Rubio Votes Against Fiscal Cliff Deal

/in , , /by

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today issued the following statement after voting against the so-called deal to avert the fiscal cliff by imposing job-killing taxes and failing to solve America’s long term debt problem:

“I appreciate all the hard word that went into avoiding the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’. I especially commend Senator McConnell’s efforts to make the best out of a bad situation. Nevertheless, I cannot support the arrangement they have arrived at. Rapid economic growth and spending reforms are the only way out of the real fiscal cliff our nation is facing. But rapid economic growth and job creation will be made more difficult under the deal reached here in Washington.

“Thousands of small businesses, not just the wealthy, will now be forced to decide how they’ll pay this new tax and, chances are, they’ll do it by firing employees, cutting back their hours and benefits, or postponing the new hire they were looking to make. And to make matters worse, it does nothing to bring our dangerous debt under control.

“Of course, many Americans will be relieved in the short term that their taxes won’t go up. However in the long run, they will be hurt when employers pass on to them one of the largest tax hikes in decades. Furthermore, this deal just postpones the inevitable, the need to solve our growing debt crisis and help the 23 million Americans who can’t find the work they need.”

Report: Hillary Injured While on Secret Mission to Iran?

/in , , /by

The European Union Times is reporting:

A new Foreign Military Intelligence (GRU) report circulating in the Kremlin today is saying that United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was injured, and a top US Navy Seal Commander killed when their C-12 Huron military passenger and transport aircraft crash landed nearly 3 weeks ago in the Iranian city of Ahvaz near the Iraqi border.

Iranian intelligence agents quoted in this GRU report confirm that the C-12 Huron aircraft is still in their possession in Ahvaz, but will only admit that the plane was “forced to land because of technical problems”.

Read the full report by clicking here.

Florida Veterans Oppose Kerry for Secretary of State

/in , , /by

Art Moore from WorldNetDaily reports, “The first documentary evidence that Vietnamese communists were directly steering John Kerry’s group Vietnam Veterans Against the War has been discovered in a U.S. archive, according to a researcher who spoke with WorldNetDaily.”

Jerome Corsi, a specialist on the Vietnam era, told WND the new discoveries are the “most remarkable documents I’ve seen in the entire history of the antiwar movement.”

“We’re not going to say he’s an agent for Vietnamese communists, but it’s the next thing to it,” he said. “Whether he was consciously carrying out their direction or naively doing what they wanted, it amounted to the same thing – he advanced their cause.”

Watchdog Wire received numerous emails from veterans and concerned citizens about the nomination of Senator John Kerry for Secretary of State. The following is one sent by Colonel Harry Riley, U.S. Army (Ret.) from Crestview, Florida:

TO: U.S. Senate Republicans

SUBJECT: Deny Senator John Kerry Secretary of State Nomination

Are there any patriots left in the United States Senate? If so read the following:

Constitutional Amendment XIV, Section 3:

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer on the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, To support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability”.

Senator John Kerry should not be serving as a Senator let alone rubbing insult to injury toward the United States Constitution.

Senator John Kerry, having given aid and comfort to the enemy during the Vietnam war is rejected by the United States Constitution from serving as United States Secretary of State.

It is the responsibility of the United States Senate to deny, reject, and declare Senator John Kerry as constitutional ineligible to serve as United States Secretary of State.

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret.

Jane Fonda on visit to Hanoi, North Vietnam

There are two names that evoke anger with Vietnam veterans – Jane Fonda and John Kerry. The Vietnam War was a watershed and divided the nation. Questions remain to this day about the influence of Communist elements in the anti-war movement. Jane Fonda went to Hanoi, North Vietnam in July 1972 and posed with NVA soldiers manning an anti-aircraft weapon emplacement.

Fonda made several radio broadcasts for the Communist North Vietnamese in which she called American military leaders “war criminals,” then when some of the POWs returned home and described mistreatment by the North Vietnamese, she said Americans should “… not hail the POWs as heroes, because they are hypocrites and liars.” From that day on she is known as “Hanoi” Jane.

John Kerry’s past associations with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and the Winter Soldier Investigation remain problematic.

Opponents are bringing up Kerry’s past decisions to support totalitarian governments like the North Vietnamese and more recently Syria’s Assad. The Senate hearings will be most interesting and watched by many veterans, some of whom consider Kerry a traitor.

Kerry’s nomination is likened by some to “opening an old war wound”.

RELATED COLUMNS:

John Kerry at State: A Disaster for Israel

The MEMRI Top 10 Clips from Arab and Iranian TV

/in , /by

The MEMRI TV Project maintains the world’s largest archives of footage translated from Arab and Iranian television. This project has so far produced over 3,600 translated clips – the largest such archives in the world.  MEMRI TV is viewed in 195 countries around the world, and monitors over 100 channels from Iran and the Arab world.

The Top 10 Clips

  1. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3374
    Director of London-Based Institute of Islamic Political Thought Azzam Al-Tamimi Advises Arab TV Channels to Be Careful about Using the Term “Jews” and Denying the Holocaust because MEMRI Is Lying in Wait
    Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas/Gaza) – March 15, 2012
  2. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3446
    Saudi Woman To Members of the Religious Police Who Harass Her for Wearing Nail Polish: This Is None of Your Business, I Am a Free Woman and Will Expose You on Twitter and Facebook
    The Internet – May 23, 2012
  3. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3517
    Hizbullah’s Al-Manar TV after Google and Apple Banned Its Apps: We Will Find Other Ways to Deliver “Message of Resistance”
    Al-Manar TV (Lebanon) – August 2, 2012
  4. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3614
    Egyptian President Morsi Joins Preacher in Prayer for Dispersal of the Jews
    Channel 1 (Egypt) – October 19, 2012
  5. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3325
    Saudi Scholar ‘Aql Al-Bahili: “The Freedom Enjoyed in the West is a Hundred Times Better than in Islamic Countries”
    Daleel TV (Saudi Arabia) – February 3, 2012
  6. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3578
    Benghazi Friday Sermon Preacher, in Wake of Killing of US Ambassador, Calls to “Detonate Our Wrath upon Them” and “Stab Them in Their Main Artery” – the Economy
    Libya Al-Hurra TV (Libya) – September 14, 2012
  7. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3573
    Hizbullah TV Honors French Holocaust Denier Roger Garaudy in Ceremony for Outstanding Students
    Al-Manar TV (Lebanon) – August 29, 2012
  8. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3631
    Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Munajid: Hurricane Sandy Is Allah’s Punishment for Afghanistan and Iraq
    Al-Nas TV (Egypt) – November 1, 2012
  9. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3584
    IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Hajizadeh: An Attack on Iran Will Lead to World War III; We Will Attack US Bases
    Al-Alam TV (Iran) – September 23, 2012
  10. MEMRI TV Clip No. 3674
    Pakistani Model and Actress Veena Malik in Support of Gay Rights
    The Internet, Geo News (Pakistan) – October 14, 2012

 To donate to MEMRI please click here.

 

What is good for the goose is good for the gander?

/in , /by

After the White Plains Journal-News posted a list of gun owners, the personal information of the Publisher, Editor and staff is circulating on the internet. WDW has tried to contact staff for a statement on this turn of events. For example, the following is posted on the For What its Worth blog:

Reader “Jeff” sends along a link to the latest article in the White Plains tabloid, Journal-News, reporting on the hornets nest occasioned by their publication of an interactive map showing the identity and address of all registered gun owners in Westchester County and surrounding areas.

Cyndee Royle

Editor Cyndee Royle (pictured right) defends her decision and in fact sounds quite smug about it. Her paper is apparently still trying to obtain, and publish, information on how many guns, and their type, are registered to each owner, presumably to make shopping easier for gun thieves. Nothing more disappointing than getting a Remington 870 when you’ve been hoping for a Ruger Mini Thirty.

Let’s keep those cards and letters (and telephone calls, of course) coming.

EDITOR: 

Miss Royle’s married name is Lambert. She lives in White Plains and here is her Facebook page complete with pictures of her and her kids. Hello Sanctimony.
http://www.facebook.com/CynDeeRoyle

Cynthia R. Lambert
17 Mcbride Ave
White Plains, NY 10603

Work: 914-694-5001

croyle@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/croyle1
https://www.facebook.com/cyndee.royle.7
https://www.facebook.com/CynDeeRoyle
Drives a red convertible:http://s13.postimage.org/k8ffnxuo7/cyndee_royle_aka_cynthia_lambert_red_convertible.jpg
Family photo: http://s7.postimage.org/dkqtytvyj/cyndee_royle_aka_cynthia_lambert_fb_alt_private.jpg

Publisher – Janet Hasson

3 Gate House Lane, Mamaroneck NY, 10543

@janhasson on twitter

(914) 694-5204

Reporter – Dwight R. Worley

23006 139 Ave

Springfield Gardens, NY 11413

(718) 527-0832

The “Visual Editor” responsible for the map itself is:

Robert F. Rodriguez

(w) Stephanie Azzarone
Home (212) 222-4566
420 Riverside Dr, Apt 7A
New York, NY 10025-7748

GANNET CEO:

Gracia C Martore 728 Springvale Rd Great Falls, VA 22066 (703) 759-5954

STAFF MEMBERS:

–(Junior Editor) Nancy Cutler 9 Woodwind Ln, Spring Valley, NY. (845) 354 3485

Barbara Livingstone Nackman a Reporter on the municipal beat can be found here:
Barbara L Nackman
279 Farrington Ave
Tarrytown, NY 10591

(914) 332-5185

Swapna Venugopal Also a Reporter and can be found on
http://www.facebook.com/swapna.venugopal.14
306 Quaker Rd
Chappaqua, NY 10514

(914) 238-4607

Mike Risinit
Michael J Risinit
http://www.facebook.com/michael.risinit/info
42 Robinson Ln
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 (845) 454-2278

Seth Harrison
http://www.facebook.com/seth.harrison.391
107 Valleyview Rd
Irvington, NY 10533

(914) 231-5411

OTHER STAFF

Albert Conte
Photo reprints
Work: 914-696-8401
aconte@lohud.com

Anjanette Delgado
Community Conversation (Forums, Blogs, Social Media)
Work: 914-694-5072
adelgado@lohud.com

Brian Howard
Social Media Editor at The Journal News
bhoward@lohud.com
Work: 914-666-6177
https://www.facebook.com/HowardBrianJ

Carrie Yale
Visuals Director at The Journal News
Photography (Days)
cyale@lohud.com
Work: 914-694-5092
https://twitter.com/carrieyale
https://www.facebook.com/carrie.yale.7

Caryn McBride
Print and digital news editor, award-winning journalist
Editor at The Journal News
Westchester County, NY
Work: 845-578-2434
camcbride@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/RocklandEditor
https://www.facebook.com/CarynAMcBride

Cathey O’Donnell
Journal News reporter in NY covering Westchester, Rockland and Putnam
White Plains http://loud.com
Investigative Reporter at The Journal News
https://twitter.com/catheyodonnell
https://www.facebook.com/cathey.odonnell.7

Chris Brown
Graphics Artist at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/chris.brown.108

Chris Gaughan
Works at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/cgaughan1

Dan Donovan
Comics, crosswords, Jumble, Sudoku, movie clock
Work: 914-694-5309
djdonova@lohud.com

David McKay Wilson
@davidmckay415
Columnist at The Journal News, freelance journalist, cycling advocate
Mahopac, NY
https://twitter.com/davidmckay415
https://www.facebook.com/davidmckaywilson

Ed Cummins
News Editor at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/ed.cummins.54

Ed Forbes
Digital Team/Homepage
“Ed Forbes, a @StLawrenceU and @columbiajourn alum, is the Digital Editor at The Journal News and LoHud.com. Westchester resident, N.J. native, Ad’k expat.”
Lives in Mount Kisco, New York
From Randolph, New Jersey
Columbia, St. Lawrence
Work: 914-696-8488
eforbes@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/edforbes
https://www.facebook.com/ed.forbes

Gary McGriff
Works at The Journal News
https://www.facebook.com/gary.mcgriff

George Troyano
Vice President Sales & Marketing at Journal News Media-Gannett
Studied Marketing at Drexel University
Work: 914-694-5157
gtroyano@lohud.com
https://www.facebook.com/george.troyano

Heather Salerno
New York-based journalist, wife and mom
Works at Feature writer for the Journal News
Studied at Georgetown University
https://twitter.com/heather_salerno
https://www.facebook.com/heather.salerno.7

Herb Pinder
Community Conversation / Opinion Page editor at The Journal News and LoHud.com
Westchester
Work: 914-694-5031
hpinder@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/herbpinderNY

James Kwasnik
Online Director at The Journal News, Technology/Analytics Editor
Work: 914-694-5172
jkwasnik@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/schmooze
https://www.facebook.com/jameskwasnik

Jill Mercadante
Multimedia/Marketing Editor at The Journal News
https://twitter.com/tumbling_after
https://www.facebook.com/jill.mercadante

Joe McDonald
Local News, Local Content Editor
Work: 914-694-5099
jmcdona@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/joemcd1973

Karen Croke
LoHud Weekend
Work: 914-696-8267
kcroke1@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/KarenCroke
https://twitter.com/livinghereNY
“Yolo!”

Kathy Moore
Local Content Editor
Work: 914-694-3523
kjmoore@lohud.com

Ken Valenti
“I’m a transportation reporter for The Journal News/lohud.com”
White Plains, Westchester, NY
https://twitter.com/lohudgoing
https://twitter.com/NewRoKen
https://www.facebook.com/ken.valenti

Linda Lombroso
Features Writer at The Journal News
https://twitter.com/LindaLombroso
https://www.facebook.com/lindalombroso

Leah Rae
Journalist in Westchester County, N.Y., following local news, immigration trends, and cool maps.
https://twitter.com/LeahRaeNY
https://www.facebook.com/leah.rae.33

Lee Higgins
Breaking news reporter for http://lohud.com
lhiggins2@lohud.com
Work: 914-696-8570
https://twitter.com/LeeHiggins

Liz Johnson
Food editor at The Journal News and LoHud.com in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. Eater, drinker, gardener.
Lower Hudson Valley
Work: 914-694-5075
ewjohnson@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/small_bites
https://www.facebook.com/sourcherryfarm

Mary Dolan
Deputy Managing Editor, Features editor The Journal News/LoHud.com
White Plains
Work: 914-694-5230
mdolan@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/featuresed

Mike Meaney
Morning breaking news
Work: 914-696-8565
mmeaney@lohud.com

Nancy Cutler
Opinion editor, Rockland, The Journal News/LoHud.com
Rockland County, NY
Work: 845-578-2403
ncutler@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/nancyrockland

Nights, weekends, holidays and news tips: 914-694-5077

Phil Reisman
Columnist for The Journal News/Lohud.com
Westchester, NY
https://twitter.com/philreisman
https://www.facebook.com/phil.reisman

Robert F. Rodriguez
Visuals Editor / Photo Editor at The Journal News
Photography, Nights
Studied at NYU
Lives in New York, New York
Married to Stephanie Azzarone
Work: 914-694-5092
rrodrigu@lohud.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1522994678

Sean Mayer
Sports and Operations Editor for the Journal News Media Group.
Studied at Binghamton University
Married to Randi Kravetsky-Mayer
From Monroe, New York
smayer@lohud.com
Work: 914-696-8527
https://twitter.com/scoopmayer35
https://www.facebook.com/sean.mayer

Swapna Venugopal
Reporter, The Journal News at Gannett
Staff Writer,The Journal News/LoHud.com.
Write about politics, development issues and life in Westchester County, New York
Studied at New York University
Lives in Chappaqua, New York
From Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Work: 914-696-8229
svenugop@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/SwapnaVenugopal
https://www.facebook.com/swapna.venugopal.14

Thane Grauel
Local Editor Rockland/Digital Editor at The Journal News
Norwalk, Conn
https://twitter.com/thaneg
https://www.facebook.com/swapna.venugopal.14

Theresa Juva-Brown
Reporter at The Journal News
“Transportation/TZB reporter for The Journal News/LoHud.com. Reach me at tjuva@lohud.comwith tips/story ideas. I love hearing from readers/riders/drivers.”
White Plains, NY
Studied at Syracuse University
From Queens, New York
tjuva@lohud.com
https://twitter.com/TJuva
https://www.facebook.com/theresa.juvabrown

Contact Us

The Journal News and LoHud.com

Main Office:
The Journal News
1133 Westchester Ave.
Suite N110
White Plains, NY 10604

Main phone number: 914-694-9300
Report breaking news: 914-694-5077
E-mail breaking news: metro@lohud.com
Lobby Hours:
Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. – open for visitors
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Home Delivery Operations Manager: John Czarnecki, 914-696-8540, jczarnec@lohud.com
Director/Circulation Operations: Elaine Kirsch, 914-696-8511, ekirsch@lohud.com
Single Copy Manager: Mauro Ferrotta, 914-694-5233, mferrott@lohud.com

News Managers:

Sound Shore: Liz Anderson, 914-696-8538, ecanders@lohud.com
White Plains: Scott Faubel, 914-696-8569, sfaubel@lohud.com
Northern Westchester: Robert Brum, 914-666-6579, rbrum@lohud.com
Yorktown-Cortlandt: Robert Brum, 914-666-6579, rbrum@lohud.com
Putnam: Robert Brum, 914-666-6579, rbrum@lohud.com
Rockland: Nicole Futterman, 845-578-2408, nfutterm@lohud.com

Advertising:

Online Ad Director: Eileen Zaccagnino, 914-696-8463, ezaccagn@lohud.com
Director, Marketing and Client Solutions: Tessa Garcia, 914-694-5188, tagarcia1@lohud.com

Simon Wiesenthal Center 2012 List of Top 10 Antisemites

/in , /by

The Muslim Brotherhood won a dubious prize on Friday, coming in at the top of a list of 2012’s worst antisemites and Israel-haters compiled by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Noting that the Brotherhood now “effectively rules the Arab world’s largest and most important nation,” the Center gave the group the number one spot, quoting its “moral guide” as saying the Jews have dominated the land, spread corruption on earth, spilled the blood of believers and in their actions profaned holy places.”

Coming a close second was the “Iranian regime” and its genocidal president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; followed by an antisemitic Brazilian cartoonist, European soccer fans, and a Ukrainian antisemitic political party.

Worrisome new arrivals were numbers 6 and 7: The Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn and the Hungarian Jobbik party, both of which indicate a renaissance of antisemitism on the European Right. Feeding off the economic troubles of the continent, both parties met with surprising electoral success over the past year.

Indeed, one of the most disturbing aspects of the list is its plethora of newcomers. Only one usual suspect appears, dead last at number 10: The American demagogue Louis Farrakhan.

Sign In Penn Station, NY: Kill All Republicans

/in , /by

The Peoples Cube is distributing a photo showing the below sign in Penn Station with graffiti stating “Kill All Republicans”.

18097-Kiil_All_Repubs_Penn_Station

According to Oleg Atbashian, former propagandist for the Soviet Union and creator of The Peoples Cube, “This picture is a testament to the successful completion of a long-term, systematic programming of mass consciousness by the media, education, and entertainment subsidiaries of the Party Central Committee – starting with the unconditional love of other people’s money and ending with the unconditional rage against enemies of the people.”

“The demonetization of the opposition is meant to be the final stage of revolutionary conditioning. It seems that it just may be completed on schedule, with four more years to solidify the revolutionary fundamental transformation of America,” notes Atbashian

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, which is Christ the Lord

/in , /by

FROM THE BOOK OF LUKE 2:7-20 (KJV)

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Grassroots movement to arm teachers gains momentum

/in , , , , /by

Long before Wayne LaPierre held his press conference the internet was alive with practical solutions on how to prevent another Newtown, CT like attack on schools. Most comments coalesced around arming school based administrators and teachers. One idea is to provide concealed carry training to school based administrators and on a voluntary basis to teachers. The school district would cover the costs of the training, license and purchase of an approved weapon.

Virginia is considering legislation requiring teachers be armed.

Several photographs and photo-shopped signs were circulated graphically demonstrating the popularity of this solution. Two stand out and were the most often received by WDW. Below is a widely distributed photo allegedly depicting an Israeli teacher and her class of elementary school students:

armed teacher in israel

This photo-shopped sign with the caption “Which sign is most likely to deter a school shooting?” is widely circulating on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites:

 GunFreeZoneSign

Comments on these images may be best represented by a common sense approach to the issue. The argument goes something like this – if there is something valuable that society wants to protect and defend then society must have armed guards in place. Examples of protected areas include: government offices at every level, sensitive installations such as military bases or nuclear power plants, airports, banks, prisons and national parks.

Many are asking why we are not similarly protecting our most precious natural resources – our children?

USA Today reports, “About 70% of public schools don’t have [a] police officer and almost 60% don’t have any security staff. Those with police tend to be big and urban schools, according to a USA TODAY data analysis.” Clearly at some point schools decide to have an armed guard present. The only restriction is cost weighted against the potential threat.

Political opponents focus on taking away guns, not on protecting the children as is done for most politicians. History and statistics work against opponents to arming those most responsible for the protection of our children – school based administrators and teachers.

PLEASE TAKE OUR ONLINE SURVEY ON THE QUESTION OF ARMING SCHOOL STAFF:

RELATED COLUMNS:

New Jersey Town Plans to Place Armed Guards in Schools

White House Petition to Deport British Citizen Piers Morgan for attacking 2nd Amendment goes over 25,000

School that President Obama’s daughters attend has 11 armed guards

Florida braces for major job losses in 2013

/in , , , /by

According to the Heritage Foundation, “The Budget Control Act’s $1.2 trillion automatic sequestration cuts, out of $46.3 trillion in total spending, would impose draconian cuts on defense (on top of an estimated $407 billion in cuts from its spending caps). This would slash the defense budget and jeopardize the U.S. military’s ability to defend the nation. Entitlement spending—the biggest part of the budget— would scarcely be touched by comparison.”

Florida has twenty-one military installations, and is home to U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB in Tampa.

Florida stands to lose 79,459 jobs and $4.1 billion in labor income by the end of fiscal 2013 if $1.2 trillion in federal defense cuts take place in January as planned.  A report conducted by George Mason University economist Stephen Fuller reports Florida would suffer the sixth highest job losses of all the states.

The report measures the impact of both defense and nondefense employment reductions at federal agencies and their contractors, as well as at businesses that count them as customers.

A little more than half of Florida’s lost jobs in the next fiscal year — 41,905 — would result from Department of Defense cuts, and the rest would stem from reductions at civilian agencies. During that period, Florida would also see gross state product losses of $8 billion.

sequestercuts

The George Mason University report concludes – The magnitude of economic impacts resulting from the Budget Control Act of 2011 over the combined FY 2012-FY 2013 period have been shown to be large and their impact on the U.S. economy to be significant:

• Combined DOD and non-DOD agency spending reductions totaling $115.7 billion in FY 2013 would reduce the 2013 U.S. GDP by $215.0 billion.

• These spending reductions would result in the loss of 746,222 direct jobs including cutbacks in the federal workforce totaling 277,263 and decreases in the federal contractor workforce totaling 468,959 jobs, thus affecting all sectors of the national economy.

• The loss of these 746,222 direct jobs and 432,978 jobs of suppliers and vendors (indirect jobs) dependent on the prime contractors would reduce total labor income in the U.S. by $109.4 billion.

• The loss of this labor income and the resultant impacts of reduced consumer spending in the economy would generate an additional loss of 958,508 jobs dependent on the spending and re-spending of payroll dollars associated with the direct and indirect jobs lost as a result of BCA.

• This loss of $215.0 billion in GDP and 2.14 million jobs in 2013 would erase two-thirds of the GDP gains projected for the year and raise the national unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points by the end of 2013.

• These economic impacts would affect every state with their respective vulnerabilities to projected DOD and non-DOD spending reductions being determined by their agency mix and relative magnitudes of federal payroll and procurement. Based on current patterns of federal spending by state, ten states account for more than half of total federal payroll and procurement outlays. This significant concentration of federal spending represents a major threat to these states’ economies in 2013. While other states may appear less vulnerable to federal spending reductions, these may also suffer significant impacts dues to their smaller sizes or more specialized economic structures.

To read more click here.

VIDEO: Rep. Buchanan wants to send lump of coal to Egypt’s Morsi

/in , , , /by

Representative Vern Buchanan (FL-13) does not believe the American taxpayers should send their hard earned money in the form of 20 F-16 fighter jets to Egypt. According to an email Rep. Buchanan states, ” I’ve introduced legislation, H.R. 6646, to immediately suspend U.S. aid to Egypt.  We can no longer afford to buy friends across the world that don’t have our best interests in mind.  It’s time to put America first.”

Buchanan notes, “In the spirit of the holiday season, even Santa Claus would have trouble sending a stocking full of American F-16 fighter jets to an Egyptian regime that supports Hamas and is looking more and more like a dictatorship than a trustworthy democracy.  And yet, unbelievably, that is exactly what the United States government is doing.”

David French from National Review Online reports, “In an era of ballooning budget deficits, looming cuts to our own military, and tax increases for millions of Americans, it’s heartening to know that the American taxpayer still has the financial wherewithal (or good credit with China) to provide — free of charge — brand-new F-16 fighters to the Muslim Brotherhood-led Egyptian government just as its hold on power looks increasingly shaky. These new weapons will start to arrive roughly a month after the vote on Egypt’s proposed Brotherhood-supported constitution.”

Please watch this 90 second video that French and his colleagues at ACLJ created:

Charlie Crist Supporter Arrested for Election Fraud

/in , /by

Robert Waechter

In late June of 2010 a fundraiser was held for Charlie Crist. Crist had decided he would run as an Independent for the US Senate seat currently held by Marco Rubio. At that fundraiser was former Republican Party of Sarasota Chair Robert “Bob” Waechter.

Waechter was one of the “movers and shakers” of the Republican Party at the time. There was an outcry from party members that Waechter was there in violation of his sworn oath as a member of the Republican Executive Committee to only support party candidates. He broke his oath and resigned from the executive committee but not from the party.

Fast forward to recent events and we find Waechter running for the position of Treasurer of the Republican Party of Sarasota on Monday, December 10, 2012. Waechter was defeated by Roy Wells in his bid to re-enter the party executive board structure. So we have Waechter, a supporter of Crist, working his way back into the party favored and power network.

Waechter would have remained a power player if not for one thing – his attempt at election fraud.

On Friday, December 14, 2012, just days after his failed bid to become the party treasurer, he was according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “[C]harged with a felony after authorities say he stole the identity of a political rival and made campaign donations in her name to a Democratic candidate for Congress to embarrass her.”

Here is the irony. This is not the first felony that Waechter has been charged with.

In 1979 Waechter was accused of felony burglary. This felony charge, of which he was never convicted, came to light when he was running for the Chair of the Republican Party of Sarasota. His plea to the members of the Executive Committee was this was a one-time mistake, which he would not repeat. So much for promises made by Waechter.

Some have accused Republicans of becoming more and more like Democrats. Conservative voters have begun to wonder who really represents them. The Republican Party of Sarasota has touted itself as a conservative organization; but it is leaders like Waechter who call into question the core values of the party structure. A structure that keeps embracing the Waechters over and over again.

The Republican Party of Sarasota’s website states, “The mission of the Republican Party of Sarasota County is to serve as the umbrella organization for all GOP activities leading to the election of qualified, loyal Republicans, through education, communication and the motivation of the electorate.”

Perhaps the Republican Party of Florida needs to define what a “qualified, loyal” member is first?

Gingrich vs. The Pope on Gay Marriage

/in , , , /by

Former Speaker of the House, architect of the Republican revolution, Presidential Candidate, social conservative and Catholic Newt Gingrich stated, “gay marriage is both inevitable and okay by him”. It appears that Newt’s dramatic change in attitude is politically based. “Legalization of same-sex marriage in three states in 2012’s election changed the landscape, and conservatives have to come to terms with it,” he said according to The Hollywood Gossip magazine.

The Pope in an end-of-year speech warned that the very future of mankind is at stake over gay marriage .

According to The Telegraph, “In the fight for the family, the very notion of being – of what being human really means – is being called into question,” the Pope stated in the Clementine Hall of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.

The Pope spoke of the “falseness” of gender theories and cited at length France’s chief Rabbi Gilles Bernheim, who has spoken out against gay marriage.

“Bernheim has shown in a very detailed and profoundly moving study that the attack we are currently experiencing on the true structure of the family, made up of father, mother, and child, goes much deeper,” Pope Benedict XVI said.

Reuters reports, “Bernheim, also a philosopher, argues that homosexual rights groups ‘will use gay marriage as a Trojan Horse’ in a wider campaign to ‘deny sexual identity and erase sexual differences’ and ‘undermine the heterosexual fundamentals of our society’. His study, ‘Gay Marriage, Parenthood and Adoption: What We Often Forget To Say’, argues that plans to legalize gay marriage are being made for ‘the exclusive profit of a tiny minority’ and are often supported because of political correctness.”

Is Gingrich being politically correct? Have Republicans caved on the most important social issue facing mankind? Does politics trump core human principles?

“The manipulation of nature, which we deplore today where our environment is concerned, now becomes man’s fundamental choice where he himself is concerned.” ~ Pope Benedict XVI

RELATED COLUMNS:

How the gay movement lobbies your state legislators

The Two Faces of Gunslinger Charlie Crist

/in , , /by

When Charlie Crist was a Republican and later an Independent, he always identified himself as a strong supporter of the rights of gun owners, but now as a Democrat, it’s clear that his past support for the Second Amendment was based on political expediency and not principled conviction.

“We need to have some restrictions, that’s pretty obvious to most people. What do you need a 30-clip magazine for? Not to go hunting deer. I can tell you that because I hunt deer.” – Charlie Crist

There are many instances where ”Chain-Gang” Charlie was as a staunch political gunslinger as there ever was one that would never waiver from his pro-gun positions. Is there a better example of a political opportunist in the country than Charlie Crist?

Charlie Crist with shotgun

Crist is ‘Pro-Gun:’

“I’m pro-gun. I strongly support the Second Amendment. It’s fundamental. It’s our Second Amendment for a reason; the Founding Fathers thought it was that important.” (Florida Times-Union, 8/20/06)

Crist Opposed Bans on Assault Weapons:

Crist Opposed Both the Assault Weapons Ban and the Brady Bill. “Graham voted for the ban on assault weapons and for the Brady Bill, which imposed a waiting period for handgun purchases. Crist opposes both. “I believe citizens do have the right to bear arms,” said Crist, who is a hunter.” (Orlando Sentinel, 10/11/98)

Crist Says We Need to Ban Criminals, Not Guns:

Crist: “Yes, I do, [own] a shotgun. I hunt pheasant, duck. I’m a very strong defender of the Second Amendment. What we need to do is ban criminals, not guns. As a member of the Senate select committee on juvenile justice reform I took testimony at a hearing from a young man involved in a life of crime as a youth, who had turned that life around. (He) explained how foolish it was to try to limit law-abiding citizens’ rights to have a handgun . . . Prior to a criminal’s illegal act involving a handgun, they don’t ordinarily take the time to look . . . to see if they’re violating the law.” (St. Petersburg Times, 11/5/94)

Charlie Crist Received A+ Rating from NRA for Never Taking a Position Adversarial to 2nd Amendment:

Former Florida NRA Chairman Marion Hammer: ‘You Can’t Get an A+ Unless You Have a Strong History on Our Issues.’ “Hammer said Crist earned an “A” rating as a political newcomer, the highest grade bestowed to a rookie candidate by the NRA, and subsequently received an “A+” in future years based on his voting record. “You can’t get an ‘A+’ unless you have a strong history on our issues,” Hammer said.” (Politifact, 7/14/10)

Crist advocated bringing guns to the work place:

Crist Supported the ‘Bring your Gun to Work Bill’ “I understand there are competing interests. There always are in this process. “But people being protected is most important to me.” (Orlando Sentinel, 4/15/08)

Crist denied it was “too easy” to get guns in FL

“I understand … there are some numbers that are disconcerting, particularly as it relates to murder and other violent crimes,” Crist said Tuesday. Despite the rise in gun crimes, Crist said it is not too easy to get a gun in Florida but didn’t elaborate on why gun crimes are going up so much. (AP, 6/26/07)

TRUE THE VOTE DEMANDS ACCESS TO ST. LUCIE COUNTY POLL BOOKS

/in , , /by

True the Vote (TTV), the nonpartisan election integrity organization, today submitted formal requests to review all voter registration records, including poll books, to St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker in the aftermath of the 18th Congressional District recount.

“Florida voters deserve a full, unfiltered explanation of the facts,” True the Vote President Catherine Engelbrecht said. “We cannot know whether all the votes add up unless all the relevant information is made available for public inspection,” adding that True the Vote is “committed to performing a county-wide audit of all registration records for the 2012 Election.”

True the Vote’s request follows a high-profile recount battle where St. Lucie County election officials admitted to hastily releasing vote tallies, failing to count half the precincts on election night, and double counting votes in others. Following the concession of Congressman Allen West, all investigations into the various irregularities ceased.

“Our goal is to fully deconstruct this episode so that this type of travesty won’t happen again,” Engelbrecht continued. “It’s unacceptable to allow flawed counting systems to remain in place because a candidate concedes a race. Faith in the American election system has been shaken enough in recent years – the people of Florida and our Republic deserve better.”

True the Vote’s request conforms to standing Florida open records and federal election laws, specifically 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg-6(i)(1), stating that “all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters” be made available for public inspection.

True The Vote (TTV) a nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots organization focused on preserving election integrity is operated by citizens for citizens, to inspire and equip volunteers for involvement at every stage of our electoral process. TTV empowers organizations and individuals across the nation to actively protect the rights of legitimate voters, regardless of their political party affiliation. For more information, please visitwww.truethevote.org.

Voto Honesto (TTV) es una organización sin fines de lucro, no partidaria, enfocada en preservar la integridad en las elecciones y operada por ciudadanos para ciudadanos, ara inspirar y equipar a voluntarios para envolverse en cada una de las etapas del proceso electoral. TTT capacita a organizaciones e individuos a través de la nación para activamente proteger los derechos de los votantes legítimos, sin importar a que partido político perteneces. Para más información, por favor visite www.truethevote.org.