Green Party's Gratzol calls for 'social justice'

In his 55 years, Kurt Gratzol has been a Republican, a soldier and a salesman.

Today Gratzol is a member of the Green Party, a pacifist and a candidate for state representative.

He said he's running "to bring social justice to the people of Florida."

Gratzol, of Indian Rocks Beach, is seeking office in House District 54, which includes parts of Clearwater and Largo and most of the Pinellas beach communities.

In the Nov. 5 election, Gratzol will face the only other candidate in this race, incumbent Rep. John Carassas, a Republican from Belleair.

"The difference is, he's a Republican and when the party needs his vote he votes the way his party wants him to," Gratzol said.

Asked if the same was true of him and the Green Party, Gratzol said, "Yes, but my party's expectation of me is to be very pro-social justice, very pro-education, very pro-local economics."

Gratzol said he follows the Green Party platform, which stresses "ecological wisdom," diversity and decentralization among other issues. He said development should occur where infrastructure already exists, rather than on pristine rural "greenfields."

Gratzol said he would push for a state law requiring a referendum when developers want to exceed building height and density requirements. He supports a state constitutional amendment that would reduce public school class sizes, and said he would work to introduce the concept into state law, whether the amendment passes or not. He said he also would push for a prescription drug plan in which state residents could buy medicines at a price the state negotiates with drug manufacturers.

He acknowledged that some of these ideas would lead to increased taxes. He said he favors taxes that are less "regressive" than the sales tax, which disproportionately affects the poor. "We need to start talking about an income tax," he said.

A pacifist, Gratzol said he has marched against the Gulf War as well as the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Gratzol spent three years in the Army, serving a tour in Vietnam and attaining the rank of captain.

Gratzol graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School. He received a degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He works in sales for an Ocala-based paint company.

Gratzol is married and has two grown children. This is his first campaign for public office.

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