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Hello Miami Beach!
This is Matti Herrera Bower, your Mayor.
First, let me thank you for giving me the best years of my life working for you in Miami Beach.
I’ve always been about bringing government down to the street level, where people need it. I started out as a community activist, first as PTA president at Fienberg Fisher, Nautilus and Beach High. Working in the schools set me on a life-long path of getting involved in this great city.
A passion for historic preservation led me to join Barbara Capitman in her fight to save the Art Deco district.
I joined the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation board because I became convinced that Miami Beach had to find a way to help young families and the elderly find affordable housing.
Later, as a commissioner, I spent years listening to your concerns and helping you get what you needed from city hall. I’m proud to say that most of my issues have been resident issues.
Inspired by you, I pushed our city administration to increase the parks and recreation budget because there’s no greater investment we can make as a community than in the health of our residents, especially the children.
Among my successes, I fought to make the pools free for all residents and I got that parks budget almost tripled from what it was when I started.
I held the line when it came to putting residents before over development in many votes over the years. I also fought for the Miami-Dade County Human Rights Ordinance, which gives equal protection to all citizens.
You know, when I first ran for mayor, a lot of people, even my friends, said, “Matti, we love you, but you’re never going to get elected.”
How could a regular person, just a short little community activist like me, compete with wealthy lawyers and bankers with big campaign accounts?
But you knew better. You made it happen. You even made history – electing your first woman and first Hispanic mayor.
Together, we showed the powers that be that residents will always have the final say in how our community is shaped.
On Miami Beach, money doesn’t buy your love – results do.
Well, I’m here again to ask for your vote as I seek a second term as your Mayor.
Now let me tell you what I’ve been doing for the last two years.
With this tough economy we’re living through, one of my top priorities has been to promote tourism through the efforts of my Blue Ribbon Task Force on Tourism. I have also fought to get money for the renovation of the convention center, which is the lifeblood of our industry.
Another economic initiative was to create the first city-supported gay pride festival in Miami Beach history and the city’s Gay Business Development Committee.
I also convened the first Miami Beach Women’s Conference this past March, which brought thousands of women from South Florida together for leadership and inspiration.
I also signed the Education Compact we have with the school district, the first one in the county.
The compact is a groundbreaking partnership between the city and the schools to combine our resources to get every one of our kids the best educational experience possible.
In fact, I visit the schools every year and can’t tell you how impressed I am with what they do.
And as those of you who have suffered through flooding know, another big priority for me and the city is improving our drainage. That’s why I chair the Capital Improvements Program Oversight Committee, which looks at how we’re going to fix the streets, drainage, and renovate our parks.
I’m asking for your vote because we have a lot more work to do. We have just gone through a very tough budget year and next year will probably be an even bigger challenge.
The key is how we are going to keep services at the level you expect, while dealing with a shrinking tax base.
We can do it, together.
I hope you will allow me to continue serving you.
Thank you. |
