Commission candidates to debate
The Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club will host a debate for Republican Pasco County Commission candidates March 7 at 11:30 a.m. at Fox Hollow Golf Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity.
The forum will include Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson. All three are campaigning to win a primary election set for Aug. 26, with the winner set to face Erika Remsberg — or the winner of a Democratic primary if one is needed — in the general election.
Cost is $15, and reservations are required by March 4.
For more information, call Fran Scerbo at (727) 597-3727, or email .
Fundraising slow for Bob Robertson
Now facing two candidates in the Republican primary to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission, Bob Robertson is not making a lot of headway in the fundraising department.
The Zephyrhills-based investment assets manager reported just a single donation in January, $50, while spending a little more than $185. Like many of his other contributions, this latest one once again came from outside the area, this time Maryland.
So far since filing to run in July, Robertson has raised just under $10,200. But only 61 percent of that has come from Florida donors, and nearly half of that came from a loan Robertson himself made to the campaign.
Robertson still has a lot of money ready to spend, more than $5,500. But that pales to the cash available to one of his primary opponents, Mike Moore, who has nearly $35,000 at the ready through the end of last month.
The third candidate in the primary, former State Rep. Ken Littlefield, has yet to file financial reports after announcing his candidacy Jan. 16. Also nothing to show yet in the campaign finance department is Erika Remsberg, who filed as a Democrat Feb. 7.
Constitutional Convention bill clears hurdle
The Florida Senate Judiciary committee has moved forward a bill from Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, calling for a Constitutional convention he hopes will limit U.S. Congress bills to just a single subject.
The committee vote Feb. 11 passed 7-2, and the bill now moves on to the Governmental Oversight and Accountability committee. After that, it only has the Rules committee before being ready for a floor vote.
The House version of the bill was referred to committee last December, but is likely waiting for the outcome of the Senate version.
“This is about having the federal government start conducting themselves in a professional manner,” Simpson told The Laker/Lutz News in January. “Most of the frustration we have with our government is that you have something like a spending bill in Congress. They always add on several hundred millions of dollars of something that has nothing to do with the subject they are dealing with. And as a citizen of the state of Florida, I am tired of our federal government being operated this way.”
For more on the call for a Constitutional convention, visit tinyurl.com/SingleSubject.
Lawmakers endorse Burgess
State Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, and State Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, have endorsed Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess in his attempt to succeed Will Weatherford in the State House.
“Danny and I are both young husbands and fathers, lawyers and businessmen, and deeply concerned for the future of our state,” Diaz said in a release. “I am proud to endorse him, and look forward to working with a principled young leader like Danny.”
“Danny’s record speaks for itself,” Mayfield said in a release. “A mayor committed to his neighbors, a father and husband committed to his family, and a U.S. Army captain committed to his country.”
Diaz was first elected to the state House in 2010, and wrote seven bills in 2012 that were signed by Gov. Scott, including one that ended the Urban Infill & Redevelopment Assistance Grant program. That program was created in 1999 to help local governments revitalize distressed urban areas, but it had not been funded since 2001.
Mayfield joined the House in 2008, and served as majority whip in 2009 and 2010. Although she authored three bills that became law in 2013, she also had one concerning the Fellsmere Water Control District in Indian River County vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott. The governor said the bill would lead to multiple governments competing to provide the same services.
Burgess potentially faces Minerva Diaz in the Republican primary, the winner of which — barring any other entrants into the race — will face Democrat Beverly Anne Ledbetter in the general election.
