Every time a Democrat protests that there's absolutely no voter fraud, yet another story breaks denying that claim. Most recently, Watchdog Wire reported that the organization known as True The Vote uncovered more than 25,000 registered voters in Florida who also are registered to vote in Ohio, New York and Rhode Island. In case anyone is paying attention, it's illegal to vote twice. Even if it's in two different states.
It's also illegal to vote if you happen to be dead. A friend of mine bought a home...MORE
Poor Big Bird.
The gentle creature of Sesame Street fame is on notice his days are numbered. Mitt Romney, if he has his way, is ready to pull the plug on the yellow giant - and with that, the generations of children Big Bird has taught and they, in turn, have come to love.
Big Bird’s crime? The beloved character beamed into our homes via Public Broadcasting, a – gasp! – liberal media outlet, according to Republicans - is a primary culprit driving up the national debt!
Aside from the absurdity of targeting a...MORE
A Message From Florida Concrete & Products Association
This election season allows for the public to ask our candidates about concerning federal issues. The issues addressed should focus on ensuring policies that are being created will protect the public interest. The Florida Concrete and Products Association is particularly concerned with an insurance issue that could make business owners and homeowners insurance less available and less affordable.
As an organization that represents more than 175 companies throughout the state, the Florida Concrete & Products Association...MORE
Most of us heard our parents preach about the need for civility at an early age. So what's happened to civility in public life?
Perhaps the genesis of political incivility started with President Richard Nixon’s catchy campaign slogan 40 years ago, admonishing the need for the “Moral Majority” to speak up and be heard, strongly. Listening carefully were two then-unknown Southern preachers, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, who began preaching about the intersection of religion and politics, and encouraging their flock to...MORE
A Message From National Alliance on Mental Illness/Florida
Florida’s community mental health and substance abuse services, once again, were of prominent discussion in the state’s budget negotiations throughout the 2012 legislative session earlier this year. Advocates rallied against cuts that would cost taxpayers more by increased burdens on Florida’s criminal justice system and emergency room costs and, in the end, these services received a relatively modest reduction.
But the problem goes beyond budgetary cuts from the state. Across the board we are seeing decreased resources for...MORE
I’m a great learner, if I do say so myself.
I learn at my own pace, with my own methods, and make my own connections as they relate to my life, both personal and professional. I feel confident in my ability to find answers to questions that I have, either on my own or by connecting with someone who has the answers. I say this as someone with a high level of self-empowerment and self-confidence.
So how can we as a society infuse the ability for every child in school to feel like me?
Every child knows how to learn. Watch 2-year-olds and...MORE
A Message From National Federation of Independent Businesses/Florida
In any election cycle, the influence of political commentators, cable news hosts and the candidates’ campaigns can cloud the realities of many of the issues most important to the American people. The presidential debates provide a balance to all of the uproar, giving the candidates an opportunity to directly and candidly address hardworking men and women across the country.
This year the debates carry a heightened importance. As the economy experiences growth that has been tepid at best, and as unemployment remains...MORE
Floridians committed to rooting out corruption in government are building momentum for a statewide movement for ethics reform. Integrity Florida has been honored to meet and engage citizen watchdogs, journalists, tea party groups, League of Women Voters chapters, local chambers of commerce, retiree groups and other civic groups from Pensacola to Miami in this effort.
One of our board members, Marty Rogol, led the Palm Beach County ethics reform initiative in 2010, after Palm Beach saw four county commissioners go to prison and earn Time...MORE
Recently the president of the Florida Bar came out in opposition to political parties getting involved in recommending yes or no votes on retaining judges at the District Court of Appeal and Florida Supreme Court.
Gwyne Young, the Bar leader, did this ostensibly in reaction to the announcement that the Republican Party of Florida was recommending a “No” vote on the three Supreme Court judges facing a retention vote in November.
I say it is the Florida Bar that should stay out of judicial politics, not the...MORE
Here’s a riddle for Florida voters: who wears a black robe, is sitting on a stack of a million greenbacks, and has a red face because voters get to decide whether or not they keep their jobs?
To be fair, this is a trick question. The answer is actually three people: Supreme Court Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince. The three of them are sitting on a combined political war chest of more than a million dollars, given to them by special interest groups, trial lawyers and political...MORE
A Message From Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association
Once considered a niche market fad, electronic cigarettes have become a force to be reckoned with worldwide.
While posing challenges for sacred tobacco profits, “e-cigs” and other smoke-free alternatives present a new normal in the cigarette industry, confusing traditional regulatory lines that determine what is ultimately best for the consumer.
Questions still remain regarding what information is available, how data and research are being gathered, and what standards fit the bill. Enter the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade...MORE
Despite what some would have you believe, religious liberty in Florida (and in America) has broad constitutional protection. We are a diverse nation of many faiths and philosophies, and Florida reflects those trends. The breadth and scope of religious liberty in this state is nothing short of remarkable, and it’s all thanks to the separation of church and state.
Yet there are those who would wreck this beautiful experiment in freedom. Some religious and political forces, motivated by a theory of politics that has all the subtlety of a...MORE
One hundred years ago, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay was established to lend a voice to those who could not speak for themselves. Today, we continue to lead that charge as we speak for the most marginalized of domesticated animals, the “community” (also known as feral) cat.
Community cats are those who have been raised in the wild or have been abandoned or lost and reverted to wild ways in order to survive. While some tolerate a bit of human contact, most are not socialized to people and will not approach even the most well-...MORE
A Message From Florida Center for Allergy and Asthma Care
For families with children who have food allergies or asthma, the start of the school year presents new challenges. Allergic students must begin managing their allergies differently than they did during the summer. Parents will need to collaborate with and often educate the school staff on how to recognize that their child is starting to have food, insect or medication-induced anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction involving multiple body systems -- skin, nose, eyes, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and heart -- that...MORE
This November you and I will join other Florida voters to consider retaining state Supreme Court Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and Fred Lewis for another six-year term. A recent survey indicates 90 percent of Floridians have neither heard their names nor evaluated their records.
This leaves us with the questions, what makes a good judge and how will we make up our minds?
The Florida Bar, the professional association for lawyers, answers these questions differently than I. Recent press reports indicate 23 former Florida Bar...MORE
