We believe better government works for all people.

For too long, Republicans have ignored the needs of Floridians - quality education, access to health care and high-wage job creation - in order to pursue their special interest agenda.

Floridians know there is a better way. Democrats will put Floridians first because security begins at home.

Democrats have united this year to build a better Florida.

HEALTH CARE

Democrats Support Funding and Expanding KidCare
We believe every child in Florida deserves a quality health care. Right now, more than 500,000 children in Florida lack basic health insurance, and because of Republican changes to the state's highly successful KidCare health insurance program, another 100,000 have been added to the ranks of the uninsured. KidCare is a national model for delivering health insurance to the children of working families through affordable premiums. It should be expanded, not cut.

Florida's children are among our state's most vulnerable citizens, and they deserve access to quality health care. For the past decade, Democrats have fought to provide affordable and quality health care to children, while Republicans have obstructed our efforts, instead choosing to favor giveaways to special interests and the mega-rich.

Democrats Support Increasing Access to Affordable Health Care
We believe health care is a right, not a privilege. For the past decade, Republicans have done little to lower the cost of health care, and due to their lack of action, roughly 3.5 million Floridians live without health insurance. At the same time, we have supported efforts to provide small businesses with tax incentives and other options to help lower the cost of health insurance. Unlike the Republicans, we believe companies receiving tax breaks should use those incentives to provide their employees with health care, rather than providing golden parachutes for their executives and padding their profit margins.

Democrats Support a Simpler Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
We believe people should come before drug companies. For too long, seniors have been waiting for relief from the rising cost of prescription drugs. Now, if they wish to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, Florida's seniors face a bureaucratic nightmare and are forced to jump through multiple hoops and fear arbitrary penalties. The George W. Bush administration botched the new plan from the start, and seniors are paying the price - a higher price than if the government allowed Medicare to negotiate costs with drug companies. Democrats place the needs of our seniors over the profit margins of the pharmaceutical industry, and that philosophy will guide better policy and a better program for seniors.

Democrats Support Medical Research
We believe the long-term answer to the crisis of rising health care costs lies in better prevention and early treatment. Democrats support increasing the state's investment to university-supported medical research, including biomedical and stem cell research.

EDUCATION

Democrats Unite for Smaller Classes

We know smaller classes means a better education environment, increased discipline, and more individual attention for students. For the past decade, Republicans have opposed efforts to reduce classroom size, and since 2002, have been trying to overturn the Class Size Initiative. We believe every child has a right to learn in a high-quality neighborhood school, which is why Democrats have consistently fought for smaller classes, and continue to lead bipartisan coalitions to preserve the Class Size Amendment.

Democrats Propose a Better FCAT

We support high academic standards and increased accountability, and we believe standardized testing is an important tool to help parents and teachers work with each individual student to identify any weak areas. For the past decade, Republicans have used the FCAT as a hammer to punish students, parents and teachers; and blocked our efforts to increase tutoring, summer and after-school programs, as well as our attempts to unlock the mystery of the FCAT

Democrats Support Improving Low-Performing Schools

We believe every child in Florida should have the opportunity to succeed in a public school in their neighborhood, which is why we support investing in proven strategies to help struggling schools, not siphoning money away to pay for private school vouchers. Republican-led voucher programs offer little accountability, have been poorly run, and lack the high-standards of our public schools. We support increasing our investment in public education, not draining money away to pay for risky experiments like vouchers.

Democrats Support Better Pay for Teachers

We believe every child deserves an education provided by world-class teachers, which is why we support an initiative to pay teachers the professional salary they deserve. For the past decade, Republicans have consistently opposed our efforts to improve teacher pay in Florida. Today, Florida's teachers earn $6,000 LESS than the national average and less than our neighbors to the north, Georgia and Alabama. Our teachers are everyday heroes, and they deserve to be paid like the professionals they are. Even this year, despite a budget flush with cash, Republicans have once again decreased education's share of the budget, rather than working with us to give teachers a well-deserved raise.

ECONOMY

Democrats Support Small Business Owners

We believe our state's economic policies should be driven by the needs of small businesses, not the wants of large, out-of-state, corporate interests. For the past decade, Republicans have made government a roadblock for small business growth, saddling small business owners with higher taxes, higher insurance premiums and more red-tape. Our state's economy is built on the backs of small business owners. Democrats support investments that help small businesses grow and provide assistance to start-up companies. Our plans increase access to health insurance, which will give small business owners the freedom to invest in economic growth.

Democrats Support A Higher Minimum Wage

We believe Floridians who work hard and work full-time should not have to live in poverty. For the last decade, Republicans have opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage, and now they are trying to repeal a 2004 voter-initiative mandating higher wages. Because no one should have to work three jobs just to make ends-meet, we support living wages that help Floridians care for their families

Democrats Support Affordable Housing Initiatives

We believe every American should have the opportunity to live the American Dream of home-ownership. For the past decade as housing prices have skyrocketed, Republicans have used Florida's affordable housing assistance fund as their own personal slush fund, draining it to pay for individual pet projects in the budget. Democrats understand that the affordable housing assistance fund exists to help Florida's teachers, police officers, seniors and first-time homebuyers who wish to purchase their own home. Democrats fight to preserve the affordable housing assistance program and work to enhance opportunities for Floridians to buy their own home.

Democrats Support Affordable Hurricane Insurance

We believe real hurricane insurance reform should provide homeowners with access to affordable hurricane insurance and not simply pad the profit margins of the big insurance companies. Florida's Insurance Market is in a crisis. More and more families are facing unaffordable property tax bills, or worse yet, are being dropped by their insurance companies. For the past decade, Republicans have ignored the coming crisis, supporting plan after plan designed to increase insurance company profits. Our plan will transform the state's Hurricane Catastrophe Fund into a state-run private insurance pool, similar to the national flood insurance plan, which will stabilize the insurance market. Our plan will lead to more competition for insurance and a state better prepared to handle the next hurricane. Surplus tax revenue from hurricane-related purchases should be directed to helping people prepare for and recover from hurricanes.

SECURITY

Democrats Support Increasing Funding for the Florida National Guard

We believe the brave men and women that serve in the Florida National Guard should be honored for their service and treated with the utmost respect that they deserve. Democrats know that our military service men and women put their lives on the line every day. Our heroes in the National Guard protect us from terrorist attacks, assist us in dealing with terrible natural disasters, and fight in the wars overseas. For the past decade, Republicans in Washington and Tallahassee have stood in the way of better benefits for our soldiers and our veterans. Democrats successfully created the Citizen-Soldier Grant program, offering businesses tax credits to help make up the difference between their employee-soldiers' civilian and military pay. We also successfully passed legislation to pay for the life insurance policies of our National Guardsmen who selflessly fight to protect our country. Despite Republican opposition, we continue to support increasing educational benefits for all soldiers who return to Florida after their service.

Democrats Support Improving Port and Border Security

We believe government has no greater role than protecting the homeland. Democrats have led the fight to properly invest in port and border security in order to keep American families safe. Unfortunately, Republicans have been unwilling to join us. Instead, George W. Bush Republicans have a record of dangerous incompetence that has made America less safe, and they support policies that leave our ports and our borders helpless in detecting harmful and destructive materials. America needs a change and wants policies that are tough and smart. Americans deserve the real security that will keep America safe, not more of the Bush Republican incompetence. Democrats believe that homeland and hometown security begin with the full implementation of the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission.

Democrats Support Responsible, Respectful Immigration Reform

We believe immigration is a national security issue. America's immigration system is broken, and our national security is put at risk by the government's refusal to fix it. With our immigration system in crisis, Bush Republicans caved to the Radical Right and blocked comprehensive reform from passing in the Senate. Democrats are ready with tough, comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and make our nation stronger.

Democrats Support Protecting Our Beaches from Offshore Drilling

We believe in doing everything possible to protect the beaches that are so critical to our tourism economy. For the past decade, Republicans have been trying to find ways to open our shores to oil drilling. This year, several Republicans, including Gov. Bush, caved to the demands of the big oil industry and flip-flopped on their stances regarding oil drilling. These George W. Bush Republicans now agree to expand drilling just south of the Florida Panhandle. Democrats are united in opposition to any expansion or exploration for natural gas or oil in Florida waters. Republicans have blocked our efforts to constitutionally prohibit all oil drilling in Florida waters, but Florida Democrats will not cease in our efforts to protect our shores.

Florida Democratic Party Website: Get Informed on the Issues Affecting Floridians

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