- November 26, 2024
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Merrill Shapiro has been described as a “promiscuous volunteer” because of the number of boards he serves on and organizations he volunteers with. But he can’t help it.
“I’m a failure at retirement,” said Shapiro, a former rabbi, who calls himself the accidental president of the Flagler County Democratic Club.
He became president after attending several of the club’s monthly meetings. He was disappointed to find that meetings consisted of little more than reading the previous month’s minutes, announcements and adjournment. Shapiro became the group’s second vice president, who is also in charge of programs. Now, meetings include speakers and discussions. When Doug Beaven, the club’s former president, was deployed to Afghanistan, the club’s first vice president didn’t want to speak in front of crowds. So Shapiro began to run the meetings. Now, he’s president. As such, Shapiro’s biggest plan for 2013 is to restructure the local Democratic party so it has a more prominent voice in Flagler County.
“Right now, everyone’s patting themselves on the back because (Barack) Obama was re-elected,” he said. “But of all the counties in Florida who went for Obama in ’08, Flagler’s the only one who didn’t — and only by a few votes.”
The problem: organization.
“Everyone wants to get involved, but there are no formal volunteer descriptions,” Shapiro said. “Volunteers call and ask what’s needed, and they’re told, ‘We want you to help.’”
That won’t work, Shapiro said, because people don’t know if they’re signing away 40 hours a week or four. He’s been writing descriptions of each position so that potential volunteers can decide which activities will work best for them. The main goal in doing this is to give local Democrats a voice they don’t have. There are 1,000 fewer Flagler County voters registered as Democrats than there are Republicans, but they’re politically quieter than Republicans are, making them seem less present. A prime example: Milissa Holland’s campaign for state representative.
“(Holland) is qualified to do more than be in state Legislature,” Shapiro said. “It makes me physically sick that she lost.”
Holland didn’t ask the Democratic Club for help with her campaign, but in the future, Shapiro wants the club to support all Democratic candidates, and to do it better.
“We’re going to go to people and say, ‘We will be your foot soldiers,’” Shapiro said. “‘We will knock on doors for you, make phone calls, get your name out.’ And we won’t take no for an answer.”
Another of Shapiro’s political plans is to maintain the separation of church and state. Right now, he’s working against Florida’s state corporate tax credit scholarship fund, which allows companies to write checks in the amount of their tax bills to an organization called Step Up For Students. This organization gives students vouchers for their education, which could include schooling at religiously affiliated schools.
“I don’t want my tax dollars to be funding someone’s religious education,” Shapiro said. “Who has to make up for the tax revenue lost? We do.”
Finally, Shapiro is committed to fighting poverty by providing aid to the poor and homeless in Flagler County. But this aid isn’t always financial: He has worked with a laptop out of the Bunnell Public Library to help people — especially the “new poor” who are struggling in today’s economy and don’t know how to seek benefits — apply for state and federal assistance programs.
In short, Shapiro is busy. Between that and his family life — including time spent baby sitting his grandchildren — he doesn’t see himself slowing down any time soon. To Shapiro’s wife, Robyn Shapiro, that’s one of her husband’s best attributes.
“He doesn’t know how to say no,” she said. “But he is the most patient human being God ever created.”
