For Immediate Release  April 23, 2010

December 03, 2009
Sen. Ronda Storms: Tammy from Walmart doesn't care about rail

Sen. Ronda Storms emerged Thursday morning as one of the fiercest and most articulate allies of Sen. Paula Dockery, questioning the liability provisions and cost of the commuter rail proposal facing lawmakers this special session.

Storms said she wonders why Senate leaders have summoned the chamber to Tallahassee to address rail -- on what she called a "rushed" timetable - when that is not what her constituents are worried about.

"They heard about this special session and they asked me, 'Oh, is it about healthcare?' No," Storms said. "They ask, 'Is it about unemployment and small businesses?' No, it's about rail. They say, 'what? Rail?' The people of the state of Florida are not on this page. This is not where they want us to be."

Consider Tammy from Walmart.
Storms, R-Valrico, said she sees Tammy most occasions when she shops at her local Walmart in southern Hillsborough. Tammy is married with children and works two shifts at the discount store because her husband cannot find work - even though he has a college degree.

"She's got dark circles under her eyes and she is afraid and angry," Storms said. "Just like so many people in Florida are afraid and angry. And this (rail proposal) does nothing to relieve that."

Storms said her office also has heard from a small business owner in the Valrico area who is worried the rise in unemployment taxes will put him out of business.

"He says, I have shut my air off during the day and done whatever I can think of to keep costs down,' " Storms said, pointing out the higher tax could cost small businesses a few hundred dollars more per employee - a hike they cannot afford.

If the state really wants to boost economic development, she said, they would be having a special session to deal with the unemployment tax. She doesn't support using stimulus dollars to reduce the tax, but she said the sudden availability of millions for commuter rail is proof the leadership can redirect money as it wishes.

"So here we are finding money for TriRail, but we can't take that money to relieve small businesses?" she said.

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Posted by Shannon Colavecchio at 01:55:20 PM on December 3, 2009