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House District 67 GOP Race Focuses On Insurance, Taxes

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 2, 2008

Updated: 08/02/2008 12:17 am

BRANDON - The two Republicans seeking the District 67 State House seat agree more attention must be paid to the state's economy and the high costs of property taxes and homeowners insurance.

Ron Reagan of Bradenton, a three-term incumbent, is seeking his last term in office because of term limits. He faces businessman Kirk Faryniasz of Riverview in the primary race for the district that stretches from south Riverview into Manatee and northwest Sarasota counties.

The district includes Apollo Beach, Ruskin and part of Sun City Center in south Hillsborough County.

Reagan said his focus during his last term, if re-elected, would be to press for passage of a bill that would make red-light cameras uniform throughout the state to catch and fine violators. He would give equal emphasis to addressing the need for more business and growth in the state.

Seeking More High-Tech Industry

Reagan favors Amendment 5, which would eliminate property taxes that fund schools and make up for the loss with a 1 percent sales tax. He said he supports the swap even though economists predict it would collect $1.5 billion to $2 billion less than the current property tax, which takes in about $8 billion annually.

He also favors creating more four-year college programs at the community college level and drawing high-tech industry to Florida using state-offered incentives.

During his tenure, Reagan said, he has helped increase funding for education and health care, and assisted businesses by supporting looser regulations, though he offered no specific examples.

He also pointed to his success in writing legislation that increased the state's hurricane catastrophe fund. The law enables insurance companies to get loans from the state as an incentive to do business here, as long as they agree to write policies for homeowners previously insured by state-run Citizens Insurance at the same or lower costs.

Faryniasz said the incumbent hasn't done enough.

An Army and Air Force veteran, Faryniasz said his district has gone too long without true representation. "He's run unopposed the last two times," he said of Reagan. "So, I decided to throw my hat in."

Faryniasz said he spent more than 200 hours over 10 weeks knocking on more than 4,000 doors to gather enough petition signatures to qualify for the District 67 Republican primary. "I'm never going to have the war chest Reagan has, so I just have to work twice as hard," he said.

Feeling Constituents' Pain

Meeting with so many people, he said, "really gives you a feel for what is on the minds of people in your district," Faryniasz said. Taxes, insurance and the economy are at the forefront, he said. "People want some resolve."

Reagan has not been a strong enough leader in tax relief or insurance reform, Faryniasz said. "Ron Reagan doesn't feel the pain me and my constituents feel with insurance. He should have done more for us on the insurance side." The high cost of homeowners insurance is "running people out of Florida," Faryniasz said.

On the economy in general, Faryniasz said many of the people in District 67 are on fixed incomes and worry about the faltering economy. The state needs to put more focus on fixing Florida's economy, he said, including diversifying the job base.

Another key issue for Faryniasz is education. "I'd like to review the standards for Bright Futures scholarships," he said.

He thinks Lottery earnings should continue to go toward education. But he wants the state to consider tightening the requirements for Bright Futures scholarships, which cover a student's tuition and fees based on high school grades and test scores.

Faryniasz also would like to see homeowner tax relief for deployed military personnel, he said.

And he'd like to write a bottle bill for Florida that would prompt more people to recycle and cut down on the amount of reusable waste going into landfills.

Both men said they have not taken a firm position on offshore oil drilling and agreed the subject needs more study.

RON REAGAN

Age: 54

Education: University of South Florida, business degree

Family: Married with three children

Occupation: Insurance agent

Political Experience: Three-term incumbent, Florida House District 67

Campaign Web site: www.reaganforfloridahouse.com/

KIRK FARYNIASZ

Age: 52

Education: Castleton State College, Vt., bachelor's degree in communications; Webster University, Washington, D.C., master's degree in public administration

Family: Married

Occupation: Merchandiser for Lindt Swiss Chocolate Co.

Political Experience: Ran for governor of Vermont at age 24 in 1980; ran for Vermont State House in 1980, losing to 16-year incumbent by 200 votes

Military: Served in Army and Air Force

Campaign Web site: www.votekirk08.com

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 657-4532 or yhammett@tampatrib.com.

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