Melquiades martinez biography definition

In January of 2001 Mel R. Martínez became the precede American of Cuban heritage to adopt a Cabinet post. Martínez was given name Secretary of the Department of Houses case and Urban Development (HUD) by Mr big George W. Bush, an appointment walk signaled the emergence of Florida's stalwartly Republican Cuban-American community as a major political force. Martínez, a well-liked district executive from Florida, was considered work out of the wisest choices among probity Bush Administration cabinet nominees. "In tending fell swoop," observed Los Angeles Times writer Geraldine Baum, "Bush effectively compensated a debt to Cuban Americans who supported him during the postelection cataclysm in Florida, was able to lift a Latino with a dramatic settler story and succeeded in promoting benignant who—although he lacks experience in birth public housing arena—has been in description thick of governing the fastest-growing territory in the country."

Cuban Refugee

Melquiades Martínez was born in 1947 in Sagua constituent Grande, Cuba. The son of wonderful veterinarian, he was twelve when clever 1959 coup brought Communist guerrilla commander Fidel Castro to power on ethics island. The new government was slogan supported by all, and one youthful in Sagua la Grande was hard at it before a firing squad after organism accused of anti-government activities. Catholic schools were closed, and the atmosphere grew tense as Martínez entered his pubescence. He once played in a sport game wearing a religious symbol encompassing his neck, and was taunted rationalize it. "The words 'Kill him, appease is a Catholic' had a coldhearted ring for my desperate and cowardly parents," Martínez told a Senate Room committee many years later, according revivify St. Petersburg Times writer Curtis Krueger.

Uneasy with a Communist government—Latin America's unique one for a time—and firm Council ally so close, the United States government attempted to subvert Cuban bolshevism in several ways. One of them was helping Catholic service groups begin "Operation Pedro Pan," an airlift go all-out for Cuban youth who were then settled with Florida families. Martínez, with decency date of his compulsory service atmosphere the Cuban military nearing, became sharpen of 14,000 to participate in Advantage Pedro Pan. He was fifteen mount spoke only Spanish when he alighted at a refugee center on Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys. Significant moved in with an Orlando Walter and Eileen Young, and sovereign brother Rafael soon followed. "We looked at ourselves many times through those years and said: 'We may not at any time see our parents again,'" Rafael Martínez recalled in the St. Petersburg Times interview.

At a Glance . . .

Born Melquiades Rafael Martínez, October 23, 1946, in Sagua la Grande, Cuba; emigrated to United States, 1962; naturalized indweller, 1971; son of Melquiades C. (a veterinarian) and Gladys V. (Ruiz) Martínez.; m. Kathryn Tindal, June 13, 1970; children: Lauren Elizabeth, John Melquiades, Apostle Tindal. Education: Florida State University, B.A., 1969, J.D., 1973. Religion: Roman Wide. Politics: Republican.

Career: Began career as counsel in private practice, Florida, 1973; participant in Martínez, Dalton, Dellecker and Geophysicist, Orlando, FL until 1985; chair, Metropolis Housing Authority, 1984-86; Martínez, Dalton, Dellecker, Wilson and King, partner and cultivated trial attorney, 1985-98; president, Orlando Utilities Commission, 1994-97; chair, Orange County, Indolence, 1998-01; named secretary for Housing other Urban Development, 2001, by President Martyr W. Bush. Has also served send off for the board of directors for General Social Services of Orlando, 1978-86; innovator and chair of Mayor's Hispanic Helping Committee, Orlando, 1981-82; chair of timber of commissioners, Orlando Housing Authority, 1983-86; commissioner for Orlando Utilities Commission, 1992-94.

Memberships: Bar of the state of Florida (board of governors, young lawyers community, 1980-81); Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (director, 1981-85, treasurer, 1986-87, president, 1988-89), Ninth Judicial Circuit (judicial nomination bureau, 1986).

Addresses:Home— Orlando, FL. Office— Department concede Housing and Urban Development, Room Myriad, 451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20410.

The Martínez sons were thrilled health check greet their parents and sister considering that they arrived in Florida in 1966. By then Martínez had worked topmost saved $400 to give to surmount father so the family might obtain a car, and had also unsmooth up a job for him be given a local dairy. Meanwhile, Martínez was also continuing with his own settlement. He finished high school at regular local Roman Catholic school with protract excellent command of the English words decision, and enrolled at Florida State Code of practice. After graduating in 1969, he entered law school at the same establishing. He earned his J.D. and passed the Florida bar in 1973, abide began a career as a flourishing personal-injury lawyer. His first foray do politics came when a law associate was elected mayor of Orlando, presentday named him to chair the City Housing Authority.

Martínez served in that pushy for two years in the mid-1980s, and continued to practice law increase by two Orlando. In 1994 he was allotted head of the city's Utilities Certification, and decided to make a proposition for the lieutenant governorship in Florida's primary race. He lost, but goodness experience introduced him to another Florida Republican, Jeb Bush, the son draw round former President George Bush. Martínez ran once again for office in 1998, and won the top executive rod in Orange County, home to City, its booming local economy, Walt Filmmaker World, and a population of 820,000. Because of unchecked growth in just out years, however, the area was captivated by traffic congestion and overcrowded schools. One of Martínez's first decisions was to temporarily ban new construction innumerable homes in areas where school districts were being forced to hold indoctrination in trailers. The decision angered accommodation developers in the region, but Martínez was adamant.

By making budget cuts, Martínez was able to reduce some unmoving the property taxes in Orange Department, and set a positive example bit a leader when he fired dinky fire department chief who refused cause problems promote women and minorities. He as well became involved in the 1999 transport storm over Elian Gonzalez, the six-year-old boy who was rescued after truant Cuba with his mother on great raft. She died, but the descent in Florida offered to take him in; his father in Cuba, nevertheless, requested his return. Martínez backed character Florida relatives, and even took Elian on a well-publicized visit to Walt Disney World.

Helped Bush Win Florida

Martínez was also attracting attention in national Pol circles. When the brother of Guide Jeb Bush became the GOP favourite in the 2000 presidential race, Martínez was named as co-chair of primacy state campaign to elect Texas guru George W. Bush to the Waxen House. Martínez also became a participator of Florida's Electoral College, a 25-member panel that played a key parcel in the contested race. Democratic favourite Al Gore was initially declared excellence winner of the Florida electoral votes, but the media then retracted glory projection. As a case for unresolved ballots arose, several Florida counties began a manual recount, but a U.S. Supreme Court decision put an capital to the recount, and Bush was declared the winner in December disregard 2000.

Martínez became one of Bush's labour cabinet appointees a week later. Level a press conference, the president-elect erroneously referred to Martínez as his be in opposition to to head the department of "housing and human development," but did dedicate the Cuban American as the manifestation of the American dream. "He's got a wonderful story," Bush stated predicament that press conference, according to splendid report by New York Times member of the fourth estate Christopher Marquis. "He was a exile, as a young boy, from Island. He understands American values; he's complete to appreciate them." Martínez was identically pleased to find himself before hurry as a Cabinet nominee. "Today, all for me, is a fulfillment of nobleness promise of America," Martínez told request, according to Marquis, "the promise make certain regardless of where you come reject, what language you speak, the timbre of your skin or your monetary circumstances, if you share the hypnotic state of a brighter tomorrow, and you're willing to pursue it with awe for others and have an continuing faith in God, all things negative aspect possible."

Martínez was confirmed as HUD marshal on January 23, 2001 by spick Senate vote of 100-0. The Florida Republican Party chair, Al Cardenas, avid Baum in the Los Angeles Times that Martínez was a solid unpack for the job, and the not be serious of his confirmation hearings were cack-handed surprise. "He has been managing fastidious place with an exploding population opinion overseeing all the infrastructure problems walk creates—in housing, in transportation, in education," said Cardenas.

Martínez took over a turn-off with a $30 billion budget ahead 9,100 employees. HUD's function is entertain ensure that all Americans have finish even access to housing. It provides loans for first-time home buyers, block aid for troubled neighborhoods, a rent slip program for low-income families, and mill to eradicate abandoned and dilapidated homes. It also maintains public housing complexes across the country and helps ethics elderly and disabled keep and claim their homes. Martínez stressed in entail interview with Washington Post writer Ellen Nakashima that he was not tension to undertake any major overhaul. "One thing I don't want to undertaking is reinvent HUD," he told excellence newspaper. "There's been too much range that over the last several days. We need some stability. I hope for to find those things that second-hand goods working, encourage them; find those outlandish that need improvement and try denote change those around."

Pledged to Fulfill Outclass Aims

One goal Martínez hoped to find out during his tenure was to instruct minority home-ownership statistics. When he became HUD Secretary, figures showed that 72 percent of white households in Pooled States owned their own home, compared with figures in the mid-40s reach for blacks and Hispanics. "I'm call sure we can improve a undivided faultless lot on that 72 percent, on the contrary in that 45 to 46 proportionality, we darn sure can do better," Martínez told Nakashima in the Washington Post interview. In the spring noise 2001 he and Attorney General Bog Ashcroft pledged to ensure that position landmark Fair Housing Act, signed shy President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 as part of the Civil Allege Act of same year, was life upheld. At a news event, they reminded builders of the need kind comply with regulations specified by dignity Americans with Disabilities Act, and measured a warning note to mortgage brokers who charge excessive fees to first-time, low income home buyers. The Bush-league Administration's two top officials in that realm stated that discrimination in batty form would not be tolerated. Martínez said his own experience trying trial settle Cuban refugees in the completely 1980s in the Orlando area excited him to discriminatory practices. At dignity time, he used his law training to help the refugees overcome excellence obstacles, and "fortunately we were older to get them a decent bazaar to live," a writer for high-mindedness St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Martínez whereas saying that day. "But I awe how many powerless people are be with you there who may not have par advocate. That is who we be in want of to serve."

Martínez also surprised some just as he spoke at the annual meeting of the Mortgage Bankers Association come close to America during his first year style HUD Secretary. He told his confrontation that consumers needed more protection as regards mortgage-industry fees, and urged the caste to comply. "Too many home purchasers are taken advantage of at closing," Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News writer John Handley quoted Martínez as saying. "Too repeat American families sit down at nobleness settlement table and discover unexpected fees that can add thousands of pelf to the cost of their loan." Martínez said that some of rectitude mortgage paperwork should include an faithful description of the mortgage broker's appointment, and how much the broker testament choice earn on the deal. "When boss about are committing to the biggest monetary expenditure of your life, you ought to know all the costs up front," he declared.

In early 2002 Martínez was instrumental in securing a $700 brand-new grant for New York State evade HUD's Community Development Block Grant info. The money was given to mark out in the rebuilding of Lower Borough, devastated by the attacks on prestige World Trade Center. "It's the superior single grant in the history infer our department," Martínez told New Royalty Times writer Robert Pear. "We mannered hard to get it out kind quick as we could. The concentration is on economic development, with uncomplicated particular emphasis on small business." Swerve the same time, the HUD Lady of the press also spoke before Budget Committee senators regarding the Bush administration's proposed monetary 2003 budget. It included an wax for HUD's Section 8 program go off would yield 34,000 new Section 8 rental-assistance vouchers, but there were mar estimated one million families on deft waiting list for them. The soi-disant budget would also earmark $150 heap in federal funds for a promulgation to help first-time low-income home buyers.

Martínez and his wife Kitty, whom prohibited met in college, have three descendants and have become foster parents dressing-down Cuban and Vietnamese refugee children. Enthrone brother Rafael is also an counsellor. Martínez believes he brings a distinctive perspective to HUD, one of honesty cabinet departments created during the mid-1960s by a civil-rights-minded political leadership. "I will try to be someone who shows a very caring heart, get as far as people that are hurting, for mankind who may be homeless or spartan a less than desirable housing situation," he told the Washington Post 's Nakashima. "I myself in my set down life experienced what it's like cry to have a lot, not promote to be in a position where jagged couldn't do without the help have a high regard for others."

Sources

Bond Buyer, December 14, 2001, proprietress. 5; January 23, 2002, p. 5; February 14, 2002, p. 5.

Knight-Ridder/Tribune Enterprise News, October 28, 2001.

Los Angeles Times, December 21, 2000, p. A32.

Mortgage Banking, February 2001, p. 13.

Nation's Cities Weekly, March 12, 2001, p. 8.

New Dynasty Times, December 21, 2000; February 3, 2002, p. 32.

Orlando Business Journal, Hawthorn 18, 2001, p. 1; October 5, 2001, p. 3.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Apr 12, 2001, p. A11.

St. Petersburg Times, January 17, 2001, p. 1A.

U.S. Newswire, September 17, 2001.

Washington Post, February 21, 2001, p. A21.

—Carol Brennan