A Long Ago True Story

As is characteristic with most of us seniors we tend to look back on our accomplishments and failures. This was an accomplishment that happened almost 50 years ago. I received an invitation from several Florida congress persons to meet them at the Sheraton in downtown Orlando. No details - just meet. I went and found they had invited 18 of us and they explained they wanted a "new" workers compensation law. They had been working on it for quite a while and were so overwhelmed by all the special interests that were presenting bills that did not fairly represent all interests. Therefore they sought out people (both plaintiff and defense) to secretly draft a new law.

They appointed both myself and a plaintiff attorney to co-head the committee. We were to each have equal members and they would like us to re-write the law and change it from indemnity to wage loss. We were to do it in total secrecy and those on the committee would at our direction take certain portions and re-write the law as the old law was outdated. After our committee met together and discussed the difference between what we had and what they wanted I assigned each committee member a portion of the law, including myself, and we went to work on drafting a totally new concept for a statewide law.

Then when they would submit their proposed changes I would meet with the other co-chairman and we would negotiate and finalize the final product. After several weeks of meeting in secret we had a new law ready for congress. It was typed up in its final form and I hand carried it to  our contact representative. Several more weeks went by and one day a congressional delivery person came to my office and said he had a package for me. The secretary said she would see I got it but he said it had to be hand delivered to me personally. It was the new law passed almost unanimously by the state legislature and signed by the governor. 

I closed my office door and laid it on the desk next to our proposed draft and went through it line by line. They had not changed one dot or word and passed our law in a bi-partisan vote. No one knew who had drafted it not even our immediate family and when my boss found out he was furious that I had not told him. He in a rage fired me but that did not diminish what we few had done and I was quickly hired by another company.

I have only told this story in the almost 50 years to a handful of people.Mainly because I to this day do not want it to appear I'm bragging or trying to boost myself. I tell it now to show that 18 people working to sincerely produce a lasting law irregardless of political affiliation can actually do something that has lasting and permanent effect. What I see now days clearly lacks the ability for our politicians to work together and make anything meaningful favorable change for our citizens. I am very saddened by what we have today.

We secretly left a make on Florida law and while it is something to be proud of I have never felt it so important (even though it was) to openly talk about it. Now as I reflect back the change we made has benefited untold numbers of workers. Florida had industrial judges across the state and it was these judges who recommended individuals like myself to the legislature which I found out later. I only tell this story now not to embellish my career  or puff myself up but to show the comparison of our politicians of the past and those we have today which I consider a very sorry lot. I will leave the adjectives to describe them up to others but I find the entire lot pitiful. Instead of helping people like our past congressional leaders did they help themselves only.

Many who have known me for many years do not know my participation in this and but for the low quality of politicians now days still would not know I co-produced a brand new totally radical WC law. I hope this will inspire some to vote thoughtfully next election.