By Mark K. Matthews and David Damron, Orlando Sentinel
After months of indecision, the owner of a traffic-signal company in Winter Park has given the green light to a run against U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, the outspoken freshman Democrat from Orlando.
Political novice Bruce O'Donoghue, 55, who plans to register his candidacy Monday, said his biggest asset is knowing the ins and outs of Central Florida, and he's bringing two major Republican endorsements to prove it.
Former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said he plans to back O'Donoghue, who said he'll also have the endorsement of former Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings. Martinez is a former county mayor, while Jennings represented the Winter Park area for more than 20 years in the Legislature. Their support could be key in a crowded but little-known Republican primary field that's itching to take on Grayson, a national GOP target.
"I've known them all my life," said O'Donoghue, who said Martinez coached him as a kid and that Jennings' father "built the [College Park] church I grew up in."
Said Martinez: "You want someone to represent you who lives here and knows your community." He said O'Donoghue's business background, as president of Control Specialists Co., was crucial.
"Someone who knows business — who has managed a payroll — is in the best position to create jobs," said Martinez, who quit the Senate last year to join the lobbying and legal firm DLA Piper.
Jennings could not be reached.
Now O'Donoghue has to introduce himself to voters in a district that includes portions of Lake, Marion, Orange and Osceola counties.
A recent poll released by attorney Todd Long, who lost to then-U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando, in a 2008 primary, shows that Long is the best-known Republican in a field of at least eight candidates.
The Zogby poll of 519 likely GOP primary voters asked which of five candidates — Long; developer Armando Gutierrez; state Rep. Kurt Kelly, R-Ocala; Tea Party activist Patricia Sullivan; and O'Donoghue — they would back if the election were held today.
Long was favored by almost 23 percent of those surveyed, while Kelly claimed 13 percent and Sullivan 4.6 percent. Gutierrez and O'Donoghue trailed with less than 3 percent each. However, nearly 47 percent were undecided; the margin of error was 4.5 percentage points.
But even if O'Donoghue survives the primary, he'll face a well-funded Grayson in the general election.
In the last three months of 2009, Grayson raised about $850,000 and enters the year with about $1 million, according to his campaign. Much of that money came from online backers who agree with Grayson's combative tone on health care, including his assertion that the Republican reform plan was for sick patients to "die quickly."
O'Donoghue has pledged to pump his own money into the race, although it's expected that Grayson — whose personal wealth was estimated last year at more than $31 million — could match him dollar for dollar.
And his late entry puts O'Donoghue behind several GOP candidates who have been campaigning for months, including Gutierrez, a developer and South Florida transplant who reportedly raised about $200,000 to close the year. Gutierrez also kicked in about $100,000 of his own money.
But O'Donoghue said he could quickly make an impression by portraying himself as a "guy who grew up right here in Orange County."
He said he'll tout a broad "common sense" platform that calls for reducing government spending and controlling health care without major interference from Washington. He said he wants to make it easier for companies to band together into groups that could then buy health-care coverage for their employees for less than they pay now.
"There's lots that can be done without bankrupting the country 10 years from now," he said.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Obama's on board with Florida's high-speed rail
By Dan Tracy, Orlando Sentinel 3:01 p.m. EST, January 28, 2010
TAMPA - President Barack Obama on Thursday promised that he would one day be a passenger on a high-speed train connecting Orlando with Tampa.
"I'm going to come back down here and ride on it," he said, his words often drowned out by a boisterous crowd attending a town-hall meeting on the campus of the University of Tampa.
The project was one of 13 involving 31 states that Obama announced would receive a total of $8 billion in federal-stimulus funds for fast trains. The Central Florida plan got $1.25 billion -- nearly half of what state officials requested for it.
Obama's talk was a cross between a campaign speech and a rehash of his State of the Union address on Wednesday night. He spent relatively little time discussing high-speed rail -- the topic that brought him and a long list of city, state and congressional leaders to Tampa.
But that did not dampen the enthusiasm of an Orlando contingent that included Mayor Buddy Dyer, who met Obama when Air Force One touched down at MacDill Air Force Base near downtown Tampa.
"Today is the day to celebrate," Dyer said.
Vice President Joe Biden, who also came to Tampa, said the Florida bid was selected because it was the most advanced of all the requests considered by the administration. Sunshine State officials have been planning high-speed rail for more than 20 years.
Biden called the $1.25 billion "seed money,'' adding that "more funding is going to come in the future as progress is made."
That's welcome news to the Florida Department of Transportation, which will build the 84-mile system that would start at Orlando International Airport and run mostly along the median of Interstate 4.
The money handed out by the Obama administration is just less than half of the $2.6 billion the state estimates it needs to complete the project.
Although state and local officials are awaiting the details of how and when they will get the money, the grant is enough to pay for about three years of work, transportation experts say.
The most likely scenario would be to use the initial funding to build the foundation of the system, including moving utilities and creating the platforms for each stop and the roadbed for the tracks.
"This is the beginning of the program," said Ed Turanchik, who runs ConnectUs, a nonprofit Tampa group that lobbies for high-speed rail.
If the schedule that the state DOT laid out holds true, the train could begin operating in late 2014 or early 2015.
There are no concrete plans yet to link the train with SunRail, the planned $1.2 billion commuter train recently approved by state lawmakers for Central Florida. The first phase of SunRail, from DeBary in Volusia County through downtown Orlando to Sand Lake Road in south Orange County, should be operating when the high-speed train is complete.
Dyer said local officials and the state DOT have had "very preliminary" talks about how to hook up the two lines. Bus service is one option, but Dyer said he would like to see some sort of rail connection.
Obama and Biden, speaking to about 3,000 people, many of them college students, said they support high-speed rail because it creates jobs and gives motorists on congested roads a way to get out of their cars.
Florida officials say the Orlando-Tampa project could create 23,000 construction and 1,000 professional-service jobs.
"It will have far-reaching consequences," said Biden, who later added, "more importantly, we are creating jobs, good jobs."
Not everyone, however, praised the project.
U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, a strong supporter of SunRail, said in a statement that the Orlando-Tampa route would be too slow. He said it would go no faster than 110 mph -- even though the state contends it will top out at 168 mph.
"Just spending huge amounts of federal taxpayer funds will not ensure success of these megaprojects. The last thing the American people need is another bailout program with low-speed trains to nowhere," Mica said.
But another well-known Florida Republican, C.C. "Doc" Dockery of Lakeland, applauded Obama for funding the train. Dockery is a retired insurance magnate and husband of state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, a major SunRail opponent. He has been trying to get high-speed trains running in Florida since the 1980s.
"I think President Obama is the most visionary president we've had since President Eisenhower, who started the [interstate] highway system," Dockery said.
Florida received the second biggest slice of the $8 billion pie for high-speed rail.
California was first, getting $2.3 billion to begin work on an 800-mile line tying Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles and San Diego. A third major grant was $1.1 billion to improve a rail line between Chicago and St. Louis so that trains travel up to 110 mph.
Earlier, Obama and Gov. Charlie Crist were reunited -- briefly -- after the president landed at MacDill.
They shook hands but didn't hug. The Republican governor has drawn fire from members of his party for an earlier hug between Obama and Crist, and for Crist's support of the federal stimulus bill.
"I want to thank him on behalf of my fellow Floridians," Crist said before he greeted the president. "To be able to generate tens of thousands of jobs right now is mission number one."
TAMPA - President Barack Obama on Thursday promised that he would one day be a passenger on a high-speed train connecting Orlando with Tampa.
"I'm going to come back down here and ride on it," he said, his words often drowned out by a boisterous crowd attending a town-hall meeting on the campus of the University of Tampa.
The project was one of 13 involving 31 states that Obama announced would receive a total of $8 billion in federal-stimulus funds for fast trains. The Central Florida plan got $1.25 billion -- nearly half of what state officials requested for it.
Obama's talk was a cross between a campaign speech and a rehash of his State of the Union address on Wednesday night. He spent relatively little time discussing high-speed rail -- the topic that brought him and a long list of city, state and congressional leaders to Tampa.
But that did not dampen the enthusiasm of an Orlando contingent that included Mayor Buddy Dyer, who met Obama when Air Force One touched down at MacDill Air Force Base near downtown Tampa.
"Today is the day to celebrate," Dyer said.
Vice President Joe Biden, who also came to Tampa, said the Florida bid was selected because it was the most advanced of all the requests considered by the administration. Sunshine State officials have been planning high-speed rail for more than 20 years.
Biden called the $1.25 billion "seed money,'' adding that "more funding is going to come in the future as progress is made."
That's welcome news to the Florida Department of Transportation, which will build the 84-mile system that would start at Orlando International Airport and run mostly along the median of Interstate 4.
The money handed out by the Obama administration is just less than half of the $2.6 billion the state estimates it needs to complete the project.
Although state and local officials are awaiting the details of how and when they will get the money, the grant is enough to pay for about three years of work, transportation experts say.
The most likely scenario would be to use the initial funding to build the foundation of the system, including moving utilities and creating the platforms for each stop and the roadbed for the tracks.
"This is the beginning of the program," said Ed Turanchik, who runs ConnectUs, a nonprofit Tampa group that lobbies for high-speed rail.
If the schedule that the state DOT laid out holds true, the train could begin operating in late 2014 or early 2015.
There are no concrete plans yet to link the train with SunRail, the planned $1.2 billion commuter train recently approved by state lawmakers for Central Florida. The first phase of SunRail, from DeBary in Volusia County through downtown Orlando to Sand Lake Road in south Orange County, should be operating when the high-speed train is complete.
Dyer said local officials and the state DOT have had "very preliminary" talks about how to hook up the two lines. Bus service is one option, but Dyer said he would like to see some sort of rail connection.
Obama and Biden, speaking to about 3,000 people, many of them college students, said they support high-speed rail because it creates jobs and gives motorists on congested roads a way to get out of their cars.
Florida officials say the Orlando-Tampa project could create 23,000 construction and 1,000 professional-service jobs.
"It will have far-reaching consequences," said Biden, who later added, "more importantly, we are creating jobs, good jobs."
Not everyone, however, praised the project.
U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, a strong supporter of SunRail, said in a statement that the Orlando-Tampa route would be too slow. He said it would go no faster than 110 mph -- even though the state contends it will top out at 168 mph.
"Just spending huge amounts of federal taxpayer funds will not ensure success of these megaprojects. The last thing the American people need is another bailout program with low-speed trains to nowhere," Mica said.
But another well-known Florida Republican, C.C. "Doc" Dockery of Lakeland, applauded Obama for funding the train. Dockery is a retired insurance magnate and husband of state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, a major SunRail opponent. He has been trying to get high-speed trains running in Florida since the 1980s.
"I think President Obama is the most visionary president we've had since President Eisenhower, who started the [interstate] highway system," Dockery said.
Florida received the second biggest slice of the $8 billion pie for high-speed rail.
California was first, getting $2.3 billion to begin work on an 800-mile line tying Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles and San Diego. A third major grant was $1.1 billion to improve a rail line between Chicago and St. Louis so that trains travel up to 110 mph.
Earlier, Obama and Gov. Charlie Crist were reunited -- briefly -- after the president landed at MacDill.
They shook hands but didn't hug. The Republican governor has drawn fire from members of his party for an earlier hug between Obama and Crist, and for Crist's support of the federal stimulus bill.
"I want to thank him on behalf of my fellow Floridians," Crist said before he greeted the president. "To be able to generate tens of thousands of jobs right now is mission number one."
Regulators shut down banks in 5 states
By MARCY GORDON
WASHINGTON (AP) - Regulators shut down a big bank in California on Friday, along with two banks in Georgia and one each in Florida, Minnesota and Washington. That brought to 15 the number of bank failures so far in 2010 atop the 140 shuttered last year in the punishing economic climate.
The failure of Los Angeles-based First Regional Bank, with nearly $2.2 billion in assets and $1.9 billion in deposits, is expected to cost the federal deposit insurance fund $825.5 million.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over the bank as well as the others: First National Bank of Georgia, based in Carrollton, Ga., with $832.6 million in assets and $757.9 million in deposits and Community Bank and Trust of Cornelia, Ga., with $1.2 billion in assets and $1.1 billion in deposits; Florida Community Bank of Immokalee, Fla., with $875.5 million in assets and $795.5 million in deposits; Marshall Bank of Hallock, Minn., with $59.9 million in assets and $54.7 million in deposits; and American Marine Bank of Bainbridge Island, Wash., with $373.2 million in assets and $308.5 million in deposits.
First Regional Bank's collapse followed the shutdown of several large California banks in the last months of 2009. California was one of the states hardest hit by the real estate market meltdown, and many banks there have suffered under the weight of soured mortgage loans. Last year saw the failure of 17 banks in the state.
First-Citizens Bank (CZMO) & Trust Co., based in Raleigh, N.C., agreed to buy the deposits and $2.17 billion of the assets of First Regional Bank. The FDIC retained the remaining assets for later sale. In addition, the FDIC and First-Citizens agreed to share losses on $2 billion of the failed bank's loans and other assets.
Community & Southern Bank, also based in Carrollton, Ga., agreed to assume the deposits and assets of First National Bank of Georgia.
SCBT, a national bank based in Orangeburg, S.C., is assuming the assets and deposits of Community Bank and Trust. United Valley Bank, based in Cavalier, N.D., is buying the assets and deposits of Marshall Bank.
Miami-based Premier American Bank, N.A., a new bank with a national charter set up last week, is buying the deposits and $499.1 million of the assets of Florida Community Bank. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later sale. In addition, the FDIC and Premier American Bank - owned by the investment firm Bond Street Holdings - agreed to share losses on $305.4 million of Florida Community Bank's loans and other assets.
Columbia State Bank, based in Tacoma, Wash., is assuming the assets and deposits of American Marine Bank.
The two shuttered banks in Georgia followed 25 bank failures there last year, more than in any other state.
The government's resolution of First National Bank of Georgia is expected to cost the deposit insurance fund $260.4 million. That of Community Bank and Trust is estimated to cost $354.5 million. Florida Community Bank's resolution is expected to cost the fund $352.6 million and Marshall Bank is expected to cost $4.1 million. The hit to the fund from American Marine Bank is estimated at $58.9 million.
As the economy has soured, with unemployment rising, home prices tumbling and loan defaults soaring, bank failures have accelerated and sapped billions out of the federal deposit insurance fund. It fell into the red last year.
The 140 bank failures last year were the highest annual tally since 1992, at the height of the savings and loan crisis. They cost the insurance fund more than $30 billion. There were 25 bank failures in 2008 and just three in 2007.
The number of bank failures is expected to rise further this year. The FDIC expects the cost of resolving failed banks to grow to about $100 billion over the next four years.
The agency last year mandated banks to prepay about $45 billion in premiums, for 2010 through 2012, to replenish the insurance fund.
Depositors' money - insured up to $250,000 per account - is not at risk, with the FDIC backed by the government. Besides the fund, the FDIC has about $21 billion in cash available in reserve to cover losses at failed banks.
Banks have been especially hurt by failed real estate loans, both residential and commercial. Banks that had lent to seemingly solid businesses are suffering losses as buildings sit vacant. As development projects collapse, builders are defaulting on their loans.
If the economic recovery falters, defaults on the high-risk loans could spike. Many regional banks hold large concentrations of these loans. Nearly $500 billion in commercial real estate loans are expected to come due annually over the next few years.
In his State of the Union address this week, President Barack Obama said he will initiate a $30 billion program to provide money to community banks at low rates, if they boost lending to small businesses. The money would come from balances left in the $700 billion bailout fund.
Hundreds of banks, including major Wall Street institutions, received taxpayer support through that politically unpopular rescue program, enacted by Congress in October 2008 at the height of the financial crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Regulators shut down a big bank in California on Friday, along with two banks in Georgia and one each in Florida, Minnesota and Washington. That brought to 15 the number of bank failures so far in 2010 atop the 140 shuttered last year in the punishing economic climate.
The failure of Los Angeles-based First Regional Bank, with nearly $2.2 billion in assets and $1.9 billion in deposits, is expected to cost the federal deposit insurance fund $825.5 million.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over the bank as well as the others: First National Bank of Georgia, based in Carrollton, Ga., with $832.6 million in assets and $757.9 million in deposits and Community Bank and Trust of Cornelia, Ga., with $1.2 billion in assets and $1.1 billion in deposits; Florida Community Bank of Immokalee, Fla., with $875.5 million in assets and $795.5 million in deposits; Marshall Bank of Hallock, Minn., with $59.9 million in assets and $54.7 million in deposits; and American Marine Bank of Bainbridge Island, Wash., with $373.2 million in assets and $308.5 million in deposits.
First Regional Bank's collapse followed the shutdown of several large California banks in the last months of 2009. California was one of the states hardest hit by the real estate market meltdown, and many banks there have suffered under the weight of soured mortgage loans. Last year saw the failure of 17 banks in the state.
First-Citizens Bank (CZMO) & Trust Co., based in Raleigh, N.C., agreed to buy the deposits and $2.17 billion of the assets of First Regional Bank. The FDIC retained the remaining assets for later sale. In addition, the FDIC and First-Citizens agreed to share losses on $2 billion of the failed bank's loans and other assets.
Community & Southern Bank, also based in Carrollton, Ga., agreed to assume the deposits and assets of First National Bank of Georgia.
SCBT, a national bank based in Orangeburg, S.C., is assuming the assets and deposits of Community Bank and Trust. United Valley Bank, based in Cavalier, N.D., is buying the assets and deposits of Marshall Bank.
Miami-based Premier American Bank, N.A., a new bank with a national charter set up last week, is buying the deposits and $499.1 million of the assets of Florida Community Bank. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later sale. In addition, the FDIC and Premier American Bank - owned by the investment firm Bond Street Holdings - agreed to share losses on $305.4 million of Florida Community Bank's loans and other assets.
Columbia State Bank, based in Tacoma, Wash., is assuming the assets and deposits of American Marine Bank.
The two shuttered banks in Georgia followed 25 bank failures there last year, more than in any other state.
The government's resolution of First National Bank of Georgia is expected to cost the deposit insurance fund $260.4 million. That of Community Bank and Trust is estimated to cost $354.5 million. Florida Community Bank's resolution is expected to cost the fund $352.6 million and Marshall Bank is expected to cost $4.1 million. The hit to the fund from American Marine Bank is estimated at $58.9 million.
As the economy has soured, with unemployment rising, home prices tumbling and loan defaults soaring, bank failures have accelerated and sapped billions out of the federal deposit insurance fund. It fell into the red last year.
The 140 bank failures last year were the highest annual tally since 1992, at the height of the savings and loan crisis. They cost the insurance fund more than $30 billion. There were 25 bank failures in 2008 and just three in 2007.
The number of bank failures is expected to rise further this year. The FDIC expects the cost of resolving failed banks to grow to about $100 billion over the next four years.
The agency last year mandated banks to prepay about $45 billion in premiums, for 2010 through 2012, to replenish the insurance fund.
Depositors' money - insured up to $250,000 per account - is not at risk, with the FDIC backed by the government. Besides the fund, the FDIC has about $21 billion in cash available in reserve to cover losses at failed banks.
Banks have been especially hurt by failed real estate loans, both residential and commercial. Banks that had lent to seemingly solid businesses are suffering losses as buildings sit vacant. As development projects collapse, builders are defaulting on their loans.
If the economic recovery falters, defaults on the high-risk loans could spike. Many regional banks hold large concentrations of these loans. Nearly $500 billion in commercial real estate loans are expected to come due annually over the next few years.
In his State of the Union address this week, President Barack Obama said he will initiate a $30 billion program to provide money to community banks at low rates, if they boost lending to small businesses. The money would come from balances left in the $700 billion bailout fund.
Hundreds of banks, including major Wall Street institutions, received taxpayer support through that politically unpopular rescue program, enacted by Congress in October 2008 at the height of the financial crisis.
GOP: Obama Has 'Blind Spot' on Terror War
From: FoxNews.com
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration's handling of a Nigerian student who allegedly attempted to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas exposed its "blind spot when it comes to the war on terrorism," a Republican lawmaker said Saturday.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins kept up the Republicans' drumbeat of criticism following a report by The Associated Press a week ago that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was questioned for 50 minutes without informing him of his right to remain silent.
When he was later advised of his rights, Abdulmutallab refused to speak further with investigators. He was treated as a criminal defendant, not as an "enemy combatant," she said.
"President Obama recently used the phrase that 'we are at war' with terrorists. But unfortunately his rhetoric does not match the actions of his administration," Collins said in the weekly Republican Internet and radio address. "The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the war on terrorism."
Collins' choice of the Christmas Day attack as a topic for the radio address suggests Republicans have found what they consider a weak spot in the Obama administration -- the handling of terrorism. That theme is likely to surface frequently during coming campaigns.
White House aides have cited "lapses" and errors in the sharing of intelligence and clues about the Nigerian man accused in the foiled attempt. National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said the suspect should have been treated like a potential terrorist and questioned by a special detainee interrogation group before any decisions were made on whether to place him in the civilian court system. But White House officials said they have other options for getting more information from the suspect.
Collins seized on the admission by some intelligence officials that the suspect was mishandled.
"When the Obama administration decided to treat Abdulmutallab as an ordinary criminal, it did so without the input of our nation's top intelligence officials," she said, noting that such officials as the director of national intelligence and the director of the National Counterterrorism Center were not contacted.
"They would have explained the importance of gathering all possible intelligence about Yemen, where there is a serious threat from terrorists whose sights are trained on this nation," she said. "They would have explained the critical nature of learning all we could from Abdulmutallab. But they were never asked."
Abdulmutallab allegedly was carrying explosives in his underwear, but they failed to detonate and he was detained with the help of passengers and crew members.
After his capture, Abdulmutallab spoke freely and provided valuable intelligence, officials said. Federal agents repeatedly interviewed him or heard him speak to others. But when they read him his legal rights nearly 10 hours after the incident, he went silent.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins kept up the Republicans' drumbeat of criticism following a report by The Associated Press a week ago that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was questioned for 50 minutes without informing him of his right to remain silent.
When he was later advised of his rights, Abdulmutallab refused to speak further with investigators. He was treated as a criminal defendant, not as an "enemy combatant," she said.
"President Obama recently used the phrase that 'we are at war' with terrorists. But unfortunately his rhetoric does not match the actions of his administration," Collins said in the weekly Republican Internet and radio address. "The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the war on terrorism."
Collins' choice of the Christmas Day attack as a topic for the radio address suggests Republicans have found what they consider a weak spot in the Obama administration -- the handling of terrorism. That theme is likely to surface frequently during coming campaigns.
White House aides have cited "lapses" and errors in the sharing of intelligence and clues about the Nigerian man accused in the foiled attempt. National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said the suspect should have been treated like a potential terrorist and questioned by a special detainee interrogation group before any decisions were made on whether to place him in the civilian court system. But White House officials said they have other options for getting more information from the suspect.
Collins seized on the admission by some intelligence officials that the suspect was mishandled.
"When the Obama administration decided to treat Abdulmutallab as an ordinary criminal, it did so without the input of our nation's top intelligence officials," she said, noting that such officials as the director of national intelligence and the director of the National Counterterrorism Center were not contacted.
"They would have explained the importance of gathering all possible intelligence about Yemen, where there is a serious threat from terrorists whose sights are trained on this nation," she said. "They would have explained the critical nature of learning all we could from Abdulmutallab. But they were never asked."
Abdulmutallab allegedly was carrying explosives in his underwear, but they failed to detonate and he was detained with the help of passengers and crew members.
After his capture, Abdulmutallab spoke freely and provided valuable intelligence, officials said. Federal agents repeatedly interviewed him or heard him speak to others. But when they read him his legal rights nearly 10 hours after the incident, he went silent.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Telephone Interview with FL Representative Mike Horner (Dist. 79)
By: Eric Dolhon, Osceola County Republican Executive Committee
-Eric: Hello Mike. First off, congratulations for receiving the 2010 VA Legislative Achievement Award.
-Representative Horner: Thank you very much.
-Eric: Let’s get right into the interview if you do not mind.
-Representative Horner: Alright, fire away.
-Eric: What was your biggest accomplishment of 2009?
-Representative Horner: The passage of the Constitutional Amendment to exempt military personnel employment taxes; Pay cuts for state legislators (7%); We made deep budget cuts (Republicans must be fiscally prudent); I voted against cigarette tax and expansion of state gambling.
-Eric: What is your plan for 2010 legislatively?
-Representative Horner: Top priority is to put Floridians back to work, especially in Osceola County; To reform the state legal system through tort reform; To Improve infrastructure by attracting employers and streamlining government.
-Eric: (Follow up) And beyond 2010?
-Representative Horner: Just what I explained, creating jobs, tort reform, and improving infrastructure.
-Eric: What does Conservatism mean to you?
-Representative Horner: Using a quote from Thomas Jefferson “Government that governs least governs best”.
-Eric: What do you think the message the people sent to elected officials on both sides of the aisle with the victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts?
-Representative Horner: That independents are starting to realize the Obama agenda is bad policy for the country.
-Eric: With the current situation with the RPOF and the chairman’s position, what advice would you have for the local REC’s?
-Representative Horner: My advice to the local REC’s is to use sound judgment to select the next RPOF Chairman.
-Eric: With out of control government spending and unemployment the two biggest issues both locally as well as nationally, how would you address these two issues?
-Representative Horner: The Florida Legislature cut the budget from 74 to 65 billion dollars (Cuts to government spending); I sponsored legislation to streamline the business licensing process; Moved to build and improve roads in Osceola County through the economic development process and will do the same this legislative year.
-Eric: What is your reaction to the backlash on the SunRail legislation?
-Representative Horner: SunRail will improve infrastructure as well as bring jobs to Osceola County; I have no bones against it or comment for the opposition.
-Eric: It is stated that the Florida State Legislator has no idea how they are going to pay for the SunRail tentatively past the 7th year. What is the plan to fund the legislation beyond the 7th year?
-Representative Horner: I will say that the state has made adequate preparations to fund SunRail.
-Eric: With Lynx in the red and still being funded by tax dollars and the SunRail not stopping in any of Central Florida’s key destination areas such as the airport, the beaches, I-Drive, etc., how will this benefit Central Florida?
-Representative Horner: We save tax payer dollars by using existing railroad track for SunRail through the 5 county service areas.
-Eric: (Follow up) Would you support any future expansions to those key destination areas?
-Representative Horner: I would have to see cost to expand to major destination areas.
-Eric: Do you or would you give your record as well as your statements during this interview support any tax increases?
-Representative Horner: As a rule, I do not support tax increases.
-Eric: So you do not support tax increases?
-Representative Horner: As a rule I do not support tax increases.
Eric: What message do you want to send to fellow conservatives who have lost trust in our elected officials?
-Representative Horner: That there is a reason to be hopeful in the 2010 election cycle. We have an opportunity to elect more conservatives to office, increase Republican seats in the Florida Legislature, retain the governor’s seat (Keeping it in Republican hands), and retake Congress in Washington.
-Eric: How is your re-election campaign going?
-Representative Horner: I am humbled by the amazing outpouring of support for my re-election campaign and I look forward to meeting with more voters as the campaign proceeds.
-Eric: Thank you Mike and talk to you soon!
-Representative Horner: Thank you and take care!
-Eric: Hello Mike. First off, congratulations for receiving the 2010 VA Legislative Achievement Award.
-Representative Horner: Thank you very much.
-Eric: Let’s get right into the interview if you do not mind.
-Representative Horner: Alright, fire away.
-Eric: What was your biggest accomplishment of 2009?
-Representative Horner: The passage of the Constitutional Amendment to exempt military personnel employment taxes; Pay cuts for state legislators (7%); We made deep budget cuts (Republicans must be fiscally prudent); I voted against cigarette tax and expansion of state gambling.
-Eric: What is your plan for 2010 legislatively?
-Representative Horner: Top priority is to put Floridians back to work, especially in Osceola County; To reform the state legal system through tort reform; To Improve infrastructure by attracting employers and streamlining government.
-Eric: (Follow up) And beyond 2010?
-Representative Horner: Just what I explained, creating jobs, tort reform, and improving infrastructure.
-Eric: What does Conservatism mean to you?
-Representative Horner: Using a quote from Thomas Jefferson “Government that governs least governs best”.
-Eric: What do you think the message the people sent to elected officials on both sides of the aisle with the victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts?
-Representative Horner: That independents are starting to realize the Obama agenda is bad policy for the country.
-Eric: With the current situation with the RPOF and the chairman’s position, what advice would you have for the local REC’s?
-Representative Horner: My advice to the local REC’s is to use sound judgment to select the next RPOF Chairman.
-Eric: With out of control government spending and unemployment the two biggest issues both locally as well as nationally, how would you address these two issues?
-Representative Horner: The Florida Legislature cut the budget from 74 to 65 billion dollars (Cuts to government spending); I sponsored legislation to streamline the business licensing process; Moved to build and improve roads in Osceola County through the economic development process and will do the same this legislative year.
-Eric: What is your reaction to the backlash on the SunRail legislation?
-Representative Horner: SunRail will improve infrastructure as well as bring jobs to Osceola County; I have no bones against it or comment for the opposition.
-Eric: It is stated that the Florida State Legislator has no idea how they are going to pay for the SunRail tentatively past the 7th year. What is the plan to fund the legislation beyond the 7th year?
-Representative Horner: I will say that the state has made adequate preparations to fund SunRail.
-Eric: With Lynx in the red and still being funded by tax dollars and the SunRail not stopping in any of Central Florida’s key destination areas such as the airport, the beaches, I-Drive, etc., how will this benefit Central Florida?
-Representative Horner: We save tax payer dollars by using existing railroad track for SunRail through the 5 county service areas.
-Eric: (Follow up) Would you support any future expansions to those key destination areas?
-Representative Horner: I would have to see cost to expand to major destination areas.
-Eric: Do you or would you give your record as well as your statements during this interview support any tax increases?
-Representative Horner: As a rule, I do not support tax increases.
-Eric: So you do not support tax increases?
-Representative Horner: As a rule I do not support tax increases.
Eric: What message do you want to send to fellow conservatives who have lost trust in our elected officials?
-Representative Horner: That there is a reason to be hopeful in the 2010 election cycle. We have an opportunity to elect more conservatives to office, increase Republican seats in the Florida Legislature, retain the governor’s seat (Keeping it in Republican hands), and retake Congress in Washington.
-Eric: How is your re-election campaign going?
-Representative Horner: I am humbled by the amazing outpouring of support for my re-election campaign and I look forward to meeting with more voters as the campaign proceeds.
-Eric: Thank you Mike and talk to you soon!
-Representative Horner: Thank you and take care!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Locals Hope Jobs, Space Addressed In State Of The Union
By: Scott Harris
ORLANDO-- President Barack Obama gives what is technically his first State of the Union address Wednesday night. And you can expect it to be one of the most closely watched speeches, both by supporters and opponents.
Central Floridians will be looking, like mostly everyone else, for signs of economic recovery. But there are also a couple of issues that hit close to home-- if the president addresses them.
"I think he ought to concentrate on one thing, and that's jobs, jobs, jobs,” said former Congressman Lou Frey. “You can talk all you want about economic changes and all the things you're gonna do. You can blame Bush for the problems and that but, you know, it's been a year ago. You have to produce the jobs."
Rockledge Republican Rep. Bill Posey's office agreed. They said Posey is looking to hear about job creation, the economy and setting a vision for space exploration.
The NASA funding question has suddenly become a bit more problematic with word the White House plans to freeze funding for the next three years on domestic programs, except National Security.
So where does NASA fit, especially with the Augustine recommendation for billions of increased funding?
Sen. Bill Nelson's office released this statement:
Will freezing the budget impact the space program? No - it shouldn't, as long as the president is committed to a robust space program and keeping America first in science and technology. Such a freeze would be on the overall budget within which some agencies could get more and some less
ORLANDO-- President Barack Obama gives what is technically his first State of the Union address Wednesday night. And you can expect it to be one of the most closely watched speeches, both by supporters and opponents.
Central Floridians will be looking, like mostly everyone else, for signs of economic recovery. But there are also a couple of issues that hit close to home-- if the president addresses them.
"I think he ought to concentrate on one thing, and that's jobs, jobs, jobs,” said former Congressman Lou Frey. “You can talk all you want about economic changes and all the things you're gonna do. You can blame Bush for the problems and that but, you know, it's been a year ago. You have to produce the jobs."
Rockledge Republican Rep. Bill Posey's office agreed. They said Posey is looking to hear about job creation, the economy and setting a vision for space exploration.
The NASA funding question has suddenly become a bit more problematic with word the White House plans to freeze funding for the next three years on domestic programs, except National Security.
So where does NASA fit, especially with the Augustine recommendation for billions of increased funding?
Sen. Bill Nelson's office released this statement:
Will freezing the budget impact the space program? No - it shouldn't, as long as the president is committed to a robust space program and keeping America first in science and technology. Such a freeze would be on the overall budget within which some agencies could get more and some less
Florida To Get High Speed Rail Cash
By Mark K. Matthews, ORLANDO SENTINEL
WASHINGTON -- White House officials and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson confirmed this morning what rail leaders in Florida have anticipated for days: that President Barack Obama's visit to Tampa on Thursday is to announce that the state will get federal dollars for high-speed rail.
During the planned town hall meeting, Obama is slated to award $8 billion in grants for 13 high-speed rail projects across the country, although it is uncertain whether Florida will get its entire $2.6 billion request. Other administration officials are scheduled to appear in other cities nationwide to highlight funding in other communities.
The Florida line is expected to travel between Orlando and Tampa, although long-term plan envision a second leg that would extend south from Orlando to Miami. Lawmakers immediately applauded the move, calling it a much-needed shot in the arm for the state's economy.
"This will be one of the largest boosts to the state's economy since Disney, since the interstate highway system," said Nelson in a statement.
WASHINGTON -- White House officials and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson confirmed this morning what rail leaders in Florida have anticipated for days: that President Barack Obama's visit to Tampa on Thursday is to announce that the state will get federal dollars for high-speed rail.
During the planned town hall meeting, Obama is slated to award $8 billion in grants for 13 high-speed rail projects across the country, although it is uncertain whether Florida will get its entire $2.6 billion request. Other administration officials are scheduled to appear in other cities nationwide to highlight funding in other communities.
The Florida line is expected to travel between Orlando and Tampa, although long-term plan envision a second leg that would extend south from Orlando to Miami. Lawmakers immediately applauded the move, calling it a much-needed shot in the arm for the state's economy.
"This will be one of the largest boosts to the state's economy since Disney, since the interstate highway system," said Nelson in a statement.
Poll: GOP primary for US Senate seat in Fla. a tie
By BRENT KALLESTAD, Associated Press Writer Brent Kallestad, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jan 26, 6:35 am ET
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Former Florida legislator Marco Rubio has closed the gap in the race for the state's Republican U.S. Senate nomination and is in a virtual dead heat with Gov. Charlie Crist, according to a poll released Tuesday.
Rubio, a lawyer who served as Speaker of the House, was once considered a long shot against Crist, who has widespread name recognition and a significant fundraising lead. But with Florida's primary seven months away, Rubio was favored by 47 percent compared with 44 percent who preferred Crist — statistically a tie in the Quinnipiac University poll that has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The random telephone survey, which included 673 GOP voters, was conducted Jan. 20-24.
"The horse race numbers are not a fluke," said Peter Brown, assistant polling director for Quinnipiac in Connecticut. "Rubio's grassroots campaigning among Republican activists around the state clearly has paid off."
The latest survey marks a stunning turnaround for the 38-year-old Rubio, a conservative who trailed Crist by 31 points in a Quinnipiac survey taken in June.
The governor's 50 percent job approval rating was its lowest since he took office three years ago, according to a broader poll of 1,618 voters that was part of the same telephone survey.
"In order to defeat Rubio, Gov. Crist is going to have to turn around a perception that he is not as much the true-blue, or true-red, conservative as Rubio," Brown said. "That probably means lots of TV commercials attacking Rubio's conservative credentials."
Both Republicans were leading little-known Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami in the broader survey. The poll showed Crist was leading Meek by 48 percent to 36 percent and Rubio was ahead of Meek by 44 percent to 35 percent. That poll had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.
The U.S. Senate seat is now held by Republican George LeMieux, who was appointed by Crist last summer to fill the rest of former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's term. Martinez retired to spend more time with his family in Orlando.
LeMieux, who managed Crist's successful gubernatorial campaign in 2006, agreed not to run for the seat when he accepted the appointment.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Former Florida legislator Marco Rubio has closed the gap in the race for the state's Republican U.S. Senate nomination and is in a virtual dead heat with Gov. Charlie Crist, according to a poll released Tuesday.
Rubio, a lawyer who served as Speaker of the House, was once considered a long shot against Crist, who has widespread name recognition and a significant fundraising lead. But with Florida's primary seven months away, Rubio was favored by 47 percent compared with 44 percent who preferred Crist — statistically a tie in the Quinnipiac University poll that has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
The random telephone survey, which included 673 GOP voters, was conducted Jan. 20-24.
"The horse race numbers are not a fluke," said Peter Brown, assistant polling director for Quinnipiac in Connecticut. "Rubio's grassroots campaigning among Republican activists around the state clearly has paid off."
The latest survey marks a stunning turnaround for the 38-year-old Rubio, a conservative who trailed Crist by 31 points in a Quinnipiac survey taken in June.
The governor's 50 percent job approval rating was its lowest since he took office three years ago, according to a broader poll of 1,618 voters that was part of the same telephone survey.
"In order to defeat Rubio, Gov. Crist is going to have to turn around a perception that he is not as much the true-blue, or true-red, conservative as Rubio," Brown said. "That probably means lots of TV commercials attacking Rubio's conservative credentials."
Both Republicans were leading little-known Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami in the broader survey. The poll showed Crist was leading Meek by 48 percent to 36 percent and Rubio was ahead of Meek by 44 percent to 35 percent. That poll had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.
The U.S. Senate seat is now held by Republican George LeMieux, who was appointed by Crist last summer to fill the rest of former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's term. Martinez retired to spend more time with his family in Orlando.
LeMieux, who managed Crist's successful gubernatorial campaign in 2006, agreed not to run for the seat when he accepted the appointment.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
2010 Osceola County Lincoln Day Dinner
Come join us for our 2010 Lincoln Day Dinner featuring Marco Rubio and Ralph Reed. Seats are limited and the cut off date to order tickets is Feb. 1, 2010. Tickets are $150/per seat and include a Surf and Turf dinner, Free Cocktail Hour.
Date: Feb. 13, 2010
Location: Gaylord Palms Hotel
Time: 6:00 p.m. (EST)
For more information email us @ osceolarepublicans@hotmail.com.
Candidate Profile: FL. State Representative Stephen Precourt (Dist. 41)
By: Jeremy L. Fetzer
Florida State Representative Stephen Precourt is ready to stand on principle, like many times before as he bids for re-election to represent District 41 in 2010.
As he reflects on his past year’s accomplishments, it took me by surprise to hear an elected official say his biggest accomplishment was his ability to limit the burden on the families of Florida. He stated, “Sometimes doing nothing is better than doing harm”, which really shows he gets what is going on right now in Florida and at each dinner table throughout America.
When discussing his priorities for 2010, he stated he has two major priorities. His first priority is passing his Entertainment Industry Economic Development legislation (HB47); which would give tax breaks to attract entertainment companies to call Florida home and provide much needed employment opportunities to our region.
Secondly, as the newly appointed Chairman of the Energy and Utilities Committee, he wants to establish the first ever comprehensive energy policy for the state of Florida. According to Rep. Precourt, the current policy is non-existent; it is spread out amongst many different pieces of legislation and he believes we need a central plan which can map out future energy needs. From off-shore drilling to investing in nuclear energy, his vision is to start planning now so we can build for the energy needs of the future generations of Floridians.
With our current unemployment rates in Osceola County skyrocketing past the national average, Rep. Precourt understands job creation is the number one priority for every person and every family in Florida. His Entertainment Industry legislation is a job creation plan, to include tax cuts, which will help rebuild Central Florida’s community.
For the current shake-up going on in the Republican Party of Florida, Rep. Precourt supports an open debate regarding the direction of the party but recommends the debate be well behaved. He insists party in-fighting will only harm our cause and wants fellow conservatives to remember the common bonds and goals we all share. He stated, “We do need a spirited debate, but we need to remember our values, principles, and love for the country which we all share.”
When asked if he would support any legislation which would increase taxes and burdens on Florida families, Rep. Precourt stated, “We have enough taxes and fees; and we have put enough on the backs of each family in Florida and throughout America.” He continued to say, “People elected him to help not to cause more harm.” As for the backlash being felt regarding the SunRail legislation (which he did not vote on), he understands the impact it will have on the families of Florida. Osceola County alone is on the hook for $121 million in cost, but he says people need to look at the reason for the plan. With the current 7-year plan to expand the I-4 corridor, the main reason for the SunRail project was to alleviate traffic congestion by offering an alternative transportation solution.
Rep. Precourt said the bill supporters in the state legislature may not have effectively communicated the pros of the bill, but he understands and admits the opposition definitely communicated the cons of the bill. He still says this was a unique situation and timing, with the I-4 construction plans, the cost to divert traffic according to multiple cost analysis clearly identified the SunRail project would be a cheaper solution for the taxpayers of Florida.
As our interview came to an end, Rep. Precourt shared that we as Conservatives need to remember there is no such thing as a socially conservative/fiscally liberal person or a socially liberal/fiscally conservative person.
To him, being a Conservative means you are a person who respects human rights and dignity; you are a person of principle, values and morals. For him, you cannot choose to be a Conservative on one issue and not on another issue. It’s not about talking the talk but walking the walk.
Representative Precourt’s message to the county Republican Executive Committees is to get out and recruit, recruit, recruit… We need to communicate our values and principles to our communities to help get Florida and America back on track. He stated, “With the victory of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, we as Republicans need to hear the message Americans all over the country have been sending us through the Tea Party rallies to the town hall meetings over the summer. We need to be good stewards of their hard earned money and get back to the founding principles which made our country great”.
For more information about Representative Stephen L. Precourt, you can visit him on Facebook.
Florida's jobless rate creeps toward 12 percent
By Jim Stratton, Orlando Sentinel
Florida's unemployment rate climbed to 11.8 percent in December, the highest level in almost 35 years and up three-tenths of a point from a month earlier.
The state's jobless rate is up 4.2 percentage points from last year at this time and almost 2 points higher than the national average of 10 percent.
It represents about 1 million unemployed people out of a total labor force of almost 9.2 million, but the figure — as grim as it is — understates the extent of the problem.It does not include individuals who have stopped looking for a job, those who have been forced into part-time work and those who have accepted jobs far below their skill levels.
When those people are added, the percentage of workers who are unemployed or underemployed exceeds 19.5 percent.Since April 2007, when the state labor market began shrinking, Florida has shed more than 720,000 jobs, losses that cut across virtually all industries."We're still in the throes of equal-opportunity unemployment," said University of Central Florida economist Sean Snaith. "Plumbers and professors, laborers and lawyers have lost their jobs in this recession."The construction industry has taken the hardest hit, and Friday's figures show that it continues to struggle.
In December, that sector was down almost 60,000 jobs compared with a year ago. Transportation, trade and utilities lost almost 51,000 jobs during the same period.In Central Florida, every county now reports double-digit jobless rates.
Seminole is at 10.9 percent; Orange is at 11.8 percent; Brevard stands at 12.1 percent; Volusia at 12.5 percent; and Lake comes in at 12.7 percent.Osceola County reported the highest rate in the region at 13.3 percent. Flagler County has the state's worst unemployment at 16.9 percent.Metro Orlando, which consists of Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties, was at 11.9 percent.None of the numbers is surprising.
With an economy dependent on construction and tourism, Florida suffers badly when the nation as a whole slips into a recession.Economists say the state will recover more slowly than many parts of the country, and the jobless rate is projected to hit 12 percent before falling slightly in the second half of the year.
But even that estimate may prove optimistic. In the past year, official state projections have often been revised up.Amy Baker, coordinator of the state's Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said Friday that "there are still a lot of signals in place" that unemployment has not yet peaked. If nothing else, said Baker, the number will rise because, at some point, discouraged workers who have stopped looking for a job will re-enter the market when they think conditions have improved."When things start turning around, you'll see a bump when they flood back in," Baker said.
You can read the state's full jobs report HERE.The state's soaring jobless rate has become a potent political issue heading into Florida's 2010 elections.Democrats have used it to hammer Gov. Charlie Crist and the Republican-controlled Legislature, saying they've done little to boost the state's economy. Republicans have battered President Barack Obama and Democrats running for Congress, saying unemployment continues to rise despite federal stimulus efforts.
Friday, with the new jobless numbers just a few hours old, the Florida Democratic Party fired off a series of e-mails blasting Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio — both GOP candidates for the U.S. Senate — and Attorney General Bill McCollum, the likely Republican nominee for governor.
Crist and McCollum issued their own statements stressing job creation as did U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democrats' likely nominee for Senate, and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Sarasota running for re-election.
Thursday, Crist and legislative leaders promised to delay a huge increase in the state's unemployment-compensation tax that's supposed to take effect soon.Crist said raising the tax — which finances the unemployment trust fund — "stands in direct opposition to our focus on strengthening businesses and creating jobs." Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater pledged to pass legislation early in the upcoming session.
Florida CFO Alex Sink, the likely Democratic candidate for governor, threw her support behind the proposal Friday. Sink said increasing the trust-fund tax now "would strangle our businesses, particularly our small businesses, and stifle our chances for economic recovery."Florida's fund for jobless benefits went broke in August, forcing the state to borrow $1.1 billion from the federal government to continue paying benefits.
Aaron Deslatte of the Orlando Sentinel Tallahassee Bureau contributed to this report. Jim Stratton can be reached at jstratton@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5379.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
Crist unveils education budget
By Josh Hafenbrack
Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday rolled out a public education budget that aims to boost spending by more than $500 million -- but relies heavily on money from a Seminole gambling deal that already has been rejected by legislators.
Crist's proposal hinges on $433 million from the Seminole tribe. The governor signed a deal to give the Indian tribe the exclusive right to slots and blackjack in most of Florida, in exchange for annual payments. But that proposal is a dead letter in the Legislature: A House committee earlier this month rejected that proposal on a bipartisan, unanimous vote, citing the harm it would cause to the state's pari-mutuel businesses, the tribe's main competitors.
Without that money, it's unclear how Crist would finance his public education proposal, which includes a $535 million increase in spending. In addition, the state is facing a deficit from $1 billion to $3 billion, so any increase in spending is easier to propose than to make a reality.
Visiting Bay Vista Elementary School in St. Petersburg, which Crist attended, the governor said he wants a $179 per-student increase in funding, which would bring school spending back up near the 2007-2008 levels seen at the height of Florida's real estate boom. The governor also said he wants to boost spending on pre-kindergarten programs and merit-based teacher bonuses.
Crist, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate locked in a bitter primary battle against former House Speaker Marco Rubio, is touring the state touting parts of his budget proposal. The governor's full, detail-filled budget comes out Friday.
"Florida's young people deserve a solid educational foundation for their futures, and we cannot – and must not – let them down," Crist said in a press release Monday.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday rolled out a public education budget that aims to boost spending by more than $500 million -- but relies heavily on money from a Seminole gambling deal that already has been rejected by legislators.
Crist's proposal hinges on $433 million from the Seminole tribe. The governor signed a deal to give the Indian tribe the exclusive right to slots and blackjack in most of Florida, in exchange for annual payments. But that proposal is a dead letter in the Legislature: A House committee earlier this month rejected that proposal on a bipartisan, unanimous vote, citing the harm it would cause to the state's pari-mutuel businesses, the tribe's main competitors.
Without that money, it's unclear how Crist would finance his public education proposal, which includes a $535 million increase in spending. In addition, the state is facing a deficit from $1 billion to $3 billion, so any increase in spending is easier to propose than to make a reality.
Visiting Bay Vista Elementary School in St. Petersburg, which Crist attended, the governor said he wants a $179 per-student increase in funding, which would bring school spending back up near the 2007-2008 levels seen at the height of Florida's real estate boom. The governor also said he wants to boost spending on pre-kindergarten programs and merit-based teacher bonuses.
Crist, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate locked in a bitter primary battle against former House Speaker Marco Rubio, is touring the state touting parts of his budget proposal. The governor's full, detail-filled budget comes out Friday.
"Florida's young people deserve a solid educational foundation for their futures, and we cannot – and must not – let them down," Crist said in a press release Monday.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
Look For American, Buy American
By James Stone.A physics teacher in high school once told their students, that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would. With that thought in mind, read the following:
I was in Lowes the other day and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments when I noticed they were all made in China. The next day I went to my local Ace Hardware, and just for the heck of it again I checked the hose attachments and noticed they were made in USA but were twice as expensive.
In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else – from their job, to their ability to feed their family and put a roof over their head. Take for instance my grandson who loves Hershey's candy. When I decided to be a little more aware of the products I was buying I noticed the package was marked "Made in Mexico ". I decided with all the economic woes, and seeing my fellow Americans laid off throughout my community, I would make the conscience decision to stop buying Hershey’s because it went against the values and principles I have been raised with.
My favorite toothpaste, Colgate, is also made in Mexico. Now I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything. This past weekend I was at Kroger. I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value". I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats. They were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand, but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in Mexico, and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA by a company in Cleveland, Ohio.
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here. So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets. Yep, you guessed it! Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value Brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!
My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA. The Job you save may be your own or your neighbors! If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies! (We should have awakened a decade ago!)
Let's get with the program. Help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA. And watch food labels also. BUY AMERICAN!! Put Americans to work!!!
Obama aides dismiss shake-up talk but enlist help
By Caren Bohan Caren Bohan – Sun Jan 24, 6:24 pm ETWASHINGTON (Reuters) – Aides to President Barack Obama on Sunday played down prospects for a major shake-up of his agenda, despite a shocking election setback last week for his Democratic party.
But in an indication Obama was absorbing lessons from the upset Republican victory for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, he turned to a trusted outside adviser for help in guiding the party's strategy in congressional elections in November.
David Plouffe, Obama's 2008 campaign manager, was known for keeping the political operation on an even keel by admonishing aides and supporters against "bed-wetting," or panicking in times of trouble.
Plouffe will work with both the White House and congressional Democrats, who worry more losses could be in store for them in November.
Obama, who is taking a populist turn that includes a vow to crack down on Wall Street excesses, is to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress on Wednesday. Analysts will be looking closely at that speech for any sign of a reframing of his agenda.
"He is going to fight for what he's always been fighting for," White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "We're not hitting a reset button at all."
While the White House has said Obama won't gloss over the Massachusetts setback in his speech, Jarrett and other aides said Obama was sticking to priorities such as seeking to overhaul the healthcare system, calling for targeted actions to spur job growth and putting new curbs on Wall Street.
The election of Republican Scott Brown to be a U.S. senator from Massachusetts means Democrats will no longer have a 60-vote supermajority in the chamber. As a result, Democrats will not be able to hold off Republican procedural maneuvers designed to block legislation, such as Obama's proposed healthcare plan.
Analysts have speculated that Obama and the Democrats will be forced to scale back the healthcare plan and possibly delay other agenda items, such as a proposal for caps on carbon emissions as part of the U.S. fight against global warming.
GAUGING THE CLIMATE FOR HEALTHCARE
Obama's aides said he has no intention of abandoning the effort to pass a healthcare bill.
"What he's doing and what happened over the course of the weekend, is there's been a series of phone calls and conversations to try to see ... what the climate is," Jarrett said. "What is the art of the possible?"
"He is going to fight for trying to get absolutely as much as he can to reduce the cost of healthcare, to provide insurance, provide security and safety for those folks who have insurance now," she added.
Polls suggest that anxiety over the economy and the unpopularity of the healthcare bill have taken a political toll on Obama, whose approval ratings have slumped to roughly 50 percent compared to 70 percent when he took office a year ago.
The loss in Massachusetts' special election for the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat followed defeats for Democrats in governors races in Virginia and New Jersey.
But top White House adviser David Axelrod told ABC's "This Week" program that he thought reaction to the Massachusetts Senate race was "overblown."
"Washington loves the shake-up story, Washington loves the 'When are we going to throw a body out?' story. That's not how we roll," Axelrod said.
Within the blogosphere, there has been speculation about whether staff changes might be in store, with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner a focus of comment even though the White House has reiterated its confidence in him and given no indication it wants to make a change.
Obama does not have a history of making big staff changes and did not do so during the 2008 campaign even though his rivals, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain both did.
Axelrod and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said they believed that the public's concerns about the healthcare bill had to do more with the messy process in Congress of trying to pass the bill than with the substance of the plan.
"I do think that the process has caused things like the health care plan to be caricatured," Gibbs told "Fox News Sunday."
But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell disagreed and accused Democrats of refusing to listen to the American public.
"All the surveys, all across the country, and even in the most liberal state in America, arguably, Massachusetts, the people are telling us please don't pass this bill," McConnell told NBC.
(Editing by Philip Barbara)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Kissimmee Says No To Statue Of Liberty
by Emily LampaKISSIMMEE -- One local business owner using a Statue of Liberty costume to promote his tax service is at odds with a city ordinance which bans people from wearing costumes and signs along roadways.
Ruben Dejesus, owner of Liberty Tax Service, said he hired Orlando lawyer Mark NeJame to file a lawsuit against the city of Kissimmee.
Dejesus approached the City of Kissimmee about changing the ordinance, but in a 3-1 vote, the city commission voted it down this past Tuesday.
"We're all struggling here and there's a lot of empty retail spaces in Kissimmee," Dejesus said. "I say shame on the commission for not -- for not trying to work for the small businesses."
"This happened years and years ago where we had gorillas out on the street and we had clowns out on the street and it was like, sub par for what we were trying to do in the city of Kissimmee. So the ordinance was changed back then," said Vice Mayor Jerry Gemski.
Ruben Dejesus, owner of Liberty Tax Service, said he hired Orlando lawyer Mark NeJame to file a lawsuit against the city of Kissimmee.
Dejesus approached the City of Kissimmee about changing the ordinance, but in a 3-1 vote, the city commission voted it down this past Tuesday.
"We're all struggling here and there's a lot of empty retail spaces in Kissimmee," Dejesus said. "I say shame on the commission for not -- for not trying to work for the small businesses."
"This happened years and years ago where we had gorillas out on the street and we had clowns out on the street and it was like, sub par for what we were trying to do in the city of Kissimmee. So the ordinance was changed back then," said Vice Mayor Jerry Gemski.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Welcome
Welcome everyone to the Osceola County Grassroots News. Our mission is to provide a forum for the communications of the Republican views, legislative developments, candidate information, volunteer opportunities, and the goals and achievements of the Republican Party of Osceola County.
Once again thank you and stay tuned for the most up to date political news in Osceola County.
Once again thank you and stay tuned for the most up to date political news in Osceola County.
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