Jeremy Wallace, Political Insider, The Sarasota Herald Tribune, 8-March-2010
Sarasota Democrats apparently are having trouble waiting for the next big general election.
Though election day is eight months away, Sarasota County Democrats have been burning up the phone lines to get voters out to the polls over the last three months…in Boston and Tampa.
During the special election for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts and another special election for a state House seat in Tampa weeks ago, dozens of Sarasota County Democrats manned phone banks from their party headquarters here here to get voters to the polls in other places. More than 3,000 Democratic calls were made into the Tampa race from Sarasota.
The upcoming school referendum is not a partisan issue. It is about ensuring that Sarasota County is in the best possible position to rebuild its economic potential. It's about maintaining and creating job opportunities today, while educating tomorrow's nurses, firefighters, doctors, teachers and lawyers to be a competitive work force in a global economy.
The cross section of community support for this initiative is as diverse as it is impressive. The reason for such broad-based support is very simple: A good school system is a direct reflection of a community that understands that investing in future leaders will help secure a brighter tomorrow.
The 1-mill school tax has helped establish Sarasota County schools as a district of distinction among its peers across the state. It has helped stabilize property values during the Great Recession and, as student performance measures continue to improve, it will help us recover more quickly. The caliber of education in our community has helped attract businesses and high-wage jobs. We have recruited some of the most highly qualified professionals from across the country to help educate the next generation of highly qualified professionals.
Terry O'Connor, Sarasota Herald Tribune, 28-February-2010
SARASOTA - Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, the leading and some say only legitimate Democratic candidate for Florida's open Senate seat, came to Sarasota on Saturday night to advance his historic petition-signing campaign drive.
Instead of paying $10,000 to qualify as a candidate for Senate, Meek mounted an unprecedented statewide petition drive to round up the 112,476 signatures required to earn his way onto the ballot in all 67 counties.
"Not only will we make history by qualifying by petition statewide but it will tell Florida I am interested in representing the entire state of Florida," Meek said in an interview before the event. "It is important because the voters needed to be heard from. It's been good for my campaign and good for me as a candidate."
A standing-room-only crowd of 160 supporters attended his talk Saturday at the Ken Clark Auditorium in the Sarasota County fairgrounds. They paid $20.10 to attend the Democratic Party fundraiser.
SCDP Endorses Continuation of the 1 mill Property Tax for Local Schools
Statement, Sarasota County Democratic Party, 16-February-2010
With a clear majority of support, the Sarasota County Democratic Party endorsed continuation of the 1 mill property tax for local schools during its February membership meeting. With the vote decided, the SCDP joins all 5 Democratic Clubs in the County and a broad-based, geographically diverse coalition of business, civic and parent-teacher groups as well as arts & cultural organizations who believe investing in a good quality educational system will produce a stronger, healthier community. The referendum election will be held Tuesday, March 16, 2010.
Press Release, Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections, 11-February-2010
The Florida Supreme Court has just ruled in the appeal of Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections, et. al., v Browning et.al.
The Court ruled that the major portions of our county charter amendment, Parts a and b, requiring paper ballots and mandatory, random audits (spot checks) of machine counts are constitutional.
Part c (requiring under certain circumstances that all ballots be audited prior to certifying elections) was ruled unconstitutional, but the Court severed part c from the law. Parts a (paper ballots) and b (mandatory spot audits) remain in the law and are valid. We knew that the ruling on part c was a possibility, but are very pleased with the positive rulings for paper ballots and mandatory audits. The ruling that Florida law does not preempt home rule charter counties from adding protections for voters is a huge success. We still look forward to the day when the Florida legislature enacts a law similar to part c of our charter amendment which requires an audit of all ballots prior to certification if it appears that the machines may be malfunctioning.
As the first Article of the Florida Constitution says, "All political power is inherent in the people."
This decision is major victory for the people of Florida.
Rita Ferrandino, SCDP Chair, Letter to the Editor, Venice Gondolier, 27-January-2010
Editor:
Members of the Sarasota County Democratic Party have voted overwhelmingly in support of continuing the 1-mill property tax to maintain a level of excellence in our local schools, as have the Longboat Key, North Port and Sarasota Democratic Clubs. Other clubs in the area are also considering formal positions at this time and indicators are good that the response will be favorable from those clubs as well.
One could be forgiven for thinking 2009 was a disastrous year for Democrats nationwide, yet a closer look at the numbers often betrays the CW.
Take Florida, for example.
Over the course of 2009, Floridians continued to join the Democratic Party in record numbers, ending the year with Democrats having a nearly 800,000 person voter registration advantage
Bowing to pressure, Florida Republican Party chair Jim Greer steps down
St. Petersburg Times, 6-January-2010
Days before Republican activists planned to vote state GOP chairman Jim Greer out of office, he bowed to their pressure Tuesday and resigned suddenly in a blow to Gov. Charlie Crist who had picked Greer for the post and stood squarely behind him to the end.
"I cannot be a participant in the shredding and tearing in the fabric of the Republican Party," Greer said in announcing his decision and accusing critics of spreading false accusations about his leadership and financial management.
