Merrillee for Florida · The platform
Life. Liberty. The Pursuit of Happiness.
These are not just words from a founding document. They are a framework for what our government is actually supposed to do.
The Declaration of Independence tells us that these rights are unalienable, unable to be taken away or given away, and that governments exist to secure them.
That is the standard. That is what I am running to uphold.
Life
Life begins with clean water and clean air. Without them, nothing else is possible.
Clean water and clean air
I believe in defending nature’s rights not as an abstract idea, but as a practical foundation for human health and survival. When we protect our rivers, springs, and aquifer, we are protecting ourselves and every generation that comes after us.
Healthcare that does not bankrupt families
Life also means access to healthcare that does not bankrupt families. I support single-payer, Medicare-for-all reform. It saves money, eliminates unnecessary middlemen, and treats healthcare as what it is: a basic condition of a decent life.
Building and planning that does not poison the ground
And life means building and planning in ways that do not poison the ground beneath our feet. Sustainable building design is not a luxury. In Florida, it is a necessity.
“Do unto others downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.”
Wendell Berry · cited in Merrillee’s platform“We cannot do what we did in South Florida.”
Merrillee Malwitz-JipsonLiberty
Liberty is not only freedom from things. It is freedom to do things.
Freedom to, not only freedom from
Freedom to learn. Freedom to thrive. Freedom to speak, to criticize, to praise, to love. Freedom to control your own body. Freedom to vote for whoever you choose. Freedom to worship however you wish, or not to worship at all. Freedom from catastrophic medical debt. Freedom from fear.
Equal justice under the law
Liberty also means that the rule of law applies to everyone equally, regardless of skin color, wealth, or fame. It means that law enforcement at every level, including federal agencies operating in our communities, must be accountable, identifiable, and subject to the same standards we expect of any officer of the law.
“Equal justice is not a political position. It is the foundation of a free society.”
Merrillee Malwitz-JipsonThe Pursuit of Happiness
All flourishing is mutual. This is not a zero-sum game.
Public education and communities that belong to everyone
We all make better decisions, build better communities, and live better lives when every voice is heard and every person is seen. Parents need to know their children are safe, healthy, and being educated by people who care. Neighbors need to know their concerns matter. Communities need spaces, literal and civic, where people can gather, create, and belong.
Public education is the foundation of democracy. It is where critical thinking is born, where creativity is nurtured, where we learn to understand people whose lives look different from our own. Arts education, multicultural education, honest history: these are not extras. They are the core.
We need to shift our cultural priorities toward what actually sustains life, liberty, and happiness, and that starts with recognizing that nature does not need us, but we absolutely need her. When we take care of the land, the water, and each other, we are not being idealistic. We are being practical.
The economy out here
Water is also the paycheck.
Clean water is not only a health question in District 10. It is what people here sell, and it is what brings anybody from outside to spend money in these towns.
Tourism
The springs, the river and the trails are the best-known product these five counties have. Every outfitter, campground, motel, guide and lunch counter on the water is downstream of whether that water stays clean.
The trades
Well drilling, electrical, welding, HVAC, heavy equipment, linework. Skilled work that cannot be shipped somewhere else and does not require going into debt to enter. It deserves the same standing in a school counselor’s office as a four-year degree.
The arts
Merrillee has run a gallery at Rum 138 for years. Out here artists, musicians and makers are not a hobby, they are an economy, and they are a big part of why people stop in these towns instead of driving through.
Five counties and a long list of small towns — and not one of them should feel like this district belongs to somebody else.
That is the campaign. That is the platform.
That is why I am running.
Let’s Row, Row, Row the Vote…
Sources
She shows her work.
Merrillee credits the thinking behind this platform. These citations are hers, reproduced from merrillee.com.
- Declaration of Independence, USA Constitution.
- Timothy Snyder — the idea of “freedom TO instead of freedom FROM,” from On Tyranny and On Freedom.
- Kathleen Dean Moore — “all flourishing is mutual,” editor of Moral Ground.
- Thomas Jefferson — an educated public is the foundation of democracy.
- Wendell Berry — “Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do to you.”
- Heather Cox Richardson — the real wealth in the USA is land ownership and its natural resources.
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