Rep. Carassas is ready to serve once more

John Carassas says his two years in public office, his background as an assistant city attorney and his willingness to listen to his constituents make him a good candidate for returning to the Florida House of Representatives.

"I think I've been a good representative on their behalf," Carassas said. "I've listened to their concerns and I think voted accordingly. I've got an open line of communication with them, with my voters and I believe that when they look at my qualifications and my track record that they will determine that I am the best candidate in this race."

Carassas, 36, a Republican from Belleair, is running for re-election to state House District 54, which includes portions of Clearwater and Largo and most of the Pinellas beach communities. He will face Green Party candidate Kurt Gratzol in the Nov. 5 election.

Carassas said he's proud of sponsoring a bill that will place a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. The amendment -- if approved by voters in November -- would require a two-thirds vote by both houses of the Florida Legislature any time state lawmakers pass laws preventing the public from obtaining government records.

"Open government is good government. It's a very simple concept," Carassas said.

He also pushed legislation that added two representatives of Pinellas beach communities on the county's Tourist Development Council and has helped negotiate the definition of the Coastal Construction Control Line, an issue of importance to Pinellas beachfront landowners, developers and others.

He said he's also proud of having voted against a measure that would have increased phone rates for many consumers.

"It seemed like a small issue to many people in Tallahassee, but it was a big deal to my constituents back home," Carassas said of the phone bill. He said many urged him to vote no.

Asked about education financing for public schools, Carassas said, "Of course, we're underfunded." What to do about it is a more difficult question, he said.

"It would be nice to give more to education, but we always have to look at what else we would take money away from."

Carassas is a lawyer in private practice who recently quit his position as an assistant city attorney in Clearwater. He is married and has one daughter.

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