The Pets’ Trust people are tired of talking to a brick wall and 
so they have taken a different route to communicate with the elected officials who ignore them — and more importantly their voters: They formed a political action committee.
Now, that’s speaking their own language!
The Animal Power Party PAC was formed earlier this month and the website was launched this week with the goal of raising funds to influence voters in this election year, and primarily in the August mayoral and commission races.
“The mission is to impact the 2016 elections in Miami-Dade County by finding candidates that believe that the lives of our animals are a priority — and that believe in democracy,” said Pets’ Trust co-founder and director Michael Rosenberg.
In other words, when you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
“The Animal Power Party will be fighting to honor the 500,000 people that voted for the Pets’ Trust, and to make sure that when you vote….you are heard!”
Read related story: Carlos Gimenez keeps rejecting voter-approved Pets’ Trust
Naturally, that means the PAC will try to help Raquel Regalado, who is the only challenger to the incumbent mayor and who has already pledged to make the Pets’ Trust Initiative — approved by 65% of the voters in 2012 — a reality within her first 100 days. 
At the very least, APP is going to lash out at Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “I can’t hear you” Gimenez and any county commissioner that has ignored them and ignored the people’s vote.
“We are ABC, ‘Anyone But Carlos,'” Rosenberg told Ladra. “There’s really nothing else we can do. He is not going to listen to the people.”
The website has a message from co-founder and chairperson Rita Schwartz:
“In 2012 almost 500,000 people in Miami Dade County voted to create programs to save our animals. They also voted to fund those programs with a slight increase to their property tax. It was called the Pets’ Trust. The commissioners and Mayor Carlos Gimenez told us they would honor the will of the people if we voted for it, and 65% of the voters did so! In July of 2013 when the funding process began, the Mayor and several commissioners decided ‘we the people’ did not know what we were voting for. THE PETS’ TRUST WAS NEVER IMPLEMENTED.
The Animal Power Party is here to send a message that in 2016 we will find elected officials that will honor our vote. Help us show our elected officials that THEY WORK FOR US!!! Take your passion to the voting booth and help us make a change.
Fundraising for the PAC will be fueled, in part, by an online store — just in time for the 
holidays — where supporters can buy beverage mugs, t-shirts, note cubes, drink coasters, playing cards, frames and other items personalized with their pets photo and name. Ladra predicts this will be a huge success. It gives people in other parts of the country more value to supporting the Pets’ Trust cause.
The funds will be used to reach out via phone banks, mailers, TV and radio ads and email blasts to “individuals and groups that believe as we do….that our elected officials work for us and it is our voices that must be the final word,” Rosenberg says in an email pitching the PAC.
“Please go to: www.AnimalPowerParty.com and join APP… … With your help, we will make Miami Dade County a much better place for everyone…….including our animals. Together, we can show the powers that be…that WE ARE THE POWER!”
He had more exclamation marks. Ladra took them out.
But, more importantly, he had the right idea.
If everyone who voted for the Pets’ Trust three years ago gives $5 (times 483,491) that would give them $2.4 million in seed money to then encourage people to go out and vote for alternatives to the people who represent us now. That’s $2.4 mil to fight the Gimenez propaganda machinery that could spend twice as much on his re-election.
Heck, even half the people who voted for it gave $5, that can make a difference.
Heck, even if everyone gave just $1 it’s still almost half a mil. The Pets’ Trust can soooo get their message across with half a million.
Pets’ Trust goes PAC to influence 2016 elections added by Ladra on
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