The Dream Deferred and Attacked in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Dec. 19, 2023 - PRLog -- The nations first and only of its kind MLK license plate is under attack in Florida. The attacks follows  The Dream Foundation hosting the "Florida Conference on Race, Equality, Justice and Opportunity" in Florida for the last 3 consecutive years.  The organization  created and won passage for the  license plate with the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on it, the "Live The Dream" license plate in 2004.

Further, the Dream Foundation  was forced to provide dollars to four defined separate non profits for 17 yrs. While worthy causes,It's unprecedented that any non profit would be forced to provide what is now 90 % of its revenue to other non profits and not be allowed to pursue its mission. The remaing 10% allows for 5% to be used for marketing and administration ( not enough for bookkeeping and CPA) as the other 5% goes to the King Family Intellectual Properties.   The state was warned that it could not administer the program with its 2020 changes in the Transportation committee for then HB 1135 on 01/28/20 (https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/1-28-20-house-transp...)..see around 15:35.

The state is now seeking to penalize the organization and the organizations president whose only goal (being a black child of the 60s) was to keep the organization going with its well defined mission. In the 2021 legislative session, the Dream Foundation President Michael Dobson, was successful at having the legislature change the language to finally allow it to do something closer to its mission, to now provide scholarships to Florida High School Seniors who may have an incarcerated parent or guardian to attend a Florida  College,  University or Trade School;  provide grants to organizations providing reentry services around the state; and to grow its own reentry services. None of these great programs have been able to take root because  the States Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is seeking to punish the person and organization for fighting to promote  the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr despite the state disallowing what it needed to administer the program.  The Department even ignored request from an administrative lawyer seeking to understand any questions the department may have, to find resolution. Currently, The Dream Foundation is seeking private dollars for the scholarship program without being able to have plate revenues for it that was a part of the 2021 legislation, as this is a top priority for the organization.

The organization is asking to continue pursuing its mission and not be attacked by the agency simply because it as a governing body has not allowed an organization to afford the crucial  professional  services needed.. such as CPA or bookkeeping, to then turn around and punish them for it. www.livethedreamfoundation.org