INTRO.

Ladies and gentlemen:
My name is Mr. Werder. My friends call me 'Dave'......
and I'm running for U.S. Congress. Florida's fifth (5th) congressional district to be more precise.
It's my third time running, my first time trying to make the ballot. The first two times being as a write-in candidate. Primarily, the first two times were used to get a little name recognition going and to get and gain a little exposure in the district. My district consists of all of the following: Hernando, Citrus & Sumter, and parts of Pasco, Polk, Lake, Marion and Levy Counties. For those of you who are not from this area, it is on the central west coast of the state of Florida, north of Tampa all the way up to Ocala or there abouts.
We are known here as 'The Nature Coast' ...although the way Tampa and Orlando have been growing and consuming up real estate we may be hard pressed to keep that title long into the future even though are local governments have been setting aside large tracts of lands and preserves to ensure it.
When I tell folks where I live locally...I tell them I live out on Powell Rd....... I don't give out an address because I don't need to...(wouldn't help for mailing purposes either, because there's no mail service there. I get my mail at my moms in the next county)
I tell them I live out on Powell Rd. ....where the 'outhouse' & the little church are,
....where the ducks and the geese are...and the chickens running loose! And usually I hear,
Oh! That's 'your' place!! Most locals know it. I'm on what has become a pretty major thoroughfare in just a few short years. When the traffic is really running.. it has taken me as long as eight minutes to get out of my driveway. Occasionally, I hear someone say they don't know where I live and I tell them... Someday you'll be driving along and you'll see an outhouse...that's where I live...try not to run over my chickens! Actually, my chickens are pretty smart. In all the long years I have lived here I haven't lost a single one due to the road.
Either they know better or they know how hot that pavement can get in the hot Florida sun.
The place is pretty much a landmark locally. Oh! There's a reason for the outhouse.
The place I live in was in the path of a new toll road they put in and I had to move it . I had all my expenses figured out . The permits, the costs for moving the structure, septic etc. etc.
For those of you unfamiliar with Florida, we have here in some parts what is called an impact fee. It's a one time fee that's placed on new permits/new structures to offset the cost of infrastucture that you are going to impact or put a burden on. ie. schools, roads, libraries etc. etc. that the new people/person will put an impact on. At the time ours was about $3,000.
I went before our county commissioners to ask that it be waived...because I wasn't new and the structure had already been here. And they agreed. When the building was up in the air and ready to move I went to get the building permit for the new site and was told by the building dept..... NO IMPACT FEE...NO BUILDING PERMIT! Well, I paid it. That was my
well money and because of that, I toted water for nine months. I forgot to mention the sign.
The outhouse has a sign that reads "IMPACT FEES SUCK". Our impact fees have risen now to the point that they are just shy of $10,000. That pretty much rules out someone who makes a meager wage or minimum wage from ever becoming a homeowner, especially if your trying to build from the ground up. The way the law is written you cannot even camp on your property until you've paid the fee. enough....
My only promise running for congress is ... "I will give up 1/2 of my salary to help pay for prescription drugs for needy seniors and indigent citizens in the district, I feel $80,000 take-home pay is enough, the job currently pays over $161,000 plus." I'm not making any money farming $80,000 would seem like hitting the lottery. (Florida has a lottery, for those of you who don't know.)
And if you've been around these parts long enough...and you're old enough... you might know me. I'm the guy, who back in the 80's, in Clearwater, Florida, sat atop a flag-pole for a world-record (439days11hours6minutes) as a political protest over the price of gasoline.
I felt ninety-nine cents a gallon was to much at the time. I can only say now that I am more then willing to admit when I've made a mistake about how much is to much for a gallon of gas.
I also thought $1.36 a year ago was to much. "Who-da known!!!"
Till next time.....Please remember me when it's time to vote. WERDER4USCongress