Allen Boyd

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished career of Mr. Dominic Calabro of Tallahassee, Florida, who is in his thirtieth year of public service with Florida TaxWatch, the statewide, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and research institute that has served the taxpayers of my home State of Florida for more than three decades.

Mr. Calabro was first hired as a Senior Research Analyst for Florida TaxWatch in 1980, promoted to Executive Director in 1982, and has served as the CEO of TaxWatch since 1986. He has guided the growth of TaxWatch into a dynamic, influential organization dedicated to improving government productivity and taxpayer value through research and civic engagement. TaxWatch recommendations, approximately 70 percent of which have been adopted by Florida's government, have saved billions of dollars for Florida taxpayers.

In addition to identifying and working to improve government spending in the public interest, Mr. Calabro and TaxWatch are the key players in the annual Prudential-Davis Productivity Awards, a nationally unique public-private partnership that recognizes and rewards exceptional Florida state employees whose innovative work measurably increases productivity and saves taxpayer money.

Mr. Calabro's hard work and dedication has helped Florida TaxWatch earn and maintain the respect of the state's most highly regarded and influential leaders, as well respect of the citizens of Florida and the state and national media. Mr. Calabro has received numerous honors and awards, including being named by the National Junior Chamber of Commerce as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans for 1994, and during this same period, many Florida TaxWatch recommendations have served as the impetus for important changes to Florida budgetary and taxation policy, including the Taxpayers Bill of Rights of 1992, the Government Performance Accountability Act of 1994, the complete phase-out of the Intangibles Tax, and a recent Government Cost Savings Task Force that so far has saved the

state nearly $3 billion to weather the current economic climate.

In addition to his many roles in government accountability, Mr. Calabro is involved in a number of community organizations, including the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of the Big Bend, the Knights of Columbus, and the Board of Directors of Florida House.

Mr. Calabro is also dedicated to improvements in public education. He is on the Board of Advisors for Florida State University's Graduate School of Social Work. Mr. Calabro also serves on the Florida Education Foundation and Communities in Schools of Florida.

Mr. Calabro has been supported in all of his endeavors by his loving wife of thirty-one years, Debbie. Mr. and Mrs. Calabro are devoted to their four children, Diana, Dominic, Christina, and Danny.

I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Calabro on his thirty years of service with Florida TaxWatch, and to wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

I thank Chairman Rahall for offering this manager's amendment and giving me time to speak.

Mr. Chairman, in this manager's amendment, there's a provision that is very important to the folks in the district I represent in northwest Florida. Ladies and gentlemen, our local economy has been significantly impacted by the BP oil spill. Many of our people are out of work as a result of this man-made disaster that they had no hand in creating. Fortunately, we have been successful in setting up the BP Oil Spill Victims Compensation Fund which will help speed relief to the victims of this tragedy and help respond to one of the gulf coast's greatest needs.

This amendment that is being offered by Chairman Rahall will ensure that gulf residents will have the right of first refusal for the job opportunities processing the claims filed for the oil spill.

It emphasizes the importance of gulf residents serving their neighbors by processing these claims and ensuring that they receive the consideration for the ramifications of this spill.

I have already spoken with Mr. Ken Feinberg, the administrator of the BP Deepwater Horizon Victims Fund, about employing local residents to process claims, and he agrees with me that there is no one better suited to perform this essential task. In fact, I told him that in north Florida we have a ready and willing workforce ready to go. These workers, who unfortunately are looking for work as a result of their corporations' closing their facility, have the skill and the talent that directly align with the skills needed to process oil spill claims. They should be considered first in line to beef up the newly established claims fund and ensure a high quality response for fellow gulf coast residents.

I recommend a ``yes'' vote on the chairman's manager's amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance of Bay County, Florida, whose members have selflessly dedicated both time and service on behalf of the citizens of North Florida in support of the United States Armed Forces. More specifically, the Bay Defense Alliance has been critical throughout the years in protecting the futures of both the Naval Support Activity--Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base both located in the Congressional District that I represent.

The accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance can be seen in countless projects throughout our region. They have been responsible for having more than $4.5 million in grants awarded to our local bases; they have

improved community awareness of defense and training issues; and they have facilitated direct interaction between members of the community and senior military service leaders. The accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance have helped ensure that the military facilities in North Florida remain a cornerstone of the local communities for many years to come. The most recent triumph has been the addition of a squadron of F-22s to Tyndall Air Force Base. Without their constant dedication, vigilance and support, the Air Force surely would not have looked so favorably on our region.

Madam Speaker, when anyone needs an example of true patriotism, they need look no further than to this organization of Floridians who achieved remarkable success while in humble service to their fellow citizens. On behalf of the Congress, I applaud the accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance and thank its members for their continued support for the United States Armed Forces and the citizens of North Florida.