World Wide Jeb (Governor of the people)

Wall Street Journal Opinion ^ | Dec. 26, 2002 | JOHN FUND

[FairOpinion]

Jeb Bush has stunned many Floridians over the last four years by passing out business cards with his personal e-mail address at public appearances, and then actually responding to their messages.

Donna Arduin, Mr. Bush's budget director, says that many people are pleasantly surprised to get an e-mail back from a real, live governor.

"It helps me keep close to the pulse of the people. I get unfiltered advice or criticism, and different information than my staff can give me." The governor answers some e-mails and forwards others to relevant department heads, but he reads them all.

But he won't wait for people to contact him. He often calls ordinary people he reads about in the newspapers. He asks his staff to give him the names of two business owners every day and then calls them to ask how the state can better serve them.

Mr. Bush won 55 out of 67 counties, rolling up a 56% to 43% victory in a state that was tied in the 2000 presidential contest. Perhaps even more importantly, Republicans took two-thirds supermajorities in both houses of the Florida Legislature and are now in a commanding position to make the state a model of conservative reform.

[FairOpinion]

I don't know how he finds time for all that, but I think it's great, that he personally reads his e-mail and stays in touch with the real people out there.

[gubamyster]

Posted:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/812510/posts

[patriciaruth]

Ping!

[summer]

Thanks for the ping, patriciaruth! Posted HERE. :)

[summer]

FYI --

HEY! Q: Guess who took the time to write a special thank-you note to FR posters? A: JEB BUSH!

[patriciaruth]

Really fun your getting an email from Jeb. You deserved it and more, because you put in so much time preparing that series of articles about him and putting them on the web.

It was so great that voter reform made it possible for him to win in a landslide in the end. When it got close I sent a contribution, but that was quick and simple.

This Christmas we got about a dozen cards from family and friends, and five from politicians. Three of them are new "friends," even though one of them lost and one wasn't running this year. LOL!

Happy New Year!

[W04Man]

That's pretty Kewl of Jeb to do that. I had email access on my cruises - wouldn't go on a ship without it. I wonder if he will answer my email that I will send him about his brother's 2004 campaign?

Join the Bush2004 Grassroots Campaign

[Arpege92]

I had read somewhere that President Reagan used to send money to people who had written to him about their personal problems. He would write them a personal check and he never wanted any publicity about this. This act alone shows me exactly what kind of a man he is.

[fightinJAG]

bump
And thanks for your work building support for JEB!

[TLBSHOW]

Hope you had a Merry Christmas.

How is the you know what coming along?

[merry10]

I'm hoping to go to the Reagan Library tomorrow (it is 20 minutes away). There is a World War II exhibit, as well as 20 trees decorated with ornaments from around the world along with menorahs sent to the Reagans during his presidency.

[merry10]

I emailed Jeb during the 2000 campaign a couple times, as well as during this last election. One email he actually forwarded to the GWB campaign - I had gone to Burbank to see GWB, Laura, and John McCain, but had to wait and wait and wait...I wrote to Jeb, he forwarded to someone on the campaign staff, and I had a great email back from them.

[summer]

LOL...haven't even had a chance to work on it! Hopefully things will settle down by this summer, when school is out. :)

[summer]

BTW, hope you had a Merry Christmas too! (And, yes, I did.) :)

[summer]

Thanks, patriciaruth. I really appreciate all the people here on FR, including you, who posted and made my threads about Gov Bush such a success here on the forum. So, again, thank YOU! :)

[summer]

Re your post #9 - My pleasure. Thanks for your kinds words, fightinJAG. Hope you have a happy new year! :)

[TLBSHOW]

BTTT