The Florida Constitution establishes the legislature’s powers and duties, which include passing laws, developing an annual state budget, and making investigations. Additionally, the Senate has the exclusive power to try officials impeached by the House, and to confirm some executive appointments. Florida Senate – Wikipedia.
1) Passing Laws: As warned by some of the greatest thinkers in history, Polybius and Aristotle, https://www.votefamily.us/understanding-the-cycles-of-governments/: “–Even the most minor changes to basic laws and constitutions must be opposed because over time the small changes will add up to a complete transformation.” So, I will try to minimize any new laws except for those that promote Democratic values such as allowing citizens the opportunity to vote for all their elected public officials.
A) Work towards a Joint Resolution to pass a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT requiring that all tolling authorities, obtain the approval of voters for all tolls and toll increases. “Article VII, Section 19 – Tolls (a) Prior to the collection of any toll or toll increase by any governmental entity on toll roads, high-occupancy toll lanes, or express toll lanes, the toll or toll increase shall be approved by a plurality of votes cast by eligible voters in the next election scheduled by the county or municipality within which the toll is to be collected.” As advocated by Drivers Ready To Improve, Vote and Empower (D.R.I.V.E.).
B) Work towards a Joint Resolution to pass a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT requiring a confidence vote for all elected official not having someone running against them. Anywhere from 70 to 100% of all public elected official in 2016 continued in power without receiving a single vote from We The People, so I would support a Bill that requires all elected officers to appear on the ballot whether someone is running against them or not, a confidence vote, if you want to call it that way: BALLOT TITLE: THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR ALL PUBLIC ELECTED OFFICIALS. WHEREAS the current practice of automatically re-electing government officials when there are no challengers DOES NOT promote democratic values, or enhance public trust, WE THE PEOPLE ask for:
A constitutional amendment requiring all public elected officials (e.g. State Senators, House Representatives, Judges, State Attorneys, etc.), regardless of someone running against them or not, to appear for a CONFIDENCE retention vote at the end of their respective election period in office to allow voters the choice of whether they should remain in office or not. In case the public official is not retained in office, the Governor shall appoint a temporary replacement, and new elections shall be held within 90 days to elect a replacement for that position. CONFIDENCE VOTE: The Right To Vote For All Public Elected Officials – Let’s Defend Our Families!
2) Annual state budget: work to reduce unnecessary expenditures to reduce state debt, and ensure a state balanced budget: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_state_budget_and_finances
3) Make Investigations and Impeach Corrupt Officials:
One of the duties of a Senators is to represent the people, and listen to their complaints against government officials and institutions. As a Senator, I will work towards creating an anti-corruption committee that will listen to these complaints, will find patterns of corruption, and will be able to work with the house of representatives to impeach corrupt government officials, and reduce the budget of corrupt institutions.
This is a great power present within the legislature very rarely used today due to the inherent conflict of interest of a great number of legislators that work both in the Legislature and the Judicial branches of government at the same time. “The accumulation of all powers…in the same hands [that of lawyers] may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny” James Madison, Federalist Paper 47. This conflict of interest is at the root of many of the problems in our government today, and goes against the Constitution. As a matter of fact, the Florida constitution in Article 2, Section 3 clearly states that anyone (in this case lawyers) working for the judicial branch are prohibited from working in other branches of government: —The powers of the state government shall be divided into legislative, executive and judicial branches. No person belonging to one branch shall exercise any powers appertaining to either of the other branches unless expressly provided herein [and there are not any provisions for this].
Areas where I plan to hear complaints for people in my district:
A) Condominium/Homeowner Association Fraud: http://www.floridahoalawyerblog.com/category/fraud-theft-and-abuse
B) Department of children abuses. Close to 600 children have died under DCF, and one of the most outrageous deaths involved a case that I personally know was caused by DCF’s and contractor’s unprofessional practices in the case of Nubia Barahona and my two older children: http://saynotopas.com/2nd-health-department-complaint-against-vanessa-leigh-archer/
C) (Juvenile, Dependency, Family, Probate, etc.) court abuses.
Mission:
• Reduce family violence.
• Preserve families and marriages.
• Restore due process.
• Establish judicial accountability.
• Reestablish the rule of law.
• Make the Bill of Rights a living document in our time.
For my platform in more details, please click HERE.
I basically agree with all the points expressed here: http://www.selfgovernment.us/platform.html
http://www.ejfi.org/Intro.htm#objectives
The Legislative Power to Impeach: ARTICLE III, SECTION 17. Impeachment. (a) The governor, lieutenant governor, members of the cabinet, justices of the supreme court, judges of district courts of appeal, judges of circuit courts, and judges of county courts shall be liable to impeachment for misdemeanor in office. The house of representatives by two-thirds vote shall have the power to impeach an officer. The speaker of the house of representatives shall have power at any time to appoint a committee to investigate charges against any officer subject to impeachment.(b) An officer impeached by the house of representatives shall be disqualified from performing any official duties until acquitted by the senate, and, unless impeached, the governor may by appointment fill the office until completion of the trial.(c) All impeachments by the house of representatives shall be tried by the senate. The chief justice of the supreme court, or another justice designated by the chief justice, shall preside at the trial, except in a trial of the chief justice, in which case the governor shall preside. The senate shall determine the time for the trial of any impeachment and may sit for the trial whether the house of representatives be in session or not. The time fixed for trial shall not be more than six months after the impeachment. During an impeachment trial senators shall be upon their oath or affirmation. No officer shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members of the senate present. Judgment of conviction in cases of impeachment shall remove the offender from office and, in the discretion of the senate, may include disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or profit. Conviction or acquittal shall not affect the civil or criminal responsibility of the officer.
