Who are the 10 Most Influential Muslims in the World?

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For the fourth year The Muslim 500: The Worlds 500 Most Influential Muslims was released. The report is published by S. Abdallah Schleifer, Professor Emeritus & Senior Fellow Kamal Adham Center for Television & Digital Journalism, The American University in Cairo.

The report states, “There are 1.65 billion Muslims in the world today, making up approximately 23% of the world’s population, or one-fifth of mankind. As well as being citizens of their respective countries, they also have a sense of belonging to the ‘ummah’, the worldwide Muslim community.”

“This publication sets out to ascertain the influence some Muslims have on this community, or on behalf of the community (ummah),” states the authors.

“Influence is: any person who has the power (be it cultural, ideological, financial, political or otherwise) to make a change that will have a significant impact on the Muslim World. Note that the impact can be either positive or negative, depending on one’s point of view of course. The selection of people for this publication in no way means that we endorse their views; rather we are simply trying to measure their influence,” notes the report.

The top ten most influential Muslims in the world are:

1. His Majesty King Abdullah bin ‘Abd Al ‘Aziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

2. His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey

3. His Majesty Amir al-Mu’minin King Mohammed VI, King of Morocco

4. Dr. Mohammed Badie, Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood

5. His Highness Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar

6. His Eminence Grand Ayatollah, Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

7. His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

8. His Eminence Professor Dr Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al-Tayyeb, Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar University,
Grand Imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque

9. His Excellency President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia

10. Hodjaefendi Fethullah Gülen, Turkish Muslim Preacher

To read the entire report click here.

Scientists release study of role of Carbon Dioxide on Climate Change

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H. Leighton Steward, geologist, environmentalist, author, and retired energy industry executive, in an email states, “Following a presentation by myself and ultimately several other scientists that represented both views of the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in potentially causing catastrophic global warming, a group of the scientists organized a team of voluntary, non-paid scientists to perform an in-depth analysis of the peer reviewed literature and decide for themselves what they believe to be the major cause or even significant causes of global climate change.”

The volunteer group of 20 scientists that have no current ties to any of the energy industries and comprise a uniquely objective and interdisciplinary team, includes members educated in mechanical and electrical engineering, chemistry, geophysics, astrophysics, mathematics, geology and climatology. Several of the members are PhD’s.

“This review began in February of 2012 and the members have used disciplined problem identification and root cause analysis processes, honed from their many years of dealing with life threatening safety issues, notes Steward.

Steward states, “I have been informed that The Right Climate Stuff team is about to release its interim conclusions on Wednesday, January 23rd so to view their report visit www.TheRightClimateStuff.com around mid-morning that day. The results will also be posted on the co2isgreen.org website.

On January 23rd there will be a formal panel discussion at the National Press Club where the team will be represented by team leader, Dr. Harold Doiron. Steward will also be a member of the panel discussion. The intent of the panel is to provide balanced coverage of the discussions on climate change (formerly global warming.

The panel on the broader energy picture begins at 5:30 p.m. EST and the climate panel begins at 7:00 p.m. at the National Press Club, 529 14th St NW. Please come. Herb Hunt and John Hoffmeister will be on the earlier panel.

RELATED COLUMNS:

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Allen West Joins PJ Media: Director of Next Generation Program

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Allan West, former Congressman from Florida, posted this on PJ Media website:

Today I’m excited to announce that I have joined PJ Media, LLC, as director of its Next Generation programming. I am truly honored to be a member of the PJ Media and PJTV team and to continue to be a voice advocating for principled, pragmatic solutions to the issues affecting our constitutional republic.

I enjoyed my time serving as a member of the 112th Congress. However, those who think losing a congressional race defines me and ends my service to my country fail to realize what drives my patriotism and passion for America. True leaders do not need a title, just a conviction, a cause, and the character enabling them to make a stand.

My parents taught me a simple maxim, “A man must stand for something or else he shall fall for anything.” And that is why I took this course for the next phase in my life — to be the leading voice for the Next Generation program, and to stand up for our nation’s future. I know there were so many trying to predict the direction I would take, and one thing everyone needs to recognize is that I do not often do the predictable. PJ Media will give me the freedom to explore a multitude of topics and relate them to our next generation in a non-conventional manner.

When I consider the American dream and how my parents, Herman Sr. and Elizabeth, ensured that I would have the promise of the greatness of America and the opportunities it provides, being with PJTV is the right fit. I now, as a Dad to two wonderful daughters, Aubrey and Austen, must embark upon that which defines the American DNA, making the future better for the next generation than it was for ourselves.

To have been the first black Republican member of Congress from Florida since Josiah T. Walls in the Reconstruction Era was just the dream that my parents, sought and I know they requiem en pace knowing their goal was realized by their son. To have represented the highest-per-capita-income ZIP code in America, a place where when I was born in 1961 my parents could not have visited, truly epitomizes the essence of the “fairness” of America.

No matter where you are born, this country does not limit what you can achieve, and we do not have a system of class or caste.

Click here to learn more about Next Generation with Allen West.

Federal Judge Shoots Down EPA Global Warming Rule

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On Jan. 11, 2013, Judge Ralph Beistline of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska issued a decision striking down the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) final rule designating more than 187,000 square miles of critical habitat for the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The designated area is larger than the state of California.

According to Becky Bohrer from the Huffington Post, “The federal government declared the polar bear threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2008, citing melting sea ice. The move made the polar bear the first species to be designated as threatened under the act because of global warming.”

The designation was challenged by the oil and gas industry, the state of Alaska and by several native Alaskan groups. Although the judge upheld the rule against 10 claims by the plaintiffs, the court found that the agency failed to explain why inclusion of such a large area of critical habitat was justified. The court explained that FWS:

“…cannot designate a large swath of land in northern Alaska as “critical habitat” based entirely on one essential feature that is located in approximately one percent of the area set aside. The Service has not shown and the record does not contain evidence that Unit 2 contains all of the required physical or biological features of terrestrial denning habitat [primary constituent element], and thus the final rule violates the APA’s arbitrary and capricious standard.”

The court also found that FWS failed to follow applicable procedures under the ESA by not providing the state of Alaska with adequate justification for not incorporating the state’s comments into the final rule. As a result of the decision, the critical habitat rule was remanded to the agency for further consideration.

Bohrer reports, “U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said [Judge] Beistline made the right decision, calling the bear populations ‘abundant and healthy’.”

“The only real impact of the designation would have been to make life more difficult for the residents of North Slope communities, and make any kind of economic development more difficult or even impossible,” Murkowsky said in a statement.

Zero Dark Thirty is a Must See Film

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If there is one film you decide to see this year it is Zero Dark Thirty. This film is the closest to the realities of steps needed to protect Americans from the threat of radical Islam.

The best analysis of the film was done by Shane Harris from the Washingtonian. Harris writes, “For a moment, put aside the important and probably irresolvable debate over torture that has been generated by the new film Zero Dark Thirty…”.

“While the film does not advocate torture, the filmmakers undoubtedly make the argument that brutal and sustained interrogations of suspected terrorists produced useful, maybe even crucial intelligence that led the CIA to Osama bin Laden’s doorstep in Pakistan. This is an assertion that the director and screenwriter have backed away from while promoting their Oscar-buzzed movie, perhaps so not to further enrage critics and a few lawmakers who say Zero Dark Thirty describes torture as the key to the CIA’s decade-long hunt,” reports Harris.

Perhaps it is time to rethink the use of enhanced interrogation techniques given the recent events in Algeria?

Watch the trailer:

“Zero Dark Thirty is one of the most accurate depictions of intelligence work that I’ve ever seen in film. And of intelligence analysis in particular. This is pain-staking stuff. Slow-going. Often frustrated by a paucity of leads, by competing priorities, and by physical exhaustion. The movie’s protagonist, Maya, who is based on a real-life CIA officer, can think of nothing else but getting bin Laden,” notes  Harris.

I must agree totally.

West Point Study: The Founding Fathers are the “Violent Far-Right”

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Dr. Arie Perliger from the Combating Terrorism Center located at West Point, NY issued a report titled, Challengers From The Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Far-Right. The report states, “There are three major ideological movements within the American violent far right: a racist/white supremacy movement, an anti-federalist movement and a fundamentalist movement.”

What are the roots of the American anti-Federalist movement?

Anti-Federalism refers to a movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the Constitution of 1787. The previous constitution, called the Articles of Confederation, gave state governments more authority. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, Anti-Federalists worried, among other things, that the position of president, then a novelty, might evolve into a monarchy. A book titled “The Anti-Federalist Papers“ is a detailed explanation of American Anti-Federalist thought.

Anti-Federalist No. 1 titled “General Introduction: A Dangerous Plan of Benefit Only to The ‘Aristocratick Combination’.” was printed in the The Boston Gazette and Country Journal on November 26, 1787 and warned, “Their [Federalist] menacing cry is for a RIGID government, it matters little to them of what kind, provided it answers THAT description.”

Noted anti-Federalists included: Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, George Mason, Richard Henry Lee, Robert Yates, James Monroe, Mercy Otis Warren, George Clinton, Melancton Smith, Arthur Fenner, James Winthrop and Luther Martin.

Thomas Jefferson expressed several anti-federalist thoughts throughout his life, but his involvement in the discussion was limited, since he was stationed as Ambassador to France while the debate over federalism was going on in America in the Federalist papers and Anti-Federalist Papers.

Perliger states:

‘”Anti-federalist and anti-government sentiments were present in American society before the 1990s in diverse movements and ideological associations promoting anti-taxation, gun rights, survivalist practices, and libertarian ideas.”

The Executive Summary notes, “It is important to note that this study concentrates on those individuals and groups who have actually perpetuated violence and is not a comprehensive analysis of the political causes with which some far-right extremists identify. While the ability to hold and appropriately articulate diverse political views is an American strength, extremists committing acts of violence in the name of those causes undermine the freedoms that they purport to espouse.”

How does Perliger portray the modern day anti-Federalists?

Perliger states, “Violence derived from the modern anti-federalist movement appeared in full force only in the early to mid-1990s and is interested in undermining the influence, legitimacy and effective sovereignty of the federal government and its proxy organizations. The anti-federalist rationale is multifaceted, and includes the beliefs that the American political system and its proxies were hijacked by external forces interested in promoting a “New World Order” (NWO) in which the United States will be absorbed into the United Nations or another version of global government. They also espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical, with a natural tendency to intrude on individuals’ civil and constitutional rights. Finally, they support civil activism, individual freedoms, and self government. Extremists in the anti-federalist movement direct most their violence against the federal government and its proxies in law enforcement.”

What evidence  of violence perpetrated by the anti-Federalist movement does Perliger document?

Perliger reports (pages 136-137):

 “Our dataset documented 87 cases of violent attacks that were initiated by militias or other anti-federal associations between 1990 and 2011. As expected, almost half of the attacks were perpetrated during the movement’s popular period, the second half of the 1990s (48.2%). Since then we have witnessed limited violent activities by the militias, except for a sharp rise during 2010 of 13 attacks. Nonetheless, in 2011 the number returns to the level observed in previous years (between 1–4 attacks per year; 2 attacks in 2011). Thus, while there may be a rise in the number of active militia groups, except for 2010 we still do not see this systematically manifested in the level of violence. As for the geographical dispersion of the attacks, California again is highly prominent (18.4%) alongside Texas (10.3%). The rest of the attacks are distributed more or less equally among 28 other states. The areas that are excluded are parts of the northeast: no attacks were reported in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, and there was only one attack each in Massachusetts and New Hampshire; the northern Midwest: there were no attacks in Illinois, Iowa, North and South Dakota; and some Southern states: Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri. Thus, it is difficult to find a geographic rationale for the violence.”

How many casualties have been caused by the anti-Federalist movement?

Perliger reports, “[T]he average number of fatalities and injuries is 14.04 injured and 3.97 fatalities; when omitting the attack in Oklahoma [by Timothy McVeigh], the average goes down considerably [to] 0.77 [injured] and 0.55 [fatalities] respectively.” (page 138)

Do eighty-seven cases of violent attacks over a 21 year period constitute a violent movement or isolated criminal acts? Perliger does not address this question.

Perliger concludes, “[I]t should be noted that historically some of the anti-federalist groups have absorbed racist and Christian Identity sentiments; nonetheless, the glue binding their membership and driving their activism has been and remains hostility, fear and the need to challenge or restrict the sovereignty of the federal government.”

Do those who identify as Christians belong in the same category as skinheads and Neo-Nazis? Perliger believes so when he states, “Among these are militias, Christian Identity groups, Skinheads and neo-Nazis.”

This study is flawed when it only defines anti-Federalist groups as “violent far-right”. Are Federalist groups not violent?

Any group that seeks to impose its will on all of the people either by edict or violence is by definition “Federalism”. Federalism in the United States is the evolving relationship between U.S. state governments and the federal government of the United States. Since the founding of the country, and particularly with the end of the American Civil War, power shifted away from the states and towards the national government.

Is this what the people fear most – the expansion of federalism? Is this fear real and worthy of concern?

Watch this video of interviews done in New York City asking “Do you fear tyranny in America?” Note at the end the responses of young Americans. Are they recruits for the “violent far-right”?

US Government: Fracking is the Future

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The US National Intelligence Council has released its latest report Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds.

The report states:

“Experts are virtually certain that demand for energy will rise dramatically—about 50 percent—over the next 15-20 years largely in response to rapid economic growth in the developing world. The US Energy Information Agency anticipates steadily rising global production through 2035, driven primarily by a combination of OPEC production increases and larger unconventional sources. The main or references scenario of the International Energy Agency also posits growing global production of key fossil fuels through 2030 (about 1 percent annually for oil). Much of this increased production—and recent optimism—derives from unconventional oil and gas being developed in North America. The scale-up of two technologies, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, is driving this new energy boom. Producers have long known shale “source rock”—rock from which oil and natural gas slowly migrated into traditional reservoirs over millions of years. Lacking the means economically to unlock the massive amounts of hydrocarbon in the source rock, producers devoted their attention to the conventional reservoirs.” [My emphasis]

“Once the industry discovered how to combine hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, the vast gas resources trapped in shale deposits became accessible. The economic and even political implications of this technological revolution, which won’t be completely understood for some time, are already significant,” stated the report.

“In a tectonic shift, energy independence is not unrealisticfor the US in as short a period as 10-20 years. Increased oil production and the shale gas revolution could yield such independence. US production of shale gas has exploded with a nearly 50 percent annual increase between 2007 and 2011, and natural gas prices in the US have collapsed.”

US has sufficient natural gas to meet domestic needs for decades to come, and potentially substantial global exports.

Service companies are developing new “super fracking” technologies that could dramatically increase recovery rates still further.

The report concludes, “The prospect of significantly lower energy prices will have significant positive ripple effect for the US economy, encouraging companies to taking advantage of lower energy prices to locate or relocate to the US. Preliminary analysis of the impact on the US economy suggests that these developments could deliver a 1.7-2.2 percent increase in GDP and 2.4-3.0 million additional jobs by 2030.“

Read the entire report:

Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds by

Report: Florida’s Broken Campaign Finance System

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Integrity Florida has released its report on Florida’s campaign finance system. During testimony before the Florida House of Representatives Ethics & Elections Subcommittee Dan Krassner and Ben Wilcox stated, “Currently, Florida law limits direct contributions to candidates to $500 per contributor per election cycle, but clearly there are glaring loopholes to these limits.  Nearly seventy-five percent of all of the money raised in the 2012 election cycle avoided candidate accounts and instead flowed through ‘so-called’ independent committees and political parties based on Integrity Florida analysis of state-level campaign contribution data from the Florida Division of Elections database.”

“Because some of the money is transferred from a CCE to an ECO or PC — often in a veiled attempt to shield the donor and recipient from the disclosure — some of the contributions are double counted.  With several types of funding vehicles allowing unlimited contributions, it is time to admit that donation limits are not stopping any contributors from spending unlimited amounts of money, ” noted Krassner and Wilcox.

The report points out that from 1981 to 1990, there were 340 federal public corruption convictions by United States Attorneys’ Offices of Florida officials, according to U.S. Department of Justice data.  That number more than doubled between 1991 and 2000 reaching 715 convictions and dropped just slightly between 2001 and 2010 to 674.

Read the full report and it recommendations:

Florida’s Broken Campaign Finance System -Integrity Florida Report to the Florida House of Representatives… by

Florida Invests in the Currencies of Islamist Nations – But that is the Good News

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The state of Florida has invested in the currencies of foreign nations. Florida’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) reports that as of June 30, 2011 the state held over $183 million of foreign currencies (see page 66).

The CAFR states that the State Board of Administration, “[H]as developed a total fund investment plan for the investment of assets in the Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Trust Fund and the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund (LCEF) that sets ranges on investments by asset class. In the FRS Pension Trust Fund, no current investment policy exists that limits investments in foreign equity securities that are not denominated in U.S. dollars.” [My emphasis]

The top three foreign currencies held are: the Japanese Yen – $38.473 million, Taiwan New Dollar – $26.495 million and the Euro $20.552 million. However, the report shows investments in the currencies of members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Listed OIC member nation currencies held include: Egyptian pound $619,000, Indonesian rupiah $748,000, Malaysian ringgit $2,130,000, Moroccan dirham $320,000 and the Turkish new lira $2,514,000. The total held is $6,331,000.

Florida also holds $572, 000 in Israeli shekels. The combined OIC currency holdings are eleven times greater than those of Israeli currency holdings.

According to the 2011 State of Florida CAFR:

“At June 30, 2011, the state’s investments in governmental and business-type activities and fiduciary funds totaled $194.4 billion, consisting of pooled investments with the State Treasury in the amount of $15.9 billion and other investments in the amount of $178.5 billion. The State Treasury also had holdings at June 30, 2011, of $3.4 billion for discretely presented component units in total. These investments are not reported as part of the primary government and may be different from the amounts reported by some component units due to different reporting periods. Other investments for discretely presented component units totaled $20.5 billion.” [My emphasis]

NOTE:  “Discretely presented component units”, include: Certificates of deposit,Commercial paper,Repurchase agreements,Money market funds, U.S. guaranteed obligations, Federal agencies, Domestic bonds & notes, International bonds & notes, Domestic stocks, International stocks, Real estate investments, Mutual funds, and Investment agreements.

All of these investments are taxpayer money. You are in effect a share holder in Corporation Florida with a valuation in excess of $412 billion.

Think of the power the state can wield over the private sector with this kind of investment portfolio. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Every city, county and school board in Florida have similar investments. This report is the best kept secret of every level of government. Why? Because these governments are awash in investment dividends and interest payments, all courtesy of the taxpayer. Rather than return the profits to taxpayers, governments at every level use it for their own purposes while crying poor to the public.

According to Gerald R. Klatt, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF (Ret.) and former Auditor/Commander, Air Force Audit Agency and a Federal Accountant, in 2003, “The State of Florida at the State-level has approximately $48.79 billion of the taxpayer’s money it is not using, i. e. surpluses equal to $2,843 for every man, woman and child in Florida or $11,374 for a family of 4. This does not include all the additional surpluses that exist in the school districts, cities, or counties in Florida.”

There are approximately 83,000 governments and government-like entities in the U.S. You can start at the State, county, township, and/or city level. From there you will have to do some digging and ask questions. Here is a step-by-step approach that you may use to attempt to locate and obtain Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) for your city, county and State.

1. Start with the following government website: Type in the name of the school district, city, county and/or State in a search engine.

Locate the official website of the government.

2. Now this is where the search begins.

a. If the government web site has a Search function, then type in “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report” and search the site for this document. If found then you can download the CAFR onto your hard drive and review it at your leisure, print out certain pages and have available for future use in the event you are not now ready to review the CAFR.

b. If the above search is either not available or does not take you to the governments CAFR, then

1) For a State-level CAFR look in the Statewide Offices and/or Executive Branch categories shown above. Look for a financial department such as Treasurer, Finance, Finance and Accounting, etc. Usually the CAFR is found in a reporting section. Sometimes the department will have its own Search function. If so, then again type in “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report”.

2) If you are looking for a city or county CAFR, then go to the list of departments and look for a financial department such as Treasurer, Finance, Finance and Accounting, etc. You are interested in the reports section. Sometimes the department will have its own Search function. If so, then again type in “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report”.

c. If the above are unproductive, then consider sending an email/letter to one of the financial departments/agencies of the government you are interested in and ask them:

1) Whether their CAFR is on-line. if so at what address can it be accessed.

2) If the CAFR is not on line, then ask how you can obtain a copy.

3) Here is an email/letter that you may use to ask about the governments CAFR. You can highlight this email with your mouse or keyboard, copy it to the clipboard, and then paste it to a New Message in your email program or to your word processing program.

“SUBJECT: [Name of government] Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)

I request a copy of [government name] FY 2002 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The copy requested is a copy of the original report prepared in compliance with the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 34 – ‘Basic Financial Statements.’ and audited by either an AICPA firm or internal auditors. If you submit your CAFR to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) , then the copy I request is the CAFR report of that submission, which should be the same as the GASB prepared CAFR previously described.”

In case you do not have a financial document called the CAFR, the document I request is an annual financial statement that:

Presents a comprehensive picture of a government’s financial condition by combining the annual financial reports of all government agencies and universities.

Provides information on all government funds including those held outside the government treasury.

Presents information on the accrual basis recognizing amounts owed by the government but not paid at the end of the fiscal year, as well as amounts due to the government but not received by the end of the fiscal year.

Contains information on real property and other fixed assets, long-term obligations or investments held outside the government treasury; and

Includes statistical and some economic data.

If the document is currently on your web site, please provide the address so I can access and download the document.

If the document is not on your web site, please advise how I can obtain a copy.

Your assistance regarding my request will be appreciated.

Respectfully,

[Name]
[Address]
City, State, ZIP]
[Telephone]
[Email address]”

 

The Integrity of the Florida Public Service Commission in the “Toilet”?

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Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) website states, “The Florida Public Service Commission is committed to making sure that Florida’s consumers receive some of their most essential services — electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater — in a safe, reasonable, and reliable manner. In doing so, the PSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in one or more of three key areas: rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.”

The FPSC was considering a rate increase for Florida Power and Light (FPL) late last year. However, the process according to those attending the public hearings on the rate increase was usurped by FPL and commission staff at the expense of Florida citizens. Larry Nelson, a citizen present during the 2012 hearings in Sarasota and Miami, outlined in a letter how FPL was given preferential treatment by the Commission and staff.

Nelson wrote, “My first stop on my adventure was the public service hearing held in Sarasota on May 31, 2012. Here I first saw the most shocking thing about the public hearing process. In the lobby of the hearing site (Sarasota City Hall) were numerous FPL customer service representatives wearing FPL shirts who are greeting members of the public arriving to speak to the rate increase proposal. And FPL seems to have their own dedicated room. Which made no sense at all. It’s like a court hearing but one of the parties to the case gets to have their own room in the courthouse and a staff to lobby everyone, judges, jurors and the public as they walk by as to why their side is right. FPL also gets to have a table handing out literature. Nobody else gets to have a room or a table or representatives right outside the hearing room. There is no Audubon Society, no Environmental Defense Fund, no Florida Public Interest Research Group in the lobby lobbying (I guess that is where the term comes from!) against the rate increase or against the proposals or actions of FPL.”

The result of the rate increase hearings was FPSC issuing an Order on January 14th, 2013 granting Florida Power and Light FPL the ability to self-regulate over the next 4-years and to increase rates without citizen representation by the Office of Public Counsel. Thomas Saporito, from Saprodani Associates, believes that the process by which the FPSC came to issue this order was at best flawed and at worse illegal violating  multiple Florida statutes.

Saporito states, “The recent decision by the Florida Public Service Commission has placed public trust and confidence and the integrity of the agency in the “toilet”. No longer can the citizens of Florida have any measure of trust or confidence in the agency to be an advocate for the Public Interest regarding electric rates established for the Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). ”

According to Saporito, “The settlement is “illegal” as a matter of law because the Commission does not have requisite jurisdiction and authority to consider the settlement for several reasons:

(1) the Office of Public Counsel (OPC) opposed the settlement and OPC represents all FPL ratepayers – and is a vital and required signatory to any FPL settlement;

(2) the settlement violates the “due-process” rights of citizens who would otherwise intervene where FPL seeks recovery for power plants which have not yet been built or are not yet operational;

(3) the Commission placed the settlement hearing on a rush basis and denied intervenors from fully participating in the discovery process; and

(4) the settlement allows FPL to create a “slush-fund” and access depreciation and dismantlement funds without proper oversight for the sole purpose of raising FPL’s return on equity (profits for its shareholders).”

Thomas Saporito filed a motion for reconsideration on January 14th, 2013 asking the Commission to reconsider its decision.

According to Saporito: “I am gravely concerned about the Commission’s approval of the revised settlement with FPL where the citizens had no representation by the Office of Public Counsel. I have raised serious mis-conduct issues about the entire Commission with Steven J. Stolting, Inspector General – Office of Inspector General and I have asked his office to conduct an investigation.”

Depending on the Commission’s decision on his motion to reconsider – Saporito, “Fully intends to challenge the Commission’s Order – in filing an appeal with the Florida Supreme Court – and to file with agencies of the federal government – and perhaps a civil legal action.”

Is Any E-Verify Bill Dead on Arrival in the Florida Senate?

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In 2010 Republican Jeff Atwater was the President of the Florida Senate. When the committee assignments were made he appointed Senator Jeremy Ring, a progressive Democrat, to be Committee Chair of  The Government Oversight & Accounting Committee. Then as now Republicans had an overwhelming majority in both legislative houses.

George Fuller wrote in an email, “On the surface it would appear to the average citizen Atwater was extending his hand for a truly bi-partisan Florida Senate. However, Atwater may have had a more sinister reason for making the appointment. The reason was he wanted a Democrat to block any immigration bill filed so his hands would remain clean as it was blocked in committee.”

As the story unfolded in 2010 Senator Nancy Detert filed S1880 an immigration bill that would require all contractors with the state to be enrolled in the Federal E-Verify program so only legal workers would participate in taxpayer funded projects. What citizen would not want every dime of their tax money to go to legal contract workers instead of to illegal aliens who would head to Western Union every payday and ship the money out of the country especially during the high unemployment being experienced in the state in 2010?

Well, after Senator Detert filed the bill it was assigned to 5 committees to go through before it would reach the senate floor.

Fuller states, “I have researched hundreds of bills filed in the legislature and those with 5 committee assignments never get through all the committees in 8 weeks time which is how long the session is. Looking at the bill assignments those familiar with the process knew the chance of getting through all of the committees in the allotted time was slim.”

“But Senate President Atwater was not satisfied with 98% odds the bill would not get through all the committees and that is where Senate Chair Jeremy Ring of the Government Oversight and Accounting came into play. The first committee assignment for S1880 was Democrat Jeremy Ring’s committee. Needless to say the other four committees were not required to impede the bill’s progress through the system since Ring never called up the bill during the session,” notes Fuller

Now we fast forward to 2013 and the incoming Senate President is Republican Don Gaetz. Who did he name Chairman of the Government Oversight and Accounting Committee? Answer: Jeremy Ring.

But it gets worse says Fuller. Senate President Gaetz also appointed Democrat Senator Bill Montford to Chair the Agricultural Committee with Democrat Senator Dwight Bullard as Vice Chair and Democrat Senator Elanor Sobel as Chair of  the Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee. One wonders how Republicans feel about this form of bi-partisanship?

Today Jeff Atwater is Florida’s Chief Financial Officer. It makes one wonder what higher office is in store for Senator Gaetz.

EDITORS NOTE:

The table below shows that legal immigration is simply a conduit for importing poverty into Florida. The legislature will never solve or reduce the poverty level in Florida with the same immigration policy of “Family Reunification.”

Click on the chart for a larger view.

 

Hillary’s Cohesive Strategy – From Vince Foster to Benghazi

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When reading Following Orders: The Death of Vince Foster, Clinton White House Lawyer by Marinka Peschmann one is struck by the similarities between what happened in the Clinton White House upon the death of Vince Foster and what happened in the Obama White House upon the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Peschmann writes, ” [The Clinton cohesive strategy] went like this: ‘Nothing here. The investigators are on a political witch hunt. So make it short and sweet and get out. They’re trying to take down the president. Don’t speculate’.”

“This strategy is also known as the Clintons’ ‘joint defense’ tactic; a tactic which became public knowledge during the Clinton-Lewinsky investigation, called the joint defense agreement strategy. Unbeknownst to most Americans, the joint defense tactic was successfully used to benefit and protect the Clintons during all the investigations. It’s where witnesses may not communicate with one another; lawyers, however, may legally share information among others lawyers ensuring that the White House was always informed on who said what,” notes Peschmann.

During the investigation of the death of Vince Foster everything was done to hinder the investigation and thereby minimize political damage to the White House. 

The Senate Whitewater Committee investigation found: “Members of the White House counsel’s office participated in the Park Police interviews of White House staffers, not to protect the legal interests of the staffers but … to report back to Mr. Nussbaum what was being said in the interviews.” Moreover, “the White House counsel’s office coached the staffers about their testimony during a meeting on ‘comportment and interrogation.’ The Park Police left with the impression that their interviews had been rehearsed.”

Fast forward to the Obama White House and Clinton Department of State and their handling of Benghazi. Just as the Park Police were hindered in their investigation of the death of Vince Foster, so too was the FBI hindered in its investigation of the death of Ambassador Stevens.

The finger prints of Hillary are on both of these deaths.

Peschmann writes, “In fact, playing the role of ‘hidden hand’ is one [Hillary] enjoys. She was extremely Machiavellian, a master of doing things that could not be traced back to her,” recalled one close colleague. “She would say, ‘Do this, but don’t leave any fingerprints.’”

Breitbart reported in its column “Greta Van Susteren: Has Justice Been Denied in Benghazi?“, “Besides these failures and frustrations regarding the Libyan government, Susteren said the public actions of the FBI in the days and months after the attack were not very reassuring either. And although she and her guest Ron Kessler granted that the Libyan government may actively be hindering the FBI, Susteren reminded viewers:

This happened on Sept 11, [20012] but reports are that the FBI didn’t get there until early October, which for any crime scene is grossly late. Then once they were there, they didn’t pick up all the documents [in the consulate]. And on October 26 journalists there found documents the FBI [hadn’t collected]. She closed her program by saying “the trail gets colder every single day.”

With Secretary Clinton scheduled to testify before Congress on Benghazi, will we see her fingerprints or have they been wiped away. Will we ever know the truth?

Is Today the Beginning or the End of the Monarchy?

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Today, January 14, 2013 President Obama stated at a White House press conference, “My understanding is the vice president’s going to provide a range of steps that we can take to reduce gun violence. Some of them will require legislation, some of them I can accomplish through executive action. And so I will be reviewing those today, and as I said, I will speak in more detail to what we’re going to go ahead and propose later in the week. But I’m confident that there are some steps that we can take that don’t require legislation and that are within my authority as president, and where you get a step that, has the opportunity to reduce the possibility of gun violence, then I want to go ahead and take it.”

On this day the Bill of Rights either died and a monarchy was established or it will go down in history as the day the monarchy died.

After the press conference Mark Levin stated, “I think we have an imperial president, he sounds imperial, he’s arrogant as hell and I’m furious about this and I’m going to tell you why. We are a magnificent country. We don’t need to be turned upside down. We don’t need to run from crisis to crisis to crisis. He’s bankrupting this country.”

Tom Trento, President of the Florida based organization The United West, made this exact point at a South Carolina TEA Party Coalition Convention two days ago:

Trento states, “These are times that try men’s souls. This is no time for the sunshine patriot.”

Two-hundred and thirty-eight years ago on March 20, 1775 inland at Richmond in what is now called St. John’s Church, Delegate Patrick Henry presented resolutions to raise a militia, and to put Virginia in a posture of defense. Henry’s opponents urged caution and patience until the crown replied to Congress’ latest petition for reconciliation.

On March 23rd, Henry presented a proposal to organize a volunteer company of cavalry or infantry in every Virginia county. By custom, Henry addressed himself to the Convention’s president, Peyton Randolph of Williamsburg. Henry’s words were not transcribed, but no one who heard them forgot their eloquence, or Henry’s closing words: “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

Are We Witnessing The Global Failure of the Ethical Life?

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C. S. Lewis once remarked, “No one knows how bad he is until he has truly tried to be good.”

According to William Lane Craig, author of Reasonable Faith, “The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard made the same point. Kierkegaard thought of life as lived on three levels:

  1. The most basic level is the aesthetic stage, in which life is lived selfishly for the pleasure it affords. Life so lived ultimately issues in boredom and ennui.
  2. The next higher plane is the ethical stage, in which one lives according to strict moral standards. But this life results ultimately in despair because one cannot live up to the standard of the moral good.
  3. Only on the highest plane, the religious stage, is authentic existence truly to be found. Kierkegaard rightly saw that it is the failure of the ethical life that propels one to the religious plane.”

Does government without God lead to despair? Are people becoming desperate?

There are signs that individuals are acting out across America and around the world. The headlines are filled with efforts by politicians trying to impose strict ethical standards on people who live their lives based upon selfish pleasures. Is government hindering, and in some cases blocking, citizens from moving beyond the aesthetic and ethical stages to the religious plane?

After debating the existence of God with Louise Anthony, Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Craig wrote, “Anthony confessed that one of the drawbacks of the atheism she had come to embrace is that under atheism there is no redemption. Think of that! One’s sin and guilt are truly indelible. Nothing can undo what has been done and restore your innocence. But the Christian message is a message of redemption.”

Are there some in our government who believe that those who cling to their religion as somehow less worthy?

Craig writes, “Today so many people think of right and wrong, not as matters of fact, but as matters of taste.”

Craig quotes American Philosopher Richard Taylor, author of Ethics, Faith, and Reason , who wrote, “The idea of . . . moral obligation is clear enough, provided that reference to some lawmaker higher . . . than those of the state is understood. In other words, our moral obligations can . . . be understood as those that are imposed by God. . . . But what if this higher-than-human lawgiver is no longer taken into account? Does the concept of a moral obligation . . . still make sense?“

Taylor goes on to say:

“The modern age, more or less repudiating the idea of a divine lawgiver, has nevertheless tried to retain the ideas of moral right and wrong, without noticing that in casting God aside they have also abolished the meaningfulness of right and wrong as well.“

Read more.

This is the basis of the great debate taking place in America, Europe, the Middle East and across the globe. Are we seeing the failure of the ethical life? What is the next stage: the aesthetic or religious? Do we evolve or devolve?

Rep. Buchanan (FL-16) Sends Letter to WH Opposing Hagel Appointment

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Representative Vern Buchanan, FL CD-16, sent the below letter to President Obama expressing concern over his nomination of former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel as the next Secretary of Defense.  Buchanan stated, “I simply cannot support someone whose commitment to Israel remains a disturbing question mark.”

Mark Landler from the New York Times wrote, “Mr. Hagel, a Republican, has been skeptical about the efficacy of American sanctions against Iran, has opposed efforts to isolate militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and has spoken candidly about the influence of what he once referred to as the “Jewish lobby” on Capitol Hill.”

January 07, 2012

The Honorable Barack Obama
President
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC  20500

Dear President Obama:

I am writing to express my deep concern over your selection of Chuck Hagel as your nominee for Secretary of Defense.

Mr. Hagel is an honorable man who has served his country with distinction. However, his track record on foreign policy leads me to believe he is not the best person to assume this critical post.

Specifically, Mr. Hagel’s commitment to Israel, our most trusted ally in the Middle East, remains a disturbing question mark.  As the co-chair of your intelligence advisory board, Mr. Hagel has said the U.S. should open discussions with Hamas, a terrorist group that does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.

Mr. Hagel has also repeatedly voted against sanctions on Iran, even opposing sanctions aimed at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.  Furthermore, he wrote that “the genie of nuclear weapons is already out of the bottle, no matter what Iran does.” I find his indifference to Iran possessing nuclear capabilities alarming and dangerous.

Please remember that the Iranian regime has stated its desire to wipe Israel off the map.  Let me also remind you that Iran has armed and funded Hamas, Hezbollah, and other militant groups opposed to Israel’s existence.

We live in a dangerous world and the defense secretary is a key person to protecting Americans at home and abroad. I urge you to please reconsider your nomination.

Sincerely,

Vern Buchanan
Member of Congress