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.

Third parties have been a thorn in the side of the two party tyrannical system for quite some time now, but they haven’t been very effective. I see more third parties popping up everyday. The newest one read about is the resurgence of the Whig Party, I took their online test and it says I am a Whig Party member. You can find them at www.modernwhig.com. Then you have the Greens, the Libertarians, the Reformist (which I most closely resemble), the Constitutionalists, and on and on. We all know that the two major parties are really creating a Grand Illusion of choice. This has been covered very well in the book Grand Illusion by Theresa Amato who was Ralph Nader’s Campaign Manager in 2000 and 2004.

I have extensive knowledge of what happened in the Reform Party in 1996 when Ross Perot ran for President, and then Pat Buchanan’s attempt in 2000 and I can tell you that the two major parties were very afraid. There was court case after court case right here in Florida to determine ballot access. It was because of the Reform Party that third parties are able to get ballot access in the state of Florida today, with no thanks to the Democratic and Republican Party.

People have been duped into believing that they have choices when they really don’t. What continues to challenge the two-party duopoly are third parties and independent candidates. During the earlier years before the Democratic Party and the Republic Party became the duopoly, parties and candidates could place themselves on the ballot with few restrictions.

Today this is not the case and third parties have to fight for their right to run candidates. Those of you who have complained about Iran’s elections, has it really been any different here? We haven’t had the rioting because the American people have become apathetic but the tides are changing with patriots like Ron Paul. Third Parties would be smart to pull all of their resources together and run candidates together, this would definitely start to change the outcomes of elections.

When people have a choice they exercise their right to vote but when they don’t they become apathetic as we have seen in previous elections where only 10% of voters turn out to vote. I believe that both major parties have alienated large masses and are soul searching how to get these people back. Both major parties have been converging their agendas and policies closer together and they are chasing after the same commercial dollars from corporate lobbies and executives. How much choice do we really have when this is the case? The third party revolution is growing, look out America.  As Woodrow Wilson said in his seventh state of the union address; “The instrument of all reform in America is the Ballot”.

Jim Brown Conservative Citizen/Reformist  and Blog Contributor

Gov. Charlie Crist has signed into law measures outlawing the practice of “double-dipping” from the Florida Retirement System, officials said Thursday.

The new law is designed to close a loophole that has allowed more than 9,000 people, about 200 of whom are elected officials, to collect retirement benefits and a salary at the same time, officials have said previously.

Under the new law, a state employee is no longer permitted to “retire” and return to work in 30 days. The new law mandates a six-month ban on re-employment.

Its provisions apply to retirements that occur on or after July 1, 2010.

At a time when Florida is facing probable layoffs of many of its employees, it was important to reform the system, which hurt rank-and-file workers while benefitting more highly-paid employees and elected officials, said one of the legislation’s sponsors, state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-Spring Hill.

The law applies to all elected officers and employees, officials said. Additionally, any retiree who returns to work will not be able to accrue any new state pension benefits, they added.

State Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who voted for the bill during the 2009 legislative session, said Thursday, “I’m very pleased that the governor signed the bill, it’s an issue that many of my constituents have expressed concern about. The bill fixes a loophole, and that’s a necessary thing to do, especially in economic times like we’re facing.”

The measure will put a stop to the abuse of the state retirement system by elected officials and judges in particular, said Fasano.

“Those individuals will not be able to take a six month break from their elected or appointed positions,” he added. “ It will also keep senior management from retiring and coming right back to their old position at a high salary, since their position will have to remain unfilled for six months,” he noted.

Governor Charlie Crist signed a new law Tuesday banning so-called “crash taxes” that charge drivers for emergency response services if they cause accidents. 

Under the new law, drivers will not have to pay an extra fee if they cause a car crash. 

Some communities around the state have been charging people who cause accidents for the cost of the emergency response. 

Critics of crash taxes say they’re unfair because residents already pay property taxes to cover emergency services and should not face extra fees for accidents. Those fees are not always covered by insurance. 

Communities that use crash taxes argue the fees are needed more than ever because of declining property taxes and tighter budgets. 

“It’s home rule,” said Cragin Mosteller of Florida Association of Counties. “And we think counties should have the ability to impose the fees that they need to if their counties want higher levels and degrees of services.”

Six other states already prohibit crash taxes. 

“We’re sorry that the governor signed the bill, but I know that counties will continue to adjust and make the cuts that they have to in order to meet their balanced budgets,”  added Mosteller.