Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 4-19-16 Edition

Features
State Representative District 61
Candidate’s Campaign Coffer Reaches Over $100,000
Two local individuals have tossed their hats into the ring for the State Repre- sentative, District 61 seat. The seat is currently occu- pied by Rep. Edwin Narain, who is seeking election as the State Sena- tor.
A Tampa native, Ms. Di- anne Hart announced her intention to seek the office last month. She is well known throughout the city as a community activist.
Ms. Hart attended Mid- dleton and Hillsborough High Schools before obtain- ing her diploma from Gary Adult High School. She is currently enrolled at Spring-
field College where she is majoring in Human Serv- ices with a concentration on Youth and Community De- velopment. She is slated to graduate in August.
Ms. Hart currently serves as the CEO of the East Tampa Business & Civic Association. She is a member of New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. She is the mother of 3, grandmother of 7, and great grandmother of 4.
This is the first time she has sought an elected office. Attorney Sean Shaw
is her opponent in the race. A native of Tallahassee, Attorney Shaw graduated
DIANNE HART
ATTORNEY SEAN SHAW
from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts De- gree in Politics. He contin- ued his education at the University of Florida, Levin School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor de- gree.
Attorney Shaw is the founder of an active advi- sory group known as Policy- holders of Florida. In 2014, Attorney Shaw ran for the State House District 61. He currently resides in Tampa, where he is active in many grassroots and human serv- ice organizations.
He is a member of St. John Progressive Mission- ary Baptist Church.
“I’m honored by the out- pouring of support for this campaign,” State Senate can- didate Edwin (Ed) Narain said after learning his cam- paign had raised over $100,000. He has raised $104,060. He added, how- ever, that with lots more work still to do, this move- ment is off to a great start.
Narain is seeking to fill State Senate District 19 seat held by State Senator Arthenia Joyner, who has term-limited out.
Narain’s opponents are: Betty Reed, of Tampa, for- mer State Representative, who has raised $22,181.64, and Darryl Rouson, of St.
ED NARAIN ...Candidate, State Senate District 19
Petersburg, current State Representative, who has raised $44,150.
Governor Signs College Affordability Bill
Last week, Governor Rick Scott signed HB 7019, which creates greater transparency and accountability in Florida’s higher education system. HB 7019 provides greater clarity for students regarding college costs; continues to hold the line on graduate school tuition; informs students of required and rec- ommended textbooks before the start of classes; requires our colleges and universities to adopt policies that make textbooks more affordable; and requires the Board of Governors and the State Board of Education to annually study and make recom- mendations on how to make college more affordable.
The Fight For $15 Per Hour Worker’s Movement
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Staff Writer
Gail Rogers, 56, makes mini- mum wage working part-time as a cashier at McDonald’s.
The Tampa resident says the $8.05 she makes an hour isn’t enough to cover all of her living ex- penses.
In fact, there’s almost nothing after paying her $425 rent, she said.
Coupled with the low pay is the mistreatment she sometimes experi- ences on her job, including being talked down to by co-workers.
“I’m always getting hassled,” she said. “To get hassled, I need more money.”
Mrs. Rogers said prayer has al- leviated some of the stress she’s faced at work. But she’s still not earning enough money.
“I need $15 (per hour),” she said.
On Thursday, Mrs. Rogers met up with other fast food, child care, and home care workers at the Robert Saunders Public Library to organize before boarding a bus to Orlando to participate in a strike and protest in support of a $15 minimum wage and union rights.
The protests – held throughout the country – are part of the larger Fight for $15 movement that is spear- headed by the Service Employees In-
BLEU RAINER
ternational Union and began in 2012 when 200 New York fast-food work- ers walked off their jobs for $15. More protests have taken place all over the country.
In Florida, SEIU represents more than 55,000 active and retired healthcare professionals, public em- ployees, and property service work- ers in the state of Florida. The union claims more than 2.1 million mem- bers.
Labor activists recently scored several victories after $15 minimum wage laws passed in California, New
York, and Pennsylvania.
The Fight for $15 Movement cham-
pions low-wage workers who – whether they flip burgers or watch after children – deserve fair pay for their work, said Tampa activist Bleu Rainer.
“We’re trying to create justice among all working people,” he said. “We’re hungry for it and it’s past time.”
Like Mrs. Rogers, Mr. Rainer is among the estimated 64 million workers who earn less than $15.
He’s worked in fast food for the last nine years, currently at Checkers. His pay is $8.05 an hour.
Mr. Rainer, who says he’s a member of the Fight for $15’s na- tional organizing committee, said many minimum wage workers often have to decide between paying rent and buying food or medicine.
“These are choices we shouldn’t have to make in the United States of America,” he said.
The benefits of a living wage ex- tend far beyond just the employee, he said.
“If you give the people at the bot- tom more pay, we’re going to spend it in our own neighborhoods,” he said.
Mr. Rainer said the fight for a higher minimum wage isn’t con- tained to just the U. S. He’s also trav-
eled with the national organizing committee to Brazil and Europe to protest tax evasion by corporations and worker mistreatment.
The Democratic Party adopted a $15 per hour platform, but Mr. Rainer said no candidate should as- sume that workers like himself are immediately aligning themselves with any political party that supports the movement.
It would behoove all candidates to pay attention to the protests and heed activists’ calls for a living wage, Mr. Rainer said.
“We’re telling candidates to come get our vote,” he said. “We’re not just going to go to the polls for you just because you’re a Democrat or a Re- publican.”
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2016