State Rep. Dan Gelber is the Democratic House Leader of the Florida House of Representatives from Dist. 106 in Miami. He’s also a former federal prosecutor who is now an attorney with Akerman Senterfitt’s Miami office, a husband and father of three. Last week, Gelber was in Jacksonville to meet with local media, talk about his role in the Legislature and his current bid for State Senate. He sat down Wednesday with Mike Sharkey of the Daily Record.
Question: What are you doing in Jacksonville and what do you hope to accomplish during your visit?
Answer: I am going to a lot of different cities to meet with different people. I am meeting with the Jacksonville Justice Association tonight.
Q: What’s your message as a candidate for State Senate?
A: The importance of vigilance and how the justice system works. The Legislature has a bad history of attacking the judiciary and I think it’s incumbent upon lawyers and legislators to protect the judiciary.
Q: Have you been to Jacksonville before? If so, what do you think of the city?
A: I have been here about a half a dozen times and I love it. It’s thriving. Over the last decade the changes have been dramatic. It still has nice, quiet neighborhoods, but it’s developing. Mayor (John) Peyton was in Tallahassee talking about property taxes. The Legislature has a bad habit of thinking one size fits all. In Jacksonville’s case, that’s not true. Jacksonville has been the model of efficiency and how to run a city.
Q: What’s your role with your party?
A:I’m the Minority Leader and my job was to work the last election cycle. House Democrats have not gained a seat in the last 35 years. Next session, we gain six seats, going from 35-41. Having over one-third is huge. My job is to challenge the Majority (the Republicans) and keep them in check. Criticize, but constructfully criticize. It’s OK to criticize ideas, but not personalities.
Q: Is there still the necessity for political parties?
A: Most people don’t define themselves by party. Most people identify themselves by what they do and who they are. If you ask me, I’d tell you I am the father of three and a happily-married lawyer. A good legislator is someone who realizes there are things more important than party ideas and advances and the job you do. It’s more regional than partisan.
Q: What are you plans for 2008?
A: I am running for State Senate. Gwen Margolis is retiring and I have gotten her endorsement. I don’t have an opponent, but you always expect one, so I am raising money on the assumption I will have an opponent. It isn’t hard to navigate your legislative duties and run against an opponent. The hardest part is family. My kids are at the age (9, 7 and 3) where they still like me.
Q: How has being an attorney helped you as a legislator?
A: I think being a federal prosecutor helped me more than anything. As a federal prosecutor, you can’t take cheap shots. It’s not normal litigation. More is expected of you and you have to take the high road even if the other side doesn’t. You represent the United States of America, not a private company or person. You take hard shots, but not foul shots. That’s a pretty good lesson as a public official.
I was also chief counsel for former (United States) Sen. Sam Nunn (of Georgia). He had the attention span for policy like I have never seen. He was great to work for and I noticed how he mastered subjects. I try to follow that.
Q: What do you for fun?
A: I play basketball and I play a lot with my kids.
Q: What does the next year hold for the Legislature?
A: It’s a huge year in the Legislature. The two big issues are taxes and insurance. It bothers me that both remain undone to an extent. There are also the issues of age, which are health care and education. Twenty percent of our state doesn’t have health insurance and only Texas has a higher percentage of children without health care. A recent study shows Florida is second only to South Carolina in the dropout rate and the worst in the nation in graduation rates the past three years.
At the same time, we have this incredibly bizarre problem of being a low tax state with a tax crisis. There’s an imbalance and too many people are not paying their fair share. We are trying to provide relief at the expense of reform when we should be providing relief through reform.
We are going to have a major tax crisis in the next decade. We are in one now and this (the current property tax reform) doesn’t solve it. They are little answers to big questions.