My Senator Mel Martinez

Melquiades Rafael "Mel" Martinez is my U.S. Senator for the state of Florida.

My Mel Martinez Performance Scoring:

Character: Seemingly a straight shooter.

Competency: Seemingly competent.

Contribution. Very unclear. While Martinez is still somewhat new to the Senate, he currently boasts more committees that he has significant accomplishments. This is generally a tell tale of a career politician more interested in resume building than achieving sustained results. Time will tell and this web site will report whether Martinez' actions and committee assignments deliver forecasted results or merely provide Mel membership to some of the most private old boys clubs.

Mel Martinez Accomplishments

• I'm waiting on your accomplishments Mel. As a member of the Armed Services committee, the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee, and the Energy and Natural Resources committee, you're in an influential and powerful position to make a material difference to the 18 million Floridians and America at large. Please show us what you're made of and make us proud.
• Martinez is an advocate that supports universal health insurance from the private sector. While I wholeheartedly agree with him, I'd like to see the blueprint for a private sector universal health care plan that can achieve its goals without the inefficiencies and bureaucracies of the federal government. Four million Floridians are without health care. While they need to be served, we do not need to impair 14 million other Floridians with a government-run health care system.
• Martinez is a supporter of winning the war in Iraq. Martinez deserves some recognition for promoting the controversial troop surge which has been a resounding success in reducing Iraqi casualties, reducing US armed forces casualties and delivering a crippling blow to al-Qaida in Iraq. I believe Martinez' approach of permitting our military leaders to lead military strategy, instead of career politicians, is the best strategy for successfully resolving this complicated situation, winning the war in Iraq and advancing the war or terror.
• Martinez supports homeowners insurance reform for Floridians. Martinez correctly asserts that Florida Counties can effectively operate with less than a 15 percent raise every year. I believe that if Martinez can solicit the help of Bill Nelson on this issue, they can both be successful and bring a very positive change to Floridians.
• I'm encourage by Martinez approach to energy independence. Martinez correctly points out that Florida has failed to increase the number of nuclear plants for more than 25 years; largely in part to environmental extremists and their non-sense predictions of gloom and doom. This is a tough fight, however, if Martinez can harness support from Bill Nelson, this is something that can bring long term benefit to Floridians.

Mel Martinez Positions

• Abortion. Pro-life. Supports education to reduce abortions and advocates the promotion of alternative methods such as adoption.
• Economy. Pro-growth. Supports free trade, tax cuts and reducing employer regulations.
• Education. Supports No Child Left Behind Act, school vouchers and standardized testing.
• Environment. Support restoration of the Florida Everglades and conservation funding without tax increases.
• Foreign policy. Highly critical of dictator and human rights violator Fidel Castro. Supports the tightening travel restrictions, the economic blockade and funding to groups opposed to Castro.
• Health care. Supports a private commercial solution over government-run health care. Proposes private Medicare and Social Security accounts for younger workers, much more thorough investigations to curb Medicare fraud and importation of cheaper drugs from Canada.
• Homeland security. Takes a no-nonsense approach to employing all reasonable efforts in the war on terrorism.
• Immigration. Opposes amnesty for illegal aliens.
• Religion. Opposes the godless liberals attempts to remove all public displays of religious significance from society.
• Same sex marriages. Supports a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriages.
• Second amendment. Supports the right to bear arms.

Mel Martinez Public Service History

Martinez is the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under President George W. Bush. Martinez filled the HUD Secretary role for three years before returning to the Sunshine state to seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. Prior to leading HUD, Martinez served as Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority and Chairman of the Orlando Utilities Commission. In 1998, Martinez was elected to Mayor of Orange County, FL.

Senator Martinez earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University (1973). Martinez went on to practice law for 25 years before engaging in politics full time.

Senator Martinez arrived to Florida from his native Cuba in 1962 at the age 15 as a part of "Operation Peter Pan," a humanitarian effort led by the Catholic Church that aided over 14,000 Cuban children in escaping Communist Cuba. Martinez lived with foster families for four years until he was ultimately reunited with his family in Orlando in 1966.

Posted: February 10, 2007
Keywords: My Florida Senator, Bill Nelson