Weatherford Speaks At D-3 GOP Luncheon
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Weatherford, Wesley Chapel, Fla., is the brother of St. Regis Club owner Dave Gustafson’s wife, Jackie.
Weatherford was a Florida legislator from 2006 to 2014 and served as speaker of the house in 2013 and 2014.
Former Kosciusko County Republican chair and four-time Sagamore of the Wabash recipient Jean Northenor was the master of ceremonies for the luncheon and introduced Weatherford.
He is currently a managing partner at Weatherford Partners, a firm that partners with owners and management teams to build businesses.
Over the years he has been recognized as a “Champion of Business” and “A Defender of Parents Rights” by the Florida Catholic Conference, “Legislator of the Year” by Able Trust of Disabled and one of the “Top 12 State Legislators to Watch” by Governing Magazine.
Weatherford spoke about the Republican party and his political service.
In 2006 he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served a total of four terms. During his final term he served as speaker of the house, and was the youngest presiding officer of any state legislature chamber in the United States at that time.
“Florida had budget deficits of $6 to $8 billion and were at a free fall when I was first elected,” Weatherford said. “We reduced the size and scope of government and crawled our way back to an economic resurgence where we were stronger and more diversified as an economy.”
He said to pay down debt the legislature tightened its belts in spending.
He said he is proud of what the party accomplished in 2014, and to have a GOP majority in the house and senate.
“I’m of the belief structure that states cannot wait for D.C. to solve their problems,” Weatherford said. “States are the ecosystems for real change for America and we are the ones who have the opportunity to transform this country.”
He also said, “I believe that the way to take our country back is to create economic and social beach heads all across the United States for conservative philosophy.”
He said to make change there needs to be a plan, and politicians need to be held accountable.
He said while serving in the legislature an agenda was created that included cutting taxes 40 times; paying down $6 billion in debt; freezing all future agency regulations; and creating the largest school choice program in America with 75,000 low-income students that have vouchers going to the school of their choice and not the school they are forced to go to regardless of their zip code. The Florida legislator also said no to Medicaid expansion.
“I have a deep belief that entitlements do not make us stronger as a people,” Weatherford said.
He said since 2010 Florida has created 700,000 jobs, the second most in the country next to Texas, and unemployment went from 12 percent to 5 percent. According to Weatherford, CEO Magazine said Florida is the second best place to do business and 100 million visitors visited Florida in the last 12 months.
“Every single day in Florida 1,000 people move to the state and they’re not just retirees but people who are leaving oppressive tax states and coming to places like Florida looking for new opportunity,” Weatherford said.
Weatherford said he loves the GOP party and is in the fight because he believes in free enterprise.
“Free enterprise is the catalyst to lift people out of poverty and give them opportunities and human dignity and allow them to have social upward mobility,” Weatherford said. “This country was based on a principle that you could be poor and work hard and have success. It didn’t matter where you started, you could always work your way up the ladder.”
He said Republicans should be “evangelists” for the free enterprise system.
Some other attendees during Friday’s luncheon included: Mitch Harper, Fort Wayne mayoral and city councilman candidate; Aaron Rovenstine, Kosciusko County sheriff; William Borne, Adams County GOP party chair; Bryan Dickerson, Elkhart City Council at-large member; Ernie Wiggins, former Warsaw mayor; Bob Sanders, Kosciusko County councilman; Ron Williams, Allen County GOP party executive director; Matt Boyd, Whitley County party chair; Barbara Krishner, 3rd district party chair; Kyle Babcock, 3rd district treasurer; Sue Ann Mitchell, Kosciusko County treasurer; and Jack Wilhite and Cindy Dobbins, Warsaw City Council at-large candidates.
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Weatherford, Wesley Chapel, Fla., is the brother of St. Regis Club owner Dave Gustafson’s wife, Jackie.
Weatherford was a Florida legislator from 2006 to 2014 and served as speaker of the house in 2013 and 2014.
Former Kosciusko County Republican chair and four-time Sagamore of the Wabash recipient Jean Northenor was the master of ceremonies for the luncheon and introduced Weatherford.
He is currently a managing partner at Weatherford Partners, a firm that partners with owners and management teams to build businesses.
Over the years he has been recognized as a “Champion of Business” and “A Defender of Parents Rights” by the Florida Catholic Conference, “Legislator of the Year” by Able Trust of Disabled and one of the “Top 12 State Legislators to Watch” by Governing Magazine.
Weatherford spoke about the Republican party and his political service.
In 2006 he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served a total of four terms. During his final term he served as speaker of the house, and was the youngest presiding officer of any state legislature chamber in the United States at that time.
“Florida had budget deficits of $6 to $8 billion and were at a free fall when I was first elected,” Weatherford said. “We reduced the size and scope of government and crawled our way back to an economic resurgence where we were stronger and more diversified as an economy.”
He said to pay down debt the legislature tightened its belts in spending.
He said he is proud of what the party accomplished in 2014, and to have a GOP majority in the house and senate.
“I’m of the belief structure that states cannot wait for D.C. to solve their problems,” Weatherford said. “States are the ecosystems for real change for America and we are the ones who have the opportunity to transform this country.”
He also said, “I believe that the way to take our country back is to create economic and social beach heads all across the United States for conservative philosophy.”
He said to make change there needs to be a plan, and politicians need to be held accountable.
He said while serving in the legislature an agenda was created that included cutting taxes 40 times; paying down $6 billion in debt; freezing all future agency regulations; and creating the largest school choice program in America with 75,000 low-income students that have vouchers going to the school of their choice and not the school they are forced to go to regardless of their zip code. The Florida legislator also said no to Medicaid expansion.
“I have a deep belief that entitlements do not make us stronger as a people,” Weatherford said.
He said since 2010 Florida has created 700,000 jobs, the second most in the country next to Texas, and unemployment went from 12 percent to 5 percent. According to Weatherford, CEO Magazine said Florida is the second best place to do business and 100 million visitors visited Florida in the last 12 months.
“Every single day in Florida 1,000 people move to the state and they’re not just retirees but people who are leaving oppressive tax states and coming to places like Florida looking for new opportunity,” Weatherford said.
Weatherford said he loves the GOP party and is in the fight because he believes in free enterprise.
“Free enterprise is the catalyst to lift people out of poverty and give them opportunities and human dignity and allow them to have social upward mobility,” Weatherford said. “This country was based on a principle that you could be poor and work hard and have success. It didn’t matter where you started, you could always work your way up the ladder.”
He said Republicans should be “evangelists” for the free enterprise system.
Some other attendees during Friday’s luncheon included: Mitch Harper, Fort Wayne mayoral and city councilman candidate; Aaron Rovenstine, Kosciusko County sheriff; William Borne, Adams County GOP party chair; Bryan Dickerson, Elkhart City Council at-large member; Ernie Wiggins, former Warsaw mayor; Bob Sanders, Kosciusko County councilman; Ron Williams, Allen County GOP party executive director; Matt Boyd, Whitley County party chair; Barbara Krishner, 3rd district party chair; Kyle Babcock, 3rd district treasurer; Sue Ann Mitchell, Kosciusko County treasurer; and Jack Wilhite and Cindy Dobbins, Warsaw City Council at-large candidates.
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