Sarasota, Florida – U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan announced today that he will host a forum on tax reform. Buchanan is Florida’s only member of the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, which is reviewing current federal income tax law and chairman of the small business working group.
“The current tax code punishes everyone from families to employers trying to compete in the global marketplace,” said Buchanan. “I am working in Congress to fix our broken tax code. My goal is a simpler, fairer, pro-growth tax code that helps get Americans back to work.”
Buchanan noted that various proposals have been put forth for tax reform in the United States, including a flat tax, a sales tax or keeping the present code with some simplification or modification in the tax structure.
The panel for the forum includes:
Neal Boortz is a former nationally syndicated radio talk show host who co-wrote the Fair Tax Bookwith former Congressman John Linder. The book calls for the replacement of the income tax with a consumption tax.
Dan Mitchell is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute, which is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principals of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Mitchell is an expert on tax reform and a strong advocate of a flat tax.
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)/Florida Chairman Jerry Pierce. The NFIB is is the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses. The NFIB supports modifications to provide tax relief and certainty to small businesses.
Susan Nilon is the general manager of WSRQ radio, a radio show host and writer who advocates a progressive tax that taxes wealthy individuals at a higher rate than low income individuals.
The forum will be moderated by WWSB/ABC 7 news anchor John McQuiston.
The event is free and open to the public. Please call 941.951.6643 or click here to RSVP.
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-03-20 11:47:452013-03-20 11:47:45Rep. Vern Buchanan to Hold Forum on Tax Reform
The Explanatory Memorandum has been characterized as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Declaration of Independence from the US and the US Constitution. Mohamed Akram, its author, is referred to as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Thomas Jefferson.
According to Steve Emerson and the Investigative Project, “This May 1991 memo was written by Mohamed Akram, a.k.a. Mohamed Adlouni, for the Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood. In the introductory letter, Akram referenced a “long-term plan…approved and adopted” by the Shura Council in 1987 and proposed this memo as a supplement to that plan and requested that the memo be added to the agenda for an upcoming Council meeting. Appended to the document is a list of all Muslim Brotherhood organizations in North America as of 1991.”
Adlouni states, “Enablement of Islam in North America, meaning: establishing an effective and stable Islamic Movement led by the Muslim Brotherhood which adopts Muslims’ causes domestically and globally, and which works to expand the observant Muslim base, aims at unifying and directing Muslims’ efforts, presents Islam as a civilization alternative, and supports the global Islamic state, wherever it is.”
“Expand the observant Muslim base” means expand al Qaeda, a Muslim Brotherhood organization, in America.
The memorandum requires the Muslim Brotherhood establish “settlements” in the US. A settlement is defined as “That Islam and its Movement become a part of the homeland it lives in.” Establish is defined as, “That Islam turn into firmly-rooted organizations on whose bases civilization, structure and testimony are built.”
The Memorandum requires the “absorbing of Muslims” and “requires from us [the Muslim Brotherhood] to learn ‘the art of dealing with the others’.”
In order for Islam and its Movement to become “a part of the homeland” in which it lives, “stable” in its land, “rooted” in the spirits and minds of its people, “enabled” in the live [sic] of its society and has firmly-established “organizations” on which the Islamic structure is built and with which the testimony of civilization is achieved, the Movement must plan and struggle to obtain “the keys” and the tools of this process in carry [sic] out this grand mission as a “Civilization Jihadist” responsibility which lies on the shoulders of Muslims and – on top of them – the Muslim Brotherhood in this country.
The process of settlement is a “Civilization-Jihadist Process” with all the word means.
The Memorandum states:
The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and “sabotaging” its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions. Without this level of understanding, we are not up to this challenge and have not prepared ourselves for Jihad yet. It is a Muslim’s destiny to perform Jihad and work wherever he is and wherever he lands until the final hour comes, and there is no escape from that destiny except for those who chose to slack. But, would the slackers and the Mujahedeen be equal.
The settlement of America is in full swing. Following are some of the action items listed in the Explanatory Memorandum:
The establishment of an Islamic Center or Mosque in every city.
The “building of a county of organizations” (ISNA, MSA, CAIR).
Creation of a television station (Al Jazeera America).
Establishment of “Islamic schools (Gulen schools).
Creation of “The Islamic Organization to Combat the Social ills of the U.S. Society.”
To accomplish the above actions the Memorandum lists twenty-nine “organizations and organizations of our friends” including the: Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Students Association (MSA), The Muslim Communities Associations (MCA), The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS). The Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE), Islamic Medical Association (IMA), Islamic Teaching Center (ITC), North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) and the ISNA Fiqh Committee (IFC).
The Memorandum requires, “A shift from the mentality of caution and reservation to the mentality of risk and controlled liberation.” Qu’ran 8:60 states:
“And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged.”
The Memorandum and all Muslim Brotherhood organizations are in full compliance with The Memorandum and The Book.
Click on image for a full report on the Muslim Brotherhood in America.
Watch this video of Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch explaining the problem:
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-03-18 10:21:562013-03-18 10:21:56Did you know al Qaeda started in the United States?
Ryan T. Anderson from The Heritage Foundation has released a comprehensive report on marriage. Here is the abstract:
Marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that children need a mother and a father.
Redefining marriage does not simply expand the existing understanding of marriage; it rejects these truths.
Marriage is society’s least restrictive means of ensuring the well-being of children. By encouraging the norms of marriage—monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and permanence—the state strengthens civil society and reduces its own role.
The future of this country depends on the future of marriage.
The future of marriage depends on citizens understanding what it is and why it matters and demanding that government policies support, not undermine, true marriage.
The report addresses three important questions: At the heart of the current debates about same-sex marriage are three crucial questions: What is marriage, why does marriage matter for public policy, and what would be the consequences of redefining marriage to exclude sexual complementary?
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-03-18 08:32:432013-03-18 08:32:43Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) visited Sarasota, FL on March 15, 2013. He was greeted by over 50 donors at a private event hosted by Jesse Biter, a local entrepreneur. During his remarks at the Sarasota event Senator Rubio restated his belief that “We don’t need a new idea. There is an idea. That idea is called America, and it still works.” This was what he said at CPAC 2013.
Watch Senator Rubio’s CPAC 2013 remarks:
Senator Rubio was introduced at the Sarasota event by Representative Vern Buchanan (FL-13). Rep. Buchanan noted that he has traveled across the globe looking at what other countries are doing to promote economic growth. Rep. Buchanan noted that China is doing better at growing its economy than the United States, noting that China is on track to create 20 million jobs annually.
Senator Rubio during his remarks spoke about the $1 trillion in outstanding student loans, half of which will be in default. He said that this student loan burden impacts the middle class and our youth most of all. He also raised the specter of a rising China and its impact on the global economy. Rubio warned of not having enough workers skilled to fill 3 million of today’s jobs. He touched on the national debt, Congressional spending and an intransigent White House.
Those in attendance at the Sarasota event and those at CPAC 2013 were impressed by Senator Rubio’s “the American idea” comments. However, Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, the spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, New Jersey does not agree with Senator Rubio’s outlook.
Rabbi Pruzansky states in an email, “The simplest reason why Romney lost was because it is impossible to compete against free stuff.”
Rabbi Pruzansky notes, “Every businessman knows this; that is why the “loss leader” or the giveaway is such a powerful marketing tool. Obama’s America is one in which free stuff is given away: the adults among the 47,000,000 on food stamps clearly recognized for whom they should vote, and so they did, by the tens of millions; those who – courtesy of Obama – receive two full years of unemployment benefits (which, of course, both disincentivizes looking for work and also motivates people to work off the books while collecting their windfall) surely know for whom to vote. The lure of free stuff is irresistible.”
“During his 1956 presidential campaign, a woman called out to Adlai Stevenson: ‘Senator, you have the vote of every thinking person!’ Stevenson called back: ‘That’s not enough, madam, we need a majority!’ Truer words were never spoken,” states Rabbi Pruzansky.
Will there ever be a majority of thinking persons?
Rabbi Pruzansky does not think so. He closed his email with, “If this election proves one thing, it is that the Old America is gone. And, sad for the world, it is not coming back.”
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-03-17 11:56:032013-03-17 11:56:03Rubio: We don’t need a new idea. There is an idea. The idea is called America, and it still works. (+ video)
We at Watchdog Wire – Florida know that politicians change their behavior when they know the citizenry is watching.
That’s why Watchdog Wire and the Franklin Center are participating in Sunshine Week (March 10-16), a nationwide initiative focused on the importance of access to public information. We’ll be featuring articles and resources on FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), state open records law, and other transparency efforts all week.
Sunshine Review evaluates how transparent local and state governments are via a grading system. Florida’s cities, counties, school boards and the state all received a grade of “B”.
The common thread to each of these violations is a lack of sunshine in the sunshine state.
For example, did you know that State lawmakers have no power to require the Governor or Cabinet members to meet in public when they are exercising their constitutional administrative duties or acting as a policy-making board related by the Legislature, such as the State Board of Education. For instance, the governor’s deliberations with Cabinet members about whether to grant a pardon or clemency are not covered by the Sunshine Law because they involve constitutional duties, not statutory duties.
Sunshine Review notes, “The Florida Sunshine Law is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to the public records of governmental bodies in Florida. The law was first enacted in 1995. The original statutes state:
The Florida Open Meetings Law (Fla. Stat. sec 286) governs the extent to which public meetings are open to the public. The Florida Public Records Law (Fla. Stat. sec. 119) governs the inspection and copying of public records.
To help you as a citizen prepare to hold your government accountable, we’ve compiled a list of action items that empower you to shine a light on government waste and abuse in your own communities:
Click here to read the full list of transparency tips and report back your findings on Watchdog Wire. We will list your story in our special Sunshine Report featuring all citizen research and writing. E-mail your ideas, tips and questions to me at Florida@WatchdogWire.com. If you want to write for Watchdog Wire – Florida, sign up here!
Here’s to an open and more accountable government.
Javier Manjarres, founder of The Shark Tank, is inviting Floridians and every American to Hispolitica. Manjarres envisions Hispolitica as a “place where a legitimate conversation about Hispanics in America can happen…without the narrative filters imposed by mainstream or Hispanic media.”
Manjarres notes, “Given how badly both major political parties suck at Hispanic engagement, and the fact that immigration will not always be on the table, now is an opportune time to get the conversation going. Feel free to jump in.”
Full text of the video:
Hi, I’m Javier Manjarres.
I’m proud to announce the re-launch of Hispolitica. Hispolitica brings a balanced journalistic approach to the issues and concerns of Hispanics in light of their increasing influence in the American political process. Hispolitica will provide equal time and space to political personalities across the spectrum whose viewpoints are of interest to Hispanics across the country.
The Hispanic electorate continues to grow, and most political observers believe that this coveted vote is in a state of flux and very much in play for Republicans and Democrats moving forward. Although the immigration reform issue is at the forefront of today’s political debate, trends show that Hispanics assign greater importance to a number of issues other than immigration
Before we can more effectively engage the Hispanic community, we must understand that first and foremost, Hispanics are primarily concerned with their own economic prosperity and prospects for advancement in our society based on their own efforts, merits and accomplishments.
Unfortunately, both of the major political parties have major short comings as they approach the Hispanic voting bloc. Their actions- or in some instances their inaction- shows that they are both incapable of messaging and winning the trust of the Hispanic community.
On the one hand, we have a political party that refuses to make the distinction between legal and illegal immigration, and actively seeks to bribe hispanics with the prize of U.S. citizenship. On the other hand, we have a party that has proven itself of having ineffective messaging and lacks in its efforts to reach out to immigrants.
The diversity of the Hispanic community goes well beyond the stereotypical depiction in the media, specifically by Spanish-language TV networks that cater to a subset of the Hispanic demographic while passing themselves off as representatives of ‘all’ Hispanics. These networks have refused to criticize race-baiting special-interest groups whose agenda is divisive and does not serve the best interests of Hispanics at large.
Earlier generations of Hispanic immigrants were very socially and fiscally conservative in their beliefs, regardless of their political affiliation. Hispanics have always been a people of faith, and have articulated a strong belief in God. Their strong family values are directly correlated to their unwavering dedication to their religious faith.
Hispolitica seeks to provide an alternative viewpoint to those expressed in the mainstream and Hispanic media. We’re looking forward to having this conversation, and thank you for joining us.
The Florida Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs considered SB 196 on February 19, 2013. However, a voice vote failed to pass the measure. To avert the deadly vote, Senator Sobel, Chair of this committee and sponsor of SB 196, asked the committee to temporarily postpone final action on the bill until she could rewrite it apparently to the liking of Republican Senator Nancy Detert.
Several pro-family leaders spoke during the February 19, 2013 committee meeting in opposition to the bill. Those speakers in opposition included John Stemberger President of Florida Family Action, Michael B. Sheedy, Director for Public Policy for the Florida Catholic Conference of Bishops and Bill Bunkley President of Florida Voices.
John Stemberger, Florida Family Action president, pointed out that the bill was unconstitutional because it violated the Florida Defense of Marriage Act. Stemberger told the committee that unlike the language used by cities and counties across Florida that adopted Domestic Partnership Registries, SB 196 was much broader. This broader language violated the “substantial equivalent to marriage” prohibition in the Florida Defense of Marriage Act.
Republican Senator Nancy Detert made it clear after hearing from the public that she could not support the bill as written but would support a Domestic Partnership bill if it were modeled similar to the one adopted by the City of Sarasota.
Senator Sobel rewrote the bill. Now Senator Sobel is looking to Senator Nancy Detert’s swing vote to pass this legislation through the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs.
SB 196 named “Families First” would set up a Domestic Partnership registry in Florida. Here is the language of the bill:
“Families First; Setting forth fees and costs to be applied when petitioning for a dissolution of a domestic partnership or registering a domestic partnership, respectively; requiring that certain fees relating to declarations of domestic partnership and dissolution of domestic partnership filings be deposited in the Displaced Homemaker Trust Fund; requiring two individuals who wish to become partners in a domestic partnership to complete and file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership form with the clerk of the circuit court; providing methods to prove the existence of a registered Declaration Domestic Partnership when the certificate document has been lost or is otherwise unavailable, etc.”
Every benefit of this legislation can be accomplished through private contract or authorization forms. In all cases Health Care Surrogate, Power of Attorney and other lawful designations of authority by one person to another must be performed on a separate private agreement form. This negates the need for this legislation.
Homosexual activists are essentially using the Families First ie Domestic Partnership bill SB 196 to legalize same sex marriage in Florida. SB 196 does nothing but add government bureaucracy while advancing legal recognition of same sex relationships. Heterosexual couples are not demanding this legislation. They can marry if they want their relationship legally recognized. SB 196 is being pushed by homosexual activists who demand that the State of Florida legally recognize same-sex relationships.
Florida Family Association is asking those interested to send an email to Florida Senate President Don Gaetz and members of the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs.
Florida Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs members:
UPDATE 3/12/2013: Florida Senate committee delays vote on Domestic Partnerships due to a member’s absence.
The Florida Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs was prepared to vote on SB 196 Domestic Partnerships during the 2:00 PM meeting on March 12, 2012. However, Senator Geraldine F. “Geri” Thompson (D) was absent from the committee meeting. Senator Eleanor Sobel, sponsor of the legislation, requested that the committee temporarily postpone the vote on SB 196 which they did.
The next committee date has not been posted on the Florida Senate web site.
Matt Grant from Fox News Channel 4 in Naples, Florida reports, “A 16-year-old Cypress Lake High School student, who wrestled a loaded revolver away from a teen threatening to shoot, is being punished.”
“The student grappled the gun away from the 15-year-old suspect on the bus ride home Tuesday after witnesses say he aimed the weapon point blank at another student and threatened to shoot him,” notes Grant.
“The student, who Fox 4 has agreed not to identify and distort his voice because he fears for his safety, says there’s ‘no doubt’ he saved a life by disarming the gunman. And for that he was suspended for three days,” according to Fox News.
Tracy Perkins, Principal of Cypress Lake High School
Principal Tracy Perkins suspended the student because “Florida law allows the principal to suspend a student immediately pending a hearing” according to Lee County District spokesman Alberto Rodriguez.
Lee County citizens are scratching their heads at this suspension of a student who to many is a hero. What message does this send? Step in and save a fellow student from grievous bodily harm and get suspended.
Grant states, “Authorities were unable to watch the school bus surveillance video because the cameras weren’t working. The 15-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school property and assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.”
The Lee County School District issued the following statement:
“The District has completed its investigation regarding an incident that took place on February 26, 2013, regarding multiple Cypress Lake High School students. The District is unable to comment regarding the specific disciplinary measures taken against specific students. However, it must be noted that during the initial investigation conducted by the administration of Cypress Lake High School the students involved refused to cooperate with school authorities regarding the events that occurred. As a result, appropriate disciplinary actions were taken at that time. Subsequently, law enforcement along with school officials have acquired additional information that has provided the complete picture of what occurred that day. Certain students involved have been and will be disciplined in accordance with that additional information consistent with the Code of Student Conduct and Florida law. The District will be making no further comment regarding this matter.”
Dan Savage, an anti-bullying activist, has once again been caught red-handed bullying people who do not subscribe to his agenda. This week, he crossposted my vlog, “Why Did It Become Hateful to Support Marriage?”, to his wonderful, sexually explicit, and tolerant blog called Slog.
He not only charmingly called me a “dingbat,” but also did not understand the point of my video: to stop the hateful rhetoric thrown at people who want to restore a culture of marriage.
He also gave me more compliments in another Slog post, which featured some of my tweets.
Yesterday, he and I had this lovely conversation on Twitter, where he spelled out his own hypocrisy.
“On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court announced its Goodridge opinion, declaring that it was unconstitutional not to allow same-sex “marriage.” Six months later, despite public outrage, homosexual “weddings” began to take place. And that was just the beginning . . .”
Anyone who thinks that same-sex “marriage” is a benign eccentricity which won’t affect the average person should consider what it has done to Massachusetts since 2004. It’s become a hammer to force the acceptance and normalization of homosexuality on everyone. The slippery slope is real. New radical demands never cease. What has happened in the last several years is truly frightening.
Anna Marie is living the “truly frightening” part of the same sex marriage world.
Yahoo News reports, “Lech Walesa, the Polish democracy icon and Nobel peace prize winner, has sparked outrage in Poland by saying that gays have no right to a prominent role in politics and that as a minority they need to ‘adjust to smaller things’. Walesa said in a television interview on Friday that he believes gays have no right to sit on the front benches in Parliament and, if represented at all, should sit in the back, “and even behind a wall.”
In January the Washington Post reported on protests against gay marriage in France, “France isn’t Scandinavia. If you add up the state-by-state numbers, it isn’t even America. A crowd of more than 300,000 took the fight to the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris to protest the president’s plan to legalize gay marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt and conceive children. You have to do a lot to get attention in a country used to demonstrations. This succeeded. The slogans, signs and chants favoring “Daddy, Mommy” and insisting “Mariageophile pas homophobe” proved Sunday that France is indeed unpredictable. When it comes to social issues, apparently, laissez-faire has its limits.”
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-03-03 10:09:132013-03-03 10:09:13Why Did It Become Hateful to Support Marriage?
On February 27th , Florida Representative W. Gregory “Greg” Steube, filed HB 1097 – School Safety, which takes a hard look at safety in Florida’s schools. Rep. Steube, an Army paratrooper and Iraq War combat veteran, states, “The safety of our school children and the dedicated teachers and personnel who educate them is a paramount concern to all communities.”
“We are all deeply concerned about the well-being of our children and we must come to a consensus on how to prevent violent crimes from occurring on school grounds. As a father and a son of a teacher, I feel a responsibility to my community and my state to address the safety of our students and teaching personnel. With this bill, schools will be better equipped to protect their faculty and students,” notes Rep. Steube.
HB 1097 would allow a school principal to designate one or more members of school personnel to carry a concealed firearm or weapon while performing his or her official duties.
The bill requires that “designated personnel must complete additional training and coursework that covers emergency procedures, life safety, methods of prevention, terrorism awareness and firearm proficiency to ensure they are prepared to respond appropriately in the event that a threat arises on campus. Also, the bill would require each school to have a school safety officer present on campus, unless the principal has already designated a member of school personnel to carry a weapon or firearm on that campus.”
Below, you can find more information regarding HB 1097, as well as important tools that may help you advocate for your concerns.
Greg Ridgeway, Ph.D., Deputy Director National Institute of Justice, in a recently released document states, “On average there are about 11,000 firearm homicides every year. While there are deaths resulting from accidental discharges and suicides, this document will focus on intentional firearm homicides. Fatalities from mass shootings (those with 4 or more victims in a particular place and time) account on average for 35 fatalities per year. Policies that address the larger firearm homicide issue will have a far greater impact even if they do not address the particular issues of mass shootings.”
This document provides a cursory summary of select initiatives to reduce firearm violence and an assessment of the evidence for the initiative. To read the document click here.
Watch this video statement by Christian Ziegler, State Committeeman from Sarasota, FL:
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-02-28 10:14:012013-02-28 10:14:01Florida Rep. Steube files bill “to arm school personnel”
The US Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case of Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder beginning today. The issue according to the SCOTUS Blog is, “Whether Congress’ decision in 2006 to reauthorize Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act under the pre-existing coverage formula of Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act exceeded its authority under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and thus violated the Tenth Amendment and Article IV of the United States Constitution.”
The ruling on this case will impact as many as five Florida Counties. According to Larry Kahn of KeysNet.com, “Section 5 covers Monroe and four other Florida counties, as well as some local jurisdictions in California, North Carolina, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York and South Dakota. It also covers all of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Alaska, Arizona and Virginia.”
Kahn reports, “Last year, then-Monroe County Elections Supervisor Harry Sawyer battled Gov. Rick Scott on the national stage over how many early-voting days should be allowed in the November election. Scott ultimately won — eight days instead of Sawyer’s preferred 14 — but that battle and more will be heard today by the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Kahn notes, “‘Last year we got an umbrella from Section 5 because it helped Mr. Sawyer fight and the voters were heard from,’ said Elections Supervisor Joyce Griffin. ‘If we weren’t under Section 5, they wouldn’t have been heard from’.”
Mr. Sawyer wanted to use Section 5 of the voting rights act to bypass the governor and state of Florida.
The Voting Rights Act provides “broad and powerful protection against discrimination,”explains Heritage’s Hans von Spakovsky, a former Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Regardless of the Supreme Court’s take on Section 5, the Voting Rights Act remains in effect to protect all Americans from voter discrimination.
But Section 5 outlived its purpose decades ago—and the federal government is still forcing some voting jurisdictions to justify all of their local rule changes. Von Spakovsky points out:
[Section 5] effectively presumes that all voting-related actions by certain states and jurisdictions are discriminatory and therefore requires that they obtain pre-approval from the federal government for otherwise ordinary and routine actions, such as moving a polling station from a school that is under renovation to another one down the street or drawing new redistricting plans. This is a major and unusual imposition on state sovereignty.
What was originally intended to safeguard individual liberty has become a way for the feds to attack state liberty. For the Department of Justice and many activists, Section 5 merely exists to bully local authorities.
Von Spakovsky says that if Section 5 were struck down, “The only change would be to curb the abuses of federal bureaucrats and check the power and influence of the liberal activist groups that rely on Section 5 to enforce their agendas.”
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-02-27 08:04:092013-02-27 08:04:09US Supreme Court Voting Rights Case and its impact on Florida
In 1971, the United Nations International School (UNIS) became the first school authorized “to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) and awarded the first IB degree in the world.”
As of February 21, 2013 there are 1,403 International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools in the U.S. which offer one or more IB programs. Florida leads the way in schools offering IB Programs with 144 or over 10% of U.S. IB World Schools.
Debra K. Niwa has issued her annual update on IB World Schools in the U.S. With 91% of IB programs funded by public dollars, Niwa notes, “Public financing of IB World Schools begs the attention of anyone who values education and cares about how taxpayer money is spent in the public school system. Local, state, and federal taxpayer dollars are covering public school costs for programs offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) — an entity under Swiss law that claims non-profit status. IBO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland; a regional office opened in Bethesda, Maryland in 2010.
Niwa presents in her annual update the following red-flag issues surrounding IB programs:
• IB programs add unnecessary costs to school operations (these vary with each IB program). IB school fees, new staff positions (non-teaching and teaching), student registration and subject fees, student assessment fees, and periodic program evaluation visit fees, to name a few, Plus, IB requires training (that incurs participant fees, travel, meals, and lodging expenses) at destinations that are out-of-state or out-of-country for most attendees. “It costs an average of about $8,000 to train a staff member.” Thereafter, re-training comes every few years as IBO changes curriculum.
• The “pre-university” two-year IB Diploma Program (DP) is not cost effective (nor are the other IB programs). IB DP “candidates” are often a tiny portion of a high school’s total enrollment. In 2009, a proponent in Virginia “shared statistics that indicate 72% of IB Programs have less than 10 diploma candidates each year and that was the norm.”6 Nevertheless, substantial six-digit amounts accommodate the IB DP. In July 2011, Tucson Unified School District revealed its annual costs for the Diploma Program at one high school. For the first two IB graduating classes, TUSD spent more than $1 million the first year (2009-2010) and $800,000 the second year (2010-2011). Five students received the IB Diploma in that period.
• The IB Middle Years Program (MYP) — for ages 11 to 15 — is poor preparation for the DP. IB teachers criticize that “MYP suddenly stops in Grade 10. There is no articulation between MYP and IB Diploma” and “The MYP . . . doesn’t really provide the opportunity to hone the skills needed to be successful DP students.” What about the many MYP graduates who don’t qualify for the Diploma Program? In 2012 the IBO will allow IB DP schools to offer an IB “Career-related Certificate” for students ages 16 to 19 years old.
• The IB Primary Years Program (PYP) – for 3 to 12-year-olds — is bad for academic support. As staff at PYP schools have remarked: “. . . the IB program has NO place in elementary school. It takes too much emphasis off learning the basics, it takes the teachers out of the classroom for too many meetings, and it takes our administrators on expensive cross-country business trips.” “ . . . there was so much time spent on the IB stuff and time taken away from the true academics — very frustrating when you have . . . students that you need to help on academics but can’t.”
• IB changes education’s purpose, content, and teaching methods — predictably supporting the agendas of the IBO which, since 1970, has been an official NGO of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Strip away the IB marketing puffery and suddenly the IB drivel about “rigor”, “international mindedness” and “quality education for a better world” become nothing more than phrases that obscure the integration of non-academic goals that support United Nations* issues, such as Agenda 21 sustainable development.
Niwa asks parents, Florida taxpayers and Florida’s political leadership this question: How deeply does IB reach into the public school system in your state?
In the case of Florida it runs deeply starting in 2005 with the first IB program created under former Governor Jeb Bush.
ABOUT DEBRA K. NIWA
Debra K. Niwa
Debbie Niwa began researching education issues five years ago when she started questioning the policies and changes occurring in the school district in Tucson, Arizona that her son was enrolled in. She has devoted thousands of hours researching local, state, federal, and global school reform issues, as well as actively advocating for academic quality in education. Since 1980, she has worked professionally on the design and production of publications as well as the gamut of other graphic design projects.
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-02-26 07:46:222013-02-26 07:46:22Florida has the most schools offering the International Baccalaureate but is it worth it?
Tallahassee, FL – Today the Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection, delivered their final report to the Office of the Florida Senate President, Office of the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and the Executive Office of the Governor.
The Task Force concluded that Florida Statute 776 is a good law and should not be overturned. On page five of their final report the Task Force’s top recommendations states:
The Task Force concurs with the core belief that all persons, regardless of citizenship status, have a right to feel safe and secure in our state. To that end, all persons who are conducting themselves in a lawful manner have a fundamental right to stand their ground and defend themselves from attack with proportionate force in every place they have a lawful right to be.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I want to commend the 19 members of the Citizen Safety Task Force and Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll for their thorough and thoughtful consideration of Florida Statute 776. This diverse Task Force listened to the people of Florida and provided a platform for different viewpoints to be shared on the important issue of citizen safety. I met with Trayvon Martin’s parents and our hearts go out to the entire family for their loss, especially as we approach the anniversary of his death. We look forward to reviewing this final report as we approach the beginning of the legislative session.”
The final Citizen Safety Task Force report, video links to all of the task force meetings, correspondence and public input considered is located on the Task Force website.
The Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection, led by Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll, held public meetings in seven cities across Florida and listened to subject matter experts and citizens. They concluded that Floridians have the right to defend themselves and the right to stand their ground when attacked. They concur that Floridians have the right to arm and protect themselves and their families from violence.
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-02-22 13:33:082013-02-22 13:33:08Florida Task Force: All persons have a fundamental right to stand their ground
Roberta Flack’s 1973 hit tune “Killing Me Softly with His Song” comes to mind when writing about how the tax codes have dramatically changed effective January 1, 2013. Two of the major changes are charitable deductions under the Personal Exemption Phase-out (PEP) and the Pease deduction cap under 26 US Code § 68.
As of January 1, 2013, itemized deductions will be limited in several ways:
The Pease limitations will reduce the amount of certain itemized deductions high-income taxpayers can claim: either 3% of the taxpayer’s income over the modified adjusted gross income limit, or up to 80% of certain deductions (whichever amount is less).
The taxpayer threshold for claiming medical expenses as an itemized deduction will be increased from 7.5% of AGI to 10% (though individuals age 65 and older will continue to use the 7.5% threshold from 2013 to 2016).
As was the case in 2012, the option to deduct state and local sales taxes rather than income taxes will not be available.
Kelsey Snell from Politico wrote in December, 2012, “Tax rate increases aren’t the only way in which Democrats are aiming to collect more tax dollars from the rich — they’re also looking to resurrect a dormant pair of oddly named laws that targeted the wealthy for decades.”
Snell states:
Known as PEP and Pease, they’re a little bit like the original “Buffett rule.”
The Personal Exemption Phase-out, or PEP, and the “Pease” deduction cap — named for the late Rep. Don Pease (D-Ohio) — were introduced in the 1990s to try to help balance the budget by getting the rich to chip in more. PEP reduced the value of exemptions for high-income earners by as much as 2 percent for every $2,500 earned over a set amount. Pease limited itemized deductions for the wealthy.
According to Barbara E. Little, an associate with New Jersey based Schnader Attorneys at Law in their Tax and Wealth Management Department and the Trust and Estates, Nonprofit and Higher Education Practice Groups.:
On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed into law the “American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012” (ATRA). In this Alert, we explore the good news and the bad news that charitably minded individuals received with the passage of ATRA.
Bad News
Let’s start by getting the bad news out of the way. ATRA revived the itemized deduction limitations, also known as the “Pease Amendment” (named after Congressman Donald Pease, the amendment’s proposer in the 1990s). Under Pease, total itemized deductions are reduced by 3 percent not to exceed 80 percent, of the amount the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income exceeds the threshold amount – $250,000 for single filers, $275,000 for heads of household and $300,000 for married filing jointly (indexed for inflation). Charitable deductions are included in the limitation equation.
Depending on the taxpayer’s income level and other deductions, this limitation could adversely affect charitable contributions. For example, consider a married couple with $60,000 of itemized deductions ($25,000 mortgage interest, $10,000 state taxes and $25,000 charitable deduction) and an adjusted gross income of $450,000. The couple’s adjusted gross income exceeds the threshold by $150,000. The couple must reduce their total itemized deductions by 3 percent of $150,000 or $4,500.
The other bad news is that two charitable deductions were not extended: 1) contributions of book inventories to public schools; and 2) corporate contributions of computer inventory.
Good News
One piece of good news is that under ATRA, once again, individuals 70½ years of age or older may make tax-free IRA distributions to charitable organizations. The maximum distribution amount is $100,000 per individual, per tax year.
Speaking with a Florida donor to local charitable organizations he bemoans the fact that under ATRA his personal exemptions are eaten up by other, primarily tax deductions, thus limiting his charitable giving. He is concerned that ATRA is written so that non-profit organizations, many of which are faith based, will be irreparably harmed. With the passage of ATRA the new charity will be government and its ability to redistribute tax revenues to those non-profits it see as fit for public donations.
The new normal is “government charity” at every level.
Listen to Roberta Flack singing Killing Me Softly:
[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/4mpqXu0z3wU”]
00Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-02-20 11:56:392013-02-20 11:56:39Killing charitable deductions slowly – the sunset of PEP and Pease
Dr. Mordechai Kedar, the Director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East and Islam (under formation), a research associate of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies and a lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University in Israel visited Sarasota, Florida, while on a thirty-day tour of the United States. Dr. Kedar presented his “Palestinian Emirates” solution as part of the Israel@65 celebration hosted by the Sarasota/Manatee Jewish Federation.
Dr. Kedar’s solution is based upon the realities of Arab culture in the Middle East.
Dr. Kedar is the architect of a solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict which calls for the creation of eight Palestinian Emirates within the state of Israel. The eight city-states would comprise the areas of Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho, Tul-Karm, Kalkilya, the Arab part of Hebron and Gaza. The concept is simple in its design. Dr. Kedar pointed out that the most prosperous and peaceful nation states in the Middle East are culturally homogeneous. Examples include: Dubai, Qatar, the United Arab Emeritus, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Dr. Kedar believes that the two state solution proposed by the United States, the EU and supported by the United Nations and Israeli politicians is the greatest threat facing Israel. According to the Palestinian Emirates website, the creation of two states, “could lead to the demise of our beloved Israel? After all, it’s been the mainstay policy thrust upon Israel with various international initiatives and road-maps to peace. But in reality it would bring about the opposite result.”
The Palestinian Emirates solution is based on the following eighteen points (realities):
1. The only true loyalty for Middle Eastern Arabs is to family, clan and tribe and the local sheikhs who are their true leaders.
2. There is little trust that currently exists between peoples of the different tribes in the Arab Palestinian cities of Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
3. Any PA led government of a Palestinian state would most likely become another corrupt and failing Arab state.
4. If a Palestinian state existed the more militant Hamas would soon seize control in Judea & Samaria from the less militant, weak and corrupt PA/Fatah.
5. Israel would be faced on two borders by Hamas whose Charter openly calls for the destruction of the Jewish Homeland and the killing of Jews worldwide.
6. The PA/Fatah and Hamas are not reliable negotiating partners for peace and the concept of the Two State Solution must be abandoned.
7. Israel must now take the lead to find a workable solution in light of the recent UN vote which did not confer actual statehood to the Palestinians.
8. As tribal leaders the individual sheikhs may want their independence from the PA to chart their own destiny of peace and prosperity.
9. Israel should recognize the development of independent city-states in seven cities of Judea & Sumaria which would likely occur over a period of years.
10. The eight city-states would comprise the areas of Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho, Tul-Karm, Kalkilya, the Arab part of Hebron and Gaza.
11. Local residents would become citizens of these eight independent city-states while those remaining in rural lands would have the choice to become citizens of Israel.
12. The Palestinian refugee problem can only be addressed once the UN realizes that there is no Right of Return for Arabs as citizens of Israel. Naturally Arabs should find their solutions in Arab states, not the one Jewish state.
13. As these independent Arab Palestinian city-states develop they may choose to form a beneficial alliance together to increase security, economic development and other aspects of common interest.
14. The leaders of these emerging city-states are more likely to accept Israel as the Jewish Homeland and root out terrorist and jihadist elements within their secure borders.
15. Israel would absorb and control the less populated areas of Judea & Samaria to enhance security for the region and expand housing and commercial development.
16. The PA leadership will eventually disappear from Judea & Samaria once the city-state movement takes root.
17. Gaza remains an ongoing problem requiring possible future Israeli defensive military action and will only have freedom and opportunity for it’s citizens once Hamas and the other jihadists no longer behave like terror groups against Israel, but rather manage their state for the sake of their people.
18. Jerusalem will remain as it has been since 1967, the undivided capital of Israel that welcomes peaceful people of all religions to live, visit and pray there.
As Victor Hugo (1802-1885) wrote, “Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.” Dr. Kedar’s solution may be the last best solution because it empowers the tribal peoples of the Palestinian Emirates.
https://drrichswier.com/wp-content/uploads/israel-palestinian-agreement.jpg352512Dr. Rich Swierhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngDr. Rich Swier2013-02-18 07:49:062014-03-14 07:17:32Is this the best solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?
As of February 21, 2013 there are 1,403 International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools in the U.S. which offer one or more IB programs. 
