Central Florida Politics | Archive

Archive | July, 2011

How will we pay for SunRail?

Posted on 25 July 2011 by admin

To the editor:

As you all have heard by now, Gov. Rick Scott approved the SunRail project.

As a taxpayer, I have many questions on how Osceola County is going to pay for this train that will never pay for itself. I would have preferred a rail system that would take me as far north as Tallahassee and as far south as Miami. I would think that type of rail system would have been used a lot more than the proposed SunRail.

Sun Rail is going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, actually, the latest count is in the billions. The state of Florida has made perfectly clear that it will have a seven-year obligation. After the seven years, the counties involved will have to support this rail system.

My question is, why, as the chairman of the County Commission, hasn’t Brandon Arrington addressed the sole-source funding item? Mr. Arrington’s lack of leadership shows us all his lack of ability to manage our tax funds.

Mr. Arrington said to local news media that “the long term operational costs for SunRail will most likely be from an increase of taxes, such as a gas tax, a county charter surcharge and maybe even a rental car surcharge. Right now, with gasoline costing us in excess of $3.50 per gallon and climbing, we don’t need more taxes added to the price per gallon. And let’s make sure that we tax our tourists even more so that they can think twice before coming here on vacation.

With food costs skyrocketing, unemployment still at double digits, food stamp use soaring, utility bills on a constant increase, 80 percent of our students on free lunches and foreclosures at a record high, Mr. Arrington is willing to burden Osceola County with more taxes. What kind of world is he living in? It certainly isn’t ours. All he knows is to tax and spend. It seems that his only knowledge of economics is coming straight out of the Whitehouse.

As a sitting commissioner and a chairman, where is the leadership he should be bringing to this county? Where are the job creations which he should be focusing on? Where is there any kind of relief for our citizens who struggle just to keep food on their table? Instead of assisting and actually helping those of us who need relief, he would raise our taxes for more wasteful spending. What’s next, more green projects to bring more cost to us?

Mr. Arrington has had more than two years on the County Commission and has proven to our residents that he’s simply a tax-and-spend commissioner.

Land deal after land deal, which should have never even been considered, passed under his alleged leadership as chairman. Yet, with economic times like these, he actually complains that the county needs money.

Why are we even buying useless land projects that are costing the taxpayer millions of dollars? Why does Mr. Arrington continue to allow, and even support, spending our tax dollars so foolishly?

He might be able to pull the wool over some of the residents’ eyes with his town hall meetings, but rest assured, the truth will prevail.

Tony Ferentinos

Osceola County Commission

Candidate District 3, Kissimmee

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Borrowing a campaign tactic from a Democrat, GOP Senate candidate pledges to do workdays.

Posted on 25 July 2011 by admin

Former Ruth’s Chris Steak House CEO Chris Miller launched his bid for the U.S. Senate today. (Photo by Michael Freeman).

ORLANDO – The problem with politicians today, Craig Miller believes, is they’re out of touch with what regular workers and small business owners are going through in these challenging economic times.

“I built a successful restaurant career by talking to people in the back door of my restaurant,” said Miller, a resident of Winter Park, who has worked for restaurant chains like Red Lobster, Uno and Ruth’s Chris Steak House. He led that last company through four years of record growth and profits as its president and chief executive officer, and later served as Florida’s tourism commissioner in 2007 under Gov. Jeb Bush.

This morning, Miller announced he was running for the U.S. Senate next year, seeking the Republican nomination so he can challenge two-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. Miller said his campaign would be based on bringing common sense back to Washington, improving the economy by lifting burdensome regulations and taxes off the shoulders of struggling businesses, and, most importantly, connecting with average workers by learning exactly what they do for a living.

And to do that, he announced a plan called “Miller on Main Street” – his effort to learn first hand what average workers do every day to pay their bills.

“I’m here today to announce a new initiative,” Miller said during a press conference at the Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Orlando. “It’s designed to keep me engaged with the people, to find out what goes on in the real world. If you’re going to represent the people of Florida, you have to be connected to the people of Florida.”

Miller said he would work a normal shift twice a month starting this month, and he would continue to do this through the end of his first six-year term in the Senate. Along the way, he said, he would listen to the concerns of hard-working Floridians and learn from them, on what are expected to be 178 trips down “Main Street.”

“Staying in tune with those concerns is paramount,” he said, adding that all too often, politicians head to Washington and forgot about what their constituents really care about. There’s no better example of that, he said, than the ongoing fight in Congress over whether to raise the ceiling on the debt limit to pay the nation’s bills.

“We’ve created a false crisis that has jeopardized our economic vitality,” Miller said. “We’re dealing with a false crisis, a debt ceiling crisis.”

Instead, he proposed a “short term fix” that included an across the board $2 drop in federal spending, balanced out by a $1 increase in the debt ceiling.

If Miller’s Main Street plan sounds familiar, it is. Former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, a Democrat, did the same thing in his first statewide campaign in 1978, when he called it “Workdays.” Miller said that while he and Graham represent different parties, he always liked the idea and felt Graham demonstrated that he understood the concerns of common people.

“You need to get out on Main Street and spend a little time working with regular people,” he said. “Good ideas come from all walks of life. I thought even back then, ‘What a great idea.’ “

Miller said one of his top priorities would be to spur stronger job growth by making it easier for businesses to invest in new workers.

“We’re in a cycle now that’s very challenging for job creations,” he said. “Where I would start would be to do everything we can to lower regulation and taxes, and taxes on consumers.”

Raising taxes now, he said, would be “taking money off Main Street.”

He also encouraged small business owners to hire him for a day, by logging on to www.Miller2012.com.
“If you’re a small business out there and are interested in having me work for you for a day, go to my web site,” he said. “What I’d really like to see is the small business community come forward and take an interest in what I’m doing. If you want something out of life, you have to work for it.”

Miller won’t have a clear shot at the GOP nomination, which has already attracted a crowded field that includes former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, ex-Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, 2010 gubernatorial candidate Mike McCalister, businessman Ron Rushing, and state Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

Political consultant Doug Guetzloe, host of The Guetzloe Report radio show on the Phoenix Network, predicted that Miller could emerge as the strongest GOP nominee, and said he has a good shot at ending up as the candidate who takes on Nelson.

“With Miller, you have a proven track record of business accomplishment and of actually creating jobs,” said Guetzloe, a veteran of hundreds of statewide and local campaigns in Florida. “None of the other GOP candidates can make that claim.”

Nelson won his first term in the U.S. Senate in 2000 with 51 percent of the vote, defeating Congressman Bill McCollum. He was reelected with 61 percent in 2006 against former Secretary of State Katherine Harris.

This race has been ranked as a potentially competitive one, but not among the tightest races in the nation next year. The Cook Political Report ranks this race as “Leans Democrat,” meaning the Democratic incumbent is vulnerable but still has a slight advantage.

Another leading political analyst site, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, also ranks the race as “Leans Democrat.”

Contact us at FreelineOrlando@Gmail.com.

Written by: Freeline Media for Freeline Media on July 21, 2011.

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GOP Senate Frontrunner, Craig Miller comments on Haridopolos Decision to drop US Senate bid

Posted on 25 July 2011 by admin

ORLANDO – U.S. Senate candidate Craig Miller issued the following statement regarding Senate President Mike Haridopolos’ withdrawal from the Republican primary: “This must have been a difficult decision for Mike and Stephanie. Mike should be applauded for dedicating himself to his current position and continuing to serve the constituents who elected him. While I am certain that those who supported his campaign will be disappointed, I believe they will also respect the tough choice Mike made to put the needs of all Floridians first.”

Craig Miller began his restaurant career in the dish room as a teenager and rose to become a successful businessman, creating over 40,000 jobs at several well-known restaurant chains like Red Lobster, Pizzeria Uno, and Ruth’s Chris. He served as Chairman of the National Restaurant Association and was named Operator of the Year in 2007 by Nation’s Restaurant News. Miller is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having volunteered to serve in Vietnam in 1969. He is the father of three, a proud grandfather and resides in Winter Park with his wife, Susan.

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My Word: No to referendum in Seminole

Posted on 18 July 2011 by admin

By Sean Concannon July 13, 2011

The Orlando Sentinel on Sunday published an editorial proclaiming that “Seminole voters deserve the chance to renew the county’s penny sales tax” (“Let the public decide”).

However, Seminole voters just declined a proposal by the Seminole County School Board to impose a half-penny sales tax this past November. The past referendum campaigns have promoted the sales tax as primarily benefiting the schools and utilized access to school resources and supporters to promote the extra sales tax. Since voters just recently rejected a sales tax exclusively for the schools, we do not need another referendum to renew the penny sales tax.

Absent a favorable vote on the tax, the taxes will drop back to the statewide rate of 6 percent. Any new tax is an increase from that statewide rate, even in the worst math classrooms imaginable. Regardless of when another sales-tax referendum takes place, it would still be a tax increase. The question is only a political one as to how the taxpayers perceive impact of the new tax. The difference is that people will more readily see the increase on their receipts if the tax vote is put off until after November.

Of course, there are other reasons for proponents to support a special election this November rather than at the next general election. Tax supporters understand that turnout for a special election will be low because many people will be blissfully ignorant of the impending new tax. The tax supporters will make sure the direct beneficiaries are well-informed through the school system and government employees unions.

As usual, the concentrated benefits to the few will outweigh the costs to the majority, and opposition will likely be limited.

www.AxTheTax.org

The truth is that government at all levels has a history of spending too much, and in Florida it spent with abandon as property values were rising, rather than controlling the growth of government. Responsible officials would have foreseen at least the possibility that revenues might fall.

Now taxpayers are expected to support tax increases even after revenues have risen dramatically. From the 2000-01 budget to 2008-09, the tax revenues went from $15.4 billion to $34.4 billion, a 123 percent increase.

How many businesses and families in Seminole County could boast that increase in income for the same service? Whining about millions in cuts out of billions in the total budget is just not a good justification for new taxes.

Sean Concannon of Longwood is former deputy treasurer for Six for Seminole political action committee.

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Craig Miller Announces Bid to Unseat 40-Year Politician Nelson

Posted on 15 July 2011 by admin

Business Leader’s Campaign Announcement Sets
Stage for “Main Street v. Pennsylvania Avenue” Battle

ORLANDO – Craig Miller, a successful businessman and Air Force veteran, today launched his campaign to be the next United States Senator from the state of Florida. Miller, a Republican, announced his plans by flying around the state, making stops in Orlando, Tampa, Naples, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville.

In announcing his bid, Miller stated, “As someone who’s been in the restaurant business for forty years, I’ve learned first-hand that if you’re going to be successful, you have to listen to–and take care of–both your employees and your customers. As such, I’ve met with and listened to Floridians across the state who tell me government is too big, too intrusive, takes too much of their hard-earned money, spends their money wastefully, and is hurting the economy and destroying jobs.”

Miller continued, “Voters also tell me they are fed up with a government dominated by career politicians who’ve never worked a day in the private sector and are completely out of touch with Main Street.”

“I’m proud to have answered our country’s call over 30 years ago when I enlisted in the Air Force and volunteered to go to Vietnam. And it will be an honor to serve my fellow Americans again in the United States Senate.”

“This campaign is going to be one that pits someone who will fight for Floridians who live on Main Street against a 40-year incumbent politician who has repeatedly bowed to the liberal agenda of those on Pennsylvania Avenue.”

“I’ve spent the last forty years paying attention to what’s happening on Main Street because that’s where people live. It’s where they shop, it’s where they dine out, it’s where they send their kids to school and where they raise their families. Main Street is home for Floridians.”

“Bill Nelson has forgotten where Main Street is because he’s spent the last forty years trying to further his political career, running for political office after political office after political office. Nelson is so out-of-touch that he doesn’t care or recognize the hurtful impact his votes for President Obama’s liberal agenda have had on folks back home who are just trying to make ends meet.”

40-Year Incumbent Politician Bill Nelson Has …
Voted For President Obama’s Position 97% Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly, www.cq.com, Accessed 2/18/11)

Supported Cap And Trade Legislation That Could Destroy 66,000 Florida Jobs Over The Next Two Decades And Raise Electricity Bills By $800 Per Household. (S. 3036, CQ Vote #145: Rejected 48-36: R 7-32; D 39-4; I 2-0, 6/6/08, Nelson Voted Yea and Kreutzer, David, et al, “Impact Of The Waxman-Markey Climate Change Legislation To Florida,” The Heritage Foundation, 8/19/09)

Voted For The Health Care Reconciliation Bill Which Cut Medicare $500 Million Over The Next Decade. (H.R. 4872, CQ Vote #105: Passed 56-43: R 0-40; D 54-3; I 2-0, 3/25/10, Nelson Voted Yea; Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane, “House Leaders Announce $940 Billion Health-Care Compromise Bill,” The Washington Post, 3/19/10)

Voted For President Obama’s Failed So-Called “Stimulus” Bill. (H.R. 1, CQ Vote #64: Adopted 60-38; R 3-38; D 55-0; I 2-0, 2/13/09, Nelson Voted Yea)

Voted For The Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Bailout. (H.R. 3221, CQ Vote #186: Motion Agreed To, Thus Clearing The Bill For The President 72-13: R 27-13; D 43-0; I 2-0, 7/26/08, Nelson Voted Yea)

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Conservative businessman to run for US Senate

Posted on 11 July 2011 by admin

On Tuesday, Republican Craig Miller, a businessman, Vietnam veteran and 2010 congressional candidate will be holding press availabilities during a statewide fly-around to announce his plans regarding the 2012 United States Senate race. He will be making stops in Orlando, Tampa, Naples, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville. The events will include brief remarks from Craig and follow-up Q&A from press.

Miller 2012: Itinerary for July 12 Announcement Fly-Around

8:00am – Press Availability at Orlando International Airport

Galaxy Aviation

9245 Tradeport Drive

Orlando, FL 32827

Facilities Contact: Kristen Scherzer – 800-704-4147

10:00am – Press Availability at Tampa International Airport

Signature Flight Support

2450 N. Westshore Boulevard

Tampa, FL 33607

Facilities Contact: Scott Nixon – 813-425-8912

12:00pm – Press Availability at Naples Municipal Airport

160 Aviation Drive North

Naples, FL 34104

Facilities Contact: Sue Heart – 239-643-0733

2:30pm – Press Availability at Palm Beach International Airport

Galaxy Aviation

4149 Southern Boulevard

West Balm Peach, FL 33406

Facilities Contact: Laurel England – 561-686-6887

5:00pm – Press Availability at Jacksonville International Airport

Shelt Air

4600 Whirlwind Avenue

Jacksonville, FL 32218

Facilities Contact: Jonathan Buff – 904-476-8080

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SunRail and the Soviets

Posted on 11 July 2011 by admin

By Beth Dillaha

www.VETOSunRail.org

Remember the first U.S. loss in Olympic basketball? It happened in 1972, during the Cold War. The U.S. led the Soviets 50-49 with three seconds left after Doug Collins sank two free throws.

Then, with a full court facing them, the Soviets inexplicably were given three in-bounds plays. They scored on the third try — and won. The U.S. protested, and rightly so. But three of the five-member appeals panel were from Communist bloc countries, which voted together to deny the U.S. appeal and instead certify a “victory” that any objective observer would categorically refuse to affirm.

The appeal decision was wrong, it was politically motivated, and the Communist bloc interests smugly celebrated.

Fast-forward to July 2011. We just change the game — yet produce a similar mind-boggling result.

SunRail comes to its first vote in the Florida Legislature. It is defeated. The citizens — who would be stuck with a huge, unknown bill for decades to come — win. CSX and Florida Hospital lose.

CSX does not get $641 million for 61 miles of dilapidated track and risk-free use of it. Florida Hospital does not get the station required for its massive expansion.

A second vote is called. SunRail is defeated again. The citizens win again. CSX and Florida Hospital lose again.

Finally, a third vote is called in a special session. Legislative minds suddenly change. SunRail passes. This time, the citizens lose and CSX and Florida Hospital win.

Now, when SunRail faces operating shortfalls, the needed money will come from our roads budget.

Get ready to pay for realignments and worse for your cars. The times, they are a-changing, and the potholes, they are a-coming. And so are higher taxes, which some cleverly call “dedicated funding sources.” Make no mistake. Your wallet will be tapped, even if you never ride SunRail.

But wait. The citizens have an appeal. It’s Gov. Rick Scott. Alas, he listens to the special interest bloc, and SunRail goes forward. The citizens lose.

We can’t boycott the new taxes we’ll see and we can’t boycott the new potholes we’ll drive through.

But U.S. Rep. John Mica and State Rep. Dean Cannon have their pet project, their special interest campaign contributors have their prizes, and Gov. Scott has shown those who supported him and his supposed fiscal conservatism that he’s just a political hack like the rest of them.

Florida. I’ve lived here a long time. Some things never change.

Beth Dillaha is a former Winter Park commissioner.

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SunRail Liability Fully Protects At-Risk CSX

Posted on 06 July 2011 by admin

July 6, 2011

By George F. McClure

The liability insurance limit that SunRail must carry to protect CSX is $200 million. The premium is estimated at 1%, or $2 million per year. CSX won’t have to pay a penny in any accident on SunRail tracks unless WILLFUL (intentional) misdeeds by it or its employees can be proven.

Initially, SunRail will be insuring twice as much track as it will be using (for Phase I); only freight trains will be running on the other 30 miles.

In Virginia, where Virginia Railway Express leases rail access to operate commuter trains, one assumes that CSX has responsibility for the tracks it still owns. But Amtrak leases access, too, and pays off on major accidents (see below).

In 1991, at Lugoff, SC (the Orlon Crossing, near a DuPont plant), 35-year old Miami Sgt. Paul Palank traveling to a family reunion in Washington, DC, to be with his wife and children, was killed along with seven others, and 77 were injured in a passenger rail accident. A pin (not the designed hardware) that held a switch in position on CSX tracks came out and the switch moved causing the Silver Star (Train 82) to slam into cars on a siding. Not intentional. The switch was improperly installed (backwards) ten years earlier. Not intentional, but no inspections done.

CSX saved $2.4 billion between 1981 and 1993 on track maintenance by using too few employees, according to data dug up and reported in the book, Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill), by David Cay Johnston 2007. See Chapter 3, “Trust and Consequences”.

Punitive damages awarded to the widow, Angelica Palank, after ten years of studying law and fighting CSX amounted to $50 million – 1% of CSX net worth. With physical damages the total was $56 million. This amounted to 4 cents on each dollar saved by CSX on maintenance. The other seven families settled for much less. CSX appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which would not hear the case.

There were 8 derailments on CSX in 7 weeks at the end of 2006 into 2007. The Federal Railroad Administration sent out inspectors. They found 3,500 violations of safety procedures in 23 states – 199 of them serious violations of the law. On the $56 million; CSX simply sent the bill to government-owned Amtrak which paid it — meaning the taxpayers took the hit.

CSX paid nothing. Johnston makes the case in Free Lunch that, as long as the railroad pays out less than it saves in maintenance cuts and repairs not made, this will continue.

Government inspectors are over-burdened. They tell Union Pacific not to call in with minor accident reports that will increase their workload. Only four out of 3,000 accidents at rail crossings are fully investigated.

Trains are 52 times more deadly than trucks, based on miles traveled.

In America, deaths at railroad crossings amount to about one per DAY. In Britain they amount to 18 per YEAR.

Does that give you a warm fuzzy feeling about SunRail?

There was a report that Paula Dockery had given out this book to the Legislature when they were discussing liability insurance for CSX. Pity that few apparently read it.

Another account of this accident is found at http://csx-corruption.com/orlon-switch/ , where the total cost is given as $88 million, which includes interest on Mrs. Palank’s award and costs for the other victims who settled for lesser amounts. Also at this site, www.csx-corruption.com , there is a compilation of other railroad accidents. Of 753 railroads reporting 2010 on-duty deaths to the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX led them all – 50% higher than any of the next four highest reporting railroads..

The New York Times ran an investigative series of articles about poor railroad safety. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/national/deathonthetracks_index.html

In 2002, 21 of 40 cars on an Amtrak AutoTrain were derailed near Crescent City, Florida, killing four and seriously injuring 36 with minor injuries to 106 passengers. Improper roadbed maintenance by CSX was found by the National Traffic Safety Board. to be the cause. Cost associated with the accident was about $8.3 million. http://www.pulitzer.org/archives/6931 ,

George McClure is a Winter Park taxpayer and a longtime opponent of the SunRail boondoggle.

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Special to CENTRAL FLORIDA POLITICS by Florida State Senator Paula Dockery

Posted on 06 July 2011 by admin

“This morning, Governor Scott had his Secretary of Transportation announce that he will betray the trust of the conservative electorate who put him in office by moving forward with the least cost-efficient commuter rail project in the nation. This decision has completed the governor’s transformation from businessman to political insider. When the SunRail/CSX commuter project is viewed from a purely business vantage point, the project falls so far below what a savvy business owner would accept that it is somewhat baffling. It is unclear if when making the decision the governor had a change of heart, if he simply succumbed to the desires of the big money special interests, or if he has a severe case of amnesia and thought that he was supposed to be representing CSX instead of Florida’s taxpayers. Governor Scott’s general counsel, a former CSX executive, admitted to giving blatantly false financial facts regarding High Speed Rail in front of the Florida Supreme Court. For that reason, it is overwhelmingly disappointing but not altogether surprising that the facts about SunRail, a sacred cow of special interests, would be ignored and the decision would be based upon arguments put forward by highly paid public relations consultants, using Floridians tax dollars. The facts are as follows: nationwide, this is the lowest rated project for cost-effectiveness by the federal government, low ridership estimates, excessive liability is transferred from a for-profit corporation onto all Florida citizens, and it is a blank check waiting to be written by the taxpayers for any and all cost-overruns and operating subsidies. While ‘warnings’ were given to the local governments during Tuesday’s dog and pony show, this fact remains: the agreement between the federal government and the State of Florida clearly places the financial responsibility for all but $300 million of a $2.6 billion project squarely on the backs of Florida taxpayers.”

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