Dear Independent Voter.

‘Change’ is a buzzword this election. Does Florida need change? Please allow me to suggest a way of answering that question.

Just imagine for a moment that you are planning a vacation trip with your family at a time when airline crashes are fairly frequent. Suppose further that you do your homework and read enough of an article about airline crash rates for different carriers to find out that Acme Airways has 2.3 crashes per billion passenger miles (fictional airlines and statistics). Your next step would probably be to learn more about crash statistics or simply take a shortcut and find out how Acme Airways compares with other carriers in number of crashes. I bet you would take the shortcut.

Likewise, I suggest that comparing it with other states is a good shortcut method for deciding whether Florida needs change. Here now are some important comparisons.

Florida has

• the 46th highest high-school graduation rate, 46th of the 50 states.
• the 46th –highest average SAT score.
• the 40th highest per capita Gross Domestic Product.
• the 49th highest per capital funding for mental health and substance abuse services.
• the 49th lowest state and local ‘tax burden’ for the poorest 20% of the population. [Tax burden is the amount of taxes paid as % of income.]

Do these statistics convince you that Florida needs changes? They convinced me, and that is why I am running for office. If you are convinced, then here now are two reasons why you, an independent, should vote for me.

First, vote for me because I am not a Republican, the party that bears responsibility for these dismal rankings, the party that has controlled the state government these last ten years.

Finally, vote for me because my goal is very much centered on improving these very rankings. Read this website to see that I am serious about improving Florida schools and by doing so make the state attractive to new employers. See also that I am concerned for the welfare of the poor and vulnerable. Vote for me and advise your friends to do the same.

Bob Hagenmaier

26.10.2008. 18:10

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