La Gaceta Newspaper

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 25, 2020

This race has incumbent Democrat Darryl Rouson being challenged by Christina Paylan, who is running NPA but appears to side with Republicans. If elected, she wants a “total recall of the Criminal Justice System.” She also wants to hold “public trials for every judge and prosecutor who participated in a wrongful conviction.” These legislative goals are likely tied to the fact that she is a convicted felon and lost her license to practice medicine. She was a cosmetic surgeon. According to Florida Politics, “Paylan’s legal actions are so extensive in the 13th Judicial Circuit, Judge Greg Holder filed a ‘vexatious litigant’ order against Paylan,” which blocks her from filing lawsuits pro se.
Rouson is one of the hardest-working Senators in Tallahassee. When others have left the capitol for an event or party, Rouson is still working in the office. That’s why he is one of the more successful Democrats in a legislature dominated by Republicans.
Rouson’s personal story of overcoming drug addiction is inspirational and gives him a valuable perspective in dealing with the addiction crisis that grips many Floridians and ruins careers and families.
He has served honorably and deserves to be reelected. La Gaceta endorses Darryl Rouson for State Senate District 19.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 25, 2020

Our endorsement for president is unlikely to move any of our readers. It seems almost everyone we know already knows where they side in the race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Trying to write a convincing argument would be a waste of time, but we are compelled to address this movement to describe this race as a choice of socialism vs. capitalism.
The Democratic Party, and even Joe Biden, have a long history that is easy enough to research. Neither the organization nor the man have suggested nationalizing businesses, controlling prices for all commodities, eliminating competition or changing the basics of our supply-and-demand economy.
Democrats have been responsible for some programs which Biden supports that are forms of socialism, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration healthcare network, unemployment compensation, food stamps, farm subsidies, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), etc.
According to Trump’s commercial, he also supports most of the list.
These socialistic programs were created to address the citizens who were most vulnerable to a purely capitalist economy.
The Democrats and Biden would like to grow the Medicare system or a version of it to cover more citizens to address all the people at risk of not being able to access healthcare due to rising costs.
Democrats have led, with some Republican support, to set and increase a minimum wage, influencing industry and banking through tax incentives and penalties, regulate banking and the stock market, and hundreds of other pieces of legislation to make the system fairer and less vulnerable to abuse. These rules created a modern American economy that, according to Trump, is the greatest economy ever.
But on the street, we keep hearing people, especially Latinos, vocalize fears that Biden will drastically change America to a socialist nation. They frame their fear by saying Biden will make America into a Cuba or Venezuela.
The Castros, Maduros and Chavezes of the world did not create their governments by offering to expand access to healthcare or increasing the minimum wage. They, and dictators, autocrats and authoritarians before them, created their governmental systems by: attacking and dismantling the press; using government to attack opponents and enemies; using their armies inside of their nations to maintain peace; offering citizens internal enemies to blame for their problems, both real and imagined; attacking the courts and rule of law; replacing bureaucrats with sycophants and partisans; restricting protests critical of the government and organizing counter-protests; attacking intellectuals, academics and scientists, at best, as elitist and at worst, as enemies of the state; and preserving their power by claiming any elections that don’t result in their winning as corrupt and invalid.
These authoritarians also project that they are the embodiment of the state. That without them the state will fail. Without them holding power, internal enemies will create chaos. We can find quote after quote and cite action after action of Trump saying and doing all of the above.
While we don’t assign much belief in conspiracy theories, we do have some angst and worry that America is poised at a moment in our great democratic experiment to continue on a path laid down by presidents, legislators and courts over the last 90 years or to create a less balanced form of government – one where presidential power is greatly expanded.
We prefer the traditional checks and balances. We prefer a president who respects protocols and traditions laid down by presidents before him or her.
We prefer someone who serves all Americans and avoids creating divisions. We want a good person, someone we can respect.
La Gaceta endorses Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Oct. 2, 2020

Democrat Pat Kemp is defending her countywide seat for the first time against Republican Sandy Murman, who has to leave her present County Commission seat due to term limits.
Murman is accessible, a good listener and certainly knows how the County Commission works, having served 10 years. We have a lot of respect for her.
The county needs a new direction. For years, development ran unchecked and infrastructure lagged way behind. This county needs more of everything – roads, mass transit, fire stations, parks, recreation facilities, sheriff’s deputies and a host of other needs. For too long, the Commission has refused to increase impact fees and taxes. We are way behind.
Pat Kemp is the face of the new County Commission. She has pushed to make development pay for a portion of its cost through impact fees. She has supported a sales tax for transportation. She wants to use a large part of transportation dollars for mass transit. She wants to rein in growth until we have caught up with infrastructure.
Drive on East Bay Road at I-75 to see just how bad it’s gotten. It took years of bad planning to make that mess.
Pat Kemp is the leadership we need for a county that can no longer act as if its areas east and north are rural tracts and places where houses are on five-acre plots. We have 1.4 million people. Urban areas stretch from the Pasco County line to the Alafia River and beyond.
La Gaceta endorses Pat Kemp for County Commission District 6.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Oct. 2, 2020

This seat is open due to the retirement of Commissioner Les Miller. Democrat Gwen Myers and Republican Maura Cruz Lanz are running to be the next commissioner to serve the East Tampa – Progress Village area.
Gwen Myers spent her career in Hillsborough County government working in areas such as the revitalization of USF, flooding and housing issues in Progress Village, implementing a first-time home-buyers program, the indigent healthcare program, housing program, Grant Park Community Center and a host of other projects.
As you can see, Myers has a strong understanding of the district, its history and how County government works. She has all the tools to be a successful leader and advocate for District 3, which deserves a champion to continue Commissioner Miller’s work.
Cruz was unable to meet with us.
La Gaceta endorses Gwen Myers for County Commission District 3.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Oct. 2, 2020

Democrat Nancy Millan and Republican T.K. Mathew are vying for the open office due to the retirement of Doug Belden.
Mathew is a businessman who was not available for our interview. He does advertise he would give expedited service to first responders and veterans. We think it’s pandering and don’t necessarily think it’s a great idea to have a policy that lets an off-duty fireman jump to the head of a line in front of other citizens who have been waiting. It seems like a recipe to create disgruntled customers.
Nancy Millan spent 31 years working at the tax collector’s office and is Belden’s choice as successor. She knows the office’s strengths and weaknesses and has ideas on how to make the office run even better. She wants to set up a system where customers can keep their appointments virtually. She wants to create more partnerships with companies such as AAA so there are more locations available for customers. She also wants to have staff members who can handle difficult cases that require reaching out to other agencies and governments in order to get the right documents for a driver’s licenses.
If elected, Millan is proud to be the first Latin and woman to hold the position. Millan is well prepared to take over leadership.
La Gaceta endorsed Nancy Millan for Hillsborough County Tax Collector.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Oct. 2, 2020

Incumbent Democrat Bob “Coach” Henriquez is being challenged by Republican D.C. Goutoufas.
We have a lot of respect for Goutoufas. Deaf at the age of four, he has overcome many hurdles and refused to let his impairment limit him. He graduated from the University of Tampa, ran for Tampa City Council against Eddie Caballero 30 years ago, had a career in banking, raised a family and is a small businessman. He’s been involved in his community and advocated for people with disabilities and is running for office again. This time, he can hear due to cochlear implants in each ear, but it’s limited.
Bob Henriquez is a Princeton graduate, former state representative, helped manage the Department of Children and Families in this area and won the office of property appraiser when scandal caused Rob Turner to lose the office.
Henriquez helped restore order to the office and became a certified appraiser to better his skills. Under his leadership, the office has won awards, reduced costs, increased efficiency, increased accessibility through technology and earned the community’s trust.
Goutoufas and Henriquez are clearly divided on one issue. Henriquez is committed to collect property taxes from some of the tenants of the port and airport. Goutoufas would forgive their taxes. We stand with Henriquez on the issue. If La Gaceta has to pay its taxes, so should big businesses such as UPS and Gulf Marine.
La Gaceta endorses Bob Henriquez for Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.