www.robertacosta2008.com/

robertacosta2008@yahoo.com

Robert Acosta is a real-estate broker and financial advisor in Orlando. He is married and has two children.

He graduated from St. Joseph Catholic Preparatory High School in Frederiksted in the U.S. Virgin Islands, received his bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, and took courses in political science and communications at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Acosta was previously a reporter for the South Florida Newspaper Network, the Caribbean Business Newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Reuter's Miami Bureau, and he was press secretary for U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Roy L. Schneider.

He has government-affairs experience with the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (government affairs and international trade associate), Amnesty International (regional communications director), the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Senate (federal-affairs assistant to the senate president), and Congressman Vic Frazer (legislative assistant).

Acosta was executive director of Mount Dora Community Theatre and the ACE Education Foundation.

He is a member of the Mount Dora Rotary Club, the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, and St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Winter Park.

Choose whether you agree or disagree on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being "Strongly Agree" and 1 being "Strongly Disagree." Add a 1 sentence comment to clarify your stance with the readers.

School boards are given enough money; they don't budget it correctly.

1 — Comment: It is the leadership in Tallahassee that has mismanaged our budget.

Decisive action, including measures that may not be welcomed by some business interests, must be taken to protect Florida from the ravages of overdevelopment.

5 — Comment: It is government's responsibility to strike a balance between the needs and rights of the people and business. The majority in Tallahassee has failed to meet its obligations in this regards siding all of the time with big business.

Offshore oil drilling could solve many of Florida's budget problems.

3 — Comment: Under what conditions and what is the real benefit to the people? Will it really lower gas prices? There are many issues to consider in this discussion. However, if the oil companies can prove that they can provide U.S. citizens for 12 cents a gallon of gas by drilling as they do in Venezuela, then drilling would be worth it. If the idea is to drill,while still facing upwards of $3.50 gallon gas then it might not be worth the environmental risk.

The State of Florida is doing enough to create new jobs.

1 — Comment: The state is doing everything in its power to drive away jobs by ignoring our imploding housing market, ignoring the impact of high property taxes and insurance on residents, ignoring high gas prices and not supporting rail and other public transportation options while new alternative fuels are developed and while giving tax incentives, credits and reductions to business that do not contribute anything to ending our dependency on foreign oil. I would much rather see the State support business in the alternative fuel industry.

Accomplishment of which you are most proud: There were many during my long years of public service, however, the two that I am most proud of was starting a non-profit organization in the U.S. Virgin Islands that secured federal funding to provide adult basic education and ged completion programs in an African American community called Grove Place and also securing major donations from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that provided computer equipment, software and training to all libraries in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Public-service goal you have yet to achieve: To help reverse our declining economic trends by promoting the right types of legislation. Mostly, by investing in our people and our infrastructure and education instead of concentrating on more tax cuts for big business and the wealthy.

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