The High Price of “Nice”: What Karen Gonzalez Pittman is Actually Costing South Tampa
Life in South Tampa has its own calm pattern. We enjoy oak-lined streets, street-legal golf carts, and a tradition of polite politics. Financial security is important to us and closely tied to the character of our neighborhoods. With a median home value of $750,000, keeping things stable matters. We want our representatives to be good neighbors: practical with money, moderate in views, and focused on protecting property values and avoiding unnecessary problems.
On the surface, Representative Karen Gonzalez Pittman seems like a great fit. She’s well put-together, involved in the community, and always smiling in photos. If you met her at a Palma Ceia mixer, you’d likely think, “She seems reasonable.”
But if you look at her voting record, you realize that “reasonable” is an expensive illusion.
For many in District 65, voting for Pittman seems like choosing stability. In reality, though, you’re paying extra for a representative who often puts Tallahassee’s political battles ahead of your financial interests.
Let’s look at the return on investment.
The Insurance Bill That Never Arrives
If you own a home in Hyde Park, Davis Islands, or Bayshore, you’ve probably noticed your property insurance premium is now almost as high as your mortgage. This is the biggest threat to financial stability for Florida’s middle and upper classes. Many homeowners have seen their insurance costs rise by an average of 62% over the past three years, adding thousands to their yearly expenses.
For years, the Republican supermajority in Tallahassee, including Pittman, has promised to fix the insurance market. But their approach has mostly protected insurance companies from lawsuits, leaving policyholders without real help.
Pittman voted for the massive tort reform packages that stripped away your ability to effectively sue your insurer if they stiff you on a claim. The promise was that if we were “nicer” to the insurance companies, the savings would trickle down to us.
Have your rates trickled down? Or are they still gushing up like a geyser?
While your premiums doubled, Pittman and her colleagues spent legislative sessions on issues like banning books, arguing with Disney, and making rules about bathrooms. Meanwhile, many constituents are just one hurricane away from financial trouble. In one year, the insurance industry spent over $3 million lobbying in Florida, focusing on passing laws that favor industry profits over consumer protection. At least the insurance lobbyists are satisfied.
The “Culture War” Tax
There is a cost to the “anti-woke” crusade, and it’s not just moral—it’s economic. South Tampa is a cosmopolitan, business-forward district. We want to attract top talent: doctors for Tampa General, tech entrepreneurs, and corporate HQs. Studies have shown a decline in recruitment for qualified professionals in states with restrictive social policies. For example, a recent analysis highlighted a 12% drop in tech workers relocating to such areas. Similarly, healthcare recruiters report increasing difficulty attracting skilled physicians due to perceived reductions in individual freedoms.
But when Pittman votes in lockstep for the six-week abortion ban, one of the most draconian in the country, she isn’t just hurting women; she’s hanging a “Closed for Business” sign on the state.
Try recruiting a top-tier female surgeon to move her family to a state where she effectively has fewer rights than she did in 1972. Try convincing a tech startup to relocate to a state that is obsessed with censoring history books.
The “moderate” voter in District 65 generally wants government to stay out of the boardroom and the bedroom. Yet, Pittman’s voting record supports a government that wants to micromanage both. She voted to insert the state into medical decisions and classroom discussions, all while ignoring the actual infrastructure and flooding issues that threaten our property values.
This is a clear example of what’s called Patrimonialism. The state is run for the benefit of insiders, while regular people get worse service and pay more.
The Fiscal Responsibility Myth
We love to tell ourselves that we vote Republican for “fiscal responsibility.” It’s a pleasant bedtime story. But look at the budget.
Pittman backed a budget that cuts funding for essential services but sends millions to unclear “incentive” funds and legal defenses for the Governor’s controversial actions. For example, Medicaid funding was cut by $200 million, while almost $50 million was spent on legal defenses of these initiatives. These numbers show the inconsistency in fiscal priorities.
We are seeing rural hospitals close, and Medicaid funds slashed. You might think, “Well, I live in South Tampa, I don’t use Medicaid.” But you do use the ER. And when the safety net collapses, the costs shift to your private insurance premiums and your hospital wait times. Picture arriving at the ER one late evening with your child running a high fever. The waiting room is packed, a mother managing between comforting her sick toddler and completing endless forms, while a line of anxious families waits for beds to open up. At that point, the abstract notion of policy turns into a harsh reality. Your long wait for care and your rising insurance premiums unmask the true cost of a weakened healthcare system.
This isn’t “fiscal conservatism.” It’s fiscal vandalism.
The “Nice” Trap
Karen Gonzalez Pittman stands out because she makes South Tampa voters feel good about their choice. She doesn’t sound like the loud, angry politicians on TV. She comes across as a “Sensible Republican.”
But in the legislature, where party loyalty is strictly enforced, a “nice” vote has the same effect as any other vote.
When there’s a vote on a bill that harms LGBTQ+ Floridians, her “yes” vote has the same impact as the most extreme member’s. When it’s a vote to protect insurance company profits instead of homeowners, her “yes” costs you just as much.
The Bottom Line
It is time for District 65 to stop grading on a curve. We cannot afford to keep sending “nice” people to Tallahassee who vote against our interests.
If you are tired of paying the highest insurance rates in the nation, if you are embarrassed that your state is making headlines for banning dictionaries rather than building bridges, if you want a representative who cares more about your property value than earning a gold star from the party leadership, then it’s time to look at the receipt.
You bought the “stability.” You bought the “business-friendly” label. But instead, you got political battles you didn’t want and an insurance bill that’s too high.
