Dear Fellow Taxpayers:

I was blessed with parents who always told my brother, sister and me: “you can accomplish anything if you are willing to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve your goal.” (The only condition was that actions taken to achieve our goals could not be at the expense of, or cause harm to, someone else in the process.)

I realize not everyone was as fortunate to have such supportive parents who loved us unconditionally, but I truly believe with guidance and encouragement, and a true desire to succeed, just about anyone willing to dream of a better future for themselves and their loved ones - can achieve it.

Are you tired of politicians who seem to care more about their political party and their political career than the taxpayers who pay their salary and were elected to represent? I am sick and tired of politicians who think your money should be theirs to spend, no matter how wastefully and foolishly they want to spend it.
 

Which is probably why I consider myself, and run as, a Libertarian.

A friend mentioned that while many of her friends are disgusted with both Democrats and Republicans, they don't know what a Libertarian is or stands for.

 My definition of a Libertarian: Libertarians are strong fiscal conservatives, and strong social liberals. I/We believe the power of government should be limited to providing for/protecting, the safety and health of the community as a whole. That means no laws telling you what to eat, how to dress, who to hire, who to sleep with, etc. Government should not force you through taxes to pay for services you don't want or need, nor tax you merely to give your money to someone else just because they have less.

Take this quick 10 question quiz to find out your political position >

 

 

If elected, some of the ideas I would like to sponsor are:

CAMPAIGN PROMISES: Failure to honor campaign promises should be grounds for recall.

COMMISSIONER BENEFITS: Commissioners are really contract employees hired for a specific job for a specific time. They should not be eligible for a tax-funded pension.

REWARDING THOSE WHO PROVIDE JOBS: I want to give business owners a "wages reward" of 1% of their Brevard payroll as a "thank you" for providing jobs in Brevard.

YELLOW PAGE TEST: If the county provides a service that can be found in the yellow pages, county employees should be required to compete for the work to give taxpayers the best value.

ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY SPENDING: Too often, once a program is in the budget, the only discussion is whether to increase or decrease its budget. I propose to require every county employee show how their job actually benefits the taxpayer or our economy, eliminate all programs that fail this test, and return the funding to taxpayers.

NONE OF THE ABOVE: If there is a way it can be done, I would like for "none of the above" to be an option for voters on every ballot issue or candidate.

REWARD CITIZENS FOR COST SAVING IDEAS: I propose to encourage all Brevard taxpayers to find waste in the county budget and earn a percent of the monies saved from ideas that are implemented. I'm confident taxpayers can come up with creative ways to solve problems and find millions in waste, fraud, and other deficiencies that employees may have overlooked.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: My childhood home was 800 SF. My first home was about 1200 SF. Of recently sold properties, dozens sold for under $100,000. At least one homebuilder in Brevard is offering to build a new home on your property for $59 / SF. We don’t lack affordable housing. Its just that many people can’t afford everything they WANT!. One suggestion: lets make it easier for affordable housing sellers and buyers to find each other. Do a survey of affordable housing to determine an affordable “square foot price”. Let all homes that are listed for less than that price to be listed for free on the county website.

INMATE FIRE FIGHTERS: (Wall Street Journal, 8/13/08) California is teaching certain (low risk) inmates to become fire fighters. It saves the state money while teaching inmates a skill they can use in the real world. We already have inmates doing landscaping work, I’ve proposed to see if we can have them learn to build / install solar panels. This seems like an idea that benefits both taxpayers and inmates.

JOINT MARKETING EFFORT: It is possible some of the people who come to events like the Birding Festival or the Tico Air Show are business owners. It could make sense for Tourist Development, Economic Development and the Cultural Alliance to work together (maybe including information at tourist events about EDC and local cultural activities).

PERFORMANCE BASED PAY: Real world employers are focusing raises on top performers. To provide value to taxpayers, government should do the same. It is time we reward accomplishment, not just attendance.

 

 

“To lay with one hand the power of the government on the property of (a) citizen and wit the other to bestow upon favored individuals … is none the less a ROBBERY  because it is done under forms of law and called TAXATION”.     – U.S. Supreme Court, Savings and Loan v. Topeka, 1875

"One of the most insane ideas of our time is that some people are somehow entitled to a share of what other people produce, even if they refuse to produce anything themselves." - Thomas Sowell

Ilene

DAVIS