In his own words…
Steve Crisafulli on the issues:

Jobs & Economy

By far, the largest pending issue for the people of our district is our economic future. All of us in both Brevard and Orange Counties are concerned about the economic downturn and its effect on both our state’s budget and our own daily lives. But in Brevard County, the countdown is literally on for the jobs of up to 6,400 local people who could be displaced by the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle program. Unless we are prepared with new industries to take the place of the shuttle program, the impact could be devastating on our community. The representative in this district has no greater responsibility than working on this problem, as well as supporting every effort made by others.

Fuel prices

Gasoline prices of $4.00 per gallon or higher are pinching the budgets of all of us. While much of this situation is controlled at the national and international level, I will look for every possible way to help reduce the impact of high energy prices on Floridians. We need to provide incentives for more alternative energy sources, such as the emerging industry to produce ethanol from citrus waste and sugar. We should also review existing Florida laws governing the marketing of gasoline and support more emphasis on mass transit options.

Property Taxes

Families and small businesses are having a hard time keeping up with higher property taxes. In fact, exploding property taxes are threatening the American Dream of home ownership – for young families and retirees alike. The legislature has made strides in reducing property taxes. However, there is still more which can be done with Florida’s property appraisal process which would level the playing field between taxpayers and property appraisers, such as removal of the automatic presumption of correctness that is given to the property appraiser’s opinion on valuations of property.

Education Enhancement & Reform

Florida’s high school drop out rate is one of the highest in the nation. This must be addressed. Appropriate incentives and a more solid education ought to be given to our young people so that they can compete in tomorrow's marketplace. Our students should be offered more vocational options in high school to keep their interests and prepare them for skilled jobs.
We must provide appropriate resources for our schools but also must have more accountability for the results achieved by our schools, and failing that, even more competition from the private sector. We have to be prepared to make a strong investment in our future leaders if we expect them to have a better ability to provide for themselves and their families.

Values Matter

To me, traditional values like family, church, and community are paramount. I believe that family values begin at home and Kristen and I have tried to set an example of a strong, involved family. We are active in our church and our kids’ school.
As your representative, I will work to protect our families from threats to our values that are posed by activist judges and special interests who have sought to change our societal norms.

Insurance Reform

While there has been some success bringing down property insurance rates, too much of the monetary risk for a major hurricane strike is still held by the taxpayers through Citizens Property Insurance Company. We must bring more competition into the Florida market. With that will come lower rates. Florida is a large and lucrative insurance market. Insurance companies which sell homeowners insurance in other states, and want to sell other lines of insurance in Florida, should be made to sell homeowners insurance here, too.

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration is costing Florida taxpayers over $2 billion every year in education and health care expenses, while at the same time these immigrants are taking jobs that could be filled by our citizens. Since Congress has been unable to solve the problem, I believe that we must do more in the State of Florida. Our law enforcement officers should be empowered to arrest illegals when they come across them, and we should crack down on companies who knowingly hire illegal immigrations and do business in the state.