Pete Domenici: “Mel Martinez has a great story. He is a self-made man who is destined to do great things. At age 15 he fled Cuba during…”

“Mel Martinez has a great story. He is a self-made man who is destined to do great things. At age 15 he fled Cuba during the airlift of children known as Operation Pedro Pan. Although, he was alone, he would soon begin his American Dream. A graduate of Florida State University College of Law in 1973, Martinez joined an Orlando firm and practiced personal injury law. During his 25 years of law practice in Orlando, he was very involved in a variety of community activities. In 1984, he was appointed chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority by the mayor. He held this post for two years, later serving as president of the Orlando Utilities Commission. He also served as Chairman of Governor Jeb Bush's Growth Management Commission, declaring a moratorium on new residential projects in already-crowded school districts. In 1998, he was elected Orange County chairman. As the Chief Executive of a government, he was responsible for providing complete urban services to over 860,000 people. In this mayoral-like role, he advocated home ownership programs for low-income families and lowered property taxes. He concentrated on programs emphasizing public safety, growth management, the needs of children and families, clean neighborhoods, improved transportation, and the streamlining of government. As Secretary of HUD, Mr. Martinez, assumes the $30 billion budget, which faces a critical shortage of low-income properties and mid-income rentals.”