Candidate Profile - Personal Information

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1 1. Candidate's Name: 2. Address: Bryan Zemina Candidate Profile - Personal Information 8749 Morrison Oaks Ct 3. City: Temple Terrace Zip: Telephone Numbers: N/A Home Cell Office 5. Address: bryanzemina58@gmail.com 6. Highest Degree Earned: (from what Institution?) 7. Current Occupation: 8. Current Employer: 9. Notable Previous Employment: 10. Family Description: Mechanical Engineer 11. How are you involved in your community? VoltAir Consulting Engineers Bachelors of Science, Mechanical Engineering Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology The duration of my career has been spent with a single company (VoltAir Consulting Engineers), so my notable experience all centers on my development within this company over the past 8 years. At the time of my hire I was brought on as a new graduate Mechanical Engineer and have subsequently risen to the level of Senior Mechanical Engineer, and I am licensed as a Professional Engineer in 11 states. My current position entails the daily delegation and planning of work load for 10 engineers, project coordination with owners, code officials, Project Managers, and General Contractors, as well as focusing on competitively bidding future projects to maintain a steady workflow while ensuring that the company is also profitable. I have been the point of contact in the bidding and negotiation of multiple projects in excess of $50 million. My family is comprised of my wife Chrissy, mother (Cheryl), father (John), and sister (Kristen). My family is heavily rooted in the Tampa Bay area and is deeply invested in developing both the physical surrounding as well as assisting people in need through our chosen professions and religious beliefs. In December of 2016, I married Chrissy, taking our 8-year relationship to the next level. Chrissy is employed within the USF Health System as a First Year Vascular Surgery Resident. My father is the Vice President of a local Civil Contracting Corporation (Kimmins Contracting) and has been an employee of the company for over 25 years (probably where I get my sense of loyalty from!). My mother is an Occupational Therapist whose focus is on Elderly care. She was also heavily involved in the rehabilitation of former teammate of mine after a car accident left him severely debilitated. My sister graduated medical school with my wife and is also working within the USF Health Care System as a First Year Neurology Resident, and she recently got engaged to Andrew, another doctor who graduated with my wife and sister.

2 As someone who is deeply passionate about the Tampa Bay area I am heavily involved within the community both personally and professionally. Through my employer I have been involved in Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Walk for the Cure for Lupus research, as well as a number of community development projects (pro-bono design work for a new Ronald McDonald House). In my personal time, I enjoy local events such as The Art of the Brick, live theater performances at the Straz Center, food truck gatherings, and supporting all of the professional sports teams, probably to a fault! A unique feature of the Tampa Bay area I enjoy is the exposure to various forms of wild life such as the Zoo, The Big Cat rescue, and indulging my love for salt water at the aquariums and numerous bodies of water. These truly are experiences that can only come from living this close to the Gulf. Tampa Bay has given me so much I make it a point to support my community in return, through donating money to animal shelters and Wounded Warrior Foundation, on top of donating my time to the church to review plans for a new building and assisting in their outreach programs. I work to be a positive role model and bring a smile to everyone s face, which often can be as simple as saying hello. 12. What boards have you served on? I have not yet served on any community boards; however, I have been a part of guiding my firm from a total of 8 employees locally in Tampa to over 50 employees in three (soon to be four) offices around the country. While I have no experience actually serving on boards, I have had to deal with and negotiate with many different boards during my time at my company, and am accustomed to their operating styles and functions. 13. Who are some people you admire most and why do you admire them? Being an athlete my whole life, I ve always looked up to fellow athletes. Warrick Dunn has always been a person I have greatly looked up to. Besides persevering through a very difficult childhood and losing his mother, he was still able to make it through college, earn a degree, and become a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What set him apart, besides his skills on the field, was his overwhelming desire to give back to the community. He started the Warrick Dunn Foundation, which each year provides a home, fully furnished, to a single mother in Tampa, Atlanta, Baton Rouge (his hometown), and Tallahassee. His incredible ability to give back to the communities that love him make him an incredible person. These qualities of selfless giving back are really what draws me to him. I know I have always had a calling inside me to give back to my community and my country that has really allowed me the opportunity to flourish and be successful. I now have the ability to give myself back to the community I was raised in and make a real change for the better. I have also always admired my father. Nothing in his life has come easily. He was the oldest of 4 children and never really knew his biological father. His adopted father passed away when he was away at Furman University playing football, his sophomore year. At this point, he essentially had to be the father figure in his sibling s lives. Once he graduated, he began a career in the construction industry. He worked his way up from someone who knew nothing about the field to the vice president and uncontested leader of the firm. He has shown me what real hard work and dedication and loyalty can accomplish, and I have brought those qualities along with me into my life as well. In my industry, it is rare for someone to be with the firm that first hired them after a couple years, much less 8 years, and I know that showing this level of respect to the company that gave me a chance when all I had was a degree will go a long way in my future. My father has always driven me to be better, whether it was baseball, football, academics, family life, it didn t matter; I can always be better. And that s something that I have really embraced and I truly believe that no matter what, I can be better than I was the previous day. 14. Who in your community would you go to for trusted advice?

3 My most trusted advisor would be Julius Davis, the Owner of my company, a business that for the last 5 years has been in the top 50 developing business in Tampa. Julius has in-depth experience in serving on multiple high-profile boards, operating and growing a successful small business, personally being nominated to Enterprise Florida by Governor Rick Scott, and balancing all that with a healthy family life. He is a shining example of what hard work and dedication can do and has been excited about helping me as I pursue this new chapter in my career. I also expect to be faced with a number of situations in which I will need to rely on multiple other trusted advisor to provide me with well informed and impartial advice, and I acknowledge that I cannot do this on my own. First and foremost, I will look for leaders in the community who are investing back in the community and working to create a mindset and culture with which I am proud to be associated. I would look to pillars of the community with equal weight as the constituents to make sure all sides are equally represented. I believe that the ability to listen to the concerns of all parties involved makes a huge difference in how policies would be created, and I will work to make sure new policies are truly focused on the needs of the community while ensuring government is of as little impact on their lives as possible. 15. Three Qualities Leaders Possess: I am determined. I don t let pitfalls, speed bumps, and potholes get in the way of something. I work hard to make sure the goal at hand is accomplished, not only in a timely manner, but correctly and above expectation. This quality was instilled in me a long time ago during football, when failure was not an option, especially when looking into the eyes of your teammates who depend on you and your efforts. This mindset has carried over with me into my professional life as an engineer, and I intend to carry the same mindset forward into public service. I am intelligent enough to know that I cannot possibly know everything and have a perfectly summarized view with plans for change at every single aspect of leadership. I know that I need to rely on others at times to make sure I have all the information, and not act as if I can never be wrong. This comes into play many times in my career. When I am on a job site working through an issue with construction, I need to rely on the expertise of the installing contractor and acknowledge that the individual(s) will most likely have a vast experience level, and I need to tap into that and work together with their team. I always make it a point to let contractors know that I am on the same team as them and not working against them; we work together to construct buildings that we can be proud to hand-over to the owner, and this takes cooperation amongst everyone on the team. I am a good listener. This is one of the most important aspects of leadership. I listen to others, whether I agree or disagree with their stance and view on an issue. Openly and actively listening and giving credit where it is due is critical to ensuring trust and respect, which any good leader needs. The ability to listen to all sides, arguments, complaints, concerns, compliments, etc. ties directly to the first two qualities. Without a truly open ear and the ability to listen, determination and intelligence do not get anyone anywhere. This c 16. Office being sought: House District: 58 Senate District: N/A 17. Party Affiliation: Libertarian Party of Florida Length of Time: Until the 2018 elections 18. What is your one guiding principle or core value? The one principal I try to live by is to always respect others. Living by the motto of Do unto your neighbor as you would have them do unto you is truly accurate for how I attempt to live my life and have my actions guided. This allows me to honestly respect all others views and thoughts, even if different than mine, as this is how I would expect to be treated. I believe this is where I have the ability to make the greatest change, by remaining open-minded and non-partisan. It is possible to open lines of communication that have too long been disconnected. 19. Briefly describe your political involvement:

4 I have had no official political involvement thus far. My political involvement really comes from discussing issues with whomever would listen, be it a friend, family member, colleague, or just someone sitting next to me at a local restaurant. I have been into politics for as long as I could really pay attention to current events, form opinions, and defend these opinions. This has helped me shape my views to really incorporate all walks of society and be able to listen to all sides of an argument. I have been registered as NPA since 2008, but I have always leaned Libertarian. In early August, I decided to change my party affiliation to the Libertarian Party of Florida in response to the opening in District Have you ever been a previous candidate for political office? No (IF YES) What Office: Outcome of race: N/A N/A 21. Campaign Organization and Structure: General Consultant: I have no paid consultants Manager: I have no paid consultants; manage by committee at this point Treasurer: I am currently my own treasurer, although this is soon going to be shifting to another individual as the campaign ramps up. Media: Still being developed Pollster: Still being developed Advisors: Derek Hughes, long-time trusted friend Matt Tooley, local business owner/engineer Julius Davis,PE, local business owner/ceo of my engineering firm Campaign Web Address: Facebook Page Name: Campaign Budget Amount: BZ4Liberty.com; There is no set budget, although being a non-major party means the operating budget will be drast 22. Why are you running for this office? I have decided to run for political office because our political system needs to move in the direction of a three/multi-party system, in an effort to minimize the political gridlock created because the diverse voice of the people is only being represented by two major political parties. As a Libertarian, I believe it is time to begin to lay the foundations for open communication and fresh ideas. I am being called to action, and I will not refuse the call. My intention is to remain as long as it takes to have success reshaping flaws in the system, and to ensure that those who follow in my path are able to focus on community and government reform, not concern for the next re-election cycle. I believe the continued overturn of elected officials amplifies the voice of the people and ensures their ideas remains fresh and relevant, while minimizing the impact of lobbyists and special interest groups. I am committed to changing the status quo. 23. Why should the business community support your candidacy: I stand for an overall principle of lessened government involvement in business, cutting red tape laws, and reducing corporate taxes. I am also a leader within my company, so I support the growth of the business environment and businesses in general. When businesses succeed, many other aspects of life can blossom, so this is a core area that needs to be strong and self-supporting. Government limitations, excess licensing, and extreme regulations are hurting the growth of business, and some of these restrictions can be rolled back without negatively affecting the health of the given industry or public safety. 24. List by priority the top three (3) Legislative Committees you would like to be assigned: Committee 1: Oversight, Transparency, and Administration Subcommittee Committee 2: Government Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Committee 3: Leadership for Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee 25. Are there any organizations which you would NOT accept donations from? If so, please list:

5 There are definitely certain organizations that I would not accept money from (groups that preach hate and lack of acceptance as their main voice, for example). However, as long as the group donating is well aware that I do not speak for them specifically and that I won t bow to pressure from special interest groups, then the donation can proceed. I am 100% opposed to Affiliated Political Party Committees, which can accept and donate funds without any record of the donors and without any cap on the amount of money being donated. I will not accept a donation in any amount from such a committee; the money trail should always be available to the public. 26. Opponents and the media research public records, police reports, credit information and do other background checks in an effort to discover tax liens, lawsuits, arrest records and other unfortunate things. Are there any issues your opponent could use against you that you should disclose to this group? No, I don t have anything of the sort outstanding or in my past. II. Issue Questions Talent Supply & Education 27. What changes would you recommend to Florida's K-12 system of education? Please address school funding. Florida s public-school system is grossly underfunded in comparison to the national average. In 2014, the statewide budget per pupil was only about $8,750 compared to $11,000 nationally. The public-school teachers are paid well below national average in salary, with high school teachers falling approximately $9,000 less than the average. This is not an acceptable approach and is failing our students and families. To help mediate this, one of the ideas I have is a two-prong attack: (1) Students and families need other options. There are a multitude of private and charter schools available. These can be freer to innovate and mold students as well as being better funded than the 100% public schools. Charter schools have been growing and becoming more and more popular, and they can sometimes obtain alternative funding, depending on the group operating the school. Private schools, however, are completely independent from the government and can cost quite a bit of money to attend. Studies should be done on the idea of utilizing the existing Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (funded by the Florida Lottery) to help subsidize families who have high performing children but cannot afford to choose an option other than public schools, similar to the current Bright Futures Scholarship program, but on a secondary-school level in lieu of only higher education. This is one example, not necessarily the only option. (2) On top of giving families additional choices without overburdening them, the public-school system should receive a larger portion of funds from the available tax revenue. On a broader level, the administrative waste seen in tax spending needs to be culled and money needs to be spent more wisely, not wasted in the broken system of I had $1,000 allotted for this year, so I need to make sure I spend it all or I won t be appropriated $1,000 for this upcoming year. Once we can straighten out that system and reward frugality in the government, then we c 28. As an extension of the school day and to help end "Generational Pverty" would you support funding affordable afterschool programs that provide assistance with homework, delinquency prevention, life skills and the development of good character for Florida's working families? Yes 29. What is your position regarding the ability of teachers unions and other public-sector unions to collectively bargain issues that are beyond the typical employment issues directly tied to hours worked and wages/benefits paid?

6 I believe the age of unions is outdated. They served a purpose early on in defining our labor standards and battling for the employee, but they no longer serve this purpose. Individuals from a certain field are sometimes forced to join the union and pay dues just to practice their trade, whether they feel they see a benefit or not. However, I fully support the right of the groups to stand up and speak out when they feel unjust pressure, unfair pay, unequal pay, etc. is brought upon them by a system they work for. People need to always be able to speak out, but unions that essentially tax the employees to speak for everyone within the group should not be a part of our labor situations any longer. With the broad spectrum of social media and how quickly news travels, it is more than likely that the public themselves can be champions for the disadvantaged in any labor field. 30. How would you address the shortage of qualified talent to fill jobs in STEM-related fields? This shortage can best be filled by the private sector. As we create a market that is more and more friendly to business, including manufacturing and R&D, then the private industry will itself create a need for STEM-related jobs. With a higher demand for STEM jobs, the average salary rates will increase, thus bringing more driven individuals to pursue a career in STEM education and careers in our state. It is all about setting the stage for companies to be successful, which will bring in the labor on its own. The government does not need to provide a pool of skilled workers, the private sector will provide a vacuum to then be filled by those that can. 31. What are your thoughts about having a series of benchmarks designed to create a minimum standard for Math and Language Arts throughout the United States? Every state has different populations; that is part of what really does make The United States a beautiful nation to be a part of. But along with that, we have to realize that a national standard is going to be very difficult to define, much less implement. I believe that these standards need to be determined locally, on the state level at the highest. 32. What changes would you support that improve workforce development in the state of Florida? I would support legislation stating that a group of business owners from many different industries that thrive in Florida should be formed. This group would then be able to be a real ear to the ground, so to speak. They could help drive any sort of workforce development toward the next big industry or industries currently lacking in qualified individuals. They could help to provide direction on where labor and talent is needed, helping to direct vocational schools, tech schools, and just all-around education, helping to mold the workforce to support the industries currently present and the industries on the horizon. On top of this, I believe constraints on independent contractors are burdening to our workforce. If an individual carpenter utilizes an agent to contract work through, then carpenter should not be considered an employee of the agent who finds work and directs the carpenter on where to go for the next job. These laws need to be relaxed to allow individuals to work on their own at their own pace, similar to how the ride-sharing laws have allowed hundreds of thousands of new independent contractors to obtain an income that did not exist before, further enhancing the economy. Educationally, further focus on non-higher education paths should be placed in the K-12 curriculum. Year after year, classes such as shop go by the wayside. These classes should be available to help the youth determine what they really enjoy in life so that they can pursue this as a career. If they never know they enjoy welding, then how are we to have additional welders in the market? If we never expose the youth to these options now, then we are short-changing ourselves in the future. 33. What changes should be made to Florida's higher education system?

7 For one, the revenue generated from the Florida Lottery should be directed entirely into higher education and assisting students with gaining access to higher education or alternative schooling choices, as it was intended. Bright Futures is a great program, but it does not cover many costs of college, and sometimes doesn t even cover the full cost of tuition. If some students are relying on this, then they should be able to rely on it, as a student who meets the qualifications should have the opportunity to really flourish and contribute to society in the best manner possible. In addition to Bright Futures, additional programs can be investigated that help fund trade schools. We cannot continue to focus solely on bachelor s and master s degrees as the only paths toward a fulfilling life. I know people who want nothing to do with that and instead went to a trade school to learn how to be auto mechanics; I think we can all agree that we want happy mechanics, electricians, contractors, barbers, etc. These professions should not be looked down upon, and some focus on trades after the K-12 schooling should be pushed harder as viable paths for individuals who don t want to attend college. I also believe that public universities can look at their own budgets just the way I propose the government looks at their budgets. We need to find ways to save money without cutting down on services and quality. If expenditures can be lessened, there is the possibility that tuition fees will also be lessened, which does nothing but make college a more viable option for more of the population, as student debt is a real concern to many individuals. Innovation & Economic Development 34. What can the state do to continue to strengthen its position as a worldwide hub for trade? Being a peninsula and having the most miles of coastline in the contiguous United States, Florida must focus heavily on shipping, especially with the direct access to the Panama Canal. Shipping accounts for up to 90% of the world s trade, and Florida has the ability to benefit greatly from this commerce sector. To do this, we must ensure that shipping lanes are available, as the waters surrounding the coast are quite shallow. The dredging that is required to create new ship channels as well as maintain existing ones help to create wildlife refuges, enhancing the beauty of the area. We must also ensure ports are available to accept the larger ships of the future and the influx of increased cargo. On top of that, we need infrastructure beyond the ports to be able to handle the cargo and move it throughout the country. This means we need to not just focus on the actual import/export facilities, but also need to make sure the roadways and railways are sized appropriately to allow for the increased trade-related traffic. To draw in the larger shipping companies from around the world that will help build up the ports and channels, the effect of lowering import taxes and tariffs at ports around the state should be studied. It is quite possible that the net increase in trade alone would outweigh the lost revenue of the reduced tariffs. But the additional benefits of job creation in many different sectors is a great side benefit to the expansion of our import/export capabilities. On top of true physical trade, we need to make sure we are allowing for intellectual trade to continue and blossom in the state. A major part of that involves getting the intellectuals that are here for conferences and meetings out and into the cities easily and smoothly. Focus on efficient road and/or public transit options only makes Florida a more attractive place to bring in and maintain intellectual trade and property. This is really an unspoken trade that can have a major econ 35. Please discuss any ideas you may have to enhance the growth and development of the following economic sectors. Manufactoring:

8 Manufacturing is an industry that is currently under-represented in the state of Florida. However, tax break incentives only to new companies is not the right move, as this essentially creates an unbalanced market in favor of new companies coming to Florida, unfairly burdening the existing companies with having to compete against a company essentially sponsored by the government. Any sort of corporate tax breaks or relaxing of red-tape laws should be applied across the board to every business falling within the category. We cannot punish our current companies doing business in the state in favor of new companies. The discussion of no personal state income tax and reasonable real estate rates should always be put forward, as companies are currently spending incredible amounts of money in costly markets like Silicon Valley and we can capture a portion of the market if the business climate is adjusted to accommodate this. Incentives applied evenly to all mixed with actual data and facts about the Florida economy and market can be a huge impact to a company s decision. Agriculture: Citrus greening must be attacked and solved immediately. The current efforts have not produced results, and it is time to look to other options. Additional state money should be put into research and testing to eliminate this problem from our massive citrus industry. I am all for letting industry solve itself without government input, but a situation like this that is crippling the industry state-wide may need assistance. Another new crop that the agriculture market can focus on is marijuana, with its recent approval for medicinal use. On top of being approved for the medicinal market, the trend is to move toward legalizing marijuana for recreational use, as 8 states and Washington D.C. have already had voter-approved restrictions on this lifted. This new market can be a stable cash flow and help to diversify crop yields, keeping a better balance of the revenue flow when issues like citrus greening do appear, as they inevitably have done throughout history and will continue to do in the future. I also understand that local and state inspectors have been overly intrusive recently. I propose to form a panel of agricultural specialist including local farmers, greenhouse facility owners, aquaculture facility owners, butchers, etc. to see what we can do about logically reducing the impact of the state inspection process on the way that business is performed. I believe the best ideas can come from individuals who live it every day, not from politicians. Construction: Construction has been booming in Florida since coming out of the recession. Developers are busy planning and building their projects, campuses, and communities and the boom has been quite noticeable. Cranes are everywhere and projects are being completed all over the state. To keep this going, public land that is not currently in use by the state (the state owns approximately 112,000 acres of non-conservation land) could be auctioned-off to allow for further development to take place by these companies and groups all the while relaxing burdens on the state. We clearly do not want to sell off conservation lands, as those are also critical, but there are always excess lands that are not needed to be held by the government. As we ve seen in 2008, once the construction stops or slows, we know we have issues. A healthy economy is a building economy, and any excess permitting fees should be eliminated. The permitting office should not be a business, but an entity that maintains public health and safety. Hospitality/Tourism: While Florida has been known as the perfect tourist destination for decades, this can all change if focus is not consistently placed on maintaining a tourist-friendly atmosphere. The beaches on the Gulf and Atlantic alone pull in billions of tourist dollars every year. Tourism has a massive impact to our state tax revenue and to the low taxes for Florida residents. We must ensure we maintain the beaches to the current pristine levels. We must ensure we maintain the fishing at the current (or better) levels. We must ensure we maintain the wetlands and nature preserves at the current levels and expand on preserves, especially coastal ones. These markets are not something that can be taken for granted, and we must make sure we maintain tax appropriations to keep the influx of tourists coming back year after year. Healthcare:

9 A major issue is frivolous lawsuits. Tort reform is something that is desperately needed in the state to bring healthcare costs down. By all means, if a hospital or care-provider is truly liable due to negligence, then they should be held responsible. However, hospitals are required to run an excessive number of tests and retests on patients even when the cause or ailment is already known. If they don t check the boxes, then they open themselves up to litigation. The cost for these unneeded treatments and tests fall onto the patient and their insurance program. Naturally, if these tests weren t run, then the overall cost of treatment to the patient would be lower. This is an immediate impact, not something the insurance companies would have to catch-up to a few years down the road once the true costs were understood. To allow healthcare to operate in this way, we must relax the ability of lawsuits that are able to be filed. However, a more pressing issue in our state s healthcare involves opioid additions. We must continue to push for alternative pain killer options, and we must push to provide actual compassionate care to those who have fallen victim of opioid additions, as they can be crippling. With the acceptance of medicinal marijuana, hopefully we can begin to treat some chronic pains without the use of the current addictive opioids, all the while acknowledging that the opioid treatments are very successful in treating pain, and still utilizing them when the situation calls for this sort of medication. Training, research, and availability of alternatives is key to beginning to fix this situation. We should relax the requirements of the testing process, as people die or become addicts every day that a new treatment is still in the testing phases. We cannot allow for harmful medications to enter the market, but we cannot sit back and test a new drug for 10 years while it can be used positively. Remember, we kept the Ebola epidemic from spr 36. What would you propose to diversify Florida's economy so that we better handle economic downturns? Diversification of economy is always important. When the recession hit, tourism fell, greatly impacting local businesses as well as the tax revenue generated by the state in hotel taxes and sales taxes. I believe a focus on manufacturing and trade can help to diversify our economy so that we aren t as reliant upon outside funding from tourism. Infrastructure & Growth Leadership 37. When is it appropriate for the legislature to shift money from a dedicated state trust fund to pay for other services? Never. This breaks a promise to the people who have put their faith in the government to maintain these coffers. 38. There is a widening gap between infrastructure needs and infrastructure funding. Would you support private investment in public infrastructure projects in order to meet infrastructure needs? Yes How would you propose private investors be repaid? This completely depends on the type of infrastructure provided from a private investor. It could be as simple as profit sharing (if investing in an enhanced sewer system, for example) or directly making a profit via toll roads or mass transit rail systems. Each situation is unique and needs to be approached uniquely. Public-Private Partnerships, as discussed earlier, are a great example of solutions to these problems without overburdening the tax-payer. 39. Philosophically, when considering the following issues, do you think the authority to set or regulate these areas should be at the Federal, State, Local or Regional Government level? Wages Local Government Growth Management Regional Government Wetlands Use State Government Water Supply Local Government Environmental Permitting State Government Business Permits & Licenses Regional Government

10 40. What role should the state play in balancing the ability of electric utilities to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity with the regulations of carbon emissions? Currently, there is no incentive for the power companies to develop cleaner energy sources. I believe that private companies should be allowed to provide the same services and offer customers an option for who to purchase power from. If a solar farm/wind farm/wave energy farm, etc. were to be built be a private firm and they are allowed to tap into the existing grid (or even provide their own grids), then the customers would have an ability to choose. When customers choose, they base their decisions on many factors, and a lot of them would base these decisions on energy sources that come from less carbon-impactful sources (just look at vehicle choices; people pay more for higher-performing vehicles). Florida should look to end the monopoly that is the power provider and open the system up to additional companies. I don t see a downside to letting private firms get involved, as diversification is always a good thing. 41. What can the legislature do to address Florida's water quality and quantity needs? Limitations on water use (yard maintenance, car washes, etc.) when in drought seasons should be maintained, as this is not a private resource that is limitless. The rates can also modulate, depending on the season and the level of available water at each local source. This will help to create a supply and demand market, and if water costs more when there is less available, this will make the public more aware of the issue due to the personal financial impact. We also need to learn from the crisis in Flint, MI. This was a serious issue that left an incredible number of people without clean potable water. A broad overhaul of exactly how water is treated, what chemicals are added to the water along with what their purpose is, and creating overlapping and redundant systems should be a push from the local authorities. Business Climate/Competitiveness 42. What are the three most important things the state legislature could do to improve Florida's business climate? 1: Reduce the level of business income tax or eliminate it completely. The individual has no income tax, so why should the corporations and businesses have to pay taxes to the state to exist? The corporate income tax accounts for $2 billion annually in a $33 billion budget (~6% of the revenue). If we are able to improve the efficiency of government, then this tax may be deemed unnecessary, thus bringing additional businesses into the state and allowing them to flourish. 2: Reduce red tape laws and requirements. If we are to provide less actual paperwork and make things entirely electronic, we improve efficiency. If we are to reduce the level of duplicate information required by this agency or that one, we improve efficiency. If we are to provide reciprocation from approved agencies, we improve efficiency. If we are to remove excessive licensing fees and requirements, we improve efficiency. All these things can help drive businesses forward and move Florida into one of the top tier states for the business climate. 3: Ensure funding dedicated for education (Florida Lottery proceeds, for example) area always available and are not infringed upon. If we can ensure a healthy business climate with the above examples, then we need to ensure a healthy workforce capacity as well, and that begins and ends with providing the proper training. Provide additional technical schooling options in K-12 and guarantee funding for scholarship programs that have been promised to the people of Florida. 43. Florida does not currently have a sales tax on services. Several attempts have been made over the past decade to create a new tax on services in the state Constitution. Would you support creating a sales tax on services?ness testimony standards? No Explain: Florida has a healthy tax revenue and has had a surplus over the last few budget cycles. No, I don t support additional taxation. 44. What is your position on collecting sales and use tax on transactions from out of state and online retailers? Do Not Support 45. What is your general philosophy on state and local taxes?

11 Taxes are a necessary part of government. However, they can always be more effectively utilized so that the populous can be less burdened. Increases in taxes are never the answer. If I cannot afford to pay my personal bills, I don t demand my employer gives me a raise, I figure out how to better balance my expenditures. Taxation should be no different. 46. Are there any taxes that should be increased? I cannot currently think of taxes that should be increased in the state of Florida, however taxes can be applied to things that are not currently taxed in the black market (things like marijuana). If we were to regulate and tax this as a luxury tax (just like alcohol and alcohol), then this would reduce crime and increase tax revenue. 47. Do you believe hotels should or should not be required to include resort fees in the daily room rate to allow guests to comparison shop before they book a room? Should not be required Explain: Additional clarity and transparency is always a good thing for the consumer. However, I believe the private market should drive this, as people would tend be attracted to hotel chains that are known for including all costs in the displayed price of the room. Extortion and theft upon arrival is not an option either (advertise $50/night then hit the person with $200 in fees upon arrival), so there must be a balance. 48. What are your thoughts on the number of lawsuits files in Florida? Should the state intervene to make it easier or more difficult to file a lawsuit? Explain: The number of frivolous lawsuits filed in Florida is a burden to the entire state. Homeowner insurance (highest in the country), vehicle insurance (6th highest in the country), health insurance (4th highest in the country), etc. are all higher in Florida than the national average. This can be partially attributed to frivolous lawsuits and the insurance companies that are forced to settle for millions of dollars a year. Common sense must begin to be applied to this area, as a reduction in lawsuits will benefit the residents as a whole much more than a quick lawsuit benefits the few. We cannot step back into the realm we were in before where there was no real opposition to insurance companies denying claims, but we have swung the pendulum in the other direction where lawsuits dominate the climate; just drive down I-75 and look at the lawyer billboards every other mile. One option may be to introduce a clause that the loser pays. All legal fees would be paid by the loser in the trial. This will reduce the desire of individuals to sue for each and every thing that comes at them every day. It also eliminates the you don t pay unless you win hook that frivolous legal firms have been jumping onto as their motto, which incentivizes individuals to put forward more and more lawsuits, further burdening our society. Other states do not have these issues on the level that Florida does. I believe we need to study how other states have balanced the two sides and determine the best approach forward. 49. Would you support legislation that limits recovery for future medical care in personal injury lawsuits to what is "usually and customarily" paid to other medical providers in the community? Why? No, as this wording is too broad and can be deciphered in a way to negatively affect those who are truly injured and deserve compensation due to negligence. What I would support is legislation that states that an individual who initiates a lawsuit and does not win is required to pay all the legal fees of the defendant. In this way, we help to cut down on the amount of frivolous lawsuits and allow companies and individuals to more freely defend themselves in lieu of just settling because that is a cheaper alternative. 50. Accuracy in Damages: Would you support legislation that limits the amount of money recoverable for medical care in personal injury lawsuits to the amount actually paid for the medical care versus the amount charged by the provider of the medical care? Why? As long as there is a percentage mark-up for profit and overhead (typically 15% or so) included in the fees. Companies should not be forced to provide services at cost just because of a court order. However, they should not be able to extort the insurance companies or individuals who are liable for the financial burden. This helps to reduce fraud in personal injury claims.

12 51. In the context of a personal injury lawsuit, do you believe that it is reasonable to require an injured person seeking money from a liability insurance company to give the insurance company a (1) written notice of the claim and (2) a minimum of 45 days to investigate the claim and offer to pay the policy limits of the policy? Agree Why? I believe it is fair to give a written notice of claim as well as adequate time to investigate the claim and potentially prepare a defense. I don't know if 45 days is the correct length of time, but I believe the general wording of this proposal is fair. Governance & Civic Systems 52. What is the proper role of state agencies in regulating prices for insurance companies, banks, medical providers and other regulated industries? Explain: The state does not have a role in regulating pricing as long as collusion for keeping price inflated among competing companies cannot be proven. Let the free market work. 53. Government regulations continue to be the top concern for Florida's small business. What areas would you recommend reducing regulation and red tape? Lessened licensing fees and requirements is a starting point. Every single occupation should not be required to be licensed. If a certain profession wants to protect themselves from unlicensed individuals, a private group can be created (similar to how architects can join the AIA, but they are not required to do so). The government should only ensure professions that have a direct impact on public safety are licensed through the state. Another concern is the amount of filing and paperwork required. If we can reduce the amount of actual paperwork and create some reciprocity among the boards, entities, and groups that require filing of specific information, then we lessen the amount of work required of small businesses. This leads to increased productivity and putting man-hours onto other tasks instead of unnecessary burdensome overhead. 54. Both the Florida Retirement System Pension plan and Local Government-administered pension plan programs are experiencing a growing unfunded actuarial liability that is currently in excess of $31 billion. How do you propose to fill the funding gap in these guaranteed pension plans? The state budget must be overhauled to find waste within. Once again, rewarding cost saving measures should be promoted in lieu of promoting the attitude of maintaining budgetary funding year after year. Once the waste is determined, a portion of the savings can be routed back to the plan that was promised to individuals who are a part of these programs. We need to hold these public pension programs to the same standards we hold private pension programs to. If someone is promised a pension after working for a company for 20 years, and this is not given to them, then there are legal ramifications. The public pension programs for educators, law enforcement, social workers, etc. are all a part of the contract they had with the city or county or state when they took the job. This is guaranteed retirement money that those individuals were counting on when they signed up. We cannot allow these individuals to lose the pensions promised to them. 55. Should there be term limits for: Circuit/County Judges? Appellate Judges? Supreme Court Judges? Why? Yes Yes Yes All elected officials should be subject to term limits. This keeps ideas and policies fresh and current according to the public s desires. Additionally, this may limit the amount of perceived corruption that Americans are seeing with lifetime politicians and special interest groups funding their campaigns and motives. Quality of Life & Quality Places

13 56. Should the state of Florida be able to mandate that health insurance providers cover specific health conditions or benefits even if the mandates increase the cost of health insurance for employees and employers? Explain: One reasonable portion of the ACA was the coverage of pre-existing conditions. It cannot be 100% free market in this case, as no insurance company would cover an individual with expensive pre-existing conditions (child born with HIV, for example) without astronomical premiums and fees. I believe pre-existing conditions should be required to be covered, and the premiums are able to be somewhat higher than the market average, but not out of reach for a middle-class family. 57. Rising health care cost is a concern for Florida businesses and consumers. What would you propose that could help alleviate that burden? Tort reform is a starting point and a low-hanging fruit. If we can allow hospitals to operate freely without running additional testing and procedures that the physicians and staff know are not required, then we can cut unnecessary expenditures. This limits the impact to the patient physically and financially, as well as limiting the impact to the insurance companies. However, to do this, we need to allow the doctors and physicians to actually operate in the ways they know how to do instead of being burdened with red tape. When there is truly a medical malpractice situation, the hospital should be held responsible, there is no doubt about that. We have crossed a line where we don t allow our healthcare providers to operate within the bounds of what they know needs to be done, they instead operate within the bounds of not having litigation brought up against them. This is not right, and it is a first step to bringing our healthcare costs down. 58. What is your position on Medicaid expansion? I believe that Medicaid provides an important healthcare gap for those that truly cannot afford it. However, the issue is not the lack of Medicaid funding, but more the high healthcare costs. If we can bring down the costs, then healthcare is more affordable, and Medicaid may not need an expansion. 59. What is your position on whether the state should prohibit balanced billing in emergency situations? Broader Arena? Each emergency situation calls for unique and special measures. As it is for each individual family, in an emergency situation, a balanced checkbook may not always be an option. It should always be one of the last options looked into, but emergencies (such as a natural disaster) require that all options be on the table for consideration, at a minimum. 60. What is your suggestion to address the current workforce shortage of physicians and nurses in the state? This needs to be best tackled by the healthcare providers themselves. Government cannot attract individuals to a certain profession. However, with policies in place like reduced taxes and reduced government interference, the healthcare industry in Florida will be a more desirable field for those wanting to join the industry or move to Florida from another state. If we allow supply and demand to work, then we will see the numbers come to where they need to be at over time. 61. What is your position on the expansion of gambling in Florida? This should be put to the voters. If the state voters approve measures to move forward with crafting legislation, then that s what should happen. The state should not move on something of this magnitude without input from the residents. 62. Do you believe gambling should ever be expanded or current permitted gambling changed without an affirmative statewide vote of the people? No. See above. FINAL THOUGHTS