the status quo and current LEADERSHIP has failed state house district 23. our COMMUNITIEs continue to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, and an economy built for and designed by the ultra-wealthy and massive CORPORATIONS. From the food desert in west Ocala to the lack of broadband internet in the ocala national forest, one thing is painfully clear. House District 23 needs a NEw direction.
Cynthia Dela Rosa is taking Marion county in a New Direction. Dela Rosa, when elected, will work with the private, public and non-profit sectors to address the pressing issues in our community. The campaign will be release six distinct plans of action, called “Pillars.” Each pillar is tailored to the specific needs of our district and will show Cynthia’s main priorities once she gets to Tallahassee.
None of these issues will be solved through a “top-down” approach, but rather through organizing and coalition building across our county and state. Cynthia Dela Rosa will help spearhead this process by using her base, network, and coalition to bring various parties together, hold our leaders accountable at all levels of government, and provide any and all necessary support from the State. Through bipartisan cooperation, community engagement, and coalition building; we can address everyone of these issues and create a stronger Marion County for everyone.
In short, the New Direction isn’t about providing broad policy based solutions where Tallahassee saves us. But rather, it is about building a movement across political, racial, religious, and cultural identities to get these issues addressed and ensure that our communities are truly being represented.
Pillar One: Senior Care Initiative
“Our seniors spent their lives working for and building the America we have today. We must make sure that America is now working and building a future for them.”
Protecting State resources and funding
When in office, I will always work on behalf of our senior community. This begins with protecting the vital programs that support and fund the resources our Seniors use everyday such as:
Community Care for the Elderly (CCE)
Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative
Local Services Program
Home Care for the Elderly
Quality Standards for senior care subcontractors
By 2023, elders will make up the largest demographic in the country, and Marion County is already a predominately senior community. We must ensure that our seniors have the high quality in-home support they need to live their lives in dignity and comfort.
Currently, approximately 800 Marion County Seniors are in need of in-home support. Our seniors who are currently receiving in-home support are dependent on private/subcontractor services.
The Department of Elder Affairs Rule 58H-1 under the Homecare for the Elderly Program (which is designed to regulate in-home support for seniors) hasn’t been updated since 2008. It also offers little in the way of quality assurance for those taking care of some of the most vulnerable in our society.
We must work to ensure that our seniors get the quality, in-home support they need without limiting access. Cynthia will work with leaders in the senior community, organizations such as Marion County Senior Services, and senior advocacy organizations to ensure that high standards are ensured for our senior care.
Mental Health
Mental health is the unspoken condition afflicting so many within our community. This is with emphasis on the senior community as Dementia and Alzheimer’s run rampant.
Cynthia will work tirelessly with regional partners and the Marion County government to ensure that County Wide mental health services are available, funded, and resourced.
Protect and expand Social Security and Medicare
While Social Security and Medicare are federal programs, Cynthia will use her influence, coalitions, and network to ensure that our federal representatives are held accountable.
We must work to ensure that these programs that our seniors depend on are protected and ensure that those in power are always representing their constituents best interests.
Pillar Two: Operation ONF
“The communities within Ocala National Forest are strong, independent, and full of potential. They don’t want Tallahassee in their backyards telling them what to do, they want a voice that empowers them and fights for them. I will be honored to be that voice.”
An end to Poverty
22% of people live below the poverty line within the Ocala National Forest. The statewide rate is 15.5%. This was also before the Covid-19 pandemic. This is unacceptable.
Current status quo leadership has failed this community and its time for change. Poverty isn’t taught, its created by failures in leadership in both Tallahassee and Washington D.C.
For to long, local non-profits and the religious community have been on the front lines of treating the symptoms of poverty (the lack of food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, etc). Now, its time to address the disease of poverty itself. We must begin a campaign to end poverty.
Addressing this will require a number of solutions:
Working to bring new jobs and industries into the area.
Ensuring that every worker in the Forest receives a living wage.
Empowering workers to have more say over their economic lives.
Working with federal partners to support the creation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) program to guarantee basic necessities.
Support universal housing programs to ensure that every resident in the Ocala National Forest has safe, stable, and secure housing.
Roads and Infrastructure
Many in the forest depend on unsafe and underdeveloped roads in order to reach necessary and vital services and resources.
Many of our first responders cannot reach key segments of the Forest due to poor infrastructure and underdeveloped road systems.
Improving the infrastructure and roads within the Forest will also encourage future economic growth and opportunity within the region and should be key to any plan to provide the communities of the Forest with the representation it deserves.
Part of Operation ONF will be working with our partners at the county, state, and federal levels to ensure that the Ocala National Forest receives the attention and support it deserves. While working with departments such as the Florida Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure that funding, resources, and tools are available for this needed endeavor.
Access to broadband internet
In an age where so many depend on the internet for work, educating their children, and even healthcare so many within the Ocala National Forest have been left behind and abandoned. This much change.
Cynthia will work with our local and regional partners as well as the private sector to bring broadband internet to the region.
The communities in the Ocala National Forest have been forgotten and undeserved by their leaders for to long in this regard. Ensuring access to broadband internet will be key to the future of the Ocala National Forest.
Pillar Three: Veterans
“We owe our veterans a debt that can never truly be paid off. We must work tirelessly to ensure that our veterans receive the healthcare, social services, and support they deserve. The veteran community deserves a leader who always advocates for them.”
Transportation
Everyday, veterans in our community find themselves unable to hold down a job, get required medical treatment, or travel around their own community with ease due to unreliable public transportation.
By working with local and county partners, we must expand our public transportation system to ensure that our veterans have the ability to get to work, arrive at VA appointments, get food, and live a life of dignity.
We will also work with private partners such as Uber and Lyft to ensure that our veterans get free rides to needed VA appointments, the grocery store, and potentially work.
VA Accountability
So many within the veteran community feel as though they don’t have a real voice within the VA. We must work to change this.
We must ensure that our veterans have access to effective and sufficient means to voice concerns, grievances, and opinions with the VA system.
We must also make sure that those within VA leadership are held accountable and are doing everything they can to meet the needs of our veterans.
Access to legal services
A often overlooked problem within the veteran community is access to legal services as many veterans cannot afford a lawyer to assist with housing disputes, divorces, child custody cases, etc.
Cynthia will support the creation of a VA program to help ensure that our veterans always have access to legal counsel and representation when needed.
We must ensure that our veterans have the support they need when they need it and by working with the many law firms located within Marion County, our partners at the Federal level, and our county veteran services; we can achieve this.
Pillar IV: Small Businesses
“Ocala has always had a small town atmosphere with large city opportunities. This couldn’t be clearer when you see the vibrant and loving small business community that has formed in Ocala and across Marion County. We must always work to ensure that our small business have the support and representation they need to thrive and prosper.”
Creating a economy that allows small business to thrive
Too many find themselves shopping at Wal-Mart and other large, corporate chains out of necessity - not desire.
We must create an economy that supports our local communities, our workers, and the small business they wish to support.
Creating a society where people have the economic freedom to shop at and support our local small business is key to supporting our small business community.
Developing and expanding crisis support for small businesses
The Covid-19 pandemic along with the economic depression has shown us that our public tools and resources are woefully underdeveloped to ensure that our small business have the support they need.
So many communities were left vulnerable as we saw large corporations and big business walk away with millions in tax-payer dollars.
We must ensure that our small businesses aren’t left out to dry and that Tallahassee has the tools, systems, and programs in place to support these businesses in times of need.
Fighting against corporate socialism and big business
Current leadership in Tallahassee has implemented a policy of corporate socialism at the expense of our communities and small businesses.
Between massive tax cuts, corporate bailouts, and large tax refunds - our state government has shown that it is on the side of Walmart and Disney as opposed to our local mom and pop shops.
It is time to give our small businesses the support, resources, and tools they need to develop, thrive, and invest in their communities. This begins with ensuring that these large corporations are paying their fair share and are are kept in check.
Pillar V: Operation: West Ocala
“The time is now to address the issues and hardships plaguing the Residents of West Ocala. From the lack of nutritious food to the threats of gentrification and homelessness. I will be honored to work in the Florida House of Representatives to ensure that West Ocala has the voice it deserves.”
Addressing Homelessness
The time has come to address homelessness. No Floridian should be sleeping in the streets.
Working with our city, state, and federal partners; we must guarantee universal housing for every Floridian.
Guaranteed housing would:
Strengthen our communities and empower individuals to improve and build upon their lives.
Take a burden off of law enforcement to deal with the side effects of homelessness.
Reduce crime.
Fighting against Gentrification
As more and more large corporations move into Marion County and the surrounding areas, we have seen our communities become gentrified and so many residents left behind.
It is time to stand with the people of Marion County and ensure that they have a government that stands with them and not large, private developers and their interests.
Ensuring that our neighborhoods are protected, housing is treated as a right and not a commodity, and ensuring that zoning codes and laws are fair and just; not tools used to harm Ocala families. All of this is keep to fighting, and ending, the act of gentrification.
Ending the Food Desert
Status quo leadership has FAILED West Ocala when so many people don’t have access to a stable sources of nutritious food. Its time for a change.
Cynthia will use the resources, tools, and influence available to the Office to bring produce sellers, economic opportunity and grocery retailers to West Ocala.
This lack of nutritious food has had a direct and detrimental effect on the health and well being of the residents of West Ocala.
Pillar VI: Healthcare
“Healthcare is a human right and should be about treating the hurt and sick; not about making massive profits for corporations and investors on Wall Street. We must ensure that every Floridian gets the healthcare they need and deserve.”
Covid-19
Invest is more testing and decrease the amount of time it takes to get results.
Hold private contractors accountable for delays in results and available testing.
Offer support for uninsured and struggling small businesses.
Opioid Crisis
Hold large pharmaceutical companies accountable for flooding our communities with addictive and dangerous opioids.
Support legalization and the expansion of medical cannabis as an alternative for opioids.
Work with the hospital district and treatment centers to ensure that those in need have the resources and help they need to fight this disease.
Guaranteeing healthcare as a human right
Expand Medicaid and insure hundreds of thousands of Floridians.
Work with private and public partners to expand and invest in health clinics and services in underserved communities.
Fight with federal partners to enact Medicare For All and guarantee healthcare for every American.