Nelson Directs Users to Democrat Fundraising Site for Hurricane Relief

Clueless or intentional? Senator Bill Nelson, in a close campaign for re-election against Governor Rick Scott, sent a fundraising email for hurricane Michael relief that directed users to the ActBlue web site, a Democrat fundraising PAC, which could capture donor's email addresses.

Bias, Ignorance or Incompetence?

Recently our local media reported about a survey regarding Greenlight Pinelllas conducted by an organization called "People's Budget Review".  We're looking at how this unscientific survey done on Facebook and email was reported by the media compared to an actual poll done of "likely voters" in January by a polling firm.

Here's are recent media articles about the People's Budget Review survey

Tampa Tribune:  Group hopes to focus Greenlight Pinellas debate on bus improvements

most Pinellas voters associate Greenlight only with its more controversial light-rail element and are in the dark about the plan’s bus improvements, according to a new survey of 1,600 residents by the People’s Budget Review, a group that includes local trade unions, activists and neighborhood associations (emphasis mine).

Tampa Bay Times: Local group says many don't know proposed transit tax would expand Pinellas bus system

With less than eight months remaining before Pinellas voters decide whether to support a tax increase for bus and rail, a St. Petersburg-based group's survey has found that most voters don't know the details of the proposal. 

But an unscientific survey of 1,600(emphasis mine) registered voters in Pinellas conducted by the group People's Budget Review found most respondents were familiar only with the rail portion of the plan. 

Distributed via Facebook and email, the group's survey (emphasis mine) did not target people of different backgrounds or likely voters.

SaintPetersblog:  People’s Budget Review: Most people unaware of Greenlight Pinellas details

…a new survey (emphasis mine) by St. Petersburg civic activists at the People’s Budget Review…

The People’s Budget Review is an alliance of community advocates, local business owners, union members and residents working to ensure all residents have a voice in how local tax dollars are spent.

Creative Loafing:  Pinellas' People's Budget Review to conduct their own education plan around Greenlight Pinellas

"Our main priority is that, this is going to be on the ballot — do people even know what it is? And after informing them a little bit about what it is, would they vote for it? That's our primary take right now," says Hunt of Awake PInellas (emphasis mine), one of a myriad of activist and neighborhood groups who make up the PBR, which formed a couple of years ago to help ensure citizens' having a voice on the budgeting process in the city of St. Petersburg. 

….their survey (emphasis mine) of over 1,600 people….

Awake Pinellas's Facebook page states:

Awake Pinellas' mission is to be a networking center for organizers to manifest a progressive (emphasis mine) agenda.

WTSP Channel 10:  Bus riders surveyed on knowledge of Greenlight Pinellas

A local group, called the Peoples Budget Review, has been surveying (emphasis mine) riders for three weeks about their knowledge of a November ballot referendum called Greenlight Pinellas: the mass transit plan 

"We are being careful not to sway voters, but to make them aware of this ballot and its details," said Bob Lasher, spokesperson for the PSTA.  

Oh my - let's digress a moment on PSTA's Greenlight Pinellas campaign: Making people aware of the ballot doesn't require chip clips, pens, refrigerator magnets and goodie bags and spending almost a million taxpayer dollars.

Tampa Bay Partnership blog: Support for Greenlight Pinellas Continues

A recent poll, (emphasis mine) sponsored by the grassroots organization (emphasis mine) People’s Budget Review shows 57 percent of those surveyed support Greenlight Pinellas while only 30 percent said they would vote “no.” According to the survey, Greenlight is most known for its long-term plan to link downtown St. Petersburg and Clearwater through light rail, and the fact that 65 percent of respondents associate Greenlight with light rail is not a good sign for those who have made “No Tax for Tracks” the rallying cry to defeat the referendum at the ballot box this November.

In January, this actual poll was conducted by the SunBeamTimes blog: 61% say “No Tax Hike” for Pinellas Rail. Few Will Ride the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Train.

The Sun Beam Times poll was conducted through the respected polling company St. Pete Polls. 

The Sun Beam Times poll was conducted only among Pinellas County registered voters who voted in the off-year 2010 election – likely voters in 2014.

Here's local media on McKalip's poll:

Tampa Tribune:  Rail backers say Pinellas poll skews results 

A new poll on the Greenlight Pinellas campaign to build a light-rail system and put more buses on the road has sparked controversy about whether the survey misled residents.

But transit supporters say the questions written by McKalip were designed to skew the results

Creative Loafing:  David McKalip touts new poll on Greenlight Pinellas, but were the questions misleading?

A new poll published on Monday finds large opposition to raising the sales tax in Pinellas to improve the county's transportation system, but critics say the questions asked prevented an accurate measurement of public sentiment.

Tampa Bay Times:  Poll commissioned by rail opponent shows Greenlight Pinellas on "shaky ground"

But as Creative Loafing’s Mitch Perry noted today, the referendum’s supporters will just as readily dismiss these survey results as skewed.

In addition, in much of the media reporting about the McKalip poll, they included a previous poll by Tampa Bay Times/BayNews9 reflecting a 56% support for Greenlight. No such reference to McKalip's poll showing large opposition to Greenlight was made in the media reporting of the People's Budget Review survey. 

David McKalip is a neurosurgeon in St. Petersburg, a previous candidate for St. Petersburg CIty Council who opposes Greenlight Pinellas and supports the grassroots organization NoTaxForTracks. Were there attempts in the local media to discredit McKalip's professionally done poll?

We found no such discrediting in the reporting of the People's Budget Review survey. So why was so much credibility given to the People's Budget Review unscientific survey?  Who is the People's Budget Review organization?

A simple Google search landed here announcing their launch in 2012:

Florida Public Services Union (FPSU) is not just a bargaining unit for thousands of workers in the city governments and schools but also an integral part of the community

FPSU collaborated with the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), Suncoast Sierra Club, League of Women Voters, Agenda 2010, NAACP and many other local organizations. It resulted in Peoples Budget Team. 

Darden Rice, now a St. Petersburg City Councilwoman, and ardent
supporter of Greenlight Pinellas announces People's Budget Review in 2012

The Tampa Bay Times reported that People's Budget Review is

A coalition of neighborhood groups, civic groups and union members, the People's Budget Review is primarily funded and organized by the Florida Public Service Union (emphasis mine), which represents 1,200 workers in St. Petersburg. 

The Florida Public Service Union is associated with the huge SEIU union.

• SEIU Florida Public Services Union represents 19,000 workers in eight counties, 16 cities, three Head Start agencies and four school districts across Florida. 
• SEIU Florida Public Services Union members are the driving force behind reliable public services and the voice of public employees throughout Florida. 
• SEIU public services members are the driving force behind reliable public services and the voice of public employees throughout Florida.

The Tampa Bay Partnership is absolutely wrong in misrepresenting People's Budget Review as a grassroots organization and in calling their unscientific survey a "poll".

FPSU-SEIU primarily funds People's Budget Review 

Since when did a well funded government labor union representing government employees become grassroots? SEIU/FPSU is not a grassroots organization. The People's Budget Review is largely funded by and associated with the FL FPSU union, an arm of the huge and powerful SEIU union. The People's Budget Review organization is part of a professional political activist organization active in voter registration, electing candidates where their members can contribute to the campaigns of pro-worker candidates.

The People's Budget Review website states:

The groups who typically speak the loudest are special interests, while tens of thousands of everyday people remain on the sidelines. The People’s Budget review seeks to give those silent thousands a way to speak out 

We want to get you the facts and find out how expanding public transit can work for all residents. After all, it’s our money.

Their website also includes a post titled Driving is a Privilege, Public Transit is a Right

 In a 2013 Ted Talk, Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogata, Columbia, smartly stated, “In terms of transport, an advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use transit.” 

We want to know your priorities around the issue of public transportation, and find out how expanding public transit can work for all residents.

People's Budget Review website has pic of Greenlight Pinellas supporters
on transit referendum issue

We're not sure where the Right to public transit is found. Obviously, the People's Budget Review supports public transit even if they haven't publicly endorsed Greenlight Pinellas.  Are they really serious about wanting better bus service, especially for the low income who need it to get to their jobs? Fixing Pinellas bus service can be done without building a $3 Billion train that most likely will require another new revenue source such as higher taxes, cutting bus service or robbing other services or projects - robbing Peter to pay Paul.

So why did the People's Budget Review unscientific survey that used Facebook and email showing support for Greenlight get so much local media attention?  Why did the local media insert so much pushback in their report of McKalip's professional poll of likely voters that showed large opposition to Greenlight?

We know the local media is highly biased in support of a costly rail agenda in Tampa Bay. We are subject to their consistent and on-going pro-rail editorials that coincidentally occur the same day a rail article in their news section is published.

The Tampa Bay Times even did an editorial referencing the People's Budget Review group after they launched in 2012:

Complaining about special interests' hold on government is easy. Doing something about it, much less so. 

Similarly, a coalition of community groups is pledging to take on the complexities of municipal budget writing in St. Petersburg. The People's Budget Review said this week it hopes to collect at least 10,000 residents' responses to questions about how they would like the city to prioritize spending on public safety, parks and recreation, and economic development. The results won't be scientific (emphasis mine) but will likely be far more extensive than what Mayor Bill Foster and the City Council would normally collect in the annual budget process. 

The right laid out in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to petition the government for redress of grievances is what sets this nation apart. And while much more attention may be given to large, amorphous campaigns like the Occupy movement (emphasis mine), these groups have a chance to make a real impact by tackling specific policy issues in their local communities. This is how democracy is supposed to work.

When do you think the Times or any other local media will acknowledge that the Tea Party has been targeting cronyism, wasteful spending and special interests, regardless of political party or ideology, for over 5 years? 

You absolutely cannot make this stuff up - it's a simple Google search away.

Bias, Ignorance or Incompetence?

Latvala and Pinellas Conspiring to Rob Peter to Pay Paul?

Is this a coincidence?  Pinellas has their Greenlight Pinellas transit/rail referendum on the ballot in November.  State senator Jack Latvala (from Pinellas) is pushing a bill that amends a current statute that appears aimed at enabling the Greenlight Pinellas boondoggle to grab more of your county tax dollars. The bill also adds an additional tax counties could impose for homeless facilities and services.

Section 212.054-.055 of the Florida Statutes currently allows:

Eight different types of local discretionary sales surtaxes (also called local option county sales taxes) are allowed by law and are potential revenue sources for county and municipal governments and school districts. Local discretionary sales surtaxes apply to all transactions subject to the state sales and communications services taxes. 

Local discretionary sales surtax rates vary from county to county.

The 8 types of local discretionary sales surtaxes are:

• Charter county and regional (emphasis mine) transportation system surtax
• Local government infrastructure surtax
• Small county surtax
• Indigent care and trauma center surtax
• County public hospital surtax
• School capital outlay surtax
• Voter-approved indigent care surtax
• Emergency fire rescue services and facilities surtax

The term "regional" was added to the local transportation surtax sale tax statute in 2010. Could that be a setup for an eventual regional transit tax?

The local government infrastructure surtax is the Penny for Pinellas tax in Pinellas and the Community Investment Tax in Hillsborough. This tax today can be used for capital road improvements and other infrastructure projects but it CANNOT be used for operating and maintenance expenses, e.g. like operating and maintenance for transit agencies.  

The transportation surtax can be used for transit operating costs and that is the sales tax increase that is on the ballot in Pinellas for Greenlight Pinellas.  It  was also the rail tax that was on the ballot in Hillsborough that was defeated in 2010.

From the Pinellas County budget, this describes what the Penney for Pinellas may be used for today:

Penny for Pinellas is capital funding for infrastructure projects  

Now Latvala introduced SB786 (accompanying house bill is HB723).  Go to 77:30 of the Community Affairs Committee video to view state senator Latvala recently introducing this bill.

Aaccording to this WTSP Channel 10 report:

Wording in the bill says that "discretionary sales surtaxes" can be used "for the maintenance of transportation infrastructure if the local government ordinance authorizing such use is approved by referendum." 

To some, that means a double tax to fund Greenlight Pinellas, which is supposed to be funded by the sales tax increase. 

"This Latvala bill shows that the rich and well-connected, that not even a three percent tax hike to raise $1.8 billion, is not enough to build their precious train," said David McKalip with No Tax for Tracks, a group firmly against Greenlight Pinellas.

The latest version of the bill states:

A bill to be entitled
An act relating to discretionary sales surtaxes; amending s. 212.055, F.S.; revising the uses of the proceeds of the local government infrastructure surtax to include the maintenance of transportation infrastructure; revising the term “infrastructure” (emphasis mine); authorizing a county to levy a homeless services and facilities surtax; defining “homeless services” and “homeless facilities”; requiring an ordinance, referendum, and voter approval; providing an effective
date.

Senator Latvala is denying this change has anything to do with Greenlight Pinellas.  This change at this time certainly appears it relates to Greenlight. The Pinellas County commissioners requested this change as one of their 6 legislative priorities for 2014 late last year.

Support an amendment that would allow a bigger say on future Penny for Pinellas spending. Penny for Pinellas money is restricted to capital improvements only and not for infrastructure.

This is an admittance that the transportation surtax in Pinellas, if passed, will never begin to cover the costs of operating a high cost train in Pinellas county or probably anywhere else in the state.  The federal dollars are dwindling as the Highway Trust Fund, our federal gas taxes, have been diverted to high cost rail systems and the Fund bankrupted. There's no guarantee that Pinellas will even get all the state and federal funds they want and know they must find MORE local tax dollars to cover the gaps.

Chris Latvala, senator Jack Latvala's son who is running for a state house seat and supports the Greenlight Pinellas boondoggle, stated in a BayNews9 interview on February 20th that he wanted to rob the Penny for Pinellas to pay for the train.  Hmmm - our legislative session had not started yet at that time. Do you think he knew his father was going to file a bill to change Penny for Pinellas?  Is this what we expect to see - like father, like son from Chris Latvala?

The Eye posted previously here that Greenlight Pinellas has a basic financial problem.  

$130M per year of sales taxes leaves $314M gap in annual operating expenses that have to be covered somehow. Or a $14.1B shortfall of the expected $20B costs.

The projected $130 million annual revenue stream from the huge tax increase simply will not cover the cost of operating and maintaining the rail system.  Even if Pinellas kept the PSTA $30 million property tax which there is nothing legally stopping them from doing,  the math doesn't add up to fiscally sustain a train in Pinellas over the long term.

The only way to cover this huge revenue gap is to find another source of revenue.  This always occurs wherever light rail is implemented.  Either bus service or other services are cut or find a new revenue source.

The Latvala bill will allow Pinellas to rob the revenue from their infrastructure sales tax that pays for road improvements, parks, and other capital improvements and use that revenue for rail/transit operating and maintenance cost. Would that strip the county of revenue for critical road improvements or other important capital projects?

Interestingly, we found this comment from a 2008 TBARTA presentation:

TBARTA 2008 Presentation 

Also don't forget the counties that must take over the operating  & maintenance (O & M) costs for SunRail in 2021.  While all FL taxpayers pay to build and to operate SunRail from May 2014 when it launches thru 2020, the local municipalities must pick up the O & M beginning in 2021.  NOT ONE of those counties or municipalities, Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Volusia or city of Orlando, has a funding source to pay for SunRail.

Guess what?  Seminole county has scheduled a special election on May 20 for voters to decide to bring back the one cent infrastructure tax they had until it expired last in 2011. 

A new proposed sales tax increase, known as the "One Cent Infrastructure Tax," was recently approved by the Board of County Commissioners in Seminole for consideration in a special tax referendum election to be held on May 20. If approved by voters, the tax would be in place for 10 years and raise an average of $63 million annually, according to county documents. 

According to county documents, 25 percent of revenues generated from the tax would go to Seminole County Public Schools for capital improvements to schools, and the other 75 percent would be divvied up among the county and the seven cities within the county to finance a range of infrastructure improvements throughout the county.

Why have a special election on May 20 that will cost taxpayers a half million dollars when we have a regular election in November?  This is their excuse.

Additionally, the May 20 special election will cost around $455,000. Had the vote been pushed off to the general election, it would have been of no additional cost to the county, Ertel said. The county's defense in this notion is that it is moving ahead with a special election to allow the School Board to consider the new revenue as it contemplates its budget for the next fiscal year. The budget must be approved by June 30.

The schools are one of, if not the largest, employer in any county.  The county itself is a huge employer.  So schedule an off-cycle special election to raise more tax dollars to dole out to schools and other government agencies and who will certainly show up and vote in May? Probably the ready made base of support directly benefiting from the increased taxes - the employees of the schools and the county. This is called election rigging. Sounds similar to what we heard recently in Hillsborough about a proposal to put another county transit referendum on the ballot, but in the March 2015 city of Tampa mayor/city council election, instead of the regular county election time. 

In Hillsborough, the CIT tax was passed 53-47% in a special election held in September 1996, after a Bucs stadium only tax was soundly defeated in September 1995 60-40%.

As reported here, referendums are more likely to pass for a number of reasons, including:

• the election is held "off-cycle" to yield lower voter turnout overall but proportionately higher turnout of supporters, especially those with a school connection; 

• it is often necessary to try and try again - to keep putting the same issue before the public and eventually the voters will be convinced that the money is really needed 

• an existing tax is increased rather than a new one proposed; 

• scolding the voters after they reject a proposal will shame them into voting for a tax hike proposal the next time around

If Latvala's bill passes, will SunRail counties then rob their infrastructure tax that pays for roads, schools and other CAPITAL improvements to pay for SunRail operating expenses? SunRail is the poster child of bad policy - using tax dollars to build a commuter rail system that has NO long term funding source. Do you think the SunRail counties want to put another referendum for the transportation surtax on the ballot?  They have to find the revenue somewhere to operate SunRail, a train the power brokers in those counties begged for but never provided a long term revenue source to pay for it.  

Hold on Hillsborough!  Hillsborough's infrastructure surtax is the half-cent Community Investment Tax (CIT). That tax is already a travesty and one reason why Hillsborough has a critical road funding issue. The CIT money is gone and spent even though we're paying the tax until it expires in 2026. With Latvala's change, if the CIT tax is ever extended, and it could also be raised from half-cent to a full cent, the revenues could then be used for operating and maintenance expenses for transit instead of roads and other capital improvements.  

Latvala's SB786 bill will also allow counties, with voter approval, to enact another discretionary sales surtax, a half cent surcharge tax for homeless services and homeless facilities.  If our economy is supposedly improving, do we want or need MORE taxes?

Changing the existing infrastructure tax that today is used as capital for roads, schools and other infrastructure improvements so that the revenue can cover operating expenses is not good policy. 

Here's a graph from Greenlight Pinellas of tax receipts until 2050. 

Greenlight Pinellas tax receipts vs Bus/Light Rail "net" costs

Have you ever seen tax receipts go up every year for 25 years?  That is very unlikely. Penny for Pinellas has had huge drops over the 20 plus years of its existence like in 2009. In Pinellas County budget, this risk is reported.

Sales tax revenue sensitive to swings in the economy

The timing of this change is no coincidence. It provides a backdoor way for Pinellas to pay for a high cost rail that Greenlight Pinellas transit tax can never pay for.  This change could also be a backdoor way for the SunRail counties to pay their SunRail operating expenses without having to pursue another tax.

Latvala and Pinellas are conspiring to Rob Peter to Pay Paul. SB786 will rob roads and other capital improvements to pay operating expenses for high cost rail boondoggles. This change will have state wide implications. Yes, it appears that local voters must approve. However, then the power brokers will election rig by scheduling a low turnout, off-cycle special election to get their supporters out to get it passed.

This change is an admission that the 14% sales tax rate increase in Pinellas, that increases revenues by over 300%, will never cover the costs of operating the Greenlight Pinellas rail boondoggle. This is a dire prediction that more Pinellas county tax dollars will be needed.

Stop SB786 and it's accompanying house bill HB723 and stop robbing Peter to pay for Paul.

Corporate and Regional HQ's Not Transit-Oriented Development

The Tampa Tribune recently published an Op-Ed from Commissioner Mark Sharpe stating

Tampa Bay is poised to become one of the best performing metros in America, fueled by a re-energized effort to link high-wage, tech-driven, economic development to a vibrant and diverse transportation network.

Sharpe continues explaining that Hillsborough county established a Transportation Leadership Policy group attempting to specifically tie transportation to economic development.

The group’s mission has been to consider options for linking our economic development areas to better and smarter roads, premium bus service, toll lanes, and rail (my emphasis).

Today the Tribune published a shortened version of a Letter to the Editor from a Tampa Bay area resident responding to Sharpe's Op-Ed.

Below is the full text of the Letter to the Editor that was submitted.

Mark Sharpe's opinion piece entitled "This time we need to connect the dots" employs tiresome sleight of hand to push for expanded transit, specifically light rail. For example, he cites the "record transit ridership for 2013", while failing to mention that New York City subways alone were responsible for more than 92 percent of that increase. According to the New York Times, the growth in subway ridership resulted from “falling unemployment”, and not any transit enthusiasm among millenials.

US Department of Transportation statistics show that from 1980 to 2011, passenger miles traveled on highways grew by 59%, while transit passenger miles only grew 36%. So despite all the new heavily subsidized light rail lines built in the US over the last 35 years, people are increasingly choosing cars over transit. That may not seem smart or rational to Mr. Sharpe, but it is in fact what people are doing. History shows us that social engineering will not change that.

The real impetus for this never-ending push for rail is cronyism. There can never be a dialogue with Mr. Sharpe, the Tampa Bay Partnership or their real estate developer supporters unless and until they stop corrupting the political process. Construction companies and real estate developers have learned from big banks and bailed out auto companies that feeding at the government trough is very profitable, the costs to the average citizen be damned.

The average household in the Tampa Bay area has seen their median income drop over the last ten years, and that is true for the rest of the nation as well. People are tired of the cronyism, and certainly can't afford to pay for it anymore. Perhaps this is why polling shows that once Pinellas County voters understand what is in the Greenlight Pinellas Plan, and what is not in the plan, over two thirds say they plan to vote "NO" in November.

If Mr. Sharpe really wants to "connect the dots", then he should drop the happy talk of "a vibrant and diverse transportation network" in favor of a discussion of why real estate development corruptly drives all economic development and transit proposals in the Tampa Bay area. The other Bay Area, namely the San Francisco bay area, has shown that growth can come from intellectual achievements, not just from real estate developers.

Task number one is to get the corruption out of the political system in the Tampa Bay area. After all, it is government "for the people" not "for the real estate developers".

Tom Rask
Unincorporated Pinellas County

We agree with Commissioner Sharpe that Tampa Bay's future is bright.  Florida is leading the nation in job creation and the Tampa Bay area has led the state in creating jobs - no train needed.

We agree with Tom too.  In 2010 Hillsborough saw all the pro rail special interests colluding with the pro rail  taxpayer funded agencies and pro rail politicians to push a light rail system that cost too much and did too little.  

It looks like very same cronyism is now happening in Pinellas with the same rail cartel led by Tampa Bay Partnership pushing the Greenlight Pinellas boondoggle.  

Want economic development?  Fix the regulatory issues, reduce or eliminate some of the fees, streamline the processes and make it easier for EVERYONE to start, expand or relocate a business here.  Want economic growth and prosperity? The power brokers and politicians should spend more time recruiting Corporate and Regional headquarters to relocate and bring their C-suite jobs to the Tampa Bay area.

The Sun-Sentinel reported in January:

Eighteen corporate headquarters have expanded or moved to Broward and Palm Beach counties since the recession officially ended in 2011. 

Seven of those offices moved from other states or countries; 11 expanded here.The primary reasons headquarters come here are easy access to international airports, a multilingual and skilled workforce, options in leasing or building office space, lower energy and construction costs — and no state income tax, Swindell and Smallridge said. 

Broward County has promoted the area as one offering "Life. Less taxing (my emphasis)," in advertisements featuring entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga.

There is not one mention of rail for why these businesses relocated and expanded in South Florida.  Broward is promoting less taxes and what we do know is that LESS TAXES means MORE JOBS!  

Today's weather was picture perfect.  We'll never see a polar vortex in Tampa Bay! Time to focus on getting C-Suite jobs here.

Another perfect day in Tampa Bay 

Americans Deserve Better

It was somewhat comical to read Joe Henderson's column (or perhaps we call it his rant) in today's Tribune about CPAC, the Tea Party and conservatives. 

Henderson seemed to base his bashing of CPAC and conservatives from conversations with one Tea Party friend who he asked "How do you ever expect to win a national election again if you don’t work with other people and compromise when you need to?" The friend apparently replied "Why should we compromise when we’re right?"

In his column, Henderson replies to that question:

In this country, we don’t get everything we want.

The disingenuousness of Henderson's column is laughable but the sad truth is the caricatures Henderson portrays is exactly what we see in mainstream (aka lame stream) reporting everyday.  Perhaps Henderson should actually talk to more conservatives or those who believe in the Tea Party Principles.  If Henderson just clicked on the Tampa Tea Party website, this is what he would find.  

We Support these basic Principles:

• Limited Government
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Free Markets
• Individual Liberties
• A Return to Constitutional Governance

Which Principle does Henderson want us to compromise on?  

The fact is both parties have ignored these Principles. What has been the result?

• Out of control spending with now over $17 TRILLION of debt and if the unfunded liabilities of entitlements are included, it's $100 TRILLION we owe. Joe, you as a citizen now owe at least $192K and your family owes almost $753K according to the US Debt clock - is that sustainable?

• Size and scope of the federal government grown to the point that they are now involved in or regulating virtually every aspect of our lives and businesses

• With that size and scope of government comes corruption and abuse as we experience the IRS targeting, NSA spying, EPA nonsense, government picking winners and losers all right in front of our eyes

• Size of federal government bureaucracy grown to the point that during the government shutdown we were told there were 900,000 NON-ESSENTIAL federal employees furloughed

• Disregard of Constitutional Governance resulting in the Senate lawlessness refusing to lawfully pass an annual budget

• Disregard of Constitutional Governance by President Obama unilaterally making major changes and delays to Obamacare for political reasons

• Government Regulation overload killing our free market economy that has historically given our country the largest prosperity and economic strength of any country in the world 

• Laws, regulations and un-elected bureaucrats abusing our individual Liberties which our country was founded on. 

This is what compromising principles have given us.

Let's mull over Henderson's answer "in this country, we don't get everything we want".

President Obama, supposedly a former Constitutional law professor, now threatens more unilateral action with his "pen and a phone" because he ignores Constitutional Governance and refuses to govern through the Constitutional legislative process. Obama complains (or whines) he must do this because he cannot get his agenda through that Constitutional legislative process. So Joe - Obama can't push his agenda legislatively and get "everything he wants" so he unilaterally dictates - are you OK with that?

When the Democrats took both houses of Congress in 2008, did they ever compromise?Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid refused to allow amendments on Obamacare or much anything else from Republicans to even be brought forward for a vote.  They rammed Obamacare through using back room bribes and special procedures.  In other words, even having majorities in the House and Senate, the Dems could not get "everything they wanted" without resorting to these tactics. Pelosi and Reid even refused to pass a budget which they are lawfully required to do because they knew they could not "get everything they wanted".  So Joe  - are you OK with that?

Oxymoron?
Obama, Reid & Pelosi and Honest Leadership/Open Government

Republicans took the House back in 2010 because of the Tea Party leadership and influence. The House passed budget after budget and sent to the Senate.  Again, Harry Reid refused to pass a Senate budget required by laws passed by Congress itself. Reid is again refusing to pass a budget for 2015 because Reid knows he cannot begin to get "everything he wants".  So Joe - are you OK with that?

Why isn't the media holding these elected representatives accountable? Is it the media's job to regurgitate Democrat talking points and then tell conservatives to compromise?

While Henderson attempts to paint those speaking at CPAC as caricatures, what about those who now make up the Democrat party, including it's leadership:

• Obama's and the Democrats "if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan period" is named LIE OF THE YEAR for 2013

• Senator Harry Reid, McCarthy like, recently takes to the floor of the Senate to call Americans and his own constituents liars and that all those horror stories coming out about Obamacare "are all lies"

• Senate leadership, as far back as 2010, was urging the IRS to target your fellow citizens, conservative 501c4 groups because of their political beliefs.
• Dick Durbin 
• Chuck Schumer
• Max Baucus
• Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifying in Congress on Benghazi stating "What difference does it make"

The Tea Party ignited on and always has focused on fiscal issues and fighting to return our country to Constitutional governance.  We have endured name-calling from Democrats, including Democrat leadership, and from the media's false portrayal of who we are and what we represent.  We could go on and on documenting the false, absurd, stupid and ignorant statements Democrats and the media have made about Americans who believe in the Tea Party Principles.

We certainly have never heard Henderson accuse the Democrats  of saying so many "stupid things".  But perhaps Henderson could start in our backyard with this comment made during a debate from CD 13 candidate Alex Sink on immigration.  Does Henderson think that comment was "stupid"?  Or would he only have mocked it as stupid if a Republican had said it?

And the Democrats are so diluted of any new ideas and leadership, they have to run a retread Republican flip flopper, who has become an unprincipled career politician, for governor.  The Tribune and local media will not report on Charlie Crist's inconsistent positions that bend with the wind. 

And Joe - Where are Senator Nelson and Rep. Kathy Castor on the Obamacare train wreck?  Senator Bill Nelson echoed Obama's lie about we all get to keep our healthcare. Both are MIA - Missing In Action on Obamacare. We're anxiously awaiting Joe's column asking them:  What do they propose to do to fix the mess and do they support the President unilaterally making changes usurping their power? 

The Tribune has repeatedly reported and editorialized on delaying flood insurance reform. Yet the Tribune has avoided reporting Nelson actually voted FOR the original bill to raise federal flood insurance rates. Joe - why aren't you and the Tribune holding Nelson to the same standards?

Henderson mocks that there is actually debate and true "big tent" inclusion within the Republican party.  Isn't that a good thing? The moderate or conservative Democrats are on life support because the leadership is now so left-wing Progressive that their modus operandi is to shutdown all dissent.  

While Henderson makes caricatures out of those speaking at CPAC, those who support Tea Party principles and conservatives, the truth is the Democrat party is now being led by cartoon characters.

Do you think we'll see a Henderson column about the Democrat cartoon characters soon?  

In this Orwellian world we find ourselves in, somehow the Tea Party and conservatives are the problem? 

In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act.  

-- George Orwell

Same ol' stuff from Joe.

But Joe - All Americans deserve better from our politicians.  All Americans deserve better from our media.

Sharon Calvert
Co-Founder Tampa Tea Party

CD 13 issue is Obamacare: Vote Jolly

The Eye looks at the importance of CD 13 special election in Pinellas.   Why is this race so important?  Obamacare!  Obamacare has become the #1 job killer in our country. 

There is no more stark difference in this race than on the Obamacare issue. 

Jolly wants to get rid of Obamacare because it's hurting Americans and those in Pinellas and Sink supports Obamacare.

What's key to Jolly winning?  Turn out, Turn out, Turn out!

David Jolly

If you live in Pinellas - VOTE and get 5 others to Vote too!

Anyone in the Tampa Bay area can help at either of the 2 Jolly campaign offices in Pinellas:
Clearwater:  (727)490-9324
St. Petersburg:  (352)584-7284

----------------------------------------------------
Sink says the race is not about Obamacare.  If that was true, why did she reject doing a national TV debate? Sink was on Baynews9 Political Connections recently:

Some points of reference from the Sink interview.

• Sink says national forces may think the race is about Obamacare but she only goes by what she "hears" from residents in the District.  This is a reminder that it's only been about 2 months since Sink has been "hearing" anything from Pinellas residents.  Pinellas has over 920,000 people and almost 616,000 registered voters.  How many residents of Pinellas does she know much less has she "listened" to in that time frame?  Did she not hear residents in Pinellas say jobs are the priority?

• When asked whether the CBO report that Obamacare will destroy 2.5 million jobs was devastating, Sink cheerfully replied  "Absolutely Not".   

• Sink echoes Rep. Nancy Pelosi by happily telling us that Obamacare gives us more freedom and choice (so someone else can pay for their healthcare - small detail left out).  Sink sees Obamacare as an "Exciting Prospect".   Does anyone in Pinellas county think the Obamacare train wreck is an exciting prospect?    

• In between her gleeful support for Obamacare, Sink indicts Obamanomics, the Obama economy, by stating how horrible the economy has been for the last 5 years.   Has Sink informed the Democrat party how bad the economy is that they have created?  

The #1 issue of Americans today is JOBS.  It is impossible to support a pro-jobs agenda and support the job destroying Obamacare.

The choice cannot be more clear in Pinellas.  

Vote Jolly!

Send a message that the only exciting prospect for Obamacare is its repeal!  

Orwellian? Job-lock or Dependency

Last week Democrats and their media megaphone churned out the term "job-lock". Why? Because the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that Obamacare will kill 2.5 million jobs by 2024.  The Hill reported

The new healthcare law will cost the nation the equivalent of 2.5 million workers in the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated in a report released Tuesday. 

The nonpartisan agency found the reform law’s negative effects on employment would be “substantially larger” than what it had previously anticipated. 

It said the equivalent of 2.3 million workers would be lost by 2021, compared to its previous estimate of 800,000, and that 2.5 million workers would be lost by 2024. It also projected that labor force compensation would be reduced by 1 percent from 2017 to 2024 — twice its previous estimate.

In addition to killing jobs, the CBO director Douglas Elmendorf admitted Obamacare creates a disincentive to work.

Columnist Charles Krauthammer reports that White House Press Secretary Jay Carney's response will be "emblazoned on the tombstone of Liberalism":

“Opportunity created by affordable, quality health insurance allows families in America to make a decision about how they will work, or if they will work (emphasis mine).”

Avik Roy at Forbes adds this

CBO projects that economic growth will be more sluggish than they had previously projected. 

CBO projects that from 2014 to 2023, the federal government will receive $1.4 trillion less in tax revenue than it had projected last year. As a result, “CBO now estimates that the cumulative deficit for the 2014-2023 period…would be about $1.0 trillion greater (emphasis mine) than it projected in May [2013].”

CBO Long Term Spending Projections

The CBO report is just more proof of the devastation of Obamacare.  Therefore, Obama, the White House and the Democrats went into full panic spin mode immediately.  With their media echo chamber, Obama and the Democracts began telling us Obamacare cures this problem called "job-lock".

Democrat House minority leader Nancy Pelosi smilingly told us that Obamacare "represents Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"?  Most Americans do not believe our Founding Fathers expected us to pursue our happiness by forcing someone else to pay for it. We guess Pelosi forgot or ignored the fact that she lost her Speaker position in 2010 on the very issue of Obamacare.  But facts don't matter….they just get in the way of the truth.

Progressives always put a name on everything so now it's "job-lock".  What is job-lock?  Wikipedia describes it

The term job lock is used to describe the inability of an employee to freely leave a job because doing so will result in the loss of employee benefits (usuallyhealth or retirement related).

Do Democrats ever think about root-cause? Let's step back in time and understand when and why our healthcare benefits got tied directly to our employment.  According to the Madison Project 

In 1942 during WW11 under FDR, Congress passed the Stabilization Act, which instituted wage controls in the workforce. Like every other deleterious government intervention, the wage controls led to unintended consequences. In order to compete in the labor market, employers began to look for other means of compensation to attract talent and reward productive employees. This gave rise to the tax exemption for employer-provided health insurance officially created by a 1954 IRS ruling. Concurrently, labor unions began engaging in collective bargaining for fringe benefits in addition to wages.

The truth is government created this so called job-lock of tying healthcare benefits to employment.  We don't expect to get our property insurance or our automobile insurance through our employer or through the government.  

Instead of fixing job-lock, Obamacare was built on it as a complicated, costly, bureaucratic attempt to take over 1/6 of our economy. Common sense steps would help divest our healthcare benefits from our employer: fixing the tax issue, enabling the purchase of policies across state lines, tort reform and providing a safety net for those with pre-existing conditions and low income.  

Does Obama and the Democrats actually want to fix this government created job-lock? Then cure our anemic, stagnant economy by getting the government out of the way so our free market economy can start driving job creation. Begin by repealing and replacing Obamacare with market driven reforms, reform our tax code and reign in our spending. Obamacare will never "cure" job-lock but a growing, robust economy will.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid, from Nevada where high unemployment remains, jumps on the job-lock bandwagon and adds that with Obamacare "we're all free agents".  

It allows people to get out of a job they’re locked into, because of — they have healthcare in their job.”

Reid tells us that as free agents people can do what they want.  Did he say that in the same vane as he stated that the US income tax is “voluntary”?  According to Websters Dictionary

Free agent is a person who is able to act freely without being controlled by someone else

Obamacare is a federal one size fits all bad policy of mandates, taxes, and penalties that has already caused higher premiums, higher co-pays and deductibles and limited access.  Obamacare isn't about people doing what they want, it's about the government forcing people to do what it wants. Only an aging, out of touch Senator Reid would call that being a free agent.

Today, employer-sponsored insurance is the leading source of health insurance.  By mid-year when the delay expires, we anticipate employers will start canceling their employees healthcare coverage due to the cost of complying with government dictated insurance.  We've heard rumblings that because of the mid-term election, Obama may again delay this mandate. Obama meant it when he said he'd use his phone and pen to unilaterally advance his political agenda.

Combining George Orwell's  "doublethink" and "newspeak" from his book 1984, published in 1949, came the term "doublespeak". 

language used to deceive usually through concealment or misrepresentation of truth

Lies and deceit were the foundation of Obamacare. The negative consequences of Obamacare are becoming more apparent everyday.  Now the Democrats wants to swap their government created job-lock for more government created dependency. They tell us less work is good. 

Transitioning into an Orwellian society - we'll all be "free" agents forced into Obamacare!  

Crist rolls dice on Obamacare like placing bets on a craps table

Here's Charlie!  Which Charlie Crist showed up in Tampa at a fundraiser this weekend? The Tribune reported today it was the Crist who

urged a crowd of Democrats to stay behind President Barack Obama, dismissing the problems with the startup of the Affordable Care Act. 

“The president’s is going through a tough time right now. Everybody’s on his back about a website,”

So Crist "dismisses" the problems with the website but doesn't he know or won't he acknowledge all the other issues swirling around Obamacare, especially in Florida? Hundreds of thousands of Floridians and millions of Americans have had their current health plans cancelled, are experiencing sticker shock with higher premiums, higher deductibles and co-pays and losing their doctors. What about the job destroying economic impact? But the Crist response according to the Tribune:

“Well whatever,” he said. “Stuff happens."

Wow! Does that sound eerily familiar? Like another answer excuse we heard from Hillary Clinton on Benghazi?   

What Difference Does it Make?
(that four Americans were killed in Benghazi)

Crist  appears to display the Obama hubris (foolish amount of pride or confidence).  From the Miami Herald: 

 “The hug killed me,” Crist said. “Now it could save me.” 

 Crist hugs Obama in 2010
for Obama stimulus (debt) dollars 

But on the critical issue of Obamacare, it's hard to decipher a Crist position. Crist was against Obamacare before he was for it, against it before he was for it and on and on. 

According to this Broward/Palm Beach New Times article, Crist tweeted in early 2010 condemning Obamacare:

To Crist -- yes, the other Crist -- enacting ObamaCare would only constitute "the beginning." He said "Americans deserve better than this." He launched a petition to stop "health care secrecy" and vowed to send Washington "a message."

Since 2009 when Crist was governor, his positions on Obamacare have taken on a life of their own. As a Senate candidate in 2010, Marco Rubio described a half dozen opportunistic positions Crist has taken on Obamacare. Even the left leaning Politifact agreed

We agree he has made conflicting statements about his views on the health care bill -- once it only took him two hours to contradict himself. But generally his positions can be summarized in three ways: he was opposed and wanted to repeal the law, he said he would have voted for the law, and he wants to modify the law

Now Crist is rolling his dice supporting Obamacare like placing his bet on a craps table. Crist is taking the DNC's political intellectual Debbie Wasserman Shultz's advice and running for Governor of Florida on support of Obamacare…

Today Floridians not only know what is in Obamacare, Floridians are now experiencing the reality of the pain, suffering and literally the "expense" of Obamacare. But with his "well whatever" attitude at the fundraiser, Crist touts his support of Obama and Obamacare as the Tribune reports

"But he’s got a good plan. And now’s the time you need to show him what a friend you are. 

It’s easy to be with him when he’s rolling along but when it’s tough the tough get going.”

And Crist knows all about rolling along when it gets tough.  When Florida was going thru a "tough" financial downturn, Crist rolled off to run for Senate and abandoned running for a second term as Governor.

Things got tough and Charlie Crist got going….