Conversation with Steve Vernon

Lakewood Ranch Republican Club President Steve Vernon has been involved in politics for years and campaigned for current Florida District 73 Rep. Greg Steube in his 2012 campaign. Now, the Chicago native and owner of Manasota TV is preparing to run for Steube's seat if he runs for the Florida Senate.

I really got involved with politics at the end of the Bush term and the beginning of the Obama administration through total frustration. I didn’t like what they were doing. I didn’t like the bailouts, the corporate welfare or the progressive socialist point of view. I was on the Manatee County Republican Executives Committee and leader of the Tea Party of Manatee County. I campaigned for Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, and locally, Bill Galvano and Greg Steube.

The vast majority of District 73 is in Manatee County, yet we didn’t have a Manatee County resident running. Joe Gruters (who also filed to run in district race) is the chairman of the Sarasota Republican Club, yet only a small portion of 73 is in Sarasota, so I became the Manatee County candidate. Both Joe and I have said we’d withdraw if Steube chooses not to run for state Senate. I believe he’s doing a very good job.

The motivation to run was, I was reading an article in the newspaper, talking about the amount of money being raised by candidates. Then, one individual, a citizen, made a comment and it struck me. He said, “I am saddened by the fact that it has become accepted to evaluate candidates in terms of dollars. We are a lost civilization.” That quote stuck in my mind, and I totally agree with it.

The intention of the Founding Fathers was to have the people determine through one person, one vote, who should be their representative. The amount of money raised was not supposed to be the huge determining factor. Our election process has been corrupted, from the presidential level all the way to the local candidates. Why do you need that much money? And why do you need to collect all that money from the rich, the powerful, the connected, the influential? It should come strictly from the people.

I’m planning on a grassroots campaign—a nontraditional, bare-bones, volunteer campaign. It’s going to look like door-to-door, individual phone calls, people waving signs saying "Vote for Steve Vernon" and, of course, I’ll be right there with them, saying, "Here’s what I stand for." You won’t see a lot of TV advertisements or expensive campaigning. I won’t have a bus touring around. I’ll accept donations from an individual, but I really frown upon having businesses donate all the money, expecting something in return, which is what they do.

Steube had bills I’d like to reintroduce. One, would allow approved gun owners to carry guns to protect other citizens and children, even in schools. No-guns-allowed zones invite the crazies to come in. They’re not going to go into places they know people are carrying; they’re going to go into gun-free zones. Another would have allowed licensed concealed-carry holders to carry on college campuses. One issue I’d like to address is having the state government play a proper role in maintaining individual liberties and have a limited government. There’s a lot of over-regulation and a lot of regulation that’s unnecessary... I think is should be easy for people to become entrepreneurs. Every year, the legislators meet, and they just add new laws and regulations that keep adding up.

I’m in favor of school choice because competition brings out the best. I would promote charter schools, school choice, home schooling, any alternative means of education that would invite competition. 

If people do not pay attention to politics — which is the way we govern ourselves — the powerful will take over, and individual liberties will be lost. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizens becoming legislators, not career politicians. I believe the Republican party has drifted from traditional Republican values: fiscal restraint and responsibility, limited government, personal responsibility, ensuring individual liberty. It’s too much about money and power and privilege and less about individual freedoms. A true enterprise system — not favoring companies (through) legislation — is what we need to restore and stop cronyism and corporate welfare.

I was a contracts negotiator for IBM. Being a negotiator, you have to understand all points of view. You knew you had to compromise to get something done — meet in the middle but maintain your core values. You can accept less than 100% of what you wanted, but the percent off of what you want is something that doesn’t go against those core values.