MY PLATFORM
School System Reform
Charter schools in moderation create options and opportunities. But they are being exploited and are destroying our school systems. All of my children attend public school, and they get some of the best care and attention a parent could ask for. Public schools are defining characteristics of a community and bring local children together, much like we grew up. We need to improve teacher pay and become one of the most desirable states in the union for teachers to come to. We also need to re-educate many people on the services public schools offer that private institutions simply can't afford. We need to clean the schools up, hire more maintenance and grounds staff, create a more positive environment, and support all of the faculty and staff in creating a sense of community.
Preserving Our Rural Lifestyle
There is more that can be done to prevent commercial expansion in rural areas like Jupiter Farms. Our team has researched possible legislation to prevent attempts to develop commercial and scholastic enterprises like what is happening in Jupiter Farms. There is a way, and we will find it.
No Data Centers. Period.
This is not a compromise, it's a stand. Legislation needs to be put in place immediately to prevent, for all future, any projects that put a strain on the local population — and it should ALWAYS be up to the local population, not a council or government, who decides the use. It's our backyard, and I am willing to stand for it.
Housing
We should make housing affordable, not affordable housing. It's a personal belief of mine, and while affordable housing programs should be and will be available, they will only ever touch a limited number of people in the community. We need real programs in the form of higher education credits, better job opportunities, a tax relief pathway that supports those pursuing first-time home ownership, first responders, military veterans, and teachers — incentives that focus on responsible long-term growth and stability in the community for the people who actually live in the community. There are millions of dollars literally burned up every quarter for needless legislation and studies. Let's put this to work in our hometown.
Public Safety
There has been a need for a fire station that can support the west side communities. Too often, medical attention arrives far too late to assist or support in life-and-death emergencies. There are opportunities to do this, and if we can save lives, this is a major priority and, frankly, the role of government. We are not here to rename roads — we are here to provide infrastructure and life safety. It's time we get back to that and focus on what matters: you, your families, your children, your grandparents. They all deserve a timely response, and our first responders deserve the opportunity to do the jobs they have trained to do.
Insurance
The cost of insurance rises, and the number of insurance agencies and options drops. While this happens, we worry every year about coverage — and meanwhile, Tallahassee builds a prison with a catchy name and spends millions of dollars to do so, with hours over hours of press releases and TV coverage. How about putting that money into insurance legislation that caps Big Insurance and brings real deductibles and long-term plans to the people who need it the most, right here in our backyards.
MEET DOUG
ABOUT DOUG
I'm Doug Barrow, and I am running to represent you, our communities, our way of life, and the things that matter here, in our backyard. What being a representative for our community means for me is that I stay focused here, at home, in the neighborhoods, the local schools, shops, retailers, businesses, churches, sports and recreation, wildlife preserves, and community groups — and when the opportunity comes to represent our community's interest in legislation that affects Florida, to do so with ethical and honest valuation.
Local government should not be a Big Blue or MAGA Red conversation. It should not be any party's decision on what happens in my backyard and in my community, and it certainly shouldn't be based on how a political party tells us to vote in Tallahassee, Red or Blue. This is our town, our Jupiter Farms, our Caloosa, our Belle Glade, our Marisol, and our PGA. These are our businesses, our schools, our kids' backyards, playgrounds, and fields. These are our neighbors, and together this is our community.
Community is more than our geographic location, and I have seen our communities rally together to protect their way of life like no other communities in Florida. But I do not see our representatives in these fights. I see them focused on the Party, and the Party agenda, and more than once we are left without a voice, to rally together and take the fight on ourselves. Help me take back sense and sensibility. Help me take back a focus on what we need right here, right now. Help me plan for our future, protect our communities and preserve them, and together build a better tomorrow for ourselves, our children, and our neighbors right here, at home.
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