Candidate Profile - Personal Information

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Aileen Cummings
5 years ago
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1 1. Candidate's Name: 2. Address: Candidate Profile - Personal Information Amy Mercado PO Box City: Orlando Zip: Telephone Numbers: 5. Address: NA NA Home Cell Office amy@amymercado.com 6. Highest Degree Earned: (from what Institution?) 7. Current Occupation: 8. Current Employer: 9. Notable Previous Employment: 10. Family Description: Director of Operations National Mango Board 11. How are you involved in your community? MBA Candidate 2017, Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University Healthcare: Health Unit Coordinator, Patient Care Tech, Cardiac Monitor Tech. Legal: Legal Secretary, Project Manager I have a blended, multi-generational family. I am a proud mom of 6 adult children and the caretaker to ailing grandparents. I have been involved in my community since HS in NYC where I volunteered my time to help those around me. I relocated to Orlando in 1995 and since then have been involved in many organizations and political campaigns as a grassroots volunteer. 12. What boards have you served on? Director of Operations for the National Mango Board Former member of Orange County's Membership and Mission Review Board, District Who are some people you admire most and why do you admire them? I admire Pope Francis leadership, humanitarianism and frank dialogue with the world on issues we as a people grapple with in our daily lives. He has challenged the way laymen and the secular community think about and respond to changing cultural norms and attitudes. 14. Who in your community would you go to for trusted advice? There are several community members I am thankful to have as part of my social circle. For several years now have and can still go to them at any time for trusted advise. They are: My priests Several elected officials (Mayor Dyer, Clerk of Court - Tiffany Moore Russell, School Board Member Daryl Flynn, Rep. Katie Edwards, etc.) Several organizational leaders such as the Pres. of the Hispanic Chamber of Metro Orlando 15. Three Qualities Leaders Possess: I am a tenacious, empathetic and results-oriented leader. I always put the needs of those around me first and do not shy away from hard work or adversity. 16. Office being sought: House District: 48 Senate District: 17. Party Affiliation: Democrat Length of Time: 2 yr term 18. What is your one guiding principle or core value?

2 Simply put, my guiding principle is to do unto others as I would have them do onto me (Luke 6:31). I am not here to judge any one, I am here to serve. 19. Briefly describe your political involvement: My political involvement started as a child when my parents (both NYC Police Officers) took me with them when assisting the community we lived in. When I relocated to Orlando in 1995, I continued my involvement. Below is a condensed list of organizations and positions I have held. Former Chairwoman of the Orange County DEC Former President of the Orange County Democratic Hispanic Caucus Former Interim Secretary of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement s Central Florida Chapter Former Secretary of the Florida Council of the League of United Latin American Citizens Former Board Member of Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando Field Manager for Tiffany Moore Russell for Orange County Clerk of Court Campaign Manager for Ricardo Rangel, House District 43 Campaign Manager for Victor M. Torres, House District 48 Florida Elector for President Barack Obama 20. Have you ever been a previous candidate for political office? (IF YES) What Office: Outcome of race: House District 35 (n/k/a 49) in 2010 against Leader Designate Dean Cannon Yes I lost my election as it was a difficult election cycle for Democrats. We lost many pro-business, pro-agriculture Democrats like Rep. Debbie Boyd. But I learned from Rep. Katie Edwards that you must try again, and I am a better prepared candidate learning through defeat how to run a better campaign and broaden my understanding of the issues and the key players. 21. Campaign Organization and Structure: General Consultant: Manager: In Touch Strategies Treasurer: Debra Booth Media: Cate Comm Pollster: The Kitchens Group Advisors: Campaign Web Address: Facebook Page Name: Amy Mercado Campaign Budget Amount: 100, Why are you running for this office? I am running to continue the work of my father, Rep. Victor Torres, in making sure that this minority Demoratic district has someone who they can identify with as we- as a community of working class Floridians of diverse ethnic backgrounds- work towards a level playing field for our mom-and-pop businesses, our public education system with a renewed focus on improving our transportation and water infrastructure. 23. Why should the business community support your candidacy: The business community should support my candidacy because I bring 25 years of professional business management experience to the table. Coming from a working family who values education, handwork and giving back to the community, I know what it means to work for what you need and at the same time help those around you.

3 24. List by priority the top three (3) Legislative Committees you would like to be assigned: Committee 1: Economic Development & Tourism Committee 2: Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee 3: Healthcare Appropriations 25. Are there any organizations which you would NOT accept donations from? If so, please list: Charter Schools USA Unfortunately, they are not held to the same accountability standards of our public schools. 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? No II. Issue Questions Talent Supply & Education 27. What changes would you recommend to Florida's K-12 system of education? Please address school funding. As a mom of six kids, four of which graduated from Orange County Public Schools it is important to me to fight for the full funding of our education system. As a state we currently rank 31st in the nation in per pupil funding - currently $7,178 (back to our 2007 allocations), yet the national average is $10k. How can we as parents, business leaders, and elected officials look at each other with straight faces and say we have a great education system in Florida when we are now at pre-2007 pupil funding amounts, yet we have hundreds of thousands more students enrolled in the school system and we have ostracized our educators? We are in desperate need of developing and maintaining a skilled talent pool that stays in Florida to meet all our business needs. 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? All stakeholders have the right to negotiate their needs. Fair and consistent policies regarding employee/employer rights is needed to ensure a level and productive playing field. 30. How would you address the shortage of qualified talent to fill jobs in STEM-related fields? I would like to see student involvement in STEM (STEAM) programs earlier in their education process. If we offer and cultivate STEM (STEAM) programs throughout our education system we can ensure a successful homegrown talent pool. We can and should offer our STEM (STEAM) students guaranteed work and/or student loan forgiveness post graduation in their given field as one way of addressing the current shortage. 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?

4 I support national benchmarks if they are created and fully tested by educators and leaders in their prospective fields. 32. What changes would you support that improve workforce development in the state of Florida? I would support the development and expansion of vocational and apprenticeship programs to improve the workforce development in Florida. 33. What changes should be made to Florida's higher education system? I would like to see the expansion of need-based aid for students. As I mentioned in the STEM (STEAM) related fields above we can and should offer students guaranteed work and/or student loan forgiveness post graduation in their given field as one way of addressing the current shortages. Innovation & Economic Development 34. What can the state do to continue to strengthen its position as a worldwide hub for trade? Continued investment and development of Florida's trade lines such as the expansion of Port Everglades will strengthen Florida's known position as a worldwide hub for trade. Furthermore, the encouragement of Florida producers and manufacturers to enter the export market and to diversify there offerings will strengthen Florida. 35. Please discuss any ideas you may have to enhance the growth and development of the following economic sectors. Manufactoring: Continued expansion and development of vocational programs such as the Valencia College manufacturing certificates will assist in the enhancement and growth of this sector in Florida. Agriculture: Renewed partnerships and expansion of funding for UF/IFAS (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences). Florida can and should do more to work with APHIS to protect the Ag industry as a whole from imported pests and diseases. We are constantly dealing with new, devasting issues that can wipe segments of agriculture out of existence. We need to be more aggressive at our borders. Construction: Florida lost a great deal of its skilled construction workforce during the economic recession and is now hurting due to this loss; the Florida Legislature should look for ways to support and increase vocational training programs in its public schools that support this industry. Hospitality/Tourism: As a State Representative I will make it a point to meet with key Hospitality Industry stakeholders on a regular basis to understand the concerns and needs of the industry. I will also work with these stakeholders to develop comprehensive and fair legislation that protects both the industry and the community at large. Healthcare: As a former healthcare provider and current caretaker to ailing grandparents, it is important to me that we foster better partnerships with healthcare providers and fully fund medicaid.

5 36. What would you propose to diversify Florida's economy so that we better handle economic downturns? I propose new partnerships with our military veterans/contractors so that when our vets return to Florida post active duty deployments they can find work as civilians within the defense industry in our state. 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? Trust funds are developed and maintained as dedicated sources of funds to be used for such things as affordable housing or road improvements. Therefore, the shift of funds from a dedicated source to balance our states budget should be used sparingly if at all (e.g. in times of economic crisis). Using or "raiding" trust funds to give the illusion that fees/taxes will not be raised is irresponsible. 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? My opponent will tell you that PPPs do not work and should be abolished. I say if used responsibly PPPs can be very successful and great way of funding large scale projects. The repayment of private investors of PPPs is complicated dependent on the project, but the simple answer would be to develop clear contractual terms with specific timelines and repayment calendars (e.g. lump sum repayments, ownership options, etc.). 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 Regional Government State Government State Government State 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? The state, local electric utilities and federal agencies such as the EPA need to work collaboratively to ensure safe, affordable, reliable and responsible electricity. 41. What can the legislature do to address Florida's water quality and quantity needs? In Florida water is managed and regulated by five regional water management districts along side the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. It is imperative that they continue to work together and also continue to educate the general public on how to keep our water safe. I do think one area we have not fully addressed is the use of fertilizer- or rather the misuse of fertilizer according to the label- by homeowners. We require pest control operators to take courses through the county extension service. But what are we doing to educate and train homeowners?? We cannot have a patchwork of laws that are founded on emotion and devoid of science and any holistic, regional approach to protecting regional resources like springs, acquifers, lakes, and the like.

6 Business Climate/Competitiveness 42. What are the three most important things the state legislature could do to improve Florida's business climate? 1: Appropriately fund and invest in our states "story." Why Florida is a great place to live and do business in. 2: Appropriately fund our public schools and vocational programs to ensure a globally competitive workforce. 3: Appropriately fund medicaid in our state to ensure our most vulnerable populations (seniors and children) are taken care of. 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: Taxing services is not something I would support simply as way to generate state revenue. 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? Taxes are a necessity to run our government. As legislators, we need to ensure our tax code is not regressive or discriminatory. 46. Are there any taxes that should be increased? No 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 be requred Explain: This would ensure consumers do not fall prey to deceptive marketing practices. 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: The judicial system is established to allow disagreeing parties a mechanism to argue their positions and seek compensation (monetary or otherwise) for their losses. I do not believe it is appropriate for the state to intervene or make it any easier or more difficult to file lawsuits. 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? No, I do not support legislation that limits recovery of future medical care in personal injury lawsuits. As someone who had to sue their own insurance company due to a no-fault automobile accident, I have first hand experience of the patchwork of restrictions and obstacles the public has to go through in order to litigate personal injury cases. 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?

7 This would depend on the language of the legislation proposed. The medical costs due to the injury and any long term costs need to be factored (e.g. permanent long term nursing home care is needed due to injury). 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? This gives all the parties affected an opportunity to review/investigate the facts. 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: Agencies that regulate insurance companies, banks, medical providers and other regulated industries do so to ensure the interest and safety of the consumer. 53. Government regulations continue to be the top concern for Florida's small business. What areas would you recommend reducing regulation and red tape? My involvement in Agribusiness as the Director of Operations for the National Mango Board gives me a unique perspective on how business and government interact, sometimes for the better and too often for the worse. I recognize that there is only so much that the government can and should do, but we cannot abdicate our responsibility to maintain a fair and level playing field that encourages entrepenurship, capital investment, fair trade, consumer protection and restraint on overregulation through duplicative city and county ordinances. I believe in balancing interests. 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? Our FRS unfunded gaps have occurred for two reason: a) economic down turn; and b) our legislatures choice to underfund it. Dealing with the our funding gap is manageable and can be amortized over time. An increase in contributions by several percentage points of payroll is a way of getting us to where we need to be. 55. Should there be term limits for: Circuit/County Judges? No Appellate Judges? No Supreme Court Judges? No Why? Currently Circuit/ County Judges are elected and Appellate/ Supreme Court Judges are appointed by the Governor; they then go through a merit retention process which I believe is sufficient. 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?

8 Explain: The overall goal is to have a healthy state. By having a healthy state, we ensure that we have a workforce that is productive and profitable. As someone who has had to manage and plan the costs of healthcare for 12 employees for the last decade, I felt the pain pre and post ACA enactment. Prior to the enactment of the ACA I dealt with 40% annual increases in employee insurance costs. Now that amount is 10-15%. 57. Rising health care cost is a concern for Florida businesses and consumers. What would you propose that could help alleviate that burden? The establishment of a healthcare exchange in Florida can assist in the management of costs. Currently Floridian's that need medical coverage have to go through the federal marketplace. Another idea could be the development of "Public Private Partnerships" between the state, private businesses and regional medical institutions to offer "self insured" plans. 58. What is your position on Medicaid expansion? Medicaid expansion is necessary in Florida; we still have almost 800k Floridians that are uninsured. 59. What is your position on whether the state should prohibit balanced billing in emergency situations? Broader Arena? The state needs to ensure that consumers are not liable for charges that are outside their control - balance billing in emergency situation is such a charge. 60. What is your suggestion to address the current workforce shortage of physicians and nurses in the state? As stated earlier, one way of addressing the shortage of nurses and physicians in Florida is by guranteeing work and/or student loan forgiveness post graduation in their given field (e.g. two year required employment contracts post graduation at an area hospital...florida Hospital Orlando). 61. What is your position on the expansion of gambling in Florida? I opposed to gambling expansion. 62. Do you believe gambling should ever be expanded or current permitted gambling changed without an affirmative statewide vote of the people? I do not believe gambling should be expanded. FINAL THOUGHTS My work in the legislature will not be founded in partisan politics. I will work across the aisle to make sure my constituents have safe, affordable, healthy lives! That translates to better communities where people can live, work and play.

Candidate Profile - Personal Information

1. Candidate's Name: 2. Address: Candidate Profile - Personal Information Al Jacquet P.O. Box 8084 3. City: Delray Beach Zip: 33482 4. Telephone Numbers: 5. Email Address: 5614145677 5619278800 Home Cell