Issues

Good Government Listens, Works with You, and is Accountable.

Goal: Raise public confidence in government by making it more transparent and accessible to citizens.

Use new technology to foster open communication between elected officials and the residents they serve. Most of us are accustomed to voting for people we've either never met or barely ever heard of. And we don't expect any meaningful communication from our elected officials. That won't be the case with Michael Calderin as your State Representative. We're going to kick the door open and make sure you can be as active in your representation as you like. 24/7 accessibility, not just calendars in the mail or post cards each year. We'll even write laws together. A Representative can't serve you if he doesn't know you, and that's why I'm walking our neighborhoods to meet as many of you as I can.

Create legislative and congressional districts that represent the values and the neighborhoods of our communities. Elections aren't about politicians; they're about you and making sure your voice is heard. In just a few years, the legislature will update our district borders to adjust to our changing population. Florida can't afford to let politicians continue the crooked practice of drawing their own districts however they please and letting them choose their own voters. We need to empower people, not politicians.

Demand fair elections that allow everyone a voice in deciding who their elected officials are. No longer can we allow partisan tricks to keep people from voting. Write-in and small party candidates should not prevent people from voting in a primary election, like they did in local Republican races in 2006 and even in Democratic races today. Each of us deserves an equal say, regardless of party affiliation.

Remove the influence and shadow of corruption that big money casts on candidates and elected officials. Florida law allows candidates to accept virtually unlimited amounts of money in the name of their campaign. It's no wonder we're skeptical of elected officials' real motives in office. We need to eliminate corporate contributions to campaigns and enforce much tighter restrictions on the amount of money candidates and political committees can accept. I'm proud that our average contribution is less than $100 and that our campaign is funded by hard-working people here in South Florida, not Tallahassee lobbyists.
Teach our Future Leaders what they Need to Prosper.
Goal: Build a strong foundation for Florida's economy by providing a solid education to our children.

Change the FCAT and raise accountability in schools by making grades more meaningful. We already know how our children are doing in school. Tests like the FCAT don't help us gauge their progress. Instead, we need a renewed emphasis on student grades. We need to use classrooms to teach, not just test.

Ensure Florida's public schools are competitive nationwide by offering teachers competitive salaries. With schools in nearby states paying $5,000 or more over our base rates, it's no wonder we lose so many teachers. Even within Florida, starting teachers are more likely to seek jobs further north because it costs so much to live in the Miami area. If we want to give our kids the best education, we need to be able to recruit and keep the best teachers.

Update curriculum to keep pace with new technology and focus it on students' interests. It's not enough to teach how to use technology; we have to make it routine so that by the time our students graduate, they're ready to make the most of what they've learned. Combined with lessons that use students' own interests to further their education, we can graduate more students who are ready for the next phase in their lives than ever before.

Improve Bright Futures to help more students afford higher education. Right now, our state universities and community colleges are in a tight bind. By refining Bright Futures and making it more accessible to students who need it, we can help them get a solid education while allowing our universities to accept more students.
Build Healthy, Financially Sound Communities.
Goal: Save state & private money by helping people stay healthy.

Cover the more than 500,000 children in Florida who don't have health insurance by taking full advantage of federal funding for KidCare. Here in Miami-Dade County alone, we have roughly 120,000 kids with no health coverage. That means they spend less time in the classroom and also subject other kids to colds. And if nobody else can watch them when they're sick, we may have to take time off work to take care of them. Our children's health shouldn't depend on whether or not we have jobs that pay enough for insurance and doctors.

Save money and lives by promoting preventative care and regular doctor visits. Our children shouldn't be the only ones seeing a doctor regularly. It's important for all of us to get regular checkups. Preventative care is cheaper and more effective than emergency treatment. Who doesn't want to be healthy and save money?

Reduce administrative costs by adopting modern technology throughout our hospitals and clinics. Paper medical records are more than just a hassle every time you visit a new doctor, they limit coordination and make it difficult to compare physicians' quality of service. We can work together to computerize that information while ensuring your ownership of your own data.

Allow small businesses and neighborhoods to band together for lower insurance costs. If you're a small business owner or employee, you know how difficult it can be to get affordable health coverage. Small businesses should be able to buy into joint, cooperative plans that minimize both the risk for insurers and the cost for employers and employees.
Insure our Homes and Businesses Without Breaking the Bank.
Goal: Save Floridians money by bringing down the cost of hurricane insurance and making it more available.

Reorganize the state insurance program to provide basic coverage for all property owners. Insurance costs in the last few years have doubled, tripled, or worse. Most homes weather hurricanes with only little to moderate damage. These comprise the largest number of claims after a storm. An insurance baseline that provides a set level of coverage at a fixed price would handle the majority of claims.

Encourage competition among private insurance companies to lower costs. Private insurers should be the state's partner and offer policies in excess of the state's baseline coverage.

Promote hurricane bonds to reduce costs further. Catastrophe bonds are a new market tool used to stabilize uncertainties and diversify investments. By emphasizing market forces over traditional reinsurance plans, we can set a more realistic price for windstorm insurance.
Free us From the Stress of our Cars and Soaring Gas Prices.

Goal: Save time and money by focusing our communities around smart growth and mass transit.

Expand mass transit options, including busways, local routes, and Metrorail. It costs more and more just to get to work these days. We need a cheaper and reliable alternative.

Consolidate development around mass transit hubs, building walkable neighborhoods where cars are optional. For truly green transportation, we have feet, but in South Florida, there aren't many places where you can live, work, and enjoy life without getting in a car. Instead of building further west, we should be building dense cores around hubs of transportation and business.

Limit construction to evening and non-rush hour times when possible. Living in western Miami-Dade, rush hour often starts very early and runs much longer than we'd like, but it's normal to see construction crews hard at work while we sit in traffic. We must do better; I'll work with state and local agencies to focus construction during off-peak hours.
I Want to Hear From You...
Not only do I need your help to win this race, but I need your help to do a good job in Tallahassee.

If you have questions about anything I've said above, you feel there's an issue that's not covered, or you have any questions at all, please contact me anytime at (786) 231-8111 or email michael@michaelcalderin.com.

Thanks again.