Press Release from David Jolly for Florida Congressional
District 13
Friends:
Many of you likely read the opinion column by the
Editor of Editorials for the Tampa Bay Times.
IT is important that our campaign team and those who
may read this; however, understand that columnists express opinion, not news –
they express viewpoints, not knowledge. And the Editor of Editorials is
entitled to do so based on as little or as much fact and information as he
chooses to incorporate into his opinion.
I am proud to reflect so many of the values and ideals
of our Rep. C.W. Bill Young, and yes to consider myself a Bill Young
Republican. Many people were close with Mr. Young, including many editors
and writers through the years at the Times. Everyone who knew
our late Congressman assigned their own
opinions and interpretations to his
every decision, his priorities, his projects, and his ideology. And those
opinions were subjective for each individual.
The Editor’s interpretation of Mr. Young’s ideology and
view of public service, as well as his assumptions of my ideology and view of
public service, are subjective interpretations he is entitled to, but not
exclusively entitled to. So allow me to address some of the areas in
which I disagree with the Editor’s view both of Mr. Young and of myself, and to
further expand on my work and experience with Mr. Young for the benefit of our
campaign supporters.
First, Mr. Young was Pinellas County. From the
time he moved to Pinellas Park at a young age, he always called Pinellas County
home – not Tampa Bay, not the region – but Pinellas County. He taught me
the lesson that the House of Representatives is the one office in the entire
federal government where you have to beelected by your neighbors and your
community. You cannot be appointed. He was proud to teach
thousands of school children that would come through his office that he was a
Member of that special legislative body referred to as ‘the people’s
house’.
And so yes, Pinellas County should be represented by
someone from Pinellas County. That is how the founders intended it.
Article I of the Constitution clearly intends that the lower chamber be the
body of representation closest to the people. No editorial column can
ever overcome that, just as no editorial can ever justify the false pretense of
my opponent’s temporary residency.
The Editor confuses this basic principle of local
representation, either mistakenly or with intent, with whether a local
Representative should support regional initiatives. The two are not
mutually exclusive and I suspect he knows that. Mr. Young was both proud
to represent his home county and proud to support regional initiatives like
those cited in the column.
I know because I was there. And if elected I
would do the same. The Editor cites the Congressman’s support for the
regional water reservoir that he secured funding for, and suggests I would not
have the same conviction for regional advocacy. The problem with this
suggestion is that it leaves out a very important point - that I was part of
the staff team that assisted Mr. Young on funding for this project, and I was
there at the reservoir the day Mr. Young cut the ribbon and spoke eloquently
about the history of water wars. Similarly, on projects such as MacDill
Air Force Base, I was likewise there when Mr. Young secured additional Air
Force tankers for the base as well as additional infrastructure funding for
U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command, and I was there on
base for meetings and ceremonies commemorating each. When Mr. Young
worked to support additional research funding and funding for the ROTC at the
University of South Florida main campus in Tampa, I was there when the funding
was secured and I was then on campus for the ceremonies and
commemorations. When Mr. Young worked with local leadership to help
relocate Stanford Research International to the USF Bayboro campus in downtown
St. Petersburg, or when he joined to cut the ribbon on the first residential
hall at USF St. Petersburg, I was there, despite those facilities now being
outside CD13.
While I do insist that someone from Pinellas should be
elected to represent Pinellas, I have never suggested our next Member of Congress
should not look to appropriately advocate for our region. In fact, the
question of regional representation (specifically priorities at MacDill and
research priorities at the University of South Florida) were specifically
discussed in my interview with the editorial board of the Tampa Tribune.
I pledged my support at that time for continuing Mr. Young’s advocacy for these
important regional institutions, and the Tribune noted this in
their recommendation of my candidacy. This matter was never asked during
my interview with the Tampa Bay Times nor in any of my dozens
of interviews since with the Times, however, so his suggestion is
unfortunately not based on conversation or fact, but solely on assumptions that
he has incorrectly made.
Secondly, it is true that I am running against the
hand-picked candidate of the Washington establishment, and I am doing so as
someone who has worked on behalf of the interests of this county for nearly
twenty years, both here at home and in Washington DC. I went to work with
Mr. Young essentially right out of college and until his passing worked on his
behalf and behalf of this county and this region both as Congressional staff
and in private practice. Much of my work for Mr. Young and in private practice
took me to Washington. That is where the federal government sits.
To suggest that my work in Washington on behalf of this area somehow undermines
my residency or ties to the community here would similarly call into question
the residency of all 435 sitting Members of the House of Representatives and
all 100 Members of the United States Senate. It’s an intellectually
dishonest suggestion.
Third, it is possible to support the local defense and
manufacturing industry without earmarks. The federal budget process is complex
and always includes forward looking out-year budget planning for programs of
record. Protecting jobs through the budget process does not require
earmarks, it requires a specialized knowledge of the process and a dogged
determination to fight for this district. The last year of Congressional
earmarks was 2010. Mr. Young was able to continue to sustain the defense
industry base here long after earmarks because he understood the process.
The Editor seems ready to throw in the towel on sustaining local jobs now that
Mr. Young is gone. I’m not willing to do so. I intend to use every
bit of my experience and understanding of the federal budget process to protect
and grow both skilled and unskilled jobs here in Pinellas County.
Finally, on Obamacare, yes I favor repeal immediately,
as did Mr. Young. However, I have also said in multiple media interviews
that we simply cannot be the party of ‘no’. In fact, in an interview with
the media on election night that included the Times, as well as in
a public candidate forum attended by over 200 people in Pinellas Park and
covered widely by print media, I suggested we need to create a statutory
construct for healthcare that resembles the model of less regulation and less
government intrusion used for term life insurance. I favor exploring a
model that allows a young person to purchase an affordable lifetime plan,
beginning at an early age, with actuarially sound price stability, portable
across state lines, decoupled from employers but eligible for employer
reimbursement, and not eligible to be canceled based on intervening health
events. This is done by less government regulation and less government
control. The current big government restrictions on health care plans
stands in the way of a model like the one above. This is a concept I have
discussed publicly and in the media. It is disappointing that the Editor
either missed this or chose to ignore it before suggesting I had no alternative
to Obamacare.
Pinellas County is a better place because of the long
legacy and current award-winning journalism at the Times. But
opinion pieces sometimes deserve responses.
The Editor clearly believes my opponent is the right
choice on March 11. He is entitled to that opinion. The voters and
residents of Pinellas County and District 13 are also entitled to theirs.
As many of you know, I got into this race not to seek
the affirmation or approval of political machines or of the press. I got
into this race because I believe the voters will affirm our stand on the issues
most important to this district and the nation. That remains the guiding
principle of this campaign, and that is the principle on which we will win on
March 11.
Sincerely,
David Jolly
e-mail Doc at: dr.webb@verizon.net, or send me a Facebook (Gene Webb)Friend
request. See More of Doc at Bay Post Internet and St.PetePatch.
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