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Politics

Five vie to unseat 'nice man' from District 9

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis disputes allegations of his ineffectiveness.

By Jose Cardenas, Times Staf Writer
Published February 24, 2008

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis will finish his first term in office at the end of this year, and five challengers hope to stop the Palm Harbor Republican from gaining a firm grip on the 9th Congressional District his father held for 24 years.

The candidates vying for his seat in the November election are four Democrats and a member of the Term Limits for the United States Congress Party.

In a district spread over Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, the challengers hail from Clearwater, New Port Richey, Carrollwood, Valrico and Plant City.

They share the view that Bilirakis is a "nice man" but has not done a good job.

"Unfortunately, he has not been deemed to be an effective member of Congress," said John Dicks, the former mayor of Plant City, who has announced his plan to run for the seat.

Last year's "power rankings" released by the non-partisan Congress.org placed Bilirakis 438 of 439 members. The annual rankings use several criteria to measure power and effectiveness.

In an interview, Bilirakis, 41, said the rankings were based on work Congress did through 2006. He was elected in November that year.

He said he has filed more bills than any other freshman. Examples include proposals on veterans issues and homeland security that passed as amendments to other bills, he said.

His challengers also criticized him for marching in step with President Bush and the Republican party on issues such the surge of troops in Iraq.

"I vote my conscience," said Bilirakis, adding that he voted for a leaner, "not Republican," budget. "I'm a conservative Republican. But I have deviated many times."

Bilirakis has already raised more than $579,000. Dicks has the second-largest war chest with $318,000, of which $250,000 consists of loans he has made or guaranteed himself.

Of the other challengers, Bill Mitchell has raised about $51,000 and Michael van Hoek has more than $11,000. Anita De Palma and Richard O. Emmons have not yet reported any contributions.

The challengers

Richard O. Emmons

Emmons, 56, is a businessman from New Port Richey. He considers himself a conservative who agrees with President Bush's policy in Iraq.

He is a member of the Term Limits for the United States Congress Party, which believes Congress should be limited to 12 years per chamber.

"Every opportunity that I would be presented with, that I could make a motion, I would always involve the fact that we need to pass term limits," Emmons said. He said his party also believes in national referendums on important issues such as health care and immigration.

Anita de Palma

A Clearwater resident and a Democrat, de Palma emphasizes she is the only woman and Hispanic in the race so far.

She is the immediate past Florida director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. In that post, she said, she learned about the hardships people face in health care and education.

De Palma, 66, said she would promote allowing Latin Americans to work legally in the United States and to receive universal health care.

"Don't tell me that the Canada system doesn't work," de Palma said about that country's universal health care. "I lived in Canada. If it wasn't for that health care, I would be bankrupt today."

John Dicks

The former Plant City mayor said he is frustrated with the growing national debt, budget deficits and the country's other economic woes.

"We need to bring some fiscal responsibility and sanity back to Washington," said Dicks, a Democrat who is a business attorney.

He said his 12 years as city commissioner and mayor gave him the experience to work on the country's financial matters.

"We are certainly able to maintain our budget, with growing infrastructure, without raising taxes," Dicks said.

Bill Mitchell

Mitchell said his memories of the day he left for the military during the Vietnam war prompted him to run for office.

"On the day I got on the airplane I saw the tears streaming down my dad's face," said Mitchell, an attorney from Carrollwood. "I learned that the war decision is a very serious decision."

Mitchell, 60, a Democrat, is on the board of the Tampa chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He said being around soldiers recuperating from severe injuries has helped shape his perspective on the war.

"To me it's just wrong to have these kids fighting and dying in Iraq in pursuit of unattainable goals," said Mitchell.

Michael van Hoek

Van Hoek insists he is no politician. He is an emergency medical services administrator who has taught high school, community college and vocational classes.

"I think the voice of the people is best served by someone who is a common person," said van Hoek, 49, of Valrico. "I'm very much in tune with the difficulties everyday people face."

Van Hoek, a Democrat, said he would promote alternative energy sources.

"I stand opposed to drilling for exploration of oil in the Gulf and the Everglades," he said. "I think we are going to be better served by embarking in new technology."

Jose Cardenas can be reached at jcardenas@sptimes.com or 727 445-4224.

[Last modified February 23, 2008, 21:26:51]