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Where
It Begins....
The people of Florida are good people.
Make no mistake about that. We come from all walks
of life and many different parts of the country and the
world. Some were born here and have seen the state
grow from the rural state they knew to the large metropolises
and 'managed growth' communities that populate the state
today. Others are relative newcomers that have only
witnessed the state from the vantage of today. All
the citizens of Florida love this state and what it has
to offer. All the citizens want to live, flourish and enjoy
Florida as we know it.
Floridians are proud and strong
and do not wish to live in fear. Floridians respect
education and the environment and their elders. Floridians
are informed, enthusiastic and looking forward to our future.
The issues facing Floridians is how do
we accomplish all that we wish to accomplish? How
can we provide well paying jobs for those of all income
levels that wish to work? How can we protect the health
and way of life of those that have chosen to retire here
after years of hard work.? How do we encourage the
men and women that have invested in Florida by creating
new businesses and new products?
The Economy...
The economy is in a downturn. No
matter what 'pundits' proclaim, those living in Florida
know we have a poor economy. Falling house prices,
rising unemployment, higher costs in food and medicines,
high taxes, high housing insurance and low paying service
sector' jobs tell the tale that the current government will
not. Staying the course is not a solution. More
of the same is not a solution. We know if a
100 people each spend a hundred dollars an economy will
grow and prosper. If 15 million do the same we as
a state create a great economy and future. We must
do our best to get more money to more people to make
this great state grow. We can not hoard our
future in the hands of a few. New ideas and new programs
must be found and instituted that promote the wealth of
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Education......
Why do we continue to embrace
an education doctrine after 10 years of its continued failure?
The FCAT was supposed to herald a new age of accountability
in Florida Education. Help to raise our dismal national
rankings from the bottom in an upward trend to the top.
Yet after ten years and billions of dollars we languish
at the bottom still. Worse yet our children bear the cost.
If our children do well on the FCAT, their schools get a
reward, but if the schools do poorly on the FCAT the child
gets punished. Where is the fairness in that?
Where does it help education? When do we finally say
"This isn't working." and relegate the program
to the trash heap of 'great ideas'. and move on?
We need the discussion, we need new ideas, and we need a
new direction.
Healthcare....
Why do we not want
to take care of the health of our children? Why would it
be an issue? Why would we want to limit the children
that can have health care? These are the least among
us. They look to us to provide for their safety and
security because they can not. Others may want to
take an ideological stand on this issue, but they take this
stand on the health of our children, reality must take precedence.
We must expand healthcare for those children that do not
have it. It is not ours to question, but to provide.
Children can not be our only concern.
Healthcare for the elderly and healthcare for those unable
to work or severely injured must be provided. Medicines
must be made available. These are our obligations
and our duty.
Environment...
Florida is a unique United States natural
resource. We must marry the needs of the people with
the needs of nature and natures many creatures.
Environmental agreements made by the state must be kept.
Water resources preserved. New water resources explored.
Florida's natural resources were put in our trust.
It is our duty to protect these resources. |
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