Newt's
Platform
Living Wage Jobs
"We must support good-paying jobs that recognize the plight of the working poor. It’s crucial to address rising inequality and work towards raising the standard of living for those at the bottom of the wage distribution."
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I support:
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Public Private Partnerships.
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Access to Higher Education and Certifications.
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Reimagining Education and Career Help (REACH) Act. has $35 Million dollars in funding for Vocational Education, Career Education and Technical Education skilled trade.
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I am the only candidate with proven local and legislative experience. I will be "Ready Day One", with zero learning curve.
Educational Eco-System
"Education options are critical for healthy communities. We must embrace our educational ecosystem, from cradle to college, ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed."
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I support :
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"I am the only candidate with proven local and legislative experience. I will be 'Ready Day One,' with zero learning curve, because I know what it takes to get results for our community."
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Local Funding Referendums
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Early Learning, because 0 to 5 is the most critical time for a young child's brain development.
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Home Instruction for Parents of Pre-Scholl Youth (HIPPY) - I brought home $3.9 Million dollars every year for this excellent Early Learning Reading Program that has a 96% readiest rate for Kindergarteners. They come into the home with book, shapes, phonics and colors providing 30 weeks of Parent Instruction to be the Childs first teacher. All they ask is you cut the idiot box off 2 hours and read to your children or someone else will and it will go like this " You Have The Right To Remain Silent, If You Give Up That Right Any Thing You Say Can And Will Be Used Against You"
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Parents should be able to choose the best education for their children for better outcomes. No matter your financial situation, income or zip code. Your child shouldn't have limited options, be bullied or become a statistic of the School To Prison Pipeline.
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Funding to allow high schoolers to start apprenticeships and other job training while still in high school, eventually spitting them right out into Florida's high-demand job market.
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Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program - has $15.5 Million to close the gap for high school students who struggled to access dual enrollment opportunities year-round at Florida's state colleges and universities
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Insist on accountability and performance in schools to end the School to Prison Pipeline.
Our Environment
"The effects of climate change are real, and we must take action to protect our world for the future of our children—and their children."
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I support :
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Smart Development – "We must create policies that promote smart growth practices to lessen the environmental impacts of development. By encouraging compact development, reducing impervious surfaces, safeguarding environmentally sensitive areas, and promoting mixed land uses, we can build communities that are both sustainable and resilient for the future."
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Clean Energy – "We must encourage the use of solar, natural gas, biomass, and other renewable energy sources to create a sustainable, clean energy future for our communities."
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Sea Level Rise – "We must preserve and protect natural structures like barrier islands, oyster and coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes. These ecosystems work in unison with built infrastructure, such as seawalls, to absorb storm surges and protect our coastal communities."
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Wastewater Treatment and Sewer Infrastructure Funding - "The closing of the Albert Whitted Wastewater Treatment Plant took 20% of the city's capacity offline, resulting in over 500 million gallons of raw sewage being dumped into Tampa Bay. We must secure funding from the State and Federal Government to sure up our Infrastructures.
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We also treat sewage from Gulfport, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island and not having enough capacity caused massive sewage dumps all over St. Petersburg. This also caused 43% higher water bills hitting our Seniors and Students on fixed incomes hard in the wallets.
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With your Vote and the Relationship and Bridges that I have built, I return to Tallahassee and lobby my colleagues for much needed Infrastructure resources.
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Climate Change State Funding - For the first time in Florida's history the Legislature has money in the budget to combat the effects of Climate Change. I am the only candidate with proven legislative experience. Which means I will be able to lobby my colleagues for much needed resources.
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I will be "Ready Day One", with zero learning curve.
Economic Opportunities
"For a district to experience true prosperity, all its citizens must have access to economic opportunities."
I support:
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Boost Home Based-Businesses - "Self-employment is a crucial way for individuals to earn a living during difficult economic times. It's essential that cities support home-based businesses to foster entrepreneurship and create more opportunities for growth."
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Youth After-School and Summer-Job Program - "We must fully fund youth after-school and summer jobs programs. Every year, over 1,000 young people want to work, yet the budget only supports 160 jobs. As the saying goes, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few' (Matthew 9:35). Additionally, over the summer, Chief Harmon informed me that we arrest 600 to 800 juveniles, placing a tremendous strain on our police resources. These arrests not only disrupt lives but also deny these young people future opportunities, including military service, student aid, and jobs—because they now carry a criminal record."
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Youth Sports Programs - "We must fully fund our youth sports programs, including First Tee, football, baseball, basketball, and soccer. These programs provide hundreds of young people with positive outlets, keeping them engaged and out of trouble. By supporting these activities, we can reduce juvenile arrests and free up valuable police resources to focus on more pressing issues."
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Redevelopment of the 86 acre Tropicana Field Site - "With a billion-dollar development opportunity on the horizon, we must ensure that every citizen has access to and can participate in it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make things right for the community that lost so much through eminent domain, while fulfilling the promise of jobs and economic opportunities for all."
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The Rays - "Major League Baseball is a key economic driver, and I have always supported the Rays. The Rays control 50% of the development rights to the 86-acre Tropicana Field site. Back in 2008, the Rays proposed consolidating all baseball operations to 15 acres on the downtown waterfront. I fully support building a new stadium on those 15 acres at the Tropicana Field site, which would revitalize the area and bring significant economic benefits to our community."
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Emphasize the employability of our workforce, "We must focus on fostering entrepreneurial development and building on the successes of Midtown in our Challenge Area. By supporting local businesses and innovation, we can create more opportunities and drive long-term growth in our community."
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Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) - $600,000 in funding to help small businesses maintain and grow their talent, but also are meant to support underrepresented and minority residents' access to the necessary training and education for upward mobility.
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Financial Literacy for All - "I believe that financial literacy is the civil rights issue of this generation. It empowers us all to make informed decisions—how to budget, save, borrow, and invest—creating opportunities for economic independence and long-term success."
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"We must prioritize creating much-needed workforce housing to ensure that all individuals have access to affordable, stable living options close to their workplaces."
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"I am the only candidate with proven local and legislative experience. I’ll be ready on Day One—with zero learning curve—because I’ve already done the work, and I know how to deliver results for our community."
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Affordable Housing and
Home Ownership
"The only true path to fully participating in the American Dream is through homeownership. If you're paying $1,000 to $1,800 a month in rent, you're already paying a mortgage—it's just not yours."
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I support:
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Sadowski Housing Trust Fund - Prevented the sweeping of the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund thus providing for $378 Million for Affordable Housing and down payment assistance for first time homebuyers.
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Habitat for Humanity – Fully support and actively recruit clients for Habitat for Humanity. They provide affordable home ownership, equity, and generational wealth.
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Repurpose Commercial Space - Resilient residential demand and declining commercial demand can be accommodated by allowing re-use of vacant commercial space.
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Allowing Homeowners to construct ADU's - tiny homes, in-law
apartments or granny flats — with relative ease on lots zoned for single-family use will substantially expand the supply of small, affordable homes.
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Zoning Changes - On lots now zoned for single family homes, NTM-1 would allow a duplex or a triplex or even a small four-unit residence.
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Permitting Department - Fixing the extremely long turn-a-round time for housing permits thus causing increase in building and construction cost.
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"I’m the only candidate with proven experience—both locally and in the legislature. I’ll be ready on Day One, with zero learning curve, because I know the process, I know the people, and I know how to get things done for District 62."
Public Safety
"When people live in fear of crime and violence, their communities reflect that loss—of freedom, of confidence, and of purpose."
I support:
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The first job of government is to maintain the safety of its citizens by Fully Funding our Police & Fire Departments.
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Community involvement in our local police and public safety agencies.
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Support community policing and push for strong enforcement of existing laws.
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Continue to fund public education and recruitment programs.
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Gun Buy Back Programs.
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21st Century Policing Blueprint.
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I am the only candidate with proven local and legislative experience. I will be "Ready Day One", with zero learning curve.
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