By Ellen JulianoDELTONA -- Many Democrats walked away from the 2013 Florida Democratic Party State Conference all fired up, but somewhat confused when the much anticipated announcement by Charlie Crist's run for Governor was not announced.
But, as it turns out, Crist was just waiting for the new state GOP-implemented campaign finance limit laws to be put in place so he didn't have to backtrack and could start enjoying the higher donor limits that the GOP had voted in for themselves.
At the Oct. 23-25 conference at Disney, I asked many Democratic attendees, "But do you think Charlie can win?" The overwhelming answer was "Yes!" And everyone was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make that a reality and take back Tallahassee.
At the Oct. 23-25 conference at Disney, I asked many Democratic attendees, "But do you think Charlie can win?" The overwhelming answer was "Yes!" And everyone was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make that a reality and take back Tallahassee.
Photo for Headline Surfer® / Former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is shown here at last month's three-day Florida Democratic Party Conference at Disney, with Ellen Juliano, left, and Maritza Vazquez, president of the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Volusia County. Then Crist announced on Nov. 1, his candidacy as a Democrat for the governorship in the 2014 elections against Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
The ground game learned during the Obama presidential campaign of boots on the ground versus the big money is the way to Tallahassee for Crist and the Democrats.
Gov. Rick Scott's approval ratings are so low that even Obama haters hate Rick Scott. I spent a Sunday afternoon at the Cabbage Patch in Samsula collecting medical marijuana petitions and had more than a few speak of their disdain for the president, but even more so for Governor Scott.
Rick Scott has repeatedly refused bringing our federal tax dollars back home to Florida and has allowed other states to reap the rewards of our tax dollars paid to the federal government.
Most recently, $51 billion to expand healthcare to the working poor in Florida was rejected by the Republican governor. Even the voters not that engaged in politics have heard of this and they are not happy about it. Scott and the other Tallahassee Republicans have been more interested in thumping their chests about how Obamacare didn't work than they are making over a million of their constituents suffer.
Most recently, $51 billion to expand healthcare to the working poor in Florida was rejected by the Republican governor. Even the voters not that engaged in politics have heard of this and they are not happy about it. Scott and the other Tallahassee Republicans have been more interested in thumping their chests about how Obamacare didn't work than they are making over a million of their constituents suffer.
And turning down good middle-class paying jobs that the Medicaid expansion and ACA implementation will bring to the state while Gov. Scott proudly stands in front of a WaWa station touting the minimum wage jobs they will create.
Headline Surfer® photo by Henry Frederick / Gov. Rick Scott is shown here earlier this year at the Lincoln Dinner, a Volusia County Republican Party fundraiser in Daytona Beach.
Central Florida is tired of the minimum wage slave wages; taxpayers are tired of subsidizing huge corporations' employees because they don't pay them enough to feed themselves. They don't work for us; they work for them.
I don't believe the election is going to be the walk in the park that I have heard many Democratic leaders express, even though Charlie Crist is leading in the polls 55 to 38 percent.
I am going to make it my business to make sure that Charlie Crist wins the election because I have never felt so punished in my life just fore being a resident of the state of Florida.
While Tallahassee Republicans agonize over whether to use the $500 million surplus to cut a hot $12 a year off my auto tag registration or give me a couple dollars' break off my cell phone tax surcharge; I, and most of my neighbors, are more concerned about the thousand-dollar increases we have seen in our homeowners insurance; the decrease in our property values; paying our taxes to Washington and having them refused to the benefit of our state's residents.
As Charlie Crist, himself, has said: "it's common sense versus nonsense." And I, like more and more Floridians, agree with him.
As Charlie Crist, himself, has said: "it's common sense versus nonsense." And I, like more and more Floridians, agree with him.
FAST FACTS: Ellen Juliano
-- Ellen Juliano, 54, is a state-certified minority business owner of ElJay Athletic Services. She was the West Volusia field organizer of Organizing For America for the 2012 President Obama Campaign.