5
2
Moments
5
2
Years
"A H  T J M I"
Allan Bense
C
Bob McClure
P  CEO
Message from the President and Chairman
F
25
OR THE PAST
YEARS, The James Madison Institute has been at the forefront of
helping to shape Florida’s future. The following pages tell the story of the Institute’s most notable 25 moments over 25 years – the who, what, when, and how in terms of our accomplishments in Florida’s public policy arena.
While the Institute weighs in on a whole host of issues – property rights, taxes, regulations,
education, health care, transparency in government, property insurance, and others – we do so
with a keen focus on economic freedom.
The namesake of our organization, James Madison, said it best: “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” As the oldest and largest free-market
think tank in the Sunshine State, The James Madison Institute’s research and education efforts
provide lawmakers and citizens with trusted solutions for a better Florida. We are a powerful
platform for advancing liberty, a haven for innovative ideas and a gathering place for supporters of economic freedom across Florida. Every year we reach several hundred thousand young
people through our civics and economics education programs to ensure that future leaders in
our state remember the principles that made America the greatest of nations.
Of course, none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the founder
of the Institute, Dr. J. Stanley Marshall. His vision for creating a state-focused organization
truly has been revolutionary. His passion for education reform has given millions of Floridians
more educational options, which in turn has lifted Florida into the top 10 states in terms of
academic performance.
The theme of our 25th Anniversary celebrates liberty, leadership, and legacy. Liberty is central
to the American experience – it is the focus of the Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Leadership is required to protect our liberties. This leadership is reflected throughout these pages –
from political leaders like Governor Jeb Bush and Margaret Thatcher; to academic leaders like
professors James Gwartney and Randall Holcombe; to leaders on our board of directors and
among Institute staff; and the many donors who made this possible. The legacy of the past 25
years is the synthesis of what happens when leaders focus on liberty: we have lower taxes, less
government, and more freedom.
In 1787 – exactly two hundred years before The James Madison Institute was founded – our
founders finished one of the most accomplished documents in world history, the U.S. Constitution. Just as that work was the beginning of an experiment in limited government, so is ours.
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we know many challenges and battles lie ahead. The
entire world is watching the Sunshine State. We must do our part to provide the path forward.
If you are already a member of the Institute – we thank you for helping us reach this important
milestone and ask you to continue to stand with us. If you are not yet a member, we welcome
you to join us as we embark on the next 25 years. We believe we are just getting started.
Bob McClure
President & CEO
Allan Bense
Chairman
[1]
[2]
Moment 1
An Idea Spurs 25 Years of Impact
Following a momentous term as the President of
Florida State University from 1969 to 1976, Dr. J. Stanley Marshall decided to run for Florida Commissioner of
Education in 1986. Although a great candidate with a
keen instinct for what would push Florida to the forefront
of advancements in education, he did not win the election. However, through these experiences, Dr. Marshall
had developed significant contacts and built strong
relationships with other education reformers. One of his
former graduate students, Phil Halstead, suggested to Dr.
Marshall that, while his candidacy was unsuccessful, he
might consider starting a think tank to further some of
the ideas he had to reform education in Florida.
Intrigued by the idea, Dr. Marshall’s quest sent him
to two unexpected places in the spring of 1987. The
first was San Francisco, where he was able to visit with
two free-market think tanks that had recently been
established — the Independent Institute and the Pacific
Research Institute.
“I had decided that the best way to find out about this
new entry into public policy matters was to visit the organizations and meet their founders,” said Dr. Marshall.
From there, Dr. Marshall learned about a conference
being organized by the Atlas Network that would be
taking place in Jamaica featuring a British public figure
named Antony Fisher. Fisher had started London’s Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA), the first of its kind in
the United Kingdom and one of the oldest free-market
organizations in the world. IEA played a prominent role
in forming public policy ideas that took root in the administration of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
“I showed up at the hotel in Kingston along with
about 30 other people with aspirations similar to mine.
The others were from Central and South America — I
was the only one from the United States — mostly people
Fisher had heard about who might need encouragement
and help.”
“During the conference I learned that Antony would
be traveling to San Francisco, and it occurred to me that
he might be persuaded to stop in Tallahassee on the way.
He readily agreed to do so. I thought it would be helpful
to have him meet some of the Tallahassee people whose
help I hoped to enlist in getting underway. It happened
that he arrived in Tallahassee on a Wednesday, the day
the Tallahassee Rotary Club holds its weekly luncheon
meeting. I invited Antony to attend as my guest, and he
accepted. The scheduled luncheon speaker was thenGovernor Bob Martinez, and I thought how lucky to be
able to introduce Fisher to our Governor.”
“When the meeting convened, the Rotary President
announced that the Governor’s office had called and said
he would be arriving late. I saw an opportunity that was
too good to pass up, and I suggested that my guest, a
distinguished British political figure, would be pleased
to fill in the time of whatever duration. Antony had
only ten minutes or so to speak, but his message was
well received, and Governor Martinez, when he arrived,
was grateful and gracious. It was a nice opportunity for
Antony to get a taste of Florida.”
It seems Florida would soon get a taste of Antony
Fisher’s ideas as well.
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
Vice President Bush
Welcomes Institute
Dear Dr. Marshall:
I have heard many good things about the Madison Institute from my son, Jeb, and many others.
You and your colleagues are to be commended for
your fine work. By promoting sound, innovative approaches to public policy, the Madison Institute will
help ensure the continuation of vibrant economic
growth in the southeast and throughout the nation.
I hope our paths cross soon. Many best wishes.
Sincerely,
George Bush
[3]
Moment 2
Founding Leaders Draw Inspiration
from a Founding Father
During Dr. Marshall’s continued effort to learn more
about forming a public policy organization, he visited
two free-market think tanks in California. While there he
discovered that Dr.
James Gwartney, a
professor of economics at Florida
as consultants for the think tank, which would provide
research and education for Florida’s policy makers.
As President of Florida State University, Dr. Marshall
had seen that government leaders tended to rely on
research coming out of government-funded institutions
such as FSU. When government funds research, the
solutions tend to promote policies that rely on government. An independent, private
organization could first look
“Learned Institutions ought to be favorite objects
for more effective public policy
with every free people. They throw that light over
solutions in the free market,
the public mind which is the best security against
instead of always relying on
crafty and dangerous encroachments on the public
taxpayers to foot the bill.
liberty.” – James Madison
The James Madison Institute
received the support needed
State University in
that day to move forward. And later, the first donor to the
Tallahassee, was
organization was Wayne Coloney of Tallahassee, with a
writing for one
donation of $100. He remains an active supporter today.
of those organizations. When
Dr. Marshall later
inquired with Dr.
Gwartney about
why he was writing for a think tank in California, Gwartney replied that he wanted his academic work to be
relevant to contemporary public policy and that there
were no such think tanks in Florida, specifically, or the
entire Southeast.
Dr. Marshall immediately solicited the advisement of Dr.
Gwartney and an FSU political science professor, Dr. Tom
Dye, to help form a think tank. They considered forming
an organization with a “Southeast” regional focus. “It did
not take very long for them to figure out that there was
enough to attend to in Florida,” said long-time JMI staff
member Susan Christian.
When a discussion about naming the proposed
Florida think tank ensued, Dr. Dye offered up the idea of
naming the organization after James Madison, drawing
inspiration from the Father of the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights — including the Tenth Amendment, which
SINCE 1987, DR. STANLEY MARSHALL
delegates specific powers to the states. What better
namesake for a state-focused organization?
HAS KEPT THIS TYPEWRITTEN PAGE ON HIS
On April 29, 1987, Dr. Marshall convened a meeting
OFFICE WALL TO REMIND HIM OF THE 16
of 16 prominent business leaders, held at the Ramada
PATRIOTS WHO GATHERED AT THE FIRST
Inn North in Tallahassee to encourage them to support
“THINK TANK MEETING” AND PUT THEIR
his efforts to start The James Madison Institute. With
SUPPORT BEHIND HIS INNOVATIVE PLAN TO
headquarters in the state capital, this organization would
be privately funded, independent, and nonpartisan. Top
START THE JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE.
academics such as Dr. Gwartney and Dr. Dye would serve
[4]
Moment 3
Building a Strong
Foundation of Knowledge
In the early days of JMI, it was very important for the Institute to demonstrate academic
integrity and professional credibility. Therefore, one of the first actions was to form a Research Advisory Council to do just that.
Along with the JMI staff members who worked tirelessly to grow the Institute, the organization also utilizes this group of distinguished scholars who provide peer review of articles
and studies, speak at events around the state and — when called upon — testify before
legislative committees and meet with policy makers at the State Capitol.
Since the Institute had early considered being a regional think tank for the Southeast
part of the United States, many of the scholars came from all parts of the region, not Florida
exclusively. Professor Randall Holcombe, for example, had been teaching at Auburn University
and had been later hired to be a professor at Florida State University in the fall of 1988.
The Council first met on January 30, 1988. Dr. Marshall and Warren Briggs, an Institute
board member from Pensacola, presided over the meeting. At that first meeting, John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) in Dallas, Texas, provided advice on
how the Research Council would work to promote free-market policy solutions for Florida.
“The idea was that The James Madison Institute was going to try to leverage off of
the work that we were already doing and make our academic work have public policy relevance. These policy ideas could then be promoted through the Institute’s policy papers,”
said Professor Holcombe.
The initial meeting of the Council included Peter Aranson (Emory University), Don Bellante
(University of South Florida), Thomas R. Dye (Florida State University), Randall Holcombe
(Auburn University), Susan McManus (USF), Laurin Wollan, Jr. (FSU), Richard Wagner (FSU),
and Bruce Yandle, Jr. (Clemson University).
James Gwartney (FSU), Bruce Benson (FSU), Dwight Lee (University of Georgia), David
Mulkey (University of Florida), E.C. Pasour, Jr., and Nobel Prize-winning economist James Buchanan (George Mason University), also joined the Research Advisory Council in that first year.
With the assistance of Dr. James Gwartney, Dr. Marshall also consulted with Richard
Stroup, Terry Anderson, and John Bodman, who had established the Political Economy
Research Center (PERC) in Bozeman, Montana (now named the Property & Environmental
Research Center).
JMI has grown its Council to include top experts with varying credentials and areas of
focus. These great minds help JMI continue to make an impact on the issues that affect
the people of Florida.
Professor Randall Holcombe
Peter Aranson (front) and Bruce Yandle
Don Bellante and Susan McManus
Tom Dye
James Gwartney (seated)
John Goodman
[5]
Richard Wagner
Moment 4
A Growing Idea Lays Down Roots
From the very beginning, Dr. Stanley Marshall reached
out to his friend Dr. Jerry Lundquist, who had built a
nationwide network of real estate publications called
Homes & Land along with other publications such as
Tallahassee Magazine.
In addition to being a successful entrepreneur, Jerry
Lundquist “was a pillar of strength and support in many
organizations and causes in Tallahassee, and the outpourings of his love and gratitude flowed in abundance,”
noted Dr. Marshall.
Mr. Lundquist gave JMI its first sizeable cash contribution of $10,000 in the spring of 1987 and provided a
suite of offices for the Institute’s first three years. Those
offices were located in the same building that housed
Mr. Lundquist’s publications business.
“There were other cash gifts for many years and, on
a couple of occasions, loans were required to meet the
week’s payroll and other obligations,” said Dr. Marshall.
However, these “loans” turned out to be gifts because
the Institute was never asked to pay them back.
Jerry Lundquist passed away in February 2008, but
his philanthropic legacy continues and his early belief in
the mission of JMI helped lay the groundwork to protect
liberty in Florida for generations to come.
JMI Announces
Board of Directors;
Lundquist Assumes
Chairmanship
JERRY LUNDQUIST “WAS A PILLAR
OF STRENGTH AND SUPPORT IN MANY
ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES IN
TALLAHASSEE, AND THE OUTPOURINGS
OF HIS LOVE AND GRATITUDE FLOWED
IN ABUNDANCE,”
— DR. MARSHALL.
Jerry Lundquist
Gov. Wayne Mixson
Sen. Phil Lewis
William Adams
[6]
Ann and George Gibbs
Moment 5
JMI Announces its Board of Directors
At its board meeting in October 1988, the Institute named Jerry Lundquist of Tallahassee as the chairman
of the Board of Directors. Other board members included D. Burke Kibler III, a Lakeland attorney; Warren
Briggs, a civic leader from Pensacola; William H. Adams III, an attorney from Jacksonville; and Frank Shepherd,
an attorney from Miami. The Institute’s board would grow in the coming years.
Throughout its history, many distinguished men and women would be part of the Institute’s Board of
Directors. They are listed below in alphabetical order, with their city of residence and years of service on the
board. Those in bold have been Chairman of the board at certain points during their tenure.
William Adams, Jacksonville (1988-1992)
Carlos Alfonso, Tampa (1999-2003)
Lee Arnold, Winter Springs (1999-2001)
Hoyt Robinson Barnett, Lakeland (1996-2002)
Jacob Belin (deceased), Port St. Lucie (1992-1997)
Allan Bense, Panama City (2007-present)
Warren Briggs (deceased), Pensacola (1988-1994)
Glen Blauch, Naples (2010-present)
James Brady, Jacksonville (1995)
Norman Braman, Miami (2003-2007)
Tommy Bronson, Brooksville (2007-2011)
J.F. Bryan IV, Jacksonville (2007-present)
The Honorable Jeb Bush, Miami (1990-1993)
Ambassador Charles Cobb, Miami (2009-present)
Stan Connally, Pensacola (2012-present)
William W. Cook, Atlantic Beach
Chris Corr, Jacksonville (2000-2004)
Louise Courtelis, Micanopy (1992-1999)
Mark Crosswhite, Pensacola (2011-2012)
Jay Crouse, (2000-2001)
Courtney Cunningham, Coral Gables (1999-2001)
A. Dano Davis, Jacksonville (1995-1999)
John A. Delaney, Jacksonville (1999)
Bill Dunn, Stuart (1997-2001)
Rebecca (Walter) Dunn, Palm Beach (1996-present)
K. Earl Durden (deceased), Panama City (2004-2010)
Robert Feagin, Tallahassee (2004-2008)
The Honorable Tom Feeney, Orlando (1995-1996)
T. Martin Fiorentino, Jacksonville (1997-2003)
Don Gaetz, Fort Walton Beach (2004-2006)
George W. Gibbs III, Jacksonville (1997-present)
Rob Gidel, Orlando (2012-present)
Linda Gill, Fort Lauderdale (1999-2003)
John Hrabusa, Lakeland (2007-present)
William Harrison, Panama City (2001-2002)
William V. Hayes, Riviera Beach (1997-1999)
Michael Hightower, Jacksonville (2001-2002)
L. Charles Hilton, Panama City (2002-present)
Alfred Hoffman Jr., Bonita Springs (1999-2002)
Mallory Horne (deceased), Tallahassee (1993-2002)
Jeffrey Jones, Osprey (2000-2003)
Victor Kiam II (deceased), Bridgeport, CT (1993-2001)
D. Burke Kibler III, (1988-1992)
John F. Kirtley, Tampa (2002-present)
Fred Leonhardt, Orlando (2009-present)
Philip D. Lewis (deceased), Riviera Beach (1989-1991)
James M. Lombard, Osprey (1999-2002)
W.R. Jerry Lundquist (deceased), Tallahassee
(1988-1995)
Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, Tallahassee (Founder-present)
Nimrod McCair (1990-1992)
Dr. J. Robert McClure III (2004-present)
The Honorable Bill McCollum, Orlando (2002-2008)
Jean McCully, Tallahassee (1992-1999)
Richard McEwen, (1993)
Wayne Mixson, Tallahassee (1991-1999)
Ann Murphy, (1996-1997)
Pat Neal, Bradenton (2001-2002)
Carlos Palomares, Miami (1993-1999)
Herbert Peyton, Jacksonville (1999)
Jon Rawlson, Orlando (2001-2006)
Ambassador John D. Rood, Jacksonville (1999-2002)
Harris Rosen, Orlando (2005-2006)
Frank Shaw Jr., Tallahassee (1990-2000)
Frank A. Shepherd, Miami (1988-1995)
Thomas K. Sittema, Orlando (2012-present)
Jay Skelton, Jacksonville (1995-1997)
Susan Story, Pensacola (2004-2011)
Jeffrey V. Swain, Tallahassee (2003-present)
Thomas W. Sylte, Pensacola (1997-2003)
Paul S. Tipton, Jacksonville (1996-1997)
Billy ‘B.J.’ Walker, Jacksonville (1993-1998)
Preston A. Wells Jr. (deceased), Fort Lauderdale (1997-2003)
Byron Wiswell, Stuart (1997-1999)
[7]
Moment 6
Ideas Have Publications
One of the ways a think tank like JMI gets its ideas
tion: “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is
for public policy out to policy makers and the general
the only guardian of true liberty.”
public is through its publications. Once the organization
In 1987, any members that donated $1,000 were
got underway, it began a newsletter called The Madison
also given a “lifetime subscription” to The Madison
Messenger, with the
Messenger. In 1996,
inaugural issue pubthe newsletter was relished in the winter “…it is fitting that our Institute, dedicated to promulgating named James Madipolicies to perpetuate ordered liberty and economic freedom, son Messenger and in
quarter of 1988.
The Madison Mes- was founded in the year of the Constitution’s Bicentennial.” 1999 it became simply
senger opened with
– Kirkwood Callahan The Messenger, as it
a short bio of the Inremains today.
stitute’s namesake,
While the first issue
James Madison. The article, written by Kirkwood Calof the newsletter contained a short policy article on “The
lahan, even mentioned that “it is fitting that our InstiConstitutional Base of Economic Freedoms” by James
tute, dedicated to promulgating policies to perpetuate
Gwartney,” the Institute decided it needed to publish
ordered liberty and economic freedom, was founded in
longer, more intensive research papers on specific issues.
the year of the Constitution’s Bicentennial.” The article
In 1991, the first JMI Backgrounder was published,
concluded by saying the Institute had adopted as its
featuring a research paper by Warren T. Brookes on the
motto a quote by Madison, the Father of the Constitutopic, “Can Educational Choice Save our Schools?” Mr.
[8]
Brookes, a nationally syndicated columnist for The Detroit
News, gave a speech at an April 4, 1991 JMI conference
at Florida State University. His speech was published as
this first JMI Backgrounder. The second Backgrounder,
also published in 1991, was authored by James Gwartney
and continued the theme of school choice and taxpayer
spending on education. Also in 1991, JMI released its
third Backgrounder, “Florida’s Tax Structure: An Evaluation,” authored by Randall Holcombe.
While newsletters were short and informative and Backgrounders were longer, more scholarly pieces intended
for policy wonks and academics, the Institute’s next move
was something in between. In 1998, the first JMI Journal
was published with a cover story asking, “What Price
High-Speed Rail?” The article, drawn from studies written
by Wendell Cox, concluded that, “The proposed Florida
Overland Express high-speed rail system would provide
only negligible benefits but its cost to Florida would be
enormous.” Other articles focused on issues ranging from
land use, property rights, climate change, the state Constitution Revision Commission, and nationalized child care.
Of course, from the beginning all issues of the JMI Journal
from 1998 to 2013 have opened with a “Message from
the Publisher,” JMI founder, Dr. J. Stanley Marshall. The
Journal won the “Distinguished” award for magazines in
the 2000 Florida Technical Communication Competition.
In 2007, JMI would develop a Policy Brief, which was
a shortened version of the Backgrounder research papers.
Many Backgrounders and Policy Briefs also now include
one-page “Talking Points,” which sum up the main arguments to allow legislators and citizens across the state
to more easily make the case for good policy in debates
and in a world of shortened attention spans.
Over the years, all JMI publications have received upgrades. Some of the early ones were typewritten. Today,
they are well designed with color photos and graphics.
And while most JMI members still receive hard copies in
the mail, most readers first find them on JMI’s website
and through social media.
[9]
Moment 7
John Cooper Leads Institute (1989-1994)
On August 14, 1989, JMI President Dr. Stanley Marshall appointed Dr.
John W. Cooper as the first Executive Director of the Institute. While Dr.
Marshall would continue as President, concentrating on general administration and fundraising, Dr. Cooper directed the Institute’s programs.
John Cooper came to JMI from Washington, D.C., where he had worked
as a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center from 1987-1989.
He spent other parts of his career in education and also had a stint as a
“I always described our view on term limits as what a think
tank strategy should look like: We should be neutralizing elite
opinion and mobilizing mass public opinion.” – John Cooper
John Cooper
A copy of What Everyone Should Know About
Economics and Prosperity, published by The James
Madison Institute in 1992 and
translated into 14 languages,
including Hebrew.
research assistant at the American Enterprise Institute. In other words, he
knew a thing or two about think tanks. Dr. Cooper, however, was not an
unknown in the Sunshine State. He had earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees
at Florida State University before earning his Ph.D. at Syracuse University.
Between Cooper and his wife, they had a combined five degrees from FSU.
Ironically, the Coopers were students at FSU when Dr. Marshall was President
of the university.
In February 1991, Dr. Marshall resigned as the Institute’s President to
assume the duties as Chairman of its Board of Directors and John Cooper
was made President of the Institute, a post he remained in until 1994.
Cooper and Marshall worked together to build the organization. “We had
a great and close relationship. We spent much time together on road trips
to conferences, on donor visits, and setting up lectures and other events,”
said Cooper. “Dr. Marshall is an amazing and inspiring person.”
Under Cooper’s leadership, JMI published a book, What Everyone
Should Know About Economics and Prosperity (1992) by James Gwartney
and Richard Stroup. By the mid 1990s, more than 75,000 copies of this
economics primer were in print and in use at colleges and universities in
Florida and in many states across the country — and it has been translated
into 14 languages. The Institute would continue to publish titles through its
Montpelier Book Series, a joint effort with the newly emerging State Policy
Network. Another book in that series, Gridlock in Government: How to End
the Stagnation of America was also released in 1992.
In that same year, the Institute acquired additional office space at 2010
Delta Blvd, renting out the second floor of the building above the
law firm below. The space was large enough to hold luncheon
events. It was also during Dr. Cooper’s time that the Institute
expanded its public outreach to make an impact in the media,
with the goal of publishing opinion editorials with newspapers
around the state, something it continues to do today. It also
sought to influence elite opinion, by bringing more awareness
of the issues to legislators.
One issue JMI rallied behind in the early 1990s was term
limits. “We were seen as the principal, if not the only, group in
Tallahassee, that was supportive of term limits,” said Cooper.
“I always described our view on term limits as what a think
tank strategy should look like: We should be neutralizing elite
opinion and mobilizing mass public opinion.”
[10]
Moment 8
1995: A Year of Expansion and New Facilities
By 1995, at nearly the end of its first decade, the Institute had
enjoyed steady growth and expansion and required new facilities.
JMI moved to a new 5,000 square foot office space at 2017 Delta
Blvd (the building just behind the offices it began renting in 1992).
It is where the Institute would remain until 2012.
However, the Institute was not content to just do business from
Tallahassee. In addition to the Center for World Capitalism of The
James Madison Institute that had just begun at Jacksonville University, the Institute initiated one of its most successful ventures,
the Forum of Tampa Bay, in 1995.
Directed by JMI Board Member Rebecca Walter (now Rebecca
Dunn), this Forum grew in popularity and substance. Among others, it attracted speakers such as William F. Buckley, Jr., founder of
National Review; Peter Brimelow, Senior Editor of Forbes; Robert
Woodson, President of the National Center for Neighborhood
Enterprise; and Jose Pinera, former Chilean Secretary of Labor
and Social Security and the father of privatized social security
worldwide.
In the latter part of the 1990s, the Institute was directed by several different Presidents including Peter Schweizer (1995) and John
Barry (1998), with Dr. Marshall filling in during the interim periods.
At top, then-JMI President Peter Schweizer
with founder, Dr. Marshall; center right,
headquarters of JMI on Delta Boulevard; at
right, JMI board member Rebecca (Walter)
Dunn at the Forum of Tampa Bay; at bottom,
JMI board member Mallory Horne with
longtime staff member Susan Christian.
[11]
Moment 9
THEN-JMI BOARD MEMBER DANO DAVIS, WENDY’S FOUNDER
AND CEO DAVE THOMAS, AND DR. MARSHALL.
The Davis Family Endows JMI’s Center for
A. Darius Davis and his three younger brothers helped
their father, William M. Davis, open the first Winn-Dixie
store in Miami in 1925. At its peak in the 1990s, the Jacksonville-based grocery store chain was the fifth-largest
in the nation and the largest in the Sunbelt — operating
over 1,186 stores in fourteen southern states. It was during this time that the family began an association with
The James Madison Institute with the purpose of teaching
the free-market principles that helped the entrepreneurial
Davis family earn its own success.
Darius Davis retired as President of Winn-Dixie in
1965 and served on its board of directors until his death
in 1995. In 1994, he instituted the development of The
Center for World Capitalism of The James Madison Institute at Jacksonville University. The Davis family donated
more than $1.6 million to The James Madison Institute
in the 1990s, much of which underwrote the Center for
World Capitalism’s programs and allowed JMI to attract
other sources of funding to the Center. At the time,
they had written the largest check the Institute had ever
received — making a $1 million gift in 1995.
Throughout the five-year period between 1994 and
1998, the Center for World Capitalism awarded an International Prize to recognize outstanding leaders, nationally
and internationally, for their success in advancing freemarket principles. This program brought many speakers
to Jacksonville, including the International Prize winners:
conservative scholar Michael Novak (1994), Wendy’s restaurants founder and CEO Dave Thomas (1995), and the
Prime Minster of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus (1996).
[12]
CZECH PRIME MINISTER VACLAV KLAUS
WITH JMI MEMBERS AND GUESTS.
World Capitalism at Jacksonville University
Other prominent speakers included political pundit Fred
Barnes, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeanne
Kirkpatrick, and free-market economist Walter Williams.
The Center also had an Eastern European Scholarship
Program for students from former Soviet bloc nations
to attend Jacksonville University. Recipients of this fouryear scholarship represented Croatia, Russia, Uzbekistan,
and other nations from the region. The J.E. Davis Writing Award, honoring the late co-founder of Winn-Dixie
stores (who passed away in 1993), was a national essay
competition that encouraged young scholars to consider
the virtues of capitalism as a key to global prosperity. A
high school form of this competition also emerged in
partnership with the Junior Achievement of Jacksonville.
In August 1997, JMI would release the program
to Jacksonville University, which renamed the Center
for World Capitalism as the Center for American Free
Enterprise in JU’s Davis College of Business, a lasting
legacy of the Davis family’s entrepreneurial spirit and
philanthropic endeavors.
A. Dano Davis, the son of J.E. Davis, was Chairman of
Winn-Dixie from 1988 to 2004 and served on JMI’s board
of directors from 1996-2000. His successor at WinnDixie, H. Jay Skelton, also served on JMI’s board from
1995-1997, while he was CEO of DDI, Inc., a diversified
holding company owned by the Davis family and located
in Jacksonville. To this day, the Institute remains grateful
for the generosity of the Davis family and the confidence
they placed in the Institute during its early years.
[13]
Moment 10
JMI Brings Margaret Thatcher to Florida
On April 19, 1996, The James Madison Institute held
one of the highest signature events in its history, bringing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to Florida.
The “Iron Lady” was the keynote speaker for JMI’s 1996
Spring Conference, “Reclaiming America’s Moral and
Cultural Heritage,” held at the Belleview Mido Resort
Hotel in Clearwater. The two-day conference attracted
over 500 people, consisting of conservative activists and
business and community leaders, mostly from the Tampa
Bay area, but also from every corner of the state.
Lady Thatcher’s speech, “The Moral Foundations of
Democracy,” made the case that the promise of America
requires that the moral underpinnings of society be upheld. “You can’t have freedom without order, and order
requires moral responsibility…and if we lose our values,
we will lose everything.” Her main argument was that
freedom requires responsibility, and a people who seek
freedom from responsibility will find the moral foundation of their society rapidly decaying. She decried heavyhanded government as a destroyer of virtue and derided
the welfare state as an enabler of illegitimacy and poverty.
She also derided the evil ideology of communism as a
totalitarian nightmare which led to the slaughter of more
than 95 million people in the twentieth century.
During her visit, Lady Thatcher also met with a cadre of
high school students who won a JMI essay contest on the
topic: “Hope for the Future: Values That Made America
Great.” One student, Kristen Bazley, wrote eloquently
that she asked Lady Thatcher about what she believed
to be her greatest achievement. Thatcher responded that
lowering Britain’s tax rate and participating in the fall
of the Communist empire with U.S. Presidents Ronald
Reagan and George H.W. Bush were among her most
proud accomplishments. She wowed the students with
her intelligence, her oratory, and her sense of humor.
She sought to inspire them to reach for the stars and to
persevere in the pursuit of their life’s goals.
The conference received substantial media coverage
throughout the state, elevating The James Madison Institute brand and associating it with the values of freedom
that were sweeping across the world in the wake of the
Cold War. The conference was also taped by C-SPAN,
which later nationally televised Lady Thatcher’s speech
and some of the other presentations.
You can’t have freedom without order, and order requires moral responsibility... and
if we lose our values, we will lose everything.” – Margaret Thatcher
Left, Dr. Marshall welcomes Margaret Thatcher
to Florida; above, guest scholars Bill Mattox
and Marvin Olasky speak at the JMI conference
on “Reclaiming America’s Moral and Cultural
Heritage” – Mattox would come to work for the
Institute 14 years later.
[14]
Above, Shirley and Stan
Marshall with Margaret
Thatcher in Clearwater,
Florida.
Left, student essay winners meet with Thatcher; above, JMI staff and board members with Thatcher.
[15]
Moment 11
JMI Sparks Florida’s Charter School Movement
From the year of its founding in
1987, JMI’s policy prescriptions have
focused on empowering parents
with more educational options for
their children. JMI has worked to extend the educational establishment’s
boundaries to provide alternatives
and promote competition in the
educational marketplace.
Throughout the 1990s, JMI
pushed to make politically possible
in Florida the option of charter schools, which are public
schools that operate under a performance contract, or
a “charter,” which frees them from many regulations
created for traditional public schools while holding them
accountable for academic and financial results. The contract between the charter school governing board and
the sponsor details the school’s mission, program, goals,
students served, methods of assessment and ways to
measure success. The length of time for which charters
are granted varies but most are granted for five years.
In 1996, the Florida Legislature passed a law providing
for the establishment of charter schools. As Dr. Marshall
noted afterwards, this law “was the realization of a goal
toward which we’ve been striving for the past five years.”
Because this was mostly untested territory — only five
charter schools opened the first year they were permitted — JMI began plans to foster Florida’s charter and
independent schools.
In 1998, JMI established the Center for Education
Entrepreneurs to provide a wide range of services to individuals and organizations seeking to establish independent schools (from pre-school to Grade 12) and to serve
as a clearinghouse for information
on successful cutting-edge schools,
thus unleashing the imagination and
energy of would-be entrepreneurs in
Florida and beyond.
Michael Strader was named the Executive Director of the Center, which
was largely supported thanks to a
grant by the William H. Donner Foundation, Inc. and a matching allocation
by JMI members across the state. The
Center worked as a broker in establishing relationships
between charter school founders and business and education experts, to assist in the smooth flow of developing
a mission statement and business plan, as well as locating working capital and school sites. Strader organized
“Survival Training for Charter Operators,” Florida’s first
state-wide workshop to assist first year operators and
developed the first “how-to” guide for Florida charter
developers, The Florida Charter School Planning Guide.
Michael Strader stayed at the Institute until 1999
and then moved to Broward County to serve as the
President of Charter Schools, USA. He later opened the
Charter School Associates, where he currently manages
8 charter schools.
Florida was not the first state to open a charter
school — but thanks in large part to JMI — the charter
school movement flourished in Florida and set trends
nationwide. Today there are over 213,651 students in
attendance at the over 583 charter schools in Florida.
Nationally, there are over 6,000 charter schools in over
forty states, serving more than 2.3 million students.
Michael Strader
[16]
Moment 12
Former First Lady Barbara Bush
Former Governor Jeb Bush
Former Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings
Pennsylvania State Senator
Anthony Williams
The Foundation for Florida’s
Future Merges with JMI
Shortly after his unsuccessful first campaign for governor in 1994, Jeb Bush
founded an independent policy organization
named the Foundation for Florida’s Future
(FFF). Its purpose was to be both a do-tank
and a think-tank. Through the Foundation
and through Jeb’s personal efforts, the
Liberty City Charter School was established
in Miami. In addition, the book, Profiles in
Character, was published — along with
the quarterly journal Impact. FFF was also
responsible for a number of public policy
initiatives in state government at that time.
FFF and JMI collaborated on a number of
efforts. Dr. Stanley Marshall served on the
Foundation’s board of directors from the
beginning and Jeb served on JMI’s board of
directors in the early 1990s.
When Jeb announced his campaign for
Governor in 1997, he was succeeded as
FFF chairman by Jacksonville Mayor John
Delaney. Shortly after, Mayor Delaney and
Dr. Marshall, with Jeb’s encouragement, discussed more seriously a possible merger. The
boards of both organizations approved the
merger, which officially occurred on February
1, 1999. The new organization became titled
“The James Madison Institute — A Foundation for Florida’s Future,” which also became
reflected in the Institute’s new logo. “We had
considered merging the two organizations
but the time never seemed right. Now it is.”
said Dr. Marshall in February 1999.
John Delaney became Chairman of JMI’s
board and Dr. Marshall served as President
& CEO with long-time JMI staff member
Susan Christian retaining the title Executive
Vice President and Chief Operations Officer.
This merger took place only weeks after
Jeb became Governor and he expressed his
endorsement of the merger. “The Foundation and JMI have worked together for years
to promote sound public policy in Florida,”
he said. “I am proud of what both of these
groups have accomplished and know that
by combining staff and resources, the new
organization will have an even greater impact throughout the state.”
After Jeb left the Governor’s mansion in January 2007, JMI “released” the
Foundation and Jeb returned to serve as
its chairman. JMI and FFF have both grown
substantially since that time and continue to
work together to promote education reform
in Florida and beyond.
In 2008, the two organizations combined
forces to hold a massive two day Education
Summit at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in
Lake Buena Vista. Featured speakers included
former First Lady Barbara Bush, former Governor Jeb Bush, John Stossel, then-Secretary
of Education Margaret Spellings, and Pennsylvania State Senator Anthony Williams.
The Foundation has continued to hold such
conferences in other states and the District
of Columbia to strengthen school choice
options in Florida and expand these efforts
throughout the country.
“I AM PROUD OF WHAT BOTH
OF THESE GROUPS HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED AND KNOW
THAT BY COMBINING STAFF
Bob McClure
AND RESOURCES, THE NEW
ORGANIZATION WILL HAVE
AN EVEN GREATER IMPACT
THROUGHOUT THE STATE.”
–
GOVERNOR JEB BUSH, 1999
John Stossel
[17]
Moment 13
Jeb Bush, Tom Feeney, and Don Gaetz:
From JMI’s Board to Leadership Roles
Principled leadership doesn’t happen by accident. It is
a lifetime commitment. That can certainly be said of many
of the leaders who have served on The James Madison
Institute’s board of directors over the past twenty-five
years. While most of JMI’s board members have no inclination to go into elected office, a few have. But before
they became known to most Floridians, they took an
active role in the governance of the Institute.
In 1990, at the age of 37, Jeb Bush joined JMI’s
board of directors, a post he would serve in until 1993.
At the time of his departure from JMI’s board, his father, President George H.W. Bush, had recently lost a
re-election bid, but a new star in the Bush family was
on the rise. When he began his own bid for elected
office — challenging Governor Lawton Chiles in the
1994 gubernatorial race — Jeb stepped down from JMI’s
board of directors. He ultimately lost the 1994 race, but
he remained engaged with the Institute through his work
with his newly created organization, the Foundation for
Florida’s Future. Later, Bush would run for office again,
winning the 1998 election for governor and serving two
terms. He is often recognized as one of Florida’s greatest
and most accomplished governors. Due to his commitment to furthering school choice and other educational
reforms across the nation, and being the son and brother
of two former Presidents, he has become a national
leader in the conservative movement.
In 1990, the year Jeb Bush had joined JMI’s board,
Tom Feeney was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. When Jeb made a run for governor in 1994,
he selected Feeney to be his running mate for lieutenant governor. After the pair narrowly lost, Feeney joined
JMI’s board of directors in 1995, a post he would serve
in until he was elected once again to the Florida House
of Representatives in 1996. Feeney served as Speaker of
the Florida House in 2000-2002. He first came to national
prominence shortly after his election as Speaker, when
he led efforts to certify the state’s Republican presidential
On January 23, 2006, Governor Jeb Bush hosted a JMI reception for board members and friends at the Governor’s Mansion in conjunction with the
Florida Education Summit.
[18]
electors during the historic “recount” between George
W. Bush and Al Gore.
Soon after becoming Speaker, he drafted a “Principles
Card,” which allowed his fellow Republicans to check if
each piece of legislation was consistent with conservative
principles. This practice continued with the next speaker,
Allan Bense, who later joined JMI’s board of directors
and remains its chairman today. Feeney was elected to
Congress in 2002 and re-elected in 2004 and 2006.
After his loss in the 2008 election, Feeney returned to
private life, but has remained engaged in public policy.
He joined the Heritage Foundation as a Senior Fellow in
2009. In 2012, he was named President of the Associated Industries of Florida, a not-for-profit association
that promotes free enterprise and represents more than
10,000 businesses across Florida.
While Bush and Feeney have moved on beyond
elected office (at least for now), another past JMI board
member leads the Florida Senate today: Don Gaetz. A
native of North Dakota, Gaetz moved to Florida in 1978
and was a leader in the health care industry. Living and
working in Jacksonville, Miami, and eventually Fort Walton Beach, Gaetz retired from the health care industry
and was elected to the Okaloosa County School Board
in 1994. He was later elected, in 2000, to serve as the
Superintendent of Schools in Okaloosa County, where he
oversaw the improvement of the county’s school system
from a “C” average to an “A” according to Florida’s
Department of Education.
Don Gaetz
In 2004, Gaetz served on JMI’s board of directors,
bringing a great business, health care, and education
perspective to the organization. After being elected to
the Florida Senate in 2006, he stepped down from JMI’s
board of directors. In 2012, he was elected to serve as
President of the Florida Senate.
Before he served as Governor of Florida (1999-2007), Jeb Bush
served on JMI‘s Board of Directors (1990-1993).
Tom Feeney
[19]
Moment 14
Leadership Now:
Ed Moore, Tom Feeney and JMI’s
Legislative Orientation Program
In 2000, JMI selected Ed
Moore to become its President. Moore had spent
the previous few decades
as a successful businessman in Illinois, but had
deep Florida roots going
back to the 1830s. Moore
grew up in Miami-Dade
and Broward counties and
received his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees in public
administration from Florida
Ed Moore
State University.
Moore’s legacy at JMI
would be one of engaging the Florida
Legislature to a greater degree than the
Institute had done during its existence
thus far. And the timing could not be
more appropriate.
The 2000 election marked the implementation of the “eight-is-enough”
term limits mandated by Florida voters
in 1992. As a result, the Florida Legislature experienced a sweeping change
in its membership. The Florida House
of Representatives had 64 new freshmen including names like Jeff Atwater,
Holly Benson, and Marco Rubio, among
others. The Speaker of the House, Tom
Feeney, a former JMI board member,
recognized that the freshman dynamic
— more than half of the entire House
— held great promise to break the mold
of the old paradigm and replace it with
a new approach for Florida’s future. But
he also realized it presented a learningcurve challenge.
In response, JMI created the “Leadership Now” freshman orientation program designed to assist new lawmakers
with the learning curve and provide a
broad introduction and review of the
issues they would be called upon to
address on behalf of all Floridians.
The program was centered on policy, balanced partisan perspectives,
included a wide range
of experts and legislative veterans, and was
dynamic and relevant. The
four sessions took place
between November 2000
and January 2001. In addition to the substantive
orientation sessions, three
dinner programs were also
held. All the events were
open to the media and
the dinner events, to the
general public.
The dinner banquets
included prominent guest speakers
such as William Bennett, co-director
of Empower America; Governor Jeb
Bush, who spoke at the December 5,
2000 dinner — his first public remarks
just days after Florida’s historic electoral recount; former U.S. Attorney
General Ed Meese; and Richard DeVos,
founder of Amway and owner of the
Orlando Magic.
Speaker Feeney was featured in Governing Magazine for taking such a lead
on this unique program, which became
a model for other states. Feeney and
Moore were invited to Austin, Texas to
help leaders in their state legislature set
up a similar program.
On April 2, 2001, JMI was also
recognized by the Florida Legislature
with House Resolution 9015, thanking the Institute for its role in helping
Florida’s legislature become oriented to
the political process in Tallahassee and
promoting a return to principled leadership during a critical time in Florida’s
political history. Over the next decade,
the Florida Legislature would not only
perform its constitutional duties of
balancing the budget, but would do
so without raising taxes and, in many
cases, with spending cuts.
[20]
From left, Heritage Foundation President
Ed Feulner, Ed Moore, and former Florida
Governor Reubin Askew.
Speaker Tom Feeney
Former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett
Moment 15
Donors Keep the Lights of Liberty Burning
Like all organizations, The James Madison Institute
— remains an integral partner, particularly in the fundcertainly experienced challenging times during its first
ing of JMI’s Civics Education Initiative, a program that
quarter century. While the Institute’s primary mission is
began in 2008.
promoting sound free-market public policy, it takes no
In 2004, as the Institute’s current President Bob Mcgovernment funds and does not engage in contract reClure assumed his position at JMI, another board member
search. This means the burden of doing business falls on
and Chairman, Charles Hilton, would also step up when
sound fundraising efforts to meet the Institute’s budget.
needed. “There were several times in my first months
At the very beginning of any non-profit organization’s
here that I had to call Mr. Hilton and ask him to help
history, convincing people to invest in a
us make payroll and keep the lights
product that is not yet available is always
on — he never hesitated,” said Mcchallenging. But, as noted earlier, Jerry “Had any one of these men not
Clure. “He has been a true mentor
Lundquist was an early investor, donat- stepped up when called upon,
throughout my adult life.”
ing a $10,000 check to the Institute in there may be no James Madison
Later, when the Institute’s board
its first year, serving as its first board
made a decision to purchase a new
chairman, and providing office space for Institute today.”
headquarters in downtown Tallahasthe Institute’s first few staff members.
see, Board Chairman Charlie Hilton
During some critical times in the mid to late 1990s,
stepped up to make the largest lead gift. That allowed
Preston “Dick” Wells would not only serve on the InstiJMI to go forward in announcing the start of its capital
tute’s board, but also donated funds at key times simply
campaign in 2010.
to keep the lights on and help the Institute make payroll.
After reflecting on the Institute’s first twenty-five years,
Dick Wells was a veteran of World War II, fighting valiantly
it is clear that the investment these three men — and so
at the Battle of Iwo Jima. As Manager of Engineering for
many other donors — made in JMI, has been worth it.
Quaker Oats and co-founder of the Las Olas Company of
“Had any one of these men not stepped up when called
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he was an exemplary businessupon, there may be no James Madison Institute today,”
man, whose prosperity never surpassed his virtue. Dick
said JMI Vice President for Advancement Francisco GonWells also served on the boards of the Heritage Foundazalez. “Without their stewardship, Florida’s public policy
tion and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Today, his
arena would be in a different place today. We continue
family’s foundation — the Lillian S. Wells Foundation
to honor the legacy they have left us.”
From left, Dr. Marshall and Congressman J.C. Watts. From right,
Dick and Marion Wells.
Charles Hilton
[21]
Moment 16
Bob McClure Takes Institute
to the Next Level
With 17 years at The James Madison Institute, Susan
Christian was the longest serving staff member, other
than Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, who has been with the
Institute since he founded it in 1987.
Christian recognizes the effective roles of the many
presidents and scholars she served under at JMI. “Dr.
Marshall and James Gwartney really put together the
skeleton of JMI,” said Christian. “And Dr. John Cooper
put meat on the bones.”
Building on her analogy, then, Bob McClure turned
that meat into muscle. From the time he took over
leadership in 2004, McClure has catapulted JMI onto a
whole new stage.
“Since Bob McClure came in as President, The James
Madison Institute has really done great under his leadership,” said JMI Senior Fellow and FSU Professor of Economics Randall Holcombe. “I have to give him a lot of
credit for everything, really. Everything from fundraising,
to talks at conferences, and legislative contacts.”
McClure has also been effective at recognizing and
hiring good talent. “As just one example, Bob made a
wise decision getting someone like Thomas Perrin on
board, who is focusing on building relationships with
elected officials,” said Holcombe. “These relationships
allow the Institute’s work to come off the white paper
and onto the floor of the legislature.”
“The entire JMI staff is very talented and that is a testament to the leadership of Bob McClure,” said Holcombe.
In 2008, McClure hired a development director in Francisco Gonzalez. “I decided to come work for JMI because
I recognized the dynamic staff and leadership that was
here and the opportunity to work with Bob to build this
organization,” said Gonzalez. “Just a few months into my
job, I was truly impressed with how open Bob was to so
many ideas my JMI colleagues and I presented to him. He
has been a good counselor in helping nurture those ideas
[22]
to be even more effective than originally envisioned.”
Bob’s first day on the job in 2004 was certainly an
interesting one. Before he was hired, JMI had already
organized an event in Orlando with the sitting Vice
President of the United States, Dick Cheney. “Here I
was, first day on the job, introducing the Vice President of the United States,” said McClure. “What a
wild start to a great adventure that this position has
been.”
When McClure first took over the Institute, the
budget was only a few hundred thousand dollars and
there were weeks JMI struggled to make payroll. Nine
years later, with a robust staff of 15 and growing, the
Institute’s budget now tops $2 million annually. JMI
also recently completed a successful $1.6 million capital
campaign to purchase The Columns, the most historic
landmark building in downtown Tallahassee. “None of
that would have been possible without our great board
of directors. When you look at the men and women
who have been on our board during my time at JMI, I
think they are some of the most effective public policy
leaders in the state,” said McClure.
In 2007, former Speaker of the House Allan Bense
joined the Institute’s board of directors. He became
Chairman in 2009, a post he still holds today. Bense
has helped JMI in terms of fundraising, policy, strategy,
leadership, and as a mentor to McClure.
Most importantly, the Institute has become more
than a think-tank but it is also a do-tank. “We are a
results-driven organization,” said McClure. “We aren’t
just yelling from the sidelines; we’re providing practical
market-based solutions to help the people of Florida in
their daily lives.”
As JMI President, Bob McClure
appears frequently on radio and
television, in the halls of the legislature, and introducing notable
speakers at JMI events around the
state. On his first day on the job
as JMI President, June 14, 2004,
McClure presided over a JMI
event at the Rosen Centre Hotel
in Orlando, where he introduced
the Vice President of the United
States, Dick Cheney. At left, McClure greets Florida CFO Alex
Sink during a joint press conference on government transparency
in March 2009.
[23]
Moment 17
Standing Athwart History Yelling Stop
When William F. Buckley, Jr. founded National Review in 1955, he famously wrote in his
opening statement that the magazine “stands
athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when
no other is inclined to do so, or to have much
patience with those who so urge it.”
In much the same way, this has been part
of the purpose of JMI as the leading limitedgovernment, free-market organization in Tallahassee. On so many issues over the years,
the Institute has been the leading voice — and
sometimes the lone voice — standing up
against many special interests that push issues
antithetical to the market-based economy our
nation’s founders had in mind.
Almost every time a new tax or regulation is
introduced or suggested, JMI is there to make
the argument of how taxes and regulations
slow economic growth. To date, Florida has
no state income tax — an issue that was the
subject of a JMI study in April 1991 — which
has remained popular with most Floridians.
And thanks to JMI’s longtime work on the
issue, the Florida intangibles tax (a tax on financial assets such as stocks or bonds) was repealed
in the final year of Jeb Bush’s administration.
“We were way out front on this issue,” said JMI
Senior Fellow and FSU Professor of Economics
Randall Holcombe. “JMI was the first organization to have an objective analysis of this tax and
why it should be repealed.” In fact, Holcombe,
who served as an economic advisor to Governor
Bush, made it a point to ask him about how
the repeal was progressing every time he saw
him. “It got to the point where if I saw him,
he’d start telling me about the intangibles tax
before I could ask,” said Holcombe.
Over the past two decades, the idea of
government-subsidized high-speed rail has also
been halted in its tracks — a number of times.
While JMI wrote Backgrounders on this issue in
both 1997 and 2002, the research from these
studies has continued to serve as a key source
each time the issue comes back into play, as it
did most recently in 2011.
Land use restrictions known as “growth
management” have been issues in Florida for
the entirety of JMI’s existence. The Institute
has always approached this from a property
rights perspective — arguing that government
shouldn’t be put in a position to tell individuals or businesses what they can or can-
[24]
not do with their land.
Most recently, this issue
popped up again in
the 2010 election cycle
under the unassumRestoring Florida’s Insurance
Market
ing name of “Hometown Democracy.”
JMI was one of the
many leading voices
which were part of
the broad “No on
4” coalition that led
to more than 67%
of Floridians voting
against the attempt
to make this a constitutional amendment (it needed 60% in support
to pass).
When activists and bureaucrats can’t get
their way with land use laws, they often attempt to use “global warming” — or “climate
change” — to impose costly restrictions that
would halt economic growth. When Governor
Charlie Crist and some members of the legislature attempted to go forward with some of
these regulations in 2008 and 2009, JMI was
often the lone voice in opposition. The Institute
distributed a study to all members of the legislature that was focused on the economic impact
of these policies, and it brought NASA scientist
Roy Spencer to Tallahassee to dispute such
claims that man was causing global warming.
And today, JMI remains the leading voice in
Florida when it comes to warning about the
costly effects of the state’s reliance on Citizens
— the state-subsidized property insurance company — if and when a hurricane hits any major
metropolitan area of the state. When the first
JMI Backgrounder on Citizens Property Insurance was released in February 2008, warning
of the catastrophe Florida could face, only two
House members (Dennis Ross and Don Brown)
stood with JMI. Today, more lawmakers have
been persuaded and the insurance reform
coalition has expanded greatly, but Florida still
remains at risk.
History is full of men and women with good
intentions. But it has been JMI’s role over the
past twenty-five years to be, as perhaps Professor James Gwartney put it best, “a cautionary
influence” in Florida’s public policy arena.
/VNCFSt'FCSVBSZ
Eli Lehrer
Senior Fellow, The Competitiv
e Enterprise Institute
Adjunct Scholar, The James
Madison Institute
'PSFXPSE
#Z3PCFSU'4BODIF[
Policy Director, The James
Madison Institute
By the end of the 1990s, Florida’s
property insurance
market had largely recovered
harder to find and more
expensive, angering would-be
from the effects of 1992’s
Hurricane Andrew, one
policy holders. Moreover,
of the costliest storms ever
because mortgage lenders
to
strike the mainland of the
require their equity to be
United States. Property insurinsured, the lessened availance was once again widely
ability and higher cost of
property insurance threatened
available and was generally
regarded as relatively affordable.
to cause further damage
to a real estate market already
slowing because of the convergenc
In 2004 and 2005, however,
Florida was battered by a
e of several factors,
series of damaging storms
including a rapid rise in
property taxes.
that resulted in huge losses
for
insurers. Moreover, some
Property insurance thus
of the climate-forecast models
became a political issue
in
suggested that the regions
the 2006 election and,
in January of 2007, Governor
bordering the Atlantic Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea were
Charlie Crist and the Florida
entering one of the periodic
Legislature fashioned a
cycles in which there are
political solution in which
relatively more hurricanes
the
state’s
taxpayers were
and
tropical storms.
left to assume much of the
risk for future catastrophi
c
damage.
Meanwhile, thousands
of additional homes and
businesses had been built
Nonetheless, many of the
in Florida’s vulnerable coastal
fundamental problems
areas, and a real estate boom
plaguing Florida’s insurance
market have persisted, and
had caused the value of
those properties to escalate.
some of the legislators who
As a result, several of the
reluctantly supported the
insurers gauged their risks
insurance legislation now
and made a business decision
recognize that much remains
to reduce their exposure
to be done to restore Florida’s
in Florida. Some did so
insurance market. In this
by
declining to renew existing
study, insurance expert Eli
Lehrer, Senior Fellow of
policies. Others did so by
the
deciding not to accept new
Competitive Enterprise
Institute, analyzes the current
policies.
situation and recommend
As a result, property insurance
s corrective solutions.
coverage became
Nothing written here is to
be construed as necessarily
reflecting the views of The
as an attempt to aid or hinder
James Madison Institute or
the passage of any specific
legislation.
Moment 18
Providing Innovative Solutions
When most special interest groups knock on the door
of lawmakers in Tallahassee — and elsewhere — it is
usually to ask for something from the government. The
James Madison Institute, on the other hand, serves as an
educational resource for lawmakers — providing innovative solutions, which not only save taxpayers money, but
also improve people’s lives.
JMI’s work for Florida’s students and parents is well
documented earlier in this report, particularly in moments
11 and 12. Education reform ideas that first started at JMI
paved the way for the implementation of charter schools,
virtual schooling, and digital education more broadly.
Thanks mostly to the work of JMI board member John
Kirtley and his organization, Step Up For Students, more
than 50,000 students from low-income families annually
receive a scholarship (funded by dollar-for-dollar tax credit
donations from Florida corporations) to attend the school
of their choice — public, private, or charter. That number
continues to increase each year.
Currently, one out of every three dollars in Florida’s
state budget goes to Medicaid, a cooperative federalstate program where the federal government matches
funds to states that choose to provide medical care to
needy persons. The growth of spending on Medicaid
makes less room for other priorities in the state’s
budget. Thanks in large part to a 2005 JMI study and
the leadership of Governor Jeb Bush, Florida was the
first state in the country to institute market-based
Medicaid entitlement reform to do just that. In 2011,
thanks to Governor Rick Scott and Senator Joe Negron,
these reforms were expanded statewide. Through this
program, Medicaid patients are given vouchers to take
to the doctor of their choice, thereby increasing competition, lowering costs, providing patients with access
to better care, and helping them to be less reliant on
government, by finding access to affordable private
insurance plans.
“As politicians seek to close budget gaps, many are
turning their gaze to high-income givers and foundation
endowments—and wondering how they can plunder the
wealth that allows Americans to give more than $300
billion annually to support everything from churches to
cancer research,” said John J. Miller in a 2010 article in
National Review, which lauded JMI’s efforts to protect
private philanthropy in Florida. JMI had published a study
earlier that year specifically identifying a threat to private
philanthropy in California, where private foundations and
donors would be forced to publish the race, gender, and
sexual orientation of their trustees. “We keep an eye on
Sacramento because that’s where a lot of bad ideas are
born,” said JMI President Bob McClure. “We made it a
priority to protect Florida’s foundations and non-profits
from what almost happened out there.”
JMI is especially good at providing innovative solutions
to combat threats to economic and personal liberty – such
as helping to protect property rights in Florida in the
wake of the Kelo vs. New City of London decision. This
was especially important in the case of the Riviera Beach
town in Palm Beach County, Florida, where the homes
of a large population of low-income families were being
threatened by eminent domain to make room for residents with a higher tax base. JMI was one of the major
voices in Florida bringing attention to this issue and saving
these neighborhoods from demolition.
As for helping lawmakers save money in the budget
— or return that money to taxpayers — JMI has led
the Floridians for Sustainable Pensions coalition, which
resulted in a significant effort towards pension reform in
2011. Before then, Florida was the only state in which
government employees did not contribute something to
their pension. JMI continues to advocate transitioning
the defined benefit system to a more modern 401k-style
defined contribution system for all new government employees, while incentivizing existing employees to transfer
to that system as well.
In education, health care, private property rights, and
many other issues, JMI has provided innovative solutions
to reduce the burden of government on Florida’s taxpayers and create more opportunities for those in need.
[25]
Moment 19
Who’s Who at JMI Events
Some of the Institute’s major events have been menGwartney. “I had a discussion with John at that JMI event,
tioned throughout this report, but there are simply too
and stressed to him that to really have these things widely
many from over the years to name them all. Institute
used they had to be much shorter. The teachers were
events give JMI donors, members of the media, and
generally unwilling to take an hour long session in order
other guests the opportunity to meet and hear from
to watch a full length show and that it would be much
top scholars, elected
more effective to have
officials, rising stars,
clips addressing specific
and other well-known
issues — clips that were
INSTITUTE EVENTS GIVE JMI DONORS, MEMBERS only three, four, five minpersonalities in the freeOF THE MEDIA, AND OTHER GUESTS THE
market movement.
utes in length addressing
Some of the more
issues put together on
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND HEAR FROM TOP
notable speakers JMI
that topic.”
SCHOLARS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, RISING STARS,
has hosted throughStossel thought this
AND OTHER WELL-KNOWN PERSONALITIES IN THE
out the past twentywas an interesting idea
FREE-MARKET MOVEMENT.
five years include: Jack
and they followed up
Kemp headlining a JMI
on it. Gwartney and his
dinner in March 1991;
colleagues in the FSU
Walter Williams and
economics department
Charles Murray in Orlando in November 1992; Michael
— Joe Calhoun, Mark Shug, and John Morton — put
Medved in Tallahassee in July 1996; Fred Barnes and
together a set of Stossel clips in 2006 along with an
Dave Thomas in Jacksonville in August and November,
instructor’s manual for use by teachers (as well as a subrespectively, in 1996; Steve Forbes and Fred Barnes in
sequent one in 2011). Thousands of copies of these DVDs
Tallahassee in January 1997; Bill Bennett and Ed Meese
have been sold to date, and it is estimated that hundreds
in the fall of 2000 in Tallahassee.
of thousands of students have since viewed these clips
More recently, the Institute has played host to the late
to learn about ideas of economic freedom.
Andrew Breitbart in Tampa in 2010; Steve Moore in 2006
“JMI actually deserves a big thank you for providing a
in Tampa and 2010 in Naples; and Wisconsin Governor
foundation for the evolution of that particular product,”
Scott Walker in February 2012 in Naples.
said Gwartney. “It was at a JMI event where I first had the
Florida politicos who have made numerous appeardiscussion with John Stossel. It’s the kind of thing where
ances at JMI events over the years include Jeb Bush, Bob
I suppose someone might have been able to do it with a
Graham, Marco Rubio, Tom Feeney, Allan Bense, Frank
phone call and present the idea. But I think it was much
Brogan, Bill McCollum, Rick Scott, Pam Bondi, Jeff Atmore likely to get a positive response when you had an
water, Will Weatherford, and Don Gaetz.
opportunity to get to talk to the person face to face on
While JMI events bring people together, they have also
why that was a good idea.”
at times sparked unforeseen activities and collaborations.
In 2005, for example, JMI held an evening event in
Fort Lauderdale in which John Stossel was the featured
speaker. JMI Senior Fellow James Gwartney, an economics
professor at FSU, attended.
“John Stossel had put together a number of videos
marketed to mostly high school teachers, using his
full-length programs with ABC in the classroom,” said
A JMI event in Fort Lauderdale
served as the catalyst for an opportune meeting between John Stossel
(left) and JMI Senior Fellow James
Gwartney (right).
[26]
From top, left to right: JMI President Bob McClure with the
late Andrew Breitbart in Tampa, August 2010; U.S. Senator
Connie Mack; Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform;
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in Naples, February 2012;
Walter Williams in Orlando, November 1992; Florida House
Speaker Designate Marco Rubio in Pensacola, 2006; U.S. Senator Jack Kemp in Tallahassee, March 1991; former U.S. Presidential candidate Steve Forbes in Tallahassee, January 1997.
At right, longtime JMI member, Dr. Robert Helmholdt of Fort
Lauderdale, asks a question at a JMI event.
[27]
Moment 20
Beyond Tallahassee:
JMI Adds Regional Boards of Advisors
In 2008, the Institute created its first regional boards
of advisors made up of people around the state of
Florida who share JMI’s limited government principles
and market-oriented approach to public policy. Each
board of advisors, particular to its region, is comprised of
a diverse set of people including those from the business
and professional community and civic-minded individuals
who want to engage others in their community and who
are eager to work with JMI in the promotion of liberty
and free-market solutions to meet the challenges that
face Floridians. Together, all of the regional boards form
a “network” of free-market advocates around the state
and afford advisory board members the opportunity to
work with other liberty-minded, influential citizens in
their local community.
The Institute currently has six regional boards of advisors, located in Orlando, Jacksonville, Palm Beach, Tampa
Bay, Panama City, and Naples. JMI has plans to create
more, including in Miami-Dade, Broward, Pensacola,
Sarasota, and other areas in the near future.
Each board of advisors meets twice per year at a location within their region of the state. Each meeting consists
of updates from JMI’s President (or a presiding JMI senior
staff member) about what is going on in Tallahassee
and around the state, as well as the reforms, research,
events and other plans JMI is currently working towards.
Board meetings also frequently feature prominent guest
speakers such as John Fund, Grover Norquist, and Peter
Schweizer, who have each addressed timely issues with
advisory board members in the “up-close-and-personal”
format that occurs at JMI regional board meetings.
Part of each meeting includes an “advisement”
session, where members of the regional board have
the opportunity to transmit their own ideas to JMI’s
leadership. These meetings also enable JMI to directly
hear about the most important issues facing Florida’s
residents from a variety of regional, economic, and
other demographic viewpoints.
“It’s so interesting to go from one location to another
and hear how the priority issues vary for people in different parts of Florida,” said JMI Vice President of Advancement Francisco Gonzalez, who started this initiative at
JMI. “It really demonstrates the diversity of the people of
Florida and how different parts of the state — and the
issues each region faces — are distinct from one another.”
Members of the regional board work hard to advance the cause of liberty in their own community and
around the state between meetings with Institute staff.
Whether it is through financial assistance, community
development, or putting the Institute’s work in front of
key decision makers, advisory board
members act as ambassadors on behalf
of the Institute in their own communities. “They really are our boots on
the ground,” said Gonzalez. “Across
Florida we now have over 140 people
serving on one of JMI’s six regional
advisory boards. In addition to them
helping us with outreach efforts in their
own communities, they also transmit
to us their personal experiences and
good ideas so we may better represent
their concerns when we provide policy
solutions to Florida’s lawmakers in Tallahassee.”
From left, Ryan Houck and Adam Goldman of
JMI’s Central Florida Board of Advisors, listen
to John Fund, then of the Wall Street Journal, in
October 2008.
[28]
Moment 21
A Safeguard Against Tyranny:
JMI Enters the Age of New Media
When JMI was founded in 1987, getting information
out to Floridians across the state was a greater (and more
expensive) challenge than it is today. Thanks to the internet, anyone can now visit The James Madison Institute’s
web page at www.jamesmadison.org. But even as the
Institute held its 20th anniversary in November 2007, it
was still a few years behind the curve.
In 2009, the Institute rebranded its logo and added a
new motto, “Trusted Solutions for a Better Florida.” The
new logo and motto would not be complete without
also upgrading JMI’s publications and website. While
JMI’s website always had great content, the new site is
much more dynamic, has a cleaner look with constantly
changing graphics, and is more easily navigable.
Just as revolutionaries in totalitarian countries try to
use the web to spread information, JMI also has taken
advantage of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube. Thousands of people follow the Institute
and its reporting staff on these various social media
platforms and photos are uploaded quickly after events
to a Flickr account.
“Social media and our enhanced online presence allows JMI to connect with current and potential supporters on a global scale,” said Valerie Wickboldt, JMI Vice
President of Communications. “As Florida is an incubator
and model for the great policy debates of our day, it allows people to tune in to our efforts in this influential
state anytime and any place.”
In 2011, the Institute hired Will Patrick to lead its
newly created news reporting website, CapitolVanguard.org. On virtually a daily basis, Capitol Vanguard
reports from Tallahassee to inform Floridians of the
plans and actions of their state government as they
occur, whether at the Capitol or around this diverse
state. In the historic 2012 election year, Capitol Vanguard added a political correspondent, Scott Sholl, to
offer timely coverage of the many events and races in
the all-important state of Florida.
JMI’s spike in online communications also helped to
foster interaction with grassroots groups across the state,
which would not have been as successful without social
media. In 2009, JMI’s Director of Development, Francisco Gonzalez, used Facebook to organize the largest
“protest” rally in Tallahassee’s recent history when the
Tallahassee Tea Party held events at the State Capitol in
March and April 2009. More than 2,000 people gathered
at the State Capitol on April 15, 2009, just as thousands
more such rallies were held simultaneously across the
nation. While Gonzalez emceed the rally, Senate Presi-
dent Mike Haridopolos,
House Majority Whip
Anitere Flores, and local
conservative radio host
Preston Scott headlined
the event.
Since that time, the
Tea Party has become
one of the largest grassroots movements in American
history and Florida has had one of the most active and
prolific tea party movements in the country. Numerous leaders statewide have come to rely on The James
Madison Institute and the Capitol Vanguard for news and
information circulated via JMI’s website and its Facebook
and Twitter pages.
“It appears to me that technology has had a huge
impact on the way JMI disseminates its information,” said
Randall Holcombe, JMI Senior Fellow and FSU economics
professor. “It’s such a great way to keep in touch with
people and make people feel like they’re a part of the
organization and maybe drum up some support, and also
get the ideas out.”
The spread of information about our government
would certainly make the Institute’s namesake, James
Madison, proud. Author of the First Amendment and the
Bill of Rights, Madison himself perceived a distinct role
for public opinion in the system of checks and balances
and he considered the freedom of speech and the press
to be important safeguards against tyranny.
[29]
Moment 22
Educating the Next Generation:
Civics & Economics Initiatives and
the Young Leaders Program
After two decades of educating policy makers and
the public at large on various issues affecting Floridians,
the Institute created special programs with a particular
focus on young people.
While the Institute has utilized interns from its beginning, a much more formalized internship program was
put into place and led by JMI Executive Vice President
Becky Liner. “Even though they work here voluntarily,
JMI’s interns are an extension of our staff,” said Liner.
And with the move to the Institute’s new headquarters
in 2012, the creation of the Carol and Barney Barnett
Young Leaders Center institutionalized the program. “We
now have anywhere from 5 to 8 interns here at any given
time,” said Liner.
Interns come recommended to JMI in a variety of
ways – one is from professors on campus. “I often find
interns talking about the free-market economic ideas
they are learning in courses they take with one of our
Senior Fellows Randall Holcombe, who is an economics
professor at FSU,” said JMI Vice President of Advancement Francisco Gonzalez.
“I think interning at JMI definitely gets the students
interested in ideas,” said Holcombe. “The things the interns are working on at JMI causes them to be interested
in the material they get in class and the material they get
in class gets them better motivated to be interested in
the policy work at JMI, where they can see there’s some
relevance. I think there’s a synergy that goes both ways
like that.”
With the move to the Institute’s new headquarters at
The Columns, this synergy is reflected in the Institute’s
new “1830 Book Club” held for young people ages 18
to 30, which includes JMI’s interns and other students
and young professionals in Tallahassee.
In 2008, the Institute also created a civics education
initiative for young people across the state. Since the
program’s inception, JMI has reached over 600,000 students in a variety of ways. In a partnership with the News
in Education Program at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel,
JMI Resident Fellow Bill Mattox created unique curriculum
guides. While the Celebrate Freedom guide is focused on
founding principles and distributed to tens of thousands
of students during Florida’s “Celebrate Freedom Week”
in September, the All About the Benjamins guide is focused on economics and savings and distributed during
Florida’s “Thrift Week” in January.
In both 2012 and 2013, JMI led the effort to secure
a proclamation from Governor Rick Scott and the entire
Cabinet to proclaim the week of Benjamin Franklin’s
birthday (January 17) as Thrift Week in Florida.
The Institute also regularly brings guest speakers and
historical re-enactors portraying James Madison, Ben
Franklin, and Patrick Henry, to schools and programs
around the state to foster a discussion about our nation’s
founding principles and ideas that promote thrift.
The Institute also brings these programs to college
campuses. At Florida Atlantic University, JMI Senior Fellow
and FAU professor of political science Marshall DeRosa
regularly leads an “American Cause” seminar series each
semester for college students. JMI hosts “Madison Movie
Nights,” a pro-liberty themed film series at Florida State
University as well.
The Institute seems perfectly positioned to be the
promoter of civics education initiatives in our state – with
a namesake like James Madison, its access to the state’s
top policy makers and elected officials, and its willingness
to partner with organizations like the American Legion
Boys State and the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State,
the Florida History Fair, Youth Leadership Tallahassee, the
Florida Parent Educators Association, and with student
groups and professors at colleges and universities across
the state.
And perhaps there’s one more secret ingredient. “We
believe part of the reason our educational outreach to
high school and college students has been so successful
is because we give our college-age interns an active role
in planning the events,” said Mattox.
[30]
At left, JMI Resident Fellow
Bill Mattox moderates a
Constitutional debate between
re-enactors portraying Ben
Franklin (back left), Patrick
Henry (back right), and James
Madison (not pictured).
Above, Florida CFO Jeff Atwater (right) presents a “Thrift
Week Proclamation,” signed by the Governor and the entire
Cabinet, to JMI President Bob McClure.
Pictured on the left: JMI brings speakers to the Boys State and
Girls State programs in Tallahassee and provides curriculum
guides like All About the Benjamins to hundreds of thousands
of students around the state.
[31]
Pictured on the right: High school students receive copies of
Common Sense Economics, authored by JMI Senior Fellow
James Gwartney, at a Milton Friedman Day celebration.
Bottom right, some of JMI’s Summer 2012 interns on the
front steps of JMI’s new headquarters at The Columns.
Moment 23
JMI’s Partnership with the State Policy Network
When JMI began its work in 1987, it was one of the
first of only a few state-focused think tanks in the country. Today, there are 62 organizations associated with
the State Policy Network (SPN) representing all 50 states.
SPN originated in 1986 as the Madison Group, an
informal confederation of the state think tanks and their
supporters named after the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC, where they first met.
In 1992, SPN was established as an independent
501(c)(3) educational organization providing services to
its membership — the state-focused, free market think
tanks and their national think tank partners. At that time,
the goal was to encourage cooperation and collaboration
among the fledgling state think tanks, maintain a basic
schedule of meetings, and provide advisory services – as
needed — during its first five years of operations.
During the formation of SPN in 1992, JMI was one of
twelve state think tanks that joined the association, of
which it proudly remains a member today. As President
of JMI at the time, John Cooper not only helped the
growth of the State Policy Network,
but also served as
its first President,
in conjunction with
his position at JMI.
“The Presidents
of the various state
think tanks wanted
to coordinate with
each other, but we
also wanted it to be
under the radar so
we would not be a
target of the national media.” said Cooper. “JMI was a
leader when these various think tanks tried to do more
coordination.”
In fact, JMI led the effort to have a book series published by various think tanks around the country. Beginning with the first book, What Everyone Should Know
About Economics and Prosperity, authored by JMI Senior
Fellow James Gwartney, JMI organized the cover artwork
and then tailored the message on the inside cover of each
book to reflect the logo, mission statement, and other
pertinent information about each individual organization.
“The book became an advertising piece for each of the
state think tanks involved,” said Cooper. “JMI reached
out to over 30 groups at the time and about 17 or 18
participated in the project.”
With such an intertwined history, it is thus appropriate
that SPN held its 20th anniversary meeting in Florida, with
JMI serving as the state think tank co-host. It was the
largest meeting in the history of SPN, with more than 600
attendees from almost every state in the union gathering
at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island in November 2012.
The visionary legacy of Dr. J. Stanley Marshall in starting one of the first state-based think tanks in the country
was recognized by the State Policy Network at their
annual meeting in St. Louis in the year 2000 when he
was honored with the Roe Award – named after the late
Thomas A. Roe, Jr., founder of the State Policy Network
and former advisor to both President Ronald Reagan and
former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. At the
SPN meeting in 2012 in Amelia Island, Dr. Marshall was
once again recognized for his efforts when JMI hosted a
“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” dinner for
500 of the attendees at the annual meeting.
JMI hosts a “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” dinner at the State Policy Network’s 20th Annual Meeting in Amelia Island, November
2012. At left, Shirley and Stan Marshall; at right, JMI board member Robert Gidel with JMI staff.
[32]
Moment 24
JMI Moves to The Columns
During the last year of JMI’s first quarter century, the
Institute made a big move – literally. Thanks to the vision
and commitment of the Institute’s Board of Directors and
the leadership of President Bob McClure – JMI found a
permanent headquarters close to Florida’s Capitol and
large enough to house the Institute’s growing staff.
On May 14, 2012, JMI staff officially moved into The
Columns, the most historic private residence in downtown Tallahassee, located at 100 North Duval Street. The
Institute had purchased the building in 2011 and made
the modest renovations needed for a dynamic policy organization. Built in 1830, in the Greek Revival style, The
Columns is one of the few buildings in Tallahassee that
existed during the lifetime of the Institute’s namesake,
James Madison (1751-1836). It also predates Florida’s
statehood (1845) by more than a decade.
“This stately red brick building, with its four white
columns, stands today as a reminder of the faith and
determination displayed by our state’s early settlers,” said
Mike Wing, Executive Director for the Tallahassee Trust
Historic Preservation. “It is only fitting that an organization like The James Madison Institute will be preserving
and inhabiting this great piece of Florida history.”
Hundreds of donors across Florida also made possible
a successful $1.6 million capital campaign, which would
not have been started had it not been for two very sizeable lead gifts by board members Charles Hilton and the
late K. Earl Durden.
Those associated with Publix Super Markets also gave
JMI two major gifts — one from Publix Super Markets
Charities and another individual gift from two Publix board
members, Carol and Barney Barnett. All of these donors,
and others, are recognized throughout the building.
With the Institute just a few blocks from the State
Capitol, it is already having a stronger impact in Florida’s
public policy arena. Numerous elected officials and other
policy makers are now walking through JMI’s doors on
a regular basis. The Institute has also held a variety of
policy briefings at The Columns and has even opened
its doors for private citizens and members of the media
to attend policy presentations and social gatherings. The
Institute also began an “1830 Book Club” for young
people roughly between the ages of 18 and 30 to take
part in each semester.
“We really want our new headquarters at The Columns
to be a place where advocates of liberty from all over
Florida — and even those from outside Florida — can call
home when they find themselves in Tallahassee,” said JMI
President Bob McClure. “Our doors are also open to those
who need a bit more persuading that economic freedom
holds the key to ensuring political freedom and creating
prosperity for all. In the spirit of James Madison, this Institute – in our strategically positioned headquarters at The
Columns – stands as a guardian of liberty for 19 million
Florida residents and the millions more around America
and the world who are watching the Sunshine State.”
[33]
Moment 25
Florida Rises Up to Protect Freedom
As The James Madison Institute celebrates its 25th Anniversary, the nation has arrived at a perilous time. While
Florida has, for the most part, embraced the free market
on many important issues — including property rights,
taxes, regulations, health care, and education — never
before in our nation’s history has the federal government
been so overreaching with its power.
Despite what many policy makers in Florida have tried
to do to revive our state’s economic situation, many of
Florida’s woes are a result of federal overreach and reckless spending on everything from “stimulus” projects to
entitlement programs. Due to these growing concerns
about the future of our nation and our national debt,
Florida continues to fight against many measures passed
down from Washington.
When members of the Florida Legislature passed a
memorial in 2010 to call for a balanced budget amendment for the federal government, JMI President Bob McClure stood with our state’s leaders at a press conference
arguing that, “Chronic federal budget deficits and the
national debt’s explosive growth have now constituted
a problem so serious state governments can no longer
stand idly by.”
Later in 2010, Florida led the lawsuit against the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), otherwise
known as “ObamaCare” and JMI stepped in to help thenFlorida Attorney General (and former JMI board member)
Bill McCollum. When this case went to the U.S. Supreme
Court in 2012, JMI worked with Florida’s current Attorney
General Pam Bondi, and filed an amicus brief in support
of Florida and 25 other states’ challenge of the PPACA.
Also in 2012, Florida lawmakers fought back against
costly regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency — and JMI was there to consult with them
on the proper course of action to take and ways to spread
information about the issue.
These are just a few recent examples of how Florida,
along with many other states, are fighting back against
the burden the federal government continues to place
on states and individuals.
In most of these cases, lawmakers are using the Tenth
Amendment, authored by James Madison, to respond.
That amendment reads: “The powers not delegated to
the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people.”
It seems that 25 years ago, when Dr. Marshall and the
other visionaries created, founded, and led an organiza-
[34]
tion focused on Florida and the role of the states — and
named that organization after James Madison — they
were ahead of their time. But, it was a good thing they
were. Today, the role of state think tanks like JMI has
become vital in providing intellectual ammunition for
lawmakers and private citizens, and in helping to shape
an effective message in the battle of ideas. To ensure
future success, the Institute is stepping up its coalition
work with allies and partners across Florida and the
nation — investing in numerous capacities to build a
permanent freedom majority.
Our nation was founded on ideas and its future will ultimately be determined by the policies that flow from the
ideas that win. As JMI celebrates its first quarter century
of providing trusted solutions for a better Florida, it seeks
to win hearts and minds toward a better understanding
of the great human achievement of liberty – which allows people, families, neighborhoods, towns, and cities
to prosper and thrive in a free society.
At left, with JMI President and other Florida leaders behind him,
Florida Governor Rick Scott signs a series of “jobs” bills in 2011,
which lowered taxes and reduced regulations for individuals and
businesses across Florida.
Top right, JMI President Bob McClure and his daughter Clara
Frances join coalition partner American Majority at the Pepsi 400
NASCAR race in Daytona Beach. American Majority sponsored
driver Jason Bowles in 2012 in an effort to take the freedom message to NASCAR fans.
JMI President Bob McClure with Florida Attorney General
Pam Bondi at the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference
(CPAC) Florida in Orlando.
In 2010, JMI President Bob McClure stood with leaders of the
Florida Legislature to support a balanced budget amendment
for the U.S. Constitution.
[35]
The James Madison Institute
Trusted Solutions for a Better Florida
Founded in 1987 by Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, The James Madison Institute is a non-partisan policy center dedicated
to advancing the free-market principles of limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility.
President and Chief Executive Officer: J. Robert McClure III, Ph.D.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman: Allan Bense, Panama City
Vice Chairman: J. Stanley Marshall, Tallahassee
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Glen Blauch, Naples; Jacob F. Bryan, Jacksonville; Charles Cobb, Coral Gables;
Stan Connally, Pensacola; Rebecca Dunn, Palm Beach; George W. Gibbs III, Jacksonville;
Robert H. Gidel, Orlando; L. Charles Hilton, Panama City; John Hrabusa, Lakeland;
John F. Kirtley, Tampa; Fred Leonhardt, Orlando; Thomas K. Sittema, Orlando; Jeffrey V. Swain, Tallahassee
THE JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE STAFF
Amar Ali, Communications Assistant; Tanja Clendinen, Executive Assistant to the President;
Francisco Gonzalez, Vice President of Advancement; Becky Liner, Executive Vice President;
Jill Mattox, Foundation Grants Manager; William R. Mattox, Jr., Resident Fellow;
Thomas Perrin, Public Affairs Director; Robert F. Sanchez, Policy Director;
Scott Sholl, Editor-in-Chief, Capitol Vanguard; Jenny Stone, Director of Events and Logistics;
Valerie Wickboldt, Vice President of Communications
THE RESEARCH ADVISORY COUNCIL OF THE JAMES MADISON INSTITUTE
Dr. Susan Aud, Senior Fellow, Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation;
Dr. Michael Bond, Professor of Finance, The University of Arizona;
Dr. Marshall DeRosa, Professor of Political Science, Florida Atlantic University;
Dr. Thomas V. DiBacco, Professor Emeritus, American University;
Dr. Dino Falaschetti, Property & Environment Research Center, Bozeman, MT;
Dr. James Gwartney, Professor of Economics, Florida State University;
Dr. Bradley K. Hobbs, BB&T Professor of Free Enterprise, Florida Gulf Coast University;
Dr. Randall Holcombe, Professor of Economics, Florida State University;
Dr. Barry Poulson, Professor of Economics, the University of Colorado;
J.B. Ruhl, J.D., Professor of Law, Florida State University College of Law;
Peter Schweizer, President, Government Accountability Institute and
James M. Taylor, J.D., Senior Fellow, The Heartland Institute.
Acknowledgments
The effort to put together this “25 Moments, 25 Years” report on the history of The James Madison Institute
was led by JMI Vice President of Advancement, Francisco Gonzalez. However, many other current and former
JMI staff, board members, interns, scholars, and others associated with the Institute helped with this effort.
A special thank you to: Stanley Marshall, James Gwartney, Randall Holcombe, Lora Holcombe, Allan Bense,
John Kirtley, Bob McClure, John Cooper, Ed Moore, Tom Dye, Michael Strader, Susan Christian, Robert Sanchez,
Becky Liner, Valerie Wickboldt, Jill Mattox, Bill Mattox, Tanja Clendinen, Amar Ali, Keri Gordon, Joseph Russo, Emily
Buckley, Nathan Law, Evan Marcus, Tom Morgan, Chris Caballero, Michael Werner, Keith Leslie, Jennifer Butler and
Tracie Sharp. The combined research, interviews, anecdotes, and editing could not have been done without them.
Finally, this would not have been possible without the excellent graphic design and the many hours of dedication by Jane Houle of Graphic Edge. Thank you also to Hugh Butler and his excellent printing and production
team at Graphateria.
TO CONTACT US
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100 N. Duval Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Our Website: www.jamesmadison.org
Via e-mail: [email protected]
Toll-Free from anywhere; 866-340-3131
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Bill and Rebecca Dunn
Barney Barnett
JMI staff and interns at The Columns in 2011
The Columns
100 North Duval Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850-386-3131 Phone
850-386-1807 Fax
[email protected]
www.jamesmadison.org