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April 8, 2026 by David Silverberg, candidate for Florida Senate, District 28
Like every Floridian, I’m being squeezed from above and below.
The “above” is the price I’m paying at the grocery checkout and fuel pump because of insane presidential decisions by Donald Trump: a war started without my knowledge or consent; gas prices skyrocketing because of his bad planning and lack of forethought; ridiculous tariffs that are turned on and off like a light switch, prompted by his whims and rages.
It’s not just me saying this. Sean Snaith, the Director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting at the University of Central Florida told an Orange County Commission meeting yesterday, April 7, that the “biggest cloud of uncertainty” facing Florida’s economy is the Iran war. Just as people were recovering from a previous round of inflation, “now here we go again with some costs of living being impacted by the conflict here with Iran.” Snaith said.
“The impact we’ve seen immediately [is] certainly at the gas pumps. We’ve seen it in the price of oil, price of natural gas. We’re starting to see it work its way through the economy, these higher prices,” he said, noting that all forms of transportation have already been hit, with everything from airlines raising their baggage fees to delivery companies adding fuel charges for shipping packages.
Thanks a lot, Donnie!
The “below” is the cost imposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and an extremist Republican legislature—what I’m going to call “Big Tallahassee” from now on— driving up the prices of everything that we all need to live.
It’s not as though I’m living extravagantly or using hundred-dollar bills to light cigars. I’m trying to be frugal and sensible and keep my expenses within limits. Every other Floridian I know is trying to do the same.
But Big Tallahassee sees the everyday Floridian as its enemy and is doing everything it can to make us all poorer, sicker and sadder. It’s waging war on the state’s economy and every Floridian’s wallet.
Big Tallahassee’s war against all immigrants, whether documented or not, is bleeding Florida of the critical labor it needs for construction, farms and basic services at reasonable costs. That means higher prices in the grocery cart and just about every other business activity.
Big Tallahassee’s refusal to face climate change and help Floridians prepare for the worst that can happen is driving up insurance rates at the very time that we need more helpful insurance we can rely upon.
Big Tallahassee won’t face climate reality so living in Florida becomes riskier and more dangerous every year and insurance companies either leave the state, charge higher premiums or fail to pay out when the worst happens. And in its last session, Big Tallahassee batted away all Democratic proposals to relieve or help homeowners cope with what is increasingly becoming a crushing burden.
Even if new insurers have entered the state, there’s no telling if new mom-and-pop insurance companies will be able to pay out in the event of a disaster—and their newness and small sizes lead them to charge higher premiums, putting another burden on Florida policyholders.
On top of all this, Big Tallahassee’s hatred of foreigners and Donald Trump’s threats, insults and attacks on the rest of the world are driving away the international tourists and seasonal residents who pumped money into Florida’s economy.
So Floridians are being crushed by these two sides of a fiscal vise.
I am determined to do everything I can to end this squeeze if I’m elected to the Florida Senate from District 28.
There was a time when life in Florida was not only affordable, it was inexpensive. It’s what brought retirees and lots of other new arrivals to the state. It made possible a reasonably comfortable lifestyle to those of less than extravagant means. It also created a prosperous middle class and let immigrants start businesses and flourish, lifting everyone.
But now, Trump’s lunacy and Big Tallahassee’s wars on Floridians are creating a Florida that’s divided into billionaires versus everyone else. No doubt in many of those billionaires’ minds, they see a Florida divided into masters and servants, with themselves as the masters.
This is not a good outcome. It’s not an American outcome. It’s not a fair outcome.
If elected to the Florida Senate in District 28 I am determined to do everything I possibly can to make Florida affordable again. That includes close scrutiny of the insurance industry and its rates, premiums and payouts. It means facing the reality of climate change and helping Florida families and businesses build in resilience so that insurance rates can come down. It means ending the war on immigrants and labor, so that it costs less to produce Florida’s food, goods and services.
It also means resisting Donald Trump’s crazy and destructive decisions and tendencies rather than sucking up to his hatred, prejudice and rage. We may not be able to stop the war in Iran from the Florida state capital but where we can we must protect Floridians.
This is what I hope to do if elected. If we all work together, I actually believe we may succeed. I hope you’ll agree and join me by donating, volunteering and in November, voting, for David Silverberg for Florida Senate District 28.
Together, let’s make Florida affordable again.
See Silverberg4Florida.com for more issue positions and opportunities to volunteer.
To donate to the campaign, please click here.
© 2026 by David Silverberg