- April 4, 2025
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Dear Editor:
Abrahm Lincoln once said, “if you wish to see who a man really is, give him power.”
A group of committed citizens saw this in full display during the Senate Oversight Committee Hearing on Tuesday, March 25, at the Florida State Capitol.
The room was crowded, each seat was occupied by residents from all over Florida prepared to express their views about a variety of bills being considered by this committee. It was a daunting challenge since we only had 30 seconds to express ourselves.
We spent hours reviewing a variety of bills up for a vote, individually preparing our comments and diligently practicing delivering our message in the allotted 30 seconds. We were nervous, but ready to meet the challenge of the moment, to be good citizens. After all, this is what democracy looks like!
What we faced, however, from the chair of the Senate Oversight Committee, was an onslaught of beratement, rudeness, insults and threats. He threatened to kick us out of the chamber if he heard any more noise. He neglected to call all the names of citizens who signed up to speak or who waived public comments but shared their yes or no vote about the bills. He rebuffed the request from a young lady providing interpretation for a non-English speaking citizen, glibly remarking, “you only have 15 seconds.”
When it was our turn to speak, what we saw was a legislator who we hoped would give us a smile or an encouraging nod, turn his head to the side, as if we were irrelevant, as if our voices didn’t matter.
Who was this powerful man who chaired the Senate Oversight Committee and presided over this meeting with disdain, rudeness and disrespect towards the citizens who participated? Why did he feel the need to insult the same Floridians he was elected to serve?
We later discovered that his name is Randy Fine, and he is running in the special elections in Florida Congressional District 6 (CD-6).
When we returned home, we felt obliged to do something to let this legislator know that we mattered, and our voices were relevant and important.
We decided to learn more about Josh Weil, the candidate running against Mr. Fine, to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. We’ve (been) canvassing on his behalf in CD-6 (ahead of the April 1 special election).
We learned that Josh Weil, a single father of two boys and math teacher, wants to protect our environment, fix healthcare, and reset our economy, so it works for everyone (not just the rich). He is kind and respectful and will aptly represent the residents of CD-6 and all Floridians.
As Floridians, our voices matter. We matter. Josh is right, “We Can Do Better Than Fine.”
Jonathan and Joy Burgess
Jacksonville
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