Where I stand on:

Why I run:

In 2004, I returned home from a desert war with the hopes of relaxing and enjoying the quiet solitude that was the hallmark of life in this county. I remembered the smell of orange blossoms, the rustle of wind through savannah grasses, the cool shade of oak hammocks, and the burgeoning feeling of optimism in the populace.

Unfortunately, the orange groves have been razed - casualties of canker; the acres of natural land that natives used to revere have been bulldozed and turned into pre-fab housing - resulting in a sizeable fortune for out-of-state developers and a host of infrastructure issues for the local populace; and the optimism has turned into criticism of the near-sighted policies enacted and the ridiculous concessions given to foreign developers by our county's leaders.

I've traveled the world contemplating how and why people live the way they do in a given locale - the structures they build, their means of transportation, their methods of dealing with waste and garbage, the varieties of entertainment they enjoy, and their unique methods of preparing for the looming shift in energy commodoties - all these in relation to the life I have known here in St. Lucie County. I am now compelled to fight for the county I call home and improve the status quo. Vote Forsman.

Why 'No Party Affiliation?': In my opinion both major political parties have been complicit in the undermining of wealth and liberty in this country. I cannot in good conscience support either one exclusively. I guess it's worth mentioning that I don't like the practice of voting for the "lesser of two evils" either. If there's a third option I'll just go ahead and vote for that, thank you - and no, I don't consider that "wasting" my vote. Wasting my vote would be electing another career fund-raiser who is willing to sell my interests for a few thousand lobbyist dollars and a weekend hunting trip in the Adirondacks. [Back to top]

Education: I know that as a County Commissioner my influence in the field of education would be tangential, but I firmly believe that the education of our youth is a community concern. My family boasts several teachers and former teachers (including myself). As former employees for the St. Lucie County School Board we recognize that this county is a challenging place to live and work if you're an educator. Generational poverty and illiteracy are just a couple of the challenges we face, but I personally don't feel that eliminating vocational programs or linking teachers' salaries to test results is the best way to overcome these hurdles. In fact, I encourage an expansion in vocational programs as well as the institution of a high quality scientific/technological program. I know that these things don't come free, but I also know that there are a few ineffective programs whose budgets might be better served in other ways. What do children really need from older generations? Hope,heart, and common sense. [Back to top]

Energy: We need to rethink the subject of energy production and consumption. We also need to think a lot about how we use energy. Municipal buildings with high-vaulted ceilings that are air conditioned so outrageously that the employees have to put on sweaters to keep from chattering is just ridiculous. St. Lucie County has a nuclear power plant and a natural gas power plant. We produce more energy than we consume. But we are ground zero for all of the pollution and byproducts of that energy production. How did we become the dumping ground for other people's pollution? I want to see a more detailed discussion of wind energy, tidal generators, solar power - alternative clean energy sources that St. Lucie County is perfect for. [Back to top]

Agriculture: Florida's climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains. St. Lucie County has hundreds if not thousands of acres ready to grow cash crops. A large number of people have enough arable land on their 1/4 acre plots to grow a victory garden at the very least. I'd like to revitalize the agricultural vocation, encourage Co-ops, the leasing of land to people with agricultural vision, maybe even sharecropping. The infrastructure is already in place, and we have quite a few people looking for jobs. If we can fuse the agricultural experience already existent in the county with the drive to grow crops, I'm sure we can find a way to turn soil and turn a profit. [Back to top]

Public Transportation: If it's designed and built well it's safer, more efficient, and leads to a better quality of life. Florida is moving rather slowly, but surely, towards a statewide public transit system. We need it. We'll need it even more in the coming years. I am all in favor of it and want to be a part of its design and execution. I want to prevent it from being a burden to the citizens who will ultimately pay for its implementation. It should be a testament to modern engineering and it should be clean, safe, and accessible - whether we're looking to commute to West Palm every morning or take a day trip to Orlando with the family. [Back to top]

Taxes: Nobody likes to pay more money than they have to - for anything. I think most of us understand that a government depends upon taxes to fund public works. What gets us upset is when we feel that we're not getting our money's worth - when the people we have been gracious enough to entrust with our capital spend it foolishly or overpay for unnecessary services. I will scrutinize every expense I have sway over and will not lend my support to levy any tax I don't know to be profitable to the community at large. In any case, I expect the enfranchised interest and discourse of the people I represent. I want to hear the opinions of tax-paying citizens before I cast my vote to spend THEIR money on something. [Back to top]

Conservation: I don't know too many people who can't recognize the virtue of preserving as much natural landspace as possible. As most St. Lucie County natives know, greenspace is one of our most appealing resources. I'm not suggesting that there should be a complete moratorium on development, but considering how many uninhabited houses we have in the county, I'm of the opinion that new developments will have to have some truly inspiring architecture and progressive energy saving designs to garner support. At some of the county meetings I've heard citizens complain that the Commission "cares more about turtles than people." I think that preserving natural land for future generations to enjoy, supporting a healthy hydrosphere and biosphere - is being considerate of the whole of humanity, and especially our local citizens. [Back to top]

Employment: St. Lucie County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. The county's response was to let a lot of county employees go. Yet which of our county leaders volunteered to take a pay cut to save a job or two? If you know, let me know. Our industry used to be agriculture. Now we cultivate the prison and justice system, and spend our time tilling for federal monies. I'm certainly not suggesting that we pass up the opportunity to gain available funding from extra-local sources, but if we want to build a solid, independent, local economy, and reduce the motivation for crime, we're going to need more lucrative local enterprise. With a firm and fertile base of agriculture, clean energy, and small business St. Lucie County can become a model for intelligent design. Other, more technological ventures will find a healthy, clean county much more appealing than a county notorious as a dumping ground for other industries. [Back to top]