AND ONE OF THE CANDIDATES HERE
>> WE WANT TO TURN NOW TO ONE OF THE NASDAQIEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE RACES FOR THE STATE
SENATE ANYWHERE IN FLORIDA, THE
ONE IN DISTRICT 39 WHICH
INCLUDES SOUTH DATE AND ALL OF
THE KEYS.
>> THE DISTRICT RACE HAS A MUCH
BROADER IMPLICATION AS WELL, AS
FLORIDA DEMOCRATS TRY TO PICK UP
SEATS AND EVEN THE BALANCE OF
POWER IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
DEMOCRAT HALF INJURY-- JAVIER
FERNANDEZ IS WITH US LIVER,
ATTORNEY AND CURRENT STATE
REPRESENTATIVE, AND REPUBLICAN
AUSTRALIANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ WHO
DE DECLINE-- DECLINED OUR
INVITATION TO BE WITH US.
JAVIER, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON.
>> GLENNA, GOOD MORNING,
MICHAEL, GOOD MORNING TO YOU AS
WELL, GLAD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE.
WE REGRET THAT ANNA MARIA
RODRIGUEZ WHOM I SPOKE TO ON
FRIDAY SAID SHE WAS THINK BEING
IT BUT SHE DID NOT AGREE TO
APPEAR.
LET’S GET A FEW THINGS
STRAIGHTS, IF WE CAN.
IN THE 5DS THAT ARE BEING RUN
AGAINST YOU, THEY SAY THAT YOU
ARE BASICALLY A RADICAL, A
LEFTIST, YOU WANT TO DE FUND
POLICE.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THE POLITICAL
SPECTRUM?
IF THOSE ARE INACCURATE
ACCUSATIONS, GO AHEAD AND
CORRECT THEM.
>> I THINK I’M A PRETTY MODERATE
DEMOCRAT BY ANY MEASURE
INCLUDING IF YOU ASK MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES.
IN THE HOUSE WE HAD GREAT
SUCCESS WORKING WITH, ON DE FUND
THE POLICE IT IS A JOKE OF AN
ATTACK GIVEN THAT THE FLORIDA
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE IN
FLORIDA ENDORSED MY CANDIDACY.
I DON’T THINK COULD BEES WOULD
BE ENDORSING CANDIDATES WHO ARE
CALLING TO DE FUND THE POLICE.
>> IT WAS INTERESTING JUST ON
MICHAEL’S POINT I WAS READING A
LITTLE BIT OF YOUR BACKGROUND
AND ONE OF THE LIST OF PEOPLE
YOU ADMIRE AND SOME OF YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ARE ON
THERE.
WHICH KIND OF PROVES THAT POINT.
BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU KNOW,
COVID IS SORT OF TAKING OVER
EVERY ISSUE FOR EVERY DISTRICT,
RIGHT NOW.
AND FOR THE STATE AS A WHOLE.
BUT WHAT DO YOU SEE THE ISSUES
BEING IN DISTRICT 39, SOUTH DATE
AND THE KEYS, SEA LEVEL RISE IS
GOING TO BE ON THAT LIST, BUT
WHAT IS THE PRESSING ISSUE RIGHT
NOW?
>> YOU KNOW, IN THE SHORT TERM
ON COVID, WE HAVE GOT TO FIGURE
OUT A WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO
SAFELY REENTER THIS ECONOMY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE’RE NOT
TALKING ABOUT, WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT REFORM BUT
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ABSOLUTELY
NEED SAY PAID BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE
WITHOUT DO NOT HAVE PAID FAMILY
LEAVE OF ANY TYPE SO THEY CAN
IDENTIFY THEMSELVES OF BEING
EXPOSED OR INFECTED AND STEP OUT
OF THE ECONOMY AND NOT HAVE TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN WORKING AND
KEEPING A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD
OR PAYING FOR FOOD.
AND ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL REFORM
EFFORT WILL BE THE UNEMPLOYMENT
SYSTEM AND CERTAINLY
TRANSPORTATION SAY HUGE ISSUE IN
THE DISTRICT.
PEOPLE IN THE WESTERN PORTIONS
OF THE DISTRICT, NORTH CENTRAL
WEST PORTIONS HAVE HUGE ISSUES
IN TRANSPORTATION, SOUTHERN
MOBILITY IS ALSO AN ISSUE,
CLIMATE CHANGE AS YOU MENTIONED
TOP OF THE LIST, WATER QUALITY,
EVERGLADES RESTORATION AND ONE
ISSUE THAT I AM VERY PASSIONATE
ABOUT AND HEARD CONSTANTLY ABOUT
ACROSS THE DISTRICT IS HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY.
LOOK FOR WORKING ON ALL OF THOSE
ISSUES WHEN I ATTEND TO THE
SENATE IN TALLAHASSEE.
>> ANOTHER ONE OF THE ISSUES
THAT HAS BEEN FRONT AND CENTER
IN THIS RACE HAS BEEN GUNS IN
CLASSROOMS.
THE LEGISLATURE AFTER THE
TRAGEDY AT MARJORIE STONEMAN
DOUGLAS HIGH OF COURSE PASSED A
LAW THAT WOULD ALLOW WITH
CERTAIN SEVERE RESTRICTIONS
ANOTHER PERSON TO HAVE A GUN IN
A SCHOOL IN A CLASSROOM.
YOUR ADS SAY MY MOTHER WAS A
TEESHER POR MANY-- TEACHER FOR
MANY YEARS, I WOULDN’T WANT HER
TO HAVE TO TALK A GUN TO SCHOOL.
YOUR OPPONENT VOTED FOR THAT
BILL.
TAKE US THROUGH THAT DEBATE.
>> YEAH, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUE TO HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE I
THINK IT DEMONSTRATES MY O
POINTS RECORD FOR VOTING AGAINST
OUR COMMUNITY’S
EXPRESS-- EXPRESS WUSHES AND
INTERESTS.
I THINK OVER 70% OF VOTERS IN
MIAMI DADE COUNTY ARE OPPOSED TO
ARMING TEACHERS T WAS A
GRATUITOUS VOTE SHE TOOK, I
THINK IT SHOWS HER LACK OF
INDEPENDENCE WHICH WE NEED IN A
STATE SENATE REPRESENTING THIS
DISTRICT AND OTHER ISSUES THAT
ARE CRITICAL TO THE DISTRICT ON
LOCAL CONTROL, YOU KNOW,
SHORT-TERM RENTALS, SHE’S OUT OF
STEP WITH THE NEEDS OF THE
DISTRICT AND CON
STINT-- CONSISTENTLY VOTED
AGAINST THE EXPRESS WISHES OF
THE VOTERS.
>> WELL, SE39 FOR A LONG TIME
HAS BEEN REPRESENTED BY FLORES,
A MODERATE REPUBLICAN I GUESS WE
COULD CALL HER.
BEEN WITH US A LOT, TERM
LIMITED.
WE KNOW AS FURS AND FORE MOST
EDUCATION WAS SORT OF HER THING.
SHE IS VERY PROCHOICE IN
EDUCATION YOU HAVE A RECORD OF
YOU YOURSELF GOING TO A PRIVATE
SCHOOL, YOUR KIDS HAVE A PRIVATE
SCHOOL AND YET ARE YOU, I DON’T
WANT TO A SANT CHOICE BECAUSE
THAT IS KIND OF NOT WHAT YOU
ARE, BUT YOU ARE A MUCH BIGGER
PROPONENT OF PUTTING MONEY INTO
PUBLIC SCHOOL, YOUR OPPONENT IS
VERY PROCHOICE.
FRAME THIS ARGUMENT, IF YOU
WOULD, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW FLORIDA
IS A PROCHOICE EDUCATION STATE.
>> YEAH LOOK, GLENNA, I THINK IT
IS A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE WHEN
I VOTE, I VOTE IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF MY DISTRICT AND
CONSTITUENTS I SERVE.
90% OF OUR KIDS GO TO OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
UNFORTUNATELY TALLAHASSEE THE
LAST 20 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN
STRIPPING THAT SYSTEM OF
RESOURCES AND FRANKLY THE WORST
OFFENSE, AND I RESPECT PEOPLE’S
RIGHT TO SEND-- WE HAVE IN TERMS
OF THE-- VOUCHER PROGRAM A
SYSTEM WHERE WE ARE WRITING
THESE INSTITUTIONS A BLANK CHECK
WITH NO ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY
STANDARDS WHAT SEVERE.
THE REPUBLICAN SPONSORS IN THE
HOUSE WHEN WE DISCUSSED A BILL
ON THE FLOOR WERE HOSTILE TO ANY
CONVERSATION AND WHILE WE
REQUIRE THAT OF OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOL AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN
THE CASE OF VOUCHERS WE DO NOT.
I CANNOT SUPPORT A POLICY WITH
NO ACCOUNT A I BELIEVE STANDARDS
WHATSOEVER A OTHER LEAR TO THIS
ARGUMENT IS THE MOST RECENT
VOUCHER SYSTEM IS PAYING TUITION
FOR CHILDREN TO ATTEND RELIGIOUS
SCHOOLS AND THEY HAVE SHOW FOUND
A MECHANISM, THE LEGISLATURE TO
MAKE THAT WORK.
DO YOU, YOU DON’T AGREE WITH
THAT.
>> LOOK, I THINK IF YOU ARE A
CONSERVATIVE IT SHOULD RAISE
QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN TERMS OF
WHAT REQUIREMENTS MAY COME THAT
MAY-- THERE ARE THINGS THAT THEY
SWURN MADE FIND OFFENSIVE THAT
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO TEACH AS
PART OF THE STATE’S CURRICULUM
STANDARDS, WHEN WE BLUR THOSE
LINES, OTHER ISSUES ARE RAISED,
I DON’T THINK WE HAVE DONE A
GOOD ENOUGH JOB OF DISCUSSING
THOSE ISSUES.
I THINK IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO
NOTE WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF THE
ATTACK LEVIED AGAINST THESE,
IMAM NOT SUPPORTING THE OPTION
AMONG THE POOREST CHILDREN.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FLORIDA S
THAT THESE RESOURCES NOW ARE
BEING, WE RAISED THE INCOME
STANDARDS TO FAMILIES EARNING
96,000 DOLLARS A YEAR.
THAT IS NOT SERVING THE POOREST
AMONG US.
>> WHAT WE ARE DOING IS CREATING
A PROGRAM TO ALLOW MORE PARENTS
TO HAVE A COST THEY ARE
CURRENTLY SHOULDERING SHORED
ERRED BY THE PUBLIC.
THAT RAISES IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
OF EQUITY THAT WE SHOULD SPEND
MORE TIME DEBATING IN
TALLAHASSEE.
>> I’M NOT SURE IF YOU WERE ABLE
TO HEAR THE PROGRAMS BEFORE, WE
HAD SORT OF A SPRAWT DEBATE ON
THE MERITS OF THE TWO RAISING
THE MINIMUM WAGE.
ARE YOU FOR RAISING THE MINIMUM
WAGE AND FOR DOING IT AS
AMENDMENT TWO IS PROPOSING?
>> LOOK, I WOULD PREFER FOR US
TO DO IT IN THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE
ABSOLUTELY UNABLE TO DO BECAUSE
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP WILL NOT
TALK ABOUT EITHER INCREASING THE
MINIMUM WAGE OR WAGE SUPPORT.
LAST YEAR I FILED A BILL TO
CREATE A STATE COMPLEMENT TO THE
FEDERAL EARNED TAX CREDIT.
STH IS A PROGRAM THAT HAVE I
ADVOCATING FOR IN TERMS OF
PEOPLE CLAIMING THE BENEFIT TO
LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY.
I THOUGHT WE COULD DO THE SAME
TO HELP WORKERS ALONG IN
FLORIDA.
THAT BILL NEVER GOT A HEARING.
IN ANY COMMITTEE.
AT ANY LEVEL, AND SO IF WE ARE
UNWILLING TO TALK ABOUT WAGE
SUPPORTS THEN I THINK THE PUBLIC
HAS RATELY TAKEN THIS ISSUE IN
ITS OWN HANDS AND PUSHED FORWARD
A CONVERSATION ON THE NEED TO
DEAL WITH WAGE INEQUALITY ACROSS
OUR SOCIETY.
I’M PROAMENDMENT TWO, BUT I
THINK WE CAN STRIKE A BETTER
BALANCE IF THE LEGISLATURE
ACTUALLY DID ITS JOB AND TOOK UP
THESE ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN
DOWN THE ROAD FOR TWO LONG.
>> JAVIER PERSON PERSON,
CANDIDATE FOR STATE SENATE,
DISTRICT 39, SOUTH DADE AND THE
THIS MORNING.
AND AGAIN ANNA MARIA RODRIGUEZ
DECLINED TO BE PART OF THIS
DISCUSSION BUT THANK YOU VERY