Last week Hillsborough area Democratic Representative Mike Scionti announced he had been appointed to a position in the Department of Defense and would be leaving his state House seat. Immediately, speculation centered around which local Democrats would run to replace him in a special election that will be held early next year.
In his new position at DOD, Scionti, a veteran of the Army Reserve, will be working with local communities in the event of natural disasters. Hell deal with hurricanes, earthquakes, floods daunting challenges, yes, but probably easier than fighting uphill battles as a Democrat in the Florida House.
The frustrations of Floridas House Democrats surfaced last month at a Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee meeting on the University of Tampa campus. Scionti and fellow Hillsborough House Democrat Betty Reed explained that many of the bills theyd hoped to propose in 2010 have no chance of going anywhere unless they meet with the approval of House Speaker Larry Cretul, who controls the gavel. Contending as well with Floridas budget crunch, Scionti and Reed at times have been forced to perform triage to simply prevent things from getting worse.
It was not an encouraging night, and as local Democrats begin campaigning in the Tampa Bay area and across the state to win seats in the House in 2010, the question might be asked: Is it really worth it?
The answer based on interviews with several current and former House Democrats is a qualified yes.