>>Welcome back.
We just heard from Ken Russell,
so we now turn to his opponent in the congressional primary,
State Senator Annette Tadeo.
I started by asking her if she believes
we are in a recession as many economists believe.
>>Well, certainly we, the experts are claiming
that if we're not, we will be.
So, I think to try to pretend like this is not
the reality is actually not accurate
and not listening to the experts.
And, frankly, as a small business owner,
I know that all of us have been feeling it,
feeling the crunch that we feel that we're in.
And, frankly, a lot of other issues
that are coming into play such as supply of products
and that is affecting a lot of everything
including people at their kitchen table
where everything is more expensive.
>>So, what's the answer?
What do we do about turning this around?
>>Well, look, there's a lot of things
that we have to do including, of course,
making sure that we, you know, we are not pricing people
out of our communities to the point that we won't have
employees that can afford to live here and work.
We have a shortage of teachers.
We have a shortage of many other things.
So, we have to think holistically
as to how to get out of this.
And, one of those things is certainly not
simply pretend like we don't have to work
on all the issues that matter to us right now
which is the fact that there's an affordability crisis
when it comes to housing.
The fact that there is an issue with the insurance being
too high.
The fact that the gasoline, indeed,
though it has gone down, hasn't gone down enough.
And, what we don't need is to not have
people in office that are voting to try to reduce
these issues.
For example, price gouging should not be happening.
But, that is something that a vote was put forward.
And, our incumbent voted against being able to,
or for these companies to continue to price gouge
at the gas pump.
>>I guess, one of the questions becomes
Republicans are arguing that it was
all that democrat spending during the pandemic,
you know, pumping billions and hundreds of billions
into the economy actually is the root cause
of the inflation that we're seeing now.
Do you believe that?
>>Well, first of all, no.
And, by the way, they seemed to be just fine
when millions of dollars and billions of dollars were pumped
during the Trump Administration.
So, you can't have it both ways, first of all.
You know, we have inflation, and we have an issue going on
throughout the world.
So, to suggest that this is just an issue
because of who's in office in the United States is
to not pay attention to the fact
that this is being felt globally.
And, we have it in Europe,
and we have it all throughout the world.
So, this is definitely something
that I am going to be pushing back on,
because again, the investment actually got us
out of a very tough situation.
And, these things are necessary.
And, many of these politicians are the ones
that are showing up for pictures
or making sure that they get the credit
for some of the dollars or the bonuses
that are given to people that they needed.
Look, the Child Tax Credit, for example, was something
that was needed.
And, we got a lot of kids in our community out of poverty.
So, there are a lot of good things that came out of that,
but indeed, we have a lot of work to do
to not go to the extreme where it's too much spending,
while at the same time not enough investment.
>>I realize your focus on November,
you're looking ahead at your match, potentially
against Maria Elvira Salazar, republican who currently holds
the congressional seat,
but you do have a primary to get through first
on August 23rd.
And, earlier I spoke to your opponent in that race,
Ken Russell, who went after you
during our interview, saying that
you're beholden to big sugar,
because you've accepted 100s of 1000s of dollars
in recent years from special interest groups,
most notably big sugar and FPL.
And, in reviewing some of your records,
you certainly have received money
from groups that are largely funded by big sugar and others.
>>Okay, well first of all, it is absolutely false.
I have not received any of that money.
And, if I have, it certainly is surprising to me.
>>Well did you, let's be specific.
You've accepted money from Associated Industries of Florida,
correct?
>>I don't think they've ever given me money.
And, if they ever gave me money, it's news to me.
>>Are you associated with Fight Back Florida at all?
>>Yeah.
>>That's your group.
That's your PAC, right?
So, all right.
I'm looking at your Fight Back Florida has taken money
from New Leadership for Florida, Engage Florida PAC.
Let me go down, because I saw Associated Industries
of Florida, $5,000 in 2021.
I see another.
>>Right after they spent a great deal against me?
Okay.
>>I see another Associated Industries, 2500 in 2020.
New Leadership for Florida, Voice Florida Business,
Florida Alliance for Better Government.
These are all organizations that have given
to your campaign.
>>Mm-hmm (affirmative).
>>That receive a large portion of their money
from special interests, namely, big sugar.
Are you not aware of that?
>>I am aware that there are industries
especially Associated Industries of Florida
that, you know, have spent
a lot of money against me.
But, to suggest that I am in any way directly
or indirectly funded by big sugar as is suggested is
completely false.
And, actually is news to me that, you know,
100s of 1000s or as he likes to say,
"$400,000." Really?
To me?
I mean, I frankly, I'm shocked.
And, it's really sad, because it goes to show
how desperate someone is that they would go to trying to say
that because other organizations have taken money from them,
somehow, all the money in that has gone
to these organizations that have given money to me,
it was all for Annette Taddeo.
I mean, it's ridiculous.
>>Well, but again, just so we're clear.
Fight Back Florida is the group
that your committee that helps you in your races,
you know, specifically you.
And, when I asked you before if you've taken money
from Associated Industries, you said, "No,"
but you have.
>>Okay. So, you just brought up 5,000 and-
>>Another 2,500.
But, there are other PACs here.
You know I can scroll through the list.
I mean, again, and I guess.
>>But, Jim.
>>Go ahead.
>>Jim, there are lots of PACs that give to candidates
all throughout the state of Florida.
And, that doesn't mean that I personally received,
because those PACs at some point got some money
from different industries,
that I am somehow, I am in bed or buying from
you know, bought and sold as he suggests from sugar.
How sad.
How sad that someone would go to that
when I am actually an A rated legislator.
I just got the League of Conservation Voters
where I have an A grade on the environment.
And, as a matter of fact, let me just go one more thing.
I have actually out of my own pocket hired lawyers to sue
against dark money in politics.
Specifically, I'm the only legislator
in the entire state of Florida who went
after finding out where did the money come from
for the phantom candidates that were invested on
all throughout the state, not just right here
in Miami Dade.
I was the one that went all the way til the end,
fighting to try to figure out,
and we are finding out more and more every day
from the media and from these cases in the courts.
But, I will say this,
that I can tell you that again,
my record, an A record from Progress Florida
and other groups shows where my voting has been.
>>You have two votes that there's some questions about.
You voted in favor of the Right to Farm Bill,
that's Senate Bill 88.
There was a priority for Wilton Simpson
which limited the ability of individuals to sue,
for instance the sugar company for issues
such as burning.
Why did you vote in favor of restricting
what is the rights of individuals to bring
lawsuits against farmers, specifically, big sugar?
>>Well, in specific in that bill,
which by the way was almost unanimous
both in the House and the Senate,
that bill also allowed for us to be able to,
you know, I mean, some of the people
that were pushing that bill were
developers who want to build on farm land
which, of course, would not be in the best interests
of the environment or encroachment into the Everglades.
So, there were lots of parts to this bill.
And again, it was almost unanimous.
>>The other bill is Senate Bill 2508
which would have, again,
sort of modified some of the water flow issues
that would've gone south.
I know a lot of environmental groups were opposed
to that change.
And actually, at the end of the day,
Governor DeSantis vetoed that bill.
Why did you vote in favor of that?
>>We in the Senate fought for a specific amendment
that was accepted on the floor,
a very specific amendment to make sure
that the bill didn't do some of the things
that we felt were not okay.
And, once that amendment was accepted,
the Everglades Foundation came out in favor of the bill,
and again, it came out of the Florida Senate
almost unanimously for that reason.
It was part of our way to make the bill,
you know, acceptable,
especially to the Everglades Foundation.
>>Let me ask you this.
If you were a member of Congress,
would you vote to continue subsidies
for the sugar industry?
>>Probably not, no.
>>Okay, so I can put you down as saying
that you would be opposed to continued subsidies
for the sugar industry?
They currently receive price support subsidies,
you know, to maintain the price of sugar
in the United States.
You would be opposed to those subsidies?
>>I would be opposed to them,
and I do think that that is something
throughout many industries that we should look at.
Again, going back to the fact that there's a lot of things
that we need to look at as a government,
because the rest of us hardworking people are paying
our fair share of taxes, are working very hard
and that somehow we do create these kinds
of opportunities for those well connected to be able
to get a lot more than the rest of us who are working hard
just to build our American dream.