Jim Greer

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, a Marco Rubio backer, joins a growing chorus of Republican activists in Florida wanting Jim Greer out: “Jim Greer has shown on numerous occasions that he is incapable of running the Republican party of Florida (RPOF) and refuses to remain neutral in contested primaries.   Mr. Greer has failed at managing the financial, political, and public relations aspects of the state party.

“The latest scandal involving a RPOF operative and the use of a fake Twitter account to disparage a duly elected county Chairman is just another in a long
list of management failures. Further, Greer has shown a bias in the primary of the United States Senate Seat in publically supporting Governor Crist and has repeatedly ignored calls from county party organizations for neutrality. This behavior is inexcusable and Florida Republicans deserve better.

At a time when Republicans across the country are energizing and unifying to defeat the Democrats in 2010, Greer is dividing and deflating Republicans in Florida.I call on Mr. Greer to resign as Chairman of the RPOF.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez announced eight months ago that he would not seek reelection but has continued to spend campaign donations on consultants, staff, air fares, meals, cellphones and purchases at the Senate gift shop.

Federal Election Commission records show Martinez has spent $147,642 since his Dec. 2 announcement. He also returned $419,051 to his contributors, with $456,200 remaining in the account as of June 30.

Federal law gives officeholders wide latitude to spend campaign donations on anything related to their election or in connection with their official duties.

“My general advice is, `contributors beware,’ ” said Paul Ryan, an election law expert at the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-based watchdog group. “The door is close to wide open for what federal officeholders can do with the money in their coffers.”

Martinez’s campaign treasurer, Tampa accountant Nancy Watkins, said the senator has adhered to federal law.

“It has to be for the campaign or official business,” said Watkins, whose firm has received thousands of dollars from Martinez’s campaign for accounting services in recent months. “There’s no conversion for personal use, and we don’t have any of that going on here.”

Martinez’s decision to step down has paved the way for one of Florida’s most hectic and unpredictable election cycles in decades. The senator initially pledged to finish his term but last week said he was quitting.

Thousands of campaign dollars in recent months went to pay caterers and restaurants, including $2,549 at the Pour House, a Washington sports bar; $591.85 for catering at the officers’ club at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa; $247.14 at the Oceanaire seafood restaurant in Washington, and $197.72 at Le Coq Au Vin in Orlando.

Watkins said Martinez held a holiday party for his congressional staff at the Pour House. She said she did not know the circumstances of the other restaurant and catering bills but suggested they could be for meetings with visiting constituents, fellow senators or campaign staff.

“Yours and my tax dollars don’t pay for those things,” Watkins said.

The campaign spent $425 at the Senate gift shop on Dec. 8 and another $215.75 on Jan. 12. Watkins said the purchases were likely flag pins, key chains or other souvenirs that bear the seal of the Senate and are given to constituents, friends and donors.

`PETTY CASH’

The report also shows money taken out of the account for “petty cash” — $300 on Dec. 30 and $233.49 on March 16. Watkins said the money was for inexpensive items, like a roll of stamps or office supplies. Martinez also continues to pay a campaign employee’s salary and overhead to wind down his election account, which Watkins compared to “a battle ship, it takes six months to turn around.”

Some of the expenses were left over from political activities and contracts begun before Martinez announced that he would not run again. Political consultant Tre’ Evers of Consensus Communications in Orlando said a Jan. 2 payment of $16,450 was the last of four installments for campaign fundraising in 2008.

“Sen. Martinez was raising money because it takes a lot of money to run a Senate race, and he was planning to make a final decision on whether he would do it later on,” Evers said. “It’s what everybody does.”

Other vendors that received hundreds of dollars from the campaign include American Express for credit card bills, AT&T Mobility for cell phone services, Chicago-based Restaurant Associates for food and beverages, Aristotle International in Washington for software, Advanced Network Solutions of Orlando for Internet access and technical support, and CVC Productions of Windermere for audio-visual services.

NOT CONCERNED

Tallahassee lobbyist Brian Ballard, who was among the dozens of donors who received campaign refunds in late December, said he wasn’t concerned about how Martinez spent the money left in his account.

“I have all the faith in the world in him,” said Ballard, who got a $2,300 check back. “I was happy to give the money to him, and when he decided he wasn’t going to run I was happy to get it back.”

The main restriction on federal campaign donations is that they can’t be spent on personal use, such as a home mortgage, school tuition or funeral expenses. Any spending that occurs because of a campaign or public office is “considered permissible,” says the FEC’s campaign guide.

Federal officeholders may also spend campaign contributions on family travel to an event that relates to their public offices. And they can donate money to charities, political parties or candidates. Martinez gave about $50,000 in June to a slew of Republican members of Congress and also to Gov. Charlie Crist, the front-runner to replace him in 2010.

FILLING VACANCY

Martinez’s early exit puts Crist in the unusual position of appointing someone to serve the last 17 months of his term at the same time he is seeking the job himself. Potential candidates include former U.S. Attorney Bob Martinez, former Secretary of State Jim Smith and George LeMieux, Crist’s former chief of staff.

Last year, Sen. Martinez paid a $99,000 fine to the Federal Elections Commission for accepting donations that exceeded the legal limits and for other violations in his 2004 campaign. The senator’s campaign said the violations were “inadvertent.”

Paula Dockery

Lakeland, FL – Florida State Senator Paula Dockery (R – District 15), today announced her endorsement of Dennis Ross for Congress. In announcing her endorsement, Senator Dockery said, “After careful consideration and soul searching, I have ruled out a run for the Congressional seat being vacated by Adam Putnam. During that decision making process it became clear that my passion for public policy is in state government and not at the Federal level. Having said that, I can think of no one better to succeed Congressman Adam Putnam, then my dear friend and former Colleague, Dennis Ross.”

Senator Dockery continued, “I know something about standing your ground when the going gets tough, and gladly accepting the consequences of that stance. I have a deep appreciation for the courage and spirit it took for Dennis to stand his ground when contentious issues arose in the Legislature.

“Dennis has always put the best interests of his constituents and taxpayers first. Dennis has walked the walk and not just talked the talk. Dennis has proven to be a fighter for the principles he believes in. For this and so much more, it is my pleasure to endorse my friend, Dennis Ross and I look forward to his service in Congress.”

Upon receiving Senator Dockery’s endorsement, Dennis Ross said, “I am truly honored and excited to have the support of my friend of nearly 20 years, and former colleague in the Florida Legislature, Senator Paula Dockery. Paula and Doc have been dear friends to Cindy and me for as long as we can remember, and no political endeavor would be complete without them. The citizens of Florida know Senator Dockery to be a tenacious fighter on their behalf. Her selfless and tireless work on behalf of hard working taxpayers everywhere should serve as a model to all who aspire to public service.”

Ross went on to say, “Beyond her principled leadership in the Florida Legislature, I know Senator Dockery as a friend, a colleague, and a devoted wife to Doc. I value our friendship, I will continue to look to her for advice and guidance, and I look forward to Paula continuing to serve the people of Florida for many years to come.”

In addition to Senator Dockery, Dennis Ross has earned the endorsement of: Former Governor Jeb Bush as well as Members of Congress Gus Bilirakis, Ginny Brown-Waite, Jeff Miller, Connie Mack, Tom Rooney, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Vern Buchanan. Local leaders have also endorsed Dennis’ bid for Congress including, GOP National Committeeman Paul Senft, Form er Polk GOP Chair Jean Burt, The Reverend Lynne Breidenbach, and Florida Federation of Republican Women President Linda Ivell.

Senator Paula Dockery currently represents District 15 in the Florida Senate which encompasses portions of Polk, Osceola, Hernando, Sumter and Lake counties. She currently serves a Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee and serves on the Environmental Protection Committee, the Transportation Committee, the Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee and the Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight.

Senator Dockery has been prominently mentioned as a possible candidate for Governor of Florida and will make her future plans known at a later date.

You can find out more about Dennis Ross’ campaign by visiting http://www.electdennisross.com

U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, said he is pleased with the direction food safety legislation is taking in the House of Representatives. The Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) was marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday.

“This legislation includes the key principles we established in the bipartisan legislation I introduced with Congressman Jim Costa (D-Calif.) earlier this year,” Putnam said in a news release.

“It expands the authority of the Food and Drug administration (FDA) to quickly respond to threats to our nation’s food supply. It strengthens preventative measures with new science- and risk-based food safety standards. It calls for updated food safety plans within food operations domestically and abroad to identify and prevent potential sources of food-borne illness. And it holds imported foods to American safety standards,” he added.

HR 2749 gives FDA tremendous power while significantly diminishing existing judicial restraints on actions taken by the agency.  The bill would impose a one-size-fits-all regulatory scheme on small farms and local artisanal producers; and it would disproportionately impact their operations for the worse.

HR 2749 does not address underlying causes of food safety problems such as industrial agriculture practices and the consolidation of our food supply.  The industrial food system and food imports are badly in need of effective regulation, but the bill does not specifically direct regulation or resources to these areas.

You can view the entire bill here

Some of the more alarming provisions in the bill are:

* HR 2749 would impose an annual registration fee of $500 on any “facility” that holds, processes, or manufactures food.  [isn't this every home in the US, every garden?]  Although “farms” are exempt, the agency has defined “farm” narrowly.  [What is the definition?]  And people making foods such as lacto-fermented vegetables, cheeses, or breads would be required to register and pay the fee, which could drive beginning and small producers out of business during difficult economic times. [Yes.  There are laws against this corporate-size-destroys-the-little-guy policy, aren't there?  Are home bread or cheese or lacto-fermented vegetable makers who make for their own families included in this?]

* HR 2749 would empower FDA to regulate how crops are raised and harvested.  It puts the federal government right on the farm, dictating to our farmers.  [This astounding control opens the door to CODEX.  WTO "good farming practices" will include the elimination of organic farming by eliminating manure, mandating GMO animal feed, imposing animal drugs, and ordering applications of petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides.  Farmers, thus, will be locked not only into the industrialization of once normal and organic farms but into the forced purchase of industry's products.  They will be slaves on the land, doing the work they are ordered to do - against their own best wisdom - and paying out to industry against their will.

There will be no way to be frugal, to grow one’s own grain to feed the animals, to raise healthy animals without GMO grains or drugs, to work with nature at all.  Grassfed cattle and poultry and hogs will be finished.  So, it’s obvious where control will take us.  And weren’t these the “rumors on the internet” that were dismissed but are clearly the case?]

* HR 2749 would give FDA the power to order a quarantine of a geographic area, including “prohibiting or restricting the movement of food or of any vehicle being used or that has been used to transport or hold such food within the geographic area.”  [This - "that has been used to transport or hold such food" - would mean all cars that have ever brought groceries home so this means ALL TRANSPORTATION can be shut down under this.  This is using food as a cover for martial law.]  Under this provision, farmers markets and local food sources could be shut down, even if they are not the source of the contamination.  The agency can halt all movement of all food in a geographic area.  [This is also a means of total control over the population under the cover of food, and at any time.]

* HR 2749 would empower FDA to make random warrantless searches of the business records of small farmers and local food producers, without any evidence whatsoever that there has been a violation.  [If these bills cover all who "hold food" then this allows for taking of records of anyone at any time on no basis at all.]  Even farmers selling direct to consumers would have to provide the federal government with records on where they buy supplies, how they raise their crops, and a list of customers.

* HR 2749 charges the Secretary of Health and Human Services with establishing a tracing system for food.  Each “person who produces, manufactures, processes, packs, transports, or holds such food” [Is this not every home in the US?]  would have to “maintain the full pedigree of the origin and previous distribution history of the food,” and “establish and maintain a system for tracing the food that is interoperable with the systems established and maintained by other such persons.”  The bill does not explain how far the traceback will extend or how it will be done for multi-ingredient foods.  With all these ambiguities, [with all these ambiguities, it is dangerous, period, separate from the money] it’s far from clear how much it will cost either the farmers or the taxpayers.  [It is massive and absurd and burdensome beyond the capacity of people to comply - is this not fascism? - so it is a set up for being used to impose penalties endlessly and/or to eliminate anyone at will.]

*  HR 2749 creates severe criminal and civil penalties, including prison terms of up to 10 years and/or fines of up to $100,000 for each violation for individuals.  [Does it include judicial review, Congressional oversight, a defined and limited set of penalties and punishments for a defined set of “crimes”?  Or is it entirely ambiguous and left to the whim and sole power of “the Administrator”?  Who is that person set to be?  Is it Michael Taylor, Monsanto lawyer and executive, as Food Democracy has said?  That is, do these bills set up an agency by which the entire US food supply will be turned over to the control of a multinational corporation under WTO regulations (and not to US farmers and not to US laws under the Constitution), with boundless freedom to do what it wants, and one infamous for harm to farmers and lack of safety of food?

Action to Take:

Contact your Representative now!  Ask to speak with the staffer who handles food issues.  Tell them you are opposed to the bill.  Some points to make in telling your Representative why you oppose HR 2749 include:

1.  The bill imposes burdensome requirements while not specifically targeting the industrial food system and food imports, where the real food safety problems lie.

2.  Small farms and local food processors are part of the solution to food safety; lessening the regulatory burden on them will improve food safety.

3.  The bill gives FDA much more power than it has had in the past while making the agency less accountable for its actions.

HR 2749 needs to be defeated!!  Please take action NOW.

Many may not be aware that the US Senate race in Florida is rather full. You have Governor Charlie Crist who is the establishment’s favorite; Marco Rubio is the Conservatives go to guy and then two others that aren’t really fitting in to well.

Those other two are basically what this post is about.

Marion Thorpe Jr. is the states former chief medical officer, he also showed up on Rep. Alcee Hastings list of people I want to kill.  Dr. Thorpe came out claiming to be the “Conservative Choice” I have to admit I was even looking to support Dr. Thorpe.  That was until some interesting information surfaced that has been suppressed since then.

The information had to deal with two major areas for Dr. Thorpe.  The first was back child support in excess of $40,000 during his run against Rep. Alcee Hastings.  Next were two bounced checks both for $5,000 to his printer for the congressional campaign.  So one has to ask themselves is this someone I want to see in DC?

Next we move to Robert (Bob) Smith.  Bob seems like a good choice as well, if he can figure out what party he wants to be a member of.  You see Bob represented the state of New Hampshire as a Senator.  John Sununu beat him in 2002. But in 1999 he abandoned the party to attempt to run for President. He courted the Constitution party for their nomination.

2004 Smith endorsed John Kerry for President, 2008 Smith started courting the Constitution party again writing editorials that were posted on their website.  It is rumored he was seeking their nomination and they decided to select Chuck Baldwin instead.

So this brings us back to Marco Rubio.  Mr. Rubio seems to be a stand up candidate and a logical choice for office. Marco Rubio has championed a conservative, smaller-government approach to government while in Tallahassee, in contrast with other elements of the Republican-controlled state government led by Governor Charlie Crist, which are more moderate or centrist. Marco Rubio is seen as a politician in the mold of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who advocated more conservative approaches when he was governor of Florida for eight years, ending in 2007.

During 2007, Marco Rubio, championed a major overhaul of the Florida tax system. He wanted to reduce property taxes and decrease the size of government.

The question one has to ask is whom should we send to represent us?  Personally I would like to see Rubio.  Marco has proven himself to be a true conservative.

In his first major speech as the Republican front-runner for governor, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum sought to link his likely Democratic opponent, Alex Sink, with the ”socialism” advocated by President Barack Obama.

McCollum told about 400 people at the Miami-Dade Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day dinner that his administration would be ”open to all ideas” but added that there were important distinctions between the two parties. The current administration is ”nationalizing” the private sector, he said, and driving up the federal deficit.

”Their candidate for governor, their leadership team in the state, will be the leadership team not just of the individual who is running, but of the national party,” McCollum said. “Do you believe we want to take a chance in electing somebody who is going to be affiliated with and associated with that kind of thought process?”

Though the 2010 general election is nearly 17 months away, the annual gathering in Florida’s biggest county is a pivotal testing ground for statewide candidates. A strong showing can kick start fundraising and buzz, while a flat performance can leave a bad first impression.

McCollum delivered a disjointed though spirited speech. He told the heavily Cuban-American crowd that President Barack Obama ”had no business” making overtures to the communist regime.

In an interview before his speech, McCollum said he would not have campaigned with Obama for his economic spending plan as Gov. Charlie Crist did in Fort Myers in February. ”I have a different view about that,” he said, but once the legislation passed, “we needed to get our fair share.”

He added, ”I would not have embraced the stimulus before the fact, but if it passed over my objections, that’s another story.”

McCollum, who served two decades in Congress before becoming attorney general in 2006, has appeared at countless party functions around the state. But this was his first time on stage as the front-runner for the highest-profile office in Florida.

”He’s been preparing his entire life for this opportunity,” former House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami said.

(ORIGINAL SOURCE)

Paula Dockery could be a contender for Governors mansion.  Already the Draft Campaign site (http://www.dockery2010.com) has received more traffic in one week than most sites in Central Florida see in a month.  This has to say something for the Senator.

People are hungry for a real change.  It seems they voted for change last November but we haven’t really seen any yet.  Senator Dockery seems to be a zephyr in a stale world.  If the GOP was smart they would make her the poster child of the NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Paula is not only Smart and Beautiful, she is a fighter.  She single handily fought of a HUGE corporation and was outnumbered by lobbyist about 4-1 in Tallahassee.  However she still came out victorious.  This is a modern day David and Goliath story.

Paula’s record of service in the House and Senate speak for themselves.  She has always put citizens first and we need to make sure that we elect Representatives that embody that.  To often it seems special interest control our elected officials.

For this reason alone.  I can say I see why the new popular phrase is “I’m a Paula-Tician”