Gov. Romney Is Correct Cultural Differences Explain Israeli Economic Success

/in , /by

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

Weldon Campaign says “Eat Mor Chikin”

/in , , /by

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”

/in , /by

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.

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

/in , /by

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. 

Commerce is the Profession of Equals

/in , , /by

I recently had lunch with a good friend who is a commercial real-estate broker. After exchanging pleasantries we entered into an extended discussion of the role of government in the control of what my friend describes as “dirt”. Real-estate is after all basically “dirt”.

He was concerned that one developer can devalue the dirt of another developer.

He used the example of a “dirt” owner constructing a five-story building near the waterfront, something we have a lot of in Florida. Along comes another developer and he or she builds in front of the first developer an eighteen-story building, thereby blocking the water view of the first developer. The land value of the first developer declines because of this. My friend found this outrageous and wanted government to step in to protect the first builder against the second.

I said, rather forcefully to my friend, that this is an example of the free market working. Dirt rises and falls in value due to many factors, including the one my friend described. My solution was the first builder should tear down his five-story building and build a new thirty-story building, thereby regaining his view of the water and increasing the value of his dirt. My friend would have none of it. He wanted government to step in and prevent the second builder from building. He favored central government planning over market forces to determine the value of water front “dirt”.

Here in lies the problem.

In his book The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do about It, Professor Aneglo M. Codevilla states, “[The bi-partisan Ruling Class] proceeds from the premise of human inequality and leads to even greater inequality . . .[O]ur Ruling Class is making itself the arbiter of wealth and poverty. While economic value of anything depends on sellers and buyers agreeing on the value as civil equals in the absence of force, modern government is about nothing if not about tampering with civil equality.”

What my friend embraces is government as the final arbiter of the price of “dirt”.

Once government controls the price of dirt, it controls everything. According to Professor Codevilla, “[M]odern government makes valuable some things that are not, and devalues others that are.”

“Whatever else government may be, it is inherently a factory of privilege and inequality. Thus, if you are not among the favored guests at the table where officials make detailed lists of who is to receive what at whose expense, you are on the menu,” notes Professor Codevilla. This is the definition of “crony capitalism”. The bi-partisan Ruling Class teaches that prosperity is to be bought with the coin of political support. John Kenneth Galbraith characterized America’s economy as “private wealth amidst public squalor.”

I believe in the Catholic principle of “subsidiarity”. In the secular world, the principle of subsidiarity means that local government should do only those things that individuals cannot do for themselves, state government should do only those things that local government cannot do, and the federal government should do only those things that the individual states cannot do.

The title of this column is a quote from The Spirit of the Laws by Charles de Montesquieu who also wrote, “Peace is a natural effect of trade.” Beware of government eating dirt!

Florida Makes High Gas Taxes Top 10 List

/in , /by

The American Petroleum Institute (API) collects motor fuel tax information for all 50 states and compiles a report and chart detailing changes and calculating a nationwide average. Florida is listed as number ten on the list of gasoline taxes at 53.4 cents per gallon (cpg). Florida ranks 16th for diesel motor fuel taxes at 54.9 cpg. To view the July 2012 API report click here.

The nationwide average tax on gasoline of 48.9 is down .6 cpg from the April 2012 API study. The federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cpg. The average state gasoline excise tax is 21.0, up .1 cpg from April 2012. Other taxes (such as applicable sales taxes, gross receipts taxes, oil inspection fees, county and local taxes, underground storage tank fees and other miscellaneous environmental fees) were 9.5 cpg, down .7 cpg from April. Adding these taxes and fees to the state excise taxes results in a volume-weighted average state and local tax of 31.1 cpg.

The difference is Florida has higher “other taxes” on gasoline and diesel motor fuels.

According to its website API, “Supports the implementation of sensible taxing policy that considers broad based approaches over industry specific proposals, supports efficient approaches to tax collection and weighs the impact of taxes on the ability of U.S. based business to compete in the world market place. ” Specific tax proposals to provide cheap and reliable power and meet the energy needs of the United States are provided here. The API makes specific recommendations on the: Repeal Sec. 199 for Oil and Natural Gas Companies; Repeal Expensing of Intangible Drilling Costs; International Reform/Dual Capacity; Increase Geological and Geophysical Amortization Period; Raising the Oil Spill Tax; Reinstate Superfund Taxes; and Repeal EOR Credit and Marginal Well Credit. To read the detailed recommendations on these taxes click here.

The API website states, “It will take all forms of energy to promote our economy. That’s why API and our members support the development of renewable and alternative sources of energy. However, we it must be done as part of a comprehensive energy policy that encourages the development of all forms of domestic energy.”

The below map depicts January 2012 gasoline tax rates by state and was prepared by API:

Sarasota County’s Buses to Nowhere

/in , /by

The Sarasota Board of County Commission believes it is their role to provide public transportation. Automobiles, and the emissions they cause, are the culprits. Cars must be replaced by other means of transportation such as: light rail, high speed rail and now special bus routes. As one commissioner put it “we are subsidizing cars”. So the County Commission wants to continue to subsidize the Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) buses at a loss of $10 million annually and create a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system as well. BRT and SCAT make the County Commissioners believe they are doing a public service by providing ever more costly public transportation with few riders.

Sarasota County government runs two bus services and both are monopolies. SCAT is run by the County and the other run by Sarasota County School Board. Both are paid for by county property taxpayers. These two mass transit systems are costly and inefficient in their own way. Neither would last long if privately owned. To make them profitable or at least pay for them the actual cost to ride would have to be passed on to the riders.

According to Charles Schelle from Sarasota Patch, “The latest Bus Rapid Transit route will apparently head for a detour. The $100 million transit plan to provide Sarasota with a speedy bus option with limited stops and traffic interruptions had a route set to go from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and south all the way to the Westfield Southgate Mall with several stops in between, with the northern route following an unused Seminole Gulf Railway along Lemon Avenue.”

$100 million for a 20 mile bus route works out to be $5,000,000 a mile. But that is not the full cost.

Schelle reports, “The County has to find ways to fund the $25 million difference, possibly with a transit tax, and the annual operating budget.” These public transit systems always start out underfunded, end up underutilized and the operating costs escalate beyond the initial projections. In other words they are economic failures from the start.

“The commissions focused in on the county Director of Planning and Development Services Rob Lewis’ comments that the Bus Rapid Transit is more about the economic spurs and opportunities areas around the stations can provide and getting people from low income areas to work than being about moving people for sake of reducing congestion. Lewis said staff has not advocated for an altered route,” writes Schelle. There is no explanation on how this bus line helps economic development. Most people do not work at either the Sarasota/Bradenton airport or Westfield Southgate Mall.

County Commissioner Joe Barbetta stated, “I think that we have to look at the BRT as part of a multifaceted plan. SCAT has to be successful or else the BRT doesn’t work. I think a downtown circulator is inevitable for the city or the plan doesn’t work. And the grant funding has to be pursued or else the plan doesn’t work.”

So how do you make SCAT successful? You give away free rides. According to Schelle, “Thursday [April 19, 2012] is Try Transit Day where riders on regular fixed-route SCAT or commuter Express buses will have free fares. On all other days, the standard fare for a single-ride is $1.25 for the regular fixed-route service and $2.50 for the Express service.” These fairs do not come close to covering the cost of SCAT and cannot cover the operational costs of BRT.

SCAT does not break even and therefor is not successful. SCAT will never be successful. The buses run empty, it loses money as far as the eye can see and its purpose is to transport poor people. Success is based on providing a service to people who want it, not creating a service with no real market. SCAT and BRT are buses to nowhere. That is what government does when it spends other people’s money to build failures.

MAJOR CHRISTIAN GROUP ENDORSES WELDON FOR U.S. SENATE

/in , , /by

The United Christians of Florida’s Political Action Committee is urging, “all principled patriots to support Dr. Dave Weldon, trusted physician and conservative former U.S. Congressman in the race for U.S. Senate in Florida.”

“In Dr. Dave Weldon, we have a proven and experienced Congressional Representative who understands how to lead America toward economic stability and prosperous times for generations to come,” said Mike Nelis, United Christians of Florida, Executive Director.

Looking at the Republican Primary candidates, Nelis feels that “. . . merely sending a ‘fiscal conservative’ to forge long-term solutions in Washington is not the sole answer to our dilemma,” added Nelis. “Dr. Dave Weldon has the deeply rooted Christian spiritual conviction to add proper balance to fiscal policy and bring lasting improvement to our economic crisis. His personal convictions would stand in unity with our nation’s founders who in times of frustration and confusion turned to fasting and prayer for solutions – and they got the answers they sought!”

The group is specifically concerned about one of Weldon’s opponents. “Floridians have been fooled by slick campaigns before that have done a disservice to the nation by sending the deceptive liberal-progressive Bill Nelson as our representative to the U.S. Senate. Now, Florida Republican power brokers with the assistance of the media seem to be anointing Fort Myers Congressman Connie Mack, IV who claims the dedication to sound fiscal policy but demonstrates spiritual immaturity regarding social concerns and therefore, is unable to lead us toward God’s blessing and true national prosperity, ” Nelis stated.

The Christian PAC has been making recommendations to voter since 1986. In fact, they were “. . . the very first, of any organization, in February 1988, to endorse Connie Mack, III (the father of Connie Mack IV) for his first U.S. Senate race and continued to support him through his successful time in public service,” said Nelis. “It is with deep regret that an endorsement of (the son) Connie Mack, IV is not possible at this time due to his misunderstanding regarding issues of human life and his shallow respect for the sanctity of marriage and the critical importance of full-time fatherhood.”

The group stated it is proud of their excellent record of early support for winners, Rick Scott for Governor in 2010, for example. And they feel they have this race called accurately too.

“In many ways, this Weldon campaign reminds me of Rick Scott’s race. The political establishment has picked their candidate (Connie Mack), but conservative Christian activists and TEA party members are gathering in growing enthusiasm for Dave Weldon,” added Nelis, “and he only lacks the high dollar special interests that support Nelson and Mack! I happen to believe in political volunteers and the kind of activism that counteracts the multi-millions spent on mail, television and radio ads and sends the right people into public service. I will still always contend that is what actually made the difference for Rick Scott, regardless of what he spent.”

Pinellas County Commissioners defy voter-approved term limits

/in , , , /by

Of the 20 charter counties in Florida, voters in 11 have overwhelmingly approved term limits for their county commissions. Ten of them recognize and respect the law.

The exception is Pinellas County.

In 1996, 73 percent of voters in Pinellas approved a countywide referendum that limited their county commissioners and county constitutional officers to eight years in office. Since then, a split Florida Supreme Court in Cook (2002) decided that counties don’t have the right to impose term limits on constitutional officers. But the Pinellas County commission decided the Cook decision applied to them as well even though the Supreme Court never ruled on commissioner limits in Cook or any other decision.

Until this year. In May, the Supreme Court not only clearly affirmed the constitutionality of county commissioner term limits, but also overturned its previous ruling in Cook regarding constitutional officers.

There is no longer any question whatever about the legality of county term limits in the state of Florida. Sarasota County – the only other county that was defying their voter-approved term limits law – accepted the Supreme Court decision and is now enforcing their popular 8-year term limits.

And yet, the Pinellas county commissioners continue to claim the law does not apply to them. The commissioners do not believe this is true. They simply want to keep their well-paid positions of power and are willing to brazenly defy the law – overwhelmingly approved by the people — in order to keep them.

In Pinellas County, 8-year term limits are currently in the charter. It was never amended to remove them. There is no court ruling that nullified the county commission term limits. On the contrary, there is now a Florida Supreme Court ruling explicitly affirming them.

It is not as if the voters are calling for their repeal. In 2009, a Quinnipiac poll showed that 79 percent of voters in the greater Bay area believe that their politicians should be term limited. Furthermore, the polling suggested that 78 percent prefer that the proper term limit is eight years and opposed longer limits.

Pinellas County commissioners should act honorably and obey the law. The four who have exceeded their legal term limit should resign before being forced to do so by the courts.

Former Small Business Owner Says “How Dare He!”

/in , , /by

Dennis Vest a retired Pennsylvania business owner who is living in Sarasota, Florida sent out the following in an email. It is reprinted with his permission:

How dare someone, even if he is President of the United States, tell small business owners they did not get where they are on their own. What did he ever do to enhance our economy before he became President?

I worked 70-80 hours a week running my own business in an office complex I rented from another small business owner.

My 12 employees occupied the office. Each employee was paid above average salaries. When our client fees did not come in as scheduled the employees were paid first and I waited. I gave each employee three weeks vacation to start, set up a 401 k plan and paid their matching costs from my pocket, plus I paid each employee’s health insurance. I did this, not the government or Barrack Obama types. On top of this I paid very high taxes and had to match the social security and the workers comp costs for my employees. Unlike your Secretary of the Treasury I paid my taxes and so did my employees.

Except for $1,000, I paid for my daughter’s total college education. Her roommate, child of a single parent home, had her entire college paid for through needs-based grants. Some were state and federal needs based grants funded by the tax dollars from those fortunate enough to have a job—like my employees and me. The rest came from need-based grants from non-profit organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis and Jaycees. Those members are successful men and women who used their time and resources to raise money to help quality students who can not pay to attend college to obtain their higher education degrees. I often wonder where the students who get scholarships who funded their grant.. State and federal needs-based grants come from tax dollars and college funded scholarship grants from the institution’s general operating budget scholarship line item in the budget is partially funded from the funds parents who can pay all or something of the total cost and special scholarships from outside sources provided by alumni, friends, businesses, non-profit organizations and foundations. They are from tax dollars, tuition fees paid by those that do not qualify for scholarships (because they make too much money), and generous gifts from people who support the college with their donations.

I was away from my home and family two to four days a week working with clients. My clients were non-profit organizations. We raised money to help non-profits serve their clients and enhance and expand their programs. The money raised helped social service agencies expand their programs to serve more people in need. My also helped hospitals build new operating rooms, OBGYN birthing suites, expand emergency rooms areas and services and fund care for those who could not pay. Help to expand the work of local food banks, build new community libraries and to help colleges build new academic centers, dormitories and secure needed scholarship money to fund needs based scholarships and build and expand elementary and special needs schools set up to help single parent families and those on welfare was included in my fundraising.

The money we raised came from the generosity of individuals, businesses, corporations and foundations. Money was received from people who were fortunate to have jobs and earned their money. They were people who worked hard and helped others through their support. They earned it and shared it. This is the good old fashion American way—-remember that?

Now the Obama government wants to increase taxes on these people so they can spend it on foreign countries that do not like us, Chinese windmills, and electric cars from Findland. Companies that take government money and then declare bankruptcy, and federal judges who go on party retreats are all on the take. Other groups are government departments that go on annual fun retreats, and have retirement programs and healthcare plans of which the rest of us only dream about . The government wastes alot of our money and they are laughing behind our backs and calling us fools. We even pay for the President’s 160 trips across the nation and to fly his family to special vacations all on our funded tax dollars.

When the President has his way these hard working, tax paying and job creating people will be taxed at higher rates—–the non-profits will lose their donor base at the worst or at best face decreased giving. The President and his Senate “do nothings” will fund their projects and the people who get support from non-profit organizations will find themselves with less or nothing. The alleged”haves” will forced to increase their support of the government and those in need in the middle class or lower will get by on less. By the way Mr. President 50% of the people in the United States pay 90% of the taxes and 10% of the people pay over two thirds of the 90% (plus 46% of the people in the United States pay no taxes)—- so it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out who built most of the roads I used to get to work.

Don’t ever tell me that this small business owner did not get there through his own hard work and determination. If my business failed, it would have cost me my home and savings. I risked it all. If the companies you gave millions to failed they would just write it off and move on leaving us “bad citizens” holding the bag on your behalf. Also, do not tell us that small businesses do not impact our economy and the people in need in their communities and our country. We need to win back our amazing country and not strive to be like Europe. Mr. President you are polarizing this nation as it has never been polarized before by saying the rich and those who are comfortable are evil and have too much.

Now is the time for those of us who are working to keep America great and helping people have jobs (they pay taxes) to speak our with no apologies. We need to stand up right now and say enough is enough. Give us our country back and do not make it a European model.

PODCAST: AFP’s Abigail MacIver Talks about FIVE for Florida Plan

/in , , /by

Abigail MacIver

Abigail MacIver, Director of Policy & External Affairs – Florida at Americans for Prosperity, joins Watchdog Wire Radio to explain the FIVE for Florida policy platform that offers real solutions for a better Florida.

The plan outlines five key issues that elected officials can address now to encourage free market principles and government accountability, in order to make Florida number one for families, businesses and entrepreneurs. A growing number of Florida legislators and candidates have signed up as endorsing the plan. The list may be found by clicking here.

Listen to Abigail MacIver explain each of the five policy initiatives proposed by AFP-Florida.

According to the FIVE for Florida website:

“Floridians want elected officials who will speak honestly with them about our problems and enact common sense solutions.

They want more transparency and accountability in their government and for government to stop making financial commitments that taxpayers cannot afford; they want to eliminate the cronyism in our political system and for politicians to stop picking winners and losers in the marketplace; they want to reduce over-burdensome regulations and remove needless or protectionist barriers to entry for entrepreneurs and job creators; and they want an education system that gives them options and a real choice for their children.

ONE: Reform Taxes & End Corporate Welfare

TWO: Don’t Make Financial Promises Taxpayers Can’t Keep

THREE: Be Steward of Good, Transparent Government

FOUR: Empower Kids With the Best Education

FIVE: Free Entreprenuers to Pursue the American Dream

Five for Florida outlines the key issues facing our state and proposes the real solutions that citizens and elected officials can support that will ensure Florida is the best state in the nation, both now and for our future generations.”

The War for the Veteran Vote in Florida

/in , , /by

Florida is home to 1.6 million veterans, which is the second largest concentration of veterans in the U.S. after California. As a percentage of population Florida ranks number one.

In December 2008 ABC reported on how the veteran vote impacted the election of then Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Remembering that John McCain is a veteran the ABC column titled “The Veteran Vote – an Update” noted, “But the biggest surprise is for anyone who assumed a major tilt toward the Republican Party among veterans. Thirty-five percent of veterans voting in 2008 identified themselves as Democrats, 34 percent as Republicans (the rest were independents). That’s a striking change from 2004: Republican allegiance among veterans dropped from 41 percent then to 34 percent this year [2008]. Democrats gained 4 points, independents 3. What had been a 10-point Republican advantage over Democrats among veterans vanished.”

The war for the veterans in Florida is on with two groups vying for this coveted vote. In 2008 veterans nationally accounted for 14% of the total votes cast. Veterans do vote.

The two groups are Vote Vets and Concerned Veterans for America. Each is after the veteran vote in Florida, a key battle ground state and must win for both parties. The issues of concern by these organizations are as different as night from day. Vote Vets is linked to and supported by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The Vote Vets website states, “While non-partisan, the group is the largest progressive organization of veterans in America.” Their primary focus during the 2012 election is to increase the minimum wage from the current $7.50 an hour to $10.00. Veterans benefits and military salaries are not tied to the minimum wage. Both are determined by Congress, which uses various metrics to determine increases or changes to co-payments for medical care, as an example.

Jeff Jacoby in his Boston Globe column “Minimum-wage laws are costly for the unemployed” reports on efforts by Democrat Senator Tom Harkin to raise the minimum wage. According to Mr. Jacoby, “Congress enacted the first federal minimum wage in 1938. A provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, it covered about 6 million workers and set a wage floor of 25 cents per hour. It also cost a lot people their jobs. The Labor Department reported that as many as 50,000 employees, mostly poor Southern blacks, were thrown out of work within two weeks of the law’s taking effect. In the months that followed, the carnage spread. ‘African Americans in the tobacco industry were particularly hard hit,’ wrote David Bernstein in his 2001 history of labor regulations and black employment. ‘In Wilson, N.C., for example, machines replaced two thousand African American tobacco stemmers in 1939.'” [Emphasis mine]

Mr. Jacoby provides the below chart in his column showing a nexus between raises in the minimum wage and rise in black teenage unemployment from 2002 to 2010.

Mr. Jacoby states, “Minimum-wage laws are typically thought of as a mandate on employers. In reality they constrain employees. As it stands now, the federal wage law tells workers that unless they can find a company willing to pay them at least $7.25 an hour, they can’t get a job. That may not seem like much of a barrier to [Iowa Democrat Senator Tom] Harkin, one of Congress’s wealthiest members, but it might as well be the Berlin Wall to an unskilled teen or young adult with no high-school diploma or employment history whose labor is only worth, say, $5.50 an hour. No matter how much that person might leap at the chance to work for what he’s worth, the minimum wage forbids it. Should Harkin’s bill become law, life will become even harder for those seeking entry-level employment.” [Emphasis mine]

Raising the minimum wage may harm Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. According to David Lerman from Bloomberg, “The unemployment rate for U.S. veterans who’ve served during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan increased last year, while the rate for non-veterans declined, the Labor Department reported yesterday. The jobless rate for veterans who were in service following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was 12.1 percent last year, up from 11.5 percent in 2010, the department’s data show. Among all non- veterans, 8.7 percent were jobless last year, down from 9.4 percent in 2010.”

While harmful to veterans seeking jobs, raising the minimum wage does get out the vote.

The discredited group ACORN successfully used the minimum wage issue in Florida in 2004. “In Red State Florida, Victory for Working People” John Atlas reported, “The decision for ACORN, which has chapters in 28 states, to invest heavily in a Florida campaign [to raise the minimum wage] was not made in haste. The group commissioned a statewide poll in November 2003 that found overwhelming support for increasing the state’s minimum wage, especially among low-income and minority residents … ACORN was betting that many low-income people, who might not otherwise register or vote, would do so to increase their pay, and once they went to the polls, they would vote overwhelmingly for a Democrat.” [Emphasis mine]

Mr. Atlas noted, “ACORN budgeted over $2 million for the campaign. In addition to a team of strategists, pollsters, fundraisers and a full-time coalition coordinator, the group deployed a field staff of 40 organizers, up to 60 canvassers, and over 2,000 volunteers. The field staff gathered signatures, registered 122,000 voters and implemented a get-out-the-vote plan that resulted in a net increase in turnout of 68,000 new voters in November. The campaign roused the interest of wealthy progressive donors, major Democratic party players, unions and well-financed anti-Bush groups smitten by the notion that helping the poor was not only an end in itself, but a way to dump Bush.” [Emphasis mine]

The same strategy is playing out today by Vote Vets and the SEIU in Florida. The added twist is this”veterans advocacy” organization with deep community organizing roots may actually harm veterans with its campaign to raise the minimum wage.

Mr Jacoby warns, “With the best intentions in the world, lawmakers cannot raise the value of anyone’s labor to $9.80 an hour (or $7.25 an hour, or even 25 cents an hour) merely by passing a law. Making it more expensive to hire workers who are just starting out doesn’t advance beginners’ prospects; it worsens them. Decades of economic research and empirical studies confirm what common sense should tell anybody: Boost the minimum wage beyond what low-skilled workers are worth, and more low-skilled workers will be priced out of a job.”

Florida Implements Tough Anti-Terrorism Funding Bill

/in , , /by

Flying below the media radar screen was an event on July 11, 2012 at which Governor Rick Scott signed legislation to keep state-chartered financial institutions from being pipelines for money supporting terrorism.

Governor Scott joined leaders of Florida’s Jewish community in standing against Iran’s development of weapons of mass destruction. Governor Rick Scott joined leaders of Florida’s Jewish community at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County to ceremonially sign Senate Bill 792, Financial Institutions. The legislation gives the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) the authority to require Florida’s state-chartered financial institutions to report information on any accounts that have connections with a foreign financial institution knowingly supporting international terrorism.

“Florida and Israel have strong cultural and economic ties, and as the only stable democracy in the Middle East, Florida must stand with Israel and against her enemies,” Governor Scott said. “One of Israel’s greatest threats is Iran and its leader’s insistence on developing nuclear capabilities and weapons of mass destruction. “We have a responsibility to stand for freedom and democracy and against terrorism.”

SB 792 creates new reporting requirements. OFR will be notified by Florida financial institutions whether any correspondent accounts or payable-through accounts with a foreign financial institution are knowingly:

· Facilitating the efforts of the Iranian government to develop weapons of mass destruction.

· Providing support to a foreign terrorist organization.

· Facilitating the activities of a person who is subject to financial sanctions by the United Nations Security Council’s Iranian sanction resolutions.

· Engaging in related money laundering activity.

· Facilitating efforts by Iranian financial institutions to carry out prohibited activities.

· Facilitating a significant transaction or providing significant financial services to an entity whose property interests are blocked pursuant to federal law associated with Iran’s proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or support for international terrorism.

To implement this legislation, OFR will submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature. Any state-chartered bank or credit union that does not provide information may face a penalty of $100,000. OFR will present information about the reporting process to the Governor and Cabinet at an upcoming meeting. Governor Scott thanked Senator Don Gaetz for sponsoring SB 792.

PODCAST: How Government Is Killing Businesses In FL

/in , , , /by

Allen Fugler, Executive Vice President Florida Pest Management Association in Orlando, FL and Tim Southerland from Southern Wood Producers Association and the American Loggers Council – Florida in Panama City, FL join Watchdog Wire Radio. Mr. Fugler and Mr. Southerland explain how government at every level is destroying small businesses in Florida and across America. Today it appears the business of government is to destroy small businesses according to Mr. Fugler and Mr. Southerland. Over regulation is keeping Florida small businesses from expanding and growing.

Listen to the podcast of this show and learn how government at every level is putting small businesses out of business from these two industry experts.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST INTERVIEW BY CLICKING HERE

The next four years could bring a tidal wave of more than 4,100 regulations for the American economy. Regulations in the pipeline are estimated to cost the economy more than half a trillion dollars. To view a sampling of regulations, that will cost the economy $515 billion, click here.

Small Businesses for Sensible Regulations launched a nine-state campaign to raise awareness on the several thousand regulations that could go into effect if President Barack Obama is reelected. To learn more about the Small Businesses for Sensible Regulation coalition go to – http://stopthetidalwave.org.

Sarasota County’s Bait and Switch

/in , /by

Citizens of Sarasota County in March 1999 approved and via taxes funds the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) and Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program, which are designed to acquire and protect natural lands and park lands. Citizens are now questioning county staff efforts to transfer development rights (TDRs) from these publicly owned lands to selected developers. You may read a Cornell University history of Transfer Development Rights programs by going here.

Cathy Antunes, President of Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government, in an email states, “A TDR means Transfer of Development Right. One TDR equals the right to build one dwelling. The County has purchased land for preservation, and some of the County lands set aside for preservation could have been used to build housing. Those preserved lands each have a TDR value.”

Private landownership was and remains one of the first measures of citizenship in the United States. The passion to protect the right of property owners to reap economic gain from their land still burns strongly today. However, is the selling of public land TDRs a government bait and switch?

Accoring to Ms. Antunes, “County staff is advocating that the development rights, or TDRs, for preserved County land be sold to developers so they can increase the dwelling density of their projects. For instance, a developer could pay the County for 1000 TDRs and then build 1000 extra dwellings in the same space where before only 350 dwellings would be allowed. The purchase of 1000 TDRs transfers the right to build 1000 dwellings from County owned preserved land to a different site belonging to the new owner of the TDRs. At this point in time the County does not have an accurate inventory of publicly owned TDRs, nor do they have a reliable method of valuing what a TDR is worth.”

“Regarding County TDR value, so far only one TDR appraisal exists, created by an appraiser that has completed at least one problematic appraisal for Sarasota in the past. That was the Payne Park (3 lot) appraisal done in 2008, which inflated the purchase price of land bought by the City of Sarasota by 2 million dollars. The appraiser valued 3 separate lots along 301 (adjacent to Payne Park) as if they were already one assembled parcel, instead of individually. The result was a 2 million dollar value inflation and gouging of Sarasota City taxpayers. Ouch! Should the County be relying on that same appraiser to be telling them what a TDR is worth? The methodology used to value a County TDR warrants careful scrutiny. At least two more appraisals should be sought,” states Ms. Antunes.

During a radio interview Kathy Bolam characterize the sale of public land TDRs as “Sarasota County’s form of Cap and Trade”. The county is selling something that belongs to the public for a price that it determines outside of the real-estate open market system. Beth Colvin, in an email exchange with Ms. Antunes, states, “Land taken by the govt stops bringing in property taxes and then the rest of us must subsidize the taxes because gov’t has no money other than ours.  If the land can be developed by the government it surely can be developed by private enterprise.”

Ms. Antunes raises a question dealing with the ethical behavior of Mr. Roland Piccone, member of the County Planning Commission.

Ms. Antunes notes, “Now for the ethical question. A development company – Lindvest – would like to purchase 1000 TDRs from the County so that a 350 dwelling project can become a 1350 dwelling project.  A managing partner of Lindvest is also a sitting Sarasota County Planning Commissioner.  That Planning Commissioner is lobbying the County Commission to allow the sale of 1000 TDRs to Lindvest, so they can increase a 350 unit project to a 1350 unit project.  The Planning Commissioner, Mr. Roland Piccone, is “overseeing the planning and development of the project” (quote from the Herald Tribune).  An obvious ethical question arises:  Does the County Ethics Policy allow a sitting planning commissioner to lobby the County Commission on behalf of his employer or company that he/she has an interest in?   Still waiting for clarification from the County regarding the ethics question.”