Grimsley Opponent Returns, Declines Contributions

Democrat Elton Gissendanner said a major focus of his race against two-term Republican incumbent Denise Grimsley for the District 77 state representative's seat is redeeming politics from the heavy influence of lobbyists and special interests.

The 80-year-old veterinarian said he has decided to accept no campaign contributions, hold no fundraisers, return the contributions he has received, and fund his campaign with $20,000 of his own money.

While he admitted the contributions he is returning total less than $1,000, he said there were a number of people who had promised him campaign money but he's telling them not to send it.

Gissendanner pointed to the emergency debate in Washington over the proposed federal bailout of $700 billion in bad-debt mortgage-backheld securities, which President George W. Bush called a serious threat to the nation's economic stability.

Few people would argue that the influence of special interests on government weren't a big cause of the current national economic crisis, Gissendanner said.

"I just see that as an example of where special interests have dominated the policy," he said.

Referring to Grimsley's campaign donations, which the state Divison of Elections last reported totaling $137,132, Gissendanner added, "She is not doing anything wrong. This is legal what she's doing. I'm just trying to draw a contrast between her and me.

"When you see my signs, you know I paid for it."

To decrease lobbyists' influence, Gissendanner said he also wants to raise the term limits for state representative from four two-year terms, for a total of eight years, to three terms of four-years, for a total of 12 years.

He also proposes that state senators be elected for six-year terms, instead of the current four-year terms, and be limited to 12 years in that office, instead of the current limit of eight years.

"If you do that, you take the effect of the lobbying out of the picture much more, because legislators don't have to take all of their time raising money," he said. "That would diminish the obscene effect that lobbyists and special interests have on legislators, it would give them more breathing room to concentrate on their work rather than on the next election."

Besides trying to redeem the political system, Gissendanner said, his campaign is also a matter of "personal redemption."

In 1988, his 24-year-career in politics and public life had reached statewide prominence but crashed with his indictment on felony charges accusing him of taking a bribe.

At his trial, prosecutors withdrew charges that he had accepted money to write a letter to a judge on behalf of a drug dealer facing sentencing. During the trial, though, another letter he had written to a judge on behalf of a criminal defendant surfaced. In a plea bargain related to that letter, Gissendanner pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and served eight months at a federal detention facility at Elgin Air Force Base.

"It was obstruction for writing a letter that should not have been written," Gissendanner said. "At the time I wrote it I didn't know that some of the information in it was not correct. It was intended to help someone I thought was needy."

While he admits he made a mistake, Gissendanner said, "In the record it says the government does not claim I took any money. It's in my plea."

Ever since that time and in this campaign, he said, "I would really like very much to prove that I can be a good public official again. This (campaign) is part of my life's redemption."

Gissendanner served twice as mayor of North Miami, from 1963-65 and 1969-70, was a state legislator 1967-68, and ran unsuccessfully for Congress and lieutenant governor. In 1978, newly elected Gov. Bob Graham named him chief of staff of his cabinet, and from 1979 until 1987 Gissendanner was director of the Florida Department of Natural Resources.

Gissendanner said his No. 1 issue in this campaign is not allowing students to drop out of school until they are 18, not 16 as the law requires now.

"I want our kids to go to school form the time they start until they are 18, with no drop-outs allowed," he said. "You have to have a law raising the mandatory school age to 18."

Students and parents would look at education in a totally different way if they knew there was no chance of dropping out before age 18, he said.

For students who fall behind and can't keep up with their grade level, he said, special education programs would be available. Students who couldn't stay in a traditional high school would have to go into "some type of vocational school or technical school or institutional school," he said.

"Statistics show that many of the people who do that (drop out) wind up homeless, many of them get involved with crime and drugs, and low-pay," he said. "They just get minimum wage, and that's about all they can expect to do in their life."

When he raises that idea at campaign stops, Gissendanner said, "The response is very good. Occasionally people want to know some more specifics, but most of them back the idea. I always get applause on it."

Gissendanner will turn 81 four days after the Nov. 4 general election.

Asked if he thinks his age is an issue, he answered, "Everybody seems enthusiastic that I would make this effort to serve the public at this point in time in my life. I've gotten very good feedback about it, and I feel very good about it myself."

No other Democrat filed to run, he noted, "and I don't think a candidate for public office should get a free ride when they run for election or re-election."

Gissendanner admits he faces an uphill battle.

"Obviously this seat has been in control of Republicans for years," he said. "There are just simply more Republican voters out there than Democratic voters."

But, he said, the district has about 10,000 independent or unaffiliated voters and they could decide the race.

About his chances, he said, "I think a lot of it is determined from the electoral process taking place in this country and this state right now, because I'm in the Democratic Party. As John Kennedy said, 'When the tide rises, all boats rise.' So that's one portion of the answer.

"The other portion is what can I do to make my candidacy favorable to all people, the Democrats, the Republicans and the non-affiliated voters."