Why Nick Ruiz Over John Mica?

Nick Ruiz is a dedicated progressive and lifelong environmentalist running for the central Florida congressional seat currently held by GOP hack John Mica. Blue America has endorsed Nick and if you'd like to contribute to his campaign, you can do it on this Act Blue page. This week Mica cast his 38th consecutive vote to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act despite the fact that the legislation has begun to deliver for his own Orlando-area constituents. As a result of the law:

• 10,900 young adults in the district now have health insurance through their parents’ plan.

• More than 6,500 seniors in the district received prescription drug discounts worth $8.7 million, an average discount of $610 per person in 2011, $690 in 2012, and $740 thus far in 2013.

• 97,000 seniors in the district are now eligible for Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible.

• 189,000 individuals in the district-- including 38,000 children and 77,000 women-- now have health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible.

• 172,000 individuals in the district are saving money due to ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from spending more than 20% of their premiums on profits and administrative overhead. Because of these protections, over 53,400 consumers in the district received approximately $7.6 million in insurance company rebates in 2012 and 2011-- an average rebate of $132 per family in 2012 and $168 per family in 2011.

• Up to 36,000 children in the district with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers.

• 232,000 individuals in the district now have insurance that cannot place lifetime limits on their coverage and will not face annual limits on coverage starting in 2014.

• Up to 123,000 individuals in the district who lack health insurance will have access to quality, affordable coverage without fear of discrimination or higher rates because of a preexisting health condition. In addition, the 37,000 individuals who currently purchase private health insurance on the individual or small group market will have access to more secure, higher quality coverage and many will be eligible for financial assistance.

Nick wrote this guest post for us today:

John Mica: Der Kommissar
by Nicholas Ruiz

Since 1993, when he was first elected to represent FL-7, John Mica has had an opportunity to do good for central Florida. Instead, he has acted to destroy lagoons, lakes and rivers by thwarting EPA efforts. He has had an opportunity to raise the standard of living of all people, by voting to increase minimum wages. Instead, he has voted against better wages. Mica has had an opportunity to improve the lives of senior citizens by improving Social Security benefits. Instead, has voted to cut the Social Security program. By now, this sort of profile is sort of like a calling card for any GOP order taker, and, sadly, more than a handful of Republicrats as well.

Mica is visciously inconsiderate, as the following committee exchange highlights:



Voters don't like Mica. But no one has ever mounted a significant challenge to his tenure as a lobbyist tick in Congress. And Democratic organizations have not helped any candidate do that. Why not? Who knows. Perhaps the shill groups like him. These Democratic groups back GOP lovebirds all the time. But we, that is you and I, can remove him. By 'significant' challenge-- I mean appropriate in terms of campaign advertising directly challenging his value as a representative, by someone who can educate voters about the counterproductive reality of John Mica as representative. Perhaps he's a wonderful family man, and proud pappy. It's irrelevant-- he's a lousy representative, and that is what's at stake. I'm a professor, and I am his polar opposite.

What I bring to the table is the understanding that good governance can never be had by enlisting the favor of a simple corporate perspective. Business is great. But government is not a business. It's an institution of taxation and representation, that's tasked with far more, than the narrow perspective of deciding what is profitable in terms of capital gains. We must decide what is profitable in social and civil terms as well, dealing with varied matters of civil rights, social justice, environmental security, education, military responsibility, democratic government and international relations, and so much more. Much of that is often opposed to what is profitable financially. So you see where a narrow perspective would get a nation into trouble, don't you? That's why we're in the mess we're in-- because of the incompetent myopia of representatives like John Mica.

None of this stopped Mr. Mica from raising around $150K for the second fundraising quarter for 2013, which just ended. The election is only a year or so away. I can defeat John Mica. Help me do it. We have to ramp it up.

Thanks for your relentless solidarity.