Candidate Profile - Personal Information

Transcription

1 1. Candidate's Name: 2. Address: Candidate Profile - Personal Information Lauren Frances Book 8201 Peters Road, Suite City: Plantation Zip: Telephone Numbers: 5. Address: (305) Home Cell Office lauren@laurenbook.com 6. Highest Degree Earned: (from what Institution?) 7. Current Occupation: 8. Current Employer: 9. Notable Previous Employment: 10. Family Description: Founder and CEO of Lauren's Kids, Author. Lauren's Kids, Inc. Married, no children. 11. How are you involved in your community? Teacher/Educator Master s in Community Psychology and Social Change from the University of Miami; and currently enrolled in the doctoral program for Organizational Leadership with a focus on Elementary Education at Nova Southeastern University I have dedicated most of the past decade to advocating for the education of parents, teachers and children on how to spot the signs and prevent the tragedy of childhood sexual abuse. I have personally walked across the state seven times to raise awareness of these issues and have developed, through my foundation, an in-class curriculum that is now in place in more than 65,000 classrooms. 12. What boards have you served on? I have served on the Board of Directors for Lauren s Kids, the Florida Network of Child Advocacy Centers and the Dade Schools Athletic Foundation. 13. Who are some people you admire most and why do you admire them? My father, because he taught me the value of hard work and how to overcome tragedy. 14. Who in your community would you go to for trusted advice? Sheriff Scott Israel, State Attorney Mike Satz, Mayor Jack Seiler, Mr. Steve Ross, Mr. Manny Kadre, David Lawrence, and Mr. Norman Braman. 15. Three Qualities Leaders Possess: I am an extremely hard worker. I am a good listener. I have a strong desire to bring people together, find common ground, and work across the aisle to solve problems. 16. Office being sought: House District: Senate District: Party Affiliation: Democrat Length of Time: approximately 2 years 18. What is your one guiding principle or core value? I really have two: Work hard and do right by others. 19. Briefly describe your political involvement: I have been an advocate in helping craft new laws to protect children from abuse. 20. Have you ever been a previous candidate for political office? No

2 (IF YES) What Office: Outcome of race: 21. Campaign Organization and Structure: General Consultant: Vancore Jones Communications, LLC Manager: Steve Vancore Treasurer: Andrew Gay Media: Pollster: Clearview Research Advisors: Ground Consulting: Win on the Ground Campaign Web Address: Facebook Page Name: Laurenbook.com facebook.com/book4senate Campaign Budget Amount: 22. Why are you running for this office? For seven years I have used my personal strength to become a leader in the fight to stop childhood sexual abuse. As a strong and active voice for abused children I have worked for tougher laws to make sure repeat violent offenders are kept off the streets and away from their intended victims. Now I am ready to turn that energy, enthusiasm and passion into a higher calling and enter a new phase of advocacy as a candidate for the Florida Senate. I learned at an early age that working through the legislature and helping shape the laws that protect those who are vulnerable and have no voice can be an effective way to impact change. I am running to give a new voice to those who have no voice, to stand up for working families in encouraging growth in our great state, to fight for Broward County, and to make a real difference in the lives of everyday people. 23. Why should the business community support your candidacy: I believe that the businesses are the most potent driver of our state s economy. From small mom-and-pop businesses to our large corporations, there are no better social service programs than good jobs. I know that by helping businesses succeed, we help our state s citizens succeed. I will work hard to balance the needs of our state and not overload the burdens on our businesses. 24. List by priority the top three (3) Legislative Committees you would like to be assigned: Committee 1: Education Committee 2: Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee 3: Appropriations 25. Are there any organizations which you would NOT accept donations from? If so, please list: No 26. Opponents and the media research public records, police reports, credit information and do other background checks in an effort to discover tax liens, lawsuits, arrest records and other unfortunate things. Are there any issues your opponent could use against you that you should disclose to this group? None that I am aware of. II. Issue Questions Talent Supply & Education

3 27. What changes would you recommend to Florida's K-12 system of education? Please address school funding. Our state constitution requires that public schools are the paramount duty of the state of Florida. I know business leaders want a strong public education system and believe the best way to attract businesses to our state is to create a highly educated workforce. As a former classroom teacher, I know that this begins in the earliest grades. I also know that if we lag the nation in per-student funding, we are not meeting our constitutional obligations. 28. As an extension of the school day and to help end "Generational Pverty" would you support funding affordable afterschool programs that provide assistance with homework, delinquency prevention, life skills and the development of good character for Florida's working families? Yes 29. What is your position regarding the ability of teachers unions and other public-sector unions to collectively bargain issues that are beyond the typical employment issues directly tied to hours worked and wages/benefits paid? I would need to know more about the specifics that are beyond typical employment issues as I believe work conditions, methods of evaluation are a necessary part of the collective bargaining process, where others may be outside that scope. 30. How would you address the shortage of qualified talent to fill jobs in STEM-related fields? I have recently read about and tend to support Senator Negron s push to increase funding and support for our state s university system and think his push will go a long way towards helping with this problem. But funding alone will not solve this problem. I also support diversity of educational opportunities for our students and feel we need better coordination between those that provide education in STEM-related fields and those who have workforce needs. We also need to recognize that meeting these needs will require an ongoing commitment to educational excellence and long-term cooperation between those in the education and private workforce sectors. 31. What are your thoughts about having a series of benchmarks designed to create a minimum standard for Math and Language Arts throughout the United States? I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I support high standards and accountability benchmarks for students. However, I do not support the near-constant changes we have seen in recent years. Yes, we need benchmarks, but we need to allow the curriculum and teacher training to keep pace with these changes. As a former teacher I know first-hand how difficult ever-changing standards can be. 32. What changes would you support that improve workforce development in the state of Florida? In addition to the above, we need to find better ways to coordinate with businesses and especially our community colleges and vocational schools to adapt to specific and regional workforce needs. 33. What changes should be made to Florida's higher education system? As our state continues to grow, we need to begin contemplating today the future possibility of another 4-year university to accommodate that growth before we find ourselves behind the curve. I am unhappy that our state s universities have become so overgrown that even good students cannot be admitted. And while I understand why community colleges are now offering more and more 4-year degrees, I would prefer they remained mainly in the universities and allowed our traditional community colleges the opportunity to offer broader and more diverse 2-year programs that can help with some of our workforce shortages. Innovation & Economic Development 34. What can the state do to continue to strengthen its position as a worldwide hub for trade?

4 I believe that we must continue to invest and invest wisely in our state s infrastructure. For example, it is abundantly clear to me that expanding our port capacity (and kudos to Governor Scott for having foresight on this) to meet the growing needs of international trade (and the expansion of the Panama Canal) is one such way we can meet this demand. We also need to consider potential locations for inland ports and improved feeder systems to the Interstate system. 35. Please discuss any ideas you may have to enhance the growth and development of the following economic sectors. Manufactoring: I believe a robust education system coupled with strong public infrastructure will help attract businesses. These two pillars will encourage national businesses to locate and grow here. Florida is uniquely situated to accommodate growth and international trade, but we will find ourselves turning businesses away if they cannot find a properly educated workforce and/or a crumbling infrastructure. If we continue to create a state where businesses and families want to come, our construction and tourism businesses will thrive as well. We should work on expanding our agri-tourism base, e.g. Wellington Equestrian Growth. Let me also add, that we need to take the issue of food independence seriously. Sometimes I feel we treat our agriculture industry as a nicety or even a tourist draw. I believe that food security is vital to our future. Agriculture: As noted above, have a strong education system and adequate infrastructure. I would work on developing a long-range plan to develop a recession-proof business climate attempting to insulate key sectors during any economic downturn period. Construction: Hospitality/Tourism: Healthcare: 36. What would you propose to diversify Florida's economy so that we better handle economic downturns? As noted above, have a strong education system and adequate infrastructure. I would work on developing a long-range plan to develop a recession-proof business climate attempting to insulate key sectors during any economic downturn period. Infrastructure & Growth Leadership 37. When is it appropriate for the legislature to shift money from a dedicated state trust fund to pay for other services? It is rarely appropriate. A trust fund is just that. When we set aside taxpayer monies with the promise to use that money for a specific purpose, we should do our very best to honor that commitment. While I generally oppose the diversion of trust fund monies, I understand that from time to time, it is necessary to dip into these funds for other state emergencies. But those times should be the rare exception and not the rule. 38. There is a widening gap between infrastructure needs and infrastructure funding. Would you support private investment in public infrastructure projects in order to meet infrastructure needs? Yes How would you propose private investors be repaid?

5 As you can tell from my previous answers above, I agree with the premise. And yes, I would support allowing private investment in public infrastructure and would work to do such things as expand the FDOT State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) and encourage public-private partnerships. Those funds can be repaid in a number of ways, namely through either such things as toll revenues, expanded development rights (or the monies that come from increase valuation after infrastructure is in place), or simple collateralized loan agreements. The bottom line is we need to be both open-minded and innovative even while being exceptionally good stewards of the public s money. 39. Philosophically, when considering the following issues, do you think the authority to set or regulate these areas should be at the Federal, State, Local or Regional Government level? Wages Growth Management Wetlands Use Water Supply Environmental Permitting Business Permits & Licenses State Government Local Government State Government State Government Local Government Local Government 40. What role should the state play in balancing the ability of electric utilities to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity with the regulations of carbon emissions? This is a great example of how ever-changing regulations can hurt business with no discernible public good. I would suggest that the state identify clear long-term goals and work hand-in-hand with those who are charged with providing electricity to millions of Floridians and tens of thousands of businesses to help meet those goals. Imposing unknown or unknowable and ever-changing regulations hurt businesses without achieving stated goals. (Not to mention these poorly drawn regulations end up costing taxpayers and utilities millions in unnecessary legal bills.) 41. What can the legislature do to address Florida's water quality and quantity needs? This is perhaps the biggest and most important question in the entire questionnaire. There is no doubt that Speaker Crisafulli s efforts over the past two years will go a long way to stabilizing water policy in the coming years and he should be lauded for his efforts. As we move forward, we need to continue to develop clear, comprehensive and workable solutions for our state, and those solutions should involve the stakeholders from agriculture to local governments to those who provide water to our citizens. I worry about excessive use and inconsistent policies that fail to recognize the interconnectivity of our drinking water, our ground water and the use of water by everyone who lives and works in Florida. Business Climate/Competitiveness 42. What are the three most important things the state legislature could do to improve Florida's business climate? 1: Continue building a first class education system. 2: Improve our state s infrastructure. 3: Create a regulatory framework that is clear, consistently and fairly applied and, and developed are with all affected parties in mind. 43. Florida does not currently have a sales tax on services. Several attempts have been made over the past decade to create a new tax on services in the state Constitution. Would you support creating a sales tax on services?ness testimony standards? No Explain: As a rule, I don t like to clutter the Constitution with things we may want to change at a later date. At this point in time, I lean against such a proposal.

6 44. What is your position on collecting sales and use tax on transactions from out of state and online retailers? Support 45. What is your general philosophy on state and local taxes? I oppose an income tax. I believe we should only tax citizens and businesses based on the state s needs and not on how much we can raise. I also believe that, if fortunate enough to be elected, I would be judicious in looking at proposals that placed additional constraints on local governments to meet the needs of their constituents. 46. Are there any taxes that should be increased? I have no suggestions at the present time. 47. Do you believe hotels should or should not be required to include resort fees in the daily room rate to allow guests to comparison shop before they book a room? Should not be required Explain: I am somewhat resistant to forcing a business to change how it operates. The public is smart enough to understand resort fees. 48. What are your thoughts on the number of lawsuits files in Florida? Should the state intervene to make it easier or more difficult to file a lawsuit? Explain: Without a doubt, some legal actions are way too easy while others seem unfair. It would depend on the type of lawsuit in either case. Many litigation abuses have been remedied others still need attention. 49. Would you support legislation that limits recovery for future medical care in personal injury lawsuits to what is "usually and customarily" paid to other medical providers in the community? Why? I would lean against such a concept as the cost of future medical care may be one of the most unknown and unknowable future price indicators we have. I would support reasonable guidelines to avoid unfair awards or ensure just that the care is provided to the injured party. 50. Accuracy in Damages: Would you support legislation that limits the amount of money recoverable for medical care in personal injury lawsuits to the amount actually paid for the medical care versus the amount charged by the provider of the medical care? Why? That sounds like a reasonable approach. I would have to know more. 51. In the context of a personal injury lawsuit, do you believe that it is reasonable to require an injured person seeking money from a liability insurance company to give the insurance company a (1) written notice of the claim and (2) a minimum of 45 days to investigate the claim and offer to pay the policy limits of the policy? Agree Why? I like the written notice provision but would need to hear more about the time constraints on investigation of the claim. Governance & Civic Systems 52. What is the proper role of state agencies in regulating prices for insurance companies, banks, medical providers and other regulated industries? Explain: As noted above, these are extraordinarily complex problems but my general philosophy is that regulations need to be fair, clearly communicated and consistently applied. And if those regulations do not provide for a public purpose they should be considered for removal. 53. Government regulations continue to be the top concern for Florida's small business. What areas would you recommend reducing regulation and red tape?

7 I have no specific recommendations except as noted above, however, local governments should not be able to stymie growth through unfair regulations. 54. Both the Florida Retirement System Pension plan and Local Government-administered pension plan programs are experiencing a growing unfunded actuarial liability that is currently in excess of $31 billion. How do you propose to fill the funding gap in these guaranteed pension plans? This too is a complex problem with no easy solutions. I think we need to allow local governments greater flexibility in addressing these local funding problems, however, hold them accountable if their provision of bargained benefits were done without sensitivity to the cost to the public. 55. Should there be term limits for: Circuit/County Judges? No Appellate Judges? No Supreme Court Judges? No Why? I am generally opposed to term limits and believe that voters already have the right to enact term limits at the ballot box. Further, the Florida Constitution already puts universal term limits on judges by requiring them to retire (or not seek reelection) when they turn 70. Quality of Life & Quality Places 56. Should the state of Florida be able to mandate that health insurance providers cover specific health conditions or benefits even if the mandates increase the cost of health insurance for employees and employers? Explain: While I would generally say, no, I think a more forthcoming answer would be it depends on the mandate. 57. Rising health care cost is a concern for Florida businesses and consumers. What would you propose that could help alleviate that burden? Again, this is a complex problem with no simple solution. I would need to hear more about perhaps some specific proposals. Generally, I believe we need to expand the pool of those who are insured to avoid the host of problems both moral and economic that come from having too many people uninsured. 58. What is your position on Medicaid expansion? I am generally supportive and think it could help lower the burden currently borne (unfairly) by business. 59. What is your position on whether the state should prohibit balanced billing in emergency situations? Broader Arena? I have mixed feelings. With narrow network insurance products, consumers are held harmless if they go out of network. On the other hand, in the case of an emergency we can t expect them to pay these unexpected bills if they had no choice in who was caring for them. On balance, I believe the legislative fix this year went a long way towards addressing this problem and while recognizing it may not be completely fixed, I would advocate letting the new law work before attempting more fixes. 60. What is your suggestion to address the current workforce shortage of physicians and nurses in the state?

8 Over the past decade, our state has done a great job expanding the number of medical schools. Unfortunately, the number of residencies has not kept pace. As a result, we are educating physicians at a great cost to taxpayers and then sending them out-of-state to finish their training. That makes no sense to me. I would support limited expansion of scope in primary care and would seek to find ways to extend the reach of physicians. We continue to have a shortage of nurses in our state and before we can expand service areas for nurses, we need to expand our education and training in this regard as well. Finally, I think we need to find ways to expand telemedicine without allowing non-florida physicians to be used to offer care. As long as the physicians using telemedicine technologies are held accountable to the same standards as all Florida-based doctors, this area could offer promise. 61. What is your position on the expansion of gambling in Florida? It depends on the type of gambling but generally I believe that we are already a gambling state, despite years of resistance. Those local communities that have conducted referenda on slot expansion should not be ignored. I would be very sensitive to our tourism and entertainment industries, e.g. Disney, during future debate on the subject. 62. Do you believe gambling should ever be expanded or current permitted gambling changed without an affirmative statewide vote of the people? As noted above, I am not sure it must be through a statewide vote, but I am not opposed to the concept with some exceptions. FINAL THOUGHTS I am honored and thankful to be able to come before your members and have a chance to not only meet them but to better understand their concerns. If I am fortunate enough to be allowed the opportunity to serve, I hope we have a long and productive relationship and that you will always consider me your friend and someone who is here to serve every person and every business in our great state. My door will always be open.