Mitch Perry
Democrat Jim Lange is in an uphill battle to defeat Republican incumbent Dennis Ross in Florida’s 15th Congressional District. Though there hasn’t been much public polling on the race, Ross defeated the last Democrat he faced, Alan Cohn, by nearly 20 percentage points in 2014.
Lange is running as a progressive in the Polk/Hillsborough county-based district, and has been called by some supporters as “in the mold of Bernie Sanders.”
Some of the language on his website also appears to be in the mold — or language of — the Vermont senator, as well as that of Massachusetts’ Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
On Sanders’ website under the heading of “Improving the Rural Economy,” is a subsection that says “Family Farms instead of Factory Farms.”
It is unacceptable that just four corporations control 82% of the nation’s beef cattle market, 85% of soybean processing, and 63% of pork processing. It is unacceptable that there are over 300,000 fewer farmers than there were 20 years ago. It is unacceptable that the top 10% of farms collect 75% of farm subsidies, while the bottom 62% do not receive any subsidies. We have to adopt policies that will turn this around.
On Lange’s website, under the section called “Improving the Rural Economy,” there is this:
It is unacceptable that the top 10% of farms collect 75% of farm subsidies, while the bottom 62% do not receive any subsidies leaving many of our local farmers out to dry. New policies must be adopted to turn this around.
In that same “Improving the Rural Economy” section on Sanders’ website, there is this:
Senator Sanders will fight for farm policies that will foster the entry of a new generation of owner-operators. He will not back away from land stewardship standards that include the commonwealth of clean water for all.
On Lange’s site there is this:
I will fight for farm policies that will foster the entry of a new generation of owner-operators. I will not back away from land stewardship standards that include the commonwealth of clean water for all. I believe in family farms, and I will do my very best to help them survive and prosper.
On Social Security, this comes from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s website:
Too many have been using scare tactics when it comes to Social Security. The problems in Social Security funding are serious, but they are fixable. Social Security is safe for at least the next 20 years and, if we act quickly, we can make modest changes that will keep the system solvent without cutting back on benefits. We need honesty and political will to move forward. Social Security is a promise made to our seniors and it would be a breach of trust — and just plain poor economic policy — to jeopardize this program with unnecessary cuts or risky privatization schemes.
From Jim Lange’s website:
The issues with Social Security funding are serious, yet fixable. Social Security is safe for at least the next 20 years. I am prepared to take action and make modest changes that will keep the system solvent without cutting back on benefits. One modest change that I would support is raising or even eliminating the Social Security cap on taxable earnings. Of course, any change to the program will require the political will and resolve of both parties. Social Security is a promise made to our seniors. It would be both a breach of trust and poor economic policy to jeopardize this program with unnecessary cuts or risky privatization schemes.
When contacted on Tuesday, Lange wrote to FloridaPolitics in an email that, “My site reflects my philosophy and that of members of my party whom I respect and want to emulate. I will allow you to draw your own conclusion and distribute your opinion to your readers as you see fit. “
The Dennis Ross campaign did not respond to our requests for comment.
