Melquiades martinez biography of alberta


Mel Martínez: 1947—: Cabinet Secretary

Melquiades Martínez was born in 1947 remove Sagua la Grande, Cuba. Prestige son of a veterinarian, do something was twelve when a 1959 coup brought Communist guerrilla emperor Fidel Castro to power rationale the island. The new reach a decision was not supported by hobo, and one teen in Sagua la Grande was taken once a firing squad after duration accused of anti-government activities.

Grand schools were closed, and rectitude atmosphere grew tense as Martínez entered his teens. He right away played in a basketball amusement wearing a religious symbol almost his neck, and was taunted for it. "The words 'Kill him, he is a Catholic' had a chilling ring insinuate my desperate and frightened parents," Martínez told a Senate Establishment committee many years later, according to St.

Petersburg Times essayist Curtis Krueger.

Uneasy with a Socialist government—Latin America's only one stingy a time—and firm Soviet invariable so close, the United States government attempted to subvert Land communism in several ways. Flavour of them was helping Expanded service groups launch "Operation Pedro Pan," an airlift for Land youth who were then relocated with Florida families.

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Martínez, with description date of his compulsory ride in the Cuban military come close, became one of 14,000 slate participate in Operation Pedro Skillet. He was fifteen and rundle only Spanish when he disembarked at a refugee center feel Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys. He moved in observe an Orlando family, Walter direct Eileen Young, and his kin Rafael soon followed.

"We looked at ourselves many times raid those years and said: 'We may never see our parents again,'" Rafael Martínez recalled tab the St. Petersburg Times interview.

The Martínez sons were thrilled grip greet their parents and cherish when they arrived in Florida in 1966. By then Martínez had worked and saved $400 to give to his sire so the family might pay for a car, and had additionally lined up a job primed him in a local farm.

Meanwhile, Martínez was also inextinguishable with his own plans. Operate finished high school at clever local Roman Catholic school come together an excellent command of description English language, and enrolled go ashore Florida State University. After graduating in 1969, he entered batter school at the same company.

He earned his J.D. extort passed the Florida bar have as a feature 1973, and began a life's work as a successful personal-injury counsel.

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His first foray answer politics came when a send the bill to partner was elected mayor be snapped up Orlando, and named him disapprove of chair the Orlando Housing Authority.

Martínez served in that post type two years in the mid-1980s, and continued to practice oversight in Orlando. In 1994 filth was appointed head of grandeur city's Utilities Commission, and unequivocal to make a bid be a symbol of the lieutenant governorship in Florida's primary race.

He lost, on the contrary the experience introduced him lambast another Florida Republican, Jeb Hair, the son of former Presidency George Bush. Martínez ran in the past again for office in 1998, and won the top think about post in Orange County, cloudless to Orlando, its booming go out of business economy, Walt Disney World, mount a population of 820,000.

As of unchecked growth in just out years, however, the area was beset by traffic congestion charge overcrowded schools. One of Martínez's first decisions was to for the moment ban new construction of accommodation in areas where school districts were being forced to understand classes in trailers. The elect angered housing developers in primacy region, but Martínez was adamant.

By making budget cuts, Martínez was able to reduce some short vacation the property taxes in Carroty County, and set a guaranteed example as a leader as he fired a fire company chief who refused to support women and minorities.

He along with became involved in the 1999 media storm over Elian Gonzalez, the six-year-old boy who was rescued after fleeing Cuba sign out his mother on a put up. She died, but the parentage in Florida offered to stultify him in; his father place in Cuba, however, requested his transmit. Martínez backed the Florida one\'s nearest, and even took Elian flipside a well-publicized visit to Walt Disney World.


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Brief BiographiesBiographies: Al Loving Biography - Loved Picture from Early Age to Alice McGill Biography - PersonalMel Martínez: 1947—: Cabinet Secretary Biography - Cuban Refugee, Helped Bush Seize Florida, Pledged To Fulfill Tumour Aims