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Category:: Common Interest - Politics
Description:: KEVIN BURNS: A PRACTICAL, ACCOMPLISHED LEADER

Kevin Burns is a practical and realistic man. As a small business owner, he built his customer base one client at a time, ensuring a personal one-to-one relationship with the people he relied on for his livelihood. As a politician, he has been committed to finding solutions to problems, and not bound to unproductive group-think and petty ideologies. And as a leader in the US Conference of Mayors, he has traveled the country and the world in search of innovative strategies to combat the issues facing Florida’s cities.

It is those skills and talents Kevin Burns will take with him to the United State Senate.

Political Outlook and Accomplishments

Twice elected as Mayor of North Miami, Kevin took on the entrenched political machine in the city and won decisive victories due to his dogged determination and focus on uniting the citizens to find solutions to the city’s problems. He inherited a city in disarray – revolving city managers and senior staff, constant turnover, and an outdated, small town outlook that was hindering North Miami from participating in the growth and success the rest of South Florida was enjoying.

In response, Kevin reorganized the structure of city government, brought in new senior staff, and increased accountability for department heads. He created a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to spark development and economic success, repaired the city’s crumbling facilities, and pushed green building codes to ensure environmental responsibility and save the city money. And he developed a new emergency response process after Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma struck North Miami in 2005.

Importantly, underscoring his focus on education, under Kevin’s leadership the City of North Miami opened five new schools in a three-year period – an unprecedented $200 million construction project that ensured the city’s students would enjoy exceptional school facilities to support their educational goals.

Kevin’s active involvement with the US Conference of Mayors has taken him around the world in partnership with his colleagues. He was one of the first 100 mayors to sign on to the Kyoto 2030 challenge, aimed at reducing our carbon footprint to halt climate change. He was one of only seven US mayors to meet with Japanese officials to discuss environmental concerns. He sits on a wide range of task forces and committees: Sustainability, Infrastructure and Community Redevelopment are all aimed at finding ways to spark economic development while remaining environmentally responsible, and Tourism, Arts & Cultural, and Sports focus on exploring other economic generators important to Florida’s economy. He’s a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which encourages the enforcement of existing gun laws and the passage of the assault weapons ban. And he’s the only Florida mayor on the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Task Force, which is trying to bring the Olympics to the US once again.

Personal Background

Kevin and his six siblings were raised by his single mother after his parents divorced. She was a waitress who worked double shifts to provide for Kevin and his brothers and sisters, and for a time the family lived in the Miami public housing community of Larchmont Gardens. At one point during his childhood Kevin went to live with his first grade teacher, who tutored him in Math and English to help his grades.

Kevin graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1976, which had a majority African American student population. He took classes in the morning and in the afternoon attended Miami Agricultural School, where he raised animals and learned about farming and the land. There, he became a leader in Future Farmers of America (FFA), and ultimately won the FFA’s highest honor, the American Farmer degree, for his Christmas tree business – one of only two American Farmer degrees ever won in Miami Dade County. He was also awarded an Honorable Mention from the Miami Herald’s Silver Knight program, sponsored by the Knight Foundation – still one of South Florida’s most prestigious student honors.

Kevin attended Miami Dade Community College (today Miami Dade College) and Tallahassee Community College, and earned an Associate’s degree in Speech Communication. In 1982 he was offered the chance to perform with the international singing group Up With People, whose mission as a non-religious and non-political organization was to bring people together through music. Kevin toured 10 countries and 30 states with the group, and has fond memories of the many host families he stayed with around the world.

Upon returning to South Florida, Kevin pursued small businesses with an exuberant entrepreneurial spirit: He founded Palm Beach Landscape and Design, a landscaping business, and ran that successfully for years in the 1980s. In the 1990s he opened a small retail business with storefronts in South Beach and Coconut Grove. And in 2001 he received his real estate license, and today holds his broker’s license.

Kevin and his partner Rob Flint have been in a committed relationship for 25 years, and have a 7 year-old daughter, Autumn. They live in North Miami.

Kevin’s Campaign Agenda

Kevin Burns is running for the US Senate because his tenure as mayor made him realize that Washington doesn’t understand the impact of its actions at the local level. As Mayor, Kevin has to meet the needs of North Miami’s citizens every day. He’s in the community and sees on a firsthand basis what works and what doesn’t. Career politicians have lost touch with the needs of the people. If Kevin tries something and it doesn’t work, he knows about it immediately. He’ll take that sense of immediacy -- coupled with thoughtful, practical experience -- with him to Washington on behalf of the people of Florida.

Kevin wants to bring common sense back to Washington. The new spirit that’s sweeping the nation’s capital is temporary, as politics as usual will invariably enter the scene, and gridlock can very easily shut down movement toward solutions. Kevin brings a new approach to governing, because he’s working at the local level to ensure the community’s needs are met. That’s not left or right, liberal or conservative – it’s a common sense, realistic approach to solving problems that affect Floridians every day.

He’ll also focus on green initiatives because the environment is critical to Florida’s future. Kevin is a Florida native, but recognizes that people move here and make the Sunshine State their home because of the abundance of natural resources. Kevin will protect our coastline and preserve the Everglades. He’ll promote new clean industries and protect rural communities. He’ll explore mass transit solutions so we can get people out of their cars and clean the air. And he’ll encourage alternative energy solutions, like wind and solar power – these aren’t fringe ideas anymore, these are ideas close to implementation. And helping the environment helps our economy.

And Kevin will help President Obama enact meaningful health care reform so all of Florida’s citizens have access to coverage for their health needs. Health care will continue to on the table after the 2010 campaign, and Kevin will lead the charge to care for our seniors, our veterans, our children, and everyone else in Florida.

Kevin Burns is a practical man, who focuses on practical solutions to the problems plaguing Florida’s citizens. His voice belongs in the US Senate.
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KEVIN BURNS: A PRACTICAL, ACCOMPLISHED LEADER

Kevin Burns is a practical and realistic man. As a small business owner, he built his customer base one client at a time, ensuring a personal one-to-one relationship with the people he relied on for his livelihood. As a politician, he has been committed to finding solutions to problems, and not bound to unproductive group-think and petty ideologies. And as a leader in the US Conference of Mayors, he has traveled the country and the world in... (read more)
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