Posts Tagged ‘Politics’

My first decision/endorsement is for United States Senate Representing Florida. Alex Snitker. After finding another report on Judicial Watch regarding Rubio my mind has been made up about him. I do still have my eye on a Bobbie Bean as well as Snitker.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2010/apr/fla-republican-party-under-criminal-probe

Florida’s Republican Party is being criminally investigated by the feds for allowing elected officials and their staff to illegally go on wild personal spending sprees with tax-exempt political funds.

Several federal agencies—including the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service—are conducting the widespread probe which is focusing on some of the state’s most high-profile politicians, including the party’s frontrunner for an open U.S. Senate seat, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

A  Florida newspaper investigation recently revealed that Rubio, the Sunshine State’s new Republican darling, billed the party for more than $100,000 worth of highly questionable items during the two years that he served as House Speaker. The charges included repairs to the family minivan, grocery bills, airline tickets for his wife and purchases from various retailers near his home. Rubio also charged the party for dozens of meals during the annual lawmaking session in Tallahassee, even though he received taxpayer subsidies for food.

Last month a complaint was filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics accusing Rubio, a Cuban-American from Miami, of misspending donations to the Republican Party of Florida and his political committees to subsidize his lifestyle. The complaint also accuses Rubio of using his public office to get an unadvertised job at a public university when it was cutting its workforce.

Rubio is not the only one in trouble. The former state party chairman (Jim Greer) and executive director (Delmar Johnson) are also suspected of misusing their party credit cards for personal expenses. Political parties are tax exempt and are only allowed to spend money on political activities such as fundraising, running campaigns and registering voters.

In Florida Republicans dominate state government and the party’s coffers are routinely filled with millions of dollars from lobbyists and special interests. Elected officials and their staff have long been suspected of spending the money illegally with no oversight.

Marco Rubio is just another self serving professional politician in my humble opinion. I knew when I read about him being “an ardent defender of illegal immigrants who certainly doesn’t want to publicize the dark side of illegal immigration or the huge toll it’s having on his state” that he was not a true Tea Party candidate yet he was campaigning the tea party circuit. That and his initial reaction to Arizona being negative when 70% of the Country has a positive opinion shows that he is not “for the people”. Oh, he did the flip flop on it too. That makes it even worse. I’d prefer someone who stands their ground on their opinion even if we don’t agree. It’s better than feeling like a salesman is conning me.

Snitker2010

This morning I got an invite via facebook in my email. It was from Patricia Sullivan who started the local Tea Party here and is now a candidate running for Florida’s District 8 against Alan Grayson. I read the email and recognized the name of one of the speakers at the “Stand with Arizona Rally” I was being invited to. I recognized the name because this man was in the news throughout his career and especially in the last several of them. Now keep in mind this Rally is being organized and sponsored by Tea Party groups from the region.

North Lake TEA Party, South Lake 912 Tea Party, Tri-County Tea Party, Ocala Tea Party, Volusia 912, Hernando 912, Nature Coast 912, Seminole 912, Central Florida 912, Deltona 912 Patriots, Tea Party Patriots Live

The region includes Orange County FL most if not all of which is in District 8. This man who has been invited to speak is Former Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary. The reason he was in the news so much towards the end of his elected position of Sherrif is due to a controversy that ultimately ended with him admitting guilt to ethics charges. It also resulted in then Sheriff Beary and other republicans being forced to endorse a Democrat that took his place as Sheriff. What was it that the Tea Parties are fighting against? Oh yeah, now I remember. Corrupt Politicians wasting taxpayer money. Here’s some details regarding Kevin Beary’s “ethics codes violation” which would have simply been called fraud or grand theft if it were you or me.

June 13, 2009|By Henry Pierson Curtis, Sentinel Staff Writer

Former Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary admitted he violated the state’s Standards of Conduct for Public Officers by joining a nonprofit venture with several aides to market a Homeland Security survey created with public funds, according to records released Friday by the Florida Commission on Ethics.

In a pending settlement signed Monday by his lawyer, Beary admitted his work for National Domestic Preparedness Coalition Inc. created “a conflict between his private interests and the performance of his public duties or that would impede the full and faithful discharge of his public duties.”

The venture damaged Beary’s credibility with members of his command staff as well as deputies, who learned in 2005 he accepted $43,000 for “off-duty work” despite promising he wouldn’t pay himself from the business.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-06-13/news/kevin_1_beary-ethics-commission-public-duties

And

In 2004 and 2005, Beary was the subject of accusations of corruption by a former subordinate turned political rival in the 2004 sheriff’s race and a local television news station, which resulted in an audit of homeland security spending by his department. Beary was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. On April 20, 2007 the Florida Ethics Commission found probable cause to believe that Beary violated Florida Ethics laws as a result of his involvement in his homeland security business and filed four counts against him. Beary is being prosecuted by the Florida Attorney General’s Office and was to face trial on October 24, 2007 before a State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings Judge on Case # 07-001820EC where Beary could have faced penalties up to removal from office.

In 2008, Beary decided not to run for a fifth term as Orange County Sheriff and left office on January 5, 2009. During the general election for his successor, Beary endorsed Jerry Demings, a Democrat, who was a former Chief of the Orlando Police Department, a former Orange County Director of Public Safety, and the first African-American to hold those posts in each agency’s respective history. Demings also received endorsements from several other high-profile local Republicans to include former City of Orlando Mayor and Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood. Demings won the election and relieved Beary in a ceremony on January 5, 2009.

In July 2009 Kevin Beary plead guilty to violating Florida ethics laws in the above mentioned case. He was fined a total of $20,000.00, ordered to have no business relationship with the company he started using tax dollars and public employees for three years and given a public reprimand and censure by the Governor of Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Beary#Controversy

And so here it is less than one year after pleading guilty to violating Florida’s ethics laws (aka financially defrauding taxpayers, which evidently is not all that bad of a thing) and he’s going to be speaking at a Tea Part organized Rally. How’s that for ironic idiocy. The man basically committed fraud against not only Orange County taxpayers but against United States taxpayers, since he was using funds from both, he made $43,000 off the fraud and was only required to pay back $20,000 in the form of a fine, he was not removed from office, did not go to jail or even get probation. He was however publicly reprimanded ooh aah. Do the organizers of this rally, one of whom is running for office, really think Mr Beary is a good example of an elected official. Thee highest ranking LEO at that. I’ve been walking around fuming about this all day. I was calming down but then something else crossed my mind. Please don’t tell me he’s being paid to speak. That would just make me lose it. What kind of example are we setting for our children when the man elected Sheriff robs the people, lies to and disgraces his fellow LEOs, doesn’t really get punished (in fact profited) and less than a year later gets a public speaking engagement that he may actually be getting paid for.

That’s what’s wrong with US.

I caught wind of this on a forum I’m a member of. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. More accurately I couldn’t believe I was reading it for the first time. H.R. 2647 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 is.

“A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2010 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.”

Here’s one of the “other purposes”. Pay close attention to the phrase “as determined by the Attorney General”. You know, the one that thinks we’re a Nation of Cowards.

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SEC. 524. PROHIBITION ON RECRUITMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR RETENTION OF PERSONS ASSOCIATED OR AFFILIATED WITH GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH HATE-RELATED VIOLENCE AGAINST GROUPS OR PERSONS OR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

Section 504 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

‘(c) Persons Associated or Affiliated With Hate Groups-

‘(1) PROHIBITION- A person associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence against groups or persons or the United States Government, as determined by the Attorney General, may not be recruited, enlisted, or retained in the armed forces.

‘(2) DEFINITION OF HATE GROUP- In this subsection, the terms ‘group associated with hate-related violence’ or ‘hate group’ mean the following:

‘(A) Groups or organizations that espouse or engage in acts of violence against other groups or minorities based on ideals of hate, ethnic supremacies, white supremacies, racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, or other bigotry ideologies.

‘(B) Groups or organizations engaged in criminal gang activity including drug and weapons trafficking and smuggling.

‘(C) Groups or organizations that espouse an intention or expectation of armed revolutionary activity against the United States Government, or the violent overthrow of the United States Government.

‘(D) Groups or organizations that espouse an intention or expectation of armed activity in a ‘race war’.

‘(E) Groups or organizations that encourage members to join the armed forces in order to obtain military training to be used for acts of violence against minorities, other groups, or the United States Government.

‘(F) Groups or organizations that espouse violence based on race, creed, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

‘(G) Other groups or organizations that are determined by the Attorney General to be of a violent, extremist nature.

‘(3) EVIDENCE OF ASSOCIATION OR AFFILIATION WITH HATE GROUP- The following shall constitute evidence that a person is associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence:

‘(A) Individuals possessing tattoos or other body markings indicating association or affiliation with a hate group.

‘(B) Individuals known to have attended meetings, rallies, conferences, or other activities sponsored by a hate group.

‘(C) Individuals known to be involved in online activities with a hate group, including being engaged in online discussion groups or blog or other postings that support, encourage, or affirm the group’s extremist or violent views and goals.

‘(D) Individuals who are known to have in their possession photographs, written testimonials (including diaries or journals), propaganda, or other materials indicating involvement or affiliation with a hate group. Such materials can include photographs, written materials relating to or referring to extreme hatred that are clearly not of an academic nature, possession of objects that venerate or glorify hate-inspired violence, and related materials, as determined by the Attorney General.

‘(E) Individuals espousing the intent to acquire military training for the purpose of using such training towards committing acts of violence of a purpose not affiliated with the armed forces.

‘(4) REQUIREMENTS FOR RECRUITERS AND ENLISTMENT PROCESSING STATIONS- A military recruiters may not enlist, or assist in enlisting, a person who is associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence, as evidenced pursuant to paragraph (3). A person at any military enlistment processing station who, during the screening process, is found to be affiliated or associated with a hate group (including through admitting to any such affiliation or association on any form or document) is automatically prohibited from enlisting.

‘(5) SEPARATION-

‘(A) SEPARATION REQUIRED- A person discovered or determined to be associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence, as evidenced pursuant to paragraph (3), shall be immediately discharged from the armed forces, in the manner prescribed in regulations regarding discharge from service.

‘(B) EXCEPTION- Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a member of the armed forces who has renounced the member’s previous affiliation or association with a group associated with hate-related violence, as determined by the commanding officer of the member.

‘(6) REPORTING REQUIREMENT- Not later than April 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall submit to the Committees on Armed Service of the Senate and House of Representatives a report–

‘(A) on the presence in the armed forces of members who are associated or affiliated with a group associated with hate-related violence and describing the actions of the Secretary to discharge such members; and

‘(B) describing the actions of the Secretary to prevent persons who are associated or affiliated with a hate group from enlisting.’.

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So it will be up to one man to decide who’s on ze hate list. Welcome to 1930′s Germany. Oh maybe they’ll appoint a hate czar.

Here’s a link to the H.R. 2647 0n govtrack.us that will take you directly to this section 524 of the bill. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2647&version=eh&nid=t0%3Aeh%3A1655 You have to click to get it to load and then wait a minute for it. It’s a big one.

Here’s a link to the US Code 10,504 that will be affected if the HR2647 goes through Congress and is signed by the President. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00000504—-000-.html A link to this is also on the govtrack.us site at the 524 section of the HR2647.

Let’s see who voted against HR 2647 in the house. This is weird 389 Ayes and 22 Noes, 20 of which were Democrats including Barney Frank, Henry Waxman, and Jessie Jackson. Well that just makes it all ok doesn’t it. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-460

And here’s the Gentleman from my home State who proposed the amendment. June 26, 2009: Hastings’ Amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act Passes House Oddly enough that amendment doesn’t show at Thomas.gov unless you actually download the PDF of it. How’s that for transparency.

Here’s some more info on the upstanding Congressman Hastings

I tried to make a link to thomas.gov of the bill and/or pdf file of it but all their pages are loaded dynamically with cgi scripts so it’s not possible but you can go there and search for the bill number H.R. 2647 and the one appended with EH is the version that passed. Once you have navigated to that you’ll see a link on the left for GPO’s PDF Display. That’s the (Government Print Office) print version. www.thomas.gov

UPDATE: 7/8/09 If you find the [HR 2647 EH] on thomas you can click on section 523 to make 524 show. Must be a bug or glitch. Yeah, I can see Gibbs saying that now. I kind of like the pdf myself for impressing people when I show it to them. It’s got that nice official logo at the top of an eagle representing freedom. “Hey check out this Appropriations Act”  Also, section 524 is on page 152 of the pdf.

I also see that:

7/6/2009:

Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 96.

Strange Days

I don’t know which is worse. At least the last administration tried to hide the fact that every decision was based on profit. This one’s just so obvious. 5 top officials including Pelosi and Frank, Oh and Waxman, yeah the guy that wrote the bill,  just invested in green companies. Talk about writing your own ticket. Must be nice.

Another big spending bill pushed on through without proper reading or time to amend it. Oh wait it was amended at 3:00 in the morning and voted on the following no make that the same day. It was not on display available to read as it’s supposed to be. Organized crime has truly taken over. Of course it’s been this way for years. Who runs our country? Haliburton, GE, Wall Street, Pharmaceutical companies, WalMart? All of the above. It’s not us that’s for damn sure. Millions of phone calls to OUR Representatives were 20:1 against the cap and trade yet it passes the senate.

Now phrases like “arm twisting” are being talked about. The President even “made some calls”. What is going on? I’m starting to wonder if it would do any good to vote them all out. Will the new ones simply be bought or coerced just like the old ones. It’s time for a new kind of “Peoples Court”. We the People find you guilty of corruption at the highest level and sentence you to life in debt just like you did to our children. Oh and all of your assets will be used to pay off the deficit you created. Next case please. Hey just a joke guys, no need to send in the black SUVs. Nothin to see here, move along. I’m just a little guy, a simple voter, I have no power, no reason to be alarmed.

Emergency Tea Party Protests for today and the next five days are being organized across the country. Find yours at http://www.teapartypatriots.org/

So it’s less than two weeks to July 4th and there will be lots going on in the way of Tea Parties, Freedom Day, a March on DC (which will be more like single file orderly walk to a predetermined out of the way location to peacefully demonsrate) I’m sure it will be big though. My local Tea Party will be at the county fairgrounds on a county road a mile or so away from the city. So everyone that attends will know about it. What? How is that a protest? The country of Iran is complete anarchy because they believe the election was fraudulent. How about our election? 14 lawsuits against Acorn for “voter registration fraud” and to top it off it’s still questionable if the POTUS elected is even eligible for the Presidency. He’s spent close to a million dollars fighting his own lawsuits instead of simply producing an acceptable Birth Certificate.

That’s OK, I guess our style is a little different than the Iranians since our country has been so peaceful for so long so we’ll do it the American way. We’ll have parties. I know a lot of people have been working very hard to organize these events and I am in full support. I will be attending mine. To make real change I’ve heard a lot of people say it needs to start from the ground up and I tend to agree. The fed is a huge monster to try and take down. Change your City, Town, County and your State. Candidates are starting to pop up for the 2010 elections and we need to replace as many incumbents as we can. This means we’ve got a lot of work to do and we cannot rest. It’s time for all of us to become political activists and support the right people. It also means a lot of research and learning about the candidates and publisizing anything we find. We’ve already got 1 democrat and 3 republican candidates for Florida’s US  Senate seat. I’ll be adding a post about them in the future. I plan on having an entire section devoted to Florida Politics here on the site.

For years the French have been calling us stupid lazy Americans. I think we now live up to that. This is amazing.

Here’s a good one for a Tea Party Commercial.

If you’re not yet angry enough to attend a tea party this year on July 4th I’m hoping you will be soon. My goal for the next 23 days is to write an article everyday and post a video on my blog about the real reasons so many tea party protestors are pissed off. Sure, there are plenty of people out there just using the tea parties as yet another excuse to bash Obama but the fact is these “revolutions” have been slow brewing for many years now. If you think the tea parties are just a bunch of conservatives getting together to whine about their dwindling pocketbooks then you haven’t been doing your homework.

Central Florida Congessman Alan Grayson gets slammed by Neil Cavuto last night. Did you miss it? No worries, we have posted the video of it below for your viewing pleasure! wdbo.com/blogs

I love visualizations.  They did for get to mention the 78,000 jobs created.

IN WASHINGTON!