 Hello, everyone. I am here with Jen Perlman running in Florida's 23rd Congressional District against someone you all may be familiar with. Her name is Debbie Wasserman Schultz and she is the newest challenger to take on Congresswoman Schultz. And she's here to talk about her campaign and how she will once and for all defeat Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Jen, thank you so much for coming on the program. Thank you so much for having me on. It's a pleasure. You know, I really am trying to find people from all across the country who are running for Congress and a lot of times it's really difficult to get the name out there. And there is less, you know, of a sense of urgency because they're running against someone with little to no name recognition. But if you're progressive, if you are a democratic socialist, you know about your opponent Debbie Wasserman Schultz. So tell us why you decided to run because we know that you're going up against the behemoth someone who is raising a lot of money from special interests. So what made you want to take on Debbie because this really is a David versus Goliath situation? You know, she has been my Congresswoman for 15 years. So this is nothing about how she gets her money and what she does is new to us in this district. Most people know her from 2016 from the DNC and the cheating of Bernie and that. But really she has been corrupt as long as I can remember. But the timing of this really works out in a few ways. One, I've recently reactivated my law license because I've had more time on my hands. My oldest just left for college. And so I'm able to actually put some more time into doing stuff in a local level than I was over the past few years. But my issues with her go back as far as I can remember. I mean, this is nothing new. Can you talk a little bit about that? Because my first introduction to her was in 2016 with the DNC shenanigans and when she had to infamously resign. So why in terms of just being a representative, was she not adequate even before we knew about anything from 2016 in your view? It's actually it's really simple. It's where she gets her money from. I personally do not support anybody who takes corporate donations or special interest has control by special interest. And her donors include big sugar, next era energy, which is Florida power and light, payday lenders, for profit prisons, the alcohol industry and probably private insurance companies. There's just this long list of sources of money that gives such an appearance of impropriety to her and into the choices that she makes. And we have a blue-green algae problem that I don't know if you're familiar with down here that it comes from the toxic water that is the overflow of industrial agriculture, primarily big sugar in the middle of the state. And the nitrates flow into the system and it creates this blooming blue-green algae problem that's toxic. It kills the manatees, it kills the fish and the people that live on the water when this is blooming have to actually cover their faces with gas max because the toxic algae. Well, she takes big sugar money. That's one of her biggest donors. She's been giving sugar subsidies as far as I can remember. And this kind of toxic overflow is pretty typical here. So, you know, I just I don't trust somebody who's on their payroll. Yeah. And I don't I don't blame you and someone who's lived there who has to deal with these consequences. You know, this is more than just about the 2016 election. This is more than just getting out one additional corporate Democrat. This is about how it really impacts your life in a concrete way. So it's really nice to see you step up and challenge her. But I don't want this to be entirely about Debbie Wasserman Schultz because you as a candidate individually, if we remove her from the equation. I looked at your platform. I absolutely am so impressed. So tell us about yourself personally and also, you know, why you decided to run for Congress. I was born in this district, actually. I'm a second generation native Floridian, which for someone my age is extremely rare. Most people here are transplants. So I'm what people would refer to as a townie. I've been here forever. So I actually remember there being wild flamingos. So, you know, there's it's a lot different now the landscape. I went to school for journalism and eventually ended up doing advertising and media relations where I was at the State Chamber of Commerce in Indiana doing their media relations. And I really love the policy aspect of what the lobbyists were working on, not so much those particular Chamber of Commerce policy positions, but just the whole concept of working at the State House and I love doing the press conferences at the governor's office. And it was just a really fun experience to see that the things that we were doing were actually affecting policy. So that it was just really a really good experience. And that's when I decided to go to law school. So I actually went to law school planning on lobbying for nonprofit. I always figured that the bad guys had lobbyists that the good guys needed lobbyists. And that was my original plan. And then one thing leads to the next thing and I ended up doing criminal law and just different things. But policy has always been something that I was interested in from the beginning of when I even decided to go to law school. So this general concept of injustice is just something that sort of I feel all the time whether it's economic injustice injustice with a criminal justice system. All of it this this level of elitism and entitlement that seems to have taken over our country is just quite honestly it's disgusting to me. So I'm in a position where I have a life that I'm privileged and able to be able to step up and do this. I mean how many people can give up their job who have to work to be able to spend 18 months raising money to run for a position that should be a term of public service and not a career. And you know so it's a privilege to be able to do it. So I say it's my privilege to lend my privilege. But yeah I mean really it's just I think I've reached the maximum level of acceptance of elitism in this country. I absolutely see it as well and it makes me feel like I'm unwelcome like it makes people who aren't in that club which is very small feel as if they are the other. Like they're not they're not you know even needed for votes anymore because if you have your donors you know special interests big sugar you know payday lenders who are predatory. Then they just feel like they don't need to represent their constituents and I like that so many people members of brand new Congress justice Democrats are stepping up and they're saying you know what no working people. We are the backbone of this country and we're no longer going to allow this corporate complicity and people who are in power just not represent us adequately from local issues to national issues and I saw one of your tweets. That was just it was so incredible because I'm always thinking about these things and I love that you tied this to a really a concrete thing that affects normal Americans. So for those who don't know Debbie Wasserman Schultz just came out and announced that she she has breast cancer I believe and she kind of kept that battle private and the way that you responded to this was of course you know you were sympathetic towards that struggle. But you reminded her that some people they don't have the access to health care at all. And that's something that Debbie Wasserman Schultz doesn't support so we understand that that health care struggle and you know dealing with cancer that's huge like I. Any person who goes through that it's it's horrific right and I have family members and friends who are all affected by that but you know dealing with health. In and of itself is an issue you shouldn't also have to deal with the struggle of finding out is my insurance company going to cover this. Can I even find insurance and so you you tied that back to a real world issue and on your website you are so clear and I love this. You talk about Medicare for all and you say very clearly single payer no more co pays no more deductibles no more premiums. So why is this issue so important to you and what what other issues would you bring to the table as you know the new representative of District 23 in Florida. I actually think that single payer health care will be the biggest most comprehensive change in people's lives in my lifetime. I think that it is bigger than anybody can even really imagine and I and this concept of trickle up economics. You know when people aren't having the stress between their food and their insulin or worrying about how they're going to pay for their kids asthma medication. Well maybe they can get a new car maybe they can take that extra trip this year or maybe they can do some extra Christmas shopping and I. I it's like trickle up economics and so to me it isn't even just the factor of the health care which to me is a human right that's a you know it's a moral issue that we need to decide as a country but. Economically I think it'll have a much greater impact than people even realize in addition to just obviously cutting down on our ridiculous health care costs. So to me that's just a massive issue but I've said my top three would be Medicare for all I do support Green New Deal. But more specifically very climate crisis oriented action I mean Green New Deal is also economic justice I mean it's very broad and so yes I support the Green New Deal but. Very more specifically climate crisis and also criminal justice reform and that's just very personal to me decriminalizing marijuana is tip of the iceberg I mean you know. We need to be commuting sentences left and right for people that are sitting in prison for nonviolent drug offenses so you know I see drugs as a health care issue not a criminal issue. There's just so many fundamental differences between how I see things and how things are actually currently being legislated so it's so broad I mean my opponent still says marijuana is a gateway drug. Oh my god you know yeah and so I'm sitting here thinking okay we have an opioid crisis that is way bigger than than people realize marijuana is just not even close to part of the problem. It's just it's just not so you know I just we need a complete paradigm shift and how we deal with not just drugs but criminal justice in general and obviously racial disparity is a huge problem with that too. That's really remarkable it's almost like there's different cultures in the United States because I'm on the opposite side you know the country I'm in Oregon and I could walk into a store and legally purchased. Purchase weed. I know but then you have a representative who is saying it's a gateway drug it's just it's remarkable and I want you to kind of talk a little bit more about criminal justice because this is something that really isn't talks about enough and someone with your background I think that you have so much credibility here and so much insight. Can you talk about what real criminal justice reform would look like. Wow. It's huge it's huge. The issue is that a majority of the stuff that would be dealt with with that are state level issues for example. Everything having to do with marijuana legalization really is a state issue that's why I always say decriminalization from a federal perspective, meaning marijuana needs to be declassified as a schedule one drug and you know all any sort of. Commutations that can happen at the federal level need to happen but we're talking about everything from policing all the way up until post conviction and sentencing reform the way that people are treated based on skin color starts. I mean other than from school year age it's in the criminal justice system from the minute of arrest until the minute you are out of out of jail and potentially trying to get your voting rights reinstated which is now a big issue here as well so I mean there are so many problems with it that it's just remarkable. I mean it's huge. Yeah it's such a multi dimensional issue as well and I think that's that's such an important point about the state level because like this is really an incredibly important local issue that I think state representatives and representatives in Congress really need to address like the way that. Communities of color are over police this leads to additional fines and increased poverty like there's so many issues and I just feel like people in Congress. They've become so detached many of them have been there for decades and then you just even if you go into Congress with good intentions they kind of put themselves in a bubble in DC like I like to call it the elitist bubble and then they don't. Leave it and then they don't allow anything to penetrate that bubble so it's really nice to see candidates like yourself really shake up that system and let them know that hey where your constituents you are not adequately addressing our needs in fact you're way out of touch. And we want you to do better and since you have proven that you're not going to do better. We're going to take the matter into our own hands and challenge you ourselves. So I want to talk a little bit about the dynamics of your campaign. This is difficult as I mentioned you know you're going up against someone who is very well funded who is loved by the Democratic Party establishment. So what do you think it would require to make you competitive and have you defeat her I know that you have a broad robust grassroots campaign. But what can we do in terms of helping you because I know that as someone in Oregon. I also feel as if I almost have like a vested interest in this district because I followed it for so long. What can we do to help you. Well obviously we need money. I mean we we need and we're all small dollar donations. I mean look there will be some occasional people that want to max out and that you know want to write me a check for twenty eight hundred dollars and that's fine you know we'll take it but really. I have this dream of this concept going viral that all of I would love to get all of Bernie's volunteers to donate a dollar a month to unseat the person who cheated Bernie. And I have this this idea in my head of this like big group effort almost like this poetic justice if you will. And I really I couldn't imagine a single Bernie volunteer that would not be willing to donate a dollar a month to do this so it's just a matter of getting that out there. In general we're hoping for twenty three dollar a month monthly donations for District twenty three and people can donate at Jen twenty twenty dot com. And can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram at Jen f L twenty three. But we we need people to spread the word and we need we need monthly donors to keep this going it's unfortunate that we have to have. Close to two years of campaigns in this country but you know I support publicly financed elections and I'd be happy with a three month election cycle. The waste and the affluence that's required to do this is obscene. And this is why why regular people cannot participate in governance and that's like my personal little not I wouldn't say vendetta but to get publicly financed elections so that regular people can actually run for office. That would be a whole game changer. Oh it would it would totally be a game changer because you shouldn't have to have money to win elections but that's just the reality of the system. So I always try to tell people that when you're donating to these candidates even if they're not in your district think of this as kind of like an investment right like you put down a dollar or five dollars or twenty dollars. And when they get elected they will be implementing policies that help you. And I always love to use this example of Ilhan Omar she wants to cancel student loan debt she introduced the bill in the House of Representatives that would have a really concrete impact on my life and I'm not in her district she's not my representative. So this really is you know a national movement and I love the way that you frame that like if we got all the Bernie volunteers to donate to you have like poetic justice you know that would be phenomenal like I love that because this really is like this is a movement we all stick together this is about solidarity. And you know it's not only about that it's about getting the policies that's why we are all rallying around this movement to you know past these broad policy reforms Medicare for all criminal justice reform you know so. I love that you said that that really I think that's going to resonate with a lot of people it definitely resonated with me. So thank you so much for coming on the program Jen it's been an absolute pleasure we for sure will be following this race very closely I know that all my viewers now are going to be interested because. You know we can't just let people in power get away with one not representing people and to directly cheating people robbing them of democracy it's just so unfair you know so. There has to be accountability for that and accountability will hopefully come in the form of poetic justice and democracy and just beating W. Wasserman Schultz finally. I mean I generally I tell people I find her to be an insubordinate employee and people need to understand that these are our employees. So why they're on pedestals and why they give themselves raises and we just sort of are happy fighting for scraps of what they like it's almost like we have battered spouse syndrome. I don't we just don't I don't understand if I told anybody that you could have an employee that they're going to do whatever they want they're going to take money from other people they're not going to do what you asked them to do. And they're going to give themselves a raise. It just sounds crazy you know so and yet this is how we live so I realize that it isn't just about the corporate money I mean that's huge. But we have to like people that don't want this is a career. This is not a career. It is a term of service. You know for me this is nothing I ever thought of wanting to do. I've always liked the idea of creating policy. But this this was never anything that I that I saw it doing. I mean my dream life is living in the mountains in Asheville in some sort of artist co-op and having like goats and bees. You know so so this is this is service is how I mean that's how I see it. And that mentality is so different because like we've been we've been I guess groomed as since we were children to think that you know if you want to be a politician if you want to be president you just start by being mayor. Then you run for the state legislature then maybe federal office but that's not really how democracy is supposed to work. It's supposed to be non-elitist people working people. And I'm so glad that you brought that up these are subordinate employees like our tax dollars are going to their checks like they answer to us. So we can fire them if we don't like them. And I think that people just need to realize the tremendous amount of power that we have even if it doesn't feel like it at this point in time. We do have power. We still are in control. It just takes people like you saying hey you are in charge like you know activated power. They've made it hard. They've made it hard. They've insulated themselves in gerrymandered district but we have a closed primary here and they've made it so that the seats are very safe. So you know it's we've taken our eye off the ball long enough that we've sort of allowed them to become so insulated and safe in their seats. So it almost seems like harder to unravel it. But people are getting through and it is happening and I actually think that Trump is a huge part of why more people are paying attention. And for that I am thankful and you know as much as they'd like to blame the whole world's evil on him. People are paying attention that we're never paying attention before. So I and to me that's helpful. So I actually am appreciative of that. Yeah. No I totally agree with that because it's like for us to get someone like Donald Trump elected into office. That really requires all of us to really be introspective and take a hard look at our democracy like why was it so bad that this clown was elected. Like it's getting people to really think. And I think that that's you know one of the good things I guess of Donald Trump if we could take anything you know out of it. I think it's so important because people kind of just went to sleep during the Obama years like we just felt like it's okay. Clinton and Obama. Clinton and Obama. We had two opportunities after two conservative presidencies to change the dynamic and to actually make things work better for working people. And instead we put in neoliberal policies that just made it worse and just with this illusion of this democratic kind of backing that really is no different. It's the same thing. Well you know I mean it's all the same and it's just corporatism. It's just pure corporatism. Yeah it feels like we have one party split into two different factions one who's far right and extremist the other who's just you know they're socially liberal to an extent. But by and large they're corporatists like we live essentially in an oligarchy like I always like to cite a 2014 Princeton University study by Drs. Gilan's and Page where they looked at policy outcomes for a set of issues and they found that average voters have a statistically insignificant impact on policy outcomes. Whereas elites, special interests they actually have a significant impact and we can't allow that to happen. Like we have to be able to recognize that we are in a time of crisis and we need to respond to that accordingly. And that's why once again I'm so thankful that people like you are running. So before we go one last time tell us your Twitter and your website. Okay so our website is gen2020.com that's Jen with one in and we're also at Jen 2020 on Facebook. Our Twitter and Instagram are genfl23 for Florida's 23rd district and we need help. I mean there's no doubt about it and if people could go on to our website and even sign up as a volunteer to help with social media like there's there's several different choices. But the more people that we have following us the more attention we get the more money comes in so it all helps. It's just it's really helpful to have support. It's like a snowball effect essentially. It is. Once you get that momentum you know there's no stopping you. So Jen Perlman running in Florida's 23rd congressional district against Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Help her out if you want poetic justice for Bernie Sanders. Thank you so much Jen. Thank you so much.