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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This is nothing more that a few community groups trying to enrich themselves on public tax dollars. We do not need to collect more taxes to distribute to the politically connected foster organizations. They take the picks of the litter from the Miami-Dade Shelter; cherry picking all the adoptable pets and then sell them, oh I am sorry, I mean collect adoption or rehoming fees. Some may call that profit.
Of course Miami-Dade can’t be a no-kill, as it does not get to pick and choose what animals it wants to try to foster out. It cannot not turn any away no matter how old or sick. Miami-Dade County is the adoption source of last resort and cannot choose its stock.
We need to properly fund our County facility not turn the operations over to amateurs.
This entire program is nothing other than a greed grab for the proponents who are seeking their payday. Once started, the fund will be no better than government giveaways to Charter Schools, Goodbay Festivals, Children’s trust and airport vendor contracts. Don’t start it as the tax payers will never be able to get out once we are indebted.
No matter who gets to guard he money, it’ll always be safer than in the hands of the worst mayor this side of the Mississipi Carlos Gimenez
Seems to me that a “movement” has begun to remove Carlos Gimenez once and for all.
Remember how The Pet’s Trust hand picked a candidate to run against Pepe Diaz? They couldn’t raise any money for her and her candidacy was doomed from the start. What makes you think they’ll have more luck fundraising as a PAC? You’re never going to get a large number of small donors to carry the entire load. What they need are at least 10 folks who can kick in at least $10K each. Then raise the other 25% from folks who can drop $3 to $5K in the kettle. Then you finish with the small donors. Otherwise, no one’s going to take them seriously. Rita and Mike are well meaning, but they don’t know what they’re doing.
Imagine if the 500,000 who voted for the Pets’ Trust were to donate $2.00 dollars each, that’s a million dollars toward influencing the Dade County mayoral election. I voted for it and will donate to the Pets’ PAC. Here is one foil that should make a difference against Gimenez and his special interests cabal. Caveat though, Gimenez might suddenly be über receptive this time, but remember, fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on [us] . . . all of us!
Unfortunately, for U.S. voters, the trend has been for the elected officials–mostly Republicans–to disregard the voters’ needs, wishes and go with their sick and heartless ideology. Witness the private-run prison abuses; cuts to children’s state-run health insurance; 48 tries to repeal the ACA, the only low-cost healthcare available;and continuous threats to get rid of Medicare–all in the name of saving costs–while allowing corporations to thrive on a low-tax scale or not paying taxes at all. Bravo to the PetsTrust founders for devising the only way animal advocates in Miami-Dade County can fight the big-money machinery that has become the electoral process in the U.S.!
17 million dollars a year of public money are washed down the toilet by Gimenez’ “best county manager” Alex Munos, the director of Miami Dade Animal Services (so-called Miami Dade Animal Slaughterhouse): Animals in MDAS custody have nothing- no beds, no walking/washing services, no appropriate medical services. It is the time to stop animal abuse, abuse of power and public trust- ABC and CMG (Carlos Must Go)!
I am a Florida native and have only been following this animal situation for about 6 months, and Mr. Mayor you really should be ashamed of yourself! Your so called shelter MDAS is just pathetic! You sir need to go and volunteer one of your full work days at this shelter and see all the animals in pain that are not being treated, the dogs lying around on cement floors not even a towel to lay on, open sores, tick infestations and the smell of death all around! Do you want me to go on? Go check it out Mr. Mayor. If you have any kind of a heart this abuse and negligent handling of animals will stop now.
Doug,
Your letter reinforces what so many people have told me, that in America Democracy rules and when people vote that is the final word! Part of our mission was to perform over 100,000 spay/neuter surgeries a year, to help stop killing our animals because of overpopulation.
Most people that didn’t vote for the Pets’ Trust told us they didn’t trust county government to use the funds honestly and wisely. (Was that your reason?)
This is the only solution in the entire country with a clear and decisive plan to stop killing our animals. It is cost effective because it cost more to kill than to spay/neuter and it is the humane thing to do. If you are tired of certain elected officials as we are, we encourage you to join http://www.AnimalPowerParty.com
The Animal Power Party is a big step in the right direction. The Mayor refuses to listen to or meet with The Pets Trust founders. He tries to nullify the democracy by stating his personal belief that “the voters did not know what they were voting for”. While this may be true regarding Mayor Gimenez’s election, this was not true regarding the clearly-worded ballots that were cast on Nov 6, 2012. Since the Mayor has such disdain for the Democracy, the voters need to send him and the Commissioners who blindly follow his misguided lead a strong message-that the Will of the People is not an option in a Democracy-it is a directive to be followed; that ignoring this, We The People will send the Mayor (and others who dismiss the wishes of the voting majority) packing-with their tails between their legs.
After my classmate Hari Maggs and I covered the story of the Pets’ Trust for a final project in one of our journalism classes, we have decided to help with APP fundraising! Learning about the vote that has not been honored and the high euthanasia rates in Miami-Dade County has inspired us to raise awareness about this issue on the University of Miami campus and encourage college students to vote in this August’s election.
Not honoring the will of the people in a country like ours… We are not a third world country, where the government does whatever they please… This is America, where rights need to be respected
We act like a third world country simple because we have Mayor Gimenez, who acts like a dictator, from a third world country. He has no problem following the will of lobbyists
Finally, there is hope for new leadership. I will do everything possible to help the Animal Power Party. First, we must replace Mayor Gimenez so that democracy can be restored to Miami-Dade County. Then, at last, we can help our animals, as 500,000 voters asked him to. Please join me in supporting The Pet’s Trust & APP. Every little bit helps.
I did not vote for the Pets’ Trust because I didn’t agree with it. But 65% of the voters did vote for it, so I agree that it should be instituted.
It reminds of the class size amendment that passed and was ignored by the dirtbags in Tallahassee.
This is one more slap in the face of voters by the politicians that beg for our votes and, once elected, do whatever they want.