Jihad comes to Boston: The Chechnya Connection

Fox News reports, “Ties between Islamic extremist groups and Chechnya well-documented. [C]ongressional researchers and foreign policy analysts have long tracked a connection between the Chechnya region and Islamic extremists with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. If the suspects are indeed Chechen, analysts told Fox News they may represent part of a jihadi network which has made its way to American soil. “The Chechen jihadi network is very extensive,” Middle East analyst Walid Phares said Friday. “They have a huge network inside Russia and Chechnya.”

Chris Kyle in his autobiography American Sniper wrote that during the 2006 battle of in Ramadi,  Iraq, “I saw a whole bunch of guys standing there in desert camouflage—the old brown chocolate-chip stuff from Desert Storm, the First Gulf War. They were all wearing gear. They were all Caucasian, including one or two with blond hair, obviously not Iraqis or Arabs… We looked at each other. Something flicked in my brain, and I flicked the trigger on the M-16, mowing them down. A half-second’s more hesitation, and I would have been the one bleeding out on the floor. They turned out to be Chechens, Muslims apparently recruited for a holy war against the West. (We found their passports after searching the house.)” [My emphasis]

Clare Lopez, former CIA  Operations officer and Russia expert, in a statement to WDW noted, “This attack is not about Russia. This is an act of jihad. As time goes on our best friends are the media who will get into the background of these two men and reveal the truth.”

Time/Yahoo News reports:

Tamerlan, who was killed in a shootout earlier today, appears to have been sympathetic to Islamist radicalism. Five months ago he appears to have created a channel on YouTube called “Terrorists.” The channel features videos from the one of the leaders of the insurgency in Dagestan who goes by the name Amir Abu Dudzhan. YouTube appears to have removed two of the videos but in a third features Dudzhan calling for jihad. Holding a Kalashnikov rifle, he says, “Jihad is the duty of every able-bodied Muslim.” Among the other videos on his channel is one of Timur Mutsuraev, the bard of the Chechen resistance in the 1990s; it features his song, “We will devote our lives to jihad.” See Tamerlan’s video list here.

Here is the video on  Tamerlan’s YouTube channel calling for jihad by Amir Abu Dujana Rabbanikaly:

Reuters reports:

“Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev posted links to Islamic websites and others calling for Chechen independence on what appears to be his page on a Russian language social networking site.

Abusive comments in Russian and English were flooding onto Tsarnaev’s page on VK, a Russian-language social media site, on Friday after he was identified as a suspect in the bombing of the Boston marathon.

Police launched a massive manhunt for Tsarnaev, 19, after killing his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a shootout overnight.”

Click on image for a larger view.

According to Reuters:

On the site, the younger Tsarnaev identifies himself as a 2011 graduate of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, a public school in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His “World view” is listed as “Islam” and his “Personal priority” is “career and money”.

He has posted links to videos of fighters in the Syrian civil war and to Islamic web pages with titles like “Salamworld, my religion is Islam” and “There is no God but Allah, let that ring out in our hearts”.

He also has links to pages calling for independence for Chechnya, a region of Russia that lost its bid for secession after two wars in the 1990s.

The page also reveals a sense of humor, around his identity as a member of a minority from southern Russia’s restive Caucasus, which includes Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia and other predominately Muslim regions that have seen two decades of unrest since the fall of the Soviet Union.

A video labelled “tormenting my brother” shows a man resembling his dead brother Tamerlan laughing and imitating the accents of different Caucasian ethnic groups.

The Washington Post provides this background on Chechnya:

The Chechen conflict dates to the early 1990s. In the summer of 1999, fighters in the predominantly Muslim republic rose up in an attempt to throw off Russian domination. Vladimir Putin, then the Russian prime minister, responded quickly, firmly and brutally to put down the rebellion.

Later that summer, there were several explosions across Russia and Putin blamed Chechens. Putin sent the army back by force, which resulted in Western criticism of Russian tactics and human rights violations.

In the most dramatic episode, about 40 armed Chechen separatists took more than 900 hostages at a Moscow theater. After a two-day siege, Russian special police pumped a chemical agent into the theater’s ventilation system and raided the building. About 130 hostages died, and all of the Chechens were killed.

Though the war has officially ended, the Russians have maintained a tight grip on Chechnya, backing a strongman friendly to Moscow and maintaining a robust military presence. Efforts have also been underway in recent years to rebuild the shattered capital of Grozny.

Still, sporadic violence and kidnapping have continued in Chechnya and separatists retain a following. The years of fighting, crime and economic difficulties led tens of thousands of Chechens to leave their homes for other former Soviet republics.

Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Killed, 2nd Got away on foot (+ video)

There’s a police operation underway in the town of Watertown near Boston following the shooting of a policeman on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Police have confirmed one suspect has been killed and that the other suspect is still at large and is connected to Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing. Residents of Watertown are being told to remain inside.

Asjylyn Loder & Esmé E. Deprez from Bloomberg report:

“Minutes before the bombs blew up in Boston, Jeff Bauman looked into the eyes of the man who tried to kill him.

Just before 3 p.m. on April 15, Bauman was waiting among the crowd for his girlfriend to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. A man wearing a cap, sunglasses and a black jacket over a hooded sweatshirt looked at Jeff, 27, and dropped a bag at his feet, his brother, Chris Bauman, said in an interview.

Two and a half minutes later, the bag exploded, tearing Jeff’s legs apart. A picture of him in a wheelchair, bloodied and ashen, was broadcast around the world as he was rushed to Boston Medical Center. He lost both legs below the knee.”

Read more.

The featured photo, courtesy of Kelvin Ma, is of first responders including Carlos Arredondo, in cowboy hat, tend to Jeff Bauman, who was severely wounded after two explosions occurred along the final stretch of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street in Boston on April 15, 2013.

The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men

Not every election that is important is held in November of each year. There are many local races for public office and referendums that are voted on in out-of-cycle elections. There is a growing  concern that out-of-cycle elections ultimately suppress the vote. Cases in point are two elections being held in May 2013. One is in Sarasota, Florida and the other in Los Angeles, California.

PRNewswire reports, “Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE: EVC), a diversified Spanish-language media company, today announced a multi-platform campaign to encourage Los Angeles Latino voters to participate in the upcoming runoff election for Mayor, being held May 21, 2013. With only 16% of registered voters turning out for the Primary Nominating Election that was held in March, Entravision is committed to using its radio and digital assets in Los Angeles to raise awareness of the upcoming election and instill the importance of participating in the democratic election process.” [My emphasis]

Sarasota Today, in an Editorial titled “Why I vote (even though I am apathetic)“, notes, “Ap·a·thy. lack of interest of concern. P·a·rty. a large group of people. This is the reason some people believe causes such a low turnout in our City Elections (which are held in March and May). Apathy is what takes us from a 75% voter turnout in November to a 17% voter turnout  four months later in March. Although I disagree with the premise, I am going to accept that this must be true (mostly because I am sick of fighting about it – and I just want to find a solution).” [My emphasis]

It appears citizens from Sarasota to Los Angeles are taking an interest.

PRNewswire reports:

“At Entravision, we believe that the Los Angeles Mayoral election is extremely important to the future of the city. As an active member of the community, it is our civic duty to encourage as many citizens as possible to exercise their right to vote,” said Walter F. Ulloa, Entravision’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “With this election being only the third time in the last 75 years that an incumbent mayoral candidate has not been on the ballot in Los Angeles, this election offers a unique opportunity for citizens to vote with their voice and help shape the future for the city. By leveraging Entravision’s multiple media properties in Los Angeles, we will provide a valuable service to the community and help encourage voter participation for this special election.”

Sarasota Today coined the phrase “Apathy Party”. The Sarasota Today editorial analyzes the impact of the Apathy Party:

So here is my attempt at giving specific examples of why you (assuming you don’t vote) should consider leaving the Apathy Party.

Reason 1: You are more likely to lose your job due a decision made by a City Commission, than by the President of the United States.

Here is my reasoning. If you are young and live in Sarasota most likely you are in the “service” industry. You probably work in hospitality, retail or the restaurant business. All three of these industries (which are the largest in the City) depend HEAVILY on tourism. So, if the City Commission votes to install parking meters or by chance bans live music – then the tourists will probably not come downtown anymore. So when tourists leave, revenue leaves – and businesses suffer. When business suffers – people lose jobs. The City Commission makes decisions each month that effect local businesses short term and long term. If you think voting in the national elections will change your life – you should really pay attention to local elections.

It’s math.

City makes “anti-business” decisions = Businesses fail = Jobs Lost = Bad Tourism Experience = Bad Economy.

City makes “smart business” decisions = Businesses grow = More Jobs = Good Tourism Experience = Healthy and Diverse Economy

Reason 2: Your wallet will be more effected by the policies supported by the City, than by the Federal Government.

I always hear that people “vote with their wallet”. If that is true, than you definitely want to reconsider voting in local elections. Everyone’s income has taken a hit due to a horrible economy. Although things are improving, we still need to find ways to save money month-to-month. Tax Loop Holes don’t help anyone except big corporations. So how does the local government help us save money? Let’s start with the big one – rent. If you are like most people, rent is your biggest expense (or if you are a home owner – you property taxes and loan payment). The City of Sarasota has had a “no-growth” policy that has back-fired on our economy and it is lowering property values and raising taxes – and thus it is making your rent higher. For example, our zoning code only allows a developer to build 50 units per acre for a 10-story building. If you do the math – you can quickly see that these are BIG EXPENSIVE units – which means BIG rent. These restrictions are everywhere throughout the city – even in deprived neighborhoods like Rosemary District.  Since it is close to impossible to build a 10-story building with 50 unites and make it financially work – nobody builds. When nobody builds – there is less taxes going into the City’s revenue base. So, the City has to raise taxes and the buildings that exist in downtown raise rent (because they can due to lack of inventory).

It’s math.

It is math. Historically, off-cycle elections have lower voter turnout. Lower voter turnout leads to the few dictating to the many. It is not time for the many to be heard?

Rubio: Leaving immigration the way it is, it’s amnesty (+ video)

Senator Marco Rubio’s comments on the US Senate floor:

Excerpts from Senator Rubio’s floor speech: “As far as the economy of the United States, a couple points. First of all, you can’t compare this bill to nothing, you have to compare it to what we have now. And what we have now is worse. What we have now is costing our economy. You have people in this country illegally, they get sick, they go to the emergency room, and the tax payer pays for it. You have people in this country that are having children, who are U.S. citizens and they go to our schools. They are driving in our streets without a driver’s license, which means they have no car insurance – which means all of us have to pay more in car insurance as a result. This is not good for us, it’s obviously not good for them, but it’s not good for us. What we have today is devastating and horrible for our economy. We can’t continue to have this, we have to fix this problem, and we have to fix it in a way that is fair to the people that have done it the right way, and fix it in a way that makes sure that this never ever happens again. And I believe that the bill we are working on does that. And I look forward to the input that my colleagues have.

“One more criticism I hear, ‘It’s being rushed through.’ That’s just not true. Just yesterday we voted on a series of amendments that I had less than twelve hours to review. And these amendments dealt with a fundamental right, the Second Amendment constitutional right. This bill has been online already for 48 hours. The Committee on Judiciary won’t even begin to consider amendments to this bill until next month. People are going to have three to four weeks to review it. It’s posted on my website, people can go on there now and see it. And beyond that, it will be available all these weeks, then it is going to go through an extensive committee process, then it will be brought here – hopefully to the floor – where we can debate it openly as well. Look, I am not claiming the bill is perfect – I am sure it can be improved. And I hope my 92 other colleagues will work hard to improve it, because we have an opportunity to do something important.

“My last point I address to many of my fellow Americans who share my deep commitment to upholding the Constitution of the United States, to limiting the size and scope of government, to encouraging the free enterprise system as the best way to create economic opportunity. America is a nation of immigrants, but both Republicans and Democrats have failed to enforce our immigration laws, and as a result we have millions of people here illegally. We are not going to deport them. So let’s secure the border, and let’s identify these people – let’s undergo a background check, get in the back of the line, pay a fine, pay taxes, no federal benefits. We all wish we didn’t have this problem, but leaving it the way it is, it’s amnesty. We have to solve this problem, and I hope we will.”

VIDEO: If you know either of these “suspects” in the Boston bombing call the FBI

The FBI released images on Thursday of two men they said that they would like to question in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings. If you know or know where to find either of these two individuals call 1-800-CALL-FBI:

“Today we are enlisting the public’s help to identify the two suspects,” said Richard DesLauriers, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I.’s Boston field office.

Videos and photographs of the men wanted for questioning were posted online at www.fbi.gov.

UPDATE:

The Washington Times reports:

One of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing is dead after the killing of a university officer and a shootout with police, and a massive manhunt is underway for the other, authorities said early Friday.

Residents of Watertown, a Boston suburb, have been advised by police to keep their doors locked and not let anyone in.

“We believe this to be a terrorist,” said Boston Police Commissioner Ed David. “We believe this to be a man who’s come here to kill people. We need to get him in custody.”

Read more.

Sen. Diaz de la Portilla preparing dual attack on Florida’s American Laws for American Courts legislation

Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla

Florida Family Association reports it, “Has learned from several sources that Republican Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla is planning two attacks to derail SB 58 Application of Foreign Law in Certain Cases.  Senator Diaz de la Portilla plans to offer a hostile amendment when the bill is heard in the Florida Senate Committee on Rules AND when the legislation is considered on the floor by the full senate.”

Senator Diaz de la Portilla pushed the same hostile amendment in the 2012 Florida Legislative Session.  The senator also voted against SB 58 during the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs meeting on April 8, 2013.  Senator Diaz de la Portilla is the only Florida Republican that has voted against the legislation which is intended to prohibit Florida courts from considering certain provisions of foreign laws including Islamic Sharia law.

Ahmed Bedier, former CAIR Tampa Executive Director who now heads The United Voices for America, sent an email dated April 12, 2013 to supporters, which praised their group’s influence on Senator Diaz de la Portilla’s vote “1. This week, Florida Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla became the first Republican lawmaker to vote against the bill. Which tells us our campaign, the emails, phone calls and lobbying, is making a difference.” 

Bedier defended former University of South Florida professor Sami Al Arian, who was indicted and pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to provide funding to the terrorist organization the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).  He also defended two University of South Florida students who were arrested for allegedly carrying explosives near the Goose Creek, S.C naval base.

FFC asks, “Is it possible the most ardent adversary of SB 58 in the Florida Legislature, Senator Diaz de la Portilla, is waging battle against Florida’s American Laws for American Courts legislation without communicating or corroborating with the most fervent Islamic activist and adversary of SB 58 in Florida, Ahmed Bedier?”

Bedier sits on the Tampa human rights council.

Here is an investigative video done by The United West on Bedier at the Muslim Capitol Day 2012:

Boston Saudi student being deported on “national security grounds”

Steve Emerson from the Investigative Project on Terrorism stated last night on Fox News that Saudi national and exchange student Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi “will be deported next week Tuesday on national security grounds”.

Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi is pictured above. He is the young man on the left with an arrow over his head. Note the young man on the right wearing an Anonymous mask. Sam Kharoba, President of the Florida based Counter Terrorist Operations Center notes, “Al-Harbi means the fighter or the warrior!”

Reuters reported President Obama met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal at the White House on Wednesday. The meeting was not on the President’s public schedule.

Photo of Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi during his stay in a Boston hospital, courtesy Saudi newspaper Okaz

Walid Shoebat reports:

After the bombings, a Saudi by the name of Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi was hospitalized and became a ‘suspect’, then a ‘person of interest’. His apartment was searched by federal and local authorities. No confirmation has been given so far to his involvement. The Media were quick to claim his innocence, of course.

Abdul Rahman Ali Al-Harbi with photo of father (upper left), courtesy of Walid Shoebat.

Perhaps a quick look at the Arabic sources should raise the eyebrows of every American relative to the extent of the problem at hand. Many from Al-Harbi’s clan are steeped in terrorism and are members of Al-Qaeda. Out of a list of 85 terrorists listed by the Saudi government shows several of Al-Harbi clan to have been active fighters in Al-Qaeda:

#15 Badr Saud Uwaid Al-Awufi Al-Harbi
#73 Muhammad Atiq Uwaid Al-Awufi Al-Harbi
#26 Khalid Salim Uwaid Al-Lahibi Al-Harbi
#29 Raed Abdullah Salem Al-Thahiri Al-Harbi
#43 Abdullah Abdul Rahman Muhammad Al-Harbi (leader)
#60 Fayez Ghuneim Humeid Al-Hijri Al-Harbi

Source: http://aalhameed1.net/vb/showthread.php?t=1565

Then you have Al-Harbi clan members in Gitmo:

Salim Salman Awadallah Al-Sai’di Al-Harbi
Majid Abdullah Hussein Al-Harbi
Muhammad Abdullah Saqr Al-Alawi Al-Harbi
Ghanem Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al-Harbi
Muhammad Atiq Uwaid Al-Awfi Al-Harbi

Source: http://www.muslm.net/vb/showthread.php?169019-أسماء-(90)-سعودياً-لا-زالوا-محتجزين-في-جوانتانامو

This story is developing and will updated as more information becomes available.

RELATED LOS ANGELES TIMES VIDEO REPORT ON TWO SUSPECTS IMAGES CAPTURED ON VIDEO AND PHOTOS:

Research shows school choice a “Win” for kids in Florida

Greg Forster, Ph.D., from the Friedman Foundation, in the report A Win-Win Solution states, “This report surveys the empirical research on school choice. It provides a thorough overview of what the research has found on five key topics: Academic outcomes of choice participants; Academic outcomes of public schools; Fiscal impact on taxpayers; Racial segregation in schools; [and] Civic values and practices.”

“The evidence points clearly in one direction. Opponents frequently claim school choice does not benefit participants, hurts public schools, costs taxpayers, facilitates segregation, and even undermines democracy. However, the empirical evidence consistently shows that choice improves academic outcomes for participants and public schools, saves taxpayer money, moves students into more integrated classrooms, and strengthens the shared civic values and practices essential to American democracy,” writes Dr. Forster.

The report found in Florida, “A 2003 study by Jay Greene and Greg Forster found that disabled students using Florida’s voucher program for children with special needs got better services and had better outcomes in private schools than those same students had received in public schools. This method is much better for purposes of measuring the impact of vouchers on those students. However, it limits the generalizability of the finding to others.”

The report notes:

Eleven empirical studies have been conducted on how two voucher programs and one tax-credit scholarship program in Florida have affected academic outcomes at public schools. All 11 unanimously find that choice has improved Florida public schools. One of these programs made all students at under performing schools eligible for vouchers, so researchers were able to measure the impact of vouchers in two ways: comparing performance at the same school before and after voucher eligibility, and comparing very similar schools that were just over or just under the threshold for voucher eligibility. [My emphasis]

Researchers also were able to measure the impact of “voucher threat” at low performing schools that were in danger of becoming eligible for vouchers. For the other two programs (a voucher program for students with special needs and a tax-credit scholarship program for low-income students) researchers used methods similar to those used in Milwaukee.

Dr. Forster wrote, “[N]ine studies of Florida’s voucher program targeting under performing schools show that it improved those schools simply by threatening them with vouchers. It is also worth noting that a number of studies have tracked the achievement of individual students rather than whole schools and still found that school choice improves outcomes for students who remain in public schools.”

Under Alternative Theories the report found:

Two alternative theories focus on voucher programs targeting under performing schools in Florida and Ohio. One speculates that these programs produce
a “stigma effect”—schools assigned failing grades by the state improve to remove the stigma of being labeled as failing, rather than responding to vouchers. But stigma cannot explain the positive findings for Milwaukee, Florida’s two other programs, or the century-old “town tuitioning” voucher systems in Maine and Vermont. Also, seven studies have used various methods to check for the possibility of a stigma effect. All found that vouchers had a positive impact independent of any stigma effect. (See Table 2)

“Fiscal analyses are not just conducted by academic social scientists; states conduct them for a variety of purposes. The first of two publicly available fiscal analyses of school choice programs conducted by a state was released in 2008 by Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. It found that Florida’s tax-credit scholarship program saved the state $39 million in fiscal year 2007-08 because reduced education costs were greater than foregone tax revenue by $1.49 per student,” notes the report.

Florida’s Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research produced the second state published fiscal analysis of a school choice program in 2012. The results of the analysis were published with only a sparse supporting narrative explaining the method, which limits the reader’s ability to assess its methodological quality. However, it is still worth noting. The office found that Florida’s tax-credit scholarship program was saving the state $23 million per year as of 2011-12. (See Table 3)

The report concludes, “Given the remarkably unanimous research on the impact of choice everywhere it is allowed to affect public schools, it is clear it is having a positive effect.”

Florida law to arm teachers advances

Florida Representative Greg Stube

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. 

Joe Saunders from BizPac Review reports:

Armed teachers could be on their way to Florida school campuses.

A bill to allow school principals  to designate school employees to carry concealed weapons for security passed the Florida House Judiciary Committee Tuesday to provide what its sponsor called a way to protect children from school violence when police aren’t able to.

“This is not something that’s a foreign concept to the defense of our children,” Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, told the committee.

Steube cited numerous other states that allow arms on campus, including Democratic bastions such as California and Hawaii.

The bill passed on a party-line vote, with Democrats opposing it after testimony from the Florida School Boards Association, the Florida Association of School Administrators, Florida PTA and other groups.

“This bill sends the wrong message … to our young people,” SBA Executive Director Wayne Blanton said. Allowing authority figures such as coaches, principals and teachers to be armed on school grounds would encourage students to want to be armed themselves,” he said.

Read more.

Below, you can find more information regarding HB 1097.

HB 1097

HB 1097 Press Release

Legislative Tracking System

The “Border Security, Economic Opportunity & Immigration Modernization Act of 2013” introduced

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today joined Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL),  Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) to introduce S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.” The bill’s introduction marks a first step toward achieving the strongest border security and enforcement measures in U.S. history, modernizing the legal immigration system to encourage economic growth and job creation, and ending today’s de facto amnesty by dealing with the undocumented immigrant population in a tough but fair way that is directly linked to achieving several security triggers.

The legislation can be read here. A one page summary of the bill is available here. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document is available here.

Following the bill’s introduction, Rubio issued the following statement:

“Our immigration system is broken, and the status quo of having 11 million undocumented people living under de facto amnesty will only continue if we do nothing to solve this problem. This bill marks the beginning of an important debate, and I believe it will fix our broken system by securing our borders, improving interior enforcement, modernizing our legal immigration to help create jobs and protect American workers, and dealing with our undocumented population in a tough but humane way that is fair to those trying to come here the right way and linked to achieving several security triggers.

“While I believe this legislation is a strong conservative effort that will accomplish all these things and tries to make the best of the imperfect reality we face, it’s not perfect. But I am also confident that an open and transparent process that welcomes public input is going to make it even better.

“This debate must engage the American people and every senator through open hearings, mark-ups and floor debate, as well as a robust, well-informed debate outside the walls of Congress through all the mediums available to us today. This kind of open debate will help the American people understand what’s in the bill, what it means for them and what it means for our future.

“I encourage people to read this bill and tell us what we can do to make it better. To ensure that immigration remains a source of America’s strength and exceptionalism, I invite Floridians and other interested parties to share their thoughts about it with me and submit ideas on ways we can improve it – through our websiteFacebook and Twitter pages.”

Rubio sends letter to Florida TEA Party Patriots

Senator Marco Rubio has been in the lead on “immigration reform”. The contents of the US Senate bill on immigration reform is still unknown. This has led many of his TEA party supporters to question his involvement in furthering such a bill. The pressure has caused him to respond.

J.R. Sanchez, Director of Outreach, emailed a letter signed by Senator Rubio to his Florida constituents. The letter states in part:

“Over the years, the Patriot movement and l have worked together on many causes and I want to respond personally to correct some misinformation regarding my involvement in the work to reform our country’s broken immigration system – misinformation that has prompted visits by some of you to my offices across Florida and in Washington.

First, there is absolutely no truth to the idea that l will support any immigration legislation that is rushed through Congress in typical Washington fashion. Already, l have fought and continue to tight to secure commitments for greater transparency through committee hearings and mark-up sessions that will allow senators on the Judiciary Committee ample opportunities to review and amend any immigration legislation before it is considered by the full Senate for additional debate and scrutiny. As a result, not only has the Judiciary Committee agreed to delay its first hearing, on this issue, it has agreed to add an additional one next week.

l will not relent from the ongoing fight to ensure the American people’s voices are heard before any votes are cast on this important government reform, but one fact is true: no bill will be rushed through the Senate as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.”

Senator Rubio states his goals are “simply”:

l. I want to participate in the debate and help influence any immigration reform legislation in order to ensure that common sense limited government principles are applied.

2. I will not support anything that makes our immigration system worse, that does not truly and illegitimately secure our borders, or that leads to further immigration in the future.

WDW will continue to monitor and inform our readers on the progress of this bill and its impact on the state of Florida.

Tax Collector answers questions about taxes in Florida

Barbara Ford-Coates

April is National Tax Burden Month. WDW – Florida has asked a tax collector to answer some questions about taxes in Florida. We want to thank Barbara Ford-Coates, Florida Tax Collector serving Sarasota County, for providing answers to our tax questions. Since property taxes comprise the largest dollar amount collected, the below answers from Barbara Ford-Coates address those taxes.

1. What kind of role do you play in shaping or implementing Florida’s tax policy?

The Florida Legislature has the primary responsibility for the state’s tax policy. The Tax Collector’s role is to advise the State on the most efficient way to implement the final law. [E.G.  Florida Tax Collectors recently worked to give taxpayers the option of receiving their tax bill(s) electronically.]

2. What are some of the most common misconceptions citizens have about Florida state taxes?  What are some of the most common mistakes you see citizens make when filing their tax returns?

One misconception we hear about relates to the time period. Since Florida taxes are collected in arrears, taxpayers sometimes believe they are paying the following year’s taxes. As an example, the 2012 tax bills were mailed around November 1st of 2012 and were payable through March of 2013.   A taxpayer who paid the bill in March of 2013 may have thought they were paying the 2013, rather than 2012 tax bill. The most common mistake we see is sending the wrong amount.

3.  How do incentives work? Credits? Sales tax holidays? Do you think these help Florida?

Tax collectors have no involvement in incentives, credits or sales tax holidays.

4.  How can we make Florida’s tax code simpler and more citizen-friendly? What changes would you suggest?

I think the concept of a locally elected official (Tax Collector, Property Appraiser etc.) working to implement State tax laws provides the best opportunity for citizen-friendly administration.  As an elected official, I have both a duty to the state and the taxpayer. As such, I must always work to make paying taxes as simple and easy as possible for the taxpayer.  In that role I can and do advise the state how to improve the process.

5.  Is your agency doing all it can to collect the taxes it is owed?  What is the consequence for not paying Florida taxes on time?

Within a year of receiving the property tax roll from the Property Appraiser and the non-ad valorem districts, we collect over 99.5% of the roll. Of the remaining unpaid taxes, we continue our focused efforts (selling tax certificates, field visits) to collect the rest.

Failure to pay real estate taxes on time results in additional costs to the taxpayer. If the taxes remain unpaid two years after the date of delinquency, the taxpayer is at risk of losing their property. Delinquent real estate taxes are primarily collected through the sale of tax certificates (tax liens) to investors who pay the tax in exchange for having a lien on the property. Unpaid tangible taxes also result in additional penalties and interest to the taxpayer.  Delinquencies are collected through a variety of enforcement efforts that include the issuance of warrants, field visits, contacts by phone, email and correspondence, and the sale and seizure of assets.

The state agency that deals most with Florida taxes is the Department of Revenue.

WDW- Florida provided James McAdams, Director Property Tax Oversight, these same questions. Director McAdams provided this reply, “Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your article about tax administration. Since the Department of Revenue does not play a role in the development of tax policy your invitation would be more properly directed to members or staff of the Florida Legislature.”

A copy of this column has been sent to Governor Rick Scott, the Florida Cabinet and all Florida legislators.

Rubio calls out rapper Jay-Z: He needs to educate himself (+ video)

The President, Department of State and Congress are wasting millions trying to expalin how Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce were given permission to visit Cuba, which violated the Cuban Democracy Act. Not to mention the money spent by the US government on setting up the trip. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has been most outspoken about the trip calling it “hypocritical”.

Tom Tillison from BizPac Review writes:

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, got involved in the story when he asked the Obama administration to explain how the trip was approved by the Treasury Department as a “cultural” visit, and now, in response to comments Jay-Z made upon returning to the United States, the junior senator from Florida weighs in again to say Jay-Z needs to get informed.

Jay-Z needs to get informed,” Rubio said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” as reported by Politico.

“One of his heroes is Che Guevara,” Rubio continued. “Che Guevara was a racist. Che Guevara was a racist that wrote extensively about the superiority of white Europeans over people of African descent, so he should inform himself on the guy that he’s propping up.”

Read more.

On October 9th, 1967, Ernesto “Che” Guevara was put to death by Bolivian soldiers, trained, equipped and guided by U.S. Green Berets from the 7th Special Forces Group and CIA operatives. His execution remains a historic and controversial event; and forty six years later, the circumstances of his guerrilla foray into Bolivia, his capture, killing, and burial are still the subject of intense public interest and discussion around the world.

The rapper Pitbull has weighed in with this song titled “Cuba”:

Below are related declassified documents from the period dealing with Guevara. They are provided so you and Jay Z may educate yourselves on this racist who murdered many of his own countrymen, women and children:

 CIA, The Fall of Che Guevara and the Changing Face of the Cuban RevolutionOctober 18, 1965

This intelligence memorandum, written by a young CIA analyst, Brian Latell, presents an assessment that Guevara’s preeminence as a leader of the Cuban revolution has waned, and his internal and international policies have been abandoned. In domestic policy, his economic strategy of rapid industrialization has “brought the economy to its lowest point since Castro came to power,” the paper argues. In foreign policy, he “never wavered from his firm revolutionary stand, even as other Cuban leaders began to devote most of their attention to the internal problems of the revolution.” With Guevara no longer in Cuba, the CIA’s assessment concludes, “there is no doubt that Castro’s more cautious position on exporting revolution, as well as his different economic approach, led to Che’s downfall.”

 U.S. Army, Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Activation, Organization and Training of the 2d Battalion – Bolivian Army, April 28, 1967

This memorandum of understanding, written by the head of the U.S. MILGP (Military Group) in Bolivia and signed by the commander of the Bolivian armed forces, created the Second Ranger Battalion to pursue Che Guevara’s guerrilla band. The agreement specifies the mission of a sixteen-member Green Beret team of U.S. special forces, drawn from the 8th Special Forces division of the U.S. Army Forces at Southcom in Panama, to “produce a rapid reaction force capable of counterinsurgency operations and skilled to the degree that four months of intensive training can be absorbed by the personnel presented by the Bolivian Armed Forces.” In October, the 2nd Battalion, aided by U.S. military and CIA personnel, did engage and capture Che Guevara’s small band of rebels.

 White House Memorandum, May 11, 1967

This short memo to President Lyndon Johnson records U.S. efforts to track Guevara’s movements, and keep the President informed of his whereabouts. Written by presidential advisor, Walt Rostow, the memo reports that Guevara may be “operational” and not dead as the CIA apparently believed after his disappearance from Cuba.

 CIA, Intelligence Information Cable, October 17, 1967

This CIA cable summarizes intelligence, gathered from September 1966 through June 1967, on the disagreement between the Soviet Union and Cuba over Che Guevara’s mission to Bolivia. The cable provides specific information on Leonid Brezhnev’s objections to “the dispatch of Ernesto Che Guevara to Bolivia” and Brezhnev’s decision to send the Soviet Premier Aleksey Kosygin’s visit to Cuba in June, 1967 to discuss the Kremlin’s opposition with Castro. CIA sources reported that Kosygin accused Castro of “harming the communist cause through his sponsorship of guerrilla activity…and through providing support to various anti-government groups, which although they claimed to be ‘socialist’ or communist, were engaged in disputes with the ‘legitimate’ Latin American communist parties…favored by the USSR.” In replying Castro stated that Cuba would support the “right of every Latin American to contribute to the liberation of his country.” Castro also “accused the USSR of having turned its back upon its own revolutionary tradition and of having moved to a point where it would refuse to support any revolutionary movement unless the actions of the latter contributed to the achievement of Soviet objectives….”

 White House Memorandum, October 9, 1967

Walt Rostow reports in this memorandum to President Johnson that unconfirmed information suggests that the Bolivian battalion–“the one we have been training”–“got Che Guevara.”

 White House MemorandumOctober 10, 1967

In a short update to Walt Rostow, William Bowdler reports there is still uncertainty about whether Che Guevara was “among the casualties of the October 8 engagement.”

 White House Memorandum, October 11, 1967

In another daily update, Walt Rostow reports to President Johnson that “we are 99% sure that ‘Che’ Guevara is dead.” Rostow believes the decision to execute Guevara “is stupid,” but he also points out his death “shows the soundness of our ‘preventive medicine’ assistance to countries facing incipient insurgency–it was the Bolivian 2nd Ranger Battalion, trained by our Green Berets from June-September of this year, that cornered him and got him.”

 White House MemorandumOctober 13, 1967

In a final update, Walt Rostow informs Lyndon Johnson that the White House has intelligence information–still censored–that “removes any doubt that ‘Che’ Guevara is dead.”

CIA Debriefing of Félix Rodríguez, June 3, 1975

When Che Guevara was executed in La Higuera, one CIA official was present–a Cuban-American operative named Félix Rodríguez. Rodríguez, who used the codename “Félix Ramos” in Bolivia and posed as a Bolivian military officer, was secretly debriefed on his role by the CIA’s office of the Inspector General in June, 1975. (At the time the CIA was the focus of a major Congressional investigation into its assassination operations against foreign leaders.) In this debriefing–discovered in a declassified file marked ‘Félix Rodríguez’ by journalist David Corn–Rodríguez recounts the details of his mission to Bolivia where the CIA sent him, and another Cuban-American agent, Gustavo Villoldo, to assist the capture of Guevara and destruction of his guerrilla band. Rodríguez and Villoldo became part of a CIA task force in Bolivia that included the case officer for the operation, “Jim”, another Cuban American, Mario Osiris Riveron, and two agents in charge of communications in Santa Clara. Rodríguez emerged as the most important member of the group; after a lengthy interrogation of one captured guerrilla, he was instrumental in focusing the efforts to the 2nd Ranger Battalion focus on the Villagrande region where he believed Guevara’s rebels were operating. Although he apparently was under CIA instructions to “do everything possible to keep him alive,” Rodríguez transmitted the order to execute Guevara from the Bolivian High Command to the soldiers at La Higueras–he also directed them not to shoot Guevara in the face so that his wounds would appear to be combat-related–and personally informed Che that he would be killed. After the execution, Rodríguez took Che’s Rolex watch, often proudly showing it to reporters during the ensuing years.

 State Department CableOfficial Confirmation of Death of Che GuevaraOctober 18, 1967

Ten days after his capture, U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, Douglas Henderson, transmitted confirmation of Guevara’s death to Washington. The evidence included autopsy reports, and fingerprint analysis conducted by Argentine police officials on Che’s amputated hands. (Che’s hands were cut off to provide proof that he was actually dead; under the supervision of CIA agent Gustavo Villoldo, his body was then secretly buried by at a desolate airstrip at Villagrande where it was only discovered in June 1997.) The various death documents, notes Ambassador Henderson, leave “unsaid the time of death”–“an attempt to bridge the difference between a series of earlier divergent statements from Armed Forces sources, ranging from assertions that he died during or shortly after battle to those suggesting he survived at least twenty-four hours.”

Southern Command, Activities of the 2nd Ranger Battalion and Death of Che Guevara

The U.S. Special Forces Group, which trained the Bolivan military units that captured Che Guevara, conducted an extensive debriefing of members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion. This report, based on interviews by a member of the U.S. Mobile Training Team in Bolivia with key Bolivian commanders, documents the military movements, and engagement with Che Guevara’s guerrilla band. The sources also provide key details and descriptions of his capture, interrogation and execution, although it makes no mention of the CIA official, Félix Rodríguez, who was present. Guevara’s last words to the soldier who shot him are reported as: “Know this now, you are killing a man.”

 Department of State, Guevara’s Death–The Meaning for Latin America, October 12, 1967

In this interpretive report for Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Thomas Hughes, the Latin America specialist at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, summarizes the importance of “the defeat of the foremost tactician of the Cuban revolutionary strategy.” The analyst predicts that Guevara “will be eulogized as the model revolutionary who met a heroic death.” The circumstances of his failure in Bolivia, however, will strengthen the position of “peaceful line” communist party groups in the Hemisphere. Castro, he argues, will be subject to “we told you so” criticism from older leftist parties, but his “spell on the more youthful elements in the hemisphere will not be broken.” The analysis fails to incorporate evidence of the disagreement between Castro and Guevara on the prospects for revolution in Latin America, or the Soviet pressure on Cuba to reduce support for insurgent movements in the Hemisphere.

 CIA, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Fidel Castro Delivers Eulogy on Che Guevara, October 19, 1967

On October 18, 1967, the third day of national mourning, Fidel Castro delivered a eulogy to a crowd of almost one million at the Plaza de La Revolución in Havana. The next day, the speech is transcribed and distributed by FBIS, a CIA transcription agency that records, and translates news and television from around the world. Calling Guevara “an artist of revolutionary warfare,” Castro warns that “they who sing victory” over his death–a reference to the U.S.–” are mistaken. They are mistaken who believe that his death is the defeat of his ideas, the defeat of his tactics, the defeat of his guerrilla concepts.” This speech contributes immeasurably to the making of the revolutionary icon that Che Guevara became in the ensuing years. “If we want to know how we want our children to be,” Castro concludes, “we should say, with all our revolutionary mind and heart: We want them to be like Che.”

Behind the Green Mask (+ video)

The speaker in the below video  is Rosa Koire, the author of “Behind the Green Mask” which explains what Agenda 21 really is. Rosa Koire is a Democrat speaking before a group of Tea Party Members.

Koire states, “UN Agenda 21 doesn’t discriminate based on Political Affiliation, Race, Sexuality, Creedo or whatever. Agenda 21 is about the Extermination of Mankind and Ultimate Control for those that are left. Those in power know that they cannot follow through on their plans unless Liberty, Money and Property are taken away. This is in their own literature and UN Agenda 21 DEMANDS Zero Economic Growth.”

In the video Koire states:

“Agenda 21 is about World Dominance and nothing else. The Wars, Attack of Christians, Attack of God & Religion, Chem-trails  Economic and Monetary Collapse, Government Corruption, Carbon Taxes, Gun Control, CORPORATE Owned Media, UFO Sham, Erosion of Rights, Lies About Global Warming, Lies About Overpopulation, Perversion of Societal Values, Dumbing Down, Drugs, Substandard K-12 Education, Monsanto, are all a result of the Mandates set forth by U.N. Agenda 21.

At the Rio 2012 Summit on UN Agenda 21, it was stated that “Governments should invest their transportation money on Public Transportation because roadways only largely benefit those that own vehicles”. Really? I thought Roadways benefited the Economy and Society as a Whole. Roadways get us to and from work, to grocery stores, to the bank, to restaurants, to shopping malls. Roadways transport our food and things we need. The UN intends to Impede our Right to Travel and Pursuit of Happiness.

As far as the Middle East Wars go, Reagan demonstrated that war is unnecessary. When Khadaffi was openly threatening us, Reagan bombed his house and we didn’t hear much from him after that. The other middle east countries quickly fell in line and repaired their relations with us. With the technology we have today, and that includes Intelligence, Satellite, SDI, Drones and DEWS, we could take out the hostile leaders of these countries without having to go to war.

How did it come to this? It all started with the Fabian Society and the Act of 1871, where Congress created the DC Corporation & created a new Constitution, then the FEDERAL US GOVERNMENT became a Corporation. As the largest Corporate Conglomerate on the planet, the US GOVERNMENT owns majority shares in ALL of THE Fortune 500 Companies and their CAFR reports prove this (See the channel belonging to Corporation Nation “Dear Matt Damon” videos). The Act of 1871 was not only Unconstitutional, but is INVALID. The FED GOVERNMENT we have today is the de Facto, or Shadow Government. But, we cannot do anything about that now but we can put a halt to the Ultimate Goal, which is this Evil Agenda and then begin to put this Great Country of ours back together and reverse the treasonous legislation. We must also OUST anyone who showed any inkling of support for UN Agenda 21. UN Agenda 21 has been in the works for decades, now, and is the primary reason for the corruption & depravity we see everywhere today at all levels.

Don’t let yourselves be fooled – everything else is a smokescreen to keep your attention away from Agenda 21. Once Agenda 21 becomes fully implemented, all hope is lost. Get the information out to your neighbors, home owners, business owners. Chances are, they have never heard of UN Agenda 21. Since Agenda 21 is implemented Locally, once the people are mobilized, they can take the issue to their City Council and County and put a halt to all policies, monies and ties to UN Agenda 21 and ICLEI.

We cannot change the past but we can affect tomorrow by the actions we take Today.”

www.democratsagainstunagenda21.com

Fair Use: This video is posted for educational purposes only.

HuB Sarasota asks: Do you Y.O.V.O.? Well you should!

The HuB located in Sarasota, FL has launched a new Vote Sarasota website. The website is unique in that it allows those who sign up to become “virtual volunteers” in any local election.

Here is the video introducing Vote Sarasota:

The City of Sarasota will hold elections for two city commission seats on May 14th. What data shows is off cycle elections suppress the vote. Getting out voters is difficult as they tend to miss key elections like this one. City government can and in many cases does have a greater impact on local taxpayers and businesses than what happens in Washington, D.C.

So what is Y.O.V.O.? Y.O.V.O stands for You Only Vote Once. According to the Vote Sarasota website:

We created this website to motivate residents to vote in City elections in Sarasota on May 14th. Our voter turnout is 17% in City elections (versus 75% in November elections). Joining Y.O.V.O. is simple. You register on our website, and then you can search for friends or neighbors and remind them to vote via email.

Also, we have opened up our entire platform for anyone to build an application to help get out the vote. View our OPEN API.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did you get the data?

The Supervisor of Elections office provides Voter data to anyone who requests. We built this website to make it easy for anyone to search and use this data to improve voter turnout.

Why should I take the time to look-up friends and remind them via email?

It is important to us and the City for everyone to vote. Unfortunately, with an off-cycle election most people simply forget to vote. A reminder from a friend or neighbor can improve voter turnout drastically.

Why do we need to email them, why not call them?

Unfortunately calling people is difficult, and most people don’t want to make the calls and they certainly don’t want to receive them. We also don’t want to just have random people calling people asking for their vote. It has proven ineffective. The only option left is to have volunteers contact people they KNOW and send them a nice email reminding them to vote.

This application has great potential. According to the developers they plan on making it commercially available to others. This is the new wave of GOTV. No more annoying robo calls and people knocking on your door. Just sign up, point and click to become a virtual volunteer.  It is that easy.

To learn more visit The HuB Sarasota.