500 signatures reached
To: Mayor Carlos Gimenez
It's Not Over, The County Has Appealed! #LetMIAVote
Join me in urging that Mayor Carlos Gimenez enforce the orders of the court and direct the supervisor of elections to “begin the process of placing the campaign finance reform initiative on the November 8, 2016 ballot.” Don’t let legal tactics stand in the way of the rights of Miami-Dade voters.
This initiative will limit the power of big-money interests in politics, increase accountability and give ordinary people like you and me a stronger voice. Big money shouldn’t equal political access and special interests have no place in politics. We, the people should run Miami, not billionaires and lobbyists.
Why is this important?
My name is Michelle Davis. I am an African-American mother of three, and I've been a registered voter since the day I turned 18. I am sick and tired of feeling like my vote doesn't matter. This cause is important to me because special interests shouldn’t have a bigger say just because they have bigger bucks. I want to be able to see people in my community running for office, even if they don’t have big money from big donors. I worked for months in the hot Miami sun to share this initiative with the citizens of Miami-Dade County. We talked to hundreds of thousands of people and together, gathered 127,000 signatures in support of campaign finance reform. I believe in a Miami where all voices are heard and where the will of the people is respected.
Last week, after strong opposition from both county commissioners and the county attorney, the courts sided with the will of the people and ordered that the initiative be placed on the November 8, 2016 ballot “immediately, without delay.”
Immediately after the ruling, the county attorney appealed and asked that the Judge’s order be suspended. We’re now in a critical period. We must not let the County Attorney run the time out on getting this initiative printed on the ballot. We must ask the Mayor to stick to his word and direct the Supervisor of Elections to continue her perpartions to put this on the ballot, so that when we are sustained, the election department has this on the ballot. We must act now so they don’t disrupt our democratic rights through legal tricks.
Our communities often don’t exercise their rights because they often feel that the political process is rigged, corrupt or not in their interest. Inaction by the mayor and county commissioners is a prime example of the ways in which the voices of voters, the very people who elected them into office, continue to be ignored.
It is time for our elected officials to do their jobs. 127,000 voters deserve to be heard. Join me in directing the mayor to enforce the laws of the court and order the supervisor of elections to place the initiative on the ballot immediately.
Let’s take a stand against big money in politics and ensure that the will of the people prevails. Sign and share our petition!