Frank Russo Calls on Florida's Faith Communities to Put Humanity Over the Dollar

Independent candidate for Florida Governor Frank J. Russo is calling on faith communities across the state - beginning with the Catholic Church that helped shape his own upbringing - to help bring the conversation in Florida back to something simple: taking care of people. Russo, one of eleven children raised in an Italian Catholic family in New York, said his faith and his family taught him lessons that have stayed with him his entire life. "I grew up one of eleven kids in an Italian Catholic family. Church wasn't something we talked about once in a while. It was part of our life," Russo said. "My mother used to say that if you missed church, you were missing something important. What I took from that was pretty simple: care about people, help people when you can and try to do the right thing." Today, Russo describes himself as spiritually seeking Truth, not locked onto a specific Christian tradition, but he says those values have never left him. "I want to be clear about something. I'm not asking churches to endorse me. I'm not asking a priest or pastor to tell anybody how to vote. I wouldn't want them to," Russo said. "What I am asking is for them to keep talking about something I think we've forgotten - the person has to matter more than the dollar." Russo said that principle is especially important at a time when families across Florida are struggling with the cost of simply living in the state. Florida has the highest foreclosure rate of any state in the nation. Florida homeowners pay the highest home insurance premiums in the country, averaging roughly $8,400 a year. Florida was recently ranked the worst state in America for renters. Florida teachers rank 50th in the nation in average pay for the third year in a row. "Those aren't just numbers," Russo said. "That's somebody losing their home. That's a teacher who can't afford to live where they teach. That's a family sitting at the kitchen table trying to figure out which bill gets paid this month. We spend a lot of time in politics talking about billions of dollars in revenue and program costs. I think we need to spend more time talking about the people behind those numbers." For Russo, that is what Humanity Over the Dollar means. "I'm a businessman. I believe businesses need to make money. I believe people who work hard should be successful, " Russo said. "But when making another dollar becomes more important than whether a neighboring family can afford their home, whether a teacher can pay their bills or whether a kid gets a good education, we've lost our way somewhere." Russo has described his philosophy as "caring capitalism" - bringing the discipline and accountability of the private sector to government without forgetting who government serves. "You can be good at business and care about people. You can watch every dollar and still have a heart. In fact, I think that's how government should operate," Russo said. "Spend people's money carefully, make sure it actually gets where we said it was going, and never forget who we're doing it for." That approach has shaped Russo's proposals throughout the campaign, including his calls for protected trust funds designed to ensure money intended for specific priorities goes directly toward those priorities rather than disappearing into general government spending. With fewer than 60 days remaining before the November 3 election, Russo said he hopes Florida's faith communities can help bring people back to the values they share rather than the political labels that divide them. "Whether you're Republican, Democrat or independent, and whatever your faith or background, I think we all share many of the same concerns," Russo said. "Can you afford your home? Are your kids getting a good education? Can you afford insurance? Do you ...