Change In Tallahassee

Florida Redistricting Map Update

2012-01-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Redistricting Roundup:

FL Redistricting: Florida's Senate Reapportionment Committee released an updated congressional redistricting proposal on Friday, which makes a few tweaks to the map they published in late November. You can view the latest map here.

Jeb Bush's Attack on Public Schools

2011-12-20T09:21:00.001-05:00

IN JUNE 2010, FORMER FLORIDA Gov. Jeb Bush traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to give the commencement speech for the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, the state's largest virtual charter school. ECOT, which provides K-12 online education for kids who never set foot inside a classroom, was celebrating its 10th anniversary and its largest graduating class—nearly 2,000 kids. Naturally, the event, held on the campus of Ohio State University, was webcast for those who couldn't make it.

Bush served up the usual graduation platitudes about the future. Then he hit on the reason he was saluting this particular school: digital learning. It was, he said, nothing short of a revolutionary approach, a way to meet "the unique needs of each student so that their God-given abilities are maximized, so they can pursue their dreams armed with the power of knowledge."

READ MORE....

Poll shows Dave Aronberg trouncing State Attorney Michael McAuliffe

2011-12-16T13:15:00.000-05:00

By: Jack Furnari

Source: BIZPAC Review

A poll taken in late August shows former state Sen. Dave Aronberg trouncing current Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup for the job as the county's top prosecutor.

The poll, taken Aug. 23-25, surveyed 400 Palm Beach County Democratic primary voters and found that if the election were held today, Aronberg would get 42 percent of the votes to McAuliffe's 27 percent, with 32 percent undecided. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

Aronberg, a Harvard Law School graduate, represented parts of Palm Beach and four other counties as a state senator from 2002-2010. He then ran for and lost the Democratic nomination for Florida attorney general to Dan Gelber, a Miami Democrat who lost the general election to the current attorney general, Republican Pam Bondi.

But soon after the 2010 elections, Aronberg joined Bondi's team as a special counsel helping to lead what became a very successful crackdown on pill mills. The popular Democrat hasn't said whether he will jump into the state attorney's race next fall, and some have wondered whether he would leave the post in Bondi's office.

Meanwhile, the one-term state attorney has drawn some negative attention from critics. The Florida Commission on Ethics recently dismissed a complaint accusing McAuliffe of dropping police brutality-related charges to curry favor with, and the endorsement of, the Police Benevolent Association for his reelection campaign.

The ethics charge may have been dropped, but McAuliffe suffered a major drop in fundraising last quarter as rumors of an Aronberg candidacy spread, and political insiders consider him vulnerable.

Feds deny Florida’s request to phase in health insurance profit cap

2011-12-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

The federal government announced today that it has denied Florida’s request to phase in a medical loss ratio (MLR) requirement for health insurance companies.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency has “determined that the evidence presented does not establish a reasonable likelihood that the application of the 80 percent MLR standard will destabilize the Florida individual market. Consequently, we have determined not to adjust the MLR standard in the Florida individual market and, thereby, ensure that consumers receive the full benefit of this provision of the Affordable Care Act.”

We encourage all who are Florida Democrats to fill out this survey.

2011-10-31T10:42:00.000-04:00

We encourage all who are Florida Democrats to fill out this survey. The FDP is putting together a platform and wants your input. This will outline what we believe in as a party, and what we'll fight for.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dDN0TGI1M1ctQXJKdXBnejYzTnAzRXc6MQ#gid=0

Ron@RonMills.us

Scott: Occupy Wall Street protesters ‘frustrated with where the world is going’ | Florida Independent

2011-10-19T10:18:00.000-04:00

Gov. Rick Scott (Pic via flgov.com)

In an interview on Fox 13 this week, Gov. Rick Scott said that Occupy Wall Street protesters are “frustrated with where the world is going” and compared them to his supporters, who “believe government kills jobs.”

While there is not one agreed-upon message among protesters rallying in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, politicians and pundits have tried to pin down the group’s beliefs. Conservative pundits and politicians have referred to the movement as a “communist plot” or “class warfare.”

In his interview on FOX 13, when asked about the protests, Scott said he thinks “people are frustrated with where the world is going.”

“In my race,” he said, “the biggest frustration people had is jobs — and they are frustrated because they believe government kills jobs, whether it’s taxes or regulation or permitting.”

He also said he won his race because he had “a plan for jobs.” His plan, however, has been the center of attention because he recently walked back from a central metric for his plan.

“I think we are going to solve these issues (and I am glad people come out and tell us what they think) by creating an environment where people can get jobs,” Scott told Fox.

Rep. David Rivera's fundraising down in wake of ethics, criminal probes

2011-10-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

Multiple criminal investigations have slammed the brakes on Rep. David Rivera’s (R-Fla.) fundraising efforts as members of the House Republican leadership have distanced themselves from the embattled freshman.

The FBI, IRS, Miami-Dade police public corruption unit, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement are all investigating Rivera over allegations that he abused his former seat in Florida’s state House of Representatives for personal financial gain, and repeatedly lied on financial disclosure forms.

Rivera’s office has denied any wrongdoing and a spokesperson for the Rivera for Congress campaign told The Hill the lawmaker has no concerns over his ability to raise money for the 2012 election and that he is planning to begin actively fundraising next year when Florida finalizes its redistricting.

READ MORE.....

Progressive Group Blitzes Republicans Gathered In Florida With ‘Let Him Die’ Moment

2011-09-22T12:06:00.002-04:00

There’s a myriad of Republican events here this week, from aCPAC convention to a massive gathering of state GOP members to a nationally-televised presidential debate. And a group of progressives intent on preserving the 2010 health care law hopes to cast a pall over all of them with a reminder of an ugly moment from the last time the Republican candidates for president stopped off in the Sunshine State.

Protect Your Care, which has been keeping the fire burning on the “let him die” moment from the Sept. 12 tea party debate in Tampa, is turning the heat up to 11 with events and a new TV ad that will broadcast for the rest of the week in Orlando, including during Thursday’s Fox News debate.

The hard-hitting TV ad attacks the presidential contenders for their open courtship of the tea party, which Protect Your Care says is exemplified in the moment when the candidates “stood silent” while members of the audience cheered on the idea of letting an uninsured man die.

Scott may reject $7.5 billion for schools, roads other projects

2011-09-10T15:20:00.000-04:00

Despite a 10.7 percent unemployment rate that is higher than the national average, Scott and GOP legislative leaders have criticized Obama's plan. ... Florida could stand to receive more than $7.5 billion for schools, roads and other projects.

Gov. Rick Scott and top Republicans are sending early signals they could reject the billions in federal aid that could flow to the state under President Barack Obama's jobs proposal.

Despite a 10.7 percent unemployment rate that is higher than the national average, Scott and GOP legislative leaders have criticized Obama's plan. And that didn't change Friday when more details began to emerge.

The governor and lawmakers have the power to block parts of the proposal if it's enacted by Congress. A state-by-state breakdown of the president's plan shows that Florida could stand to receive more than $7.5 billion for schools, roads and other projects.

Stop the budget cuts before it's too late!

2011-03-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

Heads up: Congress is debating a budget plan that would be devastating to Florida. Will you pass this along?

Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio need to hear from all of us about it right now, before they cut a deal in the next few days.

Please spread the word about all of these proposed cuts to Florida:

$64 million would be cut from federal funds for clean and safe water in Florida.¹
6,100 Florida children would be immediately cut from Head Start, which provides comprehensive early childhood development services for at-risk children ages zero to five.²
$368 million would be cut from Pell Grants, affecting all 565,000 higher education students with those grants in Florida.³
Job training and employment services would be effectively eliminated for 5,700 dislocated workers, 6,000 low-income adults, and 15,000 youths age 14 to 21.⁴
$9.6 million would be cut from law enforcement assistance, taking cops off the beat.⁵

It's especially galling when the same budget protects tax breaks for corporations like GE and the very rich.

Just last night the news broke that Congress may be close to striking a deal on the budget. Now is the only time we can influence the outcome.

Can you call Sens. Nelson and Rubio and ask them to oppose these cuts in the budget? You can pick one of the cuts in this list to highlight in your call.

Senator Bill Nelson
Phone: 202-224-5274

Senator Marco Rubio
Phone: 202-224-3041

Click to report your call. Then pass this email along locally!

http://pol.moveon.org/call/index.html?cp_id=1547&tg=FSFL_1.FSFL_2&id=&t=1

The cuts that the Republicans are proposing would disproportionately hit those who can least afford it in Florida, and it's up to us to stop them.

Thanks for all you do.

-Daniel, Amy, Milan, Tate, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "House Bill Means Fewer Children in Head Start, Less Help for Students to Attend College, Less Job Training, and Less Funding for Clean Water," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March, 1, 2010
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3405

2. "Projected Reduction in Children Served in Head Start Based on H.R. 1—Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution," Center for Law and Social Policy
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207278&id=26722-7252522-o9uXoix&t=3

3. "House Bill Means Fewer Children in Head Start, Less Help for Students to Attend College, Less Job Training, and Less Funding for Clean Water," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, March, 1, 2010
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3405

4. Ibid

5. Ibid

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Shari McCartney received the endorsement of Florida State Senator Chris Smith

2011-03-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Shari McCartney received the endorsement of Florida State Senator Chris Smith. McCartney said " I am so honored to have the support of a great servant of our state for over a decade" The Oakland Park Commission Election election is on March 8th , 2011.

For more information visit: http://ElectShari.com

Rep. Rick Kriseman Files Legislation To Empower Floridians To Recall Politicians

2011-02-16T14:22:00.000-05:00

In an effort to shift the balance of power from politicians to the people they represent, Representative Rick Kriseman (D-St. Petersburg) today filed legislation to permit the recall of state officials.

Florida currently allows for the recall of local elected officials, but there is no provision in state law to allow for the recall of state officials. House Joint Resolution 785 and House Bill 787, both sponsored by Representative Kriseman, would allow the public to recall from office Florida legislators, members of the Florida Cabinet, governor and lieutenant governor.

“Engaged citizens deserve the tools to hold their public servants accountable without having to wait for the next election,” said Representative Kriseman. “Honest and dedicated elected officials will have nothing to fear from the implementation of this important proposal, and I am confident that my colleagues will support its passage.”

HJR 785 allows for a petition to recall a statewide official, requiring signatures be collected from each of the 67 counties, and the signatures equal 15 percent of the total votes cast in the last election for the office. A petition to recall a member of the Florida Legislature would require signatures from 20 percent of the total votes cast in the last election for the office.

If HJR 785 is approved by the Legislature, voters will be asked on the November 2012 General Election ballots to amend the state constitution with the recall provision. House Bill 787 would create a statutory recall provision. Read more....

STATEMENT BY REP. MARK PAFFORD, DEMOCRATIC RANKING MEMBER HOUSE HEALTH CARE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNOR SCOTT’S HALT TO HEALTH CARE INSURA

2011-02-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

"At a time when Florida residents will soon be able to access affordable health insurance on their own terms, the decision by Florida to return the money that will help the state implement health insurance reform is just flat wrong.

“The decision by the Governor and the Insurance Commissioner to stop implementing the reforms squarely puts the state on the side of the insurance industry over Florida taxpayers. By denying Floridians the important health reforms enacted in the Affordable Care Act, the state's residents and small businesses would be denied critical new benefits of the law, like protections against insurance industry abuses and new coverage options.

“Without the Affordable Care Act, nearly 3.2 million seniors in Florida who have Medicare coverage would be forced to pay a co-pay to receive important preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, and more than 182,000 individuals on Medicare would see significantly higher prescription drug costs.”

“In Florida, 182,672 Medicare beneficiaries received a one-time, tax-free two-hundred-fifty dollar rebate to help pay for prescription drugs in the `donut hole’ coverage gap in 2010. Medicare beneficiaries who fall into the “donut hole” in 2011 will be eligible for 50-percent discounts on covered brand name prescription drugs.

“Without the law, the burden of high prescription drug costs would hurt millions of Medicare beneficiaries across the country.”

Rep. Mark Pafford, Democratic ranking member of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee

Contact Rep. Pafford

COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE ACT

2011-01-26T12:18:00.000-05:00

LEGISLATION AIMS TO BRING JOBS TO FLORIDA
Representative Scott Randolph (D-Orlando) filed a bill today that aims to bring jobs to Florida. The Competitive Workforce Act (H.B. 361) would prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace, including sexual orientation.

According to Human Rights Campaign, diversity is good for business. Eighty-seven percent of Fortune 500 Companies include sexual orientation provisions in their anti-discrimination policies. In a modern market place, a fully inclusive anti-discrimination policy allows businesses to be more competitive.

Florida law fails to protect all Floridians against workplace discrimination. The Competitive Workforce Act will not only ensure equal protection for all Floridians, it will make Florida a more attractive location for business investments.

“In a time of serious economic hardship, it is imperative that we do everything we can to encourage economic growth and investment,” Representative Scott Randolph said. “This bill promotes smart business practices that will attract employers to our state and create jobs. The Competitive Workforce Act seeks to move Florida forward.”

Florida Democrats Announces Select Committee Charged With Drafting 2012 Delegate Selection Plan

2011-01-20T17:17:00.000-05:00

Chairman Smith Announces Select Committee Charged With Drafting 2012 Delegate Selection Plan

Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith is pleased to announce today the appointment of the Select Committee on Delegate Selection.

“Today, as we begin working on the 2012 delegate selection process, I am pleased to announce the appointment of our Select Committee on Delegate Selection. Led by Florida Democratic Party Secretary Rick Boylan, this committee is charged with drafting the plan for selecting Florida’s delegation to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.”

Specifically, the Select Committee on Delegate Selection will develop a plan that complies with the rules set by the Democratic National Committee and reflects the great diversity of the Sunshine State.

Additionally, Chairman Smith is appointing Ron Mills of Broward County to Chair the subcommittee responsible for drafting the Affirmative Action, Outreach and Inclusion Plan, which will ensure Florida’s delegation has broad representation by all of the Party’s constituencies.

Select Committee on Delegate Selection Members include:

Florida Democratic Party Secretary Rick Boylan – Chair

Orange County Democratic Party Chair Amy Mercado – Vice-Chair

Florida Democratic Party Affirmative Action Committee Chair Adora Obi Nweze

Collier County State Committeeman Chuck Mohlke

Hillsborough County State Committeewoman Sally Phillips

Florida Democratic Party Vice Chair Alison Morano

Florida Democratic Party First Vice Chair Rhett Bullard

Commissioner Andrew Gillium

Duval County State Committeeman Ray Alfred

Hillsborough County State Committeeman Alan Clendenin

-###-

Can you call Sen. Rubio and ask him to support rules reform to end abuse of the filibuster?

2011-01-05T12:53:00.001-05:00

Remember when Jimmy Stewart takes the Senate floor in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and refuses to cede it until he's made his point? That's how filibusters are supposed to work: A principled senator would stand up in the light of day to stop the majority from doing something bad.

These days, though, filibusters—the procedure that the minority party in the Senate uses to block a majority favored bill—don't work that way. All it takes is one anonymous objection from a single senator to trigger a filibuster. In fact, in the 1960s, only 8% of all bills were blocked by a filibuster—but since 2006 that has ballooned to more than 70%.¹

Now, Senators Tom Udall and Jeff Merkley are pushing for rule changes that would end the abuse of the filibuster. Those changes could come up for a vote as soon as this week. So we need to speak out right away to show how important this reform is to voters at home. Can you call Sen. Rubio and ask him to support rules reform to end abuse of the filibuster?

Here's where to call:

Senator Marco Rubio
Phone: 202-224-3041

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSFL_2&cp_id=1514&id=25708-2954536-HZcETQx&t=3

This vote is not about ending the filibuster or crushing minority rights in government. It's about returning our government to a more democratic and transparent process.

In the last two Congressional terms Democrats have had to overcome more than 275 filibusters—the most in history.²

Here's what the New York Times says is on the table for rules reform:³

"No lazy filibusters. At least 10 senators would have to file a filibuster petition, and members would have to speak continuously on the floor to keep the filibuster going. To ensure the seriousness of the attempt, the requirements would grow each day: five senators would have to hold the floor for the first day, 10 the second day, etc. Those conducting the filibuster would thus have to make their case on camera. (A cloture vote of 60 senators would still be required to break the blockade.)

"Fewer bites of the apple. Republicans now routinely filibuster not only the final vote on a bill, but the initial motion to even debate it, as well as amendments and votes on conference committees. Breaking each of these filibusters adds days or weeks to every bill. The plan would limit filibusters to the actual passage of a bill.

"Minority amendments. Harry Reid, the majority leader, frequently prevents Republicans from offering amendments because he fears they will lead to more opportunities to filibuster. Republicans say they mount filibusters because they are precluded from offering amendments. This situation would be resolved by allowing a fixed number of amendments from each side on a bill, followed by a fixed amount of debate on each one."

Please call Sen. Rubio today and ask him to support rules reform to end abuse of the filibuster.

STATEMENT OF RON MILLS, PRESIDENT OF DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS, ON THE PASSAGE OF DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL REPEAL

2010-12-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

STATEMENT OF RON MILLS, PRESIDENT OF DOLPHIN DEMOCRATS,

ON THE PASSAGE OF DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL REPEAL

Ron Mills, president of the Dolphin Democrats, Florida’s oldest and largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Democratic club, issued the following statement on the passage of legislation to repeal the ban on openly-gay members serving in the military:

“Our nation was founded on the concept of equality for all, and yet equality for gay and lesbian Americans is still a work in progress. Today, with the US Senate’s passage of legislation to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, those gay and lesbian Americans who wish to serve their country without hiding their true identities are one step closer to equality.

“All 10 of Florida’s congressional Democrats in the House voted to repeal the ban earlier this week, joined by Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lincoln Diaz-Balart. We thank them for recognizing that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell had to go. We also thank Senator Bill Nelson for his vote against the ban.

“The Dolphin Democrats have been out front in fighting for repeal, working with the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus and National Stonewall Democrats. But this should not be seen as a partisan victory – rather, it is a victory shared by all Americans that underscores our true values.

“There are still many more key pieces of legislation lingering in Washington guaranteeing the LGBT community is ensured equality, but today we will celebrate the repeal of the discriminatory ban on openly gay men and women serving in the military. It’s a wonderful holiday gift for all Americans.”

Ron Mills

President, Dolphin Democrats

http://DolphinDems.org

FL Incoming Teabaggers Cells and emails

2010-11-12T21:14:00.002-05:00

The Tea Party Patriots have published the cells and emails of incoming Tea Party favorites so I thought I will do them a favor and send them out to you
Florida Tea Party Freshmen

FL-02 Steve Southerland - (850) 258-9082 - steve@southerlandforcongress.com
FL-05 Richard Nugent - (352) 428-0924 - Richard_Nugent1@msn.com
FL-08 Daniel Webster - (407) 947-5376 - senator_webster@yahoo.com
FL-12 Dennis Ross - (863) 255-1048 - Dross71803@aol.com
FL-22 Allen West - (954) 288-6934 - gowest@allenwestforcongress.com
FL-24 Sandy Adams - (321) 303-9214 - sadams4flhr33@aol.com
FL-25 David Rivera - (786) 258-2222 - Rivera2004@comcast.net

Thurman Statement on Bud Chiles Withdrawing From Governor's Race

2010-09-01T16:37:00.001-04:00

Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman released the following statement reacting to Bud Chiles announcement that he is withdrawing from the Governor's race:

"During his campaign for governor, Bud Chiles reminded Floridians of the values he and his family have dedicated lifetimes of service to our state fighting for -- such as cleaning up the Republican culture of corruption in Tallahassee, working to improve Florida's public schools, and advocating for children across the Sunshine State.

"By withdrawing from the race and supporting Alex Sink, Bud allows Floridians to be fully united behind Alex, the new and different leader we need to bring jobs to our state using her 26 years of business experience."

FLORIDA HIV/AIDS ADVOCATES APPLAUD SENATOR NELSON’S CALL FOR ROBUST FEDERAL ADAP FUNDING

2010-08-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

Dave Aronberg for Florida Attorney General.

2010-08-08T18:33:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends:

Please join me in supporting Democrat Dave Aronberg for Florida Attorney General.

When it comes to human rights, Florida is way behind the curve. That’s why we need a passionate, energetic Dave Aronberg as our next AG – and not just another candidate from the political establishment. Dave has shaken up the status quo throughout his career as an Assistant Attorney General and then as a State Senator.

As a Senator, Dave represents a district that is only about 39% Democratic – stretching from West Palm Beach to Fort Myers. Yet Dave was one of the leading voices in the legislature to call for specific GLBT protections in our State’s anti-bullying law, and helped ensure that the law’s legislative history included such protection. In fact, he was the only Senator to publicly stand with Ryan Skipper’s parents to help pass this important law. See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9DW0iVsQG4.

Dave has been one of the leading voices against Florida’s ban on gay adoption and has co-sponsored bills to repeal the law. As Attorney General, Dave has publicly announced that he will end the State’s litigation to defend this “immoral” and “unconstitutional” ban.

In 2008, even as he was fighting for his own re-election against a well-funded Republican challenger in a competitive Senate district, Dave served on the Red and Blue Advisory Board to attempt to defeat Amendment 2.

And when Leon County was debating a landmark civil rights ordinance earlier this year, Dave Aronberg (at my request), put his campaign schedule on hold and traveled to Tallahassee to speak up for the ordinance, which then passed into law.

This is why Dave Aronberg has been endorsed by such leaders in our community as Broward Mayor Ken Keechl and GLBT Democratic Caucus President Michael Albetta, along with many others (including me- Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus Financial Director) who want action and not just talk.

This crucial election is August 24th. The turnout is expected to be low, so we can make a real difference in this race.

For more on Dave Aronberg and his campaign to change Florida as our next Attorney General, please visit www.davearonberg.com.

Sincerely,

Jeff G. Peters, Esq.

The GOP Tea Party Contract On America

2010-07-28T20:30:00.001-04:00

1. Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Health Insurance Reform)

Put insurance companies back in charge, repeal tax credits for small businesses, allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions and to drop coverage when a person gets too sick and make prescription drugs for seniors less affordable.

2. Privatize Social Security or phase it out altogether

Turn the guaranteed retirement benefits of America's seniors over to Wall Street CEOs by putting Social Security at risk in the stock market or, as some Republicans have called for, phase out Social Security altogether and end a program millions of American seniors rely on for their survival.

3. End Medicare as it presently exists

Phase out and end Medicare as it presently exists for future generations of seniors -- ending Medicare's guaranteed healthcare benefits for more than 40 million American seniors -- and replace it with a voucher system which will result in higher premiums and fewer services for seniors.

4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil

At a cost of nearly $700 billion, extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and big oil, which are set to expire and which have and will continue to explode the federal budget deficit.

5. Repeal Wall Street Reform

Roll back the toughest consumer protections ever enacted, allow banks to continue to grow too big to fail, and ensure that predatory lenders continue to utilize their most abusive practices.

6. Protect those responsible for the oil spill and future environmental catastrophes

Cap liabilities for those responsible for environmental disasters like the Gulf oil spill and let companies like BP decide which victims deserve compensation for the disaster and what the timeline for relief should be.

7. Abolish the Department of Education

Put the big banks back in charge of student loans and put an end to federal assistance for public schools.

8. Abolish the Department of Energy

End America's investments in a clean-energy future and disband the organization responsible for oversight of nuclear materials.

9. Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency

Gut the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act -- which together protect our kids from air pollution and keep drinking water safe -- and disband the watchdog that holds polluters accountable.

10. Repeal the 17th Amendment

Take away your right to pick your U.S. Senator.

SOURCE

Aronberg outraises all in A.G. Race

2010-07-23T21:10:00.000-04:00

—Dave Aronberg—$264,000 in cash, slightly better than his previous two quarters, plus $115,000 in-kind from the party. That brings him to a total of about $1.2 million cash for the campaign plus $200,000 in-kind.

—Dan Gelber – His campaign announced he raised $165,000 cash in the quarter—a drop from his previous three quarters—plus $115,000 in-kind, for a total of slightly more than $1 million for the campaign so far.

Alex Sink widens lead in poll

2010-07-21T14:42:00.000-04:00

According to the results from the latest Public Policy Polling survey found Alex Sink with a six point lead on Rick Scott and a 14 point lead over Bill McCollum.

Highlight from the press release about the poll:

"Scott and McCollum both have very poor favorability numbers. Their primary battle has completely turned off Democrats and independents, and Republicans aren't seeing them very positively either. 23% of voters have a favorable opinion of Scott while 41% view him unfavorably. While only 34% of Republicans view him positively,40% of independents and 52% of Democrats see him unfavorably. McCollum's numbers are even worse. Only 16% have a favorable opinion of him with 51% holding a negative one. Just 27% of GOP voters see him favorably, while 59% of Democrats and 57% of independents have an unfavorable opinion of him."

Read the rest of the release at SunSentinel.com.

REPRESENTATIVE ALAN WILLIAMS INTRODUCES A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES DURING SPECIAL SESSION

2010-07-19T20:01:00.002-04:00

A special session of the state legislature will begin on Tuesday to consider a constitutional ban on offshore oil drilling in Florida waters. Florida has struggled with crafting a policy developing renewable energy sources over the past three years. Representative Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee) today sent a letter to Speaker of the Florida House, Larry Cretul and President of the Florida Senate, Jeff Atwater for inclusion of a renewable portfolio standards constitutional amendment in the July 20-23 special session.

The legislature should expand the call of the Special Session on the crisis in the Gulf and design a meaningful renewable energy policy for our state. Rep. Williams filed, HJR43C relating to Renewable Energy Sources outside the governor’s call on today. The legislation is modeled after legislation passed during the 2009 legislative session, championed by the late Senator Jim King. The constitutional amendment will allow voters the opportunity to establish that 20-pecent of Florida electricity be generated by renewable sources by 2020. “This constitutional amendment will allow voters the control of reframing energy sources for Florida. Our state needs real and comprehensive energy reform now, it’s too important for our future and we can’t allow this opportunity to pass us by. I strongly believe that the answer to our growing energy needs is a renewable portfolio standard for our state.”

“A renewable portfolio standard can put Florida at the forefront of developing a Green Collar Economy that will create thousands of green jobs and careers, said Rep. Williams.” Considering the costs and benefits of renewable energy sources the results will show that the Florida can meet a significant share of its electricity needs from renewable resources at a modest cost. Our state can’t afford another oil spill catastrophe. We cannot continue investing resources overseas for foreign oil. Developing renewable energy standards will provide Florida with immediate environmental benefits, decrease our dependency of foreign oil and create jobs for the State. True democracy is ruled by the people.”

__._,_.___

2 of 2 File(s)

repwilliamsrenewablepresser.PDF

repwilliamsspsnltr.PDF

Congressman Ted Deutch has endorsed Dave Aronberg for Attorney General.

2010-07-19T14:39:00.001-04:00

I am proud to announce that Congressman Ted Deutch has endorsed our campaign for Attorney General.

“I served alongside Dave Aronberg in the Florida Senate for three years, and during that time I witnessed firsthand Dave’s commitment to fighting consumer fraud and protecting the safety of all Floridians. He is one of the strongest consumer advocates in Florida government, and after eight years in the hands of Republicans, it's time we had a strong Democrat in the Office of Attorney General who will stand up for of all Floridians."

--Congressman Ted Deutch

Congressman Deutch served with both me and my opponent in the Florida Senate, and I am honored and humbled to receive his support in this race. He and my supporters know that as Florida’s next Attorney General, I will put public policy over politics, and return the AG's focus to public safety and consumer protection -- as it was under my old boss, AG Bob Butterworth.

Congressman Deutch joins Congressman Ron Klein, 14 Democratic Sheriffs, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Benevolent Association, and many other Democratic legislators and local government officials who have endorsed our campaign.

But the most important endorsement will come from you. We are only 5 weeks away from the election. Join our team and let's make the Attorney General the people's lawyer once again!

Thank you, Congressman Deutch -- and to all of you for your ongoing support and friendship throughout this campaign to change Florida.

Sincerely,

Florida must have attorney general who can sue BP

2010-07-19T11:30:00.003-04:00

As a horrified nation watches daily news reports of oil washing up on our shores, it has become clear, as President Obama said, that this is “the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced.”

The oil spill also presents the most important legal issue facing our state’s next attorney general, who will have to lead the state’s legal response to the actions of BP, Halliburton and Transocean. In my opinion, Florida’s next attorney general should not have worked for BP’s law firm.

For almost two months, the law firm Dan Gelber worked for until this month has been retained to represent BP in Florida. Because of this potential conflict of interest, I have serious concerns about the ability of my opponent in the Democratic primary to represent Florida against BP as attorney general. I fully realized that in raising this issue I would be accused of negative campaigning – as The Post did in a July 13 editorial. I strongly disagree.

I am tired of personal attacks in politics. But when the No. 1 issue facing the next attorney general is the impending lawsuit against BP, it is crucial to know that one of the attorney general candidates may be disqualified from leading the charge against BP. You don’t have to be a lawyer to see the potential conflict of interest when someone works for BP’s law firm and then sues BP as Florida attorney general.

If Dan Gelber is elected attorney general, can anyone doubt that BP’s first legal maneuver will be to remove him from the case? If BP succeeds, it means that one of the most important lawsuits in the history of our state will be relegated to outside counsel. Win or lose, these legal maneuvers will mean delays for Floridians who have lost their livelihoods and their homes because of BP’s oil spill.

Whether Florida’s next attorney general can sue BP is not only a relevant issue – it is the most important issue of this campaign.

SEN. DAVE ARONBERG

Greenacres

VOTE NAKED IN 2010

2010-07-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Legions of pajama-clad voters could decide Florida's ballot long before the August primary.

Elections officials began mailing out hundreds of thousands of vote-by-mail ballots this week, creating an unprecedented army of absentee voters in an unpredictable election year rattled by vulnerable incumbents, a desolate economy and the sudden emergence of two wealthy political upstarts.

With the ballots poised to arrive weeks before a slate of scheduled debates or other opportunities for voters to learn about the candidates, the emergence of the home as the polling place of choice for so many voters lends further uncertainty to a year already testing many of Florida's political traditions.

"There's no such thing as election day in Florida anymore," said Eric Jotkoff, a spokesman for the Florida Democratic Party. "It's election month."

Florida voters have steadily abandoned traditional polling sites for pre-election day voting options in recent years, particularly during President Barack Obama's 2008 grass roots campaign. What is new this year is the concerted effort behind the change. Political parties, election officials and the candidates themselves are all making a hard push for absentee ballots, with startling results:

• The Pinellas County supervisor of elections has fielded requests for 234,000 absentee ballots so far this year, compared to 78,268 requests during the 2008 primary.

• Hernando County reported 6,377 absentee ballots requests this year, compared to 4,728 requests during the 2008 primary.

• In Broward County, 19,011 absentee voters returned their vote-by-mail ballots during the 2008 primary. This year, the office has fielded 65,522 absentee requests.

"You can vote from the privacy of your home, you can get on the computer, you can look up candidates and Google," said Pasco Elections Supervisor Brian Corley, who sent out 18,458 absentee ballots last week, a far jump from the 6,429 Pasco voters who returned vote-by-mail ballots in the 2008 primary. "It's a huge convenience."

And the ranks of absentee voters are expected to keep growing. Voters can request vote-by-mail ballots up until roughly a week before the election.

"It basically means if you thought you had until Aug. 24 to do your promotions, now you really have until July 15 to lock down your votes," said Elizabeth Tetreault, campaign director for Maurice Ferre, an underdog candidate in the crowded U.S. Senate Democratic primary. "It's going to be very different."

To be sure, not every voter who receives an absentee ballot will vote by mail. As in previous years, voters can wait and vote on election day or they can vote up to two weeks early at sites set by the county elections offices.

That hasn't deterred the raft of political insiders doing everything possible to ensure that votes are cast soon.

Operatives from the state Republican and Democratic parties have asked local party officials to promote absentee ballots. Campaigns have directed squads of volunteers to sell their candidates through telephone pitches aimed at voters slated to receive absentee ballots. Candidates are appearing more frequently on television and through direct mail advertisements.

"That's intentional," said David Bishop, a spokesman for Jeff Kottkamp's attorney general campaign, which began airing television ads in the Tampa Bay and Orlando media markets last week. The lieutenant governor faces two rivals in August's heated Republican primary and needs absentee votes if he is going to advance to the general election, Bishop said. "We think they will play a critical role in who wins the primary."

Republicans historically outnumber Democrats in absentee voting, which tends to favor candidates whose names are familiar. But with the arrival of Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rick Scott and U.S. Senate Democratic contender Jeff Greene, two newcomers flush with cash, it's unclear what will happen.

"Floridians are hungry for someone who is not a career politician," said Jennifer Baker, a spokesman for the Scott campaign, which has flooded markets across the state with ads.

Candidates of every ilk have quickly learned the system. They call elections offices for constant updates. Once a voter returns an absentee ballot, the person is dropped from a campaign's contact list, at least until the general election.

In some instances, campaigns use this as a selling point, informing voters overwhelmed by direct mailers and robocalls that they'll be left alone once they submit their ballots.

Another incentive for campaigns to encourage early voting is that last-minute accusations from the opposing camp have less power if lots of voters have already cast their ballots.

It's a stark change from years past, when only a smattering of Florida voters — those able to show a need — were allowed to vote by absentee ballot. That requirement was eliminated during a rash of election reforms ushered in after the debacle of the 2000 election, where Florida's ability to count votes became an international joke.

Absentee ballots were consequently rebranded "vote by mail" ballots, and elections supervisors hosted public meetings to counter rumors that absentee ballots were counted only in close elections, if at all.

"Why stand in line for the same ballot you can have mailed to your home?" Pinellas County's supervisor of elections website tells voters.

Election officials say voter ease is a top priority, but they, too, consider absentee ballots useful.

"It allows us to do really good planning," said Craig Latimer, the chief of staff for the Hillsborough elections office, which saw pre-election voting options outpace Election Day votes for the first time in 2008. "We know how many have gone out, but we also know how many have come back.

REQUEST A VOTE BY MAIL BALLOT

source

Florida Bill Seeks to Further Limit Sex Offender Proximity to Children

2010-07-13T11:28:00.000-04:00

Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed a recent bill that targeted criminals convicted of sex-related crimes.

A Senator Stood Alone One Florida legislator, Senator Dave Aronberg, tried to include additional provisions in this bill to actually remove or repeal some of the current residence restrictions for sexual predators. He stated that, "Sex offenders have been pushed underground. They go homeless, don't report and they roam our streets. This is a very dangerous situation. We need more standardization and we need to keep our streets safer." Aronberg's provision, which had to be stricken for the bill to pass, sought to increase the distance sexual criminals have to live from schools and daycare facilities from 1,000 to 2,500 feet. Aronberg's attempt here was to try to make all the state and local laws regulation where sex offenders could live more consistent, which would give these individuals a better chance to successfully rehabilitate.

Read More........

Sen. Eleanor Sobel Endorses Dave Aronberg For A.G.

2010-07-13T10:29:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

It is with great pleasure that I proudly endorse Dave Aronberg for Attorney General.

As a State Senator, I have served with both AG candidates in this race. I have chosen to support Dave Aronberg because he has dedicated his entire career to public safety and consumer protection -- and has the results to prove it. A former Assistant Attorney General, he has been called the strongest consumer advocate in state government by two different newspapers.

He is law enforcement's clear choice in this race, as he has been endorsed by 14 Democratic Sheriffs, the FOP and the PBA. Indeed, he will use his boundless energy and tireless work ethic to be one of the best Attorney Generals this state has ever seen.

And when it comes to one of the most important lawsuits in Florida history -- the impending litigation against BP -- Dave Aronberg will be the tough and aggressive AG that we need to make sure that the polluters pay.

I don't often get involved in Democratic primaries, but Dave Aronberg is too impressive and this race is too important to remain silent.

With the crucial fundraising deadline approaching on Friday, please make a donation and let Dave know you stand with the top consumer advocate in Florida!

With Best Regards,

Senator Eleanor Sobel

SENATOR DAVE ARONBERG RENEWS CALL TO RECOUP MILLIONS FROM WELLCARE

2010-07-08T12:54:00.002-04:00

Greenacres Democrat questions why Florida balks at corporate misdeeds, while targeting senior citizens for fraud

TALLAHASSEE – State Senator Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres) on Thursday renewed his call on Attorney General Bill McCollum to intervene in a pending settlement with healthcare giant WellCare, and move to collect up to $1 billion in repayment and damages as a result of alleged Medicaid and Medicare fraud.

He also asked for clarification on an announcement by McCollum and Agency for Healthcare Administration head Tom Arnold to scrutinize over 3 million Florida senior citizens for possible Medicaid and Medicare fraudulent behavior.

“There has been no response since I raised the caution flags on a pending federal settlement with WellCare that could cost our state close to $1 billion," said Sen. Aronberg. "Instead, the priority is to file for a controversial waiver that would focus the AG's enforcement glare on Florida's seniors 65 years and older as potential crooks. Meanwhile, the state seems prepared to walk away from a billion dollars of Wellcare settlement money. The priorities appear to be backwards."

Aronberg's concerns stem from a letter he sent last week to the Attorney General asking him to intervene in a $137.5 million Medicaid fraud settlement reportedly struck by federal prosecutors and WellCare. The fraudulent overbillings allegedly committed by the company amount to between $400 million and $600 million. In addition, the state could be entitled to treble damages.

While the Senator continues to await a response to his request, the Attorney General and AHCA chief announced Wednesday that they were seeking a waiver from the federal government to expand their powers to investigate potential abuse. Noting the state’s “3.03 million seniors (age 65+),” the duo outlined their plans to include data mining for fraud and abuse by zeroing in on “population specific activities” that would “encompass statewide Medicaid activities.”

Ironically, in 2003, the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit was placed on probation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for violation of the same federal law to which it is now seeking the waiver.

In addition, just two years ago, an audit by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability urged AHCA to implement advanced fraud detection systems, finding that while the agency had improved its oversight of managed care organizations, “it needs to take more steps to deter and detect corporate level abusive and fraudulent practices.”

“While bad apples can be found in any group, the state needs to first focus on plucking the ones already in sight,” said Sen. Aronberg. “While the waiver might be a good idea for future Medicaid fraud investigations, WellCare is here and now. It needs to be the immediate focus.”

Alex Sink Recognizes LGBT Pride Month

2010-06-22T12:02:00.001-04:00

Florida CFO and Gubernatorial Candidate Alex Sink issued the following statement recognizing LGBT Pride Month:

"As Floridians recognize LGBT Pride Month, it is a reminder that every

citizen of our state has a role to play in building a stronger Florida.

Each and every Floridian has a stake in a better and more prosperous

future for our state. It is also a reminder that all Floridians must

be treated equally, with dignity and respect, and that our state will not tolerate discrimination of any kind."

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Alex Sink, Democrat, for Governor. Contributions to the Alex Sink Campaign are not deductible for Federal income tax purposes.

McCollum takes credit but Aronberg deserves it

2010-06-16T07:38:00.000-04:00

When President Barack Obama on Sunday called for BP to establish an escrow account to cover damage claims from the gulf oil spill, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum took credit.

"The media has reported today that the President plans to ask BP to establish an escrow account for Deepwater Horizon claims, an action I called for last week ..." McCollum said in the statement. "If the report is true, the President's echoing of my call for an escrow account is welcome."

The press release from his office said "Obama has followed McCollum’s lead."

But really, McCollum followed the lead of state Sen. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat running for attorney general. In a May 5 letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, Aronberg wrote that "Florida should be insisting that an interest-bearing escrow account be established, under the control of the Cabinet or CFO, with each responsible party in this disaster committing a share to total $1 billion." (The total is smaller than the one McCollum proposed, but it was also much earlier in the crisis.)

Posted by John Frank at 10:41:55 AM on June 14, 2010

Take Our Poll: Who Are The Most Effective GOP Spin Doctors

2010-05-29T10:33:00.001-04:00

Take Our Poll: Who Are The Most Effective GOP Spin Doctors

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGRS8JZ

Chuck Todd (MSNBC) Chris Cillizza (Washington Post) Andrea Mitchell (MSNBC)
Alex Witt (MSNBC) Nora O'Donnel (MSNBC) John King (CNN) Karl Rove (FOX)

4 More Clerks of Court endorse Dave Aronberg for Attorney General

2010-05-20T18:55:00.004-04:00

“I’m with Dave because he has shown, time and time again, a commitment to public safety and a desire to make a difference for Florida’s consumers. As the Clerk of Court in Alachua County, I am proud to endorse Dave Aronberg.”
-- Buddy Irby, Alachua County Clerk of Court

“I am supporting Dave Aronberg because of his experience and because he knows what it takes to keep the wheels of justice turning. Dave has been an outstanding Senator and I know he will be an equally outstanding Attorney General.”
-- Brent Thurmond, Wakulla County Clerk of Court

“It is with great pleasure that I endorse Dave Aronberg for Attorney General. Dave’s experience and his longstanding commitment to helping keep our courts running smoothly will serve the citizens of our state very well."
-- Richard Weiss, Polk County Clerk of Court

“Dave Aronberg has my support and my endorsement. His experience and understanding of our court system and how to keep it running smoothly makes him perfectly qualified to be our state’s next Attorney General.”
-- Tim Sanders, Madison County Clerk of Court

Florida 2010: Session Roundup

2010-05-13T12:28:00.002-04:00

2010 Session Roundup

Confronting a mid-year deficit of $147 million and a projected $4.7 billion FY2011 shortfall, revenue and economic issues were a major focus for Florida lawmakers. The state's right-wing dominated Legislature also passed a series of divisive bills, including an extremely controversial effort endangering womens' reproductive rights, that will only serve to harm the state's working families and vulnerable populations.

Tax and Budget: Florida was hit disproportionately hard by the recession. Predominantly as a result of the burst of the housing bubble, the state lost almost 150,000 jobs and revenue plummeted 11.5 percent over the past year. As of April 2010, the state's unemployment rate reached 12.3 percent, one of the highest in the nation. The state's population and economic activity are decreasing as well.

Unfortunately, the $70.4 billion budget the Legislature approved does little to address the daunting economic and fiscal outlook. Legislators balanced the budget mainly through regressive cuts, federal Recovery funding, and gambling revenue.

Cuts: The Legislature approved a wide array of cuts that mainly hit programs that assist low and moderate income Floridians, including: a 7 percent reduction in reimbursement rates to hospitals and nursing homes; the elimination of incentives to state workers to adopt foster children; cuts to funding for Health Start coalitions, which services at-risk infants and pregnant women, by $2.6 million; the reduction of the appropriation to Healthy Families, which aims to prevent child abuse, by $10 million; cuts of $10.5 million from state contributions to county health departments; a $5.6 million cut to development disabilities services; the reduction of public defender funding by 2.5 percent; the removal of almost $3 billion from the nonpartisan legislative office's budget; deep transportation trust fund cuts; and the reduction of state spending on a higher education scholarship program.
Gambling: Gov. Charlie Crist signed SB 622, which allows the Seminole Tribe to operate card games in some of their facilities for the next 5 years and exclusive rights to operate slot machines outside of South Florida for the next 20 years. In return, the state will receive $435 million this year and approximately $1 billion over the next 5 years.
Federal Funds: The budget relies on $2.3 billion in recovery funds and assumes $880 million in Medicaid assistance that the federal government has yet to enact. Ironically, while the Legislature seeks increased federal action on state fiscal relief, lawmakers advanced a resolution, SCR 10, that calls on Congress to amend the Constitution and add a requirement for a balanced federal budget.
Corporate Tax Breaks: Conservative legislators successfully advanced SB 1752, dubiously entitled, "Jobs For Florida," which enacts $218.5 million in tax breaks and incentives to various industries over three years, including aerospace, biotechnology, entertainment, and boating. There are also credits in the legislation for companies that hire long-term unemployed state residents.

Health Care: In response to the exponential growth of unregulated pain management clinics and an effort to curb growing prescription drug abuse, lawmakers passed senator Dave Aronberg's "anti-pill mill" legislation, HB373, to prohibit a person from owning a pain clinic unless he or she is a physician with a license to practice in Florida, require clinic inspections, ban advertising of specific drugs, and limit the number of medications a clinic can distribute. As part of the budget agreement, state employees will now be required to contribute to health care plans.

Having cut health care funding for Florida families, the Legislature engaged in additional political posturing by approving HJR 37, which proposes a state constitutional amendment to prohibit laws "from compelling any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any health care system." Floridians will consider this issue on the ballot in November.

Education: Education issues dominated this legislative session. SB 6, a radical effort to largely abolish teacher tenure was one of the most hotly debated bills this session. While Gov. Crist initially supported the idea, he eventually vetoed the legislation after tens of thousands of phone calls, letters and emails flooded his office. Other bills that were enacted included:

SB 4 changes high school graduation requirements, shifts focus from current standardized testing to end-of-course assessments, and places tougher math and science standards as pre-requisites for graduation.
Legislators considered higher education initiatives as well. Students in state colleges will experience a 7 percent tuition increase. SB 2126 expands tax credits to companies that offer college scholarships to low-income students.
SB 2 proposes a constitutional amendment to ease classroom size mandates that were enacted in 2002. Voters will consider the measure on the ballot this fall.
SB 206 permits school districts to have scholarship signing ceremonies to honor students that excel academically which are similar to events that are held for athletes.

Endangering Reproductive Rights: In the waning days of the session, Florida conservatives followed the lead of other right-leaning states and passed severe restrictions to womens' reproductive rights. HB 1143 would force a woman to pay for and view an ultrasound before seeking an abortion, unless she signs a form that states that the decision not to review the ultrasound was made of her own free will, without "undue influence from any third party." The bill would also ban most private insurance companies from funding abortions. Sen. Nan Rich stated, "It is actually... the ultimate insult to women. It is saying that women can't... use their own judgment as to what they want to do with their bodies." Gov. Crist still has the opportunity to veto the bill.

Homeless Hate Crime: Attacking a homeless person in Florida can now be deemed a hate crime and might get you a tougher sentence if you're found guilty.

Governor Charlie Crist signed the bill that increases penalties against attackers who target the homeless. Gov. Crist signed the bill (HB 11) on May 11th. It adds homeless people to an existing hate crimes law that increases penalties for attacks motivated by a victim's race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, mental or physical disability or advanced age.

Insurance: The Legislature additionally enacted legislation benefiting the commercial and property insurance industries. SB 2176 deregulates several insurance lines and excludes them from the rate filing and approval process. SB 2044 expedites the process in which property insurers apply for rate increases up to 10 percent and limits the time homeowners have to file a claim following a storm.

Traffic Safety: HB 325, a bill that sets guidelines for a network of red-light cameras to help enforce traffic laws, was the result of years of legislative attempts to address road safety.

Protecting Children: HB 119 places statewide restrictions on former sex offenders from loitering or prowling within 300 feet of a place where children congregate and approved controversial rules limiting where ex-offenders can live.

Protecting Seniors: The state's Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, has prioritized the financial security of Florida's seniors and created the Safeguard our Seniors (SOS) Task Force. The group recommended a bill that passed the Legislature this year. SB 2176 protects seniors against manipulative insurance practices and annuities fraud.

Campaign Finance: The Legislature approved a bill, HB 1207, to allow leaders in the House and Senate to operate campaign accounts to raise and spend unlimited amounts of cash, but the bill was ultimately vetoed by the Governor.

Notable Defeats:

Ethics: Rep. Keith Fitzgerald remarked, "[t]he biggest problem we have in this state, after the economy, is the collapse of confidence... in the political system." After several political scandals in past years, Florida lawmakers considered a number of ethics bills, including HB 243, an effort to revamp legislative, lobbying, and consulting ethics rules, and HB 587, a bill that would have addressed certain conflict of interest issues, but the Legislature failed to act.
Public Service Commission (PSC) Transparency: To add accountability to PSC operations and address close relationships that have developed between the commission and utilities that it is responsible for regulating, lawmakers introduced HB 565, but the bill died in committee.

Senator Aronberg to visit the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center

2010-05-12T13:56:00.007-04:00

As the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to threaten Florida’s fragile coastline, State Senator Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres) on Thursday will be travelling to Pensacola for a briefing on emergency response preparations to the unprecedented disaster.

Thursday, May 13, 2010, 1:30 p.m. Central Time. Senator Aronberg will visit with local fishermen.

Escambia County Emergency Management, 6575 North W Street, Pensacola, FL 32505

Senator Aronberg, who chairs the Senate’s committee overseeing Florida’s emergency operations, will visit the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center for a briefing on the potential threats of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and what state and local counties are doing to prepare and minimize the damage.

Immediately following the EOC briefing, the Senator will meet with local fishermen to discuss their concerns about how the leak could potentially impact the coastline and their livelihoods.

Sam's Seafood and Steak Restaurant, 420 South A Street, Pensacola, FL 32502

Oil Spill: What Florida Can Do

2010-05-07T08:23:00.005-04:00

Sen. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat from Greenacres
wants Gov. Charlie Crist to demand more money from BP and
also go after rig owner and operator Transocean,
Ltd., as well as Haliburton. Less than a day before
the explosion that killed 11 workers on the rig,
Haliburton was pouring a cement sealant at the well
site.

Aronberg wants Crist to ask all three to create a $1
billion escrow account that would be put under the
control of Florida’s chief financial officer or the
governor and Cabinet. Aronberg is running for
attorney general and would be a member of the
Cabinet if he wins.

“That $25 million was just a gesture,” Aronberg
said.

For more information on this topic see:
http://davearonberg.com/home

Sen. Dave Aronberg's Pill Mill Bill Goes to Governor

2010-04-29T16:07:00.001-04:00

Convicted felons or other "bad doctors" could no longer own pain clinics under a measure approved by the Senate on Monday to rein in so-called pill mill operators who lawmakers say are little more than legalized drug dealers.The Senate unanimously approved the measure (SB 2272).

The Senate gave final approval to the measure (HB 325) with a 30-7 vote just before noon. The House passed it last week with a 77-33 vote. ... Under the bill (SB 2272),

Provides that pain-management clinics that are required to be registered with the DOH are business establishments. Requires all privately owned pain-management clinics, or offices that primarily engage in the treatment of pain by prescribing or dispensing controlled substance medications or by employing a physician who is primarily engaged in the same, to register with the DOH, etc.
Effective Date: 10/01/2010

Sen. Dave Aronberg's Protect Our Kids First Heading to the Senate

2010-04-27T12:02:00.004-04:00

Despite Catholic Church opposition, Protect Our Kids First legislation, HB 525 sponsored by Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Heathrow, passed the Florida House of Representatives by a vote of 110-0. Upon passage, the House immediately certified the bill, thereby delivering it to the Senate where it is scheduled to be heard on Special Order Calendar today. A final vote in the Senate could come as soon as tomorrow.

House Bill 525 repeals the statutes of limitations for acts of child sexual abuse. The Senate companion bill, SB 870, is sponsored by Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres.

Child advocates have fought for this legislation for six years. And this year Lauren Book-Kim finished a dramatic 500-mile run in the Capitol courtyard to publicize the plight of sexually abused children.

Today's unanimous vote came in spite of opposition by the Florida Catholic Conference.To their credit, Sen. Aronberg and Rep. Dorworth rejected the Catholic Conference’s efforts and continue to stand with protecting children from sexual predators.

source:
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/

UPDATE :

Removal of statute of limitations on its way to governor

Florida 2010 Governor Race Neck And Neck

2010-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Two new polls this week proved: that the race for Florida's next Governor's is extremely competitive and extremely close. Two independent polls from Quinnipiac and Rasmussen showed a single-digit race that could come down to the wire in November.

Quinnipiac polling also showed that a majority of Floridians (54-40) think McCollum's health care lawsuit is a "bad idea". It's clear that Floridians have a problem with footing the bill for McCollum's partisan stunt, and shows just how out of touch he is with our values and priorities.

Florida GOP Goes After Law Enforcement in Offensive Ad

2010-04-24T18:47:00.001-04:00

This week, the Republican Party of Florida proved just how offensively out-of-touch they have become - putting their lack of respect for law enforcement officers and their families on full display in a ridiculous web video. You can even watch the Republican Party's pathetic and offensive ad here:

TO WATCH VIDEO

This started because earlier in the week, Republicans in the Florida Legislature launched an outrageous attempt to deny the sworn law enforcement officers in Alex's department the tactical weapons we purchase to keep them safe in a dangerous job. Bill McCollum's campaign piled on the attack and finally the Republican Party of Florida released their web video. Alex was so outraged by this video attacking and ridiculing Florida's law enforcement officers, that she sent it to all of her supporters, so they could see just how low McCollum and his allies at the Republican Party of Florida are willing to go.

Why is Sen. LeMieux standing with Wall Street?

2010-04-22T14:27:00.000-04:00

Sen. LeMieux has a choice: he can stand with regular Americans who are struggling, or he can protect big Wall Street banks.

Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell already made his choice. He held a secret meeting with Wall Street executives, asking for more campaign contributions. Then he came back to Washington trying to kill financial reform—just like the bankers want.¹

But some other Republicans are uncomfortable standing with Wall Street—especially if they know their constituents are watching. That's why Sen. LeMieux needs to hear from you today.

Can you call Sen. LeMieux and let him know that there will be a price to pay for blocking financial reform to make Wall Street happy? Tell him you want him to stand with the people of Florida who want to rein in the big banks.

Senator George LeMieux
Phone: 202-224-3041 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-224-3041 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSFL_2&cp_id=1343&id=19966-3141455-kt7vUax&t=3

Opposing financial reform doesn't poll well, so Republicans' PR strategy is to convince voters that it's a "bailout"—even though the Senate's bill specifically does away with bailouts.² It's such a brazen lie that even some Republicans have admitted that Senator McConnell isn't telling the truth.³

The Senate's financial reform bill is working to end the bailouts, protect consumers, and shut down trading on the highly risky, unregulated "shadow markets" that almost destroyed our economy.⁴ But too many Republicans would rather try to block any hope of common-sense reform to please their Wall Street buddies.

Will you call Sen. LeMieux now and tell him to stop obstructing the Wall Street reform that Americans want? He needs to hear that voters in Florida know that he is blocking reform on behalf of the big banks.

Senator George LeMieux
Phone: 202-224-3041 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-224-3041 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=FSFL_2&cp_id=1343&id=19966-3141455-kt7vUax&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Nita, Milan, Jodeen, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "The Fire Next Time," The New York Times, April 15, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/opinion/16krugman.html

2. "Bank bailouts not in bill, but liquidation is," Politifact.com, April 14, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87888&id=19966-3141455-kt7vUax&t=5

3. "There is no 'bailout fund'," The Washington Post, April 20, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87889&id=19966-3141455-kt7vUax&t=6

4. "Wall Street Reform Bill—Summary," United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs, April 19, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87877&id=19966-3141455-kt7vUax&t=7

"Sen. Lincoln unveils broad derivatives regulatory bill," MarketWatch, April 16, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87879&id=19966-3141455-kt7vUax&t=9

My Prediction for the Florida 2010 Senate race

2010-04-22T08:25:00.001-04:00

My Prediction for the Florida 2010 Senate race:
Charlie Crist is a Republican, Crist likes being a Republican. Charlie will stay a Republican. Charlie has looked at the numbers and knows he can't win this Republican Senate primary. Charlie will strike a deal with the D.C. GOP elites to run in 2012 against Nelson. charlie Crist also knows Rubio, Kottcamp, McCullem, and Trasher are far out of the mainstream of Florida voters and will go down in flames in November, leaving a huge gaping hole for a mainstream Republican to win in 2012.

Legislative Leadership Trying to Undermine "Fair Elections"

2010-04-20T05:10:00.001-04:00

In the last few weeks, more than 31,000 activist joined together and took action to defeat SB 6, a legislative education proposal that would have turned our classrooms into test-prep factories and driven good teachers out of the public schools. And it worked -- Governor Crist vetoed the bill, and the public outcry ensured that the Senate could not muster enough votes to override the veto. The defeat of SB 6 is a shining example of the power of citizen activists to shape the future of our state when they band together, and we're proud to have played a part in this victory.

Yet, despite this widespread public outcry, House and Senate leadership shoved the bill through without even slowing down. Have you ever wondered why legislators often seem to blatantly disregard public opinion, passing legislation no matter how broad the opposition from their constituents?

Well, here's your answer: redistricting. If you don't know exactly what that is, don't feel bad...many voters have no idea how this process works. Every ten years after the national census, each state is required to redraw its legislative and congressional districts. The process is supposed to ensure the districts reflect population changes. In reality, the party in power gets the chance to use sophisticated software and data analysis tools to draw districts that maintain and increase their power and make it almost impossible to defeat incumbents, a tactic known as "gerrymandering."

Because most legislators are elected by voters chosen just for them, they know their re-election is virtually guaranteed. And so they feel free to brazenly ignore public opinion, even outrage as great as that generated by SB 6.

A bi-partisan organization called Fair Districts Florida has led a citizens initiative to put two constitutional amendments on the November ballot that would put an end to this practice. The legislature could not draw districts to favor either political party. Instead, the districts would have to be compact and community-based, following city and county boundaries where possible.

As you can imagine, legislative leadership doesn't like this idea one bit. The majority party could no longer guarantee their continued power and most legislators would have to face competitive elections every cycle, rather than assured re-election. So last week, the House and Senate introduced resolutions to place a competing amendment on the ballot...one that would gut the provisions of the citizens amendments and maintain the status quo. The press has said the move demonstrates their "disdain for democracy" and called the proposed amendment a "poison pill designed to fool voters."

You can learn all about the issue in this article.

If you believe voters should choose their representatives fairly, rather than in elections already rigged to favor one party over the other, you need to take action now to fight the passage of these resolutions. If you want legislators who respond to their constituents' concerns, rather than ignoring them because their re-election is virtually guaranteed...use the tools below to make your voice heard! But do it quickly -- the resolutions could be voted on any day now.

1. Using this quick online tool, you can add your personal message to a pre-written email to legislative leadership that explains your opposition to their proposed amendment and lets them know you'll be watching their actions on this issue.

2. Sign this letter to all members of the House and Senate urging them to vote no on these resolutions in committee and on the floor.

Spread the Word...There Is Power in Numbers

As you saw with the SB 6 veto effort, citizens have to join together if their voices are to be heard. CIVIC has been growing its membership of citizen activists for years so that when quick action is necessary, everyone is ready to jump in. We need your help to make the community even stronger, ready to take on whatever crazy idea the legislature comes up with next.

Facebook is a great way to spread information and encourage Floridians to take action. Please become a fan of CIVIC, and ask your FB friends to do the same. You can also post links to CIVIC's issue articles or action items.

Urge family and friends to sign up here and use the tell-a-friend feature on our website

Click here to become a Facebook fan.

Contribute to CIVIC

Can you support CIVIC with a tax-deductible contribution of $10 or $20 today? CIVIC monitors legislative activity because we know average citizens don't have the time or expertise to do it. We analyze the impact of proposals, communicate timely information to our members, and provide easy tools for effective action. All of that takes funds. CIVIC is supported by its members, and we need your help. Even a small donation of $10 or $25 will help offset our costs for the 2010 Session.

Please consider making a contribution to support the CIVIC community today!

TED DEUTCH WINS OVERWHELMING VICTORY IN SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION

2010-04-13T22:30:00.002-04:00

Tonight, the voters of Florida's 19th District delivered State Senator Ted Deutch an overwhelming victory in the special election to replace former Congressman Robert Wexler. Ted Deutch released the following statement after the Associated Press called the race:

"I am profoundly humbled that the people of Palm Beach and Broward Counties have chosen me to be their voice in the United States Congress. Tonight, the people of South Florida sent a powerful message to the entire nation- the Democratic Party is alive and well. This is the first special election to follow the passage of health care reform, and my opponent wanted to make this election a referendum on this historic legislation. Tonight, he got it. The voters of Florida's 19th District, consisting of large numbers of seniors, said today that they support health care reform,they want our economy to keep growing, and they want this Administration to succeed.

"The citizens that I will have the privilege to represent in Florida's 19th Congressional District are an extraordinary collection of Americans. They are seniors and veterans who fought valiantly in World War II, and they are small business owners and young families who work hard every day to pass a better world and greater economic opportunities onto their children. For too many citizens of South Florida, new jobs and economic growth have not materialized fast enough, and I will go to Washington to work hard everyday to deliver the results that my constituents want to see.

"To be given the honor to represent the people of the 19th District in the House of Representatives is the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to providing a strong voice in Congress for this community in the days and months ahead."

Sen.Dave Aronberg Calls on Governor Christ To Veto SB6

2010-04-09T08:31:00.004-04:00

A majority of the Florida House of Representatives just joined the Senate in passing Senate Bill 6, which poses the greatest threat to public education that I have seen in my 8 years in the legislature.

This legislation is not about reform. It is about punishment of teachers. It is based on the arrogant view that Tallahassee bureaucrats and politicians are better suited to guide a child's education than their teachers, principals and parents.

I am calling upon the Governor to veto this bad bill that will send good teachers packing and will threaten our children, our schools and our businesses.

Join me in urging a veto by e-mailing Governor Crist at Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com or by calling
(850) 488-7146.

P.S. Watch my Senate floor speech on my amendment to stop Senate Bill 6.

Ted Deutch advocates for financial reform

2010-03-29T16:32:00.002-04:00

During a debate with his opponents, Ted Deutch is the only candidate who can offer ideas on how to reform Wall Street

Catastrophic Education Bill Fast-Tracked in the House

2010-03-29T10:07:00.003-04:00

Did you think that headline sounded a little hysterical? A bit exaggerated, maybe? Think again. Passage of Senate Bill 6/House Bill 7189 would have a severe and lasting impact on Florida's public school system.

Do you think schools focus too much on the FCAT already? That the curriculum spends way too much time teaching kids how to pass a multiple choice test rather than teaching them how to think? Well, if this bill passes, 50% of teachers' salaries, their job security from year to year, even renewal of their teaching certificate will be based on how their students perform on standardized tests.

If you think our schools teach to the test now...just wait and see what happens when this new system is put in place, when the financial stability of teachers' families depends on how their classes perform on the FCAT (and in high schools, on yet-to-be-developed end-of-course tests in nearly every subject).

And on top of that, the new system would make little provision for teachers who work in the lowest-performing schools. Why would any good teachers accept that assignment, basing their salary and professional futures on the performance of the highest-risk students when so many factors in those kids lives affect their scores on a single test?

In just five days nearly 4000 Floridians have signed this letter to House Speaker Larry Cretul urging him to stop SB 6/HB 7189. This quick and widespread response demonstrates what a bad idea Florida parents, teachers and voters think this bill is.

But to stop this bill, that list needs to grow longer. And fast!

Despite Speaker Cretul's statement that he would be monitoring opposition to the legislation before deciding whether to move forward, HB 7189 has now been referred to a committee that meets next Monday. That's the last stop before reaching the floor for a vote of the full House, and the Senate bill has already been passed.

This legislation is being fast-tracked, and time is short. The House returns to work on Wednesday morning, and we'll deliver the letter. Together, we need to make sure we're more than 10,000 strong by then. Let's make sure Speaker Cretul returns to work to find an outpouring of opposition he can't ignore.

Here are the steps you can take right now:
1. Sign the letter to the Speaker right now, then post it to your Facebook page and encourage others to sign too. (There's a button that makes it simple to post after you sign.)

2. Call and email the office of Speaker Larry Cretul at larry.cretul@myfloridahouse.gov and 850.488.1450 to let him know you oppose SB 6 and HB 7189.

3. Call the Chair of the Education Policy Council to express your opposition to HB 7189: Rep. Will Weatherford, (850) 488-5744. Urge him not to put the bill on the agenda for next week's meeting.

4. Email or call your state representative to express your opposition using our easy online tool.

Together, we can make a difference! Please, take action and spread the word now. There's not much time.

Thanks for joining us in building a brighter future for Florida. And stay tuned -- we'll let you know what happens on the education legislation as well as other issues moving through the legislature.

Crist and Rubio Duke It Out

2010-03-25T06:58:00.002-04:00

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has launched the first television ad of his now-uphill Senate primary race against former state House speaker Marco Rubio, a direct attack on the legislator that seeks to use his national celebrity against him.

"We thought he was different, ideologically pure," said the ad's narrator. "Marco Rubio shot to national stardom . . . called the Republican Obama." The ad goes on to allege that not only was Rubio a registered lobbyist but that he also "used Republican political donations on his lavish lifestyle". OUCH.

Rubio, clearly expecting the hit, immediately responded with not one but two ads of his own. The ads -- both 15 seconds long -- use a close-up shot of Crist and President Obama together while chants of "yes we can" ring in the background.

Crist's decision to immediately go negative on Rubio speaks to the amazing role reversal in the race since its inception. At the start, Crist was regarded as the heavy favorite and Rubio had to withstand staff departures and calls for him to step aside after he struggled to compete with Crist's massive money machine.

But, Crist's support for the president's economic stimulus package badly damaged him in the eyes of Florida conservatives -- see Rubio's ads -- and the former state House speaker became the poster boy for conservatives trying to return the party to its roots.

Crist's ads make plain his strategy: use the millions he has raised to run an extended television campaign undermining the "Rubio as conservative icon" narrative that has led to the decline in the governor's political fortunes. It remains to be seen whether Crist can chip away or whether he let Rubio get too far ahead. But, we are guessing that there is a lot more where these three ads came from -- and the primary isn't until August 24!

Source: The Fix

Florida Democrats Demand Documents From McCollum On His Frivolous Lawsuit Seeking To Block Health Insurance Reform

2010-03-24T13:06:00.001-04:00

File Records Request for Documents On No-Bid Contract To His Former Washington D.C. Lobbying Firm

Today, Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux demanded that Attorney General Bill McCollum turn over all document related to the no-bid contract he doled out to his former Washington D.C. lobbying firm to file the frivolous lawsuit against President Obama's historic health insurance reforms.

"If it wasn't bad enough that Bill McCollum was fighting to take away health coverage for 32 million Americans, reopen the Medicare Part D 'doughnut hole' for 565,000 Florida seniors, and raise taxes on the 216,000 small businesses in the Sunshine State, the fact that McCollum doled out a no-bid contract to his friend in this effort is simply shameless political posturing by a career politician," Arceneaux said. "Today, the Florida Democratic Party is demanding that McCollum turn over all documents related to his no-bid contact to hold McCollum accountable for wasting our tax dollars on political stunts."

Text of the Florida Democratic Party's Public Records Request:

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Honorable Bill McCollum
Office of Attorney General
State of Florida
The Capitol PL-01
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Dear Attorney General McCollum:

In light of recent revelations that you once again used a no-bid contract to hire one of your political friends - this time a colleague of yours during your time as a Washington lobbyist - to file a frivolous lawsuit against President Obama's historic health insurance reform law, pursuant to Florida Statute 119.011, I am requesting the following information and records from the Office of the Attorney General:

* Any and all communications and documents related to communications between your office and your former employer Baker & Hostetler since January, 2006, including but not limited to any and all communications or documents regarding the decision to retain your former lobbying firm Baker & Hostetler and/or your former Washington D.C. lobbying colleague David Rivkin, within the Office of the Attorney General and its respective staff, including but not limited to email, letters, files, and documents.
* Any and all documents regarding how many state employee hours have been devoted to this effort within the Office of Attorney General or other agencies that have assisted in this lawsuit, including but not limited to email, letters, files, and documents.
* Any and all documents regarding how much this lawsuit has cost Florida's taxpayers through efforts within the Office of Attorney General, other agencies who have assisted in this effort, and outside legal counsel, including but not limited to email, letters, files, and documents.
* Any and all documents regarding deliberations within the Office of the Attorney General about using a no-bid contracting process in retaining your former lobbying firm Baker & Hostetler, including but not limited to email, letters, files, and documents.

This request includes copies of every document related to the matter from January 2009 to present in digital format. Please contact me at 850-222-3411 if you have any problems meeting this request by 12 PM on Wednesday, March 31st, 2010. If you refuse to provide this information, Chapter 119 requires you to advise me in writing and indicate the applicable exemption to the Public Records Act. If the exemption you are claiming only applies to a portion of the records, please delete or redact that information.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Scott Arceneaux

Executive Director

Florida Democratic Party

Sen. Dave Aronberg's statement on McCollum's health care lawsuit

2010-03-23T21:40:00.003-04:00

It may be the politically popular thing for our current attorney general to do, but using state resources for political grandstanding is wrong. His effort to declare the recently-passed federal health care bill as unconstitutional reeks of the worst kind of calculated pandering. Below is a statement I released today in response to Bill McCollum's politically motivated lawsuit.

"As a former Assistant Attorney General, I remember the days when the Office stood for public safety and consumer protection.

"Unfortunately, this once great Office has been politicized by an Attorney General who is diverting its limited resources to fighting a national political battle that plays to his partisan base.

"There are many real problems facing Floridians, including gang violence, foreclosure fraud, Medicaid fraud and prescription drug abuse, that should occupy the Attorney General's time rather than a frivolous lawsuit.

"The Attorney General's Office needs to be depoliticized – and fast. This Office is too important and Florida's needs are too great to use it for political gimmicks."

Gay Adoption Debated in Florida

2010-03-17T22:08:00.001-04:00

Sen Nan Rich: “I know this amendment is not going to pass today and that Florida’s discriminatory adoption ban will not fall today. It’s been four year since there’s been any debate on this issue in any official Senate proceeding in any Senate committee and it’s been 33 years since this issue has been debated on the floor of this chamber. It’s about time we did something about that.”

The 33-year law is currently under review by a state appeals court to determine if it is unconstitutional.

Adoption For All Press Conference

2010-03-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

More than 2,000 children in Florida are awaiting adoption, and half of them have no family members able to provide them care. House Bill 3 by Representative Mary Brandenburg (D-Lake Worth) would give more foster children an opportunity for a family and a home by repealing the ban on adoptions by same-sex couples and individuals.

Representative Brandenburg will hold a press conference on Wednesday to discuss House Bill 3.

The details of the event are as follows:

DATE: Wednesday, March 17, 2010

TIME: 11:15 a.m.

LOCATION: Fourth Floor, The Capitol, Outside the chambers of the Florida House of Representatives
Tallahassee, Fla.

Take 30 seconds right now and be a Virtual Lobbyist!

2010-03-16T12:48:00.002-04:00

Take 30 seconds right now and be a Virtual Lobbyist!

Write to your lawmaker right and ask them to take a stand against discrimination. Ask them to sponsor three important bills:

The Florida Competitive Workforce Act (HB 391 by Skidmore and SB 798 by Gelber) This bill would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state law that already protects people in employment and housing based on race, religion, sex, age and disability.

Repeal of Florida's Adoption Ban (HB 3 by Brandenburg and SB 102 by Rich) Equality Florida continues to work with legislators to repeal the ban. With approximately 3,000 children waiting for adoption in Florida's foster care system, the state desperately needs to open up the pool to include qualified gay and lesbian parents.

Domestic Partnerships (HB 477 by Steinberg SB 232 by Sobel) This bill would create a statewide domestic partnership policy in Florida. Dozens of cities and companies in Florida already offer some form of domestic partnership benefits, but right now there are no statewide protections for our families.

Click here to send a letter to your state legislators now!

Message was sent out by Professor Robert Watson of Lynn University.

2010-03-12T15:14:00.002-05:00

The following message was sent out by Professor Robert Watson of Lynn University. Please take note. and Forward

(From Robert Watson:)

Could you forward this email to your listserves? It is important.

Every day I get emails and calls from folks alleging that Obama said or did something horrific. As I check into the source of the allegations, I find them to be made-up and circulated by fringe organizations. Sometimes individuals who receive these emails innocently – but mistakenly – believe them to be true.

The new social media vehicles are being used to stir up fear and paranoia, and we need to be aware that many folks are making up "news stories" and interviews, and then circulating them online as if they were true. Everyone must be a bit more discerning… and do their homework regarding the legitimacy of these emails and tweets. I am now starting to see the same crazy stories making allegations not only about Obama, but about other Democratic leaders and the Democratic Party. I even received one about me! It attempted to discredit me by claiming I wrote some inaccurate nonsense about the War of 1812… and was so tricky that it took the first few lines of something I did write about the War of 1812, then added all sorts of inaccurate things I never wrote.

To that end, I am attaching another email that is going around. You may have seen it. Many people are asking about the legitimacy of it. The email claims Obama appeared on MEET THE PRESS and said all sorts of alarming things about not loving his country, not honoring the Pledge of Allegiance, and so on. The email, in an attempt to look real, even offers a supposed transcript of Obama's comments and the date of the appearance on the show.

Of course, the problem is that it is 100% untrue. It alleges that Obama appeared on MEET THE PRESS on September 7, 2008. He did appear on the show in 2008; for instance, on May 4 and on July 27. But not on September 7. You can go to the show's website and read the actual/real transcripts of his comments. They are at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24445160 and at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25872804, respectively. I have read the full transcripts for every appearance by Obama, and he never even said anything remotely close to the topics alleged, much less the anti-American spewings falsely attributed to him.

The email in question was, it appears, originally posted as satire through a silly "Semi-News" site. But it is being cited and forwarded by conservatives as if it were true. The website "Answers.com" has additional information on this false story. I am forwarding, below, the email that is going around. (Thanks for forwarding this information about the fake interview… So many folks approach me or contact me with fake stories like this. However, although I answer many of the queries and debunk the falsehoods, there simply aren't enough hours in the day to respond to all of them.)

Regards,

Robert

Robert P. Watson, Ph.D., Coordinator of American Studies,Lynn University

CONTACTS

Email: rwatson@lynn.edu

Campus web: www.lynn.edu

Personal web: www.thinkactlead.org

Twitter: professorwatson

Commentary: www.lynnipulse.org

Phone: 561.237.7432 Fax: 561.237.7216

CAMPUS ADDRESS

College of Arts & Sciences, Lynn University, 3601 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431

The following is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sunday morning televised "Meet The Press'. The author (Dale Lindsborg) is employed by none other than the very liberal Washington Post!!

From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11:48:04 EST, Televised "Meet the Press" THE THEN Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag.

General Bill Ginn' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171...During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least, "Stand and Face It".

NOW GET THIS !! - - - - -

'Senator' Obama replied:

"As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides". "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression.." "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing."

(ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???)

Obama continued: "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing'. If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it. In my opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love.
It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of waring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments ."

When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon the nations of Islam, an unfair injustice which is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past".

"Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path.. My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America "

WHAAAAAAAT, the **** is that!!!

Yes, you read it right.

I, for one, am speechless!!!

Dale Lindsborg , Washington Post

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A bill to extend expiring unemployment benefits to nearly 50,000 Floridians is held up in the U.S. Senate

2010-03-02T10:19:00.001-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

A bill to extend expiring unemployment benefits to nearly 50,000 Floridians is held up in the U.S. Senate due to Bunning's objections, his political agenda of "No."
Kendrick Meek: "Florida's families are experiencing insult after injury because ideology is trumping public policy. This is what happens when politicians put party philosophy first, and people last."

Nearly 50,000 Floridians will lose their unemployment benefits in the coming weeks because one U.S. Senator is holding up legislation extending unemployment benefits to out of work Americans.

"Florida's families are experiencing insult after injury because ideology is trumping public policy. This is what happens when politicians put party philosophy first, and people last," said Kendrick Meek, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. "Hard working Floridians didn't cause this recession, but they are paying for it. This pain is evident with every Florida family I meet and in every small business I enter. Floridians deserve relief and instead they are becoming casualties of an ideological battle that has nothing to do with our everyday lives."

The House of Representatives voted unanimously last week to temporarily extend unemployment benefits for out of work Americans.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Senator Bunning's parliamentary maneuvering today, noting: "Many Republican leaders, cognizant of the political peril surrounding Mr. Bunning's action, quietly distanced themselves. But others, including Arizona's Jon Kyl, the Senate's second-ranking Republican, supported Mr. Bunning's right to raise the cost issue."

Asked Kendrick Meek campaign manager Abe Dyk: "With so many Floridians negatively affected because of the actions of one senator, do Florida's Republican Senate candidates Governor Charlie Crist and former Speaker Marco Rubio side with Senator Jim Bunning or do they stand with Floridians and their families who desperately rely on these benefits to survive? The Republican Party's dysfunction in Washington should not trickle into the homes of Florida's families."

The press release issued by the U.S. Labor Department announcing how states will be affected by this inaction appears below:

US Labor Department releases state-by-state figures on number of Americans who stand to lose unemployment benefits without congressional extension of program
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today released state-by-state figures on the number of individuals who will lose their unemployment benefits in the coming days if Congress fails to extend unemployment insurance benefits.

If Emergency Unemployment Compensation and full federal funding for the Extended Benefit program are not extended, 400,000 Americans will lose unemployment benefits during the first weeks in March. By May, nearly 3 million people could be left without these benefits. Furthermore, if the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act subsidy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is not extended, thousands of families will lose access to affordable health care.

If the extension is not approved, an estimated 500,000 workers who lose their jobs will be ineligible for subsidies to cover the cost of health care over this month. Over the rest of 2010, an estimated 5 million workers will be ineligible for the Recovery Act COBRA subsidy that covers 65 percent of the cost of coverage. Without this assistance, many of these families will be forced to join the ranks of the uninsured.

"It is essential that Congress extend the unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidy programs that are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The consequences of partisan obstructionism could not be clearer. If the extension is not approved immediately, millions of Americans could lose the safety net programs they deserve and desperately need."

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to temporarily extend crucial benefits -- including unemployment insurance. In the Senate chamber, however, Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky is blocking the extension. Senate leadership has called for the Senate to unanimously move this package on multiple occasions, but Sen. Bunning has blocked the process each time.

Without an extension, the number of Americans who lose unemployment insurance benefits will increase to 1.5 million within a month. Within two months, nearly 3 million Americans will have lost their benefits. Even if Congress acts down the road to retroactively reinstate UI benefits, a gap in the program forces administrative burdens onto states, which may cause significant delays in getting checks to unemployed individuals.

Projected unemployment insurance exhaustions (by state) as result of no congressional extension of the program

STATE UI Claimants Not Eligible for
Week ending March 13
Alabama 3,600
Alaska 0
Arizona 8,300
Arkansas 5,200
California 0
Colorado 9,000
Connecticut 0
District of Columbia 600
Delaware 2,100
Florida 49,600
Georgia 41,000
Hawaii 1,600
Idaho 0
Illinois 28,200
Indiana 16,100
Iowa 4,600
Kansas 0
Kentucky 4,300
Louisiana 4,300
Maine 2,200
Maryland 4,700
Massachusetts 0
Michigan 0
Minnesota 0
Mississippi 2,700
Missouri 8,700
Montana 0
Nebraska 1,300
Nevada 0
New Hampshire 0
New Jersey 0
New Mexico 0
New York 54,300
North Carolina 0
North Dakota 500
Ohio 16,200
Oklahoma 4,600
Oregon 0
Pennsylvania 0
Puerto Rico 0
Rhode Island 0
South Carolina 14,400
South Dakota 300
Tennessee 7,500
Texas 27,400
Utah 2,700
Vermont 0
Virgin Islands 100
Virginia 10,700
Washington 0
Wisconsin 0
West Virginia 2,600
Wyoming 900

Note: State estimates may not add to the national total. State and national figures are calculated separately to allow the use of the best available data to develop estimates for each state.

A bill to extend expiring unemployment benefits to nearly 50,000 Floridians is held up in the U.S. Senate

2010-03-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Marco Rubio to be teabagger confernece headliner

2010-02-15T19:03:00.006-05:00

Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)

February 18-20, 2010 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The Marriott Wardman Park is located at 2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008

Senate candidate and tea party movement star Marco Rubio (Fla.) will be the first of many featured speakers in the main ballroom at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park.

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), chairman of FreedomWorks — a major financial engine of the tea party movement — will also address the meeting on Thursday.

Even though the 2010 event falls during a recess week when Members are traditionally out of town, several Members of Congress are scheduled to attend the conference.

Republican House Members slated to give keynote addresses or lead seminars throughout the event include Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio); Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.); Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.); Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.); Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (Ga.); and Reps. Darrell Issa (Calif.), Jason Chaffetz (Utah), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and former presidential candidate Ron Paul (Texas).

Only two members of the Senate — Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.) and David Vitter (La.) — are expected at CPAC, according to a copy of the event schedule.

A Valentine's For Bill McCollum

2010-02-14T11:11:00.002-05:00

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ARONBERG FILES LEGISLATION SHIELDING HOMEOWNERS FROM FORECLOSURE

2010-02-09T13:08:00.002-05:00

ARONBERG FILES LEGISLATION SHIELDING HOMEOWNERS FROM FORECLOSURE

Greenacres Democrat teams with Rep. Soto in homeowners' defense bill

As Florida continues to lead in the nation's housing meltdown crisis, few advocates have emerged to protect homeowners from rapacious Wall Street lending institutions attempting to seize distressed homes under the legal radar screen.

That uneven playing field may soon level, however, under legislation filed this week by state Senator Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres) . Senate Bill 1778 is aimed at protecting a homeowner's access to court while providing powerful new legal tools to ward off imminent eviction.

Similar legislation has been filed in the House of Representatives by Rep. Darren Soto (D-Orlando).

"Homeowners have seen their property values plummet thanks in large part to risky Wall Street behavior," said Aronberg, a passionate crusader for consumers' rights. "Meanwhile, the same institutions doling out big bonuses are now seeking to evict residents from their own homes without giving them their day in court. This bill gives Florida homeowners an equal footing and the legal means to defend their own property."

"There are two vastly different approaches emerging to handle our foreclosure crisis," noted Soto. "As the banks seek to avoid the judicial process altogether and foreclose upon over a half-million Floridians putting our economy in further tailspin, this bill provides a basic set of rights to assure Floridians are not kicked out on the street unnecessarily, and stabilizes property values."

The state of Florida has the second highest foreclosure rate, with an estimated 500,000 property owners currently in or having faced such legal action. In these high stakes battles, strapped homeowners are frequently at a distinct legal disadvantage when fending off deep-pocketed

banks unwilling to renegotiate mortgage loan terms, including interest rates and the reasonableness of the original conditions of the loan.

Under the Aronberg/Soto measure, the "Foreclosure Bill of Rights" would preclude banks or other mortgage brokers from foreclosing on homesteaded properties outside of judicial scrutiny. The measure would require court-ordered mediation and add stipulations that a lending institution would have to follow in order to foreclose, including an examination of whether any fraud had occurred in the issuance of a loan, such as inflated appraisals.

Other requirements include a "good faith effort" on the part of the lending institution to "renegotiate the loan at a principal equivalent to the actual market value" determined by a new appraisal accurately reflecting current market values, and assistance from circuit courts to defendants representing themselves in supplying legal forms and instructions at no cost.

"Despite some assistance from the federal government and an administrative order from the state Supreme Court, too many homeowners have been left to the mercy of the financial Goliaths of the banking and mortgage loan industries," said Aronberg. "This legislation gives Florida's 'Davids' a legal slingshot to even the odds."

Will McCollum Condone or Condemn Cronyism With Campaign Cash At Stake?

2010-02-06T14:33:00.003-05:00

Despite the scandals of cronyism-at-all-cost that some critics would say cost Rudy Giuliani the Republican Presidential nomination in 2007 and early 2008, the Florida GOP gubernatorial hopeful and long-time Giuliani ally Bill McCollum made the former Presidential hopeful star of his campaign, Saturday in Orlando.

"Rudy Giuliani became the poster-boy for political cronyism during the Bernard Kerick scandal, and despite recent revelations of the level of corruption, Bill McCollum is still using his connections with Giuliani to raise money for his campaign," Florida Democratic Party Spokesman Eric Jotkoff said. "Does Bill McCollum condone or condemn the kind of political cronyism Giuliani's promotion of Kerick embodied?"

Newly Released Legal Papers Showed "Hints Of The Lumps" That Giuliani's Reputation Would Have Taken In The Kerik Trial. Last month, The Village Voice reported that "buried in court legal papers that were not released until weeks after Kerik's guilty plea [in November 2009] are some strong hints of the lumps that the reputation of New York's legendary former chief executive might have taken had the Kerik case gone to trial."

* Village Voice: Giuliani "Has Always Been Fuzzy About His Own Knowledge Of Kerik's Ties." "Giuliani, who started out as a rackets-busting prosecutor, has always been fuzzy about his own knowledge of Kerik's ties to Interstate Industrial Corp. The contractors were desperately trying to convince city regulators that their business dealings with organized-crime figures were incidental, and that they should not be denied lucrative city contracts worth some $30 million. The city's concerns had been sparked after Interstate bought a large waste-transfer station on Staten Island from a Gambino crime family soldier named Edward 'Cousin Eddie' Garafola, and then kept the gangster's wife and sons on the payroll as mob-owned trucks rolled through the gates. Kerik helped contractors Frank and Peter DiTommaso relay their side of the story to city officials. The grateful builders in turn secretly funded a quarter-million-dollar renovation of Kerik's new Bronx apartment."

* Kerik's Law Breaking Happened "Even As Giuliani Was Promoting" Kerik For Police Commissioner Job. "All of this happened even as Giuliani was promoting his former driver and bodyguard from head of the city's Corrections Department to police commissioner. When Kerik's Homeland Security nomination blew up in a tempest of scandal in 2004, the ex-mayor insisted that he knew nothing about his top cop ever going to bat for the mob-tainted contractors. But back in 2007, the Times' William Rashbaum got hold of a transcript of Giuliani's April 2006 testimony before a Bronx grand jury that was the first to probe the episode. Giuliani, the transcript showed, admitted that he was briefed more than once by his own top investigations chief-but then forgot all about it. It took a lot of forgetting."

* Prosecutors Were Prepared To Introduce Never Released Notes That Kerik Typed Out To The Commissioner Who Briefed Giuliani About The Related Agency Activities. Among the exhibits that prosecutors were prepared to introduce as evidence in the federal case were three pages of never-released notes that Kerik typed out in March 2000 regarding his involvement with Interstate. The memo-in detective-style jargon of initials and free-form punctuation-was written, prosecutors explained, for then city investigations commissioner Edward Kuriansky, who was regularly briefing Giuliani about his agency's activities." (The Village Voice, 01/19/10)

Gov. Charlie Christ (R)- FL Supports Don't Ask Don't Tell

2010-02-04T15:57:00.000-05:00

Crist opposes changing 'don't ask, don't tell'

Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, does not support abolishing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy affecting gays and lesbians in the military. The 1993 policy was intended to be a political compromise that let gay men and women serve so long as they stayed silent about their sexuality. But President Obama and military brass say it is time to end the discrimination all together.

Crist disagrees. "We are a nation at war. The governor believes the current policy has worked, and there is no need to make changes," campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said.

The GDP has grown at its fastest rate since 2003

2010-01-29T15:17:00.002-05:00

Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman issued the following statement on the news that the nation's GDP grew by 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, the fastest growth since 2003--a sign that the national economy is moving out of recession:

"Today's news that the GDP has grown at its fastest rate since 2003 is a welcome sign that our nation's economy is turning a corner. President Obama and Democratic Leaders have worked tirelessly to implement smart policies like the Recovery Act that will help our economy grow and end the decline we experienced due to failed Republican policies.

"But as President Obama has made clear, our unemployment rate is still unacceptably high. Until every Floridian has a job, until every student is able to attend college, and until folks are able to stay in their homes and make their monthly mortgage payments, the President and Democratic Leaders will continue working to build our economy and create growth for the long-term. Floridians call on Republicans like Gov. Charlie Crist, former Speaker Marco Rubio and Sen. George LeMieux to stop playing politics with Florida's jobs and start working with Democrats to move our country forward. The Sunshine State deserves nothing less."

FLORIDA GLBT DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS PRESENTS “OUTBURST!”

2010-01-28T08:03:00.002-05:00

The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, an arm of the Florida Democratic Party representing the Sunshine State's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) residents, will hold its winter conference in St. Petersburg Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28. The event, whose theme is OUTburst!, is hosted by the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County and is being held to coincide with the Pinellas County DEC dinner.

Speakers include a wide range of state, local and national political figures and candidates, including a number of Florida's openly-gay elected officials. Expected to participate are Attorney General candidates Dan Gelber and Dave Aronburg; US Senate candidates Kendrick Meek, Maurice Ferre and Kevin Burns; Alabama's first openly-gay member of the state legislature, Patricia Todd; Michael Mitchell, executive director of the National Stonewall Democrats; Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux; and White House Deputy Director of Public Engagement Brian Bond (invited). Also participating are several of Florida's openly-gay elected officials, including St. Petersburg Councilmember Steve Kornell, Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner, and Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl.

In addition, the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus PAC and the National Stonewall Democrats PAC will host a joint fundraiser Saturday immediately following the conference. Themed "Honoring Florida's GLBT Elected Officials," this event is a separate ticket and will feature a number of the state's openly-gay elected leaders.

Early registration through February 19 is $55 for Caucus members is $65 for non-members, which covers the cost of the event and includes continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday. After February 19 the registration fee will increase to $60 for Caucus members and $75 for non-members. The conference hotel is the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, located at 333 First Street South. Participants can register for the conference and the joint Caucus PAC/National Stonewall Democrats PAC fundraiser, and make hotel reservations at www.floridaGLBTdemocrats.org.

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Tell Democrats To Grow A Pair

2010-01-24T13:02:00.002-05:00

After one bad Senate election, most Democrats in Washington are on the verge of full-fledged retreat and everything we've fought for together hangs in the balance.

They have signaled they are open to dramatically scaling back health care reform. The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee says he might gut the financial reform bill to appease Republicans. And on top of all that, the Supreme Court just opened the floodgates of corporate cash on politics!

Retreat is exactly the wrong message for Democrats to take from recent election losses. The lesson from Massachusetts is that voters want more change -- not less. It's time for Democrats to stand up to corporate interests and fight for working families by passing healthcare reform and taking on Wall Street.

So Democracy for America members are joining with our friends at MoveOn in organizing emergency rallies nationwide on Tuesday to demand Democrats show backbone and leadership -- starting with passage of real healthcare reform.

FIND AN EMERGENCY RALLY NEAR YOU

We need a big turnout to show Democrats we're still waiting on them to deliver the change we voted for on healthcare and everything else.

Make no mistake; Democrats still have the ability to pass healthcare reform and other progressive legislation. Even after last Tuesday's election loss, Democrats still have larger majorities in Congress than Republicans ever did under George W. Bush.

All Democrats in Washington need is to show some backbone. It's up to us to demand they use it, because progressives don't retreat -- we lead.

ATTEND AN EMERGENCY RALLY ON TUESDAY

Aronberg announces Broward steering committee

2010-01-21T20:42:00.003-05:00

Aronberg announces Broward steering committee

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CRIMES AGAINST HOMELESS BILL PASSES COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY

2010-01-17T07:06:00.002-05:00

A bill that would add homelessness to the list of hate crime enhancements in the State of Florida passed unopposed in both House and Senate subcommittees.

With Florida leading the nation in the number of attacks on the homeless, Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti created the Hate Crimes Anti-Bias Task Force in October 2008 to address the problem.

Lamberti also saw the need for legislative changes and solicited the help of State Representative Ari Porth (D) and Senator Jeremy Ring (D). As a result, HB 11 sponsored by Porth and SB 506 sponsored by Ring were created and both bills passed unanimously this week in the House Committee on Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy and the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice.

"I found these unprovoked attacks against our homeless population disturbing, and while I wanted to know why, I also knew that action was needed," Sheriff Lamberti said. "Discrimination against any member of our society can't be tolerated."

Following the brutal beatings of the homeless in Fort Lauderdale that made national news, last year Maryland passed similar legislation that expanded its hate-crime law to add stiffer penalties for attacks on the homeless – the first state in the nation to do so. Sheriff Lamberti hopes Florida will follow Maryland's lead.

While in Tallahassee this week, BSO Commander Richard Wierzbicki testified before the subcommittees about the severity of the homeless situation in Broward and the state. "This is only the first hurdle, but once this bill becomes law it will go a long way toward protecting the homeless," said Commander Wierzbicki, member of the task force.

The task force hopes to partner this year with the Broward County School District to start a tolerance and diversity program.

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1. Repeal the Affordable Care Act (Health Insurance Reform)

2. Privatize Social Security or phase it out altogether

3. End Medicare as it presently exists

4. Extend the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and big oil

5. Repeal Wall Street Reform

6. Protect those responsible for the oil spill and future environmental catastrophes

7. Abolish the Department of Education

8. Abolish the Department of Energy

9. Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency

10. Repeal the 17th Amendment

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