Editorial: Grassroots effort could bring success to the Children's Movement of Florida

When the Children's Movement of Florida rolled into the Treasure Coast last year for one of 17 rallies prior to the start of the legislative session, there was great optimism that, at last, lawmakers would recognize the importance of making our children a priority.

But, the hopes of the nearly 1,000 people who attended that rally in Fort Pierce and the thousands who attended similar rallies were dashed when lawmakers not only didn't make children a priority, but balanced the budget in large part by slashing funds for programs impacting children, including for public school spending, voluntary pre-kindergarten and the state's Healthy Start program.

Rather than taking a step forward from the state's dismal record on children, the state took a step backward.

Why did that happen? The excuse given by lawmakers was the need to balance a budget with declining revenues. But, that is simplistic and dishonest. The issue was not so much about available money or the lack thereof, but of where priorities should be set. Clearly, lawmakers felt that priorities were elsewhere — and so that's where the money went.

In recent weeks, the Children's Movement returned to the Treasure Coast, this time for a listening session in Fort Pierce to get input on what might be done differently to persuade legislators — and the governor — to change their attitudes.

David Lawrence, the retired publisher of the Miami Herald and co-founder and president of the Children's Movement, carried the movement's messages to Gov. Rick Scott and key lawmakers. Those messages include improving child health and aiding those with special needs, providing quality pre-K education, and more parenting skills and mentoring programs.

While those state political leaders claimed to be on the side of children, when the time came for action, they weren't to be found. They claimed to be listening and supportive. They showed they, apparently, were neither.

Lawrence is passionate in his support for children's issues and can be extremely persuasive in defining problems and solutions. But, the lawmakers didn't see where it would be to their political advantage to make children a priority. They didn't see the votes.

While they saw in Lawrence an advocate for children, they didn't see the thousands of people who attended the movement's "Milk Party" rallies last year. They didn't see the 250,000 Floridians signed up to get emails from the movement or the 1 million people Lawrence hopes will be on that email list by next year. They didn't see the voters in their districts.

And, that is where the grass roots work of the Children's Movement can make a difference with lawmakers. Rather than depending on the leadership of the movement to carry their message to lawmakers, individual citizens must take their own message to the lawmakers in their own districts. Every person running for office in Florida should be asked by potential voters if they are willing to make children a priority. If they say yes, they must be held accountable. Voters don't take kindly to being lied to by their representatives.

In holding them accountable, the Children's Movement should adopt a report card to rank each lawmaker on how he or she votes on issues impacting children. Such a report card should give lawmakers second thoughts about their positions if they are not in support of children, in support of our future as a state. Those lawmakers with failing grades should be voted out of office and replaced by candidates who better understand the importance so many Floridians place on making this a better place for children.

Lawmakers who this year turned their backs on the Children's Movement and on children may have felt they had little to fear politically. With the grass roots effort and the organizing strength of the Children's Movement, they may discover they can only turn their backs on them again at their significant political peril.

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