House Speaker Will Weatherford at October Lunch

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The October lunch featured Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford. A Wesley Chapel resident, representing District 61 in Pasco County since 2006, Will is currently the youngest Speaker in America at 33.

Warmly introduced by District 85 Representative Pat Rooney who said he ran again last year “to serve under Will Weatherford as Speaker”, Speaker Weatherford returned the compliment, describing Rooney as “soft spoken, but one who has a lot to say when he speaks”.

He began his remarks referring to the government shutdown, which he said, “however you felt about it, at least it pointed out that there are 800,000 federal employees that are non-essential.”

In Florida, the GOP gets things done. In the country, we are less free than we were four years ago, but people are voting with their feet – leaving the high tax states with their high unemployment and moving to Texas and Florida and others. FL unemployment is 7% and falling, the HS graduation rate is the highest its ever been, the economy is expanding, and the population has grown by 316,000 people.

Of the three major issues facing Florida today and in the future he listed:

1. Education – the major generator of economic growth – today’s unemployment picture is the inverse of what is should be as younger workers aged 20-30 are less likely to find and keep a job than those over 30 – in large part because of problems in our education system. He is not a supporter of Common Core and predicted that the Florida Legislature will not adopt a national curriculum, but will work to set higher standards.

2. Healthcare – next year’s session will not expand medicaid in the state – it is a program that doesn’t work – instead they will seek free market alternatives.

3. Water infrastructure – there will be focus on the problems of pollution from runoff in the Indian River lagoon and elsewhere, and the security of our water supplies.

Addressing more global issues that he sees as new opportunities for the Republican Party, he cited youth unemployment, particularly what the Obama economics has done to minorities (23% of black youth are unemployed). The younger generations will be asked to bail out their predecessors and the $17 Trillion national debt, while at the same time sacrificing to make lives for themselves.

He spoke of “generational poverty” – that it is caused by government, not capitalism. The fix for it, he said, is not redistribution of wealth, but redistribution of knowledge and opportunity. We need better schools by offering parents a choice of where to send their children. Using the view of the Korean peninsula from space (the south glows brightly, the north is dark), he ended with the thought that the party should endeavor to make Florida shine as bright as anywhere.

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In other business, VP Anita Mitchell said her goodbyes as she is expected to emerge as the next PBC Party Chair.

Carol Hurst reported that her nominating committee has defined a slate of candidates for the November 6 club election. These include Rick Kozell to return as President, Meg Shannon as VP and Secretary, and Bette Anne Starkey as Treasurer.

Candidates present included Ellen Andel, Alan Schlesinger and Ilya Katz who are competing for Patrick Murphy’s CD18 seat, and Henry Colon to challenge Ted Deutch in CD21. Ellen Andel’s campaign got a boost this week when former Congressman Allen West came out to support her along with 7 sitting Republican Congresswomen from around the country.

Some pictures from Fred and Delia