UPDATE: The posting below will remain intact despite the completely corrupt process and invalid elections held by the Florida Young Democrats. After ignoring important components of the organization’s Constitution to the detriment of the membership, the President chose to enforce fine print of sections of the Constitution that were modified and unavailable until just days before the improperly noticed election. At the open of convention, a current, complete and correct version of the Constitution was still not available. Three candidates were invalidated, three people who stepped up and presented a clear case for their candidacy, what they would do if elected and where they wanted to see the organization go.
It is unfortunate how this was handled, dishonorable and petty people have put their egos ahead of the best interests of the organization and that is sad for all young Democrats in the state and for the party as a whole.
There’s the text book stuff – I believe every child (and adult) should have access to the best possible education, it should be free and inspiration rich. I believe every person should be provided the best possible medical care, including preventative care – at absolutely no cost. I believe every woman (and man) has dominion over their own body, and all medical decisions are between a person and their doctor. Not an insurance provider, not religious tenants, a person and their doctor. If that wasn’t clear enough, I fully support a woman’s right to choose and that IS pro-life. I support full equality, including the right to marry for all citizens. I support the rights of labor, including collective bargaining and card check. I support fair trade, not free to trample 3rd world nation’s trade. I support publicly financed elections, full disclosure and the end of corporate person-hood and corporate (including foreign owned) election tampering. I believe electoral districts should be drawn with consideration to contiguous communities, not based on partisan scheming for political advantage. I oppose term limits, with fair elections, elections are term limits. I support the Bill of Rights, not ignoring a few words where convenient. Yes, that means regulating the possession and distribution of firearms. No warrentless wiretaps. No unlawful detention of citizens and non-military combatants on military bases and tried by military tribunal.
I want every child to have the same opportunities I had growing up with wonderful parents and financial success and stability. I look back at my childhood and see so many opportunities that most other children didn’t have. I really could have become anything I wanted to become. How many children have potential that is unrealized because they lack the opportunities. They lack access to proper nutrition, medical care, education or inspiration? How many children that may have done something momentous like curing cancer failed to reach that potential because instead of a hand up, society gave them a push down. I’m inspired by young people, college students that show up for a campaign interested in fulfilling a college requirement and becoming so invested that they do 10 times the time requirement, sticking out long past the submission of their final grade. An entire campus of students moving in to a capitol building to stand up for their faculty and the quality of their education. An organizer who is hired by a campaign and provided not nearly enough training and none of the resources he needs, sent to a region the campaign cares little about, instead of sitting on his hands, he reaches for every resources available to him, learns on his own and becomes a great organizer despite all of that, delivering more votes than anyone projected in his region. I’m inspired by a young dem who not yet a citizen of this country, became so engaged in her community she ended up running the campaign for a large city mayor – she delivered victory and THEN became a citizen of this country a few days later. That is why I’m a Democrat.
I believe the Florida Young Democrats are an organization of tremendous unrealized potential, a powder keg of talent waiting to explode blue all over the state. I believe that a lack of leadership and direction, a lack of follow through and political savvy has left the organization on a hamster wheel for too long. I believe that my experience and know-how will be tremendous assets in making me an excellent national committeeman for the Florida Young Democrats. I already attend the statewide and national meetings fairly often, and will increase that rate. I look at the responsibilities assigned to the position as a list of “Required duties”, not a list of “only duties.” I believe the NCM (and NCW), should act as agents of the organization in all capacities, specifically I believe they have a greater responsibility to fund raise than has been exercised in the past. I have that capacity, I’ve done the work before. The Florida Young Democrats should be raising and spending well beyond ten times what they have been raising over the past several years. We should have paid staff, we should be conducting direct political action, we MUST be recruiting AND training candidates at all levels throughout the state. We are the margin of victory, its time we started acting like we recognize that. We must aim higher and work harder. I’m running because I believe I am the best person for office of National Committeeman of the Florida Young Democrats, I would be honored to be given the opportunity to prove that.