info on FL governor's race -- Republican primary.
Tom Gallagher for Governor -- http://www.tg2006.com
From his website:
Protecting our Most Vulnerable CitizensPart of building strong families and a civil society is working as a community to protect the most vulnerable. A humane and just culture must recognize the dignity of all innocent life as something worth protecting and encouraging.
A culture will not be remembered so much by what it builds but by how it protects those who are most in need.
Support Crisis Pregnancy Centers and Non-profit Hospice Care
In addition to supporting the Pregnancy Support Services Program begun by the Governor this year, a Gallagher Administration will encourage hospitals, ob/gyns, and other health care providers to support these organizations with donations of supplies, equipment, and other materials. Such groups are constantly refreshing their own equipment with newer models. The establishment of a donation program will make it easier for health care providers to help assist crisis pregnancy centers and hospice caregivers with the equipment and training they need to carry on their valuable roles.
Establish a 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortion
An informed consent statute for abortion was passed and signed into law several years ago. The law has never gone into effect, because it was immediately challenged and struck down by lower courts in the state system. The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case later this year. Regardless of the courts’ decision, women are entitled to be fully informed before they undergo a procedure as serious and life-changing as abortion. Accordingly, a Gallagher Administration will advocate for a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion may be performed.
Encouraging Adoption
Every child deserves a loving home. A continuous, innovative and focused effort in the Gallagher Administration will be to encourage adoption, especially of the children in the care of the state. Focus will be placed on funding and expanding the adoption plan and benefits currently in place for state employees, encouraging greater cooperation between the Department of Children and Families and private adoption agencies, and creating community-based adoption specialists.
Fully Fund and Expand the Adoption Plan for State Employees to All Florida Families Adopting Within the State System
A Gallagher Administration will fully fund this program for state employees and copy it so that similar benefits can be provided to non-state employees willing to adopt children currently in the care of the state. A Gallagher Administration will also propose doubling the one-time adoption subsidy up to $10,000 per child and $20,000 per special needs child to help ease some of the financial burden of initial adoption costs. No better investment in the life of vulnerable children could be made than to help them find them a loving family.
Create More Co-operation Between DCF and Private Adoption Agencies
A Gallagher Administration will direct the Secretary of the Department of Children and Families to establish regular meetings between private adoption agencies and the local staff of the department so that they can work together and better exchange information and provide insight on potential qualified families that may be seeking a child.
Create Community Based Adoption Specialists
A Gallagher Administration will propose the creation within DCF of Community-Based adoption specialists throughout the state. These specialists will provide families with places to start and be shepherded through the process of adopting a child or becoming a foster family. Trained adoption specialists will provide answers to questions, return calls of inquiry, and help find loving homes for children in need of a family to call their own.
Improving Foster Care
Assisting parents in their fight to strengthen their families and protect their children is vital, but there is much work that remains to be done in reforming and improving the way that the state provides care for children that don’t have a family at all.
A Gallagher Administration will expand on the “One Church, One Child” program to look to more churches and synagogues and ask them to help recruit more foster families to help care for these children . Real focus will be placed on encouraging families who would not normally think of themselves as foster families to consider the option.
The Gallagher Administration will host an annual conference on foster care and bring together charities, faith-based organizations, civic organizations, churches, and synagogues to bring greater awareness of a very real social problem that can be handled by qualified families with willing hearts.
Just wanted to mention that I talked to a fellow from St. Pete today and he said PBS documented Charlie Crist with a man and I don't mean at a bowling alley. Crist hated Terri, we know that. He had to hate her so he could help Judge Greer, et al murder her.
Tom Gallagher for Governor www.tg2006.com (Crist is NOT a shoe-in.)