In the summer of 2025, this author met with Florida State Representative Danny Nix to discuss filing a legislative proposal to expand the Step Up For Students program. The proposal would have included students enrolled in private and virtual programs, regardless of where the school is physically located in the United States. Florida parents of these students live and work in Florida and contribute to Florida school and real estate taxes. Since the Florida Legislature has not been willing to eliminate school taxes for parents whose children are not enrolled in public or charter government schools, this proposal would have provided these families with genuine school choice.
State Rep. Danny Nix initially expressed support for the proposal and indicated to this author that he would move it forward for consideration during the 2026 legislative session. Within a couple of months, however, he had a change of heart—apparently influenced by establishment politicians and lobbyists in Florida. Nix later claimed that the bill would be killed by the governor because out-of-state schools do not pay real estate taxes in Florida. That argument ignores a critical fact: the parents do.
Shortly thereafter, having abandoned the expanded school choice proposal, Nix demonstrated a troubling political posture that appears to favor big government and centralization of power. In recent months, he has instead supported Florida State Representative Vanessa Oliver in advancing legislation that would, in a hostile and autocratic manner, strip the City of Punta Gorda of its right to home rule over its utilities and transfer that authority to Charlotte County.
This effort has been met with strong opposition from the City of Punta Gorda, the Charlotte County Commission, and vocal residents from both the City and the County. One might reasonably question whether the County Commission’s stated opposition to the Oliver–Nix bill is sincere or merely political theater. Just this week, the Charlotte County Commission—excluding Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch—voted to increase utility rates, a decision that will most certainly negatively impact private residents and, for some, create severe financial hardship. The commissioners were largely deaf to public criticism. Much like the state representatives involved, they ignored the voices of the people who fund their salaries and benefits and proceeded with what can accurately be described as a financial attack on private residents.
This author wrote to all five commissioners calling for a reversal of the decision. Commissioner Joe Tiseo responded with the following statement:
“The Board previously approved adopting an index to keep up with utility inflation. Our discussion yesterday was to raise utility hookup fees and associated costs on new development and increase the customer usage rate with the previously approved indexing which our financial instruments rely upon. If we did not keep with the index the utility would be on a pathway to higher borrowing rates and an inability to pay back financial commitments. The vote yesterday held developers and big business accountable to pay more to hook into our system and allowed our ratepayers to remain on a fiscally sound path.”
Commissioner Tiseo’s response reveals several important points. First, it avoids addressing the real financial hardship and consequences these increases will impose on private residents, thereby evading accountability. Second, it indicates that this rate increase—regardless of its impact—has been part of the Commission’s long-term plan. Third, it suggests that the Commission is largely indifferent to the pleas of private residents and instead focused on advancing its own agenda.
This pattern is all too typical of elected officials who pursue centralization of power and authority—precisely the opposite of what they are elected to do.
Commissioner Chris Constance also voted in favor of the utility rate increase. He has been contacted multiple times by the We the People Club to speak about his vision for Charlotte County, as he is currently running for reelection. To date, he has not responded to a single invitation. One is left to wonder whether he prefers to avoid difficult questions about whom he truly serves.