Issues

The following are some of Sarah’s most frequently asked questions. Do you have a question for Sarah? Please send questions here.

What makes you different than your opponent?

I believe

  • Government programs empower politicians not the people
  • Citizens can not afford more unjust taxation
  • Government should be transparent and accountable
  • Florida needs to address economic policies and propose a resolution for such progress

My opponent:

  • Believes more programs are the solution
  • Voted for the Storm Water and Garbage Fees & JEA increases
  • Was investigated for Sunshine Law violations & used taxpayer money to pay for attorney fees
  • “I have no economic policy” Mia Jones – 2008

Why are you running for office?

It seems the natural progression of events, you can not change those things you are not a part of, and you have to be the change you hope to achieve. I have always been a fighter and survivor, it’s time for the American people to jump in and get our hands dirty, and I certainly don’t want to leave a bigger mess for my children and grandchildren.

I also hold the traditions of liberty, limited government and prosperity close to my heart. Campaigns should be about a message as much as about winning, so I’ll turn the tables around. Why aren’t you running, or better yet, what message will you send to Tallahassee with your vote?

Are you crazy? Considering District 14’s demographic, and voting history do you really think you have a chance of winning?

If believing that elected positions should be held by those people that indeed represent and understand the district’s needs is a belief that makes one crazy, then yes, I must be crazy. District 14 has unique social and economic needs. This seat has historically been held by Democrats with little to no progress. I think voters are ready to start voting for people and not parties.

What do you consider the biggest obstacle facing Floridians?

Actually, I think we should be working towards ways of redefining the role of government in our lives. This will not be accomplished overnight, but we must begin taking steps toward reducing government intervention and regulation, lowering taxes and increasing individual responsibility and prosperity. I certainly think you can run your life and business much more efficiently than the government can, and thus favor all initiatives that allow Floridians to do what they do best, produce more and keep more of what they earn.

What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing small business owners?

Obviously, less taxation! However, I think the real solutions lie within removing government regulations to allow the market to operate more competitively. Government interference with basic economic principles has egregious effects on everyone.

Property taxes seem to be increasing quite rapidly in Duval County and the state of Florida what is your position on such increases?

Currently, people work nearly 1/3 or more of the year to pay taxes. The working class can no longer afford such burdensome taxation and should not be driven from their homes because of such taxation. The government should be conscience and honorable stewards of the peoples’ money. Taxpayer dollars are necessary to pay for necessary infrastructure and services, however I am of the opinion, that government has become wasteful and wanton with our monies and that accountability and transparency measures are well overdue.

District 14 houses some of the most violent crime areas in the State of Florida, do you have any solutions?

After speaking with people in these neighborhoods, there seems to be some common concerns. Many residents think the solution does not reside in more police officers, but in more effective prosecution and more consistent and stringent sentences. I would have to agree. There are also educational and truancy issues that must be addressed. Additionally, residents and homeowners continue to be victimized for reporting criminal activity. There is a unique situation that resides here but an opportunity for our residents to elect a State’s Attorney, Public Defender, School Board and Sheriff that are willing to work together to tackle these issues. It will also take local neighborhood leadership efforts to “take back” these communities and restore safety.

As a representative, I will do my best to support initiatives that remove unnecessary burdens on these officials so that they may accomplish this daunting task. It’s going to take some very dynamic leadership to solve this problem.

The current Mayor of Jacksonville has proposed some solutions, which will have to be funded through a fee or an increase on property taxes to local residents. Considering current economic conditions and a 100% increase in delinquent property taxes this past year, taxing people from their homes is not a sound way of reducing crime.

What sort of educational reform or funding do you propose?

The Florida Constitution requires that we provide public education to all children, and I find that most people support the concept of public education as a general measure.

However, as government becomes more entrenched in our educational systems, the quality of education continues to be reduced as well as the parents’ ability to chose educational solutions unique to their child’s background.

The current FCAT and school grading system is an example of how a one size fits all solution is impeding our children’s achievement potential as well as the teacher’s ability to implement unique solutions to challenging educational problems.

I will support initiatives to remove federal and state mandates, or at the very least make them voluntary. This would allow for local school boards to have more control over their funding and give them the ability to shift funding to programs and solutions that are unique to their district.

More than 27% of District 14’s residents have not attained a high school diploma nor GED. Recently, it was found that 68% of students in Duval County are not reading on grade level by their 10th grade year.

I do not think funding is our largest obstacle. It is estimated that we spend close to $14,000 per student in our area with lackluster results. We must work on transparency and accountability and that includes removing administrators and teachers that are not performing effectively. Removing funding from the schools based on grades punishes the students and thus perpetuates a nearly unbreakable cycle. Additionally, we cannot continue to pay our teachers below poverty level and expect to attract excellent teachers and increase retention levels.

Finally, we have to get our children reading again, for if we teach people to read they can continue to educate themselves for the rest of their lives. Allowing such large numbers of students to leave our public school systems with such high illiteracy rates is a monumental failure and a cycle which must be broken.

What exactly are your qualifications?

Well, I am an elector of my district, I am over 21 years old and have lived in Florida for over two years. Our country was founded on the principles that a government that governs least and locally is the most effective and ideal type of government.

Specifically, I have a strong foundation in markets and economic principles based on my appraisal experience. Additionally, I have a history of being an activist through my doula and childbirth education experience. I have also proven my ability to get things done when the occasion arises. This includes running one of the largest buying clubs in the United States, all of which has been done through community volunteer efforts.

Though I have not held public office before, I find this to be an ideal qualification. I am not entrenched in the political system, nor beholden to anyone other than myself and my future constituents. We live in a somewhat unnecessarily complicated world and no one person has the solution to all of ours problems. However, it will be through our hard work efforts and communication that we can move toward representation that is effective. Solutions to our problems will take a fresh approach, and I believe in restoring simplicity and pragmatism to our government. The only promise I can make is that I am willing to do the work it takes to accomplish such a task.