State Rep candidates talk Destin, fishing closure (MUGS and ELECTION GUIDE)

With Tuesday’s Primary Election just days away, The Log asked the candidates running for U.S. Representative, 2^nd Congressional District to share their thoughts on some Destin related issues. Here are the candidates voters will find on the ballot: Allen Boyd (D-Monticello), Eddie Hendry (R-Tallahassee), Al Lawson (D-Tallahassee), Ron McNeil (R-Miramar Beach), Barbara Olschner (R-Santa Rosa Beach), David Scholl (R-Niceville) and Steve Southerland (R-Panama City). Below is a brief bio of each candidate and their responses.

Allen Boyd is a Monticello resident and small business owner. Boyd has served as a U.S. Representative since 1997, and served in the Army as a first lieutenant in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971.

Eddie Hendry is a Tallahassee resident and former captain in the U.S. Army (military intelligence). Hendry is a cardio specialty pharmaceutical rep for Sanofi-Aventis.

Al Lawson is a Tallahassee resident and a small business owner. He has served as state senator since 2000, and also served as a state representative from 1982-2000.

Ron McNeil is a Miramar Beach resident and an environmental business owner. He serves as the president/CEO of PolyTriplex Technologies, LLC.

Barbara Olschner is a Santa Rosa Beach resident and attorney. She is the founder and managing partner of her law firm that has 30-plus employees. She has 26 years of courtroom experience.

David Scholl is a Niceville resident and currently serves as an airline captain with Delta Airlines. Scholl has 28 years of service in the U.S. Air Force and is a former small business owner in Walton County.

Steve Southerland is a Panama City resident and president/CEO of Southerland Family Funeral Homes. He is a small business owner of 55 years and former chairman of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and is a three-time gubernatorial appointee by Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush.

After contacting the candidates for their responses, Barbara Olschner, Steve Southerland and David Scholl replied to The Log before deadline. For the candidates who did not respond, The Log will provide snippets of their thoughts on the economy and drilling in federal waters in the Gulf from responses to Florida Freedom Newspaper questions.

As a Congressional candidate, from a federal government perspective, what are the biggest issues/concerns you see facing the Destin area?

Boyd: I’m focused on bringing specific projects to the district that create jobs, like widening U.S. Highway 331, building new veterans clinics, and implementing smart grid technology for our electricity grid.

Hendry: In a free-market economy, over spending and high taxes are terrible. Congress should freeze spending, balance the budget and lower or get rid of the estate tax, capital gains tax and the business or corporate tax.

Lawson: Congress must do more to jumpstart the economy and create jobs. I support targeted government investments in transportation and infrastructure projects.

McNeil: The federal government should get out of the way. Their manipulations over the past two decades have set our nation up for complete financial failure.

Olschner: I feel strongly that the most significant issue for the citizens of this District (including the Destin area) is the creation of good jobs in the private sector and that this will do more to stabilize the local and national economy than any other initiative.  For this region in particular, Barbara wants to work hard to develop jobs and opportunities for investment in the fields of alternative energy (Olschner is opposed to offshore drilling), technology driven energy conservation, aerospace to compliment the department of defense's major bases in the region and hospitality to take advantage of our local beaches, climate and culture.  Olschner believes that the loss of a good job and the fear of waiting a very long time to find another comparable position can be a great challenge and even devastating to a family.  This must be America's first priority.  Olschner doesn't want to play partisan politics on an issue so central to the welfare of families here in NW Florida and around the nation.

Scholl: Our local economy is dependent upon a sound US economy.  Americans need to be secure in their jobs and have disposable income for vacations.  When these resources are in short supply, our beautiful beaches, docks, hotels, and restaurants sit empty.  Additionally, if our Government is looking for places to cut the budget, defense is an easy target, so we are receiving a double hit, along with a third assault from the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Congressman Allen Boyd recently visited Destin, this was his first visit in years, and he came for a fund raiser at Harbor Docks.  We are out of sight and out of mind for him.  

Southerland: I see along the entire Gulf Coast and state of Florida many issues and concerns facing us. The foremost issue that effects everything is the complete out of control government spending that is preventing true economic recovery and preventing small businesses from hiring and folks from taking the much needed weekend getaway to Florida’s beautiful shores.

What is your position on the federal fishing closures that have negatively affected the Destin fishermen?

Boyd: Moving forward, it is imperative that we take every reasonable step to prevent another incident like the BP oil spill from happening, which is why I believe any plans for expanding offshore drilling in the Gulf should be suspended until a thorough investigation into what caused the disaster is completed.

Hendry: The events off the coast of Louisiana are a disaster. Those who are negligent should pay. Still, we must look for all domestic energy supplies, including offshore where 30 percent of our domestic oil comes from.

Lawson: I am the only candidate who has consistently stood against oil drilling off Florida’s coast. I will oppose new drilling and demand more safety precautions, such as building relief wells, mounting acoustic switches and installing multiple emergency shutoffs, to prevent future spills.

McNeil: We must become energy independent by using every source of energy available, and that included oil from the Gulf. The oil spill could have been prevented with quality controls and quality government oversight that did not come from former oil company employees hired by the government.

Olschner: I hve always opposed deep water drilling for oil and natural gas and believes it is simply wrong to put our livelihoods, culture and environment at risk for this.  That's why I support the rapid adoption of a national energy plan that prioritizes and sets as its ultimate objective a substantial reduction in the use of oil, foreign or otherwise, in this country.  Olschner is a proponent of nuclear, wind, water, solar as well as sources (batteries) yet to be developed.  Olschner doesn't eat meat herself and the fresh fish that comes from our shores is a daily staple for her.  She was greatly troubled by the threat the oil spill posed for fishing and this has only solidified her position on off shore oil and ng extraction.

Scholl: I’m not in favor of this broad based measure to close local waters to fishing.  The EPA and the FDA should not have the authority to put our local fisherman out of work.   This begs the bigger question, why do unelected bureaucrats have so much power over the lives of all Americans?  Our Constitution allows the government to appoint agencies to operate with-in the laws created.  These super agencies are not constitutional since there is no separation of powers, no checks and balances, and the congress and the President, as well as the Supreme Court defer to them as “experts.”   To limit this influence, as your Congressman, I will reel in the power of these agencies via tighter budgets and oversight so that Americans are allowed to pursue happiness as they deem appropriate.  Congress and the President do not have the power to delegate their responsibilities, nor do we, as Americans, have the obligation to allow our freedoms to be taken away by Government acting beyond their Constitutional power.  I encourage each of you renew your commitment to this great Nation, read your Constitution, read the Federalist Papers.  Do not allow what is given us by our Creator to be stolen by politicians and bureaucrats.  As your Representative, I will never forget that I work for you and my oath is to the Constitution.

Southerland: The closure of fishing due to the oil spill disaster was an unfortunate occurrence. First – I believe we need to ensure that future tragedies of this magnitude do not occur again and that a true contingency plan is in place. I am open to the idea of a possible extended fishing season to allow the fishermen to make up some of the losses they encountered.

Destin Log's Digital Election Guide:

To read about your Sheriff's Office candidates, click here.

To read about your County Commission candidates, click here.

To read about your School Board candidates, click here.

To read about the half-cent sales tax proposal, click here.

DECISION DAY

Vote in the primary on Election Day, Aug. 24, at your precinct’s polling location. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters must have a current identification card (driver’s license, passport, student ID or military ID, etc.) that includes a photo and signature.

Polling locations in Destin are as follows:  Destin Community Center, 101 Stahlman Ave. (Precinct 20), Destin United Methodist Church, 200 Beach Dr. (Precinct 35), Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 307 Beach Dr. (Precinct 44), Destin City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, (Precinct 49), and Village Baptist Church, 101 Matthew Blvd, (Precinct 50).

To see The Destin Log’s digital guide to the 2010 Primary Election, the candidates and the issues, see www.thedestinlog.com.

For a complete listing of precincts, polling places and sample ballots, see www.govote-okaloosa.com.