Miami Beach, FL – October 16, 2015 – As a candidate for Miami Beach Commissioner Group 4, Jonathan H. Parker, a 25-year Miami Beach resident, calls on the constituency to vote early, before the November 3rd election, or on the 3rd! “Their voices will be heard loud and clear,” Parker said, “Your vote makes a difference for the future of Miami Beach.” Early voting begins on Monday, 10/19 and continues through Sunday, 11/1 – at the Miami Beach City Hall (1700 Convention Center Dr.) and North Shore Branch Library (7501 Collins Ave.). In addition, October 28, is the deadline to request an absentee ballot and absentee ballots must be returned in time to reach the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections no later than 7 p.m. on November 3rd.
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A self-made man, Parker’s work ethic was formed as a child when his father started him out in the family travel agency. As a respected attorney, business owner and entrepreneur, he has established a reputation for integrity and financial acumen, experience he gained from his tenure as a Vice President of Paine Webber, in addition to his work as a member of the Florida, New Jersey, and Hawaii bars. He practiced law with two private firms in South Florida before opening Parker & Maloney in 1991, where he currently protects clients’ rights.
A member of the Florida Bar, New Jersey Bar, Hawaii Bar and the Dade County Bar Association, Parker is a certified arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA). He holds a B.S. degree from TulaneUniversity in New Orleans and received his law degree (J.D.) from the University of Miami School of Law.
Since law school, he has dedicated himself to community service while pursuing his career and business interests. He is the Past President of the Rotary Club of Miami and was formerly a Board Member and Chairman of Major Gifts for the American Cancer Society (ACS) Florida Division, President of New Directions (the young professional group of ACS), and a member of the University of Miami Citizens Board. As someone who believes that giving back to his community is paramount, Parker also supports the American Red Cross, the PaleyCenter for Media, Film Society of Miami, and the Humane Societies of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The candidate has also handled cases for the pro bono project of the Dade County Bar Association.
Parker has concise, progressive positions on the major issues facing Miami Beach in this election. He supports easy access to elected officials such as the mayor and commission and is distressed by the fact that it is difficult for residents and businesses to deal with the operations at City Hall. Parker says that the administration’s current “customer service” policy doesn’t work because it’s only a slogan. Generally speaking, they are unresponsive and tone deaf to the issues that Miami Beach residents really care about in their dealings with City Hall.
He feels that all of the media attention surrounding the Relentless for Progress PAC (“RFP”) may have essentially been a calculated distraction. Since Commissioner Wolfson announced that he would abandon the PAC, voters have dismissed their concerns about it. However, Parker is apprehensive that the mayor’s slate of endorsed candidates, if elected, would give the mayor a “rubber stamp” and complete control over the commission and everything that happens on Miami Beach. He states that few people realize that Miami Beach does not have a “strong mayor” by law; the mayor gets one vote just like any other commissioner. Electing the mayor’s slate of endorsees could lead to the mayor being in charge of the entire city budget, making the $1.5 million raised by the PAC look insignificant in comparison.
Additionally, Parker is concerned about election fraud and tampering, as the election date gets close and some candidates don’t maintain ethical standards in their quest to get elected. He was recently disturbed to discover that another commission candidate was conveying anonymous and false information to residents of a retirement residence, specifically telling them who to vote for in order to avoid eviction due to impending development. Parker highly respects “the greatest generation’ and finds this type of intimidating campaign tactic repulsive. “America is great because we have a right to vote our own consciences without retribution… even in Miami Beach,” Parker said. Although he encourages people to vote for candidates who are not on the mayor’s slate, by voting for the most qualified candidate – Parker in particular – he says it’s more important to get out and vote, no matter who you vote for.
Parker is an entrepreneur. As such, he spent time working in the financial industry in retail securities and institutional bond sales. With the city ready to float almost $1 billion in municipal bonds, having a sitting commissioner who has practical knowledge of the industry and its products. At a very minimum, Parker has the knowledge learned for his professional securities and insurance licenses. He has held prestigious positions at Prudential Securities and UBS PaineWebber, which combined with his experience as a FINRA arbitrator, leaves him head and shoulders above the rest on this particular issue.
There are other major problems to be addressed in this election, including traffic, parking, sanitation, and security. Parker’s solutions to these issues are well reasoned and succinct. Traffic problems could be decreased by coordinating traffic lights and redirecting commercial traffic. Sometimes solutions are as simple as deploying police officers to direct traffic around accidents or construction areas and pruning or removing foliage so that street signs, traffic lights, and retail signs are visible, eliminating the “stopping to look” driver or the endless circling to find an address.
Parking problems could be solved by adding as opposed to removing spaces due to Citi Bikes on the streets instead of sidewalks where there is room and removing end-of-block bumpers. Residents should have the option of buying a permit for free parking or at a deep discount. “City Hall over thinks solutions and likes complex solutions that cost money rather than simple solutions,” Parker states, “and the number one way to get cars off the street and reduce traffic congestion is to make parking affordable and readily available.” Raising parking costs, like they just did, will discourage people from parking and lead to slowing traffic on the roads, double parking to “run in” to their destinations or keep them circling the blocks. Limiting parking to a few hours prevents people from parking overnight in many areas.
Even before running for office, Parker knew that residents feel forgotten by City Hall in favor of “tourist mayhem” and “development gone wild.” “While tourism is our main industry and the city must evolve with development, we must always ensure City Hall treats permanent residents and local business as its top priority,” Parker says. “People that live in Miami Beach year-round are a special breed that deserve our utmost respect and consideration.”
Contact Information
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If you are interested in volunteering to assist the campaign, please visit: http://www.parker4miamibeach.com/volunteer
Media Contact
Company Name: Howard R. Miller Communications
Contact Person: Mario Sancarranco
Email: Send Email
Phone: 3055730882
Address:3009 NE Quayside Lane
City: Miami
State: Florida
Country: United States
Website: http://www.parker4miamibeach.com/