Brian P. Moore,Citizen Activist, Florida, 2012

I called Alex Sink's press secretary yesterday, Kyra Jennings, who was gracious to notify Ms. Sink that I was calling to congratulate her on her primary campaign victory.  Later in the afternoon Ms. Sink returned my call and received my congratulations modestly and cordially.

Ms.Sink had just gotten off the phone with Attorney General McCollum, who I presume, had called to congratulate the Democratic primary winner as well, since they both work together on the Governor's cabinet and various committees in Tallahassee.

Ms. Sink said that Bill McCollum had indicated to her that he and I had crossed paths various times during the August phase of the campaign (Punta Gorda, Palm Beach, Miami, Boca Raton, and Jacksonville).

I urged Ms. Sink to include more progressive programs in her platform, and to be more specific and liberal in order to contrast herself with conservative Republican primary winner, Rick Scott.

I suggested she advocate for immigrant workers to be given seasonal visas, to legalize them, instead of criminalizing them with overbearing laws.  Plus, she needed to go after the corporations who exploit the workers as well.  I also urged her to promote a single payer health system, and to even consider the concept of establishing a state-run non-profit banking system.  I acknowledged her past history with the private sector and her own affiliation with the bank of America, but argued that the for-profit banks were unable to make their loan conditions flexible or low enough to increase the number of loans for mortgages, small businesses, and lower credit card rates.  I think she felt uncomfortable, but did listen.

Ms. Sink was pleased to hear that I was the New Mexico state campaign manager for Former North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford, when he ran for president in 1975 against Jimmy Carter.  Ms. Sink said that when she was in high school in North Carolina, she was in a program started by Governor Sanford that encouraged her to get into politics.

I wished Ms. Sink luck in her campaign, and our ten-minute congratulatory phone call was amicably over.