In what ultimately would be considered an iconic part of his successful campaign, St. Petersburg House Republican Jeff Brandes last fall aired a television ad where he discussed how local businesses like the one he used to work at were under siege in Florida, due to a surfeit of higher taxes and government regulations. He warned that if Tallahassee didn't get out of the way, "we're taking them to the woodshed."
Now as he and other local lawmakers who talked extensively about helping to create jobs now prepare for the spring Legislative session in Tallahassee, Brandes and other local lawmakers are hosting an open meeting with business owners to ask how can help them do that. They're calling it a "Jobs Creation Summit", and it takes place this coming Friday morning at the the St. Petersburg College EPI Center at 13805 58th Street North in Clearwater.
Other lawmakers (all members of the Pinellas delegation) to be participating include State Senator Jack Latvala, and state house Representatives Ed Hooper, Jim Frishe, Larry Ahern as well as Brandes, who says, "We want to hear from our constituents."
Brandes says the group has asked some of the local Chambers of Commerce groups and the like to participate and generate ideas that the lawmakers can perhaps address through new legislation.
"I get e-mails almost everyday from individuals who want something changed in terms of regulations," Brandes says. "Tallahassee is stifling these guys."
Brandes says there may be similar meetings in the future, and not just on jobs, but also insurance and education, which are the key issues he campaigned on last fall in defeating Democrat Bill Heller.
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2011.