100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future, by Marco Rubio: on Government Reform

Jeb Bush: Challenge relying on government for satisfaction

Over the past eight years, I have repeatedly faced two choices: either tinker with systems clearly not working, and rest on the laurels of having made a bad system a little less bad; or dive headlong into debates that would attract the critics, risk being ridiculed, and maybe, just maybe, transform the system. I chose the latter.

Jeb Bush: Even private citizens have a public service role

Each and every one of us has a role. For good or for bad, government affects our daily lives. Its success rises and falls on the attention and scrutiny we afford to its maintenance. Let the public become disengaged and unconcerned, and government will cater to itself. But let people become vocal and vigorous about its decisions, and government will have to respond.

Marco Rubio: Reduce paid petition business in citizen initiative process

Securing Florida's Place on the National Stage
• Move up the timing of Florida's presidential primary
• Protecting the Citizen Initiative Process from Special Interests
• Enact legislation to reduce the growth of the paid petition business and the influence of moneyed special interests in the citizen initiative process

Marco Rubio: Texas Sunset Review abolished 47 agencies; do same in FL

Florida's 2006 Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee is modeled after the Texas Sunset Review Commission, which abolished 47 agencies or programs, saving $736.9 million in taxpayer dollars. Like the Texas Commission, the Florida Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee will systematically review ALL the duties, operations, and programs of state agencies and their advisory committees. The committee should also determine whether certain public/private entities have upheld their promises. Many agencies and programs may continue unaltered after the review; however, having been subjected to a critical review these programs will hold a greater accountability than any non-reviewed program.

Marco Rubio: Early FL primary forces diversity into presidential process

Currently, a small, non-diverse group of citizens (the voters of IA and NH) have a disproportionate impact on the nomination of presidential candidates. While these states provide the benefit of beginning the presidential election in small communities that can be easily traversed and thoroughly campaigned, a large and diverse state should follow them. The only way to change the status quo is to force candidates to be tested by more diverse populations and to address a wider range of issues. Holding Florida's primary earlier would apply that force.

Moving Florida's presidential primary to a time that would highlight Florida's concerns and issues would ensure our national influence in choosing a presidential candidate

Marco Rubio: Closer regulation of petition verification process

Examples of citizen initiatives adopted in 2004 include authorization of the use of slot machines, and an increase in the minimum wage. These provisions do not belong in our Constitution. The purposes of these amendments could have been accomplished by legislative action.

A 2006 bill established closer regulation of the petition process. Legislation should require paid circulators to wear a badge identifying them as paid circulators; prohibit compensation of petition circulators on a "per signature" basis; and create a process for revoking one's own signature. These changes would help return the citizen initiative process to its original intent.