Dean Santoro-- Florida Congressional Candidate and BreakTheMatrix Member
Posted by Rick Williams on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 06:14 in We're proud to have Dean Santoro in our membership. (A fellow talk show host too. . .) R
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www.deansantoro.com or www.santorosenate.com
Not knowing who he was, I googled around, and am sharing the search.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/beaches/story/568560.html
MIAMI BEACH
Republican novice Dean Santoro talks about his Miami Beach seat candidacy
A Democratic heavyweight faces a Republican challenger who promises to bring fiscal restraint and other changes to state government.
BY TANIA VALDEMORO
tvaldemoro@MiamiHerald.com
MIAMI HERALD
Dean Santoro, a Republican, is running for the District 35 seat in the Florida State Senate, which is being vacated by State Sen. Gwen Margolis. Dean Santoro, a new face in state politics, promises to scrutinize budgets, cut spending and reform Florida's education system to give parents, students and principals more say in education decisions.
''I'm not a politician; I am one of the people,'' said Santoro, a Republican. ``You have a voice in this upcoming election to change the legislators and how they spend your money.''
The political novice said he was inspired to run by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's failed presidential bid, which he supported. In May 2007, Santoro filed to run against U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart but changed his mind.
''I think locally I can be a lot more effective than on a federal level. The state needs fiscally responsible people in the legislature,'' he said.
District 35 includes 21 cities in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. It extends from West Park in the north to a portion of Palmetto Bay in the south and covers all of Miami-Dade's beach communities, Aventura, North Miami Beach as well as parts of Miami, Miami Shores, Coral Gables and South Miami.
As of March 31, Gelber has outraised Santoro $216,585 to $45,500.
A former educator who taught computer science classes for 10 years at a community college in Connecticut, Santoro said education reform is one of his main priorities. He wants parents, not administrators, to choose the schools their children attend within their local school district.
''A competitive school choice system puts the power back in your hands,'' Santoro said.
He wants to ensure money collected in Tallahassee from Miami-Dade for education gets spent here rather than sent to other parts of Florida. He would not abolish the FCAT but would let principals and teachers have more say in gauging students' academic performance.
''Why are you running for state representative instead of for the school board?'' resident Vernon Garraway asked.
''I believe I'd do more work for the betterment of the educational system from the top down than from the local school board,'' Santoro said.
His other priorities are to reduce state spending and force lawmakers to be accountable for their fiscal decisions. Yet, he pointedly declined to criticize Gelber's views or his legislation.
''I am a fiscal conservative. I do not like to spend money unless I know what the return on investment is,'' Santoro said.
He told club members he would not raise property taxes but would review state budgets to see how money has been spent.
After the meeting, Santoro said he also favors making the property insurance market in Florida more competitive, saying that would drive prices down. He also would work toward closing down Citizens Property Insurance, Florida's insurer of last resort.
http://www.politicalgateway.com/cand.php?id=684
__________________
Freedom is an inside job
I was just talking with someone on another thread about this:
In a government where numerous and extensive prerogatives are placed in the hands of an hereditary monarch, the executive department is very justly regarded as the source of danger, and watched with all the jealousy which a zeal for liberty ought to inspire. In a democracy, where a multitude of people exercise in person the legislative functions, and are continually exposed, by their incapacity for regular deliberation and concerted measures, to the ambitious intrigues of their executive magistrates, tyranny may well be apprehended, on some favorable emergency, to start up in the same quarter. But in a representative republic, where the executive magistracy is carefully limited; both in the extent and the duration of its power; and where the legislative power is exercised by an assembly, which is inspired, by a supposed influence over the people, with an intrepid confidence in its own strength; which is sufficiently numerous to feel all the passions which actuate a multitude, yet not so numerous as to be incapable of pursuing the objects of its passions, by means which reason prescribes; it is against the enterprising ambition of this department that the people ought to indulge all their jealousy and exhaust all their precautions.
Yes, the legislature is the most dangerous branch in a nation of laws. You are doing the right thing, Dean.
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
I loved his response to some early criticsim. It was basically, "I'm in there doing politics and trying to actually get in office and cast some votes."
The do it yourself approach is the American way. Sure beats whining. Go Dean!
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
Tom,
I liked the substance of your article "Moderation: A Virtue or Tyranny's Secret Weapon?" You are some of the finest BTM has to offer.
I can see from the article that you don't support moderation, but here I see that you support compromise. Nice mix. Moderation and compromise fail ALWAYS, and you are smart enough to know it, but yet you still don't have the courage to act the way you think, or fail to think the way you act.
It will not be by compromise, it won't be by moderation, but it will be because of a few determined people that we will succeed. Those who compromise and sell out are not part of this elite group.
Anyone interested on knowing who or what actions will will change America, please search "Bob Schulz" or "We the People Foundation", and the "Free State Project". All those that wish to participate on the perpetuation of the status quo, be moderate, support compromise.
Borisimo
As the good book saieth, "I find no case against this man." We've been all through his endorsement thing, so let's please not go back through it.
So, you are calling for action, and directing us to We the People and the Free State Project.
Which ACTION are you taking? Do you have the courage to stop paying your income taxes and endure the jail sentence?
Are you moving to New Hampshire?
Or are you taking no action, and just throwing stones at the people who are?
As our founders told us, the dangers to our liberties come from the legislative branch. I am supporting people who will vote for liberty. I am spending my free time writing articles for others to agree with, disagree with, or at least think about. I may run for an office if I can make the space during the next election cycle - right now I cannot.
That is a humble list of actions that I am undertaking. I know you have done much more in the past than I have, and probably know a heck of a lot more about politics on the ground. Frank lost his campaign - does that mean you are done? Are you now reduced to throwing stones at those following in his footsteps for not being up the standards of your "glory days?"
Have we lost you?
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
go!
Which points do you agree with? What is your opinion?
Borisimo
post your number and I'll call you man to man. When are you moving to NH?? and why is it uncouth to ask about filing taxes?
ja
Because you are asking someone to post if they are committing a..Federal crime punishable by jail! Whether the answer be yes, or no, it is uncouth to ask it, specially in an open forum.
Borisimo
PS; Would love to chat, can't do it tonight. Thanks.
Liberty will not come from the voting booth. We already know what type of politicians people follow when they have the choice to vote. Look, you are not a dumb fellow, you are liberty savvy, yet you support a neocon (anti-liberty) endorser. So we can not count on people electing more than a few men with integrity. Compromise is too easily available and the easy way out too many people are willing to take.
Liberty will come by Restoring the Constitution we already have. How will we do that? By petition and by challenging unconstitutional laws and the court decisions that will come from it.
One thing I'm starting to learn, Tom, is that Objectivists read too much and act to little. They are so busy mentally masturbating that they barely have time to stop and smell the rotting compromise.
I'm sure that you mean well, so let me change your Goldwater quote a bit; “Let me remind you that INTEGRITY in the defense of liberty is no vice, and let me remind you also that COMPROMISE in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
Borisimo
And that... Is a good sign I'm following the philosophically correct road. Thanks for the signs!
:0)~
Boris in Miami
but I had to vote that comment up. Touche. :)
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
Good night brother.
Boris
I'm not counting on pie in the sky virtue. I'm saying that we put people in that know they're only in to vote the way we want, and we let them know they're gone if we don't. That is the only reason a politician will ever do anyting for you.
We the People petitioned the government. The government ignored them. That's over now. Some of them stopped paying taxes. The government threw them in jail, whether it was legal or not.
You know why they can do this? Because the majority of people in America support them. We the People are the problem. Our people have become corrupt. They have accepted the official story and the government welfare that comes with it to pay them off.
We have to start taking back seats in the legislature, pass new laws, and change the official story. Ultimately, the people have to change or the government won't, but we can still start taking seats now.
This Lincoln fellow was going to be elected regardless of what Dean did. Dean gave him an inconsequential endorsement that will make no difference in the election at all. In return, he gets a shot at getting into the state legislature and voting the right way. No matter how many petitions you write, no matter how many court cases you fight (and lose), our freedom is not restored until bad laws are changed. In order to change them, you need people in there voting to do so.
Ron Paul is doing the same thing. That doesn't mean compromise. Ron Paul has never taken a bad vote in his whole career. But he works with Dennis Kucinich - an out and out socialist who is worse than any neo con - when Dennis can be helpful in getting something done that Ron Paul supports.
I stand by what I said a month and a half ago, which is I'm waiting to see how Dean votes, if/when he gets in. If he voted for freedom 1 out of 10 times, that would beat anyone else running. I think he'll do better than that. I'd suggest you put your energies toward the other Freedom Slate candidates.
By the way, you never answered about whether you've ceased filing or if you are moving to New Hampshire. Are you doing either one?
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
Tom,
I'm fully aware of the full scope of We the People foundation and I know that they are more than a "show me the law" organization. The petition of redress is not a recent one. As a matter of fact, the way I understand it, it has always been the core of "show me the law".
Most of the people who don't pay taxes are not prosecuted. If you look at the percentages of people who are prosecuted by the IRS, you will see the are exponentially biased towards those who do file taxes. With the added benefit that of the few who are prosecuted, many win and educate people and leave the precedent in court records.
In answer to your questions:
Taxes: I won't answer that, and neither should anyone elese, it is an uncouth question to ask any individual.
New Hampshire: I am a committed member and will move to NH when my commitment is called.
Boris
with the concepts you share about moderation, compromise and the like. But if you're thinking that our courts are going to restore freedom and liberty in America through petitions and litigation, I suspect you will be quite disappointed. Imho, the only way we'll change this great country of ours is through the creation and assertion of political power-- power that is built on community; one voter at a time from the grassroots up. Courts follow politics-- not the other way around. R
I believe that we are in agreement in the substance of the matter, but disagree in the degree of effectiveness of the different forms of pressure and how quickly they will affect liberty.
And, If you think that supporting candidates who don't have the philosophical structure to understand ethics and integrity, will make us freer, you will be even more disappointed than I.
We should continue as you say 'creating and asserting our political power", but we must be careful of whom we support.
And, we should not leave aside those organizations that are doing the fighting in court for us; And who are educating so many people in power by their actions. I personally think that it is a better venue, and that it has a greater possibility of success in the near term than voting. Just think about how much our liberties have been eroded in the last four years and think how much more we will lose in the next four. Maybe we don't have four years left as a Republic.
The Republic has entered the terminal stage. The time for pussy footing is over. The time for compromise has ended. The time to DEMAND the constitution be followed has long been with us.
Respectfully, I'll disagree with you on tactics, and will voice my opinion, though knowing that we are all in the same fight.
Borisimo
My point is simply that it is unrealistic to anticipate meaningfully and significant change-- either through courts or politicians-- until we in the freedom community have reached a critical mass of political power to effect the changes we're looking for. There will be no saviors-- imho it's up to us. Our wishes and demands will be fulfilled when we have a strong and vibrant community to back them up-- but not before. R
A bit of each... and a lot of education to get that critical mass.
So... Here is a chin chin to EDUCATING THE MASSES! Chin Chin!
Night, Rick.
Borisimo
most importantly, when the polticians feel that heeding our wishes is the only thing that will, in the immortal words of Mel Brooks, "save their phoney baloney jobs." :)
Tom Mullen
www.tommullen.net
www.myspace.com/skepticsongs
Dean knows his economics, too. Great show today.
I agree Rick. Dean is da man!