Dunedin Mayor Bob Hackworth was on WMNF tonight talking about his candidacy for Congressional District 10. Nothing terribly surprising -- Hackworth was "offended" at the suggestion of offshore drilling, having America's No.1 beach, Caladesi Island, in his jurisdiction. Hear it all here.

Max Linn released this press release today:

"Max Linn, Democratic candidate for Congress in District 10,
hosted a group of veterans at the Bay Pines Park on Saturday where concerns were voiced about the current treatment of veterans.
Topics included recent cuts in benefits and mismanagement of the funds
available. “At Bay Pines, I see new
furniture and flat screen TV's when the money should be spent increasing the
number of qualified doctors, Jackie Turner said. “I have a difficult time even getting an
appointment because there are so few doctors available for the number of
patients they need to see.”

There was also criticism of Walter Reed's deplorable
conditions and frustration with Congressman Bill Young for not taking his
concerns directly to Congress for immediate action. “Party loyalty sometimes outweighs doing what
is right,” one attendee observed. Everyone agreed that more needs to be done for the veterans returning
home from the war in the Middle East.

"We must recognize
the enormous sacrifices our veterans have made and honor the promises we've
made to them,” Linn said. A website,
www.girightshotline.org was suggested as a good resource for help with
benefits.
The next picnic is scheduled for Bay Pines Park Pavilion #3 at
noon
on August 2nd. All veterans interested in voicing their concerns, and meeting Congressional candidate Max Linn, are invited for a cookout. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared to discuss issues they want addressed in
Washington
and in
Pinellas
County.

For further information regarding Veterans
Picnic on August 2nd, call the Max Linn For Congress Campaign 727-345-2025."

And Hackworth's release on a national cat fund:
"One thing is on the minds of all coastal elected officials this time of year, hurricanes. No region of the
Gulf
Coast
is immune from them and the economic stresses wrought by these hurricanes often have a national impact. The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, which has been in place since 1992, requires insurance companies to purchase reinsurance from the fund for protection against major disasters.

Last November, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 3355, The Homeowners Defense Act of 2007, sponsored by Rep. Ron Klein and Rep. Tim Mahoney, both of
Florida
.

This bill creates a national catastrophe fund, which, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would cost $25 million per year. “A national catastrophe fund would benefit the residents of these areas that have been or could be hit with disaster,” said Hackworth. “The
Florida
legislature has shown that they are unable to come up with a solution to the property insurance crisis faced by
Florida
residents. We need a national solution which HR 3355 provides. Americans need to know that the government is going to step in and help them when a disaster strikes,” said Hackworth.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D,FL) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D, LA) have sponsored a companion bill in the Senate."