While campaigning in Pensacola, Destin and Panama City, Independent for Governor Daniel Imperato assessed his opponents as collectively out-of-touch and without any real solutions. In a departure from his usually issue oriented address, he suggested that he was the only candidate that was overqualified and the only candidate with a real plan to revive Florida and increase revenues without raising taxes.
“Do not allow your next governor to learn on the job. ” Daniel continued, “This is too important a position in a very challenging economic environment to rely on an individual without international experience at building from the ground up. Select the wrong individual now and we will waste four more years and possibly more. Which means increased debt and taxes without any measurable results.
“I agree with one of the contenders for governor in his summary of Governor Crist’s handling of the oil crises. It seems that being a candidate for a higher office has prompted Crist to seek as much press as possible. Unfortunately press coverage on this disastrous oil spill cannot be spun positively. So with the big scare and media-hyped myth of oily beaches, tourism on the Gulf and especially in the Panhandle has been ruined.
“Instead the Governor should have been devising the most efficient way to contain the spill, to protect the beaches. He mistakenly allowed the media to dispense a message of uncertainly or certain disaster. The lack of a clear and concise message from the Governor has made the situation much worse than it is and will hurt Floridia tourism for years to come.
“This is the testimony directly from the workers in the area. They were happy to hear my fresh solutions, and I appreciate them sharing their ideas. This is how state government should be run. Gathering feedback from experts on the ground will be the key to our return to prosperity. “
The Imperato campaign travels to Tampa Thursday to emphasize the need to expand infrastructure. “Our state has relied on tourism so long and it has served us well. But this has caused our leaders to avoid the difficult decisions. Our infrastructure needs are way behind.
“When the economy is in trouble or a natural disaster strikes, then our state suffers. With the right investment in schools, energy, and transit we can build a job producing state. Then we can focus on bridges, aviation, drinking water, and wastewater solutions to make Florida first in modern infrastructure and lead us into a century of prosperity. Strong infrastructure attracts business investment and will help us avoid the economic downturns. This is the best way to build our economy, keep people working and provide ample opportunity for all of our citizens. “
Imperato has reviewed the plan to run light-rail from the Tampa airport to link up with the hi-speed system downtown. “The whole process for getting an important component of infrastructure approved is slowed down by government red-tape. I am pleased that light-rail connecting the airport to downtown is being considered in the early phase. But I am not impressed with how long all of the feasibility studies and various assessments take to complete. We need to move rapidly on these types of projects all over the state. The faster we complete them, the sooner we can continue to expand and address other elements in infrastructure development.
“These are the types of projects I have been involved with all of my professional life. I know how to get them implemented, studies funded, and ground broken. We need to move fast because whether our current geriatric leadership wants to admit or not, we are in global completion that is not going to ease up.
“Be first Florida! Let’s be an incubator of companies that provide advanced technological solutions that include fusion energy and hydrogen-powered magnetic levitation rail systems. “
In June, Imperato rolled out his plan to create a central bank in Florida to secure funding for major infrastructure improvements. “A bank dedicated to funding infrastructure improvements in Florida not only provides grants and loans with private sector investments to fund major projects of regional and statewide significance. But it also selects the most worthy projects based on a long-range plan, and provides transparency and accountability for the dollars provided. “
The Imperato campaign continues on to Ocala on Friday, and St. Augustine on Tuesday.
Mr. Oddo writes for hire, and manages political campaigns. Currently he is principal of Common Growth Strategies Inc. – a business services firm offering management consulting and strategic growth training. Mr. Oddo is the resident author at 49 Pines Rural Writer’s Retreat in Central Virginia.
