By Gina Burrell
Editor: Heather Beaven, Democrat, articulate candidate for Florida Congressional District 7, is running against incumbent U.S. Rep. John Mica, Republican. Mica is, and has been, a strong advocate for oil drilling off Florida's coasts, and has received $60,000 from Big Oil.
Beaven is a CEO of a 501(C)(3) nonprofit company that focuses on bringing education, workforce and economic development together to help people better themselves through education and training. She is a Navy veteran, and when elected, would be the only woman veteran in Congress. She believes that we Americans don't have to shortchange our economy or environment to free ourselves from foreign oil. She believes in investing heavily in clean energy.
Opponent Mica voted:
* No on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures (3/09);
* No on monitoring TARP funds to ensure more mortgage relief (1/09);
* No on regulating the sub-prime mortgage industry (11/07);
* No on protecting whistleblowers from employer recrimination (3/07);
* No on campaign finance reform, banning soft-money contributions (2/02).
Mica, in early May, 2010, issued a press release putting all the blame on the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG) budget for the oil gusher, rather than BP. This is hypocritical, because when he was for eight years chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, responsible for the USCG budget, he missed opportunities to bring USCG into the 21st Century. The fleet was operating with archaic equipment and 40 year-old ships, and he cut their procurement by 19 percent.
When Mica was a member of the Florida Legislature in the 1970s, he voted to drill for oil in the Everglades, and was the only Florida member to favor lifting the moratorium on oil drilling. The League of Conservation Voters in 2010 gave him a scorecard of 7 percent.
Vote for Heather Beaven for Congress D-7, who will represent all residents, rather than special interests.
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