Pat Rooney on the issues

Tuesday night was the first meeting of 2010 for the Young Republicans of the Palm Beaches. It also marked my one-year anniversary as a member.

We’ve had guest speakers for the past few meetings. Most have been local Republican candidates, now that the campaign season is beginning to pick up.

Tuesday's guest speaker was Pat Rooney, a Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives in District 83. The incumbent, Republican Carl Domino, is running for state senator of District 25.

District 83 runs from the Martin County line down to the middle of Palm Beach Island, mostly covering Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter. The district has a slight Republican majority, at roughly 53 percent, Rooney said, but also includes “a huge number of Independents.”

Rooney moved to West Palm Beach from Philadelphia 18 years ago and became involved in local politics almost immediately. He served as county finance chairman in the mid-90s and continues to volunteer with the local school board, the Palm Beach County Golf Association and charity groups such as the Salvation Army.

Three years ago, Rooney was appointed by Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to serve on the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District, which oversees issues such as Everglades restoration. He is also president of the Palm Beach Kennel Club and a managing partner of two small restaurants -- with staff of about 30 members each -- in North Palm Beach County.

Rooney isn’t the first in his family to enter politics. One of his six siblings, younger brother Tom, is a Republican in the state House of Representatives.

Tuesday night, Rooney sat down with roughly 20 Young Republicans and shared his political viewpoints over a glass of iced tea. Here’s what he had to say:

• Why he’s running: Rooney says he wants to change “the dynamics in Tallahassee.” Half of the representatives are attorneys, while the other half are legislators, he says. Although Rooney holds a law degree, he considers himself a “recovering attorney” because he has “the unique perspective” of running big and small businesses. He says he would bring to the state capitol an understanding of real-life business concerns, such as balancing statements and dealing with workers compensation.
• His main issue: jobs. “There are more than 1 million unemployed Floridians, and 8,000 are underemployed,” meaning they work in jobs below their skill level, such as an engineer who is a server at a restaurant, Rooney said. “People are saying, ‘I can find a better quality of life or a better job outside the state of Florida,’” and more Floridians are leaving the state for the first time since World War II. Rooney hopes to find ways to create and retain jobs and businesses. One idea he discussed is easing permit requirements for new businesses. Florida law requires businesses to obtain a hard copy of their permit before officially opening their doors, even if an electronic version of their permit has already been approved. Yet this process can take as long as a month, therefore delaying businesses from opening. Rooney proposes to allow businesses to open without a hard copy of their permit, so long as the electronic permit has processed.
• On the housing market: Rooney didn't say much here but said he thinks the housing market will still get worse and predicts another “five tough years.”
• On the SunRail project: Rooney says he's concerned about the plan's recent liability issue, which is that if an accident happens, CSX will pay for the first $10 million or so, and Florida residents must fund the rest. “As a lawyer, that scares the hell out of me,” Rooney says, adding that he would like to meet with CSX officials to get a better perspective of the overall project's costs and benefits.
• On the Business Development Board: The Kennel Club is a member of the BDB, so Rooney said he understands what the board is going through in trying to create and retain businesses: “They’re in the same cycle all of us are in: They’re having a difficult time, even with incentives," such as tax breaks and grants. He acknowledged the board's attempts but recognized that “it’s a difficult [economic] environment to do anything." He added that he wishes the board would implement more projects north of Boca Raton.
• On real estate: Rooney didn't expand too much here but said, "We have to figure out, through competition, how to get [insurance] companies to give us something reasonable. Something also to work on is fairness, to companies and to us, the consumer."
• On the Tea Party movement: Rooney pointed to the recent election of Rep. Scott Brown, R-Mass., as en example of the effects and qualities of the Tea Party movement. "I wouldn’t view the Massachusetts race as an anti-Democrat or anti-health care vote, just 'Tea Party mode,'" which he described as "dissatisfaction with the status quo." Rooney said Brown ran a clean campaign and did most of the "grunt work" -- shaking hands and meeting people -- while Brown's opponent, Democrat Martha Coakley, "ran a crappy campaign." But the results came down to more than just the candidates' campaigns, he said. “There’s something else going on," he said. Rooney added, “I hope [Tea Party Patriots are] on my side, because they’re a pretty strong influence.”
• His business advice for young professionals: Rooney pointed to recent statistics showing unemployment figures by education level, which indicate that people with higher education levels are more likely to be employed. Thus, he advises young professionals to “maybe not get [another] degree but to continue education somehow. Be versatile.” He also encourages young adults to "keep working," even if their jobs are out of their career fields.
• On the Republican Party of Florida: Rooney said the RPOF faces the same problem the Republican Party nationwide faces: “We don’t have a leader to give us a message and tell us what to do. We need much more direction.” He touted John Trasher, a Republican candidate for Florida Senate District 8, as someone who would be a leader, saying Trasher knows and understands legislators' perspective and the grassroots level.

What did I think? Overall, I liked Rooney. He seems competent, honest and willing to listen, communicate and understand -- important qualities for a legislator. However, I wish he had more concrete ideas for creating and retaining jobs and business and turning around the housing market. Those are important issues to Floridians, and I want whoever is elected to quickly end these crises. Campaign promises, optimism and ambition are one thing, but I want to ensure my vote produces results.