BLAST Act - bill by Rick Scott and Elizabeth Warren

Sens. Rick Scott, Elizabeth Warren Introduce Bill to Permanently Ban Members of Congress from Lobbying

On May 14, Senators Rick Scott and Elizabeth Warren introduced the Banning Lobbying and Safeguarding Trust (BLAST) Act, to permanently ban former members of the House of Representatives and Senate from lobbying Congress after leaving office.

Senator Rick Scott said, “When politicians use their time in public office to cash in after they leave government, the American people lose. Trust in our institutions is at an all-time low, and the revolving door between Capitol Hill and K Street is a big part of that.

We need to restore the American people’s trust in their government, and that’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to put government clearly back on the side of the people.

Our founders never intended public service to become a training ground for a lifetime of lobbying. Senator Warren and I are working to end this practice once and for all.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren said, “It’s simple: Members of Congress should spend their time in Washington serving the American people, not preparing to cash in big time with a cushy lobbying career after they leave office.

It’s long past time to close the revolving door that’s corrupted our government and destroyed public trust in elected officials. This bipartisan bill is a no-brainer that Congress should pass now.”

The BLAST Act prohibits two types of activity — lobbyist registration and conduct.

Read all that it bans...

Doug Emhoff's law firm connection to the Palestine Monetary Authority

Kamala is Anti-Israel. Her Husband’s Law Firm Repped the PLO

The PLO’s money arm was the largest foreign principal for his law firm

“Will Doug Emhoff’s Legal Career Be an Issue for the Biden-Harris Ticket?” the New York Times asked four years ago.

The newspaper noted that Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, was a partner at DLA Piper whose “lobbying clients” had included the governments of Afghanistan and Bahrain, as well as the Qatari government-funded Al Jazeera Network and the Palestine Monetary Authority.

DLA Piper was good to the Emhoff-Harris family with the family taking home $2.7 million in 2019 and $1.2 million in 2020. “To aspire to create wealth is a good thing as far as I’m concerned. If that is what one chooses. I, on the other hand, have chosen to live a life of public service,’ Kamala had claimed. But the “life of public service” led to her husband’s role at DLA Piper.

As vice president, Kamala pursued a harsher line against Israel than Biden, virulently denouncing the Jewish state over its military campaign against Hamas terrorists after Oct 7.

Read more about Kamala and the 2nd Gentleman

Shady dealings and corruption lurk in the shadows of politics.

Leonardo DiCaprio Just Dropped A Thirty Million Dollar Bombshell On Barack Obama…

Well, you’re not going to believe this! Hollywood big shot Leonardo DiCaprio found himself in a federal courtroom, spilling the beans about a wild money-laundering plot.

Apparently, this Malaysian financier guy, Jho Low, was working with none other than Prakazrel “Pras” Michel from the Fugees. Their goal? Sneak a heap of cash into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. How sneaky is that?

The New York Post reported that Low allegedly teamed up with Pras Michel to funnel the cash to Obama’s campaign. Now, that’s a big no-no, because federal election law says foreigners can’t donate to US campaigns. Michel is also accused of pocketing tens of millions of dollars to lobby the government on behalf of Low and the Chinese government as a whole.

And get this: a lot of that cash was straight-up stolen! Low is accused of swiping a jaw-dropping $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s state investment fund, 1MDB.

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Biden and the Chinese Influence

The Half Of Million Dollars Showing Why Biden Hasn’t Cracked Down On CCP Company

Once again, the Biden Administration is under fire for its ties to foreign influence. This time, it’s the Chinese tech giant Huawei and its veteran Democratic lobbyist and donor, Tony Podesta.

Tony is the brother of former White House Chief of staff John Podesta, and was formerly one of Washington's most powerful lobbyists and fundraisers.

To give you some background on John Podesta:
John David Podesta Jr. is an American political consultant who has served as Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden for clean energy innovation and implementation since September 2022. Podesta previously served as White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2001 and Counselor to President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2015. [wikipedia]

Early in Trump's term, he signed a five-year lobbying ban for administration officials and a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign governments. But right before he left office, he lifted the ban. Then, Biden invoked a two year lobbying ban for appointees.

As part of its efforts to curry favor with American officials, Huawei – the company behind the social media platform Tik Tok – has been lobbying the White House, and it paid Podesta a whopping $500,000 for his services. This comes at a time when the Biden administration is facing pressure to keep Huawei on the trade blacklist, which restricts the company’s access to semiconductors.

Read about it...

Ron DeSantis being targeted by Soros Group, Alianza Americas

The next big favorite for the GOP in 2024 is Ron DeSantis

Not surprisingly, he is now being targeted by a George Soros group.

You better believe the old man picked up the phone and gave that order.

Alianza Americas is an illegal immigration advocacy organization operating out of Chicago, San Francisco, and El Salvador now in a battle with Governor Ron DeSantis.

The group allegedly refused to produce its 2021 990 Form after multiple requests.

Fox News reported, “Alianza Americas, which had garnered more than $1.5 million from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, violated IRS law by not producing its 2021 990 Form within 30 days of a written request.

“The Examiner sent the first written request for Alianza’s tax forms on Nov. 28 and followed up with a second and third request on Dec. 23 and Dec. 27, respectively.

“The publication said it sought the records to verify whether Alianza participated in lobbying in 2021.”

Now the group is trying to flip the script by suing Ron DeSantis for flying migrants to other locations. [rightwingnewshour]

Alianza has received roughly $8.5 million in federal grants from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Several Republican Representatives, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), and former HHS chief of staff under President Trump Brian Harrison have requested the HHS inspector general to conduct an audit to see if the money donated had been used in lobbying. Harrison further commented to the Washington Examiner, “the American people deserve to know if the Biden administration knowingly gave their hard-earned money to an organization to illegally promote disastrous open border policies.”

Tony Podesta, Mega Lobbyist

Blacklisted Chinese Tech Company Paid Dem Megadonor Podesta 7 Figures to Whisper Lies in Biden's Ear

According to a Friday report in the Washington Examiner, Huawei has apparently hired Tony Podesta, one of the top Democrat power brokers in Washington — to the tune of $1 million. His job: to ensure the Biden administration has a friendlier relationship with the tech giant.

Huawei was formally declared a national security threat in May of 2019, with the Department of Commerce explaining in December of 2020 that it was done because the tech giant and its affiliates were “engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests.”

Read about this questionable character... whose group was under federal investigation regarding compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act for their work for a Ukrainian group tied to the pro-Russian former Ukrainian leader.

Podesta

Wikipedia:

• In April 2017, the Podesta Group retroactively filed new lobbying reports with the Justice Department that revealed more about its work for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU), a center founded by three senior members of the pro-Russia Party of Regions.

• On October 23, 2017, Tony Podesta was reportedly facing criminal inquiry in Robert Mueller's investigation regarding this lobbying campaign which ran between 2012 and 2014.

• On October 30, 2017, Tony Podesta announced that he would leave the Podesta Group.

• On July 31, 2018, it was reported that Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta was referred by special counsel Robert Mueller to federal prosecutors for investigation in New York.

• On September 24, 2019, the Department of Justice concluded the probe of Tony Podesta with no charges.

Biden and the Labor Unions

Labor Unions Spent Nearly $2 Billion On 2020 Election Cycle, Study Finds

Labor unions spent around $1.8 billion on “political activities and lobbying” during the 2020 election cycle, a study published last Friday by the National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) concluded.

The vast majority of funds, more than $1.4 billion, came from the general treasuries of private sector unions while the remaining funds came from public sector unions and union political action committees (PACs), according to the study.

Biden, then the Democratic nominee, pledged last year to be the “strongest labor president you have ever had.” The president has pursued a number of pro-union policies since taking office, according to The Wall Street Journal. He also nominated former union officials to top posts at the Labor and Education Departments.

Read about it...

Shanon Materio secret ties to developers?

West Palm Beach City Commissioner Shanon Materio’s Secret Ties to Developers, Lobbyists and Special Interest Donors Exposed

Read about Shanon...

Quote of the Day -Richard Corcoran

"Last Tuesday marked the beginning of the 2018 legislative session.   We got right to work on our conservative legislative agenda.

In just the first week, the House passed important bills to:
•    Ban ‘sanctuary cities’ and fine elected officials that refuse to enforce immigration law
•    Ban legislators from becoming lobbyists for at least 6 years after leaving office – the toughest ban in the nation
•    Make Florida’s ethics laws the toughest in the country

In the House we're about less talk and more action.  Now we need our State Senate to get on board."

~ Richard Corcoran
Speaker of the Florida House of representatives

Ballotpedia lists Florida Lobbyists

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Florida Lobbyists:

The following is a list of lobbyists in Florida on Ballotpedia:

1. Suwannee River League of Cities
2. Ronald L. Book P.A. Blast from the Past
3. Ridge League of Cities
4. Palm Beach County League of Cities Scott Maxwell and Andy Amoroso are big wigs there.
5. Northwest Florida League of Cities
6. Northeast Florida League of Cities
7. Holland & Knight
8. Heffley & Associates
9. H. Lee Moffitt
10. Florida School Services
11. Florida School Finance Officers Association, Inc.
12. Florida School Boards Association
13. Florida School Board Attorneys Association
14. Florida League of Cities
15. Florida Hospital Association
16. Florida Education Association
17. Florida Community Association Managers Alliance
18. Florida Chapter of the International Association of Assessing Officers
19. Florida Association of the Deaf
20. Florida Association of Special Districts
21. Florida Association of School Personnel Administrators
22. Florida Association of School Administrators
23. Florida Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials
24. Florida Association of District School Superintendents
25. Florida Association of Community Colleges
26. Emergent Design and Development
27. Capital City Consulting
28. Broward League of Cities
29. Becker & Poliakoff
30. BH & Associates
31. Alachua County League of Cities
32. Akerman LLP
33. Florida Chamber of Commerce

View the rest

Atlanta Braves in town

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Tom McNicholas the lobbyist for the Braves, was in Lake Worth meeting with Atlanta Braves officials, Mayor Pam Triolo and City Manager Mike Bornstein.

They met downtown Lake Worth at Callaro's Steak House on Lake Avenue, the preferred spot for city officials. The owners are advocates for the Braves coming here as are many of the downtown merchants.

Read about it... and the Braves wanting a huge area of our Park to accommodate 10,000 people.  Their stadium at Disney has a 9,500 capacity.

Is everyone NUTS?

Atlanta Braves Lobbyists

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The Atlanta Braves hired public affairs consultants Tom McNicholas and Rachel Ondrus as lobbyists for the team; McNicholas was key in Palm Beach County and West Palm Beach landing a joint training camp for the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros and has been working on that project in recent months. Source:  Ballpark Digest

Rachael Ondrus, Executive Director (561) 355-2406 rondrus@pbcgov.org

She works for the McNicholas firm and for Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation Office is a nonpartisan office that serves all thirteen members of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives who represent Palm Beach County in Tallahassee.

Tom has had an interesting career.

Tom McNicholas is the president and founder of McNicholas & Associates, a Stuart, Florida-based firm that specializes in public relations, governmental affairs, and marketing. His web site says, Over the years, the McNicholas & Associates team has been privileged to work with a diverse group of national and local, private and public companies, organizations, agencies and municipalities. Click here for client sampling.

Some of his friends on Facebook are Greg Rice and Shelley Vana

Garbage is Juicy - Connect the Dots - Follow the Money

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Grassy Waters

When I say "juicy," I mean the characters involved in Tuesday's decision by Palm Beach County (Dissenters: Valeche who was really for it and Burdick) that will give Sun Recycling a five year contract to truck in 78,000 tons of waste a year from Broward to the new Palm Beach County incinerator.

You have to ask the question--why?  "All of this will only reap $3 a year in alleged savings"' said one resident who spoke.  There is no advantage to allow Sun Recycling to dump waste in Palm Beach County or one that is readily available or could be implemented without tremendous cost. Well, the answer is obvious to me--

Some of the players:

Sun Recycling-- a company that has been around for some time and one that dumped 6,000 truckloads of questionable RSM waste of approximately 105,000 cubic yards all day and night with some of it 3.6 to 3.8 feet thick after it was crushed and mashed on our landfill and that never restored our property per the lease agreement. Back then, Christy Goddeau of the Glen J. Torcivia law firm, had recommended against Lake Worth filing suit because of the cost which also would have included attorney fees that she said we would never recover.

A company that gave and continues to give large campaign contributions to any candidate for whom they feel will serve their interests.  They gave plenty to Lake Worth candidates and even to sitting commissioners one of whom is John Szerdi.

Burt Aaronson, now a lobbyist for Sun Recycling and the former boss of Mary Lou Berger who replaced him on the county commission after he was term limited. 

Another lobbyist was there for Sun Recycling who is the co-chair for the second annual mayor's ball for Shelley Vana, Neil Schiller.

Drew Martin was there representing the Sierra Club and told them that dioxins in small percentages can cause cancer. The smoke stack will be over the water supply at Grassy Waters.  Hal Valeche was furious and dumped on Drew for that remark telling him that they were highly regulated. According to Drew Martin, the County had to rewrite the ordinance to allow it and they went to the DEP to get an increase in allowable air pollution.

Mayor of West Palm beach, Jeri Muoio spoke out against it.  She is being challenged for mayor by Kimberly Mitchell, good friend of Shanon Materio whose campaign adviser was Richard Pinsky considered a political genius and ex-husband of Mitchell. Materio has a relationship with Sun Recycling and even accepted money for her BacPAC. Pinsky was hired by the present Lake Worth City Commission as a lobbyist for them in Tallahassee at $2,000 a month.  We haven't heard a thing how that's working out.

Well, do I have to spell it out?  Palm Beach County still has big questionable issues. And it is still known as corruption county of the country.

Saving John Prince Park

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It's always a shame when citizens continually have to fight city hall but that's the way it is here in Lake Worth. Anyone believing that a Spring training field at John Prince Park will give our city or surrounding cities an economic boost is misinformed or living a pipe dream. Anyone believing that there is any justification in tearing up 84 plus acres of deed restricted park property (and where would the cars park?) are "batty." Any commissioner authorizing the expenditure of city tax dollars to pay for two attorneys to attend a county meeting to promote this, is irresponsible. But this commission only listens to what's rolling around in their heads.

Democracy is compromised when governments no longer serve the common good of the people and sacrifice entire neighborhoods to get their way. Instead, elected officials and the cronies they hire serve organized special interests that have the means to exert disproportionate leverage over government decisions. Lobbyists (a special interest group if there ever was one) have a lot of clout and the City of Lake Worth is listening to one, former U.S. Congressman, Mark Foley...yes, that bad boy is still around.

Please sign the petition --

 VOTE  NO

to bulldozing our park for corporate and political greed.

On the Avenue

City Manager, Michael Bornstein walked by and didn't stop to say "hi."

The Lobbyists

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What a bunch of sad sacks we are. We are so desperate for money that we will do just about anything for it-- granny's silver is not sacred--or suggest to bulldoze John Prince Park or sell beach parking decal stickers to non-residents. Take your pick, both stupid.

One desperate move was to hire the Washington lobbyists last night, the firm of Alcalde and Fay out of Alexandria, Virginia for $5,000 a month (a mere pittance in the scheme of things but a lot to us..which fund did they move money from now?) plus expenses for a chance to get a "seat at the table." What it did was get a lobbyist's foot in the door to Lake Worth.  It sort of reminds me of selling all those decal stickers to get a chance to park your car in the "resident" parking lot that is NO LONGER THE RESIDENT PARKING LOT but one for non-residents as well. And no, Commissioner Szerdi, this is not "finally at rest."

Alcalde and Fay describe themselves as a 45 member firm with partners and professionals with a "rich diversity in both background and effective advocacy." Three of the heavy hitters were there last night giving their pitch to our desperation. Our point guys will be Skip Bafilis and Jim Davenport from the firm.

They will be assisting the city with its grant applications and developing strategies to obtain Federal funding and use all their years of rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty Washington elites for some pay-back to little ole Lake Worth. There is no telling what these guys will make off the grant amounts. Now get this--we don't even have a Grant Writer. So, this $60,000 a year plus, plus, plus will probably turn out double when we realize that we need to hire a Grant Writer in order to get off the ground.

And one more thing--all that decal parking permit money that the city will be collecting from non-residents for the chance of finding a space will off-set this lobbyist cost. For the commission, it's a win, win, plus, plus in the "scheme" of things.

Lake Worth to hire Lobbyist firm

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Just think, a $5,000 a month retainer fee plus out of pocket, etc. to have a possible influence in Washington, D.C. to the firm, Alcalde and Fay.  85 year old  Skip Bafilis is listed as a consultant there and the one who wrote the letter to the City of Lake Worth.  Mr. Bafilis  is a retired Republican Congressman. He used to reside in Palm Beach but now lives in Arlington, Virginia.

SUMMARY:
The Agreement provides for professional services in the field of government relations and advocacy, including legislative procedure, regulatory processes, public policy, and appropriations and grant programs administered by the Federal government.

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, the City has no voice in Washington, DC in order to maximize their participation in Federal programs and funding opportunities as Congress and the Administration seek ways to stimulate the economy.

Alcalde & Fay, LTD is a bipartisan firm that represents Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach and Riviera Beach as well as other local governments ranging in population size from 2,676 to 2.6 million. They have successfully assisted in obtaining essential support and direct Federal assistance for transportation, economic development, criminal justice and law enforcement programs/projects, health services, a range of education and community programs, and water/wastewater infrastructure project. It is the city’s intent to become more effective in applying for and obtaining Federal money for projects and programs including road infrastructure and utilities. Compensation for services include a monthly retainer of $5,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with their work for items such as copying, postage, telephone, delivery, and telecopy charges.

Staff recommends approval of this agreement as Administration moves forward to find funding sources for roadway, utilities, and Park of Commerce infrastructure improvements. If approved, a budget amendment would be required.

I guess you have to spend money that's not budgeted in order to get money particularly when the idea of a  general obligation bond has fallen flat for the 2020 program and Park of Commerce.

former Secret Service Agent says, "You've been sold out"

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"An out-of-control, unaccountable government."

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