Florida Candidate Analysis
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Dear Florida Sportsmen and Animal Owners,
The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) has completed its analysis of the Florida politicians running for national office in November. Your September 10, 2002 primary is one the least crowded in the country, with only 12 candidates running in four largely non-competitive open or new seat House contests.
While realizing that an individual's voting decision is a complex process, involving multiple factors, sportsmen, livestock and pet owners and medical researchers should be conscious of a candidate's position on the threats posed by the animal rightists' agenda. We've been successful in discovering a few of the new candidates' opinions on the animal rightists' (AR) threat to sportsmen, pet and livestock owners and medical researchers. A "Failed to answer questionnaire" designation next to a candidate's name, in the face of SAOVA's persistent efforts, is a true warning sign of a politician that doesn't want you to know his feelings on the AR agenda. See http://saova.org for the tabulation and the discussion below.
FL13 - Thirteenth Congressional District
Only Democrat Candice Brown McElyea returned a positive questionnaire. GOP front runner Katherine Harris' campaign didn't even return telephone calls.
FL17 - Seventeenth Congressional District
Democrat Kendrick Meek hasn't any opposition whatever for the seat vacated by his solidly animal rightist mother, Carrie Meek. He didn't return our questionnaire, which was expected.
FL24 - Twenty-fourth Congressional District
Republican Tom Feeney, who returned a positive questionnaire response, has no primary opposition.
FL25 - Twenty-fifth Congressional District
Replicating FL24, Republican Mario Diaz-Balart has no primary opposition and a positive questionnaire response.
The major U.S. animal rightist (AR) political organization, HUMANE USA PAC, announced its 2002 election endorsements at http://www.humaneusa.org/endorse/endorsements.asp on August 12, 2002.
Florida endorsements include incumbents:
FL 3 Rep. Corrine Brown (D)
FL 6 Rep. Cliff Stearns (R)
FL 9 Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R)
FL 10 Rep. Bill Young (R)
FL 19 Rep. Robert Wexler (D)
FL 20 Rep. Peter Deutsch (D)
FL 23 Rep. Alcee Hastings (D)
** Note: HUMANE USA PAC's members routinely lobby for federal and state laws that restrict or eliminate hunting, fishing, pure bred pets, livestock ownership, circuses, rodeos, medical research and similar activities. Many of those interests, meeting in convention last month, applauded PETA's leader, who welcomed hoof and mouth disease into the U.S. and expressed support for those arrested in connection with medical laboratory firebombing and vandalizing.
SAOVA's Florida AR supporter list at http://saova.org substitutes Mr. Shaw (R-FL22) for Mr. Young (R-FL10). These AR supporting politicians co-sponsored many very intrusive and disruptive bills, including the veterinary association opposed Humane Society of U.S. "puppy protection bill." These aren't the men and women likely to defend the interests of sportsmen, pet owners and ranchers from the attacks of HSUS and PETA.
Florida's election is important to sportsmen's and animal owners' interests. Earlier gains against the animal rightist movement made in Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania may be lost here, unless you, your friends and neighbors vote. Primary votes count most in FL13, i.e. DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee and Sarasota counties.
If you're inclined to vote for a candidate other than those returning positive or outstanding questionnaire responses, SAOVA strongly urges you to personally question that individual very closely regarding his or her understanding of and support for the animal rightist's agenda. Please forward to other state sportsmen, animal owners and ranchers and be sure to vote on September 10th and November 5th. One vote can make a difference. Maine's second district primary was won by only 334 votes and we all remember the Florida presidential recounts. Thank you.
Bob Kane
Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance
