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Lawmaker Tackles Hot Topics At Forum

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JOYCE McKENZIE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 30, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - Alternative energy sources, energy conservation, a national health care system and the national debt were among the issues U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam addressed Thursday during a town hall meeting at Florida College.

"We have to get off fossil fuels for the future," said Putnam, R-Bartow, who discussed building nuclear plants and investing in clean coal energy while focusing on using today's resources wisely.

Putnam, whose district covers portions of Hillsborough, Polk and Osceola counties and includes cities such as Temple Terrace, Lakeland, Bartow and Winter Haven, said health care is a hot topic, especially among the Democratic candidates in this year's presidential campaign.

"The best solution is to let it be," Putnam said to the group of about 30 attendees. "Through legal immigration, more doctors are competing and prices are coming down. In my view, small businesses should pool up with a major health care system to lower their costs. Also, why not let people buy health insurance with coverage across states, and why should health care be handled through employers? That traps people in their jobs."

Putnam offered no specific ideas when he was man asked for suggestions on ways to lower the nation's debt.

"If I had the capacity to solve that issue, quite frankly, I'd be speaker of the House," he said. "But, in my view, we shouldn't introduce a new government health care system that further adds to it. The way to get our budget back in balance is to grow our economy."

Near the end of the two-hour session, Tom Austin of Seffner spoke out as representative of a group of a half-dozen supporters of the proposed Fair Tax Act, which would replace all federal taxes with a 23 percent national sales tax and would include an advance rebate on purchases up to a nationally established poverty level.

"We need a federal sales tax to replace the income tax," said Austin, donning a "Fair Tax" T-shirt and matching ball cap along with the other Fair Tax supporters who are part of a local grass-roots organization that hopes to obtain Putnam's endorsement of the bill. "It's fair, it's simple, and it's transparent."

Fellow Fair Tax supporter Dave Winterbauer of Tampa agreed.

"I think the tax code we've got is a terrible thing," he said. "Our purpose in being here is toward solidarity in the eyes of Congressman Putnam."

Pam Hill of Seffner, a tax professional with a major tax preparation provider, also has been on the Fair Tax bandwagon for several years.

"It's going to save our economy, and we need to work fast to save Social Security and Medicare," she said.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849 or jmckenzie@tampatrib.com.

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