Fiscal conservative Amory Bodin seeks to represent the citizens of District 114 in the Florida House of Representatives. The district encompasses all or parts of Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Cutler Bay, Ludlam and West Miami. To get the job, Bodin is challenging incumbent Erik Fresen in the Republican primary on Aug. 14. The GOP candidate will then face Democrat Ross Hancock in the general election on Nov. 6.
At the press conference announcing his candidacy, Bodin told the attendees, “I’m running for office, because now more than ever, we simply can’t afford business as usual in Tallahassee. Florida is facing a hidden debt crisis that threatens to crush the hopes and dreams of our children and family. Erik Fresen has neither the commitment to integrity, nor the necessary fiscal knowledge to solve these problems. I do.”
Bodin is committed to bringing Florida back from the brink of an economic decline and brings to the table his career experience as a CPA and business owner. Naturally, he has a deep interest in the state’s budget and accounting process; not only because of his professional background, but because of the ramifications the looming financial crisis has on the next generation.
“We need a few CPAs in Tallahassee looking at the budget,” said Bodin. “As local and national debt rise, we are setting up our children to inherit higher taxes, less services and a less robust economy. Is this what we want to pass on to the next generation?”
For Bodin, the father of triplets, the answer is no. He pledges to properly manage citizens’ tax dollars by stopping wasteful spending for pork barrel projects, barring tax increases disguised as fees, tolls and surcharges, and saying no to tax dollar trading for political gain.
In a key campaign message, Bodin promises to put the interests of the people ahead of the political cronies and insiders. Bodin said, “My vote is not for sale.”
In his accounting practice, Bodin advises individuals and small and large businesses on overall financial and tax matters. He added, “My business is all about trust and integrity, following through with commitments and being responsive to the needs of others. These values will serve me well as your representative.”
Bodin will focus on the state’s overall financial matters as he works to reform the balanced budget process and the FRS Pension Plan, which he pointed out – at 87 percent, is not “well-funded” as reports would claim.
Also on Bodin’s agenda is to increase accountability for fraud in the auto and medical insurance and mortgage industries; to improve the allocation of the state’s education funds; and to help constituents understand better the windstorm insurance debacle.
Bodin will draw on his business experience to help small and mid-size businesses lift the economy. He will work to strengthen the quality of workforce education and eliminate unnecessary regulations for small business.
“I’ve built and grown businesses, created jobs, met payrolls, and contributed to real economic development,” Bodin added.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Bodin earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota. He played football in college and was a free agent punter for the Minnesota Vikings for two years. He is a licensed CPA in Minnesota and Florida.
Bodin and wife Carrie came to Miami in 1997 when he landed a consulting contract with Johnson and Johnson. The one-year contract lasted five, and the Bodins found themselves happily settled in the “Little Gables” community. “Now, we can’t think of a place we’d rather be,” Bodin said.
The Bodin family attends First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables where he serves as chairman of the church’s finance committee. He is a longtime member of the Little Gables Neighborhood Association and has served on the Community Affordable Housing Strategies Alliance and the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.
Bodin is ready to serve his community at the state level and feels his opponent no longer has the people’s best interest at heart. “My opponent has lost his connection with the community he serves,” Bodin said. “He stopped representing us.”
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