John J. Sottilare - Independent Candidate for the Florida House of Representatives District 86.

We Need a Leader
… who knows first hand the concerns and challenges that face hard working American Families in Palm Beach County.

My Campaign:
I did not accept Campaign Contributions from Lobbyist, Special Interest Groups or Government Contractor.

The Florida Constitution

A Closer Look

Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, The Civil War, Abraham Lincoln & Slavery.
By Chuck Baldwin

The Sovereign Rights of the States

Great things are happening across America. The actions of a few brave and noble state legislators around the Republic may well demonstrate that the most important election in the nation may not be the run for the President of the United States but may in fact be the upcoming races in each state for their state House of Representatives, state Senate and their governor's office. When this country was created the office of the President and the U.S. Congress was intended to have a relatively minor influence on the citizens of each state. In light of the bloated federal bureaucracy, it appears that some legislators are dusting off the U.S. Constitution and working to get their house in order.

It will take a Strong Person to Return a measure of Democracy to our Political Process.

Before we can address the issues that face us today as Floridians, (Property Tax, Education and a sluggish Economy just to name a few) we must first change the way our elected officials represent us in Tallahassee. Only then will our government be responsive to the needs and rights of The People.

Currently, when the election cycle ends and our votes have been cast, our involvement in the political process also comes to an end. Therein lays our first problem, the disconnect that’s created between us (the voting public) and our elected representatives.

When our elected representatives leave for Tallahassee, they carry with them the excess baggage of favors owed to lobbyist, special interest groups, government contractor and large corporations as the result of strings attached to the campaign contributions they received during the election cycle.

Coupled with the fact that our elected representatives show little to no desire in seeking out the opinion of the general public on issues that directly affect our lives, we are left completely out of the loop when it comes to our own representation.

Here is my proposal on how to correct this problem and bring a measure of Democracy back to our Representation.

As your representative in the Florida Legislature, I would ask the following three questions of every proposed bill.

Does the state have the authority to enact it?
Can They Do It?
- If the answer is No, then the bill is unconstitutional and therefore I could not support it.
- If the answer is Yes, then I would ask question two.
Is it within the purpose of state government to enact it?
Should They Do It?
- If the answer is No, then even though the state government may have the authority to enact this bill, the purpose of the bill would be unconstitutional and therefore I could not support it. After all, just because the government can do it does not mean they should do it.
- If the answer is Yes, then I would ask question three.
Do the people want it and/or is it in their best interest?
(This is where true representation is found.)
- If the people wanted this legislation, then my vote would be YES.
- If the people did not want this legislation, then my vote would be NO.
- If I found myself in a situation where the people and I were in disagreement, my duty would be to reach out to the citizens and make sure that we both had all of the available information about the proposed legislation. A situation may exist where I knew something they did not, or vise versa. Either way, after I had made all of the facts available to the citizens and the citizens and I were still at odds, my vote would be cast in support of the will of the people.

Now, the question will be asked, "how do you determine what the people want?" Simply put, I will implement three tools that will allow the people to tell me what they want and think on every issue.

1: Legislative Website. You will be able to access this website and find all the pertinent information on the proposals that are being considered and you will be able to cast your vote either FOR or AGAINST any proposed legislation.

2: E-mail Notification. You will be able to sign-up and receive a daily notice that will contain all the information about the proposals and again you will be able to cast your vote FOR or AGAINST any proposed legislation.

3: Town Hall Meetings. Since the legislative session runs Monday through Friday. We will hold Town Hall Meetings every Saturday while the Legislature is in session. Every Saturday morning, afternoon and evening a meeting will be held in a different location throughout the district allowing for the greatest access by the public. At these meetings we will present all the information about the proposals and again you will be able to cast your vote FOR or AGAINST any proposed legislation.

In utilizing these tools, upon returning to Tallahassee on the following Monday, I will know how you want me to cast YOUR VOTE.

Now, I am not saying this will be an easy task. Indeed it will take a strong person to sift the wheat from the chafe so to speak, but I have the energy, patience and perseverance to see it through and provide you, the Voters, with the opportunity to have your voices heard.

I promise you this, that I will never forget that as your elected official I am sent to Tallahassee not to represent myself but to represent you, the citizens of Florida. You would have elected me to represent your best interest and not my own.

Over the course of my campaign, not once have I told you what I would do for you, instead I have asked .... What would you have me do for you.

By enacting this plan, we can return our government of the people, by the people and for the people, back to the people. And in doing so, create the foundation upon which we can address the issues that face us today as Floridians. Thus, returning Democracy to our Political Process.

Thank you - John J. Sottilare

John J. Sottilare speaking at a Constitutional Rally in Boca Raton, Fl.

Click To Play

John J. Sottilare - TV Commercial
"Sneak-Peek"
Click to Play

1: Our Rights do not come from the Government, they come from God.

"... They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,..."

2: The purpose of Government is to protect our rights.

" ...to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men ..."

3: When our rights are violated by the Government, we have the authority to change it.

" ... it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it ..."

This I Believe ...

We are all created equal and as such, our laws should apply equally to everyone without Bias, Favoritism or Prejudice.
The Federal Government has no authority to violate or impede on the sovereign Rights of the States or the people who are citizens of the States.
It is the duty of each State to protect and defend the rights of it's citizens against all who would violate these rights, including the Federal Government of the United States.
It would be my sworn duty as your representative in the Florida Legislature, to protect and defend your Rights as prescribed not only in the Constitution of the United States but the Constitution of the State of Florida.

When is a law not really a law?

"The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and the name of law, is in reality no law, but is wholly void and ineffective for any purpose since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it; an unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed ... An unconstitutional law is void." (16 American Jurisprudence 2d, Sec. 178)

Who Should Represent Us?

As members of the Working Middle Class, I believe that you and I face the same hardships and struggles.

We work hard to care for our families and raise our children while the cost of Gas climbs through the roof along with Property Tax, Health Insurance and other basic necessities.

"It is only through our shared hardships that we come to a basic understanding of our common needs."

Read the complete article