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Marco Rubio

Housing development supports ‘independent’ living

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SVdP CARES, which stands for St. Vincent de Paul Cares, recently celebrated the completion of the third phase of its permanent supportive housing project, Ozanam Village III, according to a news release.

Festivities to celebrate the completion of the third phase of Ozanam Village drew a big crowd. (Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul Cares)

The completion of this phase brings the total number of units at the residential development to 99.

“These units will permanently house those that need a little extra care, including those with physical and mental disabilities, victims of domestic abuse, individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, or those who have aged out of foster care,” says the release, from Mary Burns, communications and donor relations manager for St. Vincent de Paul Cares.

Officials cut a ribbon to celebrate the project’s completion. (Courtesy of St. Vincent de Paul Cares)

The event, at 7770 Ozanam Way, in New Port Richey, was attended by dignitaries, including New Port Richey Mayor Rob Marlowe; Pasco County Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick; representatives from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ offices; residents and community partners.

Project partners include the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, NDC Asset Management, Bradley Construction and Ability Housing.

The Most Rev. Bishop Gregory Parkes, who presides over the Diocese of St. Petersburg, provided a blessing during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

St. Vincent de Paul CARES is a nonprofit organization committed to end homelessness.

It uses this tag line to describe its mission: “Making Homelessness Rare. Brief. One-Time.”

Published June 09, 2021

Chambers adapt to new circumstances

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Small businesses are struggling to reopen amid the uncertainties wrought by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Chambers of commerce are right there with them on the front line.

They are dealing with staff layoffs in some cases. They’ve been working from home. They have fewer resources.

And, even as chambers begin reopening their offices, the priority is the economic recovery of member businesses.

Ribbon cuttings, for a while, are on hold.

“We had to pivot,” said Hope Kennedy, president of The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

From Day One of the shutdown, there was an urgency to how chambers should respond. They had to rethink what it means to network and provide services that would help businesses stay solvent and resilient.

To be sure, there were phone calls. Lots of them.

But, the new virtual world meant rethinking social media and technology. Zoom meetings and virtual town halls blossomed.

Websites became clearinghouses for grants and forgivable loans, and the latest information businesses needed to survive, and now to reopen, safely.

“We’ve done a lot of individual communicating with our members,” Kennedy said.

Initially, the focus was on helping business owners apply for financial aid, either locally or from the federal Payroll Protection Program.

Chambers partnered with Pasco County and the Pasco Economic Development Council to coordinate efforts to deliver financial aid to distressed businesses and residents.

Kennedy heard from business owners who told her, “if we had not had all this information on our website, they wouldn’t have gotten them.”

As businesses reopen, she added, “We’ve turned into a repository for businesses that need to rehire.”

Chambers are taking one step at a time, as lights turn back on at businesses.

“Cautiously optimistic is what we are,” said Melanie Monson, executive director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

She believes people are following the protocols to make sure the situation does not get worse.

As the shutdown approached, Monson said her staff checked in with business owners to prepare them.

About 100 business owners needed to create plans to get through the crisis and to guide them once reopened.

“Most are prepared and ready to jump back in,” Monson said. “Are there going to be some who don’t open doors? Absolutely.”

But, she added, “I feel like there is enough help that businesses will recover. It will take a while. We’re optimistic that we’ll make it through the process. It’s not a light switch. It’s going to take a little bit of a process. Businesses in it for the long haul will make it.”

Like the businesses they serve, chambers also are reopening —  slowly and with safety protocols.

The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce started with one person each day at the office, behind a locked door. Visitors needed to wear masks, as did employees. Social distancing was required. Within the next weeks, the chamber anticipates “ramping up a little,” said John Moors, chamber executive director.

During the shutdown, work continued from home to keep business owners up to date on available aid and resources.

Renewal rates on memberships were discounted, and e-blasts and advertising were provided free, Moors said.

“It’s important that we bring connectivity and continue to offer support for our businesses,” he said. “We are resilient, very creative. We’ll figure this thing out.”

Pasco County and cities, such as Dade City, did their part.

Dade City officials, for instance, sent out fliers to 6,000 households about products and services available from area businesses.

The city also relaxed requirements for outdoor seating to allow restaurants to serve more customers.

Dade City, and its chamber, thrive on annual events including a seminar at Saint Leo University and a golf tournament.

The fate of the chamber’s biggest event of the year – the Kumquat Festival – is unclear, even though it typically is held in February.

“We’re not sure it’s going on the same as it has been,” Moors said.

The festival is the chamber’s most reliable fundraising event, bringing thousands into downtown Dade City.

North Tampa Bay chamber scheduled a movie night for May 16, featuring “Jumanji – Next Level” at The Groves at Wesley Chapel. Sponsorships made the showing  possible.

Every chamber is facing budget losses. And, even as chambers helped its members file for financial aid, nothing similar was available for chambers.

If more aid is approved by Congress, Kennedy hopes to see the chambers included this time.

“We’ve been advocates for that from Day One,” she said. She has spoken with Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. “There’s been a little bit of traction the last couple of days,” she said.

Kelly Marsh, member care specialist for The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, agrees that chambers need help, too.

“Fingers crossed on that,” she said.

Last week, the chamber hosted a Zoom meeting for a Land O’ Lakes Brochure Exchange. Owners could virtually promote their services and find out what other owners are doing.

“It hasn’t been as easy to reach people,” said Marsh. Social media and technology are taking on larger roles in networking, she said.

There is a concern especially for the ‘mom and pop’ shops and restaurants, and the toll the long shutdown took on their incomes.

It appears that most people are just “trying to get through it (the pandemic),” she said.

Published May 20, 2020

Teen’s health struggle makes her a national voice

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When Mark and Kelly Dees of Land O’ Lakes decided to name their unborn daughter Hope, it was a sign of their unwavering optimism despite devastating news.

What was supposed to be an exciting reveal of their baby’s gender, soon became a moment of sadness after Hope was diagnosed with congenital heart defects.

Hope Dees, of Land O’ Lakes, sits next to her father, Mark, in the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in Washington D.C. The 13-year-old was among many youths who traveled to Capitol Hill to talk to lawmakers about policies to better help kids with health issues. (Courtesy of Amy Gall, BayCare Health System)

“We were told by the first doctor that she wouldn’t live to see her first birthday,” Kelly recalled.

But now, at age 13, Hope has far exceeded that grim diagnosis.

Not only has she undergone multiple operations, she also recently had the chance to make her voice heard by the nation’s lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Still, it hasn’t been an easy path.

A fighting chance
After hearing the initial troubling news about their daughter, the couple went to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, where a second diagnosis showed a brighter outcome.

Hope had a 92 percent success rate of survival, according to Dr. James Huhta, who still cares for her to this day.

She was born eight weeks premature with not only a weak heart, but a mild form of cerebral palsy, among other health complications.

At just 2 months old, she had her first open-heart surgery and spent several months recuperating at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Also, her esophagus did not connect to her stomach and had an abnormal connection to her trachea. This resulted in her being tube fed. Because of her complex situation, doctors waited until she weighed at least 4 pounds before performing corrective surgery.

Hope underwent two more heart surgeries, the second at 9 months old and the last at age 10. These were performed at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

She had other health concerns, too.

When Hope was 18 months, her parents noticed she was walking unusually.

Hope Dees, 13, stands alongside U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist while on a trip to Washington D.C. She and her parents spoke to Florida legislators about health care coverage for kids with medical needs.

Over the years, she has had to go through extensive physical therapy and orthopedic surgery on her left leg and foot.

“As she grows, the bone grows faster than the muscle,” Kelly explained. “The bone is growing and the tendon is pulling in because it’s not as long as the bone.”

Although Hope uses a leg brace for stability, she still may need another surgery.

Being in and out of hospitals all her life and getting to know medical staff, especially at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, has become routine for Hope.

“This has always been her normal,” Kelly said of her daughter. “For me, it’s nothing but gratitude for all that they’ve done for her over the years, and all they continue to do.”

Speaking aloud for action
BayCare Health System and the Children’s Hospital Association have been working in conjunction for years to bring kids with medical needs to Washington D.C., for the annual Family Advocacy Day.

Amy Gall is a regional communications coordinator for BayCare Health System and has become Hope’s friend.

“We’ve been bringing a family up to meet with the legislators every summer,” Gall said.

Because Kelly is an advocate for protecting Medicaid for kids, Gall knew that Hope would be the perfect candidate to go to Capitol Hill with her family from June 24 to June 27.

Like dozens of other youth from around the nation, Hope had the opportunity to meet with congressional representatives from their respective states, and perhaps help to influence policy.

At Capitol Hill, Hope had the chance to meet with U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Also present were U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Kathy Castor, Charlie Crist, Darren Soto, Ross Spano and Greg Steube.

Along with Hope, Mark and Kelly helped address concerns about stabilizing health coverage for kids.

“As they are adults, taking responsibility of their own health care, it’s important that they have the coverage that they need and the assistance that they need,” Kelly said, in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News, after the family traveled to Washington D.C.

She said she wants assurance that when kids like Hope become adults, that they are guaranteed coverage and not discriminated because of pre-existing conditions.

Hope is currently on Children’s Medical Services, which falls under the Medicaid program.

There is a premium to pay, based on income, but the program has been helpful, Kelly said.

However, she said, a child must reapply annually, or the coverage will lapse.

One year, Hope’s paperwork was late, and she was without coverage for a month.

Changing that system was a topic presented to Congress.

“Some families can’t afford to just abruptly lose their coverage,” Kelly added. “It’s important that they are able to continue to afford their own coverage or doctor visits. It’s not cheap.”

Kelly said the reception offered by the federal lawmakers was sincere, and they appeared to be willing to see what could be done to help kids like Hope.

Still pressing forward
Even after everything Hope has endured, she still views herself as an average teenager, her mom said.

When she has free time, she practices the piano and goes swimming. And as she prepares to enter eighth grade at Dr. John Long Middle School, she plans to sing soprano in the choir.

While she was visiting Rep. Ross Spano’s office, he showed the family a sign engraved with the words: “Never give up.”

Kelly said she’s inspired by the same mantra — and, she added, that her daughter, Hope, has taught her the true meaning of those words.

Published July 24, 2019

Commissioners make connections at White House

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Pasco County commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano attended a special White House conference to promote communications between the state’s county commissions and federal agencies.

The Florida County Commissioners’ White House Conference met on July 27, and included about 120 county commissioners and staff from all over the state. It was the second in what is planned as a series of conferences to strengthen relationships between the Trump administration, federal agencies and local elected officials.

The first conference was for Pennsylvania’s local governments.

Starkey described the Florida conference as similar in purpose to Pasco County’s Citizens Academy, but on a much shorter six-hour schedule. The Citizens Academy is nine sessions over several weeks.

“I think the visit was tremendous,” said Starkey. “It was a wonderful relationship-building day. It can only be the beginning of a good working relationship between local officials and the White House.”

The U.S. Secretaries of Labor and Commerce attended, as did representatives of other agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of State, and senior White House staff members.

Those attending heard an overview of each department and agency, their functions and the issues for which they can provide assistance to local governments. Contact information was shared, too.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was among the conference speakers.

And, there were visits with U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor and Charlie Crist.

Starkey and Mariano headed to the conference with a list of priority issues for Pasco. Those included road projects, such as the new interchange at Interstate 75 and Overpass Road, the Ridge Road extension, veterans’ issues, coastal dredging, flood insurance and work force training.

“We talked a lot about dredging and the need for flood maps,” said Starkey.

An unfinished, 70-year-old dredging project near Sun West Park was high on Mariano’s list, according to a statement included in a Pasco County news release.

Pasco began a new permitting process for the dredging in 2007.

“Pasco County has a project ready to go, but we need federal approval for the dredge, so we can build seven boat ramps,” Mariano stated. “I’m hoping the President can help speed this project along.”

Published August 9, 2017

Teen isn’t defined by rare disease

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Remington Walls is just like any other 17-year-old.

Except that he can’t eat food.

Walls, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, suffers from a rare disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE).

Essentially, all food deteriorates his esophagus — and there is no cure.

Remington Walls, right, is pictured with Cameron Douglas, a childhood friend. Walls is a switch-hitting, leftfielder on the Land O’ Lakes Gators varsity baseball team. He suffers from a rare disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), in which all food sources cause inflammation in his esophagus.
(Courtesy of Stephanie Walls)

His only source of nutrition comes via a hypoallergenic amino acid-based liquid formula, called Neocate EO28 Splash.

It’s specifically designed for patients who are allergic to proteins.

Walls drinks the “shake” 15 to 18 times per day, about every two hours.

Moreover, he’s been drinking the same flavor — orange-pineapple — every day since he was removed from all foods at age 4. It is his only flavor option.

The teen, however, doesn’t let the disorder define him.

“You try not to think about it,” he said.

It also hasn’t prevented him from pursuing his passions, including baseball.

He’s currently a switch-hitting, leftfielder on the Land O’ Lakes Gators varsity squad.

“The only thing I can’t do is eat,” he said. “That’s how I look at it.”

And, over the years, he’s learned to cope with the realization he can’t enjoy any of the foods his peers consume on a daily basis.

“I’ve been around it so long it doesn’t bother me at all. I drink my shake, they have their food,” he said.

But, in recent months, a new hurdle has emerged.

Every year, Walls’ formula was fully covered through insurance — until now.

His mother, Stephanie Walls, says coverage was coming through Verizon, her husband’s employer. However, when Frontier Communications bought out the company in 2016, the insurance coverage changed under a policy with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Shown here is a photo of the Walls family. From left: Stephanie Walls, Mike Walls, Dalton Walls and Remington Walls. They are pursuing legislation, calling for mandated coverage for those who suffer from Eosinophilic disorders.
(Courtesy of Stephanie Walls)

As of Jan 1, the insurance company has declined any coverage of the formula.

The family has made multiple appeals, but has been denied each time — even after Anthem’s board of doctors deemed that Walls’ formula was medically necessary for “sustenance of life.”

Stephanie’s insurance plan, likewise, doesn’t cover the elemental formula.

“For Rem, his nutrition is like insulin for diabetics,” she explained. “How do you deny this? It’s not like it just came up over night. We’ve had this disease now since (Remington was) the age of 4. We are absolutely stymied that they are allowed to do this.”

Remington, too, is aghast by the situation.

“I was shocked,” he said, “because I knew insurance always said they covered it, and then they said they didn’t cover it. I knew it was expensive, but I didn’t know how expensive until the price is actually shown.”
The formula, on average, costs about $2,000 a month.

Stephanie predicts the monthly formula payments will become even pricier as her son grows.

On top of that, the family has travel costs from the seasonal visits they must make to the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, in Ohio.

“It makes me nervous,” she said of the looming expenses.

Fortunately, Stephanie said a private source has stepped forward to fund formula payments for the rest of the year.

But, the family is still battling the insurance company, trying to serve as a “voice for the voiceless.”

Remington Walls’ only source of nutrition comes via a hypoallergenic amino acid-based liquid formula, called Neocate EO28 Splash. He drinks the ‘shake’ 15 to 18 times per day, about every two hours.
(Courtesy of Neocate)

“We’re going to stand up for the injustice that’s taken place,” Walls said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever make progress, but we’re determined to get out there and make a difference, somehow.”
The family is now pursuing legislation, calling for mandated coverage for those who suffer from Eosinophilic disorders and need the formula to survive.

Florida law currently has a mandate to cover formula for those with Phenylketonuria, but not Eosinophilic disorders.

Stephanie — an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Pine View Middle School — has already reached out to U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.

“We’re just trying to find the people we need to contact to get us in the right direction,” she said. “I have to do a ton of research and gather data before I can even move forward.”

She believes legislative efforts could take at least two years.

No matter how long it takes, she plans to keep fighting.

“It is imperative that we pass this legislation — something’s got to change,” she said. “What’s going to happen to all the kids and grownups that need this formula for later on in life?” she asked.

Between dealing with the insurance company and pursuing legislation, countless hours have been spent to help her son — and others like him.

“It’s absolutely mind-boggling the amount of time we’ve invested on this,” Stephanie said. “But, we felt forced to do it.”

Meanwhile, there has been a ground swell of community support for the Walls family.
A GoFundMe page was created on March 3 by Janeen Salzberger, a longtime family friend.

Word quickly spread after Land O’ Lakes High principal Ric Mellin passed along the information to the Pasco County School District.
As of March 27, $16, 617 has been raised. The goal is set at $40,000.
“It has humbled us greatly,” Stephanie said. “This is something we could not take on ourselves.”

To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/remington-walls.

Published March 29, 2017

Crowd gives Bilirakis an earful

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A crowd — that sometimes became raucous — turned out to a listening session held by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis on the issue of health care reform.

Bilirakis billed the session as an opportunity to receive feedback and ideas from constituents on the future direction of the nation’s health care system, including the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act.

Many people brought signs to help communicate their views on the health care issue.
(B.C. Manion)

People filled every seat of the Pasco County Commission’s chambers at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey during the Feb. 11 session.

They stood in the back of the chamber, and along both walls, and the overflow spilled into government center’s lobby and down a hallway corridor.

The crowd was made up of men and women, of all ages and ethnicities. Some came in wheelchairs. Some used walkers or canes.

Some carried signs proclaiming such messages such as: “Repair, not repeal.” “The ACA is pro life” and “Health Care is a Human Right.”

Television reports on the event aired on local and national networks, and excerpts of speakers streamed on social media.

The vast majority of speakers protested repealing and replacing the ACA.

Speakers told Bilirakis that repealing the ACA will cause chaos.

Some told Bilirakis that keeping the ACA, for them, or their loved ones, is truly a matter of life or death.

The crowd jeered in reaction to comments by Bill Akins, secretary of the executive committee of the Republican Party of Pasco County, who said: “There is a provision in there (the ACA) that anyone over the age of 74 has to go before what is effectively a death panel.”

As the crowd booed and shouted “no,” Akins insisted he was right. “The provision is in there.”

As speakers took their turn at the microphone, some folks in the lobby occasionally chanted, “Medicare for all. Medicare for all.”

In response, one man counter-chanted: “Make someone else pay. Make someone else pay.”

One speaker told Bilirakis that the ACA had not really worked because it was too expensive, and another said he preferred keeping the government out of his back pocket.

But, most of the speakers, including Ivana Sheppard, a member of Action Together Tampa Bay, want to see Obamacare improved — not repealed and replaced.

“Your job as a congressman is to fix it,” Sheppard told Bilirakis.

Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies should not be involved in reform efforts, she added. “Take their seat from the table. The insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies should not be at the table,” she said.

“We are actively searching for (U.S. Sen.) Marco Rubio,” Sheppard added.

Beverly Ledbetter, active in Pasco County Democratic politics, reminded Bilirakis: “Affordable health care is more than being able to go to the doctor. It’s peace of mind. It’s the ability to know that you can be treated when you have an illness.

“I taught at Pasco High School, and I would have students who would come in that would be very upset. When I talked to them, I found out that mom had Stage IV breast cancer, or dad had lung cancer … They had to balance between paying their mortgage or getting health care.

“In East Pasco County, we have a 33 percent poverty level. Having access to affordable health care is important. We need a commitment that these people are not going to be left behind. We need a commitment that you’re going to listen and you’re going to act on our behalf.

“We ask that you not make America sick again,” Ledbetter said.

Other speakers told Bilirakis that repealing the ACA will cause people with pre-existing conditions to lose their access to health care. They said medicines will be too expensive, and they said without subsidies, people won’t be able to afford insurance.

Two doctors told Bilirakis that the ACA has resulted in people getting medical treatment sooner, before their conditions worsened.

In response to comments about Medicare, Bilirakis assured the crowd that Medicare will stay the same.

“Medicare will not be affected. Medicare is the greatest program in the history of the United States, and we’re going to keep it,” Bilirakis said.

He also said he knows that health care reforms are needed.

“Premiums are very, very high. We have to fix that,” said.

He said that increased competition between pharmaceutical companies will reduce prescription drug prices.

As speakers continued to share their opinions and experiences, Bilirakis told them: “We are taking notes, and I know this is being recorded. So, I’m going to take all of these stories with me to Washington.”

Published February 15, 2017

Local residents attend Donald J. Trump’s inauguration

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When kindergarten teacher Kimberly Eberhard began her winter break, she never expected she’d have a front seat to history.

Kimberly Eberhard and her friend, Harley Kesselman, attend the inauguration ceremony for Donald J. Trump, the nation’s 45th president.
(Courtesy of Kimberly Eberhard)

But, there she was on Jan. 20, watching the nation’s 45th president, Donald J. Trump, taking the oath of office.

“It was silent,” the Wesley Chapel woman said, as everyone watched Trump recite the oath.

Then, a rousing round of applause and cheering broke out, said Eberhard, who teaches in Tampa. “You got chills throughout your body.”

She added: “Throughout his speech, everybody nearby was going, ‘Amen. Amen. Amen.’

“It was an incredible experience,” Eberhard said, noting she met people from all over — including such places as Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Montana.

Sandy Graves and her husband, Steve, took a road trip to get to the inauguration. (Courtesy of Sandy Graves)

Sandy Graves and her husband, Steve, both active in Pasco County Republican Party politics, also made the trek to Washington D.C. They drove so they could see some sights along the way.

Sandy Graves, who has attended previous inaugurations, said this one was not like the others.

“The mixture of people was different. It wasn’t our normal base of Republicans. It was very eclectic,” she said.

There was an excitement in the air, she added.

“I think it’s this sort of feeling that government can be tamed, not so over-burdensome. Just like Trump said in his speech, it (government) was going back to the people.”

She believes that Trump “really does believe that government should be for the people.

“I think he believes that government needs to be out of the way of creation of business,” she said. More than that, she said, she thinks Trump believes government should not impede innovation.

Ben Pumo and his daughter, Alyssa, and his wife, Elizabeth, pose for a photo on their way to Florida’s inaugural ball.
(Courtesy of Ben Pumo)

Ben Pumo, owner of Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano, in Land O’ Lakes, also was at the inauguration, with his wife, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Alyssa.

“When Donald Trump won, that same night, I made my hotel reservations and my flight reservations,” Pumo said, knowing he would work on securing tickets later.

He has been actively involved in lobbying for small business interests and being involved in politics, and soon learned he would need to secure an invitation from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, which he did.

“It felt good to be around people that supported your same views, behind small business and having my daughter and my wife be able to experience that with me,” Pumo said.

Published February 1, 2017

As Florida goes, so goes the nation…again!

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This was an election like no other.

Once again, the Sunshine State was at the epicenter of it all.

For months on end, Florida was the center of attention in the national and international media, with its 29 Electoral College votes up for grabs — the largest number of any swing state.

Dr. Susan A. MacManus stands in front of a bus parked at the first 2016 presidential debate. The bus is touting CNN’s coverage of the 2016 race for president between Donald J. Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Courtesy of Susan A. MacManus)
Dr. Susan A. MacManus stands in front of a bus parked at the first 2016 presidential debate. The bus is touting CNN’s coverage of the 2016 race for president between Donald J. Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
(Courtesy of Susan A. MacManus)

The candidates visited here over and over. During the last 100 days of the campaign, Trump visited Florida 100 times and Clinton 87 times.

Each made multiple stops here the final week before the election. Other states never saw either of them.

More than $49 million was spent on TV ads run in the Orlando and Tampa media markets — more than in any other media market in the nation.

But by the time it finally ended, Floridians were just happy it was over. The general consensus seems to be that while it was a very engaging campaign, it was too long, too negative, too expensive, and too divisive.

At the end of a very long, fiercely-fought, and contentious presidential election, Florida kept its record of picking winners intact, albeit by a very narrow 1 percent—the same margin by which Barack Obama won Florida in the 2012 election.

Few realize that since 1964, Florida has voted as the nation at-large in every election except for 1992, when George Herbert Walker Bush narrowly defeated Bill Clinton in his first race for the White House.

Pre-election polls had generally predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the Sunshine State. So when the networks called Donald Trump the winner at around 11:30 p.m. on Election Night, it came as a shock to many political analysts around the globe. It verified that the polls were unable to capture the extent of the “shadow” Trump vote.

A closer look at turnout and voting patterns reveals that Clinton was not able to repeat what Obama had done in Florida in 2012. Turnout and support levels among millennials and black voters were lower, offset by significantly higher rates among white voters in the state’s rural and suburban areas. The women’s vote was less cohesive than in 2012 and the Latino vote, while greater, was less unified than projected. Economics mattered more than other issues, and change mattered more than the status quo. In the end, those desperate for a change in direction of the country slightly outnumbered those valuing experience and the continuation of Obama’s policies.

How did Trump defy expectations?
There are 10 big reasons for Trump’s win, based on election results and a national press pool exit poll of around 4,000 Florida voters:

Reason No. 1: Trump ran up a large margin of victory in the famous Interstate 4 Corridor (the Tampa and Orlando media markets) where 44 percent of the state’s registered voters reside. Trump won the corridor 51 percent to 45 thanks to the area’s suburban counties where turnout and the vote margin for Trump was high. Trump did considerably better in three bellwether suburban counties (Pasco, Polk, and Manatee) than Romney did in 2012. Clinton won only three of the 18 counties in the corridor—Orange, Osceola, and Hillsborough—all large urban counties. Among them, the turnout rate fell in the largest (Hillsborough), although it did increase in Orange and Osceola.

Statewide, more than (54 percent) of those voting came from suburban or rural areas and most of both areas chose Trump. A majority of voters from urban areas picked Hillary.

Reason No. 2: Clinton did not do as well as Obama had in 2012. Clinton underperformed Obama’s share of the vote in every market except Miami, and underperformed his margin of victory in every market but Miami and Gainesville (narrowly). The falloff in the vote share of Clinton was steepest in the Tampa Bay media market (from 49 percent for Obama in 2012 to 44 percent for Clinton in 2016).

Reason No. 3: The state’s black voters did not turn out at the high level they did for Obama in 2012 nor did they give Clinton as wide a margin. In 2012, Obama’s margin of victory over Romney among black voters was 91 percent; hers over Trump was 76 percent.  Trump gained some support within the black community from Haitian voters around the state, thanks to his visits to Little Haiti and an aggressive radio ad campaign aimed at concentrations of Haitians around the state, including Clearwater. The falloff in black turnout has been attributed to less enthusiasm for Clinton than for Obama among some who saw breaking down the racial barrier to the White House as a bigger motivator to vote than cracking the gender glass ceiling.

Reason No. 4: Even though the Latino share of all voters increased significantly in 2016, Trump did better than expected among the state’s Hispanic voters. He received 35 percent of the Latino vote—a figure well above what many polls had projected in light of Trump’s harsh comments about immigrants. Press coverage of the impact of the huge influx of Puerto Rican votes into the state inferred that the bulk of Hispanics would vote Democrat and that would be enough to propel Clinton to the White House. (It is true that without the solidly pro-Clinton vote among Puerto Ricans, she would have lost Florida by more than 1 percent.) However, such accounts did not accurately describe the diversity of Florida’s Hispanic voters.  According to the exit poll, 54 percent of Cubans voted for Trump as did 26 percent of Florida Latinos with ties to other Latin American countries—Venezuelans and Colombians more than Mexicans, not surprising in light of Trump’s comments about “rapists” coming into the U.S. from Mexico and his plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.  (Cubans made up 6 percent of all Florida voters; non-Cubans, 10 percent).

Reason No. 5: Clinton did not do as well among women voters as expected.  Among women voters who were the majority of all voters, Clinton got 50 percent, Trump 46 percent, and other candidates 4 percent. Her 4 percent margin of victory fell short of Obama’s 7 percent in 2012—in spite of Trump’s degrading comments about women revealed in the Access Hollywood tape. Clinton did better among single than married women, and among older women more than younger women, especially millennials. The fact that Clinton would have been the first female president had led many to predict that the women’s vote would be much more solidly for her than usual. Instead, as has been true so often throughout history, the women’s vote was not as cohesive as expected.

Reason No. 6: Clinton had difficulty generating support (and turnout) from the millennials and GenXers who make up half of Florida’s registered voters.  These generations voted heavily for Obama in 2008 and 2012 but more than a third voted for Trump in 2016. There was also stronger support among younger votes for the third party candidates—Johnson and Stein—than among older generations. It was obvious Clinton was having trouble generating the same level of support among these younger voters as had Obama by where she held events during the last two weeks of the campaign—primarily on college campuses across Florida.  For many younger voters who had leaned toward Sanders (Democrats) or Rubio (Republicans) in the March Presidential Preference Primary, Clinton represented the status quo—a continuation of the two-party system that many view as corrupt, in large part due to elected officials’ heavy reliance on campaign contributions from special interests.

Reason No. 7: Nearly half (48 percent) identified the economy as the most important issue facing the country. Of those, 49 percent voted for Clinton, 46 percent for Trump.  But other economic questions tell a different story. Two-thirds of Florida voters have a negative opinion of the current condition of the national economy; 67 percent of them voted for Trump. Likewise, more than 70 percent describe their own financial situation today as worse or about the same (stagnant) as four years ago.  A majority of each group voted for Trump. Obamacare was another economic issue that helped Trump. Nearly half of Florida voters said it “went too far” and of those, 77 percent voted for Trump.

Reason No. 8: A huge portion — 73 percent — of Florida voters were dissatisfied or angry with the federal government. Of those 59 percent voted for Trump. Anti-Washington sentiments have run deep for almost a decade. The national exit poll results show that nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of voters across the country said the country was headed in the wrong direction—albeit for different reasons. Other surveys have shown an even deeper dislike/distrust of Congress over the same period.

Reason No. 9: Clinton’s promise to continue the policies of the Obama administration made it easier for voters wanting change rather than the status quo to choose Trump. A plurality (40 percent) of Florida voters identified the ability to bring change as the candidate quality that mattered most to them, followed by experience (21 percent), cares about me (16 percent), or has good judgment (18 percent).  Trump won a whopping 85 percent of those wanting change. Hillary won 88 percent of those who valued experience and 63 percent of those desiring caring or good judgment.

Reason No. 10: The underestimation of the enthusiasm gap between Trump and Clinton supporters was one of the greatest missteps by the press and the Clinton campaign. Their erroneous assumption was that the far larger crowds Trump was drawing was more out of curiosity than any strong attraction to his platform calling for change. Yet history tells us that after one party holds the White House for two terms, enthusiasm among those identifying with the other party is greater in the next election (Republicans in 2016).

Dr. Susan A. MacManus is a distinguished professor at the University of South Florida. She is recognized widely for her expertise of Florida politics, and is a resident of Land O’ Lakes.

Published November 16,2016

Election results defy pollsters and pundits

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Donald J. Trump is next president

Pasco County voters joined the nation in selecting Donald J. Trump as the United States’ next president in the 2016 general election, while a majority of Hillsborough County voters selected Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had sought to become America’s first female president.

At Precinct 73, Karen Hanzel, a resident of Lexington Oaks , proudly displays a Trump/Pence sign as voters made their way to the polls. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
At Precinct 73, Karen Hanzel, a resident of Lexington Oaks , proudly displays a Trump/Pence sign as voters made their way to the polls.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

Scores of voters took advantage of early voting, but hordes turned out on Nov. 8, eager to cast their ballot on Election Day.

They offered different points of view — in an election widely characterized as being historic, and divisive.

At the Alice Hall Community Center in Zephyrhills, 57-year-old voter Chris Corporra said he voted for Trump because he’s a political outsider.

Corporra said he agrees with many of Trump’s stances.

“You hire a politician, and you get political results. You get somebody on the outside, and they’ll take care of it,” Corporra said. “Trump isn’t the most polished…but, you know exactly where you stand with him.”

As Corporra drove around Zephyrhills before Election Day, he said he noticed long lines at several early voting locations. “They were out in droves. The silent majority is coming out in force.”

Kody Roberts, a registered Republican, also voted in Zephyrhills. She supported Jill Stein.

At Precinct 70, a long line forms and is reflected in a puddle of water left behind by the irrigation system early Tuesday morning.
At Precinct 70, a long line forms and is reflected in a puddle of water left behind by the irrigation system early Tuesday morning.

“I like what she stands for; I like her objectives,” the 22-year-old Roberts said. “I can’t agree with some of Trump’s beliefs, and I definitely cannot agree with some of Hillary’s, so I was just like, ‘You know what, I’m going to go third-party this time.’”

Zephyrhills resident Eric Pinson favored Trump mainly because of his platform to establish immigration controls. Pinson also expressed concern about what could happen to his Second Amendment rights, under a Clinton administration.

Meanwhile, at The Groves, Land O’ Lakes resident Jill Shelton stood in a long line to cast her vote. She brought her children, Lucy, 5, Caroline, 8, and Nicholas, 10.

“It’s history,” Shelton said, explaining why she wanted them to be there as she voted for Clinton, the first female presidential nominee of a major political party.

“This is a big moment,” Shelton said.

She did note, however, that her support for Clinton was not absolute: “I have some questions about trustworthiness for her,” she said. But, she added: “I feel Donald Trump is not fit to be our president. I think he is beyond ridiculous.”

Casey Otto, 36, brought his 4-year-old daughter, Indie, to the Lutz Community Center on Election Day. He even dressed her in red, white and blue to mark the occasion. He supported Gary Johnson. ‘I tend to be Libertarian — fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He’s most in line with my line of thinking. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Casey Otto, 36, brought his 4-year-old daughter, Indie, to the Lutz Community Center on Election Day. He even dressed her in red, white and blue to mark the occasion. He supported Gary Johnson. ‘I tend to be Libertarian — fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He’s most in line with my line of thinking.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Fifty-eight-year-old Gordon Brown, who cast his vote at the Lutz Community Center, thinks that Clinton is the one unfit to be president.

Brown characterized Clinton as “morally bankrupt, criminally corrupt and totally untrustworthy.

“And, those are her good qualities,” he added.

Casey Otto, 36, who brought his 4-year-old daughter, Indie, with him to cast his ballot, also voted at the Lutz Community Center.

He dressed his little girl in red, white and blue to mark the occasion.

Otto supported Gary Johnson. “I tend to be Libertarian — fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He’s most in line with my line of thinking,” Otto said.

Seventy-eight-year-old Mary Gaulden, of Land O’ Lakes, sat on a stool near the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, proudly holding a Trump sign. She wanted to demonstrate her support to passing motorists and people streaming in to vote.

“I think America is at a crossroads,” Gaulden said. “I really want Donald Trump to win the presidency.”

She criticized President Barack Obama.

“Our president is not being the Commander-in-Chief that he needs to be. Our military is weakened,” said Gaulden, who arrived at the polling place at 10 a.m., and was still there in the late afternoon.

Throughout the day, she said motorists reacted to her sign.

Some honked as they drove past.

“I’ve got a thumb’s up; a thumb’s down; a bird of paradise,” Gaulden said.

Some hollered “No,” at her. Others stopped and told her they voted for Trump.

One passerby even pretended to be taking aim — with an imaginary gun — to shoot at her, she said.

Her response?

“I just waved and smiled,” Gaulden said.

No matter where they stood, voters wanted their voice to be heard.

Pasco County boasted a 72.8 percent voter turnout, with 244,620 of its 336,037 registered voters casting ballots. Turnout was slightly lower in Hillsborough County, where 606,224 of the county’s 849,843 registered voters cast ballots, or 71.3 percent.

While the presidential election clearly took center stage, voters decided many other important races and issues.

Voters gave U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican in District 12, another term in Congress. He defeated Robert Matthew Tager.

A majority of Pasco and Hillsborough voters concurred with other Florida voters to send Marco Rubio back to Washington for another term in the U.S. Senate. He defeated Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy.

In state races, State Sen. Jack Latvala retained his seat in the Legislature, and Amber Mariano defeated Amanda Murphy in the race for State House District 36.

Pasco County Results:

  • Paula O’Neill defeated Roberta Cutting for Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
  • Gary Joiner defeated Jon Sidney Larkin for Property Appraiser.
  • Ron Oakley defeated Dimitri A. Delgado for District 1 on the Pasco County Commission.
  • Kathryn Starkey defeated Barry Horvath for District 3 on the Pasco County Commission.
  • Jack Mariano defeated write-in opponents for District 5 on the Pasco County Commission.

Hillsborough County Results:

  • Andrew Warren defeated Mark Ober for State Attorney, in the 13th judicial circuit.
  • Shawn Harrison defeated Lisa Montelione for District 63 in the State House.
  • Pat Frank defeated Eric Seidel for Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
  • Sandra Murman defeated Jeff Zampitella for District 1 of the Hillsborough County Commission.
  • Pat Kemp defeated Tim Schock for District 6 of the Hillsborough County Commission.
  • Bob Henriquez defeated Todd Donovan Jones for Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.
  • Tamara Shamburger defeated Joe Jordan Robinson for District 5 of the Hillsborough County School Board.
  • Lynn Gray defeated Cathy James for District 7 of the Hillsborough County School Board (Pending a recount).

Regarding the four Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, a majority of Pasco and

Hillsborough voters weighing in on those issues agreed with the majority of voters across the state to decide the outcomes.

They voted down an amendment relating to solar power.

They approved amendments regarding medical marijuana, a tax exemption for totally and permanently disabled first responders, and a homestead tax exemption for certain senior, low-income and long-term residents.

—Laker/Lutz News staff writers Kathy Steele and Kevin Weiss contributed to this report.

Published November 16, 2016

Primary elections over, now onto November

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Fewer than one-fifth of the registered voters in Hillsborough and Pasco counties decided the outcome of the primary elections on Aug. 30.

Some of the more notable races had Pat Frank defeating Kevin Beckner for the Democratic primary for Clerk of the Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, and Gary Joiner defeating Ted Schrader in the race for property appraiser in Pasco County.

Claude D. Brown, a Land O’ Lakes resident and poll deputy, has worked 22 elections at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Claude D. Brown, a Land O’ Lakes resident and poll deputy, has worked 22 elections at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

In other high-interest races, Marco Rubio handily defeated Carlos Beruff and other challengers in the Republican race for U.S. Senate, while Patrick Murphy won by a substantial margin on the Democratic side of the ticket in both counties.

Voters in both counties, and across Florida, overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that extends to commercial and industrial properties a renewable energy tax break already enjoyed by residential property owners. The amendment also exempts all renewable-energy equipment from state tangible personal property taxes.

The amendment needed 60 percent approval from voters and still requires action by the Legislature to enact the changes.

Mary Deeny, of Lutz, was among the early-bird voters who trickled in between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., on Aug. 30, at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, to cast their ballots.
Mary Deeny, of Lutz, was among the early-bird voters who trickled in between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., on Aug. 30, at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, to cast their ballots.

Overall, voters in both Pasco and Hillsborough counties chose to stay home from the polls.

In Hillsborough County, of 812,359 registered voters, just 153,626 cast ballots, representing a turnout of 18.91 percent.

Hillsborough voters who showed up early at the Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library seemed to share a singular motivation, while not always agreeing on candidates.

Lutz resident Mary Deeny said she hasn’t missed an election since age 18. Not voting is never an option, even if outcomes don’t always go her way.

The 51-year-old is puzzled about why more people don’t vote. Maybe she said, “They are not tapped in. It’s tunnel vision. I think they don’t understand the importance of local government.”

Carrollwood resident Jeff Jenkins, 63, considers voting a responsibility. He cast his first ballot at age 18.

“I think it’s an obligation to vote, plain and simple, whether it’s a primary or a general election,” Jenkins said.

One reason some might stay away from the polls is a belief that their vote won’t count, he said. “I think it’s a lack of engagement and a disconnect.”

Lewis Gray, husband of school board candidate, Lynn Gray, sets up a ‘Lynn Gray for School Board’ sign near the entrance to Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library.
Lewis Gray, husband of school board candidate, Lynn Gray, sets up a ‘Lynn Gray for School Board’ sign near the entrance to Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library.

Donna Trask was motivated to vote in a particular political contest.

“I definitely wanted to vote for Marco Rubio,” said Trask, 68, of Carrollwood.

Rubio also collected a vote from Kristen Mayer, who lives in the Lake Magdalene area.

Mayer thinks voting gives people a chance to choose who serves their communities. “We may not always like the choices, but we are the ones who are going to change the choices (by voting).”

Local races, especially for the Hillsborough County School Board, motivated Sherry Knox to go to the polls.

She arrived before 8 a.m., prepared to wait in line. It turned out she didn’t have to, because only a handful of voters were there. It took Knox just minutes to vote.

“I thought it would be more today,” Knox said. “To me, it’s important because it’s local government. It affects us directly. I don’t know why people don’t vote.”

She supported school board candidate Lynn Gray in the District 7, at-large race.

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, of 326, 937 registered voters, 60,943 cast ballots. That represents an 18.64 percent turnout.

Sherry Knox, who lives in the Lake Magdalene area, was especially interested in voting for her candidates in the school board races.
Sherry Knox, who lives in the Lake Magdalene area, was especially interested in voting for her candidates in the school board races.

Voters trickled in at Alice Hall at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills.

Those arriving felt a civic obligation, or wanted to support a particular candidate.

Sixty-one-year Laura Cotty, a retired insurance processor, wouldn’t miss an election.

“I always vote. Your voice doesn’t matter if you don’t vote. …The main reason I came out is to vote on the property tax (Amendment 4), so that renewable energy is not taxable,” Cotty said.

Fifty-four-year-old Susan Woods, who is self-employed, said she was mostly interested in that issue, too.

Eighty-three-year-old Robert Merchant also felt compelled to vote. “It’s our duty,” he said.

Seventy-seven-year-old Mary Merchant wanted to show her support for a candidate in the race for District 1 of the Pasco County Commission.

“I happen to like Mr. (Ron) Oakley. Out of all of the (stuff) on television, he was about the nicest and the most honest,” she said.

For for full results, visit PascoVotes.com and VoteHillsborough.org.

–Staff writers Kathy Steele and Kevin Weiss contributed to this report.

Published September 7, 2016