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.

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

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, known on Capitol Hill for aggressively questioning key players in the nation’s financial crisis, has suffered a “financial disaster” of his own, he confirmed to WKMG Local 6.

Grayson, D-Orlando, fell victim to a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme operated by Derivium Capital, a South Carolina firm that a federal jury ruled in February defrauded Grayson of $34 million — an amount equal to more than half of Grayson’s 2008 net worth.

“It was very much like the Bernie Madoff situation,” said Grayson, who’s had Madoff’s Ponzi scheme in his crosshairs from his seat on the House Financial Services Committee.

In February, Grayson’s Washington office issued a press release criticizing Madoff’s “penthouse arrest,” calling for the swindler to be jailed while awaiting sentencing.

And in video played thousands of times on YouTube, Grayson on Feb. 4 facetiously asked a financial expert who tried in vain to warn regulators about Madoff’s scheme: “You referred to this several times as a Ponzi scheme. Is that some newfangled thing?”

Of course, Grayson knew better: at the exact time he spoke on Capitol Hill, his lawyers were in a South Carolina courtroom arguing he was a victim of just such a scheme.

“What happened to the victims in Madoff is the same thing that happened to me,” Grayson told Local 6 in an interview Monday. “I lost millions of dollars.”

Scam’s most frequent customer

Between 2000 and 2005, Grayson was the most frequent participant in Derivium’s “90-percent stock-loan” program, transferring about $29 million in stocks to Derivium and promptly receiving 90 percent of it – about $26 million – back in cash as “stock loans,” according to his court filings. In that sense, he lost only about $3 million out of pocket.

But Derivium had promised to pay Grayson profits on his stocks, if they appreciated enough over the three-year loan period to cover the amount of his “stock loans” plus interest. And Grayson picked some lucrative stocks. His $34 million in damages is based on the profits he should have received on stocks that rose in value – had Derivium not run out of cash and filed for bankruptcy.

Special Note: Readers may recall earlier today we broke the story of how Rep. Alan Grayson was in support of the “Cap and Trade Bill”  Other news outlets were still saying the Congressman was undecided.

Congressman Supports Bill, Gets Commitment Of $50 Million For New Orlando Hurricane Research Facility

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Alan Grayson fought for and obtained a commitment for a new National Hurricane Research Center in Orlando today.  The $50 million commitment from the leadership in the House of Representatives is one of several reasons why the Congressman supports the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Congressman Grayson said, “With this one move, Central Florida will become a world leader in 21^st century meteorology.”

Congressman Grayson fought hard for the federal funding.  Grayson personally spoke with President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi about his request.

During a speech on the floor of the House today, Grayson said, “Damages from hurricanes in terms of human lives, infrastructure, and property, have grown in scope and cost, and it is critical that we continue to make progress in furthering our understanding of the science behind hurricanes.  Doing so will ultimately help vulnerable communities in my district, in Florida, and elsewhere in the United States prepare for, and reduce the impacts from, hurricanes.”

In supporting the American Clean Energy and Security Act, Congressman Grayson also advanced his effort to create jobs in Central Florida.  The bill will result in an estimated 95,000 jobs statewide.

Congressman Grayson said, “This bill unleashes American ingenuity to solve the energy crisis.  It lets us solve our problems by being Americans and thinking our way out of it.  We will become an international energy power.”

The bill would revamp the way America produces energy, dramatically cut pollution, and keep costs low.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act:

• Cuts the use of oil and petroleum products by two million barrels a day by 2030, which is the amount we currently import from the Persian Gulf
• Reduces pollution by limiting emissions from electric companies and oil refineries
• Follows the same market-based American solution created to successfully fight acid rain in 1990 – after which electricity rates fell 10 percent
• Promotes all forms of clean energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, and private investments in nuclear power

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Orlando) returned a phone call just a few minutes ago to let me know how he was going to vote on the Cap and Trade bill. Rep. Grayson will be voting in FAVOR of the bill.  The bill will create a $50 Million dollar Hurrican Research center in Central Florida.  When asked how many jobs that would create he responded “To early to tell”.

I asked if this was the primary reason he voted for the bill and he stated No.  He said “the bill will create green jobs, and punishes polluters.”  He also said that he is glad that for the first time in memory that a State of the Art facility will be built in Central Florida and it will be bringing Florida into 21^st century technology.

—– Statement from Alan Grayson on the House floor—–

COLLOQUY BETWEEN MR GRAYSON AND MR WAXMAN

Mr. Grayson: Mr. Chairman, I rise to enter into a colloquy with the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Waxman.

My intention today is to draw attention to the need for further research and work concerning the effect of ongoing changes in climate and on the frequency and intensity and effects of hurricanes.  As you know, damages from hurricanes—in terms of human lives, infrastructure, and property—have grown in scope and cost, and it is critical that we continue to make progress in furthering our understanding of the science behind hurricanes.  Doing so will ultimately help vulnerable communities in my district, in Florida, and elsewhere in the United States prepare for, and reduce the impacts from, hurricanes.

I ask that a portion of allowance value in H.R. 2454 be directed towards research on hurricanes at a new $50 million National Hurricane Research Center in my district in Orlando. The National Hurricane Research Center in Orlando will be a worldwide center of expertise in the 21st century science of meteorology.  In a world already affected by global warming, it will help develop both short-range and long-range hurricane forecasting, conduct practical research on mitigation of hurricane damage, disseminate to the public real-time information on hurricanes, advise policymakers and the public, and expand knowledge on what can and should be done to impact the intensity, duration, frequency, course and human and property consequences of hurricanes.

Mr. Waxman: I share the gentleman’s concern about the need for research on hurricane intensity and frequency and effects.  The harms from hurricanes are only going to increase with global warming, and we need to better understand the connections and impacts.

H.R. 2454 includes domestic adaptation provisions giving states substantial resources to study and adapt to climate change.  Based on our estimates, the bill will provide up to $1 billion per year from 2012, when the program starts, through 2021.  From 2022 through 2026, the amount will be over $2 billion annually.  Research on hurricanes is explicitly listed as an authorized use of these revenues.  The project the gentleman mentions is among the type of activities that would be eligible to receive funding under these provisions.

Mr. Grayson: Mr. Chairman, I understand that H.R. 2454 includes provisions directing allowance value towards state adaptation.  I hope that we will be able to work together as this bill moves forward to make certain that hurricane research receives full funding, and that we are able to ensure that the work of the National Hurricane Research Center will be supported.

Mr. Waxman:  The gentleman has discussed this project with me, and I think it is a very worthwhile project.  I look forward to working on it and making it a priority as the legislative process moves forward.

Mr. Grayson: I thank the Chairman for your support of our efforts to ensure that our hurricane research efforts are adequately supported.