WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL HELP TO FUND THE LOBBYING! 

In the many sessions of pro bono lobbying, we have been funded by individuals

and non profit corporations.

Our efforts since 1974, lobbying off and on at the legislature has

placed Florida in a leadership role since 1974. I have been there 13 full

sessions.

I recall being at the 1986 legislature when my back home fund raiser in Miami

abruptly died. His name was Gene Bybel.

That year I made a difficult choice. Come home to Miami, or tough it out.

Toughing it out is described in a  book I am writing.  

Toughing it out was sleeping in the 1970 Mark V Lincoln van in the parking lot of a

community college, using a new Hess Gas Station to get cleaned up and getting to

the legislature early every morning. There was no money for a cheap motel that year.

No one knew about it, except  Gene, who was with me, in spirit,  every day that session.

Gene and I had a very productive session that year.  But it was very good to get back

home to showers again.

If I still have a business in this rotten economy,  it will cost $4,000 to pay the

rent and phone  in Miami. It will not be the first time I locked  up the business to

lobby at the legislature.

In good economy years, I paid a manager to run  One Stop Service By Denny Wood

in Miami. www.signs-tshirts-trophies.com. 

Personally, I will need motel and gas money to get to and from the capitol.  A reasonable

medium range motel at  $120 a day comes  to about $7,000 for the 60 day session.  

I really do not do well in the cheaper motels. Housing is tough during the legislature in

session days.  $500 covers the gas, oil change  and driving in the capitol.

I don't need money for meals.  Well, maybe $500 since I have to eat out instead of

cook at home.  And I usually need to print up stuff at  local print shops to do hand outs

at the session.  Another $200.

$13,000 is what I need to collect in donations by the middle of February.  The

session starts the first week of March.

And if anyone else volunteers to come help, I would assume that they would

need about $15,000 for the same and similar expenses. Mine is less as I use part

of my money for meals. You people with disabilities need to replace me soon.

Each day I wake up I am thankful. Most of my peers have passed on to the

other side. My biggest concern, is who will then fill the void that my passing

will leave?

So, if you want to contribute, checks must be made out to the Florida Paraplegic

Association, Inc.,  13000 SW 92 Ave., Miami, FL 33176. If the funding goal is not

met by two weeks before the legislature, all donations and contributions will be

returned,  and I will not attend legislature. Contributions are not tax deductiible

as the authors of our FPA charter in 1957 did not use the tax exempt 503 catagory.

We are just a non profit organization who gets hassled now each year by IRS and

their new rule to report each year that we did not take in over $25,000. 

The donation amounts will be listed on this page and date recieved. We will be in

touch with donors by e-mail. Except for the year Gene died suddenly this is the

traditional manner that funded my 13 sessions. The legislative results

of those sessions are at the publishers resume on this web site.

---Denny Wood