Fensterwald: If Elected, Senate Salary Will Go to Charity
Bernie Fensterwald is running for the District 16 seat in the Florida Senate. The district includes north Pinellas and southwest Pasco counties.
PINELLAS COUNTY – Bernard Fensterwald pledged that, if elected to state Senate District 16, he will donate his salary to charities in the district.
“I have been blessed with a successful business and I am fortunate enough to have an income which allows my wife and I to live comfortably. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for many people living in District 16,” Fensterwald said. “I’ve lived a life believing in public service and in giving back. I’m running to provide service to the public and to return to the community the people’s money that comes in the form of a salary. As a result, I will donate my senate salary to those less fortunate folks who live in District 16.”
The average income per capita in Clearwater, the largest city in SD 16, is about $28,500. The salary for a state senator in Florida is $29,697, or $152 a day.
Fensterwald said he believes in the role of the “citizen legislator,” something that was common during the time of our Founding Fathers, but has largely been forgotten today.
“Too often, our legislators go to Tallahassee with the help of special business interests where they then pass through the ‘revolving door’ and end up in the business of lobbying their former colleagues for votes,” Fensterwald said. “Rather, I believe that legislators should plan on returning to their communities and former lives once they have shared their knowledge and experience in the Capitol.
“This is the kind of leadership District 16 and Florida needs. The kind of leadership that puts public service front and center, for the benefit of all the district’s residents.”
Fensterwald, a Dunedin resident, is a retired lawyer and school counselor at the elementary and high school levels. He said he is running for the Senate because he believes that the people of Florida deserve representatives who have integrity and who will listen and act for the benefit of all people, not just special interests.
Fensterwald is the lone Democrat who has announced his candidacy for SD 16, which is vacant after the resignation late last year of Jack Latvala. Republicans Ed Hooper and Ilir Karruli are also running for the seat.
SD 16 covers north Pinellas County and the southwestern corner of Pasco County.
The primary is Aug. 18. The general election is Nov. 6.
For information about Fensterwald, go to bernie2018.com.
Bernie Fensterwald | Politcs | Elections | Senate District 16 | Florida Senate | Tampabay News
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