The Laker/Lutz News

Erika Remsberg

Moore, Wells sworn into commission seats Tuesday

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The Pasco County Commission will welcome two new commissioners to its dais Tuesday, and at the same time decide whether Jack Mariano will get another term as commission chair, or if someone new will be selected.

Mike Moore and Mike Wells Jr., will be officially sworn into office today during the commission’s regular meeting in Dade City. Moore won the Nov. 4 election against Erika Remsberg to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri in District 2. Wells, on the other hand, defeated District 4 incumbent Henry Wilson Jr., during an open Republican primary last August to win a spot on the same commission his father once served.

Both will officially assume their duties soon after the opening gavel falls at 10 a.m., immediately followed by the commission’s election of officers. Wilson was the vice chair of the commission, and had been the presumptive next-in-line for the commission chairmanship. However, with his election defeat and two new commissioners coming on board, it’s most likely either Mariano will serve another year as chair, or those duties could shift to Kathryn Starkey.

Ted Schrader, the other returning commissioner from last year, was the chair beginning in the 2012 session, and it’s a job that historically rotated among the commissioners.

Mariano’s chairmanship has drawn some controversy from other commissioners this past year, beginning in his first week when he drafted a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, asking him to intervene in environmental problems facing a westside park through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Commissioners like Schrader and Starkey said the letter was not cleared through the rest of the board, despite representing what Mariano claimed was its position, and could create more problems for SunWest Park through federal regulators in the future.

Mariano took more heat on SunWest earlier this year when Schrader and Mulieri walked out of a meeting after spending two hours listening to public comment on SunWest. They accused Mariano of packing the speakers to help change the commission’s mind on how much they would fund the project. Commissioners had earlier voted to spend less than Mariano had requested on the project.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Money spoke loudly in this year’s election

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He showed up around 6:30 a.m., just as the sun was starting to rise above the horizon.

His place was in a side parking lot at Bridgeway Church, located on Wells Road in Wesley Chapel, and he came ready for the day.

Nick Burgess promoted his older brother Danny to voters all day Election Day from the bed of his pickup truck at Bridgeway Church in Wesley Chapel. Danny Burgess won his first state House election with 60 percent of the vote. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Nick Burgess promoted his older brother Danny to voters all day Election Day from the bed of his pickup truck at Bridgeway Church in Wesley Chapel. Danny Burgess won his first state House election with 60 percent of the vote. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Nick Burgess put signs up around his pickup truck, touting his older brother Danny Burgess, who was running for Florida House District 38. Nick was staying until polls closed at 7 p.m., and he had brought enough food to tide him over until then, and a restroom just inside the church to help get him through the long day.

Burgess was happy to be there, however. He wanted to show support for his brother, who was facing Beverly Ledbetter in the race to replace Will Weatherford in Tallahassee. And he has supported him from the beginning, especially when Danny told his family for the first time that he was going to run.

“I’m behind you 100 percent,” Nick told Danny. “The whole family is. That’s what it takes.”

The community was behind Danny Burgess as well, giving him 60 percent of the vote and a rather seamless journey from when he was an 18-year-old Zephyrhills City Council member, to the 28-year-old man he is now representing eastern Pasco County in the state House. To do that, however, he had to get past retired educator Beverly Ledbetter, who felt there was a lot she could do in the Legislature.

But if nothing else, she wanted to make sure voters had a choice.

“I was excited by the fact that many people, for the first time, were getting involved in the political process,” Ledbetter said. “They were walking neighborhoods, putting up signs, and making phone calls. That is an accomplishment.”

While Ledbetter felt she had local support from a dedicated group of people, one place she didn’t get much help from was the Democratic Party — at either the state or local level. Burgess picked up more than $23,000 in support from the Republican machine, while the other major party chipped in just a little more than $2,000 to Ledbetter’s campaign.

“You have to have money to actually get your message out,” Ledbetter said. “Besides your newspaper, none of the other major newspapers covered any of the local races, so people didn’t really get a great deal of information.”

She is still trying to figure out why the party virtually ignored this race, which she feels could’ve made a huge statement if Democrats claimed a seat currently held by the Republican House Speaker, Will Weatherford.

“That is part of the problem with people wanting to run, is that the state party gives you absolutely no support,” Ledbetter added.

Burgess took 60 percent of the vote, and another Republican — Mike Moore — had about the same success in his race to replace Pasco County commissioner Pat Mulieri. Despite not picking up endorsements from regional news outlets, or Mulieri herself, Moore spent a lot of money to beat Erika Remsberg in the District 2 race.

Moore finished with more than 91,000 votes in the race, and paid about $1.82 per vote received. Remsberg had a little more than 63,500 votes, paying out just 17 cents per vote, which shows the rather large gap between fundraising.

Remsberg won just 11 percent of the precincts voting by an average of 46 votes, according to unofficial results from the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office. Her biggest margin was the precinct at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Port Richey, one of the few precincts in the county that has more Democrats than Republicans.

Early in her race, Remsberg knew her chances against a well-financed candidate in a Republican-leaning county were not the greatest, but the Land O’ Lakes social worker looked forward to the opportunity to run.

“I love going for the underdog,” Remsberg told The Laker/Lutz News back in July. “It’s just that this time it’s me, which is a new experience for me. But I’m good with grassroots efforts and community organization, and I’m getting out wherever I can to share a message of how we all need to work together.”

Published November 12, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Politicians talk local, but don’t spend local

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Ever wonder how much $324,000 can buy?

It could supply ribs and sides for 25 families at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que for an entire year.

It could feed a complete Thanksgiving dinner from Publix to nearly every person living in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

Denny Esber got some local political work for Pasco County Commission candidates like Henry Wilson Jr., and Mike Moore, but said he could feel the pinch of hundreds of thousands of dollars leaving the county. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Denny Esber got some local political work for Pasco County Commission candidates like Henry Wilson Jr., and Mike Moore, but said he could feel the pinch of hundreds of thousands of dollars leaving the county. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

It could hire 15 people for an entire year at $10 an hour, with enough money left over to add a part-timer at the same rate.

In three local political races that ended Nov. 4, six candidates spent $324,000 — to people and businesses outside of Pasco County. In fact, of the more than $455,000 these Pasco County Commission and state House candidates spent since Nov. 1, 2013, only 29 percent of it stayed local.

Beverly Ledbetter, who ran as a Democrat for Florida House District 38, had the worst local campaign spending, with less than 10 percent remaining in Pasco County. However, when it came to total dollars, new Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore sent the most money outside the county — nearly $109,000, or 66 percent of his expenditures.

“Our campaign bought local services when available, such as some printing supplies and materials,” Ledbetter told The Laker/Lutz News in an email. “I used a local Dade City printer for some work, and a local company for the T-shirts. Unfortunately, East Pasco — including Wesley Chapel — does not have any commercial mailing operation that I was aware of, and that comprises the bulk of my out-of-district purchases.”

Since the end of the primary, Ledbetter spent just $1,800 of the more than $28,000 she received locally, according to an analysis of campaign finance records by The Laker/Lutz News. She paid nearly $15,600 to Sonic Print in Tampa in the last reporting period alone, for what were described as mailers. Another $440 went to a company called Parkway Strategies in Tallahassee for what the campaign said was “strategic communications.”

Although his local spending was much better than Ledbetter’s, Danny Burgess — who eventually would win the House seat — was still behind all four county commission candidates tracked. He spent more than $35,000 locally, but sent $96,000 away.

Not having services available locally shows the need for such services to be developed, Ledbetter said. But there are still many services available locally which candidates looked outside of Pasco for, especially printing. And companies like Point to Point Printing in Land O’ Lakes feel it when money isn’t spent here.

“There are plenty of people here,” said Point to Point’s owner Denny Esber. He saw about $10,000 worth of work this election cycle from candidates like Moore and former county commissioner Henry Wilson Jr. But there was still more he and other business owners missed out on.

“With jobs like this, the money comes back and then I can re-spend that money in this community,” Esber said. “It just keeps going and going and going and going.”

A lot of money leaves the county for advertising and consulting. In the last two weeks of his campaign, Burgess spent $61,500. However, just $4,000 of that — less than 7 percent — stayed local. Instead, nearly $57,000 was paid to a pair of Jensen Beach companies for advertising.

In all, Burgess spent $81,500 with that company, or 63 percent of his total expenditures. That’s enough alone to create four full-time jobs at $10 an hour.

Ledbetter on the other hand spent $22,209 with Sonic Print, or 69 percent of her total expenditures, sending all that money to Tampa’s Carrollwood area.

But the commission races weren’t much different. Moore only kept 34 percent of his spending local, but his opponent — Erika Remsberg — didn’t do much better at 39 percent. Since the end of February, both candidates sent $115,000 out of the county, some $30,000 more than what they wanted taxpayers to pay them each year in salary as a commissioner.

“First, I was disappointed my local spending amount was so low,” Remsberg said in an email. “Must be because the Tarpon union printer I used was just over the border. Secondly, I think reporting the amounts donated is more important than the percentages. Given the vast difference in amounts donated to our contributions, I think percentages do not paint the picture as well as the dollar amount does.”

Twice in October, Moore spent more than $20,000, but less than 6 percent remained local. Instead, he spent $37,323 with Majority Strategies in Ponte Vedra for advertising, and nearly $3,000 with Allegra Marketing in Tampa for printing.

Even food preparation was not something Moore could find locally, spending $2,224 for food at a fundraiser supplied by Catering by the Family in Tampa.

Moore did not respond to a request for comment.

Published November 12, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Burgess heads to Tallahassee, Moore wins commission race

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Mike Moore raised a lot of money in his quest to become a member of the Pasco County Commission, but even he knew with Pasco’s history of upsets in commission races, there never was a guarantee.

Yet, Moore’s fundraising and campaign both paid off, as he won the last open seat on the commission, and will keep retiring Pat Mulieri’s seat in Republican hands.

With 97 percent of precincts reporting in Pasco just after 8:30 p.m., Moore had a 59-41 lead — or more than 26,600 votes — separating him from Democratic challenger Erika Remsberg. Moore will now join Mike Wells Jr. as new members of the commission, after Wells ousted Henry Wilson Jr. in the open primary last August.

Moore earned endorsements from various government and civic leaders, but could not pick them up from media outlets that offered them, or even the outgoing Mulieri, who chose to cross party lines and endorse Remsberg instead.

The state House seat representing the eastern and central parts of Pasco also stays in Republican hands after former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess defeated retired teacher Beverly Ledbetter 60-40. That race was to decide who would replace House Speaker Will Weatherford, who is stepping down because of term limits.

Like Moore, Burgess also dominated in fundraising, raising more than $160,000, compared to $38,600 from Ledbetter. However, both candidates took a little heat in the days leading up to the election for not spending more of those dollars within their district. Burgess also took some hits for accepting money from Duke Energy, which has received negative attention in the last few months over charging customers for two nuclear power plants that no longer exist.

The tight race for governor proved to be especially tight in Pasco. Although Charlie Crist maintained a slim lead through early votes and absentees, Rick Scott flipped that with Election Day voting, and ended up winning Pasco by a very small, 47-45 advantage. That was the difference of 2,300 votes.

Adrian Wyllie, the Libertarian in the race, garnered 7 percent of the votes.

Pasco County’s elections supervisor Brian Corley said there were still some long lines waiting at precincts even after 7 p.m. when polls were supposed to close, including at Rasmussen College on State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.

If the rest of the state follows Pasco’s leads, then the only state constitutional amendment expected to pass is Amendment 1, which would allow Florida to enhance its conservation land holdings. The medical marijuana amendment did get 58 percent support in Pasco, but it needs 60 percent to pass.

Election Day is here! And so is everything you need to know

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Today is Election Day where Florida will elect a governor, an attorney general, a chief financial officer and an agriculture commissioner among others. Locally, however, voters will have to decide on representatives in Tallahassee, as well as who will represent their interests on the county commission.

In last week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, we offered an election primer, which you can read by clicking here. But do you want to know more?

Here is a collection of stories related to the various candidates and government leaders The Laker/Lutz News has published over the past year, both in print, and online. We’ve covered all the races extensively, and provided some government news at the same time, which helped earn us the state’s best local government reporting coverage this past year by the Florida Press Association.

Did we miss a story? Feel free to search the site using our internal engine using key words that most interest you, and chances are, we’ve covered it.

Be sure to keep reading our site tonight as we provide up-to-the-minute coverage of the election, before we break it all down in the Nov. 12 print editions of The Laker/Lutz News.

GOVERNOR’S RACE

Scott wants closer look of Ebola threat (10/26)
Although one nurse already under quarantine feels the measures are too restrictive in other parts of the country, Gov. Rick Scott has issued an executive order that could go as far as putting people under quarantine he feels is at high risk for Ebola.

Beverly Ledbetter with Charlie Crist
Beverly Ledbetter with Charlie Crist

Crist has slim lead in Saint Leo poll (10/23)
With a less than two weeks until voters have to make a final decision on who they should send to (or keep in) Tallahassee, a new poll from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows Democrat Charlie Crist with a slight lead over incumbent Republican Rick Scott.

Crist campaign gets Pasco County boost (10/16)
Mike Fasano has made no secret his dislike for Gov. Rick Scott. But now he’s taking that opposition to television. The Charlie Crist gubernatorial campaign has released a new commercial featuring the Pasco County tax collector and former state legislator, taking a shot at Scott while publicly endorsing Crist, who Fasano calls “a good man.”

Browning parts from Scott, stands by Common Core Standards (10/2)
Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning is standing by the Common Core State Standards, despite a recent decision by Gov. Rick Scott to put the kibosh on the state’s participation in a consortia developing assessments for those standards.

Lopez-Cantera holds no punches against Crist (10/2)
Carlos Lopez-Cantera is Florida’s second-in-command behind Gov. Rick Scott, but there are still pockets of the state he has only heard about.

Gov. Rick Scott taking part in groundbreaking in Lutz.
Gov. Rick Scott taking part in groundbreaking in Lutz.

Fact Check: Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera’s campaign visit to Zephyrhills (9/30)
Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera made a campaign stop on behalf of Gov. Rick Scott in Zephyrhills Sept. 22, speaking in front of the Conservative Club of East Pasco.

Local projects spared from Scott’s veto pen (6/2)
Gov. Rick Scott left nearly $69 million of this year’s state budget on the cutting room floor, but various projects throughout Pasco and Hillsborough counties were given a reprieve.

CABINET RACES

Pasco’s free lunches take to the road (7/3)
It’s hard to imagine getting through most days without that noontime break for lunch. That packed sandwich, frozen entrée, or maybe even a quick trip to a local eatery, is something many people take for granted each day. But for 36,000 students in the Pasco County school district, that trip to the cafeteria may be the only nutritious meal they have all day, paid for through federal tax dollars.

Private businesses don’t have to open records to public (6/19)
While government typically hires its own people to perform various functions, there are many times when officials contract with private companies to get that work done. But does that mean the records of those businesses are now public record, like they are for the government? The answer is no, Attorney General Pam Bondi has decided.

Bondi saves Fasano’s prescription drug program with $2M pledge (5/5)
Every year since Gov. Rick Scott took office, Mike Fasano says he’s had to fight to keep the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program alive.

CONGRESSIONAL RACES

Local congressmen support president’s ISIL plan (9/18)
In a rare move, the U.S. Congress supported an initiative by President Obama Wednesday, voting to authorize limited military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or more commonly known as ISIL. Despite the U.S. House approving the measure 221-192, the area’s two local Republican congressmen are still saying they’re not happy with how Obama is handling the conflict in Syria and Iraq.

Local congressional districts should remain unchanged (8/7)
Florida lawmakers are back in Tallahassee for a special session this week after a judge in Leon County declared the boundaries for two Congressional districts were unconstitutional.

Cusp of history: Pasco leads way to amend Constitution (1/15)
It’s nearly impossible to get Democrats and Republicans in Congress to agree on anything these days, but a state senator from Pasco County might have a way to bring them together — even if it’s to campaign against his plan.

STATE LEGISLATURE RACES

Buy local? Not state House political candidates (11/2)
They have both championed jobs and money to flow into their district in Pasco County, but are two politicians seeking a place in Tallahassee practicing what they’re preaching?

Burgess: There’s no place like home … rule (10/23)
Danny Burgess was nervous as he straightened his tie and tried to review in his head everything he was going to say. It was his first debate in his race for a seat on the Zephyrhills City Council, and he had an uphill battle to convince older voters that electing an 18-year-old to represent them was the right way to go.

Burgess won’t defend Duke Energy, despite donation (10/9)
A state regulatory agency ordered the company to refund $54 million to customers last week, yet many Duke Energy customers remain unhappy about being charged for $3.2 billion in failed nuclear power plant projects. And one candidate for the Florida House is feeling the heat.

From teacher to candidate, Ledbetter just can’t say no (7/31)
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And when there’s a need, there’s Beverly Ledbetter. The retired educator has made Dade City her home since the days of Richard Nixon, inspiring thousands of students at Pasco Junior High School and later Pasco High School for more than three decades. Along the way, Ledbetter found herself in the most unexpected jobs, whether it be coaching the school’s soccer team, or helping educators through her work with the teachers’ union.

Express route to downtown Tampa in jeopardy, HART says (7/24)
The number of people who depend on HART’s Route 51X connecting Pasco County to downtown Tampa is dwindling. And so is the organization’s money. So it’s probably no surprise to some of the remaining riders that officials with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit want to make some significant changes to the route, possibly removing the express route altogether. But at the very least, adding some local stops to finally bring such mass transit service to the New Tampa area.

Danny Burgess and Beverly Ledbetter at a recent candidate forum.
Danny Burgess and Beverly Ledbetter at a recent candidate forum.

Legg, lawmakers build path to collegiate high schools (6/26)
High schools have come a long way in preparing students for schools, with Florida especially hanging its hat on dual enrollment opportunities that allow many juniors and seniors to earn college credit before receiving their high school diploma.

Paperwork snafu costs Diaz chance for Tallahassee (6/20)
Danny Burgess no longer has to worry about a primary battle in his quest to succeed Will Weatherford in House District 38.

PHSC project one of Florida TaxWatch’s ‘turkeys’ (5/27)
Will Pasco-Hernando State College get that performing arts center it has been hoping for? Not if the governor is paying attention to political activist group Florida TaxWatch.

Winners and losers from tough Tallahassee session (5/23)
Amphibians like frogs and toads can create thousands of tadpoles each season, but only a few actually survive to become adults just like their parents. That could be the perfect way to describe how lawmaking works in Tallahassee. Hundreds of bills are introduced during each session of the Florida Legislature, but very few survive.

Danish pushing Scott to sign child welfare law (5/6)
State Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, is urging Gov. Rick Scott to sign a bill into law he says will help strengthen the speed and quality of child abuse and neglect investigations in the state. Danish is pushing S.B. 1666, which includes parts of a House bill he introduced this year, and other child welfare initiatives. The bill quickly made it way through both chambers, receiving no dissenting votes in either the House or the Senate.

Future of Pasco lives and dies with municipal airports (4/17)
The expansion of State Road 56 into Zephyrhills could be key to a major economic boom for Pasco County, and two candidates seeking to replace state Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, in Tallahassee agree state-level leadership must be in place to make sure it happens.

Burgess invites Tampa mayor to rediscover Wesley Chapel (4/11)
Danny Burgess has just a few more days as mayor of Zephyrhills before he goes full-time into a state House campaign. But before he goes, he has a message for Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn: Wesley Chapel is no longer a “bedroom community.”

Lawmakers propose a little help at the gas pump (3/20)
There are more than 9,000 gas stations in Florida, but only 350 of them offer any type of help for someone who might not be able to pump their gas on their own. Two lawmakers, however, are looking to change that — and are using Hillsborough County as a model.

Eastern Time, Central Time … Florida Time? (1/30)
Spring forward. Fall back. Using the seasons as a guide, Americans have used those expressions to figure out when they should set their clocks back an hour, or forward an hour, to switch between standard time and daylight saving time.

Burgess eyes Tallahassee, but path may not be easy (12/11)
Although there always was a chance he could run for re-election, Danny Burgess knew he had just a short time as mayor of Zephyrhills when he was elected unopposed earlier this year. He will step down from that office in April with an eye on a much bigger prize: replacing Will Weatherford as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee.

PASCO COUNTY COMMISSION RACE

Moore, Remsberg spending money outside Pasco (11/3)
Bringing money into the county is something politician after politician has brought to campaigns and local government for years, and the Pasco County Commission race between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg has been no different.

Left Behind: Bus services screeches to a halt on Monday (10/16)
Monday was Columbus Day, a holiday with federal status, but one that’s not recognized by many employers, including state and even Pasco County officials. Yet, many offices in the county were closed, including Pasco County Public Transportation, while the employees from those departments attended a daylong retreat and appreciation day.

Mulieri endorses new replacement, crosses party lines (10/16)
No one could ever accuse Pat Mulieri of simply following the herd. Two months ago, she took a stand in the Republican primary, endorsing underdog Bob Robertson from a group of candidates looking to replace her on the Pasco County Commission.

Mike Moore waving signs in Land O' Lakes.
Mike Moore waving signs in Land O’ Lakes.

Moore raises $34K in two weeks, but is it too much? (10/10)
A huge $22,500 haul from developers and real estate professionals over the last two weeks has given Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore his best fundraising week of the campaign, raising a whopping $34,250.

Both want jobs, but disagree on how to get them (10/9)
One of the biggest challenges facing the Pasco County Commission in recent years is how to create more jobs here, and not force nearly half the population to travel elsewhere to find work. It’s likely a problem that won’t be fixed over the next four years, but that hasn’t stopped the two candidates looking for a seat on the commission to share their ideas on how it might happen. They are just quite different.

Partisan politics infest county commission race (10/2)
It’s been four years since a Democrat has served on the Pasco County Commission, but Erika Remsberg hopes to change that with just one election in November. However, she has a formidable opponent in the form of Republican Mike Moore, who not only has out-fundraised her 19-to-1, but seems to be the shoo-in to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri in District 2.

Littlefield joins forces with Moore in commission race (9/25)
They may have been foes during the primary, but former state Rep. Ken Littlefield has taken sides in the November election, joining the campaign of Republican candidate Mike Moore in his efforts to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission.

Moore tops $100,000, makes district race most expensive (8/22)
With just days before voters will choose just one of three candidates to represent the Republican ticket in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race, Mike Moore will clearly take the fundraising title after a final push this week put him over $100,000.

Moore brings big voice to Pasco, but is ready to listen too (8/21)
Money talks, especially in a political campaign. And with nearly $100,000 at his disposal throughout his primary campaign, Mike Moore has had a pretty loud voice.

Let them go? (8/7)
It pretty much started when John Gallagher was caught in heavy traffic on Interstate 75. The morning rush is exactly that, the morning rush. But Gallagher, then the Pasco County administrator, realized that these were primarily people who lived in his county, but were heading south to work jobs in Hillsborough and even Pinellas counties.

Erika Remsberg
Erika Remsberg

Remsberg ready to give commission a much-needed intervention (7/31)
The first step in finding out who will replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission begins at the Aug. 26 primary. There voters will choose between three politically focused men — Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson — to represent Republicans in the November election.

Commission candidate among those appointed to planning council (4/1)
Michael Moore is one of six appointments announced Monday by Gov. Rick Scott to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Moore, who is seeking Pat Mulieri’s seat on the Pasco County Commission, is the owner of VR Business Sales/Mergers & Acquisitions of Wesley Chapel. He was appointed for a term that began Monday, and would end in October 2015.

GOP commission candidates debate policy for the first time (3/13)
He served eight years in the Florida House, a few weeks on the state’s Public Service Commission, and some additional time working in Gov. Charlie Crist’s administration. So why would Ken Littlefield, who is approaching his 70th birthday, want to try once again to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission?

OTHER ELECTION NEWS

Pasco, Hillsborough offers free rides to polls (11/3)
Want to vote, but not sure how to get there? Well, whether you live in Pasco County or Hillsborough, a chance to cast a ballot is just a free bus ride away.

Pasco gets 25 percent head start into Nov. 4 (11/2)
Early voting in various places around Pasco County ended Saturday, and although there’s still room to receive more mail-in ballots on Monday, county elections supervisor Brian Corley has to be happy with the turnout so far.

Political mailer pits neighbor versus neighbor (10/30)
A political mailer sharing the voting habits of neighbors might not be a new trick for the 2014 elections, but it’s one that has some residents questioning how much of their personal information should be made public.

Strong early voter turnout so far in Pasco (10/30)
Brian Corley likes what he’s seeing for the 2014 election so far. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, more than 21 percent of registered voters in Pasco County have dropped a ballot in the voting box, and there’s still two full days of early voting left.

Inaccurate campaign fliers confusing voters (9/29)
Thousands of voters in Pasco County and across the state opened their mailboxes this weekend to find a flier from the Gov. Rick Scott campaign telling them their absentee ballots should have arrived. Yet, there were no absentee ballots waiting for them.

Voters speak their mind on the primary election (8/26)
Despite the best efforts of election officials to get people out to the polls for the Aug. 26 primary, turnout — at least in Pasco County — is likely to be below 15 percent.

Campaign Crunch: Politicians reveal where their dollars are coming from (8/14)
Erika Remsberg has not raised a lot of money for her bid to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission — and she never expects to.

Voters are mad, and it could affect turnout this November (7/3)
There’s one question Susan MacManus gets more than any other as we head into a contentious election season. And despite her long and impressive credentials as a political scientist, even she can’t answer it.

Moore, Remsberg spending money outside Pasco

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Bringing money into the county is something politician after politician has brought to campaigns and local government for years, and the Pasco County Commission race between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg has been no different.

In fact, both have ideas on how to attract more jobs and higher wages to the area, as well as bring in an influx of money to help businesses grow and prosper. Yet, when it comes to their own spending habits, some might scratch their heads on how much they are willing to spend with local businesses and local people.

Since the end of February, the District 2 race to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri has raised $135,000 between the two candidates, with nearly $169,000 already spent in that period. Yet, Moore only devoted 32 percent of his total expenditures inside Pasco, while Remsberg wasn’t much better at 39 percent.

Those numbers got far worse for Moore after his primary victory over Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson, where of the $53,500 he spent, only about $13,000 — or 19 percent — went to help Pasco businesses. Remsberg stayed consistent after the primary, $2,240, or 37 percent, locally.

Since the end of February, both candidates have sent $115,000 out of the county. That’s some $30,000 more than they want taxpayers to give them each year in salary for sitting on the dais, and enough to fund five full-time and one part-time jobs that pay $10 an hour.

“First, I was disappointed my local spending amount was so low,” Remsberg told The Laker/Lutz News in an email. “Must be because the Tarpon union printer I used was just over the border. Secondly, I think reporting the amounts donated is more important than the percentages. Given the vast difference in amounts donated to our contributions, I think percentages do not paint the picture as well as the dollar amount does.”

An early Monday morning request to Moore for comment was still pending return.

Twice in October, Moore had a week where he spent more than $20,000, with less than 6 percent of that going to local businesses. Instead, during those two periods, he spent $37,323 with Majority Strategies in Ponte Vedra for advertising, and nearly $3,000 with Allegra Marketing in Tampa for printing.

Even food preparation was not something Moore could find locally, spending $2,224 for food at a fundraiser, supplied by Catering by the Family in Tampa.

Remsberg also had a bad week in October where nearly 95 percent of her spending was done outside of Pasco. It was there she spent nearly $1,100 with Image Media in Tarpon Springs for printing. Before that, she had taken some of her printing work to Tampa, where she spent more than $925 with Gunn Printing in July.

Since the end of February, Moore has raised more than $123,000 in cash, far more than the $11,600 Remsberg raised over the same time. However, more than half of Moore’s donations have come from people and groups associated with real estate, development and construction.

To date, those groups have given Moore nearly $63,000 in contributions, with more than $40,000 of it coming since the primary. At the same time, Remsberg has picked up just $350 from contributors like that, all of it coming from an operating engineer union. That accounted for 3 percent of her total contributions.

“A campaign mostly financed with money from developers creates a conflict of interest when the candidate will be ruling on issues affecting those developers,” Remsberg said. “Pasco County loses significant revenues on incentives for development causing Pasco County residents to pick up the bill. We do not have enough money to fix our roads in Pasco, but we can spend money helping developers pay for the roads they are building for their own projects.”

Voters will have a chance to decide between Moore and Remsberg on Nov. 4.

Moore enters final campaign week with $22K available

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For the first time since the end of August, Erika Remsberg raised more money than her opponent in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race. But she still has a long way to catch up to the money spent by Mike Moore as the election closes in on its final week.

Remsberg, the Democrat in the race to succeed Pat Mulieri on the commission, picked up $1,914 in donations for the period ending Oct. 17, according to county election records. That was ahead of the $1,500 raised by Moore.

Most of that money was from two party-affiliated groups — the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida and the Pasco Democratic Executive Committee — which combined to donate $1,275 to Remsberg’s campaign. The rest came from local donors, all from Pasco County.

Moore locked in $1,000 from the Florida Roundtable political action committee, and an additional $500 from Bay Area Citizens for Responsible Government, the political action committee of the Tampa Bay Builders Association.

Although it might have been a slow fundraising week, that didn’t stop Moore from spending more than $23,000 — nearly all of it for advertising through Majority Strategies located in South Florida. Remsberg spent $1,103 over the course of that week, with about half of it ending up in local hands.

Moore goes into the final week with $171,000 raised, and $22,600 in the bank. Remsberg’s totals are now at just under $11,000, with a little more than $1,900 left to spend.

Voters choose between the two candidates on Nov. 4.

 

More than 5,000 show up for first day of early voting

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A lot of people are heading to the polls, and it’s not even Election Day yet.

Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley says more than 5,000 people turned out to vote on Saturday, as early voting started in various locations around the county.

By lunchtime on Monday, the number of early voters quickly approached 9,000, joining more than 38,000 mail-in ballots already received for the midterm election.

Republicans make up 45 percent of all the pre-Election Day voters so far in Pasco, while Democrats account for 35 percent. Non-affiliated voters or those from other parties make up the remaining 19 percent.

That brings total turnout so far to a little more than 15 percent. The best turnout so far has been at the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club in San Antonio, where nearly 25 percent of the more than 2,100 people registered there have cast a ballot. That is a heavily Republican precinct, where Democrats are outnumbered nearly 2-to-1.

The worst turnout so far is at Darby Community Church in Dade City, were just 6 percent of the 764 voters there have finished their civic duty. That district is more balanced in terms of the major political parties, with 42 percent Republican and 34 percent Democratic.

Early voting continues through Saturday, with each location open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This election gives voters a chance to choose between two governors in who will stay (or move back into) the mansion in Tallahassee. It also has some local races, including Pasco County Commission between Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg.

Voters also are choosing whether to support three amendments to the state constitution, ranging from land conservation to how state supreme court justices are appointed to medical marijuana.

• East Pasco Government Center, 14236 Sixth St., Dade City
• Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes
• New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills
• The Grove at Wesley Chapel, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
• Hudson Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson
• New Port Richey Elections Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey
• Regency Park Library, 9701 Little Road, New Port Richey
• South Holiday Library, 4649 Mile Stretch Drive, Holiday

Left Behind: Bus service screeches to a halt on Monday

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He leaned back on the bench, allowing just bits of a pizza delivery store advertisement to peek through for motorists to see as they sped past the New River Branch Library on State Road 54.

The skies were a clear blue, and the morning coolness was quickly giving way to what would soon be a noontime Florida heat. Yet, hints of sweat formed on his forehead, under a tattered ball cap where the letters “TB” were joined by a stingray — a not-so-happy reminder of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of the past.

There were no riders at bus stops on Monday. Although Pasco County was technically open on Columbus Day, many departments — including Pasco County Public Transportation — were closed for employee training. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
There were no riders at bus stops on Monday. Although Pasco County was technically open on Columbus Day, many departments — including Pasco County Public Transportation — were closed for employee training.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The man, who would not give his name, had walked from The Columns at Cypress Point, a small apartment community behind the library. He was hoping to catch the bus to the new Walmart in Wesley Chapel to replenish his food pantry and refrigerator.

Except no bus was coming.

“What do you mean?” he said. “It’s Monday. Where is it?”

Monday was Columbus Day, a holiday with federal status, but one that’s not recognized by many employers, including state and even Pasco County officials. Yet, many offices in the county were closed, including Pasco County Public Transportation, while the employees from those departments attended a daylong retreat and appreciation day. It’s something the county does twice a year — on President’s Day in February and on Columbus Day — County Administrator Michele Baker said. It comes during a time when bus ridership is “significantly reduced.”

“We don’t have the opportunity to train our work units as a team,” Baker said. “The only way to give good training and to improve our customer service, and improve the level of service to our customers, is to do a timeout.”

That timeout closed many county offices the same time banks and federal offices also were shuttered. So-called “constitutional offices,” like the tax collector’s office and supervisor of elections office, remained open, however.

The New River library was closed Monday, but budget cutbacks forced all county libraries to be closed Mondays. Yet, employees from New River and others also took part in the retreat, and they will make up for the extra day by closing down all libraries on Friday.

Baker’s administration got the green light to shut down the county twice a year for these training sessions when her predecessor, John Gallagher, was still in office three years ago, she said. The training has taken place ever since, but has not needed additional approvals from the commission.

“It is difficult to choose the right day,” Commissioner Pat Mulieri told The Laker/Lutz News, in an email. “I think that bringing staff together is a great idea. We are growing, and there are many departments that could assist one another and integrate services. It always helps if it is on a personal basis.”

But one of the people who wants to replace Mulieri on the commission agrees that training is good, but only with minimal impact to people who depend on county services. Erika Remsberg, a Democrat who faces Mike Moore in the upcoming Nov. 4 election, said her first thought after learning bus service was cancelled on Monday was wondering how some people were going to get to work.

“This will mean lower-income folks who depend on our transit system to access health care, employment, shopping or otherwise, will not be able to do so on that day,” Remsberg said, in an email. “The extent of those consequences may not be realized or assessed. My hope is this is such a critical training event that it will increase productivity (and) customer service more than it will hurt the folks who will lose a day’s pay, delay their treatment, or prevent them from getting groceries for their families.”

Six miles away from the man in front of the library, a woman sporting a bright orange bag leaned against a bus stop sign near Vandine Road. She had a dollar bill in her hand, as well as a voucher, and looked with concern down State Road 54, waiting for a bus to arrive.

When she was told buses were not running that day, her face turned disgusted, and she walked off down the sidewalk.

“When those drivers are at work, they are out driving a bus,” Baker said. “The only time we could meet with them is after hours and on overtime, and this is a way we didn’t have to do that and save money. We have really not gotten any complaints.”

For anyone who has been inconvenienced, the rewards from Monday’s meetings would make it worth it, she said.

“Our people come out of this with refreshed customer service skills and new technical skills,” Baker said. “The whole idea is to give us an opportunity provide all this necessary training, and to ensure it’s very cost-affordable.”

Did you work on Columbus Day?
It’s been called one of the nation’s most inconsistently celebrated holidays by the Pew Research Center. And while federal and bank employees might have Columbus Day off, state workers in Florida do not, nor do a vast majority of private company employees.

In fact, The Council of State Governments says just 23 states even recognize Columbus Day as a paid holiday. And while banks might be closed, the stock market isn’t, so the gavel still fell on Wall Street on Monday.

Pasco County Schools and Pasco-Hernando State College both remained open on Monday — meaning students, faculty and administrators were on the job.

The holiday first appeared in Colorado in 1906 to celebrate the landing of explorer Christopher Columbus to what would later become American soil in 1492.

– Michael Hinman

Published October 15, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Mulieri endorses new replacement, crosses party lines

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No one could ever accuse Pat Mulieri of simply following the herd.

Two months ago, she took a stand in the Republican primary, endorsing underdog Bob Robertson from a group of candidates looking to replace her on the Pasco County Commission.

Pat Mulieri
Pat Mulieri

Robertson lost the primary, so that left the door open for Mulieri to choose yet another underdog — one that is not even a Republican.

Although she stopped short of giving her official endorsement, Mulieri has at least thrown her support behind the Democrat in the county commission District 2 race: Erika Remsberg. It also marked the second time Mulieri chose not to go with the race’s frontrunner — at least financially — Republican Mike Moore.

“I met with Erika,” Mulieri told The Laker/Lutz News. “She is bright, knowledgeable and caring. We have quite a bit in common,” including being from New York, and earning master’s degrees from New York-based schools.

Mulieri also liked the fact Remsberg is a teacher, who works as a liaison to homeless children.

“The next years, there will be many exciting changes in Pasco,” Mulieri said. “The new commissioners have to be ready to do the job. She will respond to citizens and work to solve problems. I believe she will keep learning. She may not have all the answers, but will work to resolve issues.”

Remsberg said she was humbled by Mulieri’s backing.

“Pat has told me she is supporting me, and that she and (husband) Jimmy are both voting for me,” Remsberg said. “I spent a couple hours with her at (Pasco County Animal Services) talking about the county, talking about the commission, and county goals.”

Remsberg has received help from another former commissioner as well. Michael Cox is actually the last Democrat to serve on the board until Henry Wilson Jr. ousted him in 2010. Wilson lost his seat in August in an open primary against another Republican, Mike Wells Jr.

While she won’t name names, Remsberg said others from across the aisle are boosting her as well.

“I am getting more support from Republican voters,” she said. “I believe that my bipartisan message is resonating with people from both parties.”

Moore, who out-spent Remsberg more than 19-to-1 in the campaign, said Thursday in a statement that he is honored to receive the support of many government and community leaders, listing nearly 20 of them. They included Pasco County sheriff Chris Nocco, state Sen. Wilton Simpson — who also has made sizable contributions to Moore’s campaign — and groups like the Pasco County Professional Firefighters Local 4420, and West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association.

The differences between Democrat and Republican did not faze Mulieri in deciding to support Remsberg, the retiring commissioner said.

“We may have some philosophical differences, but she will be the people’s commissioner, and that is needed,” Mulieri said. “Someone to listen, find answers, and realize that commissioners work for the citizens. They are our boss.”

This story was updated 10/16/2014, at 6:10 p.m., to include comment from Mike Moore.