New, Fresh Ideas
EDUCATION
I’ll make sure my colleagues in Tallahassee understand the needs of teachers, students and schools. And before I support vouchers and charters, I want to know how they’re going to do it better. Being private and unaccountable is not enough. They could become valuable supporters of education by being leaders and incubators of new methods. And before I support FCAT, I want proper funding, smaller classes, and a fresh look at what we teach and why.
SAVE OUR HOMES PART II
Higher property values would mean higher taxes. Fortunately, we are protected by the Save Our Homes cap. Yet, if you sell your home, you lose that protection and the taxes on your new home could triple. That’s not right. I propose that we make the Save our Homes cap portable. If you have it, you stay protected even if you change homes.
SUPPORT FOR OUR TROOPS
I support Florida’s men and women and their families that have to bear the burden of sacrificing their time, well-being and possibly their lives to carry out this nation’s missions. I support the measures proposed by Democrats and passed last year and I will fight for new relief on a state level with housing opportunities, educational opportunities and individual needs. I believe these families should be entitled to extra help during and after deployment and our state should set new standards.
SMALL BUSINESS
Small business is the heart of the American dream and the ticket to greater wealth and independence. I’m a small business owner. There are issues that need to be addressed - affording worker’s compensation rates, finding help with good work ethics, job training and new educational pathways in our schools. We have to stop trying to convince every parent and child that if they’re not good academically, then they’re a failure.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
This country imports 60% of our petroleum. Brazil used to import almost 60% of theirs. Now Brazil imports none of it. They run their cars on cleaner, higher octane, cheaper, ethanol. And they make it from sugar cane. Florida needs to be a leader in helping free this nation of its dependency on foreign fuels. Florida needs to be pro-active in this fight.
ELECTION REFORM
I propose a paragraph description of each candidate and each issue available in every polling booth. Too many people vote without knowing anything about the candidate. Currently, the candidate supported by big money usually wins. Let’s even the field for a stronger democracy.
THE INNOCENCE PROJECT
The project is about not destroying the DNA evidence of a convict until it’s been tested. We have had an alarming number of innocent people incarcerated. If they are innocent, the dangerous criminal is still on the loose. I believe in being tough on crime. Let’s just be sure we’ve got the right people.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
We need responsible growth management with concern for our wetlands, our natural habitats and respect for the future. Growth is important and inevitable, but not at all costs. I am a friend to responsible growth and the environment.
HOMEOWNERS’ INSURANCE CRISIS
The insurance crisis in the State of Florida has been escalating along with insurance rates since Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. Now the problem has been compounded by corruption and mismanagement in Citizens Insurance Company, the financial vehicle the State authorized as the “insurer of last resort”. In my policy statement on covering the Homeowners’ Insurance Crisis in Florida, I am recommending a number of things that the legislature needs to address in order to begin to resolve the problems that so many homeowners face when trying to protect their home and personal property.
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
“Equal rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
The statement is simple. The statement is straightforward. It is time that women are given equal rights under the United States Constitution — the law of the land. I support ERA.
REDISTRICTING REFORM
Gerrymander (v): To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.
Gerrymandering occurs once every ten years after the census is taken. Based on population changes and growth, state and federal voting districts are redrawn.
A citizens’ initiative spearheaded by the Committee for Fair Elections successfully gathered enough signatures (over 932,000) by the February 1st deadline to allow the initiative (Constitutional Amendment #5) to move to the next phase — review by the Florida Supreme Court. The initiative would take the responsibility of redistricting away from Florida’s legislature and give the power back to the voters by amending the Florida Constitution to establish standards for districts drawn by a non-partisan commission in time for the 2008 elections.
I support this initiative and urge voters to vote, “YES”, for Amendment #5.
HEALTHCARE CRISIS
Floridians are not alone in facing the escalating cost of healthcare coverage. In order to solve the healthcare problem, we must address a coordinated effort at the Federal, State and County levels. We should support programs that are proven to work such as the Indigent Healthcare Program that was crafted by Phyllis Busansky, Democratic Candidate for Congressional District 9 when she served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner.
We also need to make informed decisions about existing programs such as Medicaid. If HMOs are not available to every Medicaid recipient across the State, those individuals will be forced to seek medical care in hospital emergency rooms. This form of treatment is the most expensive form of healthcare and taxpayers bear the burden of these exorbitant costs.
