THE HIGHLANDS TEA PARTYTHE HIGHLANDS TEA PARTY Sebring, FloridaSebring, Florida

http://thehighlandsteaparty.com/http://thehighlandsteaparty.com/

Alex Sink Alex Sink for Govenor of Floridafor Govenor of Florida

Party AffiliationParty AffiliationDemocratDemocrat

http://www.alexsink2010.com/http://www.alexsink2010.com/homehome

ALEX SINKALEX SINK

About Alex SinkAbout Alex Sink

• Alex Sink’s story is all too rare these Alex Sink’s story is all too rare these days. The story of a woman ready to days. The story of a woman ready to lead Florida as governor – whose lead Florida as governor – whose priorities and values, leadership style priorities and values, leadership style and perspective, were shaped by and perspective, were shaped by decades of real-world experience as a decades of real-world experience as a business leader and a life lived outside business leader and a life lived outside of politics.of politics.

• A Different Kind of LeaderA Different Kind of Leader

Jobs & EconomyJobs & Economy

REVIVE Our Economy In The Short REVIVE Our Economy In The Short TermTerm

• Stabilize and Expand Small Stabilize and Expand Small BusinessesBusinesses

• Incentivize Employers to Keep Jobs Incentivize Employers to Keep Jobs Here and Start Expanding AgainHere and Start Expanding Again

• Spur Economic Sectors That Create Spur Economic Sectors That Create Jobs QuicklyJobs Quickly

Jobs & EconomyJobs & Economy

REMAKE Our Economy For The Long REMAKE Our Economy For The Long TermTerm

• A stronger emphasis on R&D and A stronger emphasis on R&D and commercialization of new products.commercialization of new products.

• Boosting partnerships between our Boosting partnerships between our university faculty and private industry. university faculty and private industry.

• A Governor who will be Florida's A Governor who will be Florida's economic ambassador economic ambassador

• A more efficient state government A more efficient state government

• Building the best-educated, best-Building the best-educated, best-trained workforce in the country trained workforce in the country

Jobs & EconomyJobs & Economy

REFORM Our Government To Create A REFORM Our Government To Create A Climate Of Confidence And Climate Of Confidence And

ProsperityProsperity

Alex Sink has a record of Alex Sink has a record of streamlining government as Florida's streamlining government as Florida's CFO.  As Governor, Alex will institute CFO.  As Governor, Alex will institute a Florida Performance Score Card to a Florida Performance Score Card to whic she will hold state government whic she will hold state government accountable – and to which she accountable – and to which she expects voters to hold her expects voters to hold her accountable.accountable.

EDUCATIONEDUCATION

• We must invest in Florida’s future by fully We must invest in Florida’s future by fully investing in our schools from pre-K to the investing in our schools from pre-K to the university level and funding workforce university level and funding workforce training and development programs. training and development programs. 

• Instead of “teaching to the test,” we Instead of “teaching to the test,” we ought to be teaching to the individual ought to be teaching to the individual child. Alex believes strongly in child. Alex believes strongly in accountability, but testing should be used accountability, but testing should be used as a measure of how our children are as a measure of how our children are progressing and used to develop progressing and used to develop individualized plans for each child.individualized plans for each child.

GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILTY & REFORMACCOUNTABILTY & REFORMStreamlining Government for Citizens Streamlining Government for Citizens

and Businessesand Businesses • Create a small business ombudsman Create a small business ombudsman

within the Governor's Officewithin the Governor's Office • Rewrite regulations to make them Rewrite regulations to make them

simpler.simpler. • Create a "one-stop" web portal for Create a "one-stop" web portal for

start-up businesses.start-up businesses. • Develop an inspection schedule tied Develop an inspection schedule tied

to individual business compliance to individual business compliance track recordtrack record

GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILTY & ACCOUNTABILTY &

REFORMREFORM

Reforming Government Budgeting and Reforming Government Budgeting and PerformancePerformance

• Help prepare citizens and businesses Help prepare citizens and businesses to be more successful through to be more successful through quality public education - from pre-quality public education - from pre-kindergarten through K-12, colleges, kindergarten through K-12, colleges, universities, technical training and universities, technical training and workforce development. workforce development.

GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILTY & REFORMACCOUNTABILTY & REFORM

• Help prepare citizens and businesses Help prepare citizens and businesses to be more successful through to be more successful through quality public education - from pre-quality public education - from pre-kindergarten through K-12, colleges, kindergarten through K-12, colleges, universities, technical training and universities, technical training and workforce development. workforce development.

• Assure equal justice for all through a Assure equal justice for all through a fair and impartial court systemfair and impartial court system

GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILTY & REFORMACCOUNTABILTY & REFORM

• Ensure businesses are not hampered by Ensure businesses are not hampered by unnecessary regulations and that public unnecessary regulations and that public access to business for commerce, access to business for commerce, tourism and job opportunities are helped tourism and job opportunities are helped by an integrated transportation system by an integrated transportation system of roads, airports, rail, seaports, transit of roads, airports, rail, seaports, transit and bicycle/pedestrian pathways. and bicycle/pedestrian pathways.

• Protect citizens, families and visitors Protect citizens, families and visitors from crime, illegal or unethical business from crime, illegal or unethical business practices, disease outbreaks and natural practices, disease outbreaks and natural or man-made disasters.or man-made disasters.

GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILTY & REFORMACCOUNTABILTY & REFORM

• Routinely assessing "Return on Routinely assessing "Return on Taxpayer Investments" (RTI) and Taxpayer Investments" (RTI) and providing periodic reports to Florida providing periodic reports to Florida citizens and businesses.citizens and businesses.

• Benchmarking for efficiency and Benchmarking for efficiency and improvement.improvement.

• Stopping Tallahassee's Budget-Stopping Tallahassee's Budget-Balancing Gimmicks.Balancing Gimmicks.

GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILTY & REFORMACCOUNTABILTY & REFORM

• Requiring all top state agency officials Requiring all top state agency officials to sign performance contracts with to sign performance contracts with benchmarks tailored to their benchmarks tailored to their departmentdepartment

• Creating an independent, nonpartisan Creating an independent, nonpartisan accountability office on state spending.accountability office on state spending.

• The office will be advised by a The office will be advised by a Governor's Performance Advisory Governor's Performance Advisory Panel, a citizen-based group of Panel, a citizen-based group of community leaders and experts in community leaders and experts in eight key areas of performanceeight key areas of performance: :

ENERGY & ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT

• Alex believes the path to energy Alex believes the path to energy independence and a stronger energy independence and a stronger energy economy in Florida will come from economy in Florida will come from looking forward to new energy looking forward to new energy sources. sources.

  • Alex Alex strongly opposes the near-beachstrongly opposes the near-beach

drilling proposals pushed by many in drilling proposals pushed by many in the Florida Legislature, and is calling the Florida Legislature, and is calling for for a a moratorium on any expanded moratorium on any expanded drilling in the gulf.drilling in the gulf.  The disastrous BP  The disastrous BP oil spill demonstrated that we must oil spill demonstrated that we must find new energy sources to protect find new energy sources to protect Florida’s economy and environment.   Florida’s economy and environment.   

Veterans & Military Veterans & Military FamiliesFamilies

• Approximately 1.7 million Veterans call Approximately 1.7 million Veterans call Florida home.  Alex wants to help veterans Florida home.  Alex wants to help veterans find good jobs and encourage employers to find good jobs and encourage employers to hire qualified veterans hire qualified veterans

• Alex will focus on protecting service Alex will focus on protecting service members facing foreclosures and evictions members facing foreclosures and evictions – because it’s totally unacceptable that our – because it’s totally unacceptable that our men and women in uniform should ever men and women in uniform should ever have to worry about losing their homes have to worry about losing their homes while they are risking their lives for us while they are risking their lives for us overseas. overseas.

• Will ensure veterans are getting the Will ensure veterans are getting the benefits they so rightly deserve and able to benefits they so rightly deserve and able to take advantage of them here in our state. take advantage of them here in our state.

Public Safety & Criminal Public Safety & Criminal JusticeJustice

• Alex Sink will always put public safety first.Alex Sink will always put public safety first. • Will work to implement innovative Will work to implement innovative

intervention programs that keep young intervention programs that keep young Floridians from going into a life a crime, Floridians from going into a life a crime, and that deter repeat offenses in order to and that deter repeat offenses in order to lower our state's crime rate.lower our state's crime rate.

• Will work with law enforcement officials to Will work with law enforcement officials to crack down on gang violence,crack down on gang violence, and zero-and zero-tolerance for sexual predators  on our tolerance for sexual predators  on our streets and online. streets and online.

• Alex created the Alex created the Safeguard our Seniors Safeguard our Seniors (SOS)(SOS) Task Force charged with finding Task Force charged with finding better ways to protect Florida seniorsbetter ways to protect Florida seniors

EthicsEthics

Alex's Four-Part Plan for Stronger Alex's Four-Part Plan for Stronger Ethics and Accountability Ethics and Accountability

• Fight corruption and increase ethics standFight corruption and increase ethics standardsards

• Shine the light on political party funShine the light on political party fun

• End conflicts of interestEnd conflicts of interest

• Stronger whistleblower and watchdog proStronger whistleblower and watchdog protectionstections

EthicsEthics• Ban Gifts from Vendors to State Agency Ban Gifts from Vendors to State Agency

Employees,Employees, no gifts from lobbyists trying no gifts from lobbyists trying to get contracts or favor to get contracts or favor

• Florida should require and provide ethics Florida should require and provide ethics training for all state employees and training for all state employees and officialsofficials

• State contractors should sign a code of State contractors should sign a code of conduct affirming that they are aware of conduct affirming that they are aware of state ethics laws, will abide by themstate ethics laws, will abide by them

EthicsEthics

• State Ethics Commission must have State Ethics Commission must have the authority to initiate the authority to initiate investigations based on reliable and investigations based on reliable and publicly disseminated information, publicly disseminated information, like newspaper reportslike newspaper reports .”.”

• In addition, the maximum civil In addition, the maximum civil penalty the Commission can assess penalty the Commission can assess should be increased to $25,000should be increased to $25,000 ..

EthicsEthics

SHINE THE LIGHT ON POLITICAL SHINE THE LIGHT ON POLITICAL PARTY FUNDSPARTY FUNDS

• Require Full Disclosure Of State Require Full Disclosure Of State Party Credit Card Spending.Party Credit Card Spending.

• Political Parties Should File Financial Political Parties Should File Financial Disclosures On Same Schedule as Disclosures On Same Schedule as Political CandidatePolitical Candidate

EthicsEthics

END CONFLICTS OF INTERESTEND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

• Require All Statewide Elected Officials To Require All Statewide Elected Officials To Put Holdings In Blind Trust Or Mutual Put Holdings In Blind Trust Or Mutual Funds.Funds.

Stop Conflicts of Interest in Voting.Stop Conflicts of Interest in Voting.

• Elected officials should be precluded from Elected officials should be precluded from voting when they have a conflict of interestvoting when they have a conflict of interest

• Ban No-Bid Contracts to Campaign Ban No-Bid Contracts to Campaign Consultants and Campaign Staff.Consultants and Campaign Staff.

..

STRONGER STRONGER WHISTLEBLOWER AND WHISTLEBLOWER AND

WATCHDOG PROTECTIONWATCHDOG PROTECTION• Expand The Whistleblower Act To Expand The Whistleblower Act To

Cover Disclosures To The Media.Cover Disclosures To The Media. (Currently, whistleblowers can only report (Currently, whistleblowers can only report violations within the government)violations within the government)

• Greater Independence for Greater Independence for Government Appointed WatchdogsGovernment Appointed Watchdogs (Currently, each agency’s Inspector General is (Currently, each agency’s Inspector General is appointed by the agency’s head, which presents appointed by the agency’s head, which presents a clear conflict of interest.a clear conflict of interest.))

NO SPIN DISCLAIMERNO SPIN DISCLAIMER

• There has been no “SPIN” put on this There has been no “SPIN” put on this information by the creator or any member information by the creator or any member of the Tea Party. of the Tea Party.

• All information is obtained from the web All information is obtained from the web site “ON THE ISSUES” at issues2000.org and site “ON THE ISSUES” at issues2000.org and from the Candidates own web sites.from the Candidates own web sites.