|
( Farris Bryant dccsn't believe in lablcs. Instead. he says,
"I am what I am and what I an is a seasoned, conditioned and learned
putician who wants to see this state grow and go in the seventies.
I'n for gun progressive legislation and if the status quo is good,
then I want to make it better.
(_hryant. a candidate for the United states Senate. however.
can reflect back OVcr his career of public service which expands
3 almost 30 years, and still say with the Lkzva enthusiasm and
sincerity that the did in the ggzitorial campaign of 1960.
Pigst and foremost we believe in conservative government. To us. this
type of government is that which grants to the individual a maximum of;
freedom with a minimum of governmental control. It is that which per~
petuates a system of checks and balances both functional and geographic
and xkzhn-ahshx which clearly defines the powers and respghsibilities
of the Legislative. Executive and Judicial branchee of government and by
doingssvk so doing emphasizes the separation of.y'these powers and
responsibilities."
(garrie Bryant says he and Florida have both changed since
he was the state's governor fuzm 1961-1965. 3 We've changed and we
are growing. Certainly I've changed. But I haven't changed in those
valuzs in life which led me in my first decision to try and serve my
state when I E: :t ran for the House of Representatives in 1942. These
1? ',<
beliefs are not ancient forms, but they are eternal truths,3 he.::3 says.
_
,2
(Why does Bryant. 3 succassful Jacksonville attorney and insurance
company executive, want to re-cntor the political arena and run for the
Senate? .
bryant 2
"These are troubled times and we are in an age when we don't
dissolve one crisis before we are confronted with another. It takes
\chart this nation's course
eper. sensible and experienced minds to keeprusoncauseand Florida
0-
end the nation is losing one of those kind ofninds when Sen. Speasard
0-,
Holland retireeJ S;3¢
e)
(.'I feel that the state needs my experience--that which I received
as a legislator and governor and that I received in Washington~to continue
Plorida
to enrxuuv serve the best interests of all of the citizens of he.stetea
I can be an effective senator from the day of inauguration because of
of my experience and because of the working relationship: I have already
A
established u: with the members of the senate. I know all of florida
and the state will not have to lit by and idly nan wait until I can
learn the jobl,
¢ haunv I an already equipped to go to work.
- gixpl-Nka shell to... Lo, 15%. t.-lu 4...;-..- ;...;v-: \1; h; l II.
,Qpa 1 \\k£Jg '
accountant and Whose uncle an was a:_one.+lme Speaker of the,Huuse
of apprescntativeo. Bryant linked his future with that of Florida's
we while he was Just a young man. Y
(~Aiter receiving his law degree from Harvard University, agyant
' returned to his home state in 1938 and joined the state Comptroller's
staff as an i auditor. Four years later, he i entered the political arena,
winning it a seat in the House of Representatigen from Marion County at
the age of 26. But, just before the session started. Bryant resigned
and on: enlisted in the navy as the United States braced for World War II.
(~ln 19s 1946. with the war over and Lieutenant ENE bars on his
uniform, Bryant decided to take up where he had left off and once more
he ran for and won a House seat from Marion County. ztxnaexthnax Bo
\fqut (J
was unopposed in 1946 and wonjauccessivc terms without opposition.
(_puring his 10 years in the.t;3 state legislature. Bryant became
one of the beat lawmakers in Florida history. He was cited by his colleagues
and the press with every# award that can be bestowed upon a legislator. x3
including being named the 0'"Most Outstanding and "Most Valuable" membert
of the House three separate times and "Most Valuable Member of the Legislature
once. In 1953. he was elected Speaker of the House.
(Bryant'a and Florida's accomplishments were many during his
decade in the House. Some of the legislative acts hat: pioneered include:
Lfilorida's Minimum Education Foundation Program for Education.
(slnitiation of Educational Television in Florida.
(3mm on illegal Gambling in the State.
0
*Vital Central and Southern Florida PIBSd Control Districts.
\.
LfJunior College Expansion Efforts.
I
lrzaztnn
\fCreation of a major turnpikenfthe length of the etate.
.jConsolidation of state tax collectiont and central purchasing.
@m: w r
t 1
n 1960. Bryant dcfcalcd a field of 10 candidatcsin Inc
u£2§=;T.*W~N1)
first Democratic pi imary In the second primary. be defeated a
papular state senator who had the endorsement of an incumbent governor
by 100.000 votes.
{Bryant then geared for the November general election
6
by uniting the state Democratic party and estabrshing a theme and
s tempof that handidly 54:.-3223 defeated the Republicans. His
caspaign of (2:333 that fall in 1960 has been called the best
organized in state history and his ability to cement the party's
waring factions under one banner for victory has been labled
amazing.
T0051 81-1
(fNen before he was inaugurated in 1961. Bryant forms: the
Tourism Steering Committee comprised of key tourist industry leaders
to advise and consult him on state travel promgtion efforts. e
revamped the states advertising campaign resulting in an increase in
site visitors C) from 10.9 million just before he took office
in 1961 to nearly 15 million in 1964. his final year as governor.
(,In 1960. the state was realizing just 92 6:) return
for each dollar it spent on t2=s=:av# advertising. but in 1963. the
tax return jumped from $92 to $122.07 per dollar spent on promoting
Florida.
INWSTRIAE DEVELOP: {El-'1'
(;Puring an the Bryant administration cam from 196fY1965. some
5
- J
2.000 new plants or expansions were added in Florida. bringing in an
investment of $.5.z::fx billion 51d creating over 60.000 new jobs.
ROAD DEVI-2E0?! IENT
After cm Bryant's nomination and prior; to his
taking office. the -lt£::iS.iJ7§-& administration of his predecessor
was rocked by Ka?%i Department scandal. In 8 fact, the department
was so much in debt that When Bryant assumed office. he 9:232):
could not let a state contract for road construction for five
months. As a result. the state was placed:.:: on a probationary
status. tying up federal reimbursements to the state for roads
t
already being constructed and etyming new conetrucom plans.
a
Lian-dent hit was the Interstate System which is finced
a!
by 90 per cent federal funzf.
by the time Bryant moved into his capitol office.
the State Road 9;: Departth was harnessed with a $9 million
I
debt. Bryants cawpaign promises to extend the state's
asphalt fingers to 1§233 their furtherest points. making them
reach into areas of greatest need. was challenged by this'EEEEE
standstill. Bryant met and defeated the challenge and kept his
promise thant to the people. He spent countless hours in
washington. restoring the integrity of the state road department
in the eyes of the federal government and by 1964 highway construction
had increased at a pace of over $100,000,000.
(She state legislature had determined by law that the
Sunshine State Parkway would be rented from Fort Pierce on the lower
east coast to a point near Wildwood in North central Florida. Bryant
Rt!" W:Lx~l
puzshfgz the extension to its completion.
(_§e initiated a $10 million a year program to four lane
Florida roads E::=w and improvad 0.8. 1 from the Georgia line to
f
Homestead south of Miami. 99am: Intddstate 10 1.}.3 from Jacksonville
to Lake City was mm completed and from there it was.e)ttcndcd
mum
to acz'Sjuction with k Interstate 75 which cuts the
heartland of Central Florida. 1: past the Turnpike terminus and thcn
mwestward to '.:.":'."...L'T;._1-.Zn. Tampa.
Cleo included in Bryant's program was the four-laning
of 0.8. 301 ta._t~:pt from Jacksonville to connect with 1-75. and
state rmd 60 was included to provide rapid access from Tampa to
'L
the mid-sthe point of the Turnpike. On the west coast. 0.5.
Q,
27 and v.3. £3 19 were four-larTJd from the Georgia (.1 state
I
line to Chieand. and from 9.2) the Tampa Bay area northward
into Pasco County.
J
ma
C Ex mid 1964. the Bryant administratiOn kg had
provided the leadeghip to make Florida the number one state
in the nation in utilization of. Interstate Highway funds-quite
a reversal from the situation he found the state in when he
first took over three years {.3 earlier.
mNSERVATION
mm ,- .
C Florida's beaches-L). forests. wildlife/3:3 waterways and-.12:
mineral weglth are directly linked to the state's tourist and ,'
industrial develoment and one of Bryant's primary goals was to
sit-1.23-
preserve and develo; the: ._ natural resources. Bryant was
determined to remove: the deaf ears of government C: to which
conservationists had been pleading for so: long. To follow
through on a campaign {:1 pledge to spearhead vital programs in
this area. he named to his immediate staff an assistant whose major
responsi/ility was the 3 devel gonna E sound conservation
\fgruc'h 4113- t
programming and to head th {Governor's Advisory Comitec on
Recreational (77;? Development .
I
I
chn 1961. at BryantVa urging. the state legislature passed
a bill callinegor
Ha major reorganization of the State Board of Conservation.
bringing together for the first time the independent divisions
of the state dealing with salt water fisheries. water resources
6173' divisio;y
and geology and adding a newir 'D=\_of waterways developmant.
XQQTH
( One of §:?;:E=z Bryant's primary concerns has always
been for gear young people 31 to have a better emu-1.2:: understanviirg
was *W e. h
of government. He aia n organizing the Florida Citiihnetip
Clearing Honse to encourage students to take a more effective
interest in state government. He also co-authored 3 "Government
. /,_
and Politics in Florida,3 a text used in political science
classes in the state's universities.
(N In 1947, an a young member of the Florida House, E?K2ntx
\l
Bryant asked for and got a resolution passed which would have put to the
n a
voters the question of extending the franchise 2 to 18 yehr 0163. However,
:he resoluton was defeated 1n the Senate. In :?59x-l949, the same thing
1nppened.
<:'Today, some 20 years later. 18 year old: a are still unable to
'ote 1n the state and Bryant is still a resolute in his feelings that they
hould be able to do 80. Recently, q in a Miami television news interview,
a
a said. "I still think that is a good resolution. The voterx for 13 year
, 43,;5
Ids is vital, he believes, "because you need a bzalance 1f Rtells not to
Co v
ocome and old :untry.
PAGE 1
.ari .c ar' .E ..e .t .e .n b .I-.e d .e .a s "1A vi: .I ir. a d wh t I ...i ..... ::. ..:~, c n i ~t.d at e r e. pnl ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 11 Lcin 1 ..t e 15:s: -:, y.n h yiIn -s
PAGE 2
"These~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~..... .. ruldt1tsaiin ar naeenwedn
PAGE 3
.....-. .1: n .: .:1'. t lc e 1 :3 : -! .-" .--'.; C tr.3 Df I'.Eilre.:f::1Laitivi'E, ~ ~ ..~ra~ ..rg ....tu .t .i-.f ..rl
PAGE 4
6_ %.il 1td i t1c esta-ar;.shi rit; a thc1re aru t}e Republicans. His een cal lrd the' hest to ceme11t the party's .....y .y 1 Goadie ln coethn o tt rvI3po in ~o~. H (During r: 2,000 riew plats or
PAGE 5
Ua oce ~ w o Lwc i colUo e 1 4
PAGE 6
CBy mir3 19114, t? s provided the leaJefehip i in the nation irt utilini a reversal cro:. the situ: first took over three yes OE.151-RW.TIO: ItE-3 7# d a beac1 .. 3 forests, ptineral we lth a directJ.y lirthe-1 to t indusEri:sl developr-ent arid one OE Dryan s .'A i preserve and 6.velop thr---r:atural deter:aimed to roove the rier.I e:. e DE r conservationist had been plead3-g for a through on a e$r-paign -_ 3 ple'.l-ge to spethis area, he non.ed to his i-naaliate su responsi ility on the g devilgp:. c-ig f progr.c:sing ar.d to T|ead tifi o':urnor' s i wildli f+-7 Watel." he strite's tourist t's primary goals resources. Bryan
PAGE 7
YOU'; --] Or:0 of --.-23. Bi-_g:nt '.=i pr-.:.:,rg cocr rri: n alv:aa hec:r. For ::--a -:a:,:.: -.719 a to ings. :: le t!:r.y e-. _.::-urar2L...:199 5 10 5'v a n' t dret.of govern: e-.t. 11, ? ---:--15 orga 2.~ r.g ti-e -'ior:! d a ci ti e ip cle-li'itig Nauw: t-o encorag a 21.o 't:11..i to t:ne a r-ore e !E-: et iveinLere; a i n s t., he gover;.-.an .. He DNo co-aui.hore:i d 'tovers:.cr.t and E'olitics in -'lori:Ng a LexL usca in po"itical. science clarer.., in t~:le sta te 's uni-ar-; it-.5 r=:s In 1947, as a yours aanber cith" ['-.orida noursc-, 5-: :2x i EL"yar:t nEled for a.d got a resahits on pared v:h.i ch wolid 2-_ave put t-i t-to Jotern the gestion ci c: e.i'ldntj the franchis:e i to 16 ye-'r olds. Howevnr, .I he ruol i:'-wi -.'as de bted Ln th -$2:s te .In ,-. -=-_-:5'2 1949, the ser.a th ir g tappenarl. Today, so:-:e 20 years later, 10 yar c].ds a are still criable te -ote i-: the stale and Bryr.at is at -.11 :t resoli'te in h i -feel ira:a the.t thheEld be abi.D to CD as .Fccently, g in a 1.117.1:.1 te]:3viciori n-r.nl inte.-v too. G G Mid, "I GL-i t I think bl.at i 5 a goedl re:-:a]2 i.on s '' T]n -ate---: for 1:2 ye:.? Icis is v -2:a], he bel ir-ve:s "boma ycti 200 n h alance if ~.: is r.ot to ets-le and Mc] EmLry.
|
