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Article
Courtesy of The Daily Commercial
By
Benjamin Roode
Published
June 28, 2008
THE
VILLAGES - Marlene O'Toole and Will Pruitt, the two Republican candidates
for the Florida House District 42 seat, differ on few issues.
Both said they would involve parents more in children's education, support
increased domestic drilling for oil, including in the Gulf of Mexico and
won't support Amendment 5, the move to change a school property tax into a
sales tax and potentially other tax forms.
The candidates do differ in their approaches to economic development,
insurance reform and their first moves if elected to the Legislature.
The two presented themselves to Villages Republican voters at a candidates
forum Thursday at The Villages Savannah Center. They are campaigning to
replace Rep. Hugh Gibson, who will leave the Legislature after this term
because of term limits.
O'Toole
wants government to cut regulation and red tape, making it easier for
business to set up in the state and succeed. A good start would be for
local government spending within its means and setting a good example.
Making the Ocala-Clermont corridor a clean industry sector in the state
could be a way to attract some business growth, Pruitt said.
Pruitt's plan to tackle insurance problems in the state involves
government telling companies what they could and couldn't do if they want
to do business in Florida. Companies should not be able to "cherry
pick" their customers, he said.
"If they're canceling policies, we don't want you here," Pruitt
said.
O'Toole favors a more free-market system for insurance, taking government
out of the picture, especially offering its own policies that don't
increase premiums.
"We need to bring in free enterprise," she said.
O'Toole said her experience in business, education and volunteering means
she could serve "wherever I need to go" if elected.
Pruitt said he has a bill drafted already that would require tax-funded
social services to go only to registered U.S. citizens.
Both said they were lifelong Republicans and had previous experience that
would help them in the Legislature.
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