ENDING CORRUPTION IN BROWARD GOVERNMENT

Throughout my travels in District Four, I have heard a common concern that should be alarming to our elected officials: that the taxpayers of Broward County just don’t trust their county government anymore.  Unfortunately, the current “regime” at the government center doesn’t seem to have made a priority of correcting this.

I am committed to making government work for you again, making government more transparent and holding those who violate the public trust accountable to fullest extent of the law.  Being elected to public office is one of the highest honors a citizen can earn, and our government officials have seemed to have forgotten their commitment to their communities.

I fully support the recommendations of the Broward Ethics Commission.  Unfortunately, the current regime has decided to insert massive changes to the legislation and is poised to pass its own version of the ordinance that is vague and possibly unconstitutional.  This is disappointing.  If elected your commissioner, I will push for an increased and re-vamped ethics code that County Commissioner must adhere to, without watering down the ordinance and delivering a poor effort on correcting this matter.

FISCAL DISCIPLINE AND PRIORITY SETTING

Earlier this year, the Broward County Commission decided to spend and outrageous $328 million in taxpayer dollars on the county courthouse without giving the voters an option to have their say in the matter.  This is irresponsible and an example of the reckless spending that goes on at the government center.  Should a courthouse be paid for and built, the citizens of Broward County have the right to approve it through a vote.  As your commissioner, I will make it clear that the voters always have a right to voice their opinion through the ballot box on initiatives of this magnitude.

It is imperative that we have commissioners serving on the dais who have their priorities in order.  Instead of making difficult decisions, the current commission has decided to force our Sheriff to cut his budget 14%, while making sure their commission office salaries stay the same.  In other words, as our County Commissioners and their aides continue to get paid exorbitant salaries, many of the brave men and women of Broward County law enforcement see their jobs in jeopardy.  It’s high time the Commission started acting like every business owner in Broward County: realizing that when times are tough, the first person to take a pay cut is the boss.

As your commissioner, I will fight to make sure that public safety remains the top priority in Broward County Government.  I will never, ever play politics with public safety.  And I will not hesitate to sacrifice part of my own commission salary so the Broward Sheriff’s Office has the tools necessary to keep our citizens safe.  Commissioners are paid over $90,000 per year, with benefits and pension, an outrageous figure that should be substantially less.  One shouldn’t go into public service for their own self-fortune.

This recession, while severe, has given us a unique opportunity to explore creative ways that government can run more efficiently and with less red tape.  Unfortunately, the County Commission has met this opportunity the same way they have approached their offices – by simply “cutting budgets” arbitrarily and without regard to innovation.  Instead of making difficult decisions and assessing long-term consequences, this commission has merely cut budgets at random, a result of not having enough business-minded leaders at the table.  We must mandate an evaluation of the performance of each and every agency of the county, and then make budgetary decisions based on those evaluations.

GETTING BROWARD BACK IN BUSINESS

As I have explored the option of running for office, it is alarming to so many citizens of Broward County, including myself, that the County is doing little to nothing when it comes to attracting business into the area.  In this time of economic turmoil, this is unacceptable.  We must do all we can to attract businesses to Broward and put our citizens back to work.

As your county commissioner, by the end of my first six months in office, I pledge to present to the commission a comprehensive and creative plan directed at bringing businesses to Broward and the South Florida area.  As a business owner myself, I know that you can’t afford to sit and wait for business to come to you – you have to go out and get it.  The potential of this region is immense, and we can no longer stand by and watch as opportunities pass us by and our friends and neighbors continue to lose their jobs.

MY PLEDGE TO BROWARD COUNTY

One should not go into public service to get rich and to benefit financially from the power one holds.  As your candidate and commissioner, it is my pledge to you that I will never abuse the trust you have placed in me.  Not one campaign donation or one dollar of taxpayer money will be spent without rigorous oversight and scrutiny by my office.  The hard-earned money of each and every Broward taxpayer should be cared for and used productively – not as a way to line personal coffers.