Senator Paula Dockery
326 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Fl 32399-0001

Dear Senator Dockery:

I was very disappointed to learn that Governor Charley Crist vetoed the $15million in funding for the Manufactured Housing and Mobile Home mitigation and Enhancement Program.  My park completed and sent an application this year to TCC in hopes of receiving some assistance to strengthen and prepare my home for the upcoming hurricane season.  Thousands of mobile home residents were relying on this program to afford us a way to secure our homes and make them storm ready.

Governor Charley Crist is sending a message to more than a million mobile home residents across the state that our safety and well-being is not worth a mere $15 million, while residents of site built homes have been allotted $250 million for various mitigation programs.  My neighbors and I understand that we have responsibilities for our homes and families when preparing for an active hurricane season; however, we were counting on this program for assistance and we have all been let down by your decision.  Although I understand the skepticism of spending money on projects backed by special interest groups, the only special interest this program would have helped is mobile home residents.

I believe the program speaks for itself.  The program is very new, beginning in 2006, but it has already provided help for mobile home residents with safety measures that have prepared them for the upcoming 2007 hurricane season.  With so many benefits for thousands of Floridians, I do not understand why you would eliminate the funding that would have allowed this successful program to continue.  

I ask that you please reconsider your decision and afford the thousands of mobile home residents some peace of mind and the opportunity to make the one place we call home safe and secure throughout the year.

Thank you,