Sound off: Steube, Gonzalez, Gause

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Manatee County School Board Chairman Bob Gause, District 73 Rep. Greg Steube and District 74 Rep. Dr. Julio Gonzalez discussed state and local issues May 20, at the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance’s May Membership Luncheon and Legislative Wrap-Up.

The officials discussed issues that affect the business community before fielding questions from the audience. The following are summaries of their responses on some of the topics discussed.

District 73 Rep. Greg Steube 

Issue:  State sales tax on businesses; regulations on local distilleries 

Rep. Greg Steube explained why he and other members of the Florida House of Representatives worked to reduce a state sales tax, which only Florida imposes, that charges businesses on commercial leases.

“We shouldn’t be the only state in the country to have this tax,” Steube said. 

Bealls spends $14 million annually on the tax, and Publix spends $26 million.

Publix officials said they could build three new locations and hire employees for those stores with those dollars, Steube said.

Steube said he plans to continue to work on lowering the percentage businesses are taxed on their leases.

Steube has also targeted regulations on small businesses, specifically local distilleries such as Siesta Key Rum.

Previously, the company was only permitted to sell two bottles of liquor per customer per year, but Steube fought to repeal those regulations. His efforts resulted in a compromise of four bottles per person per year for craft distilleries.

“Don’t fall out of your chairs or anything,” Steube said, laughing. “But the government shouldn’t be able to tell businesses how much they can sell. I’m going to continue to champion for small businesses and to decrease these regulations.”

DISTRICT 74 Rep. Dr. Julio Gonzalez

Issue: Medicaid 

An orthopedic surgeon who has spent his career working with patients and dealing with their insurance companies, Rep. Dr. Julio Gonzalez says he is well-versed on Medicaid and its benefits — or lack thereof.

“It’s frustrating to work with Medicaid,” Gonzalez said. “Medicaid doesn’t give patients enough access to the resources they need by offering enough coverage. It’s like giving someone a maxed out Lowe’s credit card and telling them to go on a shopping spree.”

Gonzalez, Rep. Greg Steube and other House of Representatives leaders have clashed with the Senate on whether to expand funding for Medicaid, which 800,000 to 900,000 Florida residents use, Gonzalez said.

The House’s plan is to avoid expanding Medicaid and provide an alternative plan that provides better coverage for clients at an affordable rate, Gonzalez said.

All Medicaid users will qualify for the new program, which will offer a broader range of reliable service to more doctors at an estimated $20 per month, both Gonzalez and Steube agreed.

 “We can grab people in the poverty level, give them real health insurance options, and an insurance policy that gives them a stipend for good plans,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez also expressed support for investing more money in mental health and treatment services.

Manatee County School Board Chairman Bob Gause

Issue: Manatee County School District climate 

Manatee County School Board Chairman Bob Gause will lead the school board through key decisions, including a superintendant search and finding ways to generate additional revenue to avoid fiscal turmoil.

But Gause said the district is in “good shape financially,” crediting the work of CFO Rebecca Roberts and Interim Superintendent Don Hall. 

“We’re not going to be broke,” Gause said. “We’ll meet obligations. You don’t see schools going into foreclosure. We’ll find ways to pay our debts, but we do have fundraising issues facing the community.”

 Gause also addressed board members’ struggle to play nice.

 “We didn’t pick our team,” Gause said. “We each have our own priorities and must find ways to work together within the Sunshine (Law). The only time we have to make decisions and talk about things is in public and on TV. It’s difficult.”

Mills quizzes Gause at luncheon

Although former Superintendent Rick Mills’ tenure with the Manatee County School District officially ended May 12, when the school board released him from his contract before his July 31 retirement date, Mills attended the luncheon. He asked Gause for closure on an issue he said has bothered him since earlier this year.

Mills asked Gause why he voted in January not to terminate former Manatee High School Assistant Principal Greg Faller after he was charged with not reporting suspicions of child abuse in 2013.

“Isn’t our top priority the safety and security of students?” Mills asked Gause.

Faller was convicted of a misdemeanor but acquitted of a felony charge.

Mills recommended the board terminate Faller.

Instead, the board voted to suspend Faller without pay until his contract ended, rather than terminate him. A termination would mean Faller would be unlikely to ever find another job in education, but a suspension still left that possibility open, Mills said.

Gause said that although Faller didn’t immediately make the call about the incident, he wasn’t the individual accused of abuse and that people make mistakes.

“That doesn’t mean he’s a bad person,” Gause said. “Mr. Mills knew the answer to that question before he even asked it.”

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].