Early Years

I've lived in Plant City, Florida, my entire life.  There were, of course, the years that I spent away at school, getting a degree in Public Relations at the University of Florida and a law degree from Florida State, but central Florida has always been the place that I called home.

I am proud to be a 5th generation Floridian.  I am the descendant of a long line of industrious Floridians – preachers, teachers, farmers, and public servants – whose love for the state and family values shaped mine.  These Florida roots and Florida values are shared by us all and guide each decision I make.

My dad was a small businessman.  He opened a paint and hardware store in what is now referred to as the historic district of Plant City.  He worked long hours. Through Dad, I learned first hand the value of hard work when he hired each of his three sons to work with him in the store.

I swept and mopped the floors, mixed paint and oils, counted nails, hauled out the rakes and shovels for displays, all before I headed off for school.  Many a day I returned late in the afternoon to help him "close shop".

I learned from Dad about business and the value of a dollar, but I also learned about the American Dream.  Without a college education, he built a successful business and a comfortable home.  It was his firm belief that anything was possible in America if you were willing to put forth the effort.

Down at the store, I learned, too, that it was important to do what you can do to help others in need.  That lesson came from my mom, who was not only my dad's business partner, but was also a substitute teacher.  Later, she became a social worker when my Dad became ill and could no longer work.

Mom always wanted to help people.  She likely learned it from her dad, my grandfather, E. W. Simmons, who was for 24 years a Hillsborough County Commissioner.  Mom was always volunteering and used the resources of the store to help people.

We went to church every Sunday at the First Baptist Church.  Our strong faith was a cornerstone for our family's foundation, and still is today – my family attends the same church.

I graduated from Plant City High School in 1971, one of the last years that we were known as the "Planters".  I was involved in lots of activities, Florida American Legion Boys State, where I was honored to serve as Governor, and proud to be on the tennis and swim teams.  I still swim several times each week.

Plant City was a great place to grow up.  Neighbors knew each other and cared about all the kids.  We could roam and play where we pleased.  We were safe.  We were secure.

The lessons I learned early on have helped guide my life.  From my family, church and school, I learned about hope, security and opportunity and with my wife of 29 years, we have done our best to share those lessons with our two sons.

College Years

For college, I was destined to be a Gator.  The University of Florida was the only school I applied to.  I remember Saturday afternoons as a teenager, listening to the Gator games on the radio while we were out hunting doves near my granddad’s orange groves.  Games weren't televised back then, so the closest that I could come to seeing the heroics of Steve Spurrier and the Gators is what I could imagine from the broadcast.

I majored in Public Relations because it was part of the Journalism school and I had developed an interest in writing while working at The Courier while I was in high school.  I had started as photographer, but a kind editor elevated me to the role as cub reporter.

What I really wanted to do was to go to law school.  I had been inspired by Jim Redman,
who became a life long mentor to me, for his effectiveness as a legislator, love for Plant City, and most of all, his devotion to his Floridian and Christian values.  He was a local attorney and had served 12 years in the Florida Legislature.  He helped me earn a spot working there for a couple of weeks when I was high school.

He also hired me as his legislative aide the year that I graduated from UF.  It let me come home, earn and save some money so that I could afford law school.  And it introduced me to Tallahassee, which resulted in my heading there for law school.  My experience working in for Rep. Redman in the legislature sparked my life-long interest in public service.  I learned that the most effective representatives are REAL people, just like you and me – people who talk to each other, and actively listen to the people they represent.

Attending UF for undergrad and FSU for law school was a unique experience.  And because I went to both schools, I get to be a fan of the two best college teams in the country – and I never lose the big game!

I married Sharon in 1978, the year before I graduated law school.  She was from Tampa and went to work as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines.

Sharon's schedule was difficult for us, but it sparked a passion for interest in travel. A great benefit or working for Eastern is that we could fly almost anywhere for just a few dollars. Until she started flying, I had only been out of the country one time.

It opened our eyes to the world.  We saw so many places and experienced different cultures.  It confirmed our belief about how lucky we are to be living in America.

Later years

Newly married, and with a law degree in hand, Sharon and I returned to Plant City.  We really considered nowhere else.  This was where we wanted to raise our family.

When our first son, John, was born, Sharon promptly resigned as a flight attendant.  After seven years of flying, she wanted to be full time mom, which was fine with me.

The seven years of her hard work also vested her for a retirement program that we planned later to enjoy.  Unfortunately, Eastern Airlines went bankrupt and they paid out her vested retirement in a lump sum.  She received a check for five cents! 

Yes, one nickel was all that she got.  You can imagine our surprise.  We kept the check and never cashed it.  It reminded us that though the American Dream is alive and well we do have to work for it and take responsibility ourselves.

Now that our children have left the nest, Sharon has returned to the workforce.  She teaches in the middle schools, with the Mendez Foundation, as a specialist on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse.

In 1980, I went to practice law with the firm of Trinkle Redman.  While there, the seed of entrepreneurship that had been planted by father many years ago began to sprout. I started my own business and began consulting with businesses and speaking on finance and investment.  I traveled throughout the country and parts of the world doing so.

While working, I became active in our community, volunteering in several capacities and serving on the Board of Trustees for Hillsborough Community College.  With the encouragement of friends and family I shifted gears slightly, in 1998, and ran for an open seat on the Plant City Commission.

It has been an honor to serve my hometown for nine years as Plant City Commissioner and Mayor.  The responsibility to serve the community in which I grew up is a unique opportunity.

It is also one that prepared me in a special way to serve in Congress.  I learned about working with people with diverse opinions and political philosophies.  I learned how to sift through political differences, how to focus on common ground and, most of all, how to get things done.

Running for Congress

My decision to run did not come easily as this is a serious undertaking.  This campaign will demand significant time, energy and effort. 

Perhaps you’re wondering why I would target a goal that will demand so much sacrifice and so many resources.  Well, there IS a reason, and it is important for you to know … and for you to help me do something about it: WE DESERVE BETTER!

The people of Florida’s 9th District, our State, and our Nation need STRONG LEADERSHIP.  We need a representative with broad appeal, who understands our values, who can fight for us, who can work above petty party politics, who will stand up to Washington, and who will protect that which makes America great . . . our freedom.  It gives us hope, security, and opportunity. 

We need a strong representative in Washington.

Americans are frustrated.  We are frustrated with the state of our country and the leadership who has gotten us here.  We know we’re blessed to live in the greatest country in the world, but we worry about our future and about the futures of our children and grandchildren.  We watch our economy suffer because of events that take place far away, out of our control, threatening our way of life, our jobs, and even our hopes and dreams.

As a nation, we are concerned:

• Terrorism is still a threat to our national security.  Six years after the 9/11 attacks on American soil, Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda operatives are still on the loose!

• Soldiers and sailors are fighting bravely for us, in Iraq and around the world, without the safety equipment they need.  We ask them to lay their lives on the line to protect our freedom, but our politicians in Washington cannot find the necessary funds to protect them from the enemies they fight! No matter what you believe about the justice of the war itself, we can all agree that sending soldiers into battle to fight terrorism and the other evils of this world without the very best equipment available is just plain WRONG!

• It’s wrong, too that some of our veterans who return home crippled or disabled are greeted with substandard medical care rather than the heroes’ welcome they deserve.  They don’t even get the care we promised them when they signed up.  Wounded … confused … unsure of where to turn, our veterans feel cut off from the very society they bravely protected.

And, of course, there’s more.  We wonder why …

• Our seemingly robust economy is not robust at all. Our neighbors are losing their homes when interest rates rise on their mortgages and they can’t make their monthly payments.  Millions of people were misled into mortgage programs they didn’t understand, simply because they wanted a piece of the American Dream. 

• Other people are on the verge of losing their homes because they can’t afford rising insurance bills, let alone their property taxes.  We must start asking the hard questions, like why do insurance companies ALWAYS make money, while some people can’t afford to protect their homes?

It’s all very frustrating. We worry about our future while so many politicians in Washington pay more attention to special interests than they do to us, the people back home that they represent.

• Neither doctors nor patients are happy with the health care dilemma.  Right here in the United States there are people who can’t get needed operations because they can’t get insurance … so they stay sick, and then they die. That simply shouldn’t happen in America!

• Ballooning federal budget deficits are ignored, threatening the security of our seniors and workers alike.

• We are enriching countries run by terrorists and evil dictators who get rich off of soaring oil prices.    We pay $3 per gallon when we fill our tanks because pork barrel politicians ignore innovation and fail to encourage the development and use of alternative energy resources to end our dependence on foreign oil.  Their inactivity not only drives up prices, but it makes us less safe.  It’s not just about high gas prices; it’s about security here at home!

Yes, we are frustrated.  It is time to unite.  It is time to make a change.

That is why I am running for Congress.  My mother (a social worker and teacher in Plant City) used to teach her boys “you can’t just sit on the porch and watch. You have to get up out of your chair and do something.” 

As your U.S. Congressman, I will listen to you.  I will work for you.  I will fight to protect our individual and collective hope, security, and opportunity.

I am wholly committed to this campaign and to serving you to the best of my ability, but I can’t do it alone.  I need your help.  I need you to stand with me and invest in America’s future.

Political campaigns are always expensive.  A campaign for Congress is especially so.  That’s why allowed contribution amounts are much higher than for a local race.  In fact, the maximum donation allowed is $2,300 per person, per election (primary and general) and $4,600 per couple.

While I need as many people as possible to contribute the maximum, whatever you can contribute will help us hit the ground running and build an effective campaign team that will get our message out to the voters.

It’s a message of hope, security and opportunity.

These are challenging times for our country.  America today is at a crossroads. The decisions we make and actions we take will set the course for the following decades.  It’s a time that requires responsibility rather than rhetoric.  We need strong leadership and a focused vision. 

In the nine years that I served as City Commissioner of Plant City, including three years as Mayor, I learned a lot about working with people with diverse opinions and political philosophies.

I learned how to sift through political differences, how to focus on common ground and, most of all, how to get things done.

In the nine years that I served, we never raised taxes.  In fact, Plant City’s taxes were the lowest in Hillsborough County.  Even without raising taxes, we effectively managed growth and wisely invested in our infrastructure.

We were innovative, too, a lesson we should share with our country.  For example, we were one of the first cities to implement a reverse 9-1-1 system to better protect our citizens by informing them of impending emergencies or missing children.  When our government keeps us safe, we are able to turn our individual and collective attentions to improving our lives and those of our children.  This has always been my focus and will remain my mission in Congress.

I’m sure you will agree that there is much to be done in our country today.  We need to

• Be more effective in our battle against terrorism
• Strengthen our military and protect our borders
• Keep our taxes low and economy growing
• Find and encourage real workable alternative energy sources
• Ensure that the American Dream is still possible for people willing to work

My Dad taught me about the American Dream (and I’ve passed it on to my two sons).  Dad owned a local hardware store where I grew up in Plant City.  Through him, I learned first hand the hard work and creativity of the small businessman.  He taught me that the American Dream is possible for anyone willing to put forth the effort.  His example has inspired my success in business and the practice of law.

Sharon, my wife of 29 years, and I have shared those same lessons with our sons. John is studying in law school at the University of Florida and Jarod aspires to be commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps, after he completes his senior year at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.  We’re proud of them both and want to make sure (like you do for your children) that they continue to have the same opportunities we have had. 

America needs leaders who will bring change and fresh ideas to Washington.  We've had enough of partisan bickering and party politics.  We need leaders who are willing to stand up to special interests and do what's right for our country.

After all, we are all united in being Americans. Unlike some pessimists and doomsayers, I’m focused on our future.  Together we can make a better, stronger, safer America. 

I hope you will join me in OUR cause.