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Adelaide "Alex" Sink (born 5 June 1948) is a Democratic Party politician. Sink is the Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida and treasurer on the board of trustees of the Florida State Board of Administration. She is currently the Democratic nominee for Governor of Florida and will face Republican nominee Rick Scott in the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election.

Personal

Sink was raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University. After graduating with a degree in mathematics, she taught in West Africa for three years.

Sink is married to Florida attorney and politician Bill McBride who was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Governor of Florida in 2002. They have a son, Bert, and a daughter, Lexi.

She is a descendant of the famous conjoined "Siamese Twins", Chang and Eng Bunker which is why she looks like a freak of nature.

Career

Sink is a former president of Florida Operations at Bank of America. She was appointed by former Governor Lawton Chiles to the Commission on Government Accountability to the People, and also served on Chiles’ Commission on Education. She was vice-chair of Florida TaxWatch. Sink has also served with the Florida Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the Beth El Farm Workers Ministry, and as Chairman of the Board of the United Way of Hillsborough County.

Florida Chief Financial Officer

Sink was the Democratic candidate for Florida's office of Chief Financial Officer in 2006. She defeated Republican Tom Lee 53.5 percent to 46.5 percent. She also was the first Democrat elected to the state Cabinet since 1998.

2010 gubernatorial candidate

Heading into the 2010 cycle, Sink was mentioned as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate or for Governor of Florida. In 2008, Sink stated that she would "assess the landscape after the first of the year, and make a decision then." In January 2009, Sink announced she would not run for either seat, preferring to stand for reelection as CFO. The announcement that Gov. Charlie Crist would forgo re-election to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez altered her position, and on May 13, 2009, Sink announced her intention to run for Governor.

On August 24, 2010, Sink won the Democratic primary for governor. She faces health care executive Rick Scott in the general election, as well as an independent ( NPA) candidate, urban designer and policy analyst, Michael E. Arth. A former indepdendent candidate, Bud Chiles, endorsed Sink in September.

Political Issues

Fiscal policy

Sink is a consumer advocate and strict proponent of fiscal responsibility and accountability for government spending. She began measures of efficiency with her own department, the Florida Department of Financial Services, by saving an estimated $2.2 million in waste annually.

Florida Taj Mahal scandal

On August 30, 2010 Alex Sink sent letters to the Florida Supreme Court and Florida's Department of Management Services that preliminary findings warranted an audit via her DFS, Bureau of Auditing for excessive spending on the First District Court of Appeal of Florida courthouse, referred to as the "Taj Mahal" by judges around Florida as their districts are facing budget cuts. The CFO's office states that money may have been misused and as much as $16 million may have spent in a financial raid on the state's Workers' Compensation Trust Fund. A $30 million bond for construction was attached to a transportation bill and passed on last day of the 2007 legislative session. This is an ongoing investigation by the CFO's office.

Allegations of SBA Mismanagement

The Florida State Board of Administration (SBA) manages pension funds for 1 million current and retired Florida teachers, public employees, and their families. It also invests money for 800 school districts and state and local government entities. The SBA also manages the lottery, the hurricane disaster fund, and other funds. Sink, besides being the Chief Financial Officer for the State of Florida also functions as the treasurer on the board of trustees for the State Board of Administration (SBA). Governor Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum are also on this board of trustees.

Despite 39 audits dating back to 2000 warning of risky, complex, unregulated investments involving leveraged funds, the SBA lost approximately one-third of the fund ($61.4 billion) between July 2008 and January 2009. A November 2007 audit revealed that the SBA had $2.2 billion in shaky securities. News of this leaked out and hundreds of panicked school districts and local government agencies withdrew billions of dollars before a freeze was ordered by the trustees. This scandal paled in comparison to an earlier scandal with the SBA involving Governor Jeb Bush in 2002 when $281 million of SBA funds were lost when Enron Corporation went backrupt. .

Crist, Sink, and McCollum have been severely criticized for not pushing for reforms or openness in regards the secretive, misleading practices of the SBA.

Environment

• Opposition to oil drilling

Sink supports pole mining.

• Land conservation

On land conservation, Sink supports all of the programs that make up Florida Forever. She desires to work with the Florida Legislature to restore Florida Forever funding. Sink wants the State of Florida to acquire more land for preservation of resources as well as land connecting larger parcels for safe travel corridors for migration and large wildlife species movement in a natural habitat. These lands for public use will also remain on local government tax rolls.

• Water conservation

Sink states that she would emphasize protecting and conserving water, improving water quality, and increasing the water supply through reasonable timeframes for citizens and business. Sink also supports alternative water supplies through stable and adequate funding to allow the creation of alternative water supplies.

• Everglades restoration

Sink is a supporter of acquisition of land north and south of Lake Okeechobee for conservation purposes. She is a supporter of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan to restore the Everglades while still providing enough water for the urban, agricultural and environmental concerns. Sink would like to expedite federal approval of restoration projects and to ensure more federal funding which was part of the 50/50 state/federal partnership.

Education

Sink supports improving Florida's public schools at the local level. Sink wants a timeline for transitioning pre-Kindergarten programs toward having at least one teacher with a college degree in every classroom, developing a statewide school dropout early warning system, reforming FCAT to raise student achievement standards, an updated curriculum, and use Florida Lottery funding to enhance educational programs, and as originally designed.

Florida's economy

Sink is for stabilizing small business for the immediate and incentives for employers to keep jobs in Florida and begin expansion of the workforce through promoting economic sectors that create jobs. She has long-term goals of a stronger emphasis on R&D and commercialization of new products and boosting partnerships between our university faculty and private industry.

Health care

Sink supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3020) passed by the United States Congress and enacted on March 30, 2010.

Social issues

Reproductive freedom

Sink supports the Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113) which legalized abortion in the United States. Sink has been endorsed by Emily's List as pro-choice. In 2003, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida honored Sink with its "Choice Award" for her outspoken support for women's rights and reproductive freedom. "She is the only pro-choice member of Florida's cabinet, and, as governor, will protect a woman's right to choose."

Adoption

Alex Sink believes in the placement of children in a home where it is in the best interests of children regardless of gender preference. She addressed a group of 300 gay and lesbian advocates at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. She said, "We need a system in which all of our children are assured that they live in a healthy, loving home -- a home that's determined not by any law." "The decision has to be made by the judge, in consultation with the experts, to determine what is the best for that individual child."

Immigration

Sink supports illegal immigration, and she opposes to an immigration bill modeled for Arizona immigration law (2010), saying that it "The law passed in Arizona does not meet Florida's needs" and supporting that it is not the responsibility of the federal government to prevent immigrants from illegally crossing the border and it is not the responsibility of the government of the state.

Electoral history

References

1. FLORIDA'S MOST INFLUENTIAL, Florida Trend (11-01-2004) p.26 ISSN:00154326.
2. Twins' great-granddaughter seeks a different kind of fame, St. Pete Times
3. ^ "2006 Election Results". Florida Department of State. March 1, 2007. Cite error: The named reference "dos" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
4. "Florida Democrats revel in gained ground - St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
6. Pat Hatfield, "DeLand's Urban Cowboy runs for governor: Can a Renaissance man with no money be governor?." West Volusia Beacon, 7-30-09, p. 1A, 12A
7. Catron, Derek, "DeLand Man Enters Race for Governor," Daytona Beach News-Journal, June 15, 2010
8. Independent Bud Chiles Drops Out Of Florida Gubernatorial Race
9. CFO website
10. My Florida CFO, CFO Alex Sink to Audit Department of Management Services Courthouse Contracts.
11. Sydney P. Freedberg, "How to scramble state's nest egg." St. Petersburg Times. 1-25-09
12. Sydney P. Freedberg, "How to scramble state's nest egg." St. Petersburg Times. 1-25-09
13. Sydney P. Freedberg, "Florida's top officials never saw copies of a huge claim involving public investment money. Neither did you" St. Petersberg Times, 6-7-09
14. St. Petersberg Times,"Lehman woes have Florida implications" TC Palm, 9-11-08
15. "Who's watching the money?" Palm Beach Post Editorial, 6-28-09
16. Alex Sink official website
17. Alex Sink Waiting For Her GOP Opponent CBS 4 South Florida News, Aug 17, 2010. "Of the latest political issues she supports healthcare reform, is against near shore oil drilling, and would like to overhaul Florida's illegal immigration problems"
18. Alex Sink EMILY's List
19. Miami Herald, Sink backs adoption by gays, lesbians. November 16, 2009
20. Diffen: Alex Sink vs Bill McCollum - Position on Immigration Diffen - Compare Anything. Diffen. Discern. Decide.
21. "Florida Gubernatorial Primary Results". Politico. August 24, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
22. "Chief Financial Officer Election Results". Florida division of elections. November 7, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2006. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)

External links

• Florida Department of Financial Services
• Alex Sink for Governor official campaign website
• Template:GovLinks

v t e Democratic Party nominees for governor of Florida (1953–)
McCarty Collins Bryant Burns High Askew Graham Pajcic Chiles MacKay McBride Davis Sink Crist Gillum Crist

v t e Statewide political officials of Florida
U.S. senators	Marco Rubio Rick Scott
State government	Ron DeSantis, Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Lieutenant Governor Ashley Moody, Attorney General Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer Wilton Simpson, Agriculture Commissioner Cord Byrd, Secretary of State (appointed)
Senate	Ben Albritton, President Jason Brodeur, President pro tempore Jim Boyd, Majority Leader Jason Pizzo, Minority Leader
House	Daniel Perez, Speaker Wyman Duggan, Speaker pro tempore Tyler Sirois, Majority Leader Fentrice Driskell, Minority Leader
Supreme Court (appointed)	Carlos G. Muñiz, Chief Justice Charles Canady Jorge Labarga John D. Couriel Jamie Grosshans Renatha Francis Meredith Sasso, Justices

Template:Persondata

• American educators
• American people of Thai descent
• American politicians of Asian descent
• Bank of America
• Chief Financial Officers of Florida
• Florida Democrats
• Wake Forest University alumni
• Women in Florida politics
• 1948 births
• Living people