Editor's Note: This is the second in a two-part story.

A special election for a Sarasota area House seat had Democrats salivating at the chance to swing a moderate district, but first, they must settle on a nominee. Democrats Margaret Good and Ruta Jouniari will spend the coming days reaching out directly to voters in their own party leading into a Tuesday primary that will determine whose name appears on a February ballot. That means convinces the most die-hard members of their own party to endorse their progressive credentials before taking the platform in front of a wider range of voters through District 72.

On wages, Jouniari says the state needs to adopt a $15 minimum wage. “How can we justify people living in poverty as a minimum wage?,” she says,” especially if you live in Sarasota where as a single person rent is going to be $1,200 or $1,500 a month.” Good agrees the state cannot continue with a minimum wage of just $8.10 but wouldn’t endorse a particular dollar amount that should be adopted instead, and rather demands that the state study and determine a living wage that would still allow small businesses to continue operating.

And Good also wants to see greater investment in public education. She’s been upset at the increasing demands by the Legislature for districts to fund charter schools. “Florida should not be funding for-profit charter schools,” she says, and favors a ban on that practice while still allowing nonprofit charter schools to operate. She also criticized growing voucher programs in Florida, that by 2020 could be directing $1 billion toward private schools she says lack any state oversight.

While Jouniari has made an appeal to the progressive wing of the party, she voted for Hillary Clinton in last year’s primary, citing her own feminism and ties to the same college community as the ultimate Democratic nominee. Good declined to say who she supported in the primary last year.

Both candidates say they can support the use of business incentives in the state. Good said they must come with substantial requirements. “It’s important we bring great businesses to Florida and do more to help small businesses already in Florida,” she says, “but when a business receives incentives, we have to hold them accountable to create jobs, enhance jobs and do more for our workers.” Jouniari says the state should use incentives to bring desired industries to Florida. “If we bring in solar companies, alternative energies, recycling companies—something that will better the planet, the economy and society—than I’m all for putting forth business incentings and bringing those industries into Sarasota,” she says.

The winner of the primary on Tuesday will face Republican James Buchanan and Libertarian Alison Foxall in a Feb. 13 general election. The seat was vacated by state Rep. Alex Miller, who resigned earlier this year citing family and business obligations.  

Leaders in the nonprofit sector usually prefer to sit political discussions out, but at the most recent installment of SRQ’s SB2 symposium series, Philanthropic Agenda, leaders from the area foundations said they have been closely watching recent debates in Washington on tax reform, concerned about how any change in tax structure could impact deductions and incentives for giving.

“If you watch some TV channels, this is going to be so good, and we’re going to have so much money, and we’re all going to be so happy and we’ll all be rich and have more to give. If you watch other stations, this is the worst thing that ever happened and we’re all going to be broke and we’re all going to be homeless,” said John Annis, senior vice president of Community Investment for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “I think it’s probably going to be somewhere between those things, and we’re all going to have to see what happens.”

Mark Pritchett, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, said his main concern right now was the increase in standard deductions, which could lead to more people choosing that route instead of opting to file for individual deductions. “The fear is if we minimize that people won’t give individually to charities.”

Monica Van Buskirk, president and CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation, says shifts that discourage such deductions could impact long-term giving. While initial gifts may come from a place of pure generosity, letters send out by charities to donors to help them claim deductions help develop loyalty among those sending checks. “It makes them come back,” she says.

Carol Butera, executive director of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, said that the changes remind her of the sharp shifts in estate tax rates earlier this decade. “In 2010, the estate tax was repealed, which at the time caused a 39 percent reduction in the amount,” she said. “Then in 2011, it was reintroduced, and that was a 93 percent increase in the estate tax. In broad strokes, that can have a major impact.”

Martha Wells, representing the Southwest Florida chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, noted other changes could affect the very mission of nonprofits, particular a change that could allow charities to engage in more overtly political activity. “Broadening that mission would make it more challenging to have confidence and make sure it (donations) gets used the way a donor intended,” she said. 

Sarasota designer Olivvi adds whimsical elements to everyday wear with this opaque duster jacket. This one-of-a-kind jacket will inspire your wardrobe and surely become a staple in your closet this season. Oh My Gauze is the only store that carries this local designer, making this piece truly exclusive to the area. Made with crinkled silk organza, this duster adds texture and depth to a simple ensemble. Wear this statement piece with leggings or a slip dress for a chic East Coast look, $249. 

Oh My Gauze, 374 St Armands Cir, Sarasota, 941-388-1964.

Oh My Gauze

In response to recent discussion about an agreement with Elite Airways to provide additional commercial jet service in and out of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, airport officials will be on hand for a press conference to announce details about a new forthcoming route and to conduct an open Q&A with community leaders and members of the media. Press conference and Q&A starting at 11:30am at the Elite Airways ticketing counter on the ground level at SRQ Airport. 

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

Mote Marine Laboratory’s coral reef research facility in the Florida Keys has become the first U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Commercial certified building in Monroe County, honoring its eco-friendly design and construction. Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration (IC2R3), which opened in May 2017, is advancing Mote’s critical mission: marine research supporting conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Dovetailing with that mission, LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the world’s most widespread rating system for green buildings, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). With Mote’s specifications in mind, Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc., built IC2R3 to include 30.1 kilowatt solar panels, a rainwater capture system, significant proportions of recycled and local building materials, and other eco-friendly features. The facility offers scientists and students eight residential suites, five offices, two wet labs and one prep lab on the second floor, three dry labs, one prep lab and one ocean acidification lab on the third floor, two electric car charging stations, two indoor classrooms and one outdoor classroom. 

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota has been designated a Healthy Sarasota County Worksite. SCF joins fourteen worksites in Sarasota County which have been awarded this designation after a comprehensive review of their programs and environmental supports to improve employee health and well-being. The Healthy Sarasota County Worksite program, which is administered through the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County (DOH-Sarasota), designates employers who are carrying out health promotion actions endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proven to improve the health and well-being of their employees. Eligibility for the designation includes completing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Worksite Health ScoreCard. Best practices in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, weight management, tobacco control, stress management, diabetes, vaccine preventable disease prevention, breastfeeding support and others are included in the ScoreCard. Health officials say worksite wellness is an important aspect of promoting a safe, healthy community. People spend more time at work than anywhere else and decisions and habits reinforced in a healthy worksite can transcend into other aspects of life. 

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota