Contact: Nicholas Steffens (954) 234-6133 ntsteffens@gmail.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIDDLE CLASS PLANS RESPONSE TO GOVERNORS STATE OF THE STATE Rally Planned for Outside Office of Gov. Scott Ally Rep. George Moraitis After a legislative session that produced some of the most anti-Middle Class legislation ever, members of the Middle Class will rally in front of the Fort Lauderdale office of Representative George R. Mortaitis, Jr. on January 10, 2012 to let Governor Rick Scott and Rep. Moraitis know that 2012 will be different. The Representative's office is located at 2132 E. Oakland Park Boulevard, near the intersection with Federal Highway. On January 10, legislators will converge on Tallahassee for their annual 60-day legislative session and Gov. Scott will also deliver his State of the State address. As part of the Awake Broward rally, the Middle Class Response to the Governor will be given by elected leaders and Broward citizens who are fed up with the Governor and his anti-Middle Class agenda. Recently, Progress Florida, the state's largest netroots organization working toward a more progressive Florida, rated all legislators based on their record protecting the Middle Class and Rep. George Moraitis (R-Fort Lauderdale) was not on the list due to his lack of support for his own constituents. On the other hand, Progress Florida name several Broward legislators, including Senator Nan Rich (D-Weston) and Representatives Martin Kiar (D-Davie), Ari Porth (D-Coral Springs), and Franklin Sands (D-Weston), as Middle Class Champions for their support of working people. Also, the non-partisan group Florida Watch Action, Inc. named Rep. Moraitis to its "Dirty Thirty" list of legislators who voted for Rick Scott's job-killing, antiMiddle Class agenda during the 2011 Legislative Session. Representative Moraitis made one message clear during his first legislative session the Middle Class is not worth protecting, said Maria P. Barth, an Organizer of Awake the State in Broward County. On January 10, he will get the message that Broward County is fed up with his record.

Awake Broward will bring together members of local unions, including the Broward Teachers Union, the AFL-CIO, and others, along with members of the Sierra Club, Occupy Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and a variety of other non-partisan, pro-Middle Class organizations. In the past year, Awake the State has hosted rallies, including a very well attended event at the start of the 2011 legislative session, and other local and statewide events to let Floridians know what is happening to them in Tallahassee. On January 10, in addition to the event in Fort Lauderdale, the non-partisan organization will be hosting events in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and many other counties throughout the state including one at the Capitol in Tallahassee. -60-