Name: John Korsak
Age: 40
Residence: Tampa
Occupation: no response given
Political affiliation: Republican
Political experience: worked on campaigns as a volunteer and operations director
Office being sought: Florida Senate District 17
Why are you running for this office?
I am running for office because I believe that constitutional government needs to be implemented and protected at the state level. I believe that the number one job of the state legislature is to guard against intrusive federal policies that undermine the state’s authority and bankrupt the state’s treasury. Second to that, the state needs to allow public policy to be developed and implemented at the lowest jurisdictional level possible, not become to the county/city what the federal government has become to the state.
What are your top three priorities?
1. Develop a transparent tax policy by implementing an equal tax across all goods and services. In addition, I do not believe that government should pick winners/losers through taxation, and should not socially engineer behavior through a confiscatory tax system. I support the elimination of state excise taxes and other special taxes on specific goods and/or industries.
2. Build a pro-business environment, which would include:
—A single-filing system for new businesses where the state handles all initial licensure, tax, occupational and local filing processes
—Reining in government regulation, specifically at the state’s Departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection
—Increase the cost of filing frivolous lawsuits and eliminate punitive damage awards
—Getting government out of the insurance business and opening the industry to market-based competition
3. Education reform, including the elimination of federal programs in Florida education, the elimination of FCAT and the implementation of a fair education choice/voucher program.
Why should voters choose you?
Voters should choose me for several reasons, but mostly because I am one-of-a-kind in my race. I am the only military veteran, the only person with public safety experience and the only one who has never been in Tallahassee politics! I am interested in keeping the friends and family that I have, not cozying up to new “friends” at Tallahassee lobbying parties. And I simply want a legislator that will actually put on the table new, sweeping legislation that reins in government spending and corrects our convoluted tax policy. That’s something everyone I know wants, but we have never gotten from politicians.
What qualifications do you bring to the job?
Most state legislators across the country have been unknowingly complicit in the destruction of America because they do not understand their job, which is to preserve and protect the constitution, and the peoples’ freedom and liberty, at the state level — guarding against intrusive federal policies that undermine the state’s authority and bankrupt the state’s treasury. But instead, state legislators have become to local governments what Washington has become to the state — the government nanny.
Understanding that, and having an understanding on how federal money (especially grants) works, makes me not just uniquely qualified, but the only one that is qualified to be District 17’s Senator.
Name: John Legg
Age: 37
Residence: Trinity
Occupation: administrator/educator
Political affiliation: Republican
Political experience: House member; speaker pro-temp
Office being sought: Florida Senate District 17
Why are you running for this office?
As a father of 5 children, I believe my children should have the same and greater opportunity for promising future that I had. As a lifelong Floridian, I know that Florida is indeed the land of opportunity. We need to protect our economic freedom and promote of conservative values by limiting the role of government and promoting free enterprise.
What are your top three priorities?
Economic Development, education and taxes are three critical issues that need to be address. All three are intertwined. Economic Development is dependent on an educated workface and being stifled by the lack of available and affordable property insurance. Our state and local agencies must do online one stop permitting and lower the red tape on our risk takes. We must lessen the burden overreaching regulation being handed down by bureaucracies to help create jobs. We must capitalize on the innovation and intellectual capital of USF community. We must increase our education standards and allow our best and brightest students in our state to excel. Our greatest assets are our future workforce. We hold the line and lower taxes on our families and small business. The government checkbook should not increase at the expenses of our families checkbooks decrease.
Why should voters choose you?
As a small business operator who employees over 120 people, I understand the risk and struggles it takes to make small business operator. I have been successful in standing strong against those up to who would threaten our economic freedom and our conservative ideas. We stood with Attorney General Pam Bondi to shut down the Pill Mills which plagued our Pasco and Hillsborough community. I encourage people to find out more about our record at www.electjohnlegg.com.
What qualifications do you bring to the job?
As a graduate of USF with Masters in Public Administration, co-founder of one of the most successful school, Dayspring Academy, in Tampa Bay community, father of 5, employer of over 120 employees and Speaker Pro-Temp. of the Florida House, I believe we have the experience and success records to get Florida and Tampa economy moving. Our campaign has been endorsed by leaders such as Governor Jeb Bush, Speaker Designate Will Weatherford, Commissioner Adam Putnam, State Senator Mike Fasano, Former Gov. Bob Martinez and numerous other local leaders. To find out more about our campaign, please go to www.electjohnlegg.com.
Name: Rob Wallace
Age: 60
Residence: No response given
Occupation: professional engineer
Political affiliation: Republican
Political experience: Florida House of Representatives 1994-2001 Northwest Hillsborough and Tarpon Springs
Office being sought: Florida Senate District 17
Why are you running for this office?
We need jobs and to strengthen our economy. I have been a small business owner since 1979 and I know from experience there is value to having small business people voting in Tallahassee. We need to help make Florida more business friendly to attract those that will invest in the soon to be 3rd largest state in the nation. We also need to help nurture our own businesses especially small business. Florida has many assets and we need to use all of them to the states advantage.
What are your top three priorities?
1. We need to help the 2.2 million small businesses that employ almost 7 million in Florida. I propose that if a small business creates a new job with a salary of $30,000 or greater, and the job is occupied for a year, that a tax credit of $1,000 be issued for use against tax due.
2. We need to foster our production industries, namely agriculture, forestry, mining and manufacturing. We need to help these groups that can export goods out of the state or the country.
3. Tallahassee needs to exercise fiscal discipline. I propose the following plan. 10% of the new revenue goes to a rainy day fund. 10% goes to paying off bonds early. 10% to invest in job creation incentives. 70% of new revenue to help the needy hurt by the recent cutbacks and to pay for justifiable and cost effective programs.
Why should voters choose you?
I have been a homeowner with my homestead in the District since 1975. Having just turned 60, I have business and legislative experience that is needed to help lead in the things the state government can do to help our business environment. As a State Representative, I held 57 town meetings all over the district to stay in touch with my constituents and listen to their concerns for State government. As Chair of the Hillsborough Delegation, I led the way in the 2000 repeal of the useless Motor Vehicle Inspection Program which had long served its purpose.
What qualifications do you bring to the job?
I have run a small business for 33 years. During that time, we have employed over 100 persons who contributed to our success and who made their livelihood in our company. We currently employ 8 persons. I am a Professional Engineer and have been a working engineer for 38 years. I have a love of facts and figures, and in Tallahassee, I was a budget watcher that was taxpayer friendly. In my 8 years in office, I worked hard on behalf of my constituents. When term limits applied to me, I did what the Founders envisioned, and I went back to the proverbial farm to renew my business and get my four kids through college. I am not a professional politician, but I am a seasoned citizen legislator. As a fiscal conservative, I believe that the government budget should not grow faster than the family budget.
