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Smith: 'I've done exactly what I said'
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WHAT: State Representative District 34.
WHO: Independent Nancy Argenziano; Republican incumbent Jimmie T. Smith.
TERM: Two years.
COVERS: All of Citrus County and a small portion of Hernando County.
SALARY: $29,052.
ON THE BALLOT: Nov. 6 election.
ON THE WEB: www.chronicleonline.com/votersguide
CRYSTAL RIVER — When Jimmie T. Smith first ran for state representative two years ago, he promised to be accessible, visible in the community and to listen to constituents.
Now Rep. Smith, seeking re-election, says he has done just that.
Smith said one of most popular bills, requiring drug testing for welfare recipients, was suggested to him by someone at Howard’s Flea Market.
He said he uses Facebook, Twitter and email to perform constituent outreach.
And Smith said no representative before him has spent as much time interacting with citizens and organizations as he has.
“I’ve done exactly what I said when I ran the first time,” Smith told the Chronicle Editorial Board last week. “I’ve been the most active representative this community has ever had.”
Smith, an Inverness Republican, faces former state Sen. Nancy Argenziano in the Nov. 6 election. Argenziano is running as a member of the Independent Party.
Smith said he doesn’t always agree with constituents, but he listens to all sides.
“You cannot close yourself off to one issue,” he said.
Many of those discussions have come from Citrus County School District officials. Smith raised some eyebrows with a campaign mail piece in June that said he was the strongest advocate for public education in the entire Legislature.
Smith stood by that claim, despite some votes that Citrus County educators disagree with.
Smith gave this example: After learning the county wanted to schedule state end-of-course exams prior to the winter break to coincide with the semester’s end, Smith raised the issue during an education committee meeting with Department of Education officials present.
After that meeting, the state agreed with Citrus County’s request.
Argenziano suggests that Smith’s allegiance is not with the district, saying he has voted 100 percent of the time with Republican Party leadership.
Smith said he tries to secure backing from Democrats also. He said Democrats told him on several occasions that they couldn’t support his bills but they understood his reasoning.
“I have not played politics. I have been open-minded,” Smith said.
House members are allowed to sponsor six bills per session. Of Smith’s 12 sponsored bills, 11 passed both houses of the Legislature.
“The bills I ran came from my connection to the community,” he said. “I run issue bills trying to fix what’s broken in government.”
The drug-testing bill for welfare recipients, he said, is a crowning success. While critics have pointed out a relatively small percentage of positive drug tests, Smith said what the results don’t show is the people who have stopped using illegal drugs because they don’t want to lose state assistance.
“It’s absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever done,” he said.
Smith acknowledged his re-election bid against Argenziano does not fit the traditional incumbent vs. challenger race because Argenziano is a former member of the House, Senate and Public Service Commission.
“I have a proactive work ethic,” Smith said. “I don’t demagogue anybody. At no point has she said she can work with the Republicans.”
Contact Chronicle reporter Mike Wright at 563-3228 or mwright@chronicleonline.com.
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Jimmies unconstitutional Bill pays Solantic -owned by Gov Scott
in the above article Jimmie states " The drug-testing bill for welfare recipients, he said, is a crowning success. While critics have pointed out a relatively small percentage of positive drug tests, Smith said what the results don’t show is the people who have stopped using illegal drugs because they don’t want to lose state assistance.
“It’s absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever done,” he said.
........................Wow Jimmie and you proud of this?
The Governor's company is making the money from the bill Smith passed. The House staff warned that the bill was unconstitutional, but now maybe we know why Smith passed it anyway. He gives them what they want 100% of the time. The tax payers are stuck with the tab for the many outside attorneys that were needed to take this issue to court. Read this excerpt from just one of the articles about his "drug" bill;
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Jimmie T. Smith, has argued that this is necessary to ensure that state and federal dollars are being spent on families who truly deserve the aid and that those who receive the money don’t spend it on drugs. If successful, Florida would become the second state in the nation to approve such an ordinance. It was a central part of the campaign of the state’s newly elected governor, Rick Scott, last year. This would require that more than 21,000 Floridians currently receiving assistance would have to submit to the drug screenings, according to the Department of Children and Families.
Gov. Scott founded the urgent care chain, Solantic, and is the owner of the company that will conduct the drug tests, at a cost of $35 each. Scott transferred ownership of the chain to his wife, Ann, after taking office.
This should net be going on.
Followup: When asked whether
Followup: When asked whether state employees should be subject to periodic random drug testing, 70 percent of the respondents to a recent LobbyTools poll disagreed with the notion. Lawmakers, though, on the final day of the regular session approved HB 1205, which would do just that. And Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill into law on Monday, it was announced after business hours. Opponents of Scott's executive order for state employee drug tests that he issued after taking office last year, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have said they would challenge the new requirement in court should Scott sign it into law.
More of our tax money defending this legislature against likely unconstitutional new laws. Way to go, Jimmy.
Jimmy on Jobs-
a shared fwd message-"Rep Smith, You have been sending out advertisements seeking reelection based on your effort to secure jobs for Florida residents. How hippocritical! You voted in favor of Senate bill HB1860 in the name of insurance fraud reduction and insurance rate reduction. When , in most cases, Florida Massage Therapists don't even bill insurance companies. The insurance companies are not even required to reduce their rates. This law effectively eliminated jobs for all massage therapists working for Chiropractors and Acupuncturists as well as threatening income for an entire industry which depends on PIP clientele. This includes some 40,000 therapists statewide. I am a Republican massage therapist dealing strictly in therapeutic massage aimed at ameliorating injuries caused by auto accicents. My son also practices therapeutic massage. We both voted for you in the last election but will not do so this time. It is my hope that the rest of that portion of the 40,000 who you (mis)represent will follow my lead.
We are all mad as hell, we won't shut up, we won't go away, and we all vote!"
Sarah E Meyer, LMT
Inverness, Fl.
MA53590
Jimmy on schools, guess you have to do more than a photo shoot
This is who is funding Jimmie Smith. He has gotten a "F" from the Florida Education Association and now he wants you to believe he is for education. He is their puppet.
See who is really behind this man and where the mega money is coming from.
Learn more about corporations VOTING to rewrite our laws.
The American Federation for Children is a committee of mostly right-wing groups who want to advance the privatization of public schools and the expansion of voucher programs and charter schools.
Support for the American Legislative Exchange Council
The American Federation for Children was a "Trustee" level sponsor of 2011 American Legislative Exchange Council Annual Conference, which in 2010, equated to $5,000.[1]
About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.
An ALEC Ally in Wisconsin
The American Federation for Children (AFC) is an organization with roots in Milwaukee that promotes public school privatization through “voucher programs” and charter schools. It shares an address and leadership with its 501(c)(3) partner Alliance for School Choice (ASC).
AFC is chaired by Betsy DeVos, the billionaire wife of Amway heir Dick DeVos (son of Amway founder Richard DeVos) and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. In recent years, she has funneled tens of millions of dollars into school privatization efforts and other right-wing initiatives.
AFC is an ALEC member and is represented by former Rep. Jensen on the ALEC Education Task Force. Jensen is the former Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker convicted in 2005 of three felonies for misuse of his office for political purposes, and banned from the state Capitol for five years (the charges were later reduced on appeal). Jensen is one of AFC’s registered lobbyists in Wisconsin.
Jensen has proposed bills to ALEC on behalf of AFC/ASC that were adopted as “model” legislation. For example, in March 2011, Jensen presented to the ALEC Education Task Force the “Education Savings Account Act,” which creates financial incentives for families to take their children out of the public school system and put them in for-profit primary and secondary schools.
AFC was a "Trustee" level sponsor of ALEC’s 2011 Annual Conference – which, according to data from 2010, equated to a $5,000 payment to ALEC.
AFC was founded in 1998 in Milwaukee as the American Education Reform Foundation. It was renamed Advocates for School Choice, Inc. in 2004 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. It later moved its headquarters to Washington, D.C., and its name was changed to AFC in 2009. [2]
Mission
The website states the following:[3]
"The American Federation for Children (AFC) seeks the fundamental transformation of public education through parental choice. We believe public education must be defined as providing families, particularly low-income families, with the public funding they need to choose the education they determine is best for their children. The American Federation for Children envisions a vibrant and successful American education system where achievement is high and where low-income children are provided with the opportunity to attend the finest schools possible, whether these schools are excellent public schools, public charter schools, or private schools."
and lastly Rep. Smith, I don't know how you can say on your personal and Political page that you don't do negative when you allow your political consultant and his PAC to send all of these mail outs and publish all of the TV's ads filled with blatant lies. No truth to them at all! How is that not negative??? Nothing you are saying is true; will say again, they are blatant lies designed to make you look good. You have done nothing but vote 100% with the Party even when it hurt your citizens that you are suppose to represent. This is why you can't just run on your on record because your record did not represent the people you are suppose to represent. You voted for bills that actually hurt us.
Florida Education Association Endorses Nancy Argenziano
Florida Education Association
July 13, 2012
The Florida Education Association, on behalf of its 140,000 members, has recommended Nancy in the State House 34 race, based on her unflagging support for public education and the professionals working in public schools. "I believe in civilization." she said. "I do not believe you tear down the system which has served as the core of American greatness. I most appreciate the support of the education community, and pledge my efforts to a system of Florida education of which all citizens can be proud." Nancy's 12 years as a former House member and Senator, and the numerous votes on education issues, provided the FEA an ample basis for its endorsement.
response
did you says you were going to cut $300 million from education in two yrs ?
did you say you were going to support one unconstitutional law after another ?
did you say you were going to vote yourself cheat health insurance ?
did you say you were going vote to gut our environmental laws and have our water shipped to marion county for profit ?
did you say you were going to vote the governor a 100 million dollar slush fund with no accountability ?
did you say you were going to support a state university we didn't need ?
i could go on and on but you get the message jimmy.
Drug Testing
Drug testing was a huge waste of tax payer money. To insinuate that drug testing stopped some people from taking drugs in order to get food stamps is ludicrous. If you are taking drugs you are addicted and can't stop and be clean on a dime. Do away with the test and save us money. Jimmy Smith has to do a lot more than listen to people at Howard's Flea Market. Since he was part of the "Do Nothing" Congress he needs to come home and get a real job.
No common sense
Smith said "what the results don’t show is the people who have stopped using illegal drugs because they don’t want to lose state assistance."
How does he know they were using illegal drugs? They weren't tested before to know if they were using drugs. This guy makes absolutely NO sense at all.
AND....Guvnah Scott is the only one making money off of this....Oh! and his wife too since he signed ownership of the company over to her when he ran for governer. They're just wasting tax payer money to catch a very small percentage of the welfare recipients.
Geez......SOMEbody PLEASE get some common sense into the government!!
Florida Cracker
Working with the Republicans
At no point has she said she can work with the Republicans. Who can work with the Republicans? It is their way or its NO Way. Just say NO!