By BILL RETTEW JR.

SEBRING — Several Highlands County voters hope to establish a new political party for those not satisfied with either of the major political parties.

Members of the fledgling American Party of Florida are in the process of establishing a local executive committee and look toward 2008 for a chance to possibly run several candidates for local offices, said Tom Macklin, party organizer, former lieutenant gubernatorial candidate with Max Linn on the Reform Party ticket and former Avon Park mayor.

The party’s first event is scheduled for Saturday Jan. 6, from noon to 5 p.m., at 155 W. Center Ave., Sebring, the former home of the Highlands County Republican Party.

The American Party of Florida will revolve around three basic tenets: “term limits; accountability of government; and a firm stance against illegal immigration,” according to a release from Barry Foster, party organizer and radio show host on AM730 WWTK.

On the campaign trail in 2006, Macklin said he had a chance to educate himself on both local and state issues.

The former mayor said one reason for establishing another minor party was a response to Rep. Mark Foley’s conduct, aside from his policy decisions.

“A number of people in the Republican Party were well aware and failed to deal with it,” said Macklin, about Foley’s actions.

Macklin also claimed that several Democrats also knew about Foley’s e-mails to congressional pages, but only made the information public when it was politically convenient and would keep Foley’s name on the ballot.

In addition to the Democratic and Republican parties, The Division of Elections-Florida Department of State listed 22 other other parties, including the Possibility, Prohibition, Libertarian, Socialist and even the Surfer’s parties.

The fledgling party is not yet official. According to Macklin, paperwork to establish the new party was filed in the state capital.

“Everything appears to be in order,” said Macklin. “We hope to have positive news by week’s end.”

With a dozen organizers so far, Macklin admitted that it will be “difficult” to buck the two party system.

“We’re looking forward to attracting local candidates disenfranchised by the Republicans, Democrats, Independents and No Party Affiliates (NPA),” said Macklin.

Foster said that he expected to talk about Christmas and the holidays during broadcasts on his radio talk show, but once the idea of another political party was unleashed, callers wanted to talk of little else than politics.

“People on the talk show are fired up,” said Foster. “And most are new callers to the show.”

Zane Thomas, chair of the Highlands County Democratic executive committee, favored the establishment of new parties and said the new local effort would likely draw members equally from both Republican and Democratic parties.

“For more people to participate in the process is what it’s all about,” said Thomas. “People have become complacent. Grass roots efforts get people off their couches and out of their houses.”

Chuck Oakes, former chair of the Highlands County Republican executive committee, said that he had heard nothing about the new party and could only speak for himself.

He said that minor parties are a “waste of somebody’s time” and asked, “who do you vote for in the primary?”