Heinie Heinzelman

Below are the questions asked in our Liberty questionnaire that went to all Republican candidates for Congressional District 24 seat.  Only 2 have currently responded.  Mr. Heinie Heinzelman was the first to get back with me.  To visit his site and learn more about his campaign CLICK HERE

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1. Will you cosponsor and call for roll call votes on the Audit the Fed bill, designed to bring transparency to the Federal Reserve (H.R. 1207/ S. 604 in the 111th Congress)?   YES

2. Will you support legislation removing capital gains and sales taxes on gold and silver coinage?  Yes

3. Will you vote to oppose any legislation that allows the federal government to prohibit the sale, use, or carrying of firearms?  YES-YES-YES

4. Will you support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that includes hard spending limits and allows for no increase in taxes or other federal revenue enhancements?  YES

5. Will you support legislation that forbids U.S. troops from serving under United Nations command?  YES

6. Do you support and will you vote to protect states asserting their rights under the Tenth Amendment?  ABSOLUTELY YES!

7. Will you oppose Big Labor’s Card Check bill and any other legislation designed to empower union bosses?  YES, AND GLADLY

8. Do you support U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations?   YES, YOU BETCHA

9. Will you support the American Sovereignty Act to restrict the Executive’s ability to forge international agreements that lessen our sovereignty?    Yes

10. Will you oppose using U.S. forces to occupy a foreign nation without a declaration of war?  Yes

11. Will you oppose any attempt to nationalize our health care system, including any sort of public option for insurance?  YES-YES-YES

12. Will you oppose so-called “Cap and Trade” legislation?   YES-YES-YES

13. Will you vote to eliminate the IRS?   YES, WITH THE FAIR TAX. (And put some of them on illegal immagration control)

14. Will you vote against any budget that increases our debt?  YES, AND GLADLY

15. Will you oppose federal power grabs like roving wiretaps and warrantless searches, and oppose Patriot Act renewal that includes such items?  NEED TO RESEARCH AND EVALUATE FURTHER.

16. Will you oppose any legislation that requires states and citizens to participate in a National Identification Card program?  YES

17. Will you oppose the so-called “NAFTA Superhighway” and any move toward a North American Union?  PROBABLY, BUT STILL REVIEWING

18. Will you support legislation that ensures Members of Congress have at least 72 hours to read any bill before it is allowed to come to the House floor?  NO–I PREFER 72 HOURS FOR UP TO 288 PAGES PLUS 15 MINUTES FOR EVERY PAGE OVER 288.

19. Will you oppose all tax increases?  YES

20. Indicate the tax cuts you are willing to vote for:
Across the Board Income Tax Cut   YES
Capital Gains Tax Cut   YES
Business Tax Cut  YES-YES-YES
Estate Tax Cut   YES

Alan Grayson

(WASHINGTON) – Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) today praised the implementation of the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights (H.R. 627).  Rep. Grayson helped to shepherd this bill through the House Financial Services Committee, and then voted for it in the House.  It contains several strict protections for consumers, including banning unfair interest rate increases, and forbidding abusive fees and penalties by credit card companies.

Congressman Grayson said, “Credit card companies will no longer be able to stick it to middle-class families in Central Florida.  These huge banks charged exorbitant interest rates, and used gimmicks to burden people with unnecessary fees.  These reforms will help hard-working people pay off their debt.”

The so-called “Credit CARD Act” was signed into law on May 22, 2009, and takes effect this week.  A recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts concluded that unfair or deceptive credit card practices hurt families badly before this important law was enacted.  For example, interest rates climbed an average of 20 percent in the first half of 2009, on credit cards representing more than 90 percent of outstanding balances.

As part of the new law, consumers are now given the right to refuse to accept rate hikes, and pay off existing credit card balances under the old rate. Credit card companies also are required to give 45 days’ notice of any rate increases on new purchases.  If a consumer receives notice of a rate hike, he or she can now simply ask the card company to reverse the rate hike and close the account.

Additional provisions of the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights (H.R. 627):

·       Account statements must be sent 21 days in advance of the payment due date.

·       Interest rate hikes on balances are prohibited.

·       Penalty rate increases for payments less than 60 days overdue are banned.

·       Charging interest on debts paid on-time is banned.

·       “Due-date” gimmicks, such as setting morning times for payments before mail is delivered or charging fees for paying a bill by phone or internet, are banned.

·       Promotional rates must last at least six months.

·       A consumer under 21 must demonstrate an ability to pay, or have a parent co-sign, to be eligible for a credit card.

Matthew Falconer for Orange County Mayor won a straw poll in a landslide on Saturday at a candidate forum. The Supervisor of Elections conducted a poll with all Mayoral candidates on the official ballot. I won 73.3% of the vote while all six of my opponents collected only 26% of the vote combined. Only Marco Rubio had more votes (277) to Matthew Falconer (242). Below are the official results;

http://www.teapartypatriotslive.com/2010/02/13/orlando-tea-party-candidate-hob-nob-straw-poll-results/

What is clear from the vote is taxpayers are fed up with government of career politicians serving special interests. The Mayoral opposition candidates on the ballot included four incumbent commissioners with 28 years of “experience.” All four commissioners voted in unison for the taxpayer funded arena, corporate welfare programs, and the $3 billion commuter rail program they still do not know how we are going to pay for. None of the opposition candidates managed 9% of the vote.

In what may be the truest statement in the local media all year, Jane Healy from the Orlando Sentinel said Teresa Jacobs “might be in the wrong party.” I have called Teresa “Pelosi” the most liberal Republican in Florida, see the column below.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-jane-healy-column-021410-20100212,0,3501971.column

I also received an email on Sunday that Mildred Fernandez is on her fifth campaign manager in as many months. The email stated “The Spanish community feels abandoned by her; they think she only wants to deal with rich white folks.” I have heard that statement many times in the past few months.
It is clear the era of “progressive” Republicans, or Republicans in Name Only, is over. I call on my “republican” opponents, Mildred and Teresa, to withdraw from this race and help me defeat the fiscally irresponsible Bill Segal-bama.

With your help, this will be the “Year of the Taxpayer.” Please join me at our precinct walk Saturday February 20th  at 9am in East Orange County (by the Chipotle on Alafaya). We will knock on 700 doors and get out our message of lower taxes and more responsible government. It is time for the taxpayers to get off the couch and take back their government.

There are now five candidates for Orange County Mayor but only two choices; Matthew Falconer who will put Taxpayers First, and all of the rest who will put their special interests first.

Matthew Falconer

From 1995 to 2005 over 1,000,000 people moved to Florida to pursue the American Dream. In 2003 the Florida economy ranked first in the nation, as people invested in new business and unemployment dropped to 3%. From 2002 to 2006 local and state government spending increased from $93 billion to $151 billion. Our “leaders” taxed all of the disposable income from consumers and turned the American Dream into the Florida nightmare. Florida’s economy now ranks 47th in the nation and we are losing population as retirees, second homeowners and small businesses are moving to other states with a lower tax burden.

There is a way to revive the American Dream in Florida. Quite simply, it is to return Florida to a healthy business environment by lowering taxes, tolls and fees. We can achieve this by reducing waste in government and by focusing tax revenues on the core functions of government. That is why I am running for Orange County Mayor. I want to revive the American Dream in Florida, save small business, and put people back to work. Below is a link to my Five Point Plan to bring Florida back to prosperity.

My opponents increased the Orange County budget from $2.2 billion in 2002 to $3.5 billion in 2008. My opponents gave a billionaire $600 million in taxpayer money for a sports arena; they gave $300 million in corporate welfare to one company to bring 150 jobs to Orlando; and they approved a rail project that will cost central Florida taxpayers $1.5 billion without knowing where the money will come from.

The election for Orange County Mayor will be the most important in Orange County history. It will determine if we continue to raise taxes and spend billions on corporate welfare and rail projects, or lower taxes and focus our resources on education and public safety. I have three opponents that have virtually identical voting (spending) records. I can and I will win but I need your help.

This past Saturday we had 25 volunteers in Winter Park gathering petitions and getting our message out. It was great fun and good therapy for people unhappy with government as usual. Please join us Feb. 6th at 9:30 a.m. in Apopka. Send me an email if you can attend.

Please donate to Matthew Falconer for Orange County Mayor and ask your friends to donate as well. Please consider hosting a meet and greet or a fundraiser for the only fiscal conservative running for Orange County Mayor.

http://www.matthewfalconer.com/contribute.htm.

With your help I will restore the American Dream in Orange County.

Thank you.

Matthew Falconer
www.MatthewFalconer.com

– Matt Falconer is currently running in Orange County for the Mayor post.  I support Matt and will be bringing his campaign message over to my readers.

ORLANDO, FL — State Senator Steve Wise announced his endorsement of Armando Gutierrez for Congress today.  Wise has served in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate as Chairman of Education Appropriations.

“I’ve worked for years in the legislature with leaders like Governor Jeb Bush and Speaker Daniel Webster to bring conservative government to the citizens of Florida,” stated Senator Steve Wise.  “Armando Gutierrez will fight for our values.  He has what it takes to be a great Congressman.”

Steve Wise, a retired Vice President of Florida Community College,was elected to the Florida Senate in 2001.  He previously served as a State Representative from 1988-2000.

Gutierrez is endorsed by a growing number of Republican leaders, such as former RPOF Chairman Al Cardenas, George P. Bush, Congressman Tom Rooney, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, State House Majority Whip Carlos Lopez-Cantera, State Representative Chris Dorworth, State Representative Bryan Nelson, State Representative Charles Van Zant, State Representative Erik Fresen, State Representative Mike Weinstein, former State Representative Randy Johnson, former Orange County Commissioner Tom Dorman, and the Florida Federation of Young Republicans.

For more information, please visit: www.GoGutierrez.com

Alan Grayson

Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson has launched a website, NamesOfTheDead.com, to honor the 44,000 people who die every year because they don’t have health insurance.

“I have created this project in their memory. I hope that honoring them will help us end this senseless loss of American lives,” Grayson writes on the site. “If you have lost a loved one, please share the story of that loved one with us. Help us ensure that their legacy is a more just America, where every life that can be saved will be saved.”

Grayson announced the site on the House floor today and the NRCC already has a clip of it up under the title, “Alan Grayson’s most shamless stunt yet?”

He begins talking about the website at about 2 minutes in:

Alan Grayson

Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., warned Americans that “Republicans want you to die quickly” during an after-hours House floor speech Tuesday night.

His remarks, which drew angry and immediate calls for an apology from Republicans, were highlighted by a sign reading “The Republican Health Care Plan: Die Quickly.”

Veteran Tennessee Republican Jimmy Duncan abandoned customary reticence to chastise Grayson.

“That is about the most mean-spirited partisan statement that I’ve ever heard made on this floor, and I, for one, don’t appreciate it,” Duncan said.

“It’s fully appropriate that the gentleman return to the floor and apologize,” said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, another Tennessee Republican.

But none was forthcoming from Grayson, who said the first part of the GOP approach to health care is: Don’t get sick.

“If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly,” he said.

Rich Crotty

Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty said Wednesday that he has avoided working with the anti-poverty group ACORN on a housing foreclosure campaign, and does not expect to work with them in obtaining an accurate 2010 headcount for the U.S. Census effort he’s helping lead in Florida.

The advocacy group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is in hot water because ofsecretly-taped interviews appearing to show multiple organizers condoning or encouraging prostitution and the laundering of earnings from it. The group responded with reform proposals today.

Crotty said he specifically made it clear during a senior staff meeting months ago that the group should not be included in any plans Orange crafted to spend $28 million in neighborhood stabilization funds to deal with foreclosures. “In a very out-loud voice, I said I didn’t want that word [ACORN] to come up,” Crotty said.

Crotty also discussed the fact that U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson has been one of the group’s most prominent supporters, and that any Republican who ran against the freshman Democrat next year could point out that Grayson is often referred to as the “Congressman from ACORN.”

“It’s always been an arrow in the quiver,” said Crotty, who for several months has flirted with the possibility of challenging Grayson. To that question, Crotty said an answer should come soon.

Crotty pointed to the start of the next federal campaign donation reporting period, which begins in October, and said “that’s when serious candidates get serious.”

So is he the one?

“I’m not saying anything,” Crotty said. “But I expect Congressman Grayson to have a Republican opponent in the next fund raising period, and a strong one at that.”

Original Post

Alan Grayson

WASHINGTON — As a member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Alan Graysonalready is among exclusive company. But the Orlando Democrat ranks high in those ranks too, as the 12th-richest member of the U.S. House and Senate, according to a new Roll Call analysis of financial disclosureforms.

The freshman lawmaker listed $31 million in assets, not a surprise given that Grayson spent at least $2.5 million of his fortune during the 2008 campaign. So far, his personal stash has helped keep high-profile Republican challengers at bay for the 2010 election, as Grayson likely would outspend any challenger.

Here’s what Roll Call had to say (analysis here):

“The Florida lawmaker’s largest asset stems from an apparent financial mistake. Grayson lists a claim valued at $25 million to $50 million against Derivium Capital.

The now-bankrupt firm managed a Ponzi scheme in which investors, including Grayson, could turn over stock to Derivium in exchange for cash loans and redeem the value later if the stock prices increased. A South Carolina court ruled earlier this year that Derivium shareholders were collectively owed about $270 million in lost profits and that Grayson’s share would be about $34 million.

In addition to that claim, Grayson, an attorney who founded the telecommunications company IDT Corp. in 1990, lists a trust valued at $5 million to $25 million. The same trust was previously Grayson’s largest asset, with a value of $25 million to $50 million when he filed a candidate disclosure form in November 2008.”