Dear Hillsborough County, as a fourth generation Floridian, I share in the values that made this state great. Growing up in the farming community helped me understand the hard work needed to be a good citizen, Floridian, and most importantly, an American.
As a child, I spent first through seventh grade at Ruskin Christian School, then one of the only classes to spend five years at East Bay High, Go Indians! I mention this because I believe its relevant in what I am about to say.
In bygone years, we in Eastern and Southern Hillsborough County took care of ourselves, our family, and our neighbors. But today, we live in a different community/world. But what has not changed, South Hillsborough County continues to be a donor to the tax and spend whims of our elected officials.
Every road in Gibsonton is failing, there is not a road in all South Hillsborough County that meets today’s traffic standards. Many communities do not have infrastructure such as sewer. At the same time, new home construction in blowing up what used to be our tomato fields and cow pastures. All this new construction comes with an incredibly high impact fee or tax, Hillsborough has the highest sales tax in the State of Florida, and of course, we all pay our fair share (if not more) in property taxes.
Yet, our elected leaders cannot pave or widen a road! They cannot deliver on past promises to add sewer connections!
Then, once every two to four years they come hat-in-hand for your vote!
Besides the incredible neglect (and even contempt) these politicians have for us all in South Hillsborough County, many of them would not stand up to the moral character our South Hillsborough Forefathers demanded from those who represented them in the past.
Today, I would ask all my family, friends, neighbors, and business acquaintances to take a hard look at any politician or wanna-be politician asking for your vote. Please, do not take your American Right (some would even say, God-Given Right) to Vote carelessly! Now more than ever we need principled politicians of good moral character and demeanor willing to step up and do the right thing.
2020’s election showed me the underbelly of politics. I experienced first-hand the depths some are willing to go just to get elected. The best way to describe what I experienced was “malicious contempt”!
Now, due to term-limits we have an opportunity to change the District 4 seat in 2022. Hillsborough County does not need another lawyer, community activist, or worse, a recycled politician filling this seat, we have seen and experienced the failure this brings. We need business leaders to step up and right this ship.
Please, I implore the business community of East and South Hillsborough County to search your souls and put forth one of your own to lead us out of this dark period of failing infrastructure.
Danny Kushmer
