (and the previous administrations). There's opportunity to integrate modern tech/methodologies into the city and use them to make smarter, more accurate decisions. "What gets measured gets improved!"

I'd like to bring in more companies like Magic Leap to the area.

I wouldn't consider myself a stereotypical "IT person". I work for Ultimate Software (they're huge on company culture) and I was a resident assistant in college if that says anything about my ability to work with other people.

I still laugh at poop jokes, but I think I'm pretty mature for my age. I have a house, a wife, and 3 kids (they're dogs, but same thing)...what else is left in life? lol

I think you showed me what you don't have. Poop jokes, while funny, aren't in any relation to the real world of the lives you could affect. I work with local counties and their Tax databases, and how small things matter to a lot of people. More seniors vote because the do care and truly understand how things work as a whole. And you proved two points in one sentence. Hopefully you learn from this and become wiser. I commend you on your gumption and wanting to do better, it's just not your time, yet. IT isn't the solution for everything, it's just a tool to help others to get to a goal.

I'm not sure I follow.

More seniors vote because they're retired and have more time on their hands.

I never said IT was the solution for everything, but it sure does make our lives easier.

It's that they have the time that makes them vote, according the senior people I've met, it's that they see things as a whole, they see the Forrest from from tree. Now that I'm close to 50, I see what they mean and am starting to understand 1 small decision or act can make a big or zero impact. It's great that people want to fight and stand up. When I was younger, I too wanted to as well. What I didn't understand is that it not only takes vision, but fortitude, wisdom, a group of advisors wiser than me, and people that believe I can do what nobody else could do before me. I've had mentors that have helped me see that. From what I've seen, it's just you, and your vision. I want someone to pick up the baton and run, and people need a leader. A leader surrounds themselves with people that help them achieve that goal. Technology is just a tool. Your phone is a small, very small connection to the world. The real connection is with the people that you know, and the people that they know. Technology is such a very small part of the world that real people live in. If people understood Net Neutrality, then it would have already been solved, but yet we still have to explain it. If you are charismatic and can build a base of followers to your vision, and get people to trust your decisions even if they aren't sure you're correct, then you're ready.

If you look at the military, leaders are formed through the toughest of times, and it takes years to learn how to lead people. Leadership is partially learned, and partially a talent. I know I'm not a leader of a large organization, but I know how to support a CEO, commanding officers, or managers. If you ever saw Band of Brothers, there are great and bad examples of leadership, which is similar to businesses or government. From what was explained, and comparing to others that have run for office and done AMA's, I think competitively to them that you have a bit to go before you are ready for a leadership position, though you have promise . This is one Floridians constructive feedback and truly hope the best for you!

it not only takes vision, but fortitude, wisdom, a group of advisers wiser than me, and people that believe I can do what nobody else could do before me

I'm aware of that. I'm not saying I'm going to do this alone.

Technology is just a tool. Your phone is a small, very small connection to the world. The real connection is with the people that you know, and the people that they know.

Please don't mistake me for someone that stares at their phone/computer all day. Technology is a tool to connect people. What you're saying isn't mutually exclusive.

If people understood Net Neutrality, then it would have already been solved, but yet we still have to explain it.

The polls have shown people understand what it is and are for it. It's the government that's not listening.

This is one Floridians constructive feedback and truly hope the best for you!

I appreciate it!

This guy doesn't even really want to "fight" for anything though. Look at his own TOP ISSUES:

"my top priorities would probably be relaxing tree ordinances, resolving traffic issues, measuring city statistics (so we can improve how it runs), making the budget accessible, and making the city more 'citizen-friendly'."

Those are his top priorities...meanwhile, he says he hasn't given any thought to homelessness. Puh-lease...

I'm fighting for a government that properly serves its citizens. Do you live in Plantation?

We live in a capitalistic society and unfortunately, without any interference, homelessness is a product of that.

what's your position on magicleap and their deals/promises with the city? as a techie/politician combo you probably have an interesting perspective.

Magic Leap is definitely attractive as an employer (still waiting to see the product though :P). Love the location it's in too. Without getting into the details, I think it's worth it to the city if they can follow through.

High paying jobs will support the local economy and the company itself will attract similar businesses. We just need to be careful with how much we give away.

I'd happily take Magic Leap over a company like Amazon.

We just need to be careful with how much we give away.

thats the gist of the question, though, and it's hard answer people are trying to come up with. do you like their current deal? if they sought further incentives, would you seek to grant them? how much?

I think we come out ahead with the current deal. ~700 jobs that average ~$90k with a $150 million investment for only $1 million of the city's money over 9 years (forgive me if my numbers are off). Sounds like a deal to me--especially if they stay for longer than 9 years. It's not like they're competing with local businesses either. I'd like to see a comparison of what we'd get if those facilities stayed empty.

That being said, I'd rather we have businesses that don't require special incentives, but Magic Leap is filling the gap that Motorola left, so I think that's important to note.

I'm not familiar with the specific terms, but I like to see incentives correspond to performance. As an example, for every job they create, give them a relative percentage of the total incentive (with limits of course). Just my initial thoughts, but I'd be willing to give up more if they hired locally or created the jobs sooner. Would need to see some kind of proof though that the money would end up going into the local economy.

I'm a little all over the place, but I hope that better answers your question.

Kinda curious what promises did they make?

Give this a read: https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2015/12/01/magic-leap-approved-for-broward-county-s-share-of.html

In the event you’re elected Mayor of Plantation Florida would you hire an independent investigator and/or forensic accountant to follow up on the aggressive $600k Hyatt Christmas’s action pursued by the City of Plantation.? The motion and vote was vetoed by the current Mayor Bendekovic.

Please explain why or why not you’d take the action..

I would like to see that audited. I don't think we should've gotten this deep into a lawsuit with a resident. I'm not sure how much value an audit would provide that far into the future, but I would want to know how much it would cost us first.

TLDR: Yes if we can get some value out of it and it doesn't cost us too much.

What are the best cheap eats in the area? How much does it cost for just the paperwork and registration / getting on the ballot?

The mayor of Davie thanks the candidate for that restaurant recommendation.

Just in case you want to know for your next visit, and weren't asking as a test question for the candidate, I'd recommend: Las Vegas as a good place for (Americanized) Cuban fare, and it's very affordable.

are there any cuban restaurants in the area you'd recommend for more cubanized cuban fare?

I've heard good things about Havana's Cuban Cuisine. My wife is Cuban so I don't have to go to the restaurants too often.

The cheapest and best eats are always going to be what you can make at home (or find in your grocery store)! Pizza and ice cream are the weapons of choice for my wife and I. Kristof's Kafe if you're looking for a dine-in.

The city charged me $500 and the state charged me $1,222.46 (or something like that).

Hi Aron,

My question is related to your background in software engineering. I'm also from South Florida and studying Information Science out-of-state. I'd like to go back to Florida and look for a job in software or data science when I graduate, though I'm unfamiliar with the current state of computing and data-driven careers in the area. As a software engineer in South Florida, what are your opinions and experiences of entering and working in the field?

I'd like to see more opportunity here. I bounced around between companies until I found Ultimate Software (they're great by the way). There are jobs here, but they're not always the best.

I'm not a fan of Miami, but it seems the majority of the CS type jobs are there. I'd love to see more come to Broward (or some kind of public transit that makes getting to Miami more bearable).

I have noticed more and more jobs popping up here though and I believe Miramar has been actively pushing for them. I hear Boca is a decent little tech hub as well.

TLDR: It's not the greatest, but its getting better. Even my city has Magic Leap.

The big "locals" off the top of my head are Ultimate Software (Weston), Magic Leap (Plantation and Dania Beach), Citrix (Ft. Lauderdale), and Chewy (Dania Beach).

How much has the internet slowed down the last week?

I haven't seen much change, but I'm waiting for it. I think we'll start to see real changes after the net neutrality stuff finishes going through the House. ISPs are hesitant to mess with it while it's still on the table.

Can you replace the bureaucracy with a very small shell script?

Definitely think we could automate parts of it.

What experience do you have in politics? Do you have friends in high places to help you?

Only experience I have in politics is the city council meetings and the civilian engagement I've done (protesting/volunteering/contacting reps/etc.). Other than that I try to stay informed about important issues.

I'm a lone wolf for the most part. I'm doing what I can to network.

Which party are you representing?

It's non-partisan and I'm usually independent, but I'm not a fan of what the Republican party is turning into if that gives you a good hint. I try to vote country before party!

Why do you have one letter missing from your first name? Are you the reason everyone misspells my first name?

Are YOU the reason why everyone spells MY first name!?

I like to tell people my parents thought I'd be stupid so they dropped the first A. I think it has something to do with my dad wanting to name me after his father (Arthur) and my mom not liking that name haha

What are your thoughts on city libraries ?

I like them (or at least the one we have here), but we need to make sure they're being used and that we're not overspending.

I'd prefer to see them in lower income areas.

Why mayor , is this a start to bigger things? Couldn’t you make a bigger difference in another office? Good luck

It's funny you suggested starting in a bigger position. People have told me to start smaller with something like city council!

Plantation's mayor is what's called a strong mayor so there's a little more oomph behind the position.

I could probably make a bigger difference in a bigger seat, but I think those positions need to be earned. I think mayor is a good place to start.

Thanks!

Who is Florida Man ans is he still at large?

We are all Florida Man and we are all very large.

Woah! Hey Aron, its Clay Norrbin. Congrats on the AMA popularity! You will be amazing as mayor! My question is, do you feel your StarCraft II skills will make you an amazing or the best mayor?

Hey! It's kind of crazy how big this has gotten.

If I'm being honest, I think there are some things that translate lol

If we ever have some kind of digital mayoral hunger games, I'm sure my skills would come in handy!

Got a github?

Oh god. I do, but it's more of a personal thing rather than something I'd try to put on a resume.

I'll link it for the sake of embarrassing myself lol

Enjoy!

Do you have any ties to any foreign governments, or any contact with any foreigners who one may reasonable question if they are acting on behalf of a foreign government or oligarchy?

None other than my ancestry lol

I'm 100% American.

Thank you for going on record.

You're welcome!

Are you going to use your knowledge of the TCP/IP protocol to turn marginal votes into your favor?

Technically, yes. Realistically, no.

Being someone who understands the Internet of Things, how can you say you're pro "net neutrality"? Explain what this means first and second how it will benefit us as Floridians in our day to day lives.

Just to define net neutrality:

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers treat all data on the Internet equally, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication.

That means no discrimination, no censorship, nor excess fees when viewing opposing viewpoints online. Besides the financial impacts it might have, it's crucial to our First Amendment rights in a modern world. We shouldn't allow corporations to control what we see and do online.

I'm pro net neutrality as in I support it. I've been active in protests and contacting representatives in favor of keeping it.

As mayor I hope to implement municipal broadband and locally enforce net neutrality via service.

will you petition to rename it?

Would need voter support and details about the costs of re-branding the city, but I wouldn't have a problem proposing it.

I honestly don't see the name as an issue and haven't had anyone local say its a problem.

If given the opportunity, will you fund a project to build an amusement park with a cold theme? And maybe call it “ice town”?

Only if Mr. Wyatt comes to cut the red ribbon on opening day.

I know I’m late to the party u/DavisForPlantation, but here’s my question:

Are your neighbors from Davie awful, or just the worst?

Edit: from Davie, know answer :)

I used to live off of Nova drive :)

There are definitely pockets you want to avoid, but I know some great people from Davie!

What are you going to do about Florida man?

Harness his power for the greater good.

Omg, Aron! It's Arielle! I didn't know you were running for mayor, I'd totally vote for you.

My comment will get removed if I don't ask a question, so very important question related to mayorhood-- can I come visit for the congratulations party when you get elected?

Hi! Absolutely! :)

What are you going to do about the impending climate crisis?

Pushing for composting, disincentivizing single use plastics, and pushing for smart combustion of our trash (converting it to energy) rather than dumping it into a landfill.

Hello Aaron, I’m also a software engineer in the area that wants to get involved in politics. I guess my question is how do I get started?

Net neutrality was the tipping point that got me into it. Get involved with an organization like Fight for the Future or the ACLU. Attend your local city council meetings. Contact your representatives and go to your local political organization meetings to start networking.

Most importantly, get informed on the issues! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't stumbling through the political part :P

TLDR: get involved and show up

Zero or one based arrays?

Zero because it's what's ingrained in my head and it makes sense with the binary behind it.

One if you're not a CS person or don't want to think about subtracting from the length of your array when looping.

What makes Plantation, FL a good place to live?

It's a nice suburban area (with decent sized lots if you look for them) and there are big cities nearby if you're into that kind of thing. Pretty close to the beach too.

Being right in the middle of the county, there's a little bit of everything here.

What enviornmental policies would you like to apply or create for your city? As far as traffic what possible solutions do you hope for? Better urban planning? Mass transit?

What enviornmental policies would you like to apply or create for your city?

Composting, smart waste management (trash to energy), and disincentivizing single use plastics. Recycling where we can and renewable energy as well.

As far as traffic what possible solutions do you hope for?

Mostly better urban planning. I think mass transit would be a good solution, but it would have to go beyond just our city. There are a lot of people here that commute to outside areas.

Why you think an engineer, iot or technology can makes life better not destroy the world by single nano? Why mayor?

Logical, analytical, and a built-in desire to improve things.

Being a good person can help prevent the doomsday scenario.

I think mayor has just enough power to create real change without being too overwhelming.

Do you plan on looking top cut costs by using open source software on city computers when possible?

I wouldn't rule it out. Would depend on the software and the task at hand.

Did you ever experience burn out as a software engineer?

Yes! It doesn't help that I do game dev as a hobby either.

It's something I really enjoy though so my burn-out spurts are usually few and far between. It also helps that my company keeps a realistic pace and is very accommodating to my needs as an employee.

Are you going to change the name to "Slave Labor Farms"? because its basically called that already.

I answered a similar question here. It's not as bad as it looks.

Its still pretty bad.

Fair enough. I'd be willing to change it, but I would need support from the voters and would have to weigh the financial costs of re-branding the city.

Do you agree to changing the name of the town due to its racist roots?

To my knowledge, the roots aren't racist. See my answer here.

Isn't it time to change the name of the town??

It's actually named after a company that originally owned the land (Everglades Plantation Company). The city was incorporated in 1953 so the name doesn't really have ties to slavery era plantations (assuming that's what you were implying).

Wikipedia page here.