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Vietnam Vet, Student Vie In Democratic Senate Primary

By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 4, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - The Democratic primary for Senate District 11 pits a college student against a Vietnam War veteran old enough to be his opponent's father.

Both men are political neophytes campaigning to take on incumbent Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, one of the most powerful politicians in the state.

Richard Skandera, 21, is finishing dual bachelor's degrees and has never held an elective office outside the student senate at the University of Central Florida.

Fred Taylor, 60, is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a businessman with a history of switching between the Democratic and Republican parties. He has never held public office.

Both men say their outsider status insulates them from the kind of special interest back-scratching they say taints Fasano.

"The only way to change things in Tallahassee is to bring in someone who's out of the loop," Skandera said.

Fasano had nearly $370,000 on hand for his campaign, as of July 18.

Skandera had $100, having spent the bulk of $2,015 he took in between April and mid-July. Taylor reported more than $55,000 in campaign contributions and about $3,400 in expenditures in the same period.

Both men list education and home insurance as the biggest issue confronting residents of their district, which includes northern Pinellas County and the coastal portions of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

Skandera sees a need to raise the state's dropout age to 18 to force wavering students to stick with school as long as possible. He also would like to replace the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test with a different standardized test that better measures students' abilities.

Taylor sees a "brain drain" taking away the state's college graduates. He said legislators need to take steps to reverse that trend and entice highly skilled workers to move here.

Skandera would like to see the Legislature be more aggressive with insurers but also thinks the state needs to strengthen its building codes to reduce potential claims.

"If you want to lower rates, you have to reduce the liability of both the insurance companies and the residents," Skandera said.

Taylor also favors a stronger stand against insurance companies, noting insurers haven't lowered rates in the state despite three years of hurricane-free weather. "If they're going to insure in Florida, they shouldn't be able to cherry-pick," Taylor said. "We haven't had any major disasters, so why haven't our rates gone down?"

Taylor would also like to see a "bottom up" review of property taxes in the state aimed at making them more fair. He's critical of Amendment 1, the tax reform referendum that passed in January, for failing to stimulate the housing market as its backers had promised.

Skandera grew up in Palm Harbor and graduated from Palm Harbor University High School. He's single and lists his parents' Palm Harbor home as his permanent address, although he also rents an apartment in the Orlando area as part of his studies at UCF.

He works as a researcher for Walt Disney Co. interviewing visitors to the company's theme parks. Skandera said he plans to take a leave of absence to campaign full-time against Fasano, should he win his party's primary.

Skandera acknowledged his age may be a hurdle for voters in his district, many of whom are old enough to be his grandparents. "I would hope they'd be wiling to trust in their future," Skandera said.

Taylor was born in Tauton, Mass., and graduated from high school in Indiana and from Indiana University. He moved to New Port Richey in 2002 and bought his parents' former home in the Park Lake Estates subdivision.

He works as a business broker, negotiating the sale of businesses in much the same way a real estate broker manages the sale of property.

Taylor served in the Army in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968 and was wounded three times. Taylor said his injuries left him bedridden for months, giving him a better understanding of what people with chronic health conditions go through.

"When I see someone who is injured or in a nursing home setting, I can empathize with them," Taylor said.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201 or

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 11

Democratic Primary

RICHARD SKANDERA

Age: 21

Education: Finishing dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and anthropology at the University of Central Florida

Family: Single

Professional Experience: Customer researcher for Walt Disney Co.

Political Experience: None

Web site: http://www .myspace.com/skandera2008

FRED TAYLOR