Unlike Lake Worth, Florida, a southern California city says it will NOT BE A SANCTUARY CITY
Their Mayor is even looking into E-Verify.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Financial Advisory Board
Tonight at 5:30, the FAB meets at City Hall to give its recommendations to the Capital Improvement Plan. This is the City's Wish List to spend your money. Don't miss it.
The Sun has Set on Sun
Patti Hamilton, Exec V.P. andCharles Gusmano, founder and COO of Southern Waste Systems
"I was born and raised in the garbage business"
From garbage you came and garbage you will return...but not in Lake Worth.
Our Commission finally had some teeth and voted not to renew either contract with Sun Recycling and we will do our own rolloff containers. We had a dawn of a brand new day, in spite of Palm Beach County's decision yesterday with Sun to extend their permit for 6 more months.
Finally after years of putting up with a bad decision of allowing our landfill to be used as a staging area in case of a hurricane, it is over.
Our land had been dormant for 15 years. In order to reclaim it and for it to be usable for another purpose, it had to be dormant for 20 years. We whored our 65 acres for $1,000 a month. This was the start of the mess. No one listened to the public on this issue then. The Commission rarely does. It finally took residents in the Osborne area to complain loudly and often and for years. I'm surprised that, along with their other health issues, they have not lost their vocal chords.
We spent $483,208.94 on landfill remediation engineering services contracts with the ABV although only $171,000 was approved by the Commission. See Internal Audit Report on Landfill of December 21, 2007. This is when several people should have gone to jail. The City hushed up the entire mess and last year, the City Manager even fired Scot Menke our Internal Auditor who did the Landfill Audit. This guy was a hero as are all those who uncover corruption. Where was the FBI?
We spent $483,208.94 on landfill remediation engineering services contracts with the ABV although only $171,000 was approved by the Commission. See Internal Audit Report on Landfill of December 21, 2007. This is when several people should have gone to jail. The City hushed up the entire mess and last year, the City Manager even fired Scot Menke our Internal Auditor who did the Landfill Audit. This guy was a hero as are all those who uncover corruption. Where was the FBI?
To give the excuse that commissions and staff change as a reason for not knowing what is and has happened at that property is an excuse that NO ONE BUYS. Bill Coakley did a tremendous service for the City when he exposed this company. Everyone in this City knew of his work. And everyone ignored it…did nothing…looked the other way…and the City was happy to collect a measly $1,000 a month. It is a disgrace particularly when you consider all the costs involved in closing that landfill 18 years ago. We have made $36,000 over the past 3 years and we spent obscene amounts of dollars to close it.
Staff continues to amaze me. Public Works Joe Kroll knew all the problems as we complained about the dumping by Sun years ago and the “fill” that was being deposited on our land. He came to a meeting last night without the answer as to when the contract started. It depended on a DEP permit. RENT commenced 10 DAYS AFTER the DEP PERMIT WAS ISSUED. He didn’t have that information. So, check your records and see when you got the first $1,000. That's a start. The City attorney didn’t have it. And then the City Commission asked Sun to furnish it to them. Why should Sun do that? Why don’t you have it?
When asked about where we would dump hurricane debris, the City Manager suggested the golf course or even back on our landfill. Joe said Route 441. Now I really hate to be picky here, but the GOLF COURSE? The LANDFILL? How come no one ever has the answer or solution? Storm related clean-up information.
When asked about where we would dump hurricane debris, the City Manager suggested the golf course or even back on our landfill. Joe said Route 441. Now I really hate to be picky here, but the GOLF COURSE? The LANDFILL? How come no one ever has the answer or solution? Storm related clean-up information.
Well, we all have had it. It is now over. To even consider that Sun will get this property into the condition it was before it was contracted to them is a pipe dream. It would cost them millions of dollars. They made a ton of money dumping on our landfill with the pretense of getting it ready for hurricanes. The City Commission fell for the bull marketing job from Sun 3 years ago; it fell for the spiel from Staff; it sold out the residents of this City. And then they gave Sun another Contract. It took a lot of screaming to end it all and now we can go back and try and reclaim this land.
That’s the bottom line of it.
Photo by William CoakleyThe "Fill"
That's what got dumped on our land
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Socialist thinking Spreading like an Octopus
Octopus have regeneration--if they lose an arm, they grow one back.And our democratic society right now is being taken over by the far reaching tentacles of the extreme liberal left politics. Cutting their arm makes no difference; they just grow another. They just keep coming and pushing their social agenda crap on all the rest of us. They are reaching out and influencing more and more people, not only here but across the globe. What a perfect time to do it when the world is under difficult economic times.
Michael Posner, the Assistant Secretary of State is on an official trip to China. Taxpayers are paying for this and what does he do? He trashes America to China--of all the damn countries in the world with the worst record of human rights and the most repressive regime in history. He apologizes for Arizona. Lock him up.
Back in 2008 it was reported in the Huffington Post that Chinese authorities committed killings and torture outside the legal system, coerced confessions of prisoners and used forced labor. The government also “increased detention and harassment of dissidents, petitioners, human rights defenders and defense lawyers,” the department said in the study.
Posner is pandering to the worst of the worst of the open-border people and the rest of the American bashers when it comes to illegal immigration.
What in the hell is going on people?
Sun Recycling - Palm Beach County Commission
Sun Recycling has a non-conforming business in Lantana. If the company closed down, a similar business could not re-open at that site.
Quotes from Palm Beach County Commission Meeting:
The PB County Commission voted 7 - 0 to give a conditional 6 months permit to Sun for solid waste. They are to meet all regulations and be in total compliance.
Tonight at the Lake Worth City Commission, commissioners will be discussing the contract with Southern Waste Systems as well as the Lease agreement with Sun Recycling. Come on out.
Quotes from Palm Beach County Commission Meeting:
- Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere. Mary Brazill
- It's environmental racism. David Hodges
- Revoke the permit; close them up; Get them out of town. Javier Del Sol
- It's a disgusting facility. Laurence McNamara
- If you lived next to this facility, you would not vote for it. Barry Silver, Environmental attorney
- Something has gone wrong along the way. Barbara Jean Weber
- Please fix the cracks.
- There are no violations by Sun under any condition. Attorney for Sun
- Maybe we need to do 90 day permits. What worked 20 years ago may not be working now. Priscilla Taylor, PB County Commissioner
- I don't think taking the solid waste authority permit away will make one bit of difference. Shelley Vana, PB County Commissioner.
- We, as a Board, have the responsibility that every single requirement is met by Sun. Jess Satamaria, PB County Commissioner.
- Sun needs to clean up in 180 days or I will vote to close them down. We can't keep fighting the battle for Lake Worth. Burt Aaronson, PB County Commissioner
The PB County Commission voted 7 - 0 to give a conditional 6 months permit to Sun for solid waste. They are to meet all regulations and be in total compliance.
Tonight at the Lake Worth City Commission, commissioners will be discussing the contract with Southern Waste Systems as well as the Lease agreement with Sun Recycling. Come on out.
Raising the Haitian Flag at Lake Worth City Hall
Forgive me when I say I find this rather ironic when we can raise a flag of a foreign country at our City Hall and we have some people here, even an elected official, who refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance to our own flag.
While the United States gives untold millions of dollars in aid to Haiti and other countries throughout the world, citizens of the United States are losing their homes and millions are impoverished.
We have been raising foreign flags for decades here in Lake Worth, a tradition that is purely political. Some citizens advocate for open borders as more and more illegals cross them and discount our laws of this country. In September of last year even President Obama allowed the raising of the flag of China at a small park just south of White House in 'honor' of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Can't politics be nauseating?
When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag's right.
Lake Worth Utility Tour
Utility Director, Rebecca Mattey; Power Plant Mgr, Dave Mulvay; Safety Mgr, Michael Cooper; Water/Sewer Engineer, Walt Smyzer; Customer Service, Mgr Alvin Cooper; Conservation Mgr, Tom Rutherford; Senior Systems Operator, Walt Gill and Asst Utility Director Clay Lindstrom were there to give brief presentations on their specific departments. I probably missed someone.
This was by far, the most fascinating tour I have ever been on. I was proud of our Utility and all those with whom I met.
As they began the presentation, the power went down. It was later reported that it affected one-half of the City which indicates a 26kv feeder problem. Just a few blocks away on Collier, it was reported that their power went down around 5pm. I received various calls about power down in other areas of the City. The Utility's generator kicked in with a big boom and we got power back right away.
What I learned:
This was by far, the most fascinating tour I have ever been on. I was proud of our Utility and all those with whom I met.
As they began the presentation, the power went down. It was later reported that it affected one-half of the City which indicates a 26kv feeder problem. Just a few blocks away on Collier, it was reported that their power went down around 5pm. I received various calls about power down in other areas of the City. The Utility's generator kicked in with a big boom and we got power back right away.
What I learned:
- 2.6 cents of every kilowatt we use in electric is for the Energy Conservation Program. One million dollars is in that budget with half going towards salaries.
- We have 26,000 electric customers.
- Unless we completely get off the Surficial Aquifier, SFWM will not allow us to water more than one time per week.
- Utility meters are assets of the City and are cleaned and calibrated every 10 years.
- We have 955 water hydrants throughout the City. We have been paying an outside company and now hydrant maintenance will be done in-house.
- Most of the problems we have in the Sewer is from infiltration.
- We have 26 local lift stations and 3 regional stations.
- Mattey says again that we have no debt (meaning on the building and generators I presume) and bonds were paid off. She failed to mention the Bond of May 1, 2008 in the amount of $69.925 million for the electric utility upgrade and the RO. The bonds and the related swap agreement mature on October 1, 2034. We also have a $5.1 million note for the regional sewer system. According to the Audit of 2008, we still owe $4.065 million on a revolving loan for plant expansion. There are other long-term debts.
- The Assistant Utility Manager says that the 26kv is not as effective as the 13.2 and the 4kv.
- Mattey, asked by the Chair of the FAB, Exline, whether any money has been spent on the 26kv upgrade since the Commission stopped it. She indicated only for maintenance/repair but we know that the 15kv's were/are being replaced to 25kv's.
Lake Worth Democratic Club
LAKE WORTH DEMOCRATIC CLUB:
Wednesday, MAY 19 at 7pm
Location: Pegasus Restaurant, 301 North Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth 33460, Tel (561) 588-4463
Next Mtg: Wed, May 19. Lake Worth Democrats will host Rep. Kelly Skidmore, Candidate for Senate Dist. 25, who will discuss the just-concluded 2010 Legislative Session & this year's crucial elections.
Contact: Drew Martin President, at 561-533-6814
Wednesday, MAY 19 at 7pm
Location: Pegasus Restaurant, 301 North Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth 33460, Tel (561) 588-4463
Next Mtg: Wed, May 19. Lake Worth Democrats will host Rep. Kelly Skidmore, Candidate for Senate Dist. 25, who will discuss the just-concluded 2010 Legislative Session & this year's crucial elections.
Contact: Drew Martin President, at 561-533-6814
Monday, May 17, 2010
Supreme Court has Lost It
Comment Up
The Supreme Court of the United States of America just made the most outrageous decision when it ruled on a 5 to 4 vote that punk kids can no longer get a life sentence unless they have killed someone. Even that Nathaniel Brazill who killed Barry Grunow only got 28 years.
What about those gang rapists at Dunbar Village where they raped and even forced a Mother and son into oral sex. If this doesn't deserve a life sentence then what does? What about that brutal punk in Lake Worth who raped and left a little girl for dead in a trash bin. Her body survived the dreadful assault but what about her mind?
Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented from Monday's ruling and Chief Justice Roberts went along with the dissenting votes.
These punks deserve the maximum sentence we can give because 1) they are beyond rehabilitation and 2) when they get out they will still be punks.
The Supreme Court of the United States of America just made the most outrageous decision when it ruled on a 5 to 4 vote that punk kids can no longer get a life sentence unless they have killed someone. Even that Nathaniel Brazill who killed Barry Grunow only got 28 years.
What about those gang rapists at Dunbar Village where they raped and even forced a Mother and son into oral sex. If this doesn't deserve a life sentence then what does? What about that brutal punk in Lake Worth who raped and left a little girl for dead in a trash bin. Her body survived the dreadful assault but what about her mind?
Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented from Monday's ruling and Chief Justice Roberts went along with the dissenting votes.
These punks deserve the maximum sentence we can give because 1) they are beyond rehabilitation and 2) when they get out they will still be punks.
"Myopic Political Clods "
It is too bad that candidate Lisa Maxwell made a poor decision before the Gate was even opened to her campaign when she decided to announce her candidacy at the Compass building preceding Tropical Ridge’s community crime walk. I refer to Tom's Page and his report on the incident.Her intent was to announce and then join the NA in its Crime Walk that was scheduled at 4pm. It was announced in the PB Post as well as an e-mail sent around by the top officers of TRNA. I can’t think of anything more inappropriate than a Neighborhood Association sanctioning a candidate at the exclusion of any other candidate running for the same office. Maxwell, at least, should have known better.
TRNA officers did a disservice to its entire neighborhood for making that decision when its officers publicly supported a candidate by allowing her to have an exclusive forum. These officers should step down--all of them. John Jordan, former candidate who lives in that neighborhood said, "I don't believe that neighborhood associations should get involved in political campaigns."
The object of an elected official is to represent all of the people in a neighborhood and in this city, not just a chosen few. The object of Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association is to represent ALL of its residents. To forbid a blogger or any other resident of the City to walk on a Crime Walk is certainly preposterous. Has Lisa Maxwell ever walked a crime walk at Tropical Ridge?
Learn from Jeff Clemens. He knew how to be friendly to the press, to the bloggers, to all those who spoke out against him. He always greeted me with a friendly “hello” and did not hold grudges. Politics is what it is, and someone you know or think to be a political enemy may just be in alliance with you on an issue in the future. Politics is not about alienating people right out of the gate.
For Vince Rogers, former President of TRNA to say that “there is a war going on in this neighborhood and the other side just won a little battle,” shows that we are a totally dysfunctional city. Everything needs to be about correct process.
As one citizen said, “These statements originate from inexperienced myopic political clods whose discriminatory personal vendettas against targeted groups are no different than neo Nazis. And those who attain office with these aberrant notions are no less a danger to the public and the political process.”
Perhaps we should be de-annexed to Palm Beach County. We can’t run a city. We can’t maintain anything. We spend money like a drunk sailor. Remember that CIP Wish List? We have constant infighting and "little battles" that never seem to end.
"This is the same old dull-witted disingenuous saw of the right versus the left, rich versus the poor, good versus evil …exploiting the illusion of disunity for political benefit. Rather than bringing unity …it is divisive, discriminatory, and reveals political immaturity unfit for office," said a former candidate.
Organic Gardens and Commissioner Mulvehill
On Saturday, Commissioner Mulvehill had some friends over for a potluck. There was all sorts of homemade recipes and enough food to feed an army. She made several food dishes from her garden one of which was a bean dip with a salsa made from the tomatoes that she canned.
Commissioner Mulvehill is into composting and in fact, she has two composting bins in her backyard. Her "best" tomatoes, as shown above, come right out of her compost. I was taking leaves off of some plant of which I was unfamiliar and the stems went right to her compost that uses worms. Oooh. :( Organic waste makes up 29% of the waste stream.
Lake Worth will soon be initiating a backyard compost program brought forward by Suzanne Mulvehill. It is estimated that the City will save approximately $110,000 in the first year of this program.
Community Garden, Delray Beach
Robert Waples, President of ROLOH, has to be jealous!Robert is spearheading a group to start a community garden initiative.
For more information, contact Robert at robertwaplesii@yahoo.com
Call Crist to Veto HB 131
Please call Gov. Charlie Crist TODAY, to VETO HB131. This is the final dangerous elections bill that went to his desk on Thursday.
This bill would pre-empt all power over elections to the State, and
would deny counties the right to common-sense spot check audits of
voting machines to make sure the voting machines work correctly.
It would also deny voters with disabilities verifiable ballots until
2016.
*Call Gov. Crist to VETO HB131:*
* Citizen Services Hotline: *(850) 488-4441*
* Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: *(850) 488-7146*
[Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time]
*Fax:* (850) 487-0801
Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
This bill would pre-empt all power over elections to the State, and
would deny counties the right to common-sense spot check audits of
voting machines to make sure the voting machines work correctly.
It would also deny voters with disabilities verifiable ballots until
2016.
*Call Gov. Crist to VETO HB131:*
* Citizen Services Hotline: *(850) 488-4441*
* Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: *(850) 488-7146*
[Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time]
*Fax:* (850) 487-0801
Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Best Tuna Sandwich in Lake Worth
I keep bragging about it -- An Old Family Recipe Cafe at the Lake Worth Towers has the BEST tuna salad sandwich ever. My neighbor, Joe, disagrees and he says his tuna is better. That is difficult to imagine. If you love tuna, this is the place!!!! Visit Deputy Mahoney's mother's restaurant...she makes your tuna sandwich fresh on order.
Capitalism and Socialism
The Wisegeek has a good definition of Capitalism and Socialism:
Capitalism is an economic system where resources — whether monetary or otherwise — are privately owned, whereas socialism is a system where goods are owned by the state or the public. Capitalism is founded on the belief that competition brings out the best in people.
Socialism, on the other hand, believes that cooperation is the best way for people to coexist. The main difference between these two economic systems is the distribution and earning of wealth. In capitalism, everyone works for his own wealth, while in socialism everyone works for wealth which is distributed equally to everyone.
Capitalism is an economic system where resources — whether monetary or otherwise — are privately owned, whereas socialism is a system where goods are owned by the state or the public. Capitalism is founded on the belief that competition brings out the best in people.
Socialism, on the other hand, believes that cooperation is the best way for people to coexist. The main difference between these two economic systems is the distribution and earning of wealth. In capitalism, everyone works for his own wealth, while in socialism everyone works for wealth which is distributed equally to everyone.
The Mark Twain of Lake Worth Socialism?
Comment Up
Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor
and campaign funds from the rich
by promising to protect each from the other.
The Campaign Manager for candidate, Carla Blockson who is running against Cara Jennings in District 2, has the above quote on her Facebook page. Obviously she believes it or she wouldn't put it up there--right? Is this the same Diana Demarest who is/was the Secretary for the Democratic Executive Committee Palm Beach County, a Party for which I believe is getting more and more left in its thinking...maybe even scary left?
The quote is by Oscar Ameringer, a German by birth who immigrated to America and started the biggest Socialist movement in this country. He thought of himself as an anarchist at the time. Shudders. We have a few of them in Lake Worth. This is what you have to put up with when you are the land of the free and allow anyone to immigrate here--people who even want to overthrow our country or plant bombs in New York and just carry on about everything. Afterall, Socialism is certainly against our Capitalist principles.
According to Wikipedia, "Socialists generally share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates the wealth among a small segment of society that controls and derives its wealth through a system of exploitation." Of course, all the Socialists want the wealthy to be as poor as they are. They want all your chips.
Ameringer lived in Oklahoma and according to the Oklahoma Historical Society, "Ameringer synthesized Jeffersonian democratic principles, the frontier individualism of the Homestead Act, and Marxism in order to formulate “Industrial Democracy,” or “Industry of the People, by the People, and for the People.” He was friends with, and an ally of, moderate socialists such as Milwaukee's Victor Berger and more radical socialists such as the Socialist Party's presidential candidate, Eugene V. Debs. Ameringer advocated a tolerant, nonsectarian form of Marxism."
We are curious as to why the campaign manager for Ms. Blockson likes this quote. I wonder what Mayor Varela thinks about this as he is a Jeffersonian? Demarest was his campaign manager as well. (To get this credible in Ms. Demarest's eyes, she was the web master and behind the scenes person for the Varela campaign) I have to wonder what Lake Worth voters might think about it as Jennings is always accused of having Socialist values and her opponent advocates "stability" which suggests that Ms. Jennings is anything but. Are they perhaps two peas in the very same pod?
Sometimes when the genie is out of the bottle, you then, and only then, "know what you got." And sometimes, as we have found out, change is not so good, perhaps even worse than what we had before. It's like an old pair of shoes--often times they fit better, are more comfortable and there are no surprises.
Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poorand campaign funds from the rich
by promising to protect each from the other.
The Campaign Manager for candidate, Carla Blockson who is running against Cara Jennings in District 2, has the above quote on her Facebook page. Obviously she believes it or she wouldn't put it up there--right? Is this the same Diana Demarest who is/was the Secretary for the Democratic Executive Committee Palm Beach County, a Party for which I believe is getting more and more left in its thinking...maybe even scary left?
The quote is by Oscar Ameringer, a German by birth who immigrated to America and started the biggest Socialist movement in this country. He thought of himself as an anarchist at the time. Shudders. We have a few of them in Lake Worth. This is what you have to put up with when you are the land of the free and allow anyone to immigrate here--people who even want to overthrow our country or plant bombs in New York and just carry on about everything. Afterall, Socialism is certainly against our Capitalist principles.
According to Wikipedia, "Socialists generally share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates the wealth among a small segment of society that controls and derives its wealth through a system of exploitation." Of course, all the Socialists want the wealthy to be as poor as they are. They want all your chips.
Ameringer lived in Oklahoma and according to the Oklahoma Historical Society, "Ameringer synthesized Jeffersonian democratic principles, the frontier individualism of the Homestead Act, and Marxism in order to formulate “Industrial Democracy,” or “Industry of the People, by the People, and for the People.” He was friends with, and an ally of, moderate socialists such as Milwaukee's Victor Berger and more radical socialists such as the Socialist Party's presidential candidate, Eugene V. Debs. Ameringer advocated a tolerant, nonsectarian form of Marxism."
We are curious as to why the campaign manager for Ms. Blockson likes this quote. I wonder what Mayor Varela thinks about this as he is a Jeffersonian? Demarest was his campaign manager as well. (To get this credible in Ms. Demarest's eyes, she was the web master and behind the scenes person for the Varela campaign) I have to wonder what Lake Worth voters might think about it as Jennings is always accused of having Socialist values and her opponent advocates "stability" which suggests that Ms. Jennings is anything but. Are they perhaps two peas in the very same pod?
Sometimes when the genie is out of the bottle, you then, and only then, "know what you got." And sometimes, as we have found out, change is not so good, perhaps even worse than what we had before. It's like an old pair of shoes--often times they fit better, are more comfortable and there are no surprises.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Governor should Veto HB 131
For immediate release
May 15, 2010
For further information, contact:
John Hedrick, 850-339-5462
Joyce Tarnow, 954-593-3834
Citizens organizations are again calling upon Governor Crist to veto HB 131 because it could allow local governments to spend taxpayer dollars on campaigns to get taxpayers to vote how the government wants them to vote.
“That's just wrong,” says Joyce Tarnow, President of Floridians for a Sustainable Population. “We do not believe the governments have any business using voters’ own money to tell voters how to vote on an issue. Inevitably, you’re forcing people who do not agree with the politicians’ stance on an issue to subsidize a point of view that they oppose."
"Collectively, we and other citizens groups are asking voters to call or e-mail the Governor as soon as possible to ask him to once again strike down this measure and veto HB 131 -- at (850) 488-7146 or Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com," states Tarnow.
HB131, like the vetoed HB 1207 from earlier this year, threatens the law passed in 2009 that prohibits local governments from using taxpayer dollars to tell voters how to vote on ballot issues. If HB 131 removes that prohibition, a county commission could conduct an expensive campaign, at the taxpayers' expense, to get voters to vote, say, for higher taxes.
Specifically, current law now prohibits a local government from using public funds for a "political advertisement" or "electioneering communication" on a state or local referendum issue. (A "political advertisement" specifically urges voters to "Vote Yes" or Vote No," while an "electioneering communication" can fall just short of that.)
The problem with HB 131 is that it redefines the term "electioneering communication" to exclude ballot issues, or referenda, leaving the term “electioneering communication” to prohibit only campaigns for or against individual candidates.
If HB 131’s change is passed by the Governor, then the law will conflict with itself because the 2009 change already prohibits a local government from issuing "electioneering communication" on ballot issues, or referenda.
In this confusion, a city or county commission could argue that HB 131 now allows it to conduct an expensive, possibly one-sided, and deceptive campaign, at taxpayer expense, to get taxpayers to vote for higher taxes, or to vote as politicians want voters to vote on some other referendum, so long as the local government’s ads stop short of saying "Vote Yes" or "Vote No".
“Governor Crist should veto HB 131 to avoid this internal conflict in the law,” says John Hedrick, Chair of Panhandle Citizens Coalition. “He should also veto the bill to avoid the possibility that local governments will use the change to say that local governments can now use our taxpayer dollars to pay for propaganda to get us to vote the way they want, such as against Amendment 4, which 78% of the voters support if the election were held today.
Unquestionably, given the number of local government resolutions passed against Amendment 4, our opposition wants to get their hands on those millions of government dollars to fight Amendment 4. And it's already happened on other issues before now, in St. Petersburg and Tallahassee. This bill is a bold effort at government control of voting rights and the Governor needs to veto it again, just as he did on HB 1207 earlier this year.”
May 15, 2010
For further information, contact:
John Hedrick, 850-339-5462
Joyce Tarnow, 954-593-3834
Don't Use Taxpayer Dollars To Tell Us How To Vote
Governor Should Veto HB 131
Governor Should Veto HB 131
Citizens organizations are again calling upon Governor Crist to veto HB 131 because it could allow local governments to spend taxpayer dollars on campaigns to get taxpayers to vote how the government wants them to vote.
“That's just wrong,” says Joyce Tarnow, President of Floridians for a Sustainable Population. “We do not believe the governments have any business using voters’ own money to tell voters how to vote on an issue. Inevitably, you’re forcing people who do not agree with the politicians’ stance on an issue to subsidize a point of view that they oppose."
"Collectively, we and other citizens groups are asking voters to call or e-mail the Governor as soon as possible to ask him to once again strike down this measure and veto HB 131 -- at (850) 488-7146 or Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com," states Tarnow.
HB131, like the vetoed HB 1207 from earlier this year, threatens the law passed in 2009 that prohibits local governments from using taxpayer dollars to tell voters how to vote on ballot issues. If HB 131 removes that prohibition, a county commission could conduct an expensive campaign, at the taxpayers' expense, to get voters to vote, say, for higher taxes.
Specifically, current law now prohibits a local government from using public funds for a "political advertisement" or "electioneering communication" on a state or local referendum issue. (A "political advertisement" specifically urges voters to "Vote Yes" or Vote No," while an "electioneering communication" can fall just short of that.)
The problem with HB 131 is that it redefines the term "electioneering communication" to exclude ballot issues, or referenda, leaving the term “electioneering communication” to prohibit only campaigns for or against individual candidates.
If HB 131’s change is passed by the Governor, then the law will conflict with itself because the 2009 change already prohibits a local government from issuing "electioneering communication" on ballot issues, or referenda.
In this confusion, a city or county commission could argue that HB 131 now allows it to conduct an expensive, possibly one-sided, and deceptive campaign, at taxpayer expense, to get taxpayers to vote for higher taxes, or to vote as politicians want voters to vote on some other referendum, so long as the local government’s ads stop short of saying "Vote Yes" or "Vote No".
“Governor Crist should veto HB 131 to avoid this internal conflict in the law,” says John Hedrick, Chair of Panhandle Citizens Coalition. “He should also veto the bill to avoid the possibility that local governments will use the change to say that local governments can now use our taxpayer dollars to pay for propaganda to get us to vote the way they want, such as against Amendment 4, which 78% of the voters support if the election were held today.
Unquestionably, given the number of local government resolutions passed against Amendment 4, our opposition wants to get their hands on those millions of government dollars to fight Amendment 4. And it's already happened on other issues before now, in St. Petersburg and Tallahassee. This bill is a bold effort at government control of voting rights and the Governor needs to veto it again, just as he did on HB 1207 earlier this year.”
Senate Bill 1196
Ok, there is another side of the argument of Bill 1196 that was just passed put out by the Cyber Citzens for Justice. "As enrolled, the bill won’t solve the serious financial problems. The condo owners will have to continue to finance the losses caused by the bankers' irresponsible lending practices -- a situation that will bankrupt even more families."
This disputes my argument and I am all ears.
HOSTED BY - ERIC M. GLAZER, ESQUIRE
SUNDAYS AT NOON:
ON NEWS RADIO 610 WIOD in SOUTH FLORIDA
ON THE INTERNET: at 12:05
STUDIO CALL-IN NUMBER: 1-866-610-NEWS
This disputes my argument and I am all ears.
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