The hotel is planned near Sheltair Orlando Air Center Inc., which is an affiliate of Holland Hospitality and leases out hangar and airline service-related office space at the airport.

(Orlando, Florida) – Construction on a $4 million, 74-room hotel at Orlando Executive Airport may begin in the third quarter of 2013.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority approved Oct. 17 a 20-year lease on 1.78 acres with Holland Hospitality Group I LLC for a Microtel Inn & Suites near Amelia Street.

The hotel is planned near Sheltair Orlando Air Center Inc., which is an affiliate of Holland Hospitality and leases out hangar and airline service-related office space at the airport. The project has been in the works since 2009.

The hotel project was one of three new commercial projects approved by the airport board. The board also agreed to lease two parcels it owns on Colonial Drive.

• The board agreed to lease 2.12 acres to GFS Marketplace Realty Five LLC to build a 16,000-square-foot GFS Marketplace Food Store, a store run by Gordon Food Services that sells products to restaurant, catering and food service firms as well as the general public. Two of the company’s 150 stores are in Orlando.

• The board also agreed to lease 2.12 acres to Wawa Inc. The company is opening its sixth Central Florida store later this month.

The three new leases represent an additional $300,000 annually in rent payments for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which operates Orlando Executive Airport and Orlando International Airport.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Review Board approved Port Canaveral’s channel-widening and -deepening project.

The panel unanimously agreed that the port’s feasibility study can proceed to be reviewed by other state and federal agencies, Florida Today reports.

Canaveral Port Authority Vice Chairman Tom Weinberg told Florida Today that the approval was a “significant milestone” for the $32.5 million project, which is said to create about 3,400 construction jobs and 3,400 permanent direct and indirect jobs.

(Orlando, Florida) – President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney head into their second presidential debate on Tuesday night. As the candidates gear up to head into their second debate on Tuesday night, the latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds Gov. Mitt Romney leads President Barack Obama in Florida by a 51 percent to 47 percent margin with 2 percent of the vote undecided, the South Florida Business Journal reports.

The poll is notable because it’s the first time Romney has crossed the 50 percent mark in the state, Rasmussen said. Florida is widely considered among the four key major swing states nationally.

The survey was conducted Oct. 11 and has a sampling error of plus or minus four points.

On a national scale, a new poll shows that the economy, budget deficits and jobs are the top three concerns for voters, and they think that Republican nominee Mitt Romney would do a better job than President Barack Obama on all three, Bizjournals’ Washington Bureau reports.

The Politico/George Washington University Battleground Poll shows Obama and Romney in a statistical tie.

While Romney has a narrow edge on the economy and jobs, but a 54-42 percent lead on the federal budget and spending, Obama has a 54 percent to 42 percent edge over as far as standing up for the middle class, a 52-43 edge on Medicare, and leads 50-46 on the question of who shares your values.

Rubio: “It’s time for the United States to stand up firmly to prevent what is now on track to become an epic Syrian tragedy: If and when the tyrant goes, the country will lose itself to opportunistic extremists.”

Syria Policy Risks Trading a Tyrant for Extremists

Special to Central Florida Politics by Senator Marco Rubio

For almost two years, the Syrian people have tried to free themselves of Bashar al-Assad’s cruel iron fist. They have looked repeatedly to America for help. But the Obama administration has failed to robustly support the Syrian rebel movement. Instead, the administration hid behind an unsuccessful United Nations peace process.

As the conflict in Syria continued, enabling al-Assad and his forces to murder thousands of civilians, Iran and Hezbollah made matters worse by sending soldiers and weapons into Syria to prop up al-Assad. And now, jihadists are entering the country each day.

As I warned in June, the presence of jihadists will only make an eventual resolution in Syria that much harder. Coupled with the possibility of Syria’s chemical weapon stockpile falling into the hands of extremists once al-Assad falls, Syria’s instability is a major threat to America’s interests in the region and globally.

The Obama administration’s words — that al-Assad must go and that America supports the ambitions of Syria’s opposition movement — have been the right ones. But the administration’s lack of actions has disappointed the Syrian people and engendered their resentment, especially after their hopes were raised that America stood with them in their fight for a better future.

Empty rhetoric will only weaken America’s credibility. It is a recipe for alienating potential allies, prolonging the Syrian conflict and imperiling America’s national security.

Sensing our weakness, disinterest and failure to match our words with deeds, some countries, including our enemies, are emboldened. This is why Iran is more deeply than ever involved in arming and providing financial support to al-Assad, why Russia makes a mockery of Obama’s “reset” by supplying currency for al-Assad and why Russia and China predictably continue to stifle U.S., Arab and European efforts at the United Nations.

Likewise, America’s leadership void has pushed an increasing number of desperate Syrian rebels to turn to extremism. We have seen radicals seize opportunities like this before in other conflict-ridden places, and we know it never ends well.

The Syria situation is not the only sign of weakness in President Barack Obama’s foreign policy.

(Sarasota, Florida) – Some Florida small businesses are touting Amendment 10 on the November ballot as a partial cure to their woes.

The referendum would increase the “ad valorem tax exemption” on tangible personal property from $25,000 to $50,000, the Bradenton Herald said. Most non-business personal property like boats and cars are exempt from the tax already, but business owners must pay the tax on their machinery.

Small businesses say this may be just the boost they need to expand. “We’re very careful with capital investments,” Kevin McLaughlin, vice president of Hann Powerboats in Bradenton, told the Herald. “Any time you could save taxes on business expenses, sure it will help.”

But this new tax cut would take money out of the coffers of already cash-strapped cities and counties, say opponents. In 2011 the tangible property tax generated almost $1.8 billion for cities and counties, the University of Florida found in a study. Taxpayer groups, like the Florida Taxpayers Union counter that argument with the simple acknowledgment that local governments have plenty of money and that spending is the problem not tax collection.

By James W. Preston

(Tallahassee, Florida) – The Florida State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police leads the state Law Enforcement Officer Memorial each year to remember and honor the sacrifice of those officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

The names of these heroes are engraved on the marble walls of the Law Enforcement Memorial in the courtyard of Florida’s Capitol in Tallahassee to forever remind us of our pledge to “never forget” these brave men and women.

Our state has the unwelcome distinction of frequently leading the nation in the number of fallen officers who have given their lives for their community. Already in 2012 we have lost five officers in our state. Every one of these tragedies has affected the lives of the officer’s family, friends and co-workers. Each time this happens, the communities they serve and their law enforcement agencies lose a valued member.

But more so, these officers leave behind a family that must now face an uncertain future. Their loved one is gone. The survivors, spouses and children must move forward. They live with photographs and memories of their officer. The daily burden of providing for the family can be difficult with the breadwinner taken from them.

Read more at the Sunshine State News http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/print/5099293

(Tallahassee, Florida) – The Florida League of Cities and Florida Association of Counties were caught encouraging local elected officials to use their taxpayer funded positions and resources to oppose Amendment 4.

On September 24th, 2012, the Florida League of Cities conducted a webinar to suggest ways that local elected officials could campaign against Amendment 4. At one point in the webinar, a League of Cities employee openly encouraged city and county officials to use taxpayer funded resources such as city newsletters and utility bill inserts to campaign against Amendment 4.

“We are deeply disturbed that local elected officials would try to deceptively use their taxpayer funded positions and the tax dollars of hard working Floridians to fight against an amendment that would be so beneficial to Florida’s homeowners and small businesses,” said Ben Fairbrother, Campaign Manager for the YES on Amendment 4 Campaign. “Taxpayers First calls on the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties and Florida’s local elected officials to immediately stop this inappropriate use of taxpayer funds to oppose a bipartisan ballot initiative that would create jobs and boost Florida’s struggling housing market.”

“Any city or county commission in Florida who sends taxpayer dollars to pro-tax lobbyist organizations such as the Florida League of Cities or Florida Association of Counties should be ashamed,” said State Representative Matt Gaetz. “These elected officials are misusing tax dollars to spread misinformation in an attempt to threaten voters with distortions and dishonesty. Floridians deserve better.”

Taxpayers First is a coalition of private trade associations, local elected officials, lawmakers, and citizens in support of Amendment 4. According to Florida TaxWatch, one of the most respected nonpartisan watchdogs in Florida, Amendment 4 would create around 20,000 private Florida jobs and boost Florida’s economy by over $6.4 billion dollars.

The Florida Realtors, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Association of Insurance Agents, lawmakers from both parties, countless private citizens and prominent Florida taxpayer groups have joined Taxpayers First in support of Amendment 4.

Pick up an ATM card on the street, and experts say you have a one-in-five chance of unlocking its cash by trying to enter just five PIN combinations.

Special to Central Florida Politics from News 13

(Orlando, Florida) – You may use your credit or debit card all the time, but what you choose as your four-digit PIN could be putting you at risk if it’s too easy to guess.

A new report has revealed the most comment — and thus, easiest to guess — Personal Identification Numbers people actually use.

The worst of the worst: 1234. But according to a study examining nearly 3.4 million PINs, more than 10 percent used that easy-to-guess number.

Here are the top 20 most frequently used PINS, according to the study by Data Genetics

1234

1111

0000

1212

7777

1004

2000

4444

2222

6969

9999

3333

5555

6666

1122

1313

8888

4321

2001

1010

See a pattern? Lots of repeating digits and numbers in an obvious sequence.

“The problem is many people get complacent and lazy,” said James Copenhaver, an Orlando area private investigator in reaction to the study.

Copenhaver said 30 percent of his work is identity theft — situations like someone stealing a person’s PIN.

Pick up an ATM card on the street, and experts say you have a one-in-five chance of unlocking its cash by trying to enter just five PIN combinations.

“We’re going to the ATM. We take it for granted that we put our card in and we are going to take money out,” said Copenhaver. “The problem is you have these guys that will lurk, and all they have to do is look over your shoulder to intercept the PIN.”

Copenhaver said when you use an ATM, make sure you take a look at your surroundings. If there are people in waiting in line, let them go before you.

But how can you make sure you pick a number that’s not easy to guess?

Tony Tate, a social media and IT expert in Lake Mary, said Rule No. 1 is never pick numbers that relate to you.

“You want to make sure it has nothing to do with any events — birth of a child, wedding anniversary date, when you bought your first home,” said Tate.

If your PIN is one of the 20 listed above, or has a similar pattern, experts said you should change it as soon as possible.

Need help picking a new PIN? Copenhaver suggested using the Password Generator app for iOS. It will pick a random password or PIN for any account, but it costs 99 cents to download.

Tate recommended secure apps like Google Wallet, or Apple’s new Passbook app when possible as alternatives to taking out cash.

The bottom line: You don’t want to become another number in a growing list of identity theft victims.

(Orlando, Florida) – Florida ranked No. 1 in the nation for foreclosures. Florida ranked No. 1 in the nation for foreclosures for the first time since 2005, according to a third-quarter report by RealtyTrac Inc., the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Florida had the highest foreclosure rate in the country, with one foreclosure legal filing for every 117 houses during the third quarter. The rate was also double the rate for the entire country, the Sentinel reports.

In the past, Florida has ranked among the top five states for foreclosures, usually behind Arizona and California.

Locally, foreclosure actions increased 14 percent in metro Orlando during the third quarter compared to the year ago period. Central Florida also had a higher foreclosure rate than the state, with 8,896 actions filed during the third quarter, or one for every 106 houses, the Sentinel reports.

Courtesy Marvel/Paramount Pictures

SLMI claims in the lawsuit that Stan Lee assigned to it all copyrights to Marvel properties, meaning that his later deal with Marvel Enterprises and its subsequent deal with Disney, “actually assigned nothing.”Who owns The Avengers and the other Marvel comic book characters? That question is at the heart of a $5.5 billion copyright infringement lawsuit filed Tuesday in the district court of Colorado, according to Business Insider, L.A. Biz reports.

In 2009, the Walt Disney Co. paid $4 billion to purchase Marvel and its roughly 5,000 characters. Since then, Disney has earned significant profits off the Stan Lee creations in the form of merchandise – action figures, toys, costumes and, of course, The Avengers film, which earned more than a billion dollars in global box office revenue.

Colorado-based Stan Lee Media Inc. (SLMI), formerly affiliated with Lee, alleges in its complaint “in November 1998, Stan Lee signed a written agreement with Marvel Enterprises Inc. in which he purportedly assigned to Marvel the rights to the characters. However, Lee no longer owned those rights since they had been assigned … previously. Accordingly, the Marvel agreement actually assigned nothing.”

Walt Disney Co. operates the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios theme parks in Orlando.