August 7, 2024 • 20 mins
Vargas is running in a Republican primary against the incumbent Commissioner Doug Smith. There is also a write-in candidate, meaning this race can't be fully decided until November and the August primary is only open to Republicans.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Joel Malcolm Ford WJNO dot com. My election spotlight
is on the County Commission for Martin County. Martin County Commission,
there are actually three seats that folks are voting on.
In this case, we are focusing on District one. Two candidates,
the incumbent Doug Smith being challenged. There's actually three. There's
(00:22):
a right in candidate as well, but that'll be for November.
For August, we have two candidates, Doug Smith, the incumbent,
being challenged by Eileen Vargas. This is a Republican primary,
and I lean Vargus joining us. Thank you for coming
on with me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You are more than welcome now.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So I don't say it wrong because there is a
write in, but that doesn't come into play until November.
This remains a Republican primary. Correct Now, if there was
no rite in, I believe it would be all voters correct.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
That's defintely correct. So you could be Democrat, independent of course, Republican.
But yes, now it's more for both. It's your work
and this is continuous over the years by you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So this, oh well we'll get into that in a second.
I'll definitely I'm sure you'll remind me if I forget,
But we'll get back to that one. But yeah, so
this could have been decided if it was just two candidates,
both Republican. Everybody who's a registered voter can can vote
and District one even though it's District one. It's not
(01:31):
like Palm Beach County, which I'm more used to for
the election coverage, in that you only vote in the
district you live in Martin County. It's open to all
voters or all voters in the Republican Party in this case,
but throughout the county, regardless of your your address. Correct.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yes, yes, there are five districts. Everybody can vote for
every District one, three and five are up for election. However,
because there is a write in candidate a draw candidate,
only Republicans can vote in District one.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Right, and in three and five we don't have any
write INDs and no MPAs, so it's just the you know,
everybody can get out because they're just Republicans running, but
the Democrats and the NPAs can vote as well, even
the Green Party folks. I assume, all right, let's talk
about you. Give us some background on you.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
All right, I grew up part of my childhood in Stuart, Florida,
and my father was a surgeon and my mom, my dad,
and six little girls lived in a two story frame home.
My dad's office downstairs and we were living upstairs. We
(02:44):
played in the woods. It was a quiet, very embracing
small town atmosphere and one that was an easygoing life.
We love that. I then moved back to Miami and
I graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Telecommunication, broadcast media and journalism. After that,
(03:08):
I learned about how a city is transformed again Miami
from a gracious town to one that was a megacity,
the gateway from South America and Europe to Miami business
conducted and the busyness that comes with it. I also
saw how those that were appointed as leaders did not
(03:29):
have the insight and the foresight to see what a
poor planning decisions could hamper what people had hoped Miami
would continue to be. So I understood that from the inside. Later,
I moved to Portugal import export business. I also had
(03:56):
an import export business in Miami and came back. I
then went into education. I taught in the county school
system and understood what that entity was about, and being
in a classroom is very different than being an administrator
(04:17):
firsthand knowledge. Later, I was tapped as an esoul support
teacher to teach in China, and then I moved to
the Kingdom of Avain. I was tapped to teach International
Baccalaureate literature, and I came back again to the Treasure
(04:40):
Coast area. I live in Jensen Beach with my husband
Bobby and our little one eyed rescue Yorkie, and we've
enjoyed Martin County very much. I lived on Hutchinson Island
at one time, on a place there a water girl
and scuba dit and so I understand about nature and
(05:04):
being able to be involved with the community and that aspect.
And that's what people think about when they think about
the Treasure Coast, especially Martin County, the beaches and out west.
What was always agricultural and more defined a pace of
life than what you would find elsewhere. So we now
(05:26):
in we are wealth advisors, so we understand about finances
and proper planning. And so I take all of this
broad experience to the voters of Martin County. We need
people who understand the dynamics of budgeting and what revenue
streams are and to make it affordable for those that
(05:49):
live here. So I also am a graduate of the
Leadership Institute of Washington, d C. A very conservative organization. Uh,
And I feel that my wealth of knowledge is definitely
a plus and something that has not not been evidenced
(06:12):
by those on the Martin County commission.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
All right, so you currently are working as a wealth advisor?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yes, I work with my husband.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Yes, okay, all right, all right, the two of you, Bobby,
I believe the name. Let's get into and you if
you touched on some of them right now, let's get
into some of the issues and growth obviously, or I
guess maybe you would say overgrowth in Martin County. What
is the answer, because you know that when you when
(06:45):
you say that, some people will say, well, you can't
stop growth. You know, this is not a you know,
it's not a one horse town anymore, et cetera, et cetera.
So what what is your answer to that? What do
you do?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well? I think that we have to prioritize our residence,
quality of life over the greedies. The commissioners have an
attitude of what can we do for you? Especially when
the out of town, which most of them are developers,
can up and say we want to change what the
existing zoning. We want amendments to certain parcels to be
(07:22):
able to increase the density. And the thing is that
when I was out with my team getting petitions to
be able to qualify for the ballot, and we did
that within twenty one days, we had just under fifteen hundred.
I only needed less than twelve hundred. The voters' concerns
as expressed is something I observed in recent years, and
(07:47):
we need to be able to maintain control over development.
I'm encouraging the planners to resist zoning changes and motivate
landowners to explore options within the comprehensive Plan which was
established again in the nineteen nineties. We can't continue to
punch holes in it and make exceptions, so we have
(08:10):
to consider the long term consequences. Today, what we decide
on is going to be a detrimental decision for generations
to come which can't be reversed. So we have to
maintain a different approach in improving applications. And I want
to be the bridge to work with landowners to find
(08:31):
the best possible use for their property. So we have
to be committed and we have to ensure the sustainability
and promote for responsible development for our future of Martin County.
It's all tied together because people talk about the water,
they talk about the taxes going up, and they talk
(08:53):
about the graphic. These are the three main issues. And
this is a reason, the reason why said no, I can't,
I can't just stand by anymore.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well, let me ask you. You know, the the sitting commissioners,
the folks sitting at the at the days, they live
in Martin County, why do you think it is that they,
you know, would continue to approve things you've got costco
being built. And I know that's a bone of contention
for many. That's just so right off the top of
(09:23):
my head. But there's plenty of other things. You go
on social media and you'll see people complaining about a
lot of overgrowth, the stuff you're talking about, But you
know they live there, so why why are they just
approving all this growth?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
You know, I can't answer for somebody else. You would
have to ask how many.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
You I think? I guess Okay, well, so let's talk
about why do you think? I mean, what do you
think is you mentioned Greed earlier. I mean, is there
are they getting anything out of this financially?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You would have to ask them directly, But you know,
there's always a question that is out there, never answered
because the people we speak with, that we have spoken with,
we continue as we're door knocking and meeting lots of folks,
and I get a lot of comments which I respond
to immediately on my website and through my email. They say, hey,
(10:17):
wait a moment, why are you continuing to allow Why
do these commissioners continue to allow the urban service boundary
to be moved? Look at the contributions for each of
the commissioners and those that are running for the seat,
and you'll know where their heart lies. That's only something
(10:39):
they can answer. I don't know why they're approving so
many units. It's killing our small town charm. And everybody
we speak with wants park screen spaces, the yards, chickens,
that type of a seal. It's a heritage and single
family home. Is there generational here? As I said before,
(11:01):
I saw the Greed take over South Florida, Dave Broward,
tom Beach now Saint Lucy County, and they just increase
their budget and we don't want that here, so we
have outsiders coming this commission. Cannot say no.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
You started when we were first starting to talk about
this commission race, and there's two Republican candidates, and then
you got to wait till November to get a final
decision on who wins here because there is a rite
in candidate, Kenneth DeAngelis, whom I have not spoken with.
But you mentioned a straw candidate. You care to elaborate, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
This is something that my opponent has done consistently since
twenty twelve. He's been in the office for twenty four years, which, again,
we could talk about term limits also.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Right, I was going to go there. I was going
to go there, and I wanted to get into this.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah. Yeah. The thing is that this is a disgraceful
attack on election integrity, which is definitely at the forefront,
especially this year. This is a last minute filing, This
is an ally of my opponent, and he is effectively
(12:24):
disenfranchised approximately forty seven percent of the voters in Martin County,
and he's making them work for their vote. I haven't
had many people come to me and say, hey, I'm
a Democrat, I'm an independent, but I am going to
change my party affiliation so I can vote for you
(12:45):
in the primary. Of that percentage, they are almost thirty
thousand women that cannot vote. We thought long and hard
for that also starting in the mid eighteen hundreds. So
the thing is that, you know, this August primary should
be a de facto election. However, this has changed entirely,
(13:09):
and this right and candidate is something that should never
have been allowed, and it's been unfair to the voters.
I feel my pun's elee tric pony. He has consistent giveaways.
He has very loosely regulated the high density development interest,
(13:31):
and he's adept at motivating the elite amongst us who
want to restrict the electric for voting in the local offices.
So effectively has stripped this amount of people of the
(13:52):
right to vote. And I think this is an attack
on the democratic process that we hold dear to us
in this country. Still, we have a team.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Right now, Let's get to term limits, and you know
this is something clearly with twenty four years, there are
no term limits for the Martin County Commission. Some counties
have them, some don't, Some cities have them, some don't.
What what is your you know, I mean, what what
is your stand for wanting term limits?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Now? Term limits I think are unfortunate because it allows
for a fresh, robust ideas. We cannot remain static. There's
too much at stake for the voters of Martin County.
In addition to that, the longer that one is in office,
(14:45):
the more possible, more of a possibility that they will
become entrenched and influenced by lobbyists or other main concerns.
In addition to that, those that hold office a long term,
they tend to raise the taxes. There's not the necessity
(15:08):
in their minds, as I have seen in those commissioners'
minds that have been sitting in the seat. Let's say
above two terms, that would be eight years to balance
a budget, to really look hard and see what needs
to be cut. You have to take tough decisions. Sometimes
you have to make a concerted effort to be able
(15:33):
to benefit the citizens of Martin County, not to create
a detrimental situation where they can't afford to pay their
real estate taxes, they can't afford to pay their business taxes,
or it's caused closure of a business. Small businesses backbone
of our country and also expect people to live a
(15:54):
decent life. And I've heard a lot from folks who
almost crying, I don't know what to do anymore. So
this is this has propelled me to run. I think
that's something that needs to be addressed immediately. So three
main reasons why I feel term limits should come into play.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
What would you feel would be you know, the perfect
term limit. The first of all, there are four year terms, correct,
And then how many of them? How many of them
would you prefer to see two? Three?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I would prefer to see two. I think that's a
time to be able to show the voters that you
have been able to accomplish what you say you want
to do, to be able to listen to their concerns,
to make decisions that maybe, as they say, difficult in
the immediate but in the long term beneficial. And I
(16:53):
think as in any private enterprise, if you could not
perform properly, you would be cut rather quickly. You would
not be allowed to remain in that particular enterprise.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
So follow me along this. Let's say you know you
win the election in November, you win the primary, then
you know you go against the right in candidate and
win in November and you try to get termoline. I'm
assuming it's something that you're going to try to bring
to the DAIS and let's say it just you know,
doesn't get taken up or gets voted down or whatnot.
(17:30):
Would you still pledge to just serve two terms?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yes, because that depends on again how you think, really
where your priorities lie. If I'm saying this now, I
would be looking already in my second term for somebody
who I could pass the baton to, who has the
same thought process, who has the same moral fiber. I
reached out to Senator and Michelle Falzman. She was proposing
(17:59):
a term limits. I talked with her office. It seemed
like it was going to go forward, and I had
come to find out that the lobbyist group was very strong,
and it did not. Unfortunately just dined.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Now that wor that that would be a statewide law
that they but ordinances can do their own thing, correct,
I mean you could pass or community I mean municipalities
can do their own ordinances correct, or well say change
the charter.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Well, yeah, we'd have to become a charter form of government.
And this is the thing that could be difficult because
the state has taken over, you know, the preemptive rights
and effect has taken away what the County Commission can do.
So we can only go up to a certain point
when we're making decisions, and it can be about development,
it can be about something like this, about right in ballots,
(18:51):
but it has to come from the state level. And
that's why those that you have elected that work for you,
you need to reach out to your senator and your
representatives from this area and demand that they put this
before the committees to the governor's signature.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Okay, you've covered much of this already, but I just
you know, in a nutshell, why should folks vote? Eileen
Vargas well, I feel that the citizens and voters are
not represented.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
I cannot stand idly buy while our county is being
sold to the highest bidder. I feel that I will
always be transparent. My decisions will be what is best
for the community and not special interest. The other thing
is I have experience, and I have a broad array
(19:49):
of worldwide business and educational experience, so that gives me
a unique perspective and foresight into financial and planning matters.
I feel that we need to root out those that
are on the County Commission who feel that their presence
(20:19):
is more important and their ideas are more important than
what benefits the citizens of Martin County.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Okay, well, I appreciate you joining us and speaking to
the voters in Martin County again. County Commission District one
candidate in the Republican primary Aileen Vargas here on WJNO
dot com. Thanks again, thank you,
Hey, Joel Malcolm Ford WJNO dot com. My election spotlight
is on the County Commission for Martin County. Martin County Commission,
there are actually three seats that folks are voting on.
In this case, we are focusing on District one. Two candidates,
the incumbent Doug Smith being challenged. There's actually three. There's
(00:22):
a right in candidate as well, but that'll be for November.
For August, we have two candidates, Doug Smith, the incumbent,
being challenged by Eileen Vargas. This is a Republican primary,
and I lean Vargus joining us. Thank you for coming
on with me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You are more than welcome now.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
So I don't say it wrong because there is a
write in, but that doesn't come into play until November.
This remains a Republican primary. Correct Now, if there was
no rite in, I believe it would be all voters correct.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
That's defintely correct. So you could be Democrat, independent of course, Republican.
But yes, now it's more for both. It's your work
and this is continuous over the years by you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So this, oh well we'll get into that in a second.
I'll definitely I'm sure you'll remind me if I forget,
But we'll get back to that one. But yeah, so
this could have been decided if it was just two candidates,
both Republican. Everybody who's a registered voter can can vote
and District one even though it's District one. It's not
(01:31):
like Palm Beach County, which I'm more used to for
the election coverage, in that you only vote in the
district you live in Martin County. It's open to all
voters or all voters in the Republican Party in this case,
but throughout the county, regardless of your your address. Correct.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yes, yes, there are five districts. Everybody can vote for
every District one, three and five are up for election. However,
because there is a write in candidate a draw candidate,
only Republicans can vote in District one.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Right, and in three and five we don't have any
write INDs and no MPAs, so it's just the you know,
everybody can get out because they're just Republicans running, but
the Democrats and the NPAs can vote as well, even
the Green Party folks. I assume, all right, let's talk
about you. Give us some background on you.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
All right, I grew up part of my childhood in Stuart, Florida,
and my father was a surgeon and my mom, my dad,
and six little girls lived in a two story frame home.
My dad's office downstairs and we were living upstairs. We
(02:44):
played in the woods. It was a quiet, very embracing
small town atmosphere and one that was an easygoing life.
We love that. I then moved back to Miami and
I graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Telecommunication, broadcast media and journalism. After that,
(03:08):
I learned about how a city is transformed again Miami
from a gracious town to one that was a megacity,
the gateway from South America and Europe to Miami business
conducted and the busyness that comes with it. I also
saw how those that were appointed as leaders did not
(03:29):
have the insight and the foresight to see what a
poor planning decisions could hamper what people had hoped Miami
would continue to be. So I understood that from the inside. Later,
I moved to Portugal import export business. I also had
(03:56):
an import export business in Miami and came back. I
then went into education. I taught in the county school
system and understood what that entity was about, and being
in a classroom is very different than being an administrator
(04:17):
firsthand knowledge. Later, I was tapped as an esoul support
teacher to teach in China, and then I moved to
the Kingdom of Avain. I was tapped to teach International
Baccalaureate literature, and I came back again to the Treasure
(04:40):
Coast area. I live in Jensen Beach with my husband
Bobby and our little one eyed rescue Yorkie, and we've
enjoyed Martin County very much. I lived on Hutchinson Island
at one time, on a place there a water girl
and scuba dit and so I understand about nature and
(05:04):
being able to be involved with the community and that aspect.
And that's what people think about when they think about
the Treasure Coast, especially Martin County, the beaches and out west.
What was always agricultural and more defined a pace of
life than what you would find elsewhere. So we now
(05:26):
in we are wealth advisors, so we understand about finances
and proper planning. And so I take all of this
broad experience to the voters of Martin County. We need
people who understand the dynamics of budgeting and what revenue
streams are and to make it affordable for those that
(05:49):
live here. So I also am a graduate of the
Leadership Institute of Washington, d C. A very conservative organization. Uh,
And I feel that my wealth of knowledge is definitely
a plus and something that has not not been evidenced
(06:12):
by those on the Martin County commission.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
All right, so you currently are working as a wealth advisor?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Yes, I work with my husband.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Yes, okay, all right, all right, the two of you, Bobby,
I believe the name. Let's get into and you if
you touched on some of them right now, let's get
into some of the issues and growth obviously, or I
guess maybe you would say overgrowth in Martin County. What
is the answer, because you know that when you when
(06:45):
you say that, some people will say, well, you can't
stop growth. You know, this is not a you know,
it's not a one horse town anymore, et cetera, et cetera.
So what what is your answer to that? What do
you do?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well? I think that we have to prioritize our residence,
quality of life over the greedies. The commissioners have an
attitude of what can we do for you? Especially when
the out of town, which most of them are developers,
can up and say we want to change what the
existing zoning. We want amendments to certain parcels to be
(07:22):
able to increase the density. And the thing is that
when I was out with my team getting petitions to
be able to qualify for the ballot, and we did
that within twenty one days, we had just under fifteen hundred.
I only needed less than twelve hundred. The voters' concerns
as expressed is something I observed in recent years, and
(07:47):
we need to be able to maintain control over development.
I'm encouraging the planners to resist zoning changes and motivate
landowners to explore options within the comprehensive Plan which was
established again in the nineteen nineties. We can't continue to
punch holes in it and make exceptions, so we have
(08:10):
to consider the long term consequences. Today, what we decide
on is going to be a detrimental decision for generations
to come which can't be reversed. So we have to
maintain a different approach in improving applications. And I want
to be the bridge to work with landowners to find
(08:31):
the best possible use for their property. So we have
to be committed and we have to ensure the sustainability
and promote for responsible development for our future of Martin County.
It's all tied together because people talk about the water,
they talk about the taxes going up, and they talk
(08:53):
about the graphic. These are the three main issues. And
this is a reason, the reason why said no, I can't,
I can't just stand by anymore.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well, let me ask you. You know, the the sitting commissioners,
the folks sitting at the at the days, they live
in Martin County, why do you think it is that they,
you know, would continue to approve things you've got costco
being built. And I know that's a bone of contention
for many. That's just so right off the top of
(09:23):
my head. But there's plenty of other things. You go
on social media and you'll see people complaining about a
lot of overgrowth, the stuff you're talking about, But you
know they live there, so why why are they just
approving all this growth?
Speaker 2 (09:36):
You know, I can't answer for somebody else. You would
have to ask how many.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
You I think? I guess Okay, well, so let's talk
about why do you think? I mean, what do you
think is you mentioned Greed earlier. I mean, is there
are they getting anything out of this financially?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
You would have to ask them directly, But you know,
there's always a question that is out there, never answered
because the people we speak with, that we have spoken with,
we continue as we're door knocking and meeting lots of folks,
and I get a lot of comments which I respond
to immediately on my website and through my email. They say, hey,
(10:17):
wait a moment, why are you continuing to allow Why
do these commissioners continue to allow the urban service boundary
to be moved? Look at the contributions for each of
the commissioners and those that are running for the seat,
and you'll know where their heart lies. That's only something
(10:39):
they can answer. I don't know why they're approving so
many units. It's killing our small town charm. And everybody
we speak with wants park screen spaces, the yards, chickens,
that type of a seal. It's a heritage and single
family home. Is there generational here? As I said before,
(11:01):
I saw the Greed take over South Florida, Dave Broward,
tom Beach now Saint Lucy County, and they just increase
their budget and we don't want that here, so we
have outsiders coming this commission. Cannot say no.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
You started when we were first starting to talk about
this commission race, and there's two Republican candidates, and then
you got to wait till November to get a final
decision on who wins here because there is a rite
in candidate, Kenneth DeAngelis, whom I have not spoken with.
But you mentioned a straw candidate. You care to elaborate, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
This is something that my opponent has done consistently since
twenty twelve. He's been in the office for twenty four years, which, again,
we could talk about term limits also.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Right, I was going to go there. I was going
to go there, and I wanted to get into this.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah. Yeah. The thing is that this is a disgraceful
attack on election integrity, which is definitely at the forefront,
especially this year. This is a last minute filing, This
is an ally of my opponent, and he is effectively
(12:24):
disenfranchised approximately forty seven percent of the voters in Martin County,
and he's making them work for their vote. I haven't
had many people come to me and say, hey, I'm
a Democrat, I'm an independent, but I am going to
change my party affiliation so I can vote for you
(12:45):
in the primary. Of that percentage, they are almost thirty
thousand women that cannot vote. We thought long and hard
for that also starting in the mid eighteen hundreds. So
the thing is that, you know, this August primary should
be a de facto election. However, this has changed entirely,
(13:09):
and this right and candidate is something that should never
have been allowed, and it's been unfair to the voters.
I feel my pun's elee tric pony. He has consistent giveaways.
He has very loosely regulated the high density development interest,
(13:31):
and he's adept at motivating the elite amongst us who
want to restrict the electric for voting in the local offices.
So effectively has stripped this amount of people of the
(13:52):
right to vote. And I think this is an attack
on the democratic process that we hold dear to us
in this country. Still, we have a team.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Right now, Let's get to term limits, and you know
this is something clearly with twenty four years, there are
no term limits for the Martin County Commission. Some counties
have them, some don't, Some cities have them, some don't.
What what is your you know, I mean, what what
is your stand for wanting term limits?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Now? Term limits I think are unfortunate because it allows
for a fresh, robust ideas. We cannot remain static. There's
too much at stake for the voters of Martin County.
In addition to that, the longer that one is in office,
(14:45):
the more possible, more of a possibility that they will
become entrenched and influenced by lobbyists or other main concerns.
In addition to that, those that hold office a long term,
they tend to raise the taxes. There's not the necessity
(15:08):
in their minds, as I have seen in those commissioners'
minds that have been sitting in the seat. Let's say
above two terms, that would be eight years to balance
a budget, to really look hard and see what needs
to be cut. You have to take tough decisions. Sometimes
you have to make a concerted effort to be able
(15:33):
to benefit the citizens of Martin County, not to create
a detrimental situation where they can't afford to pay their
real estate taxes, they can't afford to pay their business taxes,
or it's caused closure of a business. Small businesses backbone
of our country and also expect people to live a
(15:54):
decent life. And I've heard a lot from folks who
almost crying, I don't know what to do anymore. So
this is this has propelled me to run. I think
that's something that needs to be addressed immediately. So three
main reasons why I feel term limits should come into play.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
What would you feel would be you know, the perfect
term limit. The first of all, there are four year terms, correct,
And then how many of them? How many of them
would you prefer to see two? Three?
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I would prefer to see two. I think that's a
time to be able to show the voters that you
have been able to accomplish what you say you want
to do, to be able to listen to their concerns,
to make decisions that maybe, as they say, difficult in
the immediate but in the long term beneficial. And I
(16:53):
think as in any private enterprise, if you could not
perform properly, you would be cut rather quickly. You would
not be allowed to remain in that particular enterprise.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
So follow me along this. Let's say you know you
win the election in November, you win the primary, then
you know you go against the right in candidate and
win in November and you try to get termoline. I'm
assuming it's something that you're going to try to bring
to the DAIS and let's say it just you know,
doesn't get taken up or gets voted down or whatnot.
(17:30):
Would you still pledge to just serve two terms?
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yes, because that depends on again how you think, really
where your priorities lie. If I'm saying this now, I
would be looking already in my second term for somebody
who I could pass the baton to, who has the
same thought process, who has the same moral fiber. I
reached out to Senator and Michelle Falzman. She was proposing
(17:59):
a term limits. I talked with her office. It seemed
like it was going to go forward, and I had
come to find out that the lobbyist group was very strong,
and it did not. Unfortunately just dined.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Now that wor that that would be a statewide law
that they but ordinances can do their own thing, correct,
I mean you could pass or community I mean municipalities
can do their own ordinances correct, or well say change
the charter.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Well, yeah, we'd have to become a charter form of government.
And this is the thing that could be difficult because
the state has taken over, you know, the preemptive rights
and effect has taken away what the County Commission can do.
So we can only go up to a certain point
when we're making decisions, and it can be about development,
it can be about something like this, about right in ballots,
(18:51):
but it has to come from the state level. And
that's why those that you have elected that work for you,
you need to reach out to your senator and your
representatives from this area and demand that they put this
before the committees to the governor's signature.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Okay, you've covered much of this already, but I just
you know, in a nutshell, why should folks vote? Eileen
Vargas well, I feel that the citizens and voters are
not represented.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
I cannot stand idly buy while our county is being
sold to the highest bidder. I feel that I will
always be transparent. My decisions will be what is best
for the community and not special interest. The other thing
is I have experience, and I have a broad array
(19:49):
of worldwide business and educational experience, so that gives me
a unique perspective and foresight into financial and planning matters.
I feel that we need to root out those that
are on the County Commission who feel that their presence
(20:19):
is more important and their ideas are more important than
what benefits the citizens of Martin County.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Okay, well, I appreciate you joining us and speaking to
the voters in Martin County again. County Commission District one
candidate in the Republican primary Aileen Vargas here on WJNO
dot com. Thanks again, thank you,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com