Candidate Profile - Personal Information

Transcription

1 1. Candidate's Name: 2. Address: Candidate Profile - Personal Information Ben Diamond PO Box City: St Petersburg Zip: Telephone Numbers: 5. Address: n/a Home Cell Office ben@votebendiamond.com 6. Highest Degree Earned: (from what Institution?) 7. Current Occupation: 8. Current Employer: 9. Notable Previous Employment: 10. Family Description: Attorney 11. How are you involved in your community? Williamson, Diamond & Caton, PA Juris Doctor, University of Florida Levin College of Law Attorney, private practice, Akerman Senterfitt ( ); Served as Special Counsel and then General Counsel to Florida s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and the Florida Department of Financial Services ( ); Law Clerk to the Honorable Emmett Ripley Cox, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ( ) I live with my wife Christina and our three-year-old son Frankie in St Petersburg. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Pinellas County Urban League, and serve as the appointed citizen representative for the City of St. Petersburg on the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, where I chair our agency s State and Federal Legislative Affairs Committee. As a small business owner, I am active with the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, and Co-Chair of our Chamber s Transportation Task Force, and member of our Public Policy Committee. I am very involved in our synagogue, Temple Beth-El, where our son attends preschool; I currently serve on our Temple s Board of Directors. In addition, I serve on the Board of Directors of the Tampa Orlando Pinellas Jewish Federation. 12. What boards have you served on? Pinellas County Urban League Board of Directors (current member); Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Board of Directors (current member); St Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Transportation Task Force (current co-chair); Temple Beth-El Board of Directors (current member); Tampa Orlando Pinellas Jewish Federation (current member); Yale Alumni Club of Tampa Bay Board of Directors (current member and Club President); Leadership Florida Board of Directors ( ); Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar (current member of the Section s Executive Committee); St. Petersburg Bar Association (Probate and Guardianship Section chair and current member of the St Petersburg Bar Association s executive committee). 13. Who are some people you admire most and why do you admire them?

2 I admire my grandfathers, both of whom served in the Second World War and came home to finish their education, raise their families, and had very successful careers. My mother s father, Dante Fascell of Miami, graduated from the University of Miami Law School and went on to serve as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, and then serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives for 38 years. I am very proud of his service to our state and nation. My father s father, Frank Diamond, was wounded in the Second World War. He was a businessman who loved his family, his community and the arts. Several years ago, he was recognized by France with the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration by France, for his bravery in battle. I admire both of my grandfathers for their integrity, their commitment to their families, and their service to their communities and to our nation. 14. Who in your community would you go to for trusted advice? My rabbi Michael Torop. 15. Three Qualities Leaders Possess: I am a good listener. I try to be thoughtful and open minded, and not jump to conclusions, and analyze information before making decisions. Lastly, I believe in the importance of setting goals and try to motivate those around me to meet our goals. 16. Office being sought: House District: 68 Senate District: 17. Party Affiliation: Democrat Length of Time: Lifelong 18. What is your one guiding principle or core value? My family has always believed in the importance of public service and service to our community. In addition to my grandparents (who I previously mentioned) my parents believe deeply in service. My father is a retired pediatrician here in Pinellas County and served for years as Chairman of the Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board. My mother is an active leader in our community, and currently serves on the Board of the Community Foundation of Pinellas and All Children s Hospital. I am lucky to have a loving and supporting family that has instilled in me a strong desire to be a community leader and public servant. The idea of service is an important guiding principal from my family and my faith. In the Jewish tradition, we believe in Tikkun Olam Hebrew for repairer of the world a commandment to engage constructively in the pursuit of community service and social justice. I view community service and public service as an important part of that teaching. 19. Briefly describe your political involvement: I served for four years ( ) in Tallahassee for Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, initially as her Special Counsel on policy and legal matters, and then as General Counsel to the CFO and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services. I have volunteered in a number of political campaigns over the years here in Pinellas, most recently working for Mayor Rick Kriseman. 20. Have you ever been a previous candidate for political office? (IF YES) What Office: Outcome of race: 21. Campaign Organization and Structure: General Consultant: Blue Ticket Consulting Manager: Meagan Salisbury of Blue Ticket Consulting Treasurer: Ace Padian Media: Christian Ulvert (media); Dylan Sumner (mail) Pollster: Tom Eldon Advisors: Campaign Web Address: No

3 Facebook Page Name: Ben Diamond Campaign Budget Amount: 250, , Why are you running for this office? I m running for the Florida House of Representatives because I want to continue my service to Pinellas County in Tallahassee. I love this community and have been working hard on issues of concern to our family and other families in Pinellas County through service on boards and civic organizations issues like transportation, improving our public schools, and protecting our environment for future generations. In deciding to run for the Florida House, I gave a lot of thought as to how I might best be able to continue my public service work for our community. Because of my four years of work in Tallahassee, and my continued work on local issues of concern to Pinellas county residents, I believe I will be able to hit the ground running and be an effective and strong advocate on day one for the people of Pinellas County. 23. Why should the business community support your candidacy: I am small business owner, a partner in a Pinellas County law firm with four lawyers, and seven staff members. I believe that supporting the business community is critical to ensure that our community as a whole will thrive with better opportunities for all of us. I have been a leader in the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce because as a lawyer and businessperson I believe we need a thriving business community to attract and retain young, energetic and talented people in Florida. Our world is increasingly mobile, and many young people will leave Florida for better opportunities if we do not support our businesses, and make smarter investments in our future to ensure a successful business community for years to come. I believe the business community should support my candidacy because as a Florida lawyer and business owner, I am committed to seeing business thrive here in Florida, and want to promote smart policies and investments to accomplish that objective. 24. List by priority the top three (3) Legislative Committees you would like to be assigned: Committee 1: Appropriations Committee Committee 2: Economic Affairs Committee Committee 3: Education Committee 25. Are there any organizations which you would NOT accept donations from? If so, please list: I would not accept a donation from an organization that discriminated on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation. I also would not accept a donation from an organization that promoted or engaged in illegal activity. 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. II. Issue Questions Talent Supply & Education 27. What changes would you recommend to Florida's K-12 system of education? Please address school funding. I support fully supporting Florida s traditional public schools and making sure our teachers are well paid. I believe in accountability that is reasonable and universal, and that does not interfere with the primary objective for teachers which is to teach their students. 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

4 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? Unions play an important role in making sure workers have fair and safe working conditions, and collective bargaining is the backbone of that process. I generally believe unions should have broad authority to collectively bargain on behalf of their members, however I would need more information about what additional issues teachers unions are currently working on beyond the typical employment issues tied to hours worked and benefits paid. 30. How would you address the shortage of qualified talent to fill jobs in STEM-related fields? First off, I would like to better understand the extent of the shortage of teachers in STEM- related fields. Generally, I believe that we need to have qualified teachers in every field, and we need to pay teachers more and have better certainty in our pensions. Hopefully, that will attract better teachers in every subject matter, including in the STEM-related fields. 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? Parents like accountability and standards in education. I do support these benchmarks, but the execution of these ideas really matter. There needs to be buy-in from parents, and teachers that the benchmarks are an important measure for student success. 32. What changes would you support that improve workforce development in the state of Florida? Labor markets are changing rapidly, and we need to make sure our state is keeping up with the rest of the country. This means involving businesses and other stakeholders in the community in students education. Students should have the opportunity to participate in internship and externship programs to help them determine what type of career they want to pursue and get them ready for it. I support creative ways for the business community to engage with our schools to provide students with more opportunities that will hopefully better prepare them for our workforce. 33. What changes should be made to Florida's higher education system? I think our higher education system generally needs a lot more public support in terms of funding. I think increased funding for higher education is important to keep the costs of tuition as affordable as possible for Florida students. I am a former English major, and while I certainly believe that programs in the STEM fields are important, I also personally believe in the usefulness of a broad liberal arts education. Innovation & Economic Development 34. What can the state do to continue to strengthen its position as a worldwide hub for trade? Florida has a unique geographic position. We have over a dozen ports. We are uniquely positioned as a gateway from North America to South America, and ports to Africa and to Europe. We have to be the preeminent port destination. I believe in improving our multi-modal transportation, so that we have east-west rail out of Jacksonville, and north-south rail out of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. We rely on our environment and on being a destination for people all around the world. We must protect our environment and our natural resources to remain a center for trade and tourism. Remaining a worldwide hub for trade requires a lot of work. Florida needs to make and maintain connections with other states and countries to develop new markets and business opportunities. While we re looking outside of the state for these relationships, we also need to ensure our infrastructure within the state is stable and able to handle increased movement of people and goods. 35. Please discuss any ideas you may have to enhance the growth and development of the following economic sectors. Manufactoring:

5 Florida has traditionally not been a manufacturing powerhouse. The success of Florida will depending on having a diverse set of new industries that allow our existing industries to thrive. We need to increase manufacturing in a way that does not threaten Florida s traditional industries, our natural resources, and our reputation as a tourist destination. Agriculture: Agriculture was Florida s first industry. It should always be the backbone of Florida s diversified economy. Continued investment in programs like the University of Florida s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is critical. I would also like to see continued investment in our Commissioner of Agriculture s biofuel program. We need to promote public policies that allow our agriculture industry in Florida continue to thrive. Construction: Florida s economy has been built around growth and construction. We need to recognize that the construction industry is a vital part of our economic engine in Florida. I am excited about finding ways to make our neighborhoods and our construction more livable and sustainable for the next century. Hospitality/Tourism: Along with agriculture, Florida s original industry is tourism, with our beaches, our destinations and amusement parks, and our sunshine. We have a brand as a family friendly state for people all over the world to come to. I think we have to be very careful about making changes in our state s public policy that would jeopardize our tourism industry, such as destination casinos or environmentally harmful industries. Healthcare: Florida should be a leader in health care. We have extraordinarily talented people and health care institutions in our state. I am very excited about the merger between Johns Hopkins University and All Children s Hospital in St. Petersburg, which is bringing world renowned research and innovation in health care to our community. We need to replicate those types of partnerships and innovations throughout Florida. We also need to be sure to be promoting good public policy that provides health insurance for all Floridians, and expanding Medicaid access to cover Floridians. A healthier population will be good public policy and good for business and for Florida. Lastly, we need to make sure we have a regulatory environment in which our doctors and our hospitals feel safe and paid fairly for their services. 36. What would you propose to diversify Florida's economy so that we better handle economic downturns? Florida has tended to have a relatively seasonal, tourist driven economy, and that is critical. But finding new industries that bring high paying jobs will allow us to have a more stable economy overall. I think it is critical that we continue to work on growing our own Florida businesses, and making smart, strategic investments in our businesses. In my mind, that is probably a more productive strategy for diversifying our economy than competing in a bidding war to lure out of state businesses to Florida. 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? In my view it is inappropriate for the legislature to use money from a dedicated state trust fund to pay other services, and the practice should only be used in unusual or extreme circumstances. 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?

6 There are certainly plenty of examples where private public partnerships work well. However, it is important that the private companies and the public share in the outcome. We do not want a situation where the public carries the burden of the downside risk but the private company gets the upside the risk. 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 Growth Management Wetlands Use Water Supply Environmental Permitting Business Permits & Licenses State Government Regional Government State Government Regional Government State Government State Government 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? There needs to be an appropriate balance. However, in my view, the state has not done enough in recent years to set goals for the reduction of carbon emissions. Reducing carbon emissions is very important in our overall effort to curb global climate change. One way the state could do more in promoting both affordable electricity and reducing carbon emissions is by doing more to promote energy efficiency. Energy efficiency is one of the cheapest ways to provide electricity, and even a modest goal would provide customers with substantial savings. In addition, it would help move us toward a goal of reduction in carbon emissions. 41. What can the legislature do to address Florida's water quality and quantity needs? Florida is growing too quickly for our state not to have a long term plan to address the continued depletion of our water supply. Continuing to make bad decisions with regard to the use of water now will only lead to more difficulties for Florida in the years to come. The comprehensive water bill that passed the Legislature this past session as progress, but it did not go far enough, in my view, in providing strong protections for Florida s springs. Additionally, I believe that water conservation should be a priority. Business Climate/Competitiveness 42. What are the three most important things the state legislature could do to improve Florida's business climate? 1: Increasing funding for public education and higher education 2: Seeking ways to diversify our economy by investing and supporting the growth of Florida's "home grown" businesses 3: Improving our infrastructure, particularly as it relates to transportation 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: I think it is important for government to be well-funded. But I have concerns that a sales tax on services would be hugely disruptive to a number of different industries. 44. What is your position on collecting sales and use tax on transactions from out of state and online retailers? Support 45. What is your general philosophy on state and local taxes?

7 I believe that we need stable and predictable sources of revenue for our state. I would like to see fewer tax holidays and exempting industries. In my mind, we end up losing significant and necessary revenue for the state as a result of these tax holidays, and I am not sure what we really gain with these policies. 46. Are there any taxes that should be increased? No, however, I think that we should periodically review exemptions to make sure that they are still relevant and fulfilling the original intent of the exemption. 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: I would want to understand this issue better, but I would not want Florida to take a position that puts us at a competitive disadvantage as a state, given the importance of our tourism industry. 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: I think that frivolous lawsuits are a problem, and we certainly have an overly litigious society. But I am not sure what is meant by the "state intervening to make it easier or more difficult to file a lawsuit" in Florida. 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? I support judges having discretion to advise the jury and develop the appropriate recovery on a case by case basis. I would be concerned about a "one size fits all approach" in these types of cases. 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? No I do not support that. I believe it is important for doctors and other health care providers to receive fair compensation for their services. 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? Disagree Why? I would not want to put unfair limitations or mandates on how an insurance company interacts with their policyholders. In my mind, a one size fits all approach may be overly restrictive and may not work best for certain insurers. 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 needs to provide a predictable and fair regulatory environment. We need to a regulatory environment that allows businesses to be able to plan, and also that recognizes that we want to attract new business to Florida. Particularly in the area of insurance, it is important that we have predictability so that we can attract new capital to our market. 53. Government regulations continue to be the top concern for Florida's small business. What areas would you recommend reducing regulation and red tape?

8 I support modernizing our regulations where the regulations are outdated or no longer address the issue or problem they were created to solve. Many regulations are proposed by industries themselves, who are seeking to solve a particular problem. I believe agencies and the Legislature must work closely with the business community to ensure that regulations are modernized and appropriately address specific problems, and always be cautious of the unanticipated consequences of new regulations. 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? Pensions are a commitment that we have made to our state and local employees. I believe we need to honor those commitments. To the extent that there are funding shortfalls, I believe we need to address funding these pensions sufficiently. I would want to better understand the Chamber's concern about the "growing unfunded actuarial liability" in these plans. To the extent there are funding shortfalls, I want to engage in a process to find a good faith policy solution that includes all of the relevant stakeholders. 55. Should there be term limits for: Circuit/County Judges? No Appellate Judges? No Supreme Court Judges? No Why? We have elections for county and circuit judges. For appellate and supreme court judges, we have the merit retention system, and mandatory retirement at the age of 70. I do not understand what problem the proposed "term limits" for appellate judges is attempting to solve. Quality of Life & Quality Places 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: I understand that there are certain mandates already in place, that are obviously important. Undoing those mandates would be very disruptive. However, I would be very skeptical of new mandates because I want to preserve flexibility in the marketplace. I would have a high threshold in considering proposed new mandates for health insurance providers. 57. Rising health care cost is a concern for Florida businesses and consumers. What would you propose that could help alleviate that burden? I support Medicaid expansion and expanding coverage through the Affordable Care Act. We have seen since the Affordable Care Act has been implemented that long term cost curves have shifted downward. We should embrace all aspects of this plan, so that the tax dollars stay in Florida to provide Floridians with greater coverage. 58. What is your position on Medicaid expansion? I support it. 59. What is your position on whether the state should prohibit balanced billing in emergency situations? Broader Arena? It has been a while since I studied this issue, and candidly I would need more information and the opportunity to study it further before taking a position. 60. What is your suggestion to address the current workforce shortage of physicians and nurses in the state?

9 We certainly need more residency programs. Most doctors end up practicing where they do their residency. I would support programs to expand nursing and medical education in Florida. I am also excited about learning more about the "telemedicine" opportunities and finding ways for that to be part of the solution. 61. What is your position on the expansion of gambling in Florida? I do not think we should expand gambling in Florida beyond what is already in place. 62. Do you believe gambling should ever be expanded or current permitted gambling changed without an affirmative statewide vote of the people? I am running to be a state legislator in order to make tough decisions. I believe this issue can be handled at the legislative level. I am personally opposed to expanding gambling in Florida. FINAL THOUGHTS I appreciate the work of the Florida chamber and the vital role our businesses play in our state. I hope to bring a sensible, moderate and business-friendly approach to my work in state government. Thank you for the opportunity to complete these brief answers and to speak with you further at my interview.