TEA Party Pulls Endorsement of Broward School Board Candidate Leach

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Tea Party Fort Lauderdale, America’s longest running tea party, has pulled their endorsement of current Broward County School Board member and District # 3 Candidate Katherine “Katie” Leach. Leach has received the endorsement of Equality Florida, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender organization that opposes traditional pro-family Christian organizations along with the popular national fast-food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A. http://eqfl.org/node/1901

According to TEA Party Fort Lauderdale, on Equality Florida’s website Broward County School Board Leach is mentioned as receiving a 100% rating on their School Board Candidate Questionnaire she had filled out. “TEA Party Fort Lauderdale apologizes to the loyal followers of our voting recommendations for us not vetting this candidate closer. On their website, Equality Florida lists opposition to traditional pro-family Christian organizations Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and many others,” in an email.

According to the TEA Party Fort Lauderdale email, “Members are made-up of Republicans, many extremely vocal Independents, and a growing number of Democrats. Members are black and white, male and female, young and old, rich and poor. They share one common bond… uniting to protect our Constitution by changing our government thru the ballot box.”

RELATED COLUMN:

Tea Party to Leach: Nevermind, we don’t like you; United Christians of Florida: Neither do we

By Brittany Wallman August 3, 2012 02:31 PM

Broward School Board Member Katie Leach, running for election in schools District 3, is a Republican. But that’s about as far as her likeness to some of the Tea Party and United Christians of Florida members goes. Both groups are telling voters not to select her. The Tea Party unendorsed her Friday, after learning she was endorsed by Equality Florida, a gay rights organization. READ MORE…

Heritage Alliance Grades FL Republican Primary Candidates

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Heritage Alliance has graded all the candidates with opposition in the Republican primary in Florida. Below are the grades for those contested primary races. At the bottom of the list are the criteria for the Heritage Alliances’ grades.

U.S. Senator – Republican

Long, Deon (R) Grade: C
Mack, Connie (R) Grade: B
McCalister, Michael (R) Grade: B
Stuart, Marielena (R) Grade: B
Weldon, Dave (R) Grade: A+

U.S. Rep., Dist. 3 – Republican

Jett, James (R) Grade: B
Oelrich, Steve (R) Grade: A
Stearns, Cliff (R) Grade: B+
Yoho, Theodore (R) Grade: B

U.S. Rep., Dist. 4 – Republican

Black, Bob (R) Grade: C
Crenshaw, Ander (R) Grade: B
Pueschel, Deborah (R) Grade: C

U.S. Rep., Dist. 6 – Republican

Clark, Richard (R) Grade: C
Costello, Fredrick W. “Fred” (R) Grade: A+
DeSantis, Ronald D. “Ron” (R) Grade: B
Kogut, William (R) Grade: D
Miller, Craig (R) Grade: A
Pueschel, Alec (R) Grade: B
Slough, Bev (R) Grade: B

U.S. Rep., Dist. 7 – Republican

Adams, Sandy (R) Grade: A+
Mica, John (R) Grade: C

U.S. Rep., Dist. 9 – Republican

Long, Todd (R) Grade: C
Melendez, Julius (R) Grade: C
Oxner, Mark (R) Grade: B
Quinones, John (R) Grade: D

U.S. Rep., Dist. 13 – Republican

Ayres, Darren (R) Grade: B
Vance, Madeline (R) Grade: B
Young, C.W. Bill (R) Grade: B

U.S. Rep., Dist. 14 – Republican

Adams Jr., Eddie (R) Grade: D
Otero, Evelio (R) Grade: C

U.S. Rep., Dist. 17 – Republican

Arnold, Joe (R) Grade: C
Rooney, Tom (R) Grade: B

U.S. Rep., Dist. 18 – Republican

Crowder, Robert L. “Bob” (R) Grade: D
West, Allen (R) Grade: B+

U.S. Rep., Dist. 19 – Republican

Aubuchon, Gary (R) Grade: B
Davidow, Joseph (R) Grade: C
Donalds, Byron (R) Grade: B
Goss, Chauncey (R) Grade: C
Kreegel, Paige (R) Grade: B
Radel, Trey (R) Grade: C

U.S. Rep., Dist. 23 – Republican

Bresso, Gineen (R) Grade: D
DeFario, Osvaldo (Ozzie) (R) Grade: C
Garcia, Juan Eliel (R) Grade: C
Harrington, Karen (R) Grade: B
Kaufman, Joe (R) Grade: B

About iVoterGuide.com

Volunteer Panelists

Panelists were selected after a Leadership Survey and a check of references that demonstrated conservative credentials and belief in limited constitutional government, free enterprise, strong national defense, and traditional Judeo-Christian values, such as the sanctity of life and marriage. Panelists include men and women from all walks of life who are committed to electing conservatives to public office.

Grading

After evaluating the data, panelists assigned a grade indicating what kind of voting record that candidate, if elected, would likely receive from a multi-issue conservative organization that grades on economic and social issues. Unless a candidate already has a legislative voting record, this is purely subjective. That is why the source data is provided so voters can more easily make their own evaluation.

A = 90% B = 80% C = 70% D = 60% F = below 60%
I = Insufficient information available for evaluation

A low grade does not mean panelists necessarily considered the candidate to be liberal. Rather, it may mean sufficient information was not available from public sources or from the candidate to give panelists the confidence that the candidate would govern conservatively if elected.  Sources of information considered the most important measure of conservative principles in governance are listed in descending order:

  • Legislative voting records if the candidate has recently held office
  • Financial contributions by the candidate to legislators with voting records
  • Record vote ratings for legislators to whom donors to the candidate have also contributed
  • Endorsements by conservative and liberal groups
  • Candidate Survey – less important because it represents promises rather than demonstrated action. However, no candidate can receive an A without answering the survey.
  • Statements on the candidates’ websites

Higher Gas Prices Add to Economic Slump

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Courtesy of the Heritage Foundation:

Unemployment is at 8.3 percent. The economy is sputtering at 1.5 percent growth. Food prices are rising due to drought conditions across the country. And gas prices are up again, pinching Americans’ summer budgets. It is past time for the President and Congress to pursue smart policies that would put us on a path to relief.

According to AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report, the current national average for regular is $3.66 per gallon. That’s up 28 cents per gallon from a month ago, and July had its biggest price jump since AAA started tracking prices in 2000. To see the average for Florida click here.

There are many factors affecting prices that we cannot control—worldwide tensions, especially in the Middle East, can drive up oil prices. Global demand, especially from China and India’s rapidly growing economies, continues upward.

But after three years of adding regulatory hurdles and blocking exploratory access and development, President Obama’s policies are helping keep prices higher than necessary.

If the President truly wanted to lower gas prices, he would work to increase supply. But when given the opportunity, he has done the opposite. He turned down the Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada. His Administration has made it even harder for companies to explore and extract domestic energy resources by canceling, delaying, or withdrawing a number of lease sales for exploration and development. Meanwhile, huge swaths of federal lands have been put off limits for energy exploration.

Domestic refinery outages have had a recent impact on gas prices. Two of the factors holding back domestic energy production are regulatory red tape and litigation—and these, we can do something about. As Heritage’s Nicolas Loris notes:

Environmental activists delay new energy projects by filing endless administrative appeals and lawsuits. Creating a manageable time frame for permitting and for groups or individuals to contest energy plans would keep potentially cost-effective ventures from being tied up for years in litigation while allowing the public and interested parties to voice opposition or support for these projects.

We don’t have to stand still. Congress could alleviate the energy crunch in 10 different ways by taking action on things we can control, like restrictions on oil shale development and offshore drilling.

One of the most common objections is that increasing domestic oil production takes too long and would not impact the market for at least a decade. The longer people make this argument, however, the longer it will take. The sooner we make investments in domestic energy, the sooner those benefits will be realized. And with some serious reforms, some of this oil can reach the market in much less than a decade.

Gas prices aren’t under the control of any one President. But Americans shouldn’t settle for policies that restrict oil exploration, refining, and production and artificially drive prices higher.

MORE FROM THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION:

High Gas Prices: Obama’s Half-Truths vs. Reality

President Obama’s 10 Worst Energy Policies

Judge Fund Raises for State Attorney Candidate From the Bench?

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Judge Janette Dunnigan

12th Judicial Circuit Judge Janette Dunnigan in an email helps State Attorney candidate Ed Brodsky with a fundraiser. The email was sent during working hours, from Judge Dunnigan’s Chambers on her Judical computer, using her government email address.

The email was sent to Walt Smith, Sarasota County Court Administrator and forwarded to Ed Brodsky, who works for Earl Moreland the State Attorney, again via government emails and during working hours. The email was to have Walt Smith tell Ed Brodsky that Judge Dunnigan had secured Ed Chiles to host a fundraiser for Brodsky. The email violates Canon 7 of the Judicial Code of Ethics and it is also a crime. Cannon 7 states all judges shall not “publicly endorse or publicly oppose another candidate for public office.”

Following is the full text of the email sent by Judge Dunnigan:

From: Ed Brodsky [mailto:EBRODSKY@scgov.net]
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 9:44 AM
To: Ed Brodsky (ed.brodsky@mymanatee.org)
Subject: FW: SAO
——————————————-
From: Walt Smith
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 9:44:23 AM
To: Ed Brodsky
Subject: Fwd: SAO
Auto forwarded by a Rule

Begin forwarded message:
From: “Janette Dunnigan” <JDunnigan@jud12.flcourts.org>
Date: April 4, 2011 9:42:34 AM EDT
To: “Walt Smith” <WSmith@jud12.flcourts.org>
Subject: SAO

You can tell Ed Brodsky that Ed Chiles will support him and do a fundraiser up here. I talked with him on Saturday. I got the impression that Ed had already met with him. If that is not the case, then he should arrange that soon. He said it was Earl’s man?? Tell Brodsky to mention my name when he calls. J

NOTE: SAO refers to the State Attorney’s Office.

Mr. Ed Chiles

The reference in Judge Dunnigan’s email to Brodsky being “Earl’s man?” refers to Earl Moreland, the State Attorney for the 12th Circuit. Moreland has endorsed Brodsky who works for Moreland in the State Attorney’s Office, 12th Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Ed Chiles is the son of Lawton Chiles the former Democrat Governor of Florida from 1991 to 1998. Chiles is a local restaurateur and owns the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Bar on Longboat Key, FL and two other restaurants. Ed Chiles has been the Treasurer of the Lawton Chiles Foundation since 1998.

Brodsky is running in the Republican primary against Peter Lombardo. The Lombardo campaign issued the following statement, “It would appear that they do not have to designate it as private until a public record request is made. Then we must rely on their honesty in determining what is public as opposed to private. The problem with that is who will voluntarily hand over E-mails showing ethics violations or criminal activity? Apparently not the 12th Judicial Circuit PIO.”

“It does not surprise us that liberal Ed Brodsky was engaged in effforts  to get money from noted Democratic fundraiser Ed Chiles. This is further evidence of  Mr. Brodsky being a Republican in name only not a true Republican,” notes the Lombardo campaign.

According to Dennis Menendez, Chief Information Officer for the 12th Circuit, the email from Judge Dunnigan, “was previously reviewed for another public records request and was determined to be a private email not subject to public disclosure pursuant to Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420(c) and case law.  See State v. City of Clearwater, 863 So. 2d 149 (Fla. 2003) and In re Amendments to Rule of Judicial Administration 2.051-Public Access to Judicial Records, 651 So. 2d 1185 (Fla. 1995).”

RELATED COLUMNS:

Defense attorneys question judge’s impartiality after email surfaces

Bradenton attorney Lombardo running for state attorney

 

Candidate Fitzgerald Violated Ethics Rules?

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Former State Rep. and candidate for the U.S. Congress in District 16 Keith Fitzgerald may have violated Florida’s ethics laws by failing to disclose his conflict of interest in voting on more than $100 million dollars in appropriations for his employer, New College of Florida. The College gave Fitzgerald special employment treatment during his years in the legislature.

The Sarasota lawmaker may also have breached the public trust by using his political position to quietly earmarked millions of dollars to the small liberal arts school, which paid him a full-time salary totaling nearly $300,000 to teach part-time.

Florida House Rule 3.2 (a) says that “A member may not vote on any measure that the member knows or believes would inure to the member’s special private gain or loss. The member must disclose the nature of the member’s interest in the matter from which the member is required to abstain.” House Rule 3.2 (b) requires that members disclose “When voting on any measure that the member knows or believes would inure to the special private gain or loss of: a. Any principal by whom the member … is employed.”

House Rule 3.2 (c) requires that “If the vote is taken on the floor, disclosure under this rule or under any related law shall be accomplished by filing with the Clerk within 15 days after the vote occurs.”

Fitzgerald voted on the following budgets that provided New College with a total of $120,831,068:

• Chapter Law 2006-25, which provided $27,412,720 to New College in year 2006-07
• Chapter Law 2007-72 and 2007-326 (Special Session “C”), which provided $37,513,237 in 2007-2008
• Chapter Law 2008-152 and 2009-1 (Special Session “A”), which provided $31,359,534 in 2008-2009
• Chapter Law 2009-81, which provided $24,545,577 in 2009-2010

In an email on July 18, 2012 from Judy Skinner of the Office of the Clerk, “We find no notice of conflicts on file with the Clerk’s Office from Representative Keith Fitzgerald during his term (2006-2010).”

While voting on state funding for his employer, Fitzgerald benefited from special treatment that allowed him to keep 75% of his salary, but spend more than half of the spring semester in Tallahassee for the legislative session. The legislature was in session for nine of the semester’s 15 weeks.

The vast majority of his students gave him poor evaluations. A total of 75.5% of his students who filled out evaluations made negative comments including complaints that he was “tardy” and “inaccessible.”

The appropriations for New College include nearly $6 million dollars Fitzgerald quietly earmarked to the small liberal arts college of about 800 students.

In the 2007-2008 budgets, Fitzgerald requested $1,537,370 for New College for deferred maintenance. In the 2008-2009 budget, Fitzgerald, $4,440,000 in state funding for New College for deferred maintenance. The project received $2,680,937 in the 2009-2010 budget and $3,305,609 in the 2010-2011 budget.

The Observer Newspaper reported on the “altered treatment by New College for Fitzgerald” to allow him to stay on salary despite the fact that the legislature meets full-time for nine weeks in the spring each year. The paper reported that Fitzgerald earned 75% of his salary during the spring semester when the legislature is in session and was paid for a temporary administrative position in the summer to help make up for the slight reduction in salary. This type of situation — and others that appeared to be quid pro quos — prompted the Legislature to look at banning university employees from being legislators.” (Observer Newspaper 2.22.12)

State Senator John Thrasher introduced legislation to prohibit college professors from serving in the state legislature. The Associated Press reported on January 24, 2012 that “Sen. John Thrasher said the bill he’s sponsoring would prevent conflicts such as lawmakers voting on budget provisions that benefit the schools that employ them.” The Florida Times Union reported on January 6, 2012, that the bill was prompted by recent incidents where lawmakers helped a college or university they were associated with. Thrasher said told the paper the relationship “raises red flags” and “brings up an awkward situation when they have to do something like vote for the budget.”

Florida Group Reaches Out to Evangelicals

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The United West (TUW), a group of academic activists, is now reaching out to Evangelicals in Florida. The outreach is focused on educating Evangelicals on national security issues, Israel and threats against freedom of religion. Tom Trento, President of TUW states, “We will ask Evangelicals to register and vote in the primaries on August 14 and general election on November 6, 2012. We do not tell them how to vote but encourage them to vote.”

Tom Trento notes, “In the 2008 Presidential election one million Florida Evangelicals either did not register or did not vote. This is a travesty and must be addressed. We are addressing this issue in the swing state of Florida.

NewsMax reports, “Some 17 million Evangelicals failed to vote in 2008 when Democrat Barack Obama beat the GOP’s John McCain — and now the fight is on to get them there this November,” Faith and Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed says.

November’s election is critical, Reed said, because President Barack Obama is “somebody who’s called for more government, more spending, more bureaucracy. He seems to think the answer to everything that ails America is more government and bigger government.” Reed also said he believes the Obama administration is engaged in an attack on religious freedom.

According to The United West, Florida accounts for nearly 6% of the national Evangelical vote and they are concentrated in a key state. President Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney have visited Florida numerous times, underlining the importance of the state in November. It was the Florida primary that helped propel Governor Romney to become the presumptive Republican nominee. Governor Romney spent over $15 million to win the Florida Republican presidential primary. Over 8.1 million Floridians voted on the 2008 Presidential ballot; had the aforementioned one million evangelicals voted they would have made up 12.5% of the electorate.

Trento states, “President Obama won Florida in 2008 by 204,577 votes. He took key areas, such as Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties by a plus 47,000 votes. It is important to insure the faith based community is well informed, registers and votes. That is what we do as academic activists – inform the public on important issues. If Evangelicals register and vote it can make a huge difference in who takes Florida in November.”

Faith-based issues are becoming a more important part of the national dialogue, including President Obama’s recent announcement that he supports gay marriage. Florida Proposition 2–“The Marriage Amendment“–was passed in 2008 by a margin of 61% to 39% and is now in the state Constitution. As more information is revealed about the Affordable Health Law and its impact on businesses, organizations and churches providing health services more are becoming engaged. Evangelicals are now paying attention.

According to NewsMax, “Conservative Christians and Evangelical conservatives will play a big role in the upcoming election,” Reed said, “and they support Romney by about 60 percent, compared to previous support for John McCain (73 percent) and George W. Bush (78 percent) … the Evangelical vote, which has historically been between 20 and 23 percent of the electorate, turns out in the largest numbers ever seen in a presidential election.”

With long lines at Chick-Fil-A last week will Florida see long lines at the polls in November? Only time will tell what the faith based value voters will do in Florida.

RELATED COLUMNS:

Rasmussen: 87% Oppose Letting Government Officials Play Politics In the Marketplace

Rasmussen: 61% Hold Favorable Opinion of Chick-fil-A

IN MEMORIAM

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On Saturday morning August 6, 2011, 30 American warriors were killed when their Chinook helicopter was shot down in the Wardak province, Afghanistan. Among the killed were 17 members of SEAL Team SIX. U.S. Navy SEAL Aaron C. Vaughn and  U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown were from the state of Florida.

TODAY WE REMEMBER THESE BRAVE MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES

WEST COAST – NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, Ukiah, CA.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, Saint Paul, MN.

EAST COAST – NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, LA.

Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, Santa Barbara, CA.

Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, Green Forest, AR.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers, 36, Kokomo, Hawaii.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, Stamford, CT.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, Minneapolis, MN.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, West Hyannisport, MA.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, Kansas City, MO.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, Fort Worth, TX.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, Washington, WV.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, Shreveport, LA.

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, Detroit, MI.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, Angwin, CA.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, Jacksonville, NC.

Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, UT.

Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, South Sioux City, NE.

Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, Philadelphia, PA.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, Rockford, IA.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, Stuart, FL.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, Blanding, UT.

U.S. ARMY SOLDIERS

Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, CO, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, CO.

Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, KS, assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, KS.

Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, NE, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, NE.

Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, WA, assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, KS.

Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, KS, assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, KS.

U.S. AIRMEN

Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, Tallahassee, FL.

Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, Long Beach, CA.

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, York, PA.

For the sake of these men, may we fight to win. For more information contact Florida residents Billy & Karen Vaughn parents of fallen (SEAL) Aaron Vaughn at www.forourson.us

EXCLUSIVE: Radio Interview with Ronna Romney

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Dr. Rich Radio in Florida got an exclusive interview with Ronna Romney. Mrs. Romney is married to Bruce Kulp, a former executive with Ford Motor Company. They have 8 children and 13 grandchildren.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OF THE RONNA ROMNEY INTERVIEW

In 1996 Ronna was the Republican Nominee for the United States Senate from Michigan. She was from 1984-1992 the Republican National Committeewoman from Michigan. She was Co-chairman, Bush for President, Michigan and active in the leadership of George Romney for President, father of Mitt, and Lenore Romney, Mitt’s mother, for Senate campaigns.

Ronna hosted “Back To Back”, A PBS Television show devoted to discussions of current events and public policy. From 1993-1995 she Hosted “The Ronna Romney Show” on WJR Radio. The show aired nightly for three hours and covered a variety of news related subjects with an emphasis on politics, airing in 38 states and 7 countries. From 1992-1994 she hosted “The Ronna Romney Show” on WXYT Radio. The show aired nightly for three hours and covered all aspects of the news in depth. The showed covered all of Southeastern Michigan.

Currently Ronna is Director, Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation and Chairman- Compensation Committee. Park-Ohio Holdings Corp is an industrial supply chain logistics and diversified manufacturing business operating in three segments: Integrated Logistics Solutions (ILS), Aluminum Products and Manufactured Products. The Company operates primarily through the subsidiaries owned by its direct subsidiary, Park-Ohio Industries, Inc. ILS provides customers with integrated supply chain management services for a range of high-volume, specialty production components. The Aluminum Products business manufactures cast and machined aluminum components, and the Manufactured Products business is a manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products.

Gov. Romney Is Correct Cultural Differences Explain Israeli Economic Success

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The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has stated that Governor Mitt Romney was correct to note, as he did during a fundraiser dinner in Jerusalem, that Israeli culture plays a large part in Israel’s superior economic performance over the Palestinians.

Governor Romney said “Culture makes all the difference … And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things … As you come here and you see the G.D.P. per capita, for instance, in Israel, which is about $21,000, and compare that with the G.D.P. per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality. And that is also between other countries that are near or next to each other. Chile and Ecuador, Mexico and the United States.”

Palestinian Authority (PA) official Saeb Erekat has denounced Governor Romney’s statement as “racist.” Erekat said, “It is a racist statement and this man doesn’t realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation … It seems to me this man lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people” Ashley Parker & Richard A. Oppel, ‘Romney Trip Raises Sparks at a 2nd Stop,’ New York Times, July 30, 2012).

ZOA National Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt said, “Governor Romney was correct to observe that culture plays a decisive role in economic performance. In particular, he was right to note that this has produced widely divergent results in economic performance between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

“Israel has a culture of private enterprise, competition, innovation and technology and has had it since its earliest days. In contrast, the PA has been bedeviled from its inception with crony capitalism, endemic corruption, distortions of the market and other malpractices which also affect its economy in drastic ways, not least in the loss of foreign investor confidence.”

“Israeli society is characterized by religious, economic and personal freedom. By contrast, the PA is unsafe for political dissidents or religious or sexual minorities. Bethlehem, under PA control since 1995, has seen its traditionally Christian population dwindle to less than 20%. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, there has been an even sharper flight of Christians. And Palestinian gays who wish to live without fear of death or imprisonment often have only one option: refuge in Israel. It makes sense that a society with Israel’s open and broadly liberal culture would be more stable, better educated, attract greater investment and produce more and better goods.

“Palestinian culture is also afflicted with incitement to hatred and murder, glorification of violence and terror. One only has to look at PA TV programs, radio broadcasts and media features to see that it is the terrorist, not the entrepreneur, who is honored. The PA doesn’t name streets, schools and sports teams after scientists and inventors. It names them after suicide bombers and jailed terrorists.

“In the PA, as the ZOA has pointed out on many occasions, a public square, a summer camp for youth, a computer center and several events have been named in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, who led the terrorists who carried out the 1978 coastal road terrorist attack on an Israeli bus, murdering 37, including a dozen children.

Many Americans will recall that Palestinian enthusiasm for terrorism extends beyond Israel to the U.S., as those Americans who saw on their TV screens Palestinians celebrating the 9/11 attacks need no reminder.

“Saeb Erekat claims that Governor Romney’s statement was racist. This is predictably absurd: there was no reference in Governor Romney’s comparison of Israel and the Palestinians to religion or ethnicity, let alone race. He referred to culture, which indeed can make a major difference. A society which aspires to terrorism and ‘martyrdom’ rather than innovation and wealth-creation is going to perform poorly by comparison in the economic sphere.

“Erekat objects that the PA cannot perform well economically because it is under ‘occupation.’ Some people cannot live without alibis and need to blame others for failure, as Erekat does here. But the facts repudiate this shop-worn, opportunistic charge. Before the PA was established – in other words, when the areas now controlled by the PA were under Israeli control – economic growth was steady among Palestinians. Economic performance tapered off immediately after the PA assumed control in 1994, following the Oslo Accords, and all the attendant problems mentioned earlier came into play.”

“Even then, the PA was doing better in the mid-1990s than it was to do after 2000, when it launched a terrorist war against Israel. Naturally, joint projects, Israeli (and much foreign) investment came to a halt and the resultant hostilities destroyed or damaged much infrastructure. You can have war, but rarely can you have war and development. The Israeli economy also suffered from this war but, because of the general soundness of Israel’s economic culture, it recovered much more quickly once Palestinian terrorism was brought under control.”

“On this point, Governor Romney is right and his critics are wrong.”

NOTE: On May 1, 2012 the author returned from a 10 day visit to Israel and observed the vibrant economy and prosperity in the Israeli community he visited.

RELATED COLUMN:

Culture Does Matter by Mitt Romney in the National Review

Suppressing the Military Vote

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Many decry any attempt to suppress legal voters from voting legally. John Fund and Hans Von Spakovsky in their book “Who’s Counting: How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote At Risk” found one group that is being supressed – active duty military voters. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), requires the Federal Voting Assistance Program (a Department of Defense Program) to administer UOCAVA, and requires the Justice Department to enforce it.

According to Fund and Spakovsky there are two primary reasons for military voter disenfranchisement. The first is the “transitory life of a member of the military and delays associated with delivering absentee ballots to remote locations”. The second is “[T]he Pentagon’s failure to provide military voters with timely registration and voting assistance, and the Justice Department’s failure to properly enforce the 1986 federal law guaranteeing the right of overseas civilians and members of the military to vote by absentee ballot”. [My emphasis]

Fund and Spakovsky report:

  • The estimated military voter turn out in 2008 was approximately 30 percent while the overall voting-eligible population turn out was almost 62 percent.
  • In 2006, only 22 percent of nearly 2.6 million military voters cast ballots, compared to 41 percent of the general voting-age population.
  • The Election Assistance Commission found that only 16.5 percent of an estimated six million eligible military and overseas civilian voters requested an absentee ballot, and only 5.5 percent of the ballots were returned and counted.
  • Data from 24 states on the 2010 election shows that only 4.6 percent of eligible military voters cast an absentee ballot that was actually counted.

According to Sarasota County Florida Supervisor Kathy Dent, “States transmitted nearly 1 million ballots to UOCAVA-covered voters (48.6% to military and 37.9% to civilian overseas). Of the ballots transmitted 69% (682,341) were returned and submitted for counting. States reported counting 637,216 UOCAVA ballots or 93.6% of the total submitted for counting. Supervisor Dent notes, “We won’t have information on 2012 General election until January/February 2013.”

Getting absentee ballots to the military and returning them to the states is critical to having them counted. Fund and Spakovsky state, “One of the most significant problems with UOCAVA is that it does not specify when states are required to mail absentee ballots”.

The Election Assistance Commission and others have found that overseas military and civilians absentee ballots must be sent out “at least 45 days before a state’s deadline.” Fund and Spakovsky report, “The Pentagon is required to use expedited mail service to ensure overseas military ballots are returned by Election Day.” However, “due to pressure from its unions, the U.S. Postal Service was made the exclusive carrier for this expedited mail service, rather than allowing competitive bids from private carriers such as Federal Express or DHL . . . Yet nearly one-third of states refuse to follow the 45-day standard, and at least 10 states gave military voters less than 35 days to receive, cast, and return their ballots,” state Fund and Spakovsky.

Florida Statue Section 101.62 requires all UOCAVA absentee ballots to be mailed not later than 45 days prior to an election. If the mailing date falls on a holiday or weekend then the absentee ballots are mailed the prior business day.

An inquiry was sent to Kathy Dent, Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections. Suzanne MacFarlane, Absentee Ballot Coordinator for the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections, reports that in Florida during the 2008 General election:

Total UOCAVA absentee ballots transmitted was 121,395 (Military Stateside & Overseas & Citizens Overseas)

Total UOCAVA absentee ballots transmitted to Uniformed Services only was 86,926.

Total UOCAVA absentee ballots returned and counted for Uniformed Services was 66,007 (54%).

The high rates of return and counted ballots may be attributed to the Florida statue requiring mailing not later than 45 days prior to the election.

In 2009 Congress amended UOCAVA requiring states to send absentee ballots to military voters at least 45 days before elections. The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE) also required the Pentagon to create installation voting assistance offices on every military base. Florida is home to 21 military bases. The Military Voter Protection Project (MVPP) found in the 2010 election, “[A]t least 14 states and the District of Columbia failed  to comply with the 45-day mailing requirement.” Fund and Spakovsky notes one “troubling provision” of the MOVE Act, which allows states to obtain a one time waiver. Ten states and the District of Columbia applied for the waiver in 2010. One of the states applying was New York. “Many of New York City’s military and overseas ballots, more than 40,000 of them, were sent 25 or fewer days before the election,” note Fund and Spakovsky.

Many of the problems with military absentee votes would have been avoided had the Justice Department enforced UOCAVA and MOVE. MVPP found that the overall military participation rate during the 2010 elections was 11.6 percent. Military personnel were 3.5 times less likely to vote than other voting-age citizens. According to Eric Eversole, Executive Director of MVPP, stated “Justice delayed is justice denied” when it comes to the military absentee vote.

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Weldon Campaign says “Eat Mor Chikin”

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Florida Republican primary candidate for the U.S. Senate Dr. Dave Weldon is asking supporters to go to their local Chick-fil-A on August 1, 2012. Supporters are being asked to hand out brochures stating Dr. Weldon’s positions on a variety of issues including his strong support of traditional marriage. Dr. Weldon was endorsed by the United Christians of Florida PAC last week.

An email from Daniel Nokovich, Dave Weldon for U.S. Senate Door to Door Coordinator, states, “August 1st, Chick-fil-A is having a national day to support its stand on marriage between a man and one woman. It is turning out that it will be quite the place. You can Go to Chick-fil-A and hand out Vote Dave Weldon tickets for Senate.”

Mr. Nokovich notes, “If we start out with 100 people and ask each person to send out 5 emails to five republican friends that are voting in the primary and then ask them to ask five and them to ask five and do that seven times we can reach over 2 million people within 1 week.”

Former Governor Mike Huckabee has started a national campaign to show support for Chick-Fil-A after attacks by elected Democrat officials against Dan Cathy. Mr. Cathy, President of the popular fast food chain, said in an interview with Baptist Press that he is “very much supportive of the family,” that is, “the biblical definition of the family unit”. Mr. Cathy puts on the record what critics say his company’s actions have indicated for years. “Well, guilty as charged,” he said in the interview when asked about Chick-fil-A’s backing of families led by a man and a woman.

Governor Huckabee has called for a national eat in at Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday, August 1, 2012. Over 2.6 million people have committed to attend the “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” according to it’s Facebook page.

Democrat elected officials in several cities have said they will not approve building of Chick-fil-A franchises within their jurisdictions. Mark Steyn in his National Review column “The Tolerance Enforcers” reports Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno as saying, “I will now be denying Chick-fil-A’s permit to open a restaurant in the First Ward.” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel agreed with Alderman Moreno that Chick-fil-A does not “represent Chicago’s values”.

Steyn writes, “Alderman Moreno does not allege that Chick-fil-A discriminates in its hiring practices or in its customer service. Nor does he argue that business owners should not be entitled to hold opinions: The Muppets, for example, have reacted to Mr. Cathy’s observations by announcing that they’re severing all ties with Chick-fil-A. Did you know that the Muppet Corporation has a position on gay marriage? Well, they do. But Miss Piggy and the Swedish Chef would be permitted to open a business in the First Ward of Chicago because their opinion on gay marriage happens to coincide with Alderman Moreno’s. It’s his ward, you just live in it. When it comes to lunch options, he’s the chicken supremo and don’t you forget it.”

In 2008 Florida passed a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman by a margin of 62% to 38%. Chick-fil-A has now gone beyond just a statement and has turned into a rallying point for both political parties. Will it make a difference in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Florida? Is “Eat Mor Chikin” now a Weldon campaign slogan?

Watch Out Florida Here Comes Our “Bubble Government”

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Recently in a radio interview Robert Wiedemer co-author of America’s Bubble Economy and Aftershock and Edward J. Pinto, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute discussed the idea of the United States having a “bubble government”. Wiedemer stated that America has suffered through “a number of financial bubbles” and the “aftershock following each”. To date each of these bubbles, the most recent being the housing bubble, have burst and fallen onto two other looming bubbles. These two bubbles are the “dollar bubble” and the “debt bubble”.

These two bubbles are primed to burst and the pin is called inflation.

The Wall Street Journal headline for April 5, 2012 was “Markets Fear End of Stimulus” written by Jonathan Cheng and Charles Forelle. What is the great concern? According to Cheng and Forelle, “European Central Bank President Mario Draghi indicated he would be hesitant to undertake more monetary easing, citing concerns about inflation.” Monetary easing (a.k.a. government stimulus or quantitative easing) is governments printing money. Today American is awash in money due to our government printing it with no end in sight – the dollar bubble is upon us.

Congress has failed in their Constitutional duty to pass a budget in nearly four years. The U.S. government runs on continuing resolutions and Congress has raised the debt ceiling to an astounding $15+ trillion dollars. In 2011 Congress spent nearly 55% more than it collect in revenues. The debt ceiling will be breached yet again before the November 6, 2012 elections. This all has caused our government to borrow at an unprecedented rate of 40 cents of every dollar – the debt bubble.

What does that all have to do with Florida?

Florida is especially vulnerable to the aftershock of either a dollar or debt bubble burst. Florida’s barely recovering housing market and our large population of fixed income retirees are in the cross hairs should inflation increase even fractionally.

According to Edward J. Pinto, “One in four [Federal Housing Administration] FHA loans outstanding in Georgia and New Jersey are now thirty-days-plus delinquent, with eight additional states having delinquency rates above 20 percent. The national rate is 17.79 percent.” Florida has a delinquency rate of 23.07%. Pinto points out, “FHA is estimated to have a current net worth of -$16.923 billion, approximately $18 billion less than the ‘economic net worth’ set forth in FHA’s 2011 Actuarial Study.”

Pinto states, “The Government Mortgage Complex (GMC), consisting of FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Veterans Administration and Federal Department of Agriculture, is bankrupt. The Government Mortgage Complex guarantees about $6 trillion in in home mortgages, yet has zero capital backing it. Fannie and Freddie do owe the government nearly $200 billion and counting.”

When inflation kicks in, as it is in Europe, the bond markets will tank, as they have in Spain, and Florida will be facing a double dip recession because many retirees have invested in bonds.

President Obama, the Federal Reserve and Congress will do everything they can to not let this collapse happen before the November 2012 elections. However, they may not be able to stop it, as the markets are already reacting to failed attempts at austerity in the EU and the rising cost of debt.

These two bubbles are coming home to roost in America.

When they burst the burden will fall most heavily upon the American taxpayer a rapidly diminishing species. There is not the political will to address either bubble until they burst and a national crisis occurs. As the argument goes “never let a good crisis go to waste” but this time the austerity solutions will be Draconian.

A possible scenario is a replay of the October surprise of 2008 – a meltdown of the financial markets. Are we being set up for another TARP or Stimulus III? Time will tell.

Republicans and Democrats Alike Want Higher Food, Fuel and Energy Prices

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Gallup Politics recently did an Environmental poll (see the below chart). The results shows that a majority of Republicans and super majority of Democrats favor actions that will lead to higher food, fuel and energy prices. While there are more Republicans that favor opening public lands to exploration and drilling the end results of their support for policies like increasing regulations to reduce “emissions and pollution standards for businesses” means higher costs for all consumers.

Americans polled may not understand the difference between “emissions” and “pollution”.

Emissions/greenhouse gasses, e.g. CO2, primarily occur due to water evaporation from the earth’s oceans and seas. When 50% of Republicans want government to “impose mandatory controls on carbon dioxide emissions” many consumers wonder if they understand that we cannot control water evaporation from happening. The EPA recently issued a CO2 emissions ruling that impacts all of U.S. coal fired plants and will cause many to shut down because they cannot meet the new standards. This will drive up energy costs and thereby food costs.

Government spending on solar and wind power has been a disaster with many of the companies failing to produce a cost effective product, moving their operations to China or going bankrupt. All of these companies are a further drain on our economy because they are not producing cheap and reliable power, they are producing just the opposite, which drives up energy costs and thereby food costs.

While Republicans generally favor opening public lands to oil, natural gas and oil shale exploration and production, nearly half want stronger enforcement of environmental regulations and higher emission standards for automobiles. One negates the other.

The environmentalists are licking their lips at these numbers.

The pollster’s state:

Gallup has tracked seven of the eight proposals periodically since 2001. Support for all but nuclear energy has declined since last measured in 2007, with the largest drops seen for spending government money to develop alternative sources of fuel for automobiles, strengthening enforcement of environmental regulations, and setting higher auto emissions standards.

These declines could be due to Americans’ reduced priority in the last several years for preserving the environment at the expense of economic growth, an outgrowth of the economic downturn. However, they are also likely to stem from heightened public concern about government spending and regulations specifically, particularly among Republicans.

Some do not find these numbers low enough to keep Republicans, in an election year, from stopping the power grab by the EPA. If this is a campaign issue then the consumer loses. As food, fuel and energy prices rise so will inflation. The column “Our Bubble Government” notes that inflation will burst both the dollar and debt bubbles. The higher the cost of goods and borrowing the more likely the current recession will last or deepen.

From this Gallup Environment poll some see trouble brewing on the horizon and its name is – inflation.

RELATED COLUMNS:

Global Warnings Reckless Rhetoric

Overthrowing Environmentalism

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Watchdog Wire Radio Guest Lineup: July 30-August 3, 2012

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This week’s Watchdog Wire – Florida Radio Guest Lineup for the Dr. Rich Show on WWPR AM 1490 or listen live via the Internet at www.DrRichShow.com:

Monday, July 30 – Interview with Charter Review Board candidates Pay Wayman and Paul A. Cajka. There are five Sarasota charter review board seats open in 2012. The primary is being held on August 14th. Sarasota is one of 20 charter counties in Florida. We will learn why these candidates are so important to the future of our home rule style of government. Host: Dr. Rich Swier

Tuesday, July 31 – WHO IS HUMA? Tom Trento will clear up all the controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton’s “body-girl,” Huma Abedin and whether or not she may be a threat to our national security. Host: Tom Trento

Wednesday, August 1 – A live interview with Ronna Romney. As her former brother-in-law, Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, is traveling on a national security visit to key allies like Israel we will learn more about the man and his family during this exclusive live interview with Ronna. Dr. Rich Swier

Thursday, August 2 – “FEARLESS,” The Unbelievable story of SEAL Team Six fallen warrior, Adam Brown. His life and times are an incredible journey of a true American hero. This show is a must listen and the book is a must read. Host: Tom Trento

Every Friday is FREE SPEECH FRIDAY!  – This is “You The People” Talk Radio. Giving local citizens concerned about local issues a voice to air their grievances and petition their elected representatives via the Dr. Rich Show is our mission each and every Friday. A citizen volunteer from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota Counties will be talking about local issues of importance to you. What is happening at the local City/County Commission, School Board and events planned in each county will be presented to inform and educate our listeners. The last segment  on FSF is the “Voice of the Observer” with Rod Thomson, Editor-at-Large for the Observer Group Newspapers. Host: Dr. Rich Swier

Tune in every Saturday is “Righting the Right” with Glenn Pav – NEW! The Glenn Pav Show: Righting the Right on WTIS AM 1110 every Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. EST. Visit Glenn’s website by clicking here.

Please listen to the archives of our past shows by CLICKING HERE. 

Judicial Watch Sues for bin Laden Burial at Sea Records

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(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced that on July 18, 2012, it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of the Navy (No. 1:12-cv-01182)) against the United States Navy for records detailing “any funeral ceremony, rite or ritual” for Osama bin Laden prior to his burial at sea. Following the May 2, 2011, Navy SEAL raid that led to bin Laden’s capture and killing, the al Qaeda leader was reportedly transported by the USS Carl Vinson and buried at sea in accordance with Muslim law. If U.S. Navy regulations were followed, the burial would have included a prayer to “Allah” to make bin Laden “enter paradise and save him from the trials of grave and the punishment of hell.”

Pursuant to its March 20, 2011, FOIA request, Judicial Watch seeks access to the following records:

i. Any and all records utilized, referenced, or relied upon during the preparation and execution of any funeral ceremony, rite or ritual for Osama bin Laden on the USS Carl Vinson prior to his burial at sea. This request includes, but is not limited to, the text of any prepared remarks or prayers, any instructions provided to those in attendance, or any instructions or guidance regarding the handling of bin Laden’s remains.

ii. Any and all records of communication between any official or employee of the Department of the Navy and any official or employee of any other government department, agency or office regarding any funeral ceremony, rite, or ritual for Osama bin Laden prior to his burial at sea.

The U.S. Navy acknowledged receipt of Judicial Watch’s FOIA request by email dated March 22, 2012, and redirected the request to the Commander, Naval Air Forces on March 27, 2012. By law, a response was due by April 24, 2012. However, as of the date of Judicial Watch’s lawsuit the U.S. Navy has failed to respond to the FOIA request in accordance with the law.

On May 2, 2012, a raid by U.S. Navy SEALS in Pakistan led to the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader and mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Quoting Pentagon officials, ABC News reported that bin Laden was buried at sea within 24 hours of his death aboard the USS Carl Vinson in accordance with Muslim law: “…bin Laden’s burial at sea was conducted by a Muslim seaman, who recited the prayers and ensured that the body was washed and wrapped appropriately in cloth.”

According to U.S. Navy regulations, the prayer for Muslim burials includes the following: “O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him, grant him security, provide him a nice place and spacious lodgings, wash him (off from his sins) with water, snow and ice, purify him…make him enter paradise and save him from the trials of grave and the punishment of hell.”

In addition to its lawsuit over the bin Laden funeral records, Judicial Watch also sued the Obama administration to force the release of the bin Laden post-mortem photos and video. The Obama administration continues to withhold these records citing national security concerns. On May 4, 2011, President Obama told CBS News in an interview that he would not release the death photos of Osama bin Laden, who was captured and killed by U.S. Navy Seals, to the public, saying “we don’t need to spike the football” or “gloat.” On April 26, 2012, a federal judge blocked public access to the records.

Judicial Watch also sued the Obama Defense Department and CIA for access to record detailing communications between the Obama administration and Kathryn Bigelow, the Hollywood filmmaker who reportedly received classified information from administration officials in preparation for her upcoming film entitled, “Zero Dark Thirty.” According to records uncovered by Judicial Watch, the Obama Defense Department gave Bigelow and Boal identified and offered to make available to a “planner, Operator and Commander of SEAL Team Six,” which was responsible for the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, to help Bigelow prepare her upcoming feature film.

“Barack Obama is playing politics with bin Laden’s death and ignoring the rule of law – especially the transparency laws that his appointees violate with impunity,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “I suspect the Obama administration is embarrassed by the burial ceremony, which explains our having to go to court to get basic information about this important piece of history.”