Our Banner

Mail address:

Cynthia Lucas #1 Mandalay Rd, Stuart, FL 34996 - We could use some help with expenses.

Martin 9/12 Calendar (& City of Stuart)

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Seven50 Bureaucrats: Blinded by Paternalism

Seven50 Bureaucrats: Blinded by Paternalism

We Are Not SUBJECTS (and Other Observations About Obamacare)

We Are Not SUBJECTS (and Other Observations About Obamacare)

Laura Hollis | Nov 20, 2013

The unveiling of the dictatorial debacle that is Obamacare absolutely flabbergasts me. It is stunning on so many levels, but the most shocking aspect of it for me is watching millions of free Americans stand idly by while this man, his minions in Congress and his cheerleaders in the press systematically dismantle our Constitution, steal our money, and crush our freedoms.

The President, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid (with no small help from Justice John Roberts) take away our health care, and we allow it. They take away our insurance, and we allow it. They take away our doctors, and we allow it. They charge us thousands of dollars more a year, and we allow it. They make legal products illegal, and we allow it. They cripple our businesses, and we allow it. They announce by fiat that we must ignore our most deeply held beliefs – and we allow it.

Where is your spine, America?


Read this article at Townhall.com...

Ed.: Our thanks to Bill Tulko for sending us this article.


Laura Hollis is a professor of entrepreneurship and business law at the University of Notre Dame, and the author of the forthcoming publication, “Start Up, Screw Up, Scale Up: What Government Can Learn From the Best Entrepreneurs,” © 2014. Her opinions are her own. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHollis61.

SUBSIDIARITY from Leo Linbeck III


Friday, December 20, 2013

US Code - Section 1401: Nationals and citizens of United States at birth

8 U.S.C. § 1401 : US Code - Section 1401: Nationals and citizens of United States at birth

The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:

(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;

(b) a person born in the United States to a member of an Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or other aboriginal tribe:

Provided, That the granting of citizenship under this subsection shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of such person to tribal or other property;

(c) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person;

(d) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the birth of such person, and the other of whom is a national, but not a citizen of the United States;

(e) a person born in an outlying possession of the United States of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person;

(f) a person of unknown parentage found in the United States while under the age of five years, until shown, prior to his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to have been born in the United States;

(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years: Provided, That any periods of honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or periods of employment with the United States Government or with an international organization as that term is defined in section 288 of title 22 by such citizen parent, or any periods during which such citizen parent is physically present abroad as the dependent unmarried son or daughter and a member of the household of a person

(A) honorably serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, or

(B) employed by the United States Government or an international organization as defined in section 288 of title 22, may be included in order to satisfy the physical- presence requirement of this paragraph.

This proviso shall be applicable to persons born on or after December 24, 1952, to the same extent as if it had become effective in its present form on that date; and

(h) a person born before noon (Eastern Standard Time) May 24, 1934, outside the limits and jurisdiction of the United States of an alien father and a mother who is a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, had resided in the United States.

- See more at: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/8/12/III/I/1401#sthash.V2HwPhDd.dpuf


See article on Birthright Citizenship...

Birthright Citizenship...

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Winn: Seven 50 Defeated in Martin County

by Chuck Winn | 17 Dec 2013

Martin County constitutional conservatives owe Jackie Maimone, Sheila Donivan and Phyllis Frey their thanks for their tenacity and leadership over the past 3 months in mobilizing the Seven 50 opposition.  Their focus and judgment have been outstanding throughout the process, to include selecting Jerry Kychelhahn as the Seven50 opposition spokesman at today's decisive BCC meeting.  The Martin Co. vote was a resounding success against regionalism. 

We should also thank Martin GOP Chairman Kate Boland for getting out in front of this with her support of Seven 50 opposition efforts. It was disappointing however, that Commissioner Doug Smith put his supporters’ vision of profits from high density development from the federal HUD trough ahead of government under our Constitutionally prescribed system for the rule of law.  Also noteworthy was the total absence of support against Seven 50 from the Martin County Political Leadership Council (formerly the Council of 100).  Interesting how the opposition on the Commission was led by Commissioner Heard who many in our ranks have vilified over the past 11 years.

Hopefully in 2014 we can help the Martin Co. School District and our Martin County Legislative Delegation understand the treats that Common Core in the same way we helped the BCC to see the light.

Have a Merry Christmas. 

Chuck

Read the news article at TCPalm.com... 

 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Martin County Should Extricate Itself from Seven 50

Ed.: The following letter was sent to Martin County Commissioners from the Chair of the Martin County Republican Executive Committee.


Martin County Should Extricate Itself from Seven 50

by Kate Boland | December 10, 2013 | Martin County, Florida

Martin County is a partner in the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership. The Partnership was created to obtain a federal grant to develop a 50 year plan for sustainable development in seven south Florida counties – the Seven 50 Southeast Florida Prosperity Plan. The funding is part of the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) created by the federal departments of Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection and Transportation. The SCI is only the most recent iteration of sustainability policies and programs the federal government has implemented over the past two decades. The goal of the SCI is to create “mechanisms to ensure that sustainability plans are carried through to localities” (HUD, DOT and EPA Partnership: Sustainable Communities, June 16, 2009). The mechanism is the regional partnership and the objective is to remove local barriers to coordinated investments by the federal agencies.  Through these partnerships local governments and other partners agree to undertake projects consistent with a sustainability plan.

Seven 50 was created to obtain a planning grant to create this long term plan. When joining the Partnership Martin County signed two agreements that commit the County to certain actions to further the goals of the SCI.
  1. A Memorandum of Understanding (May 2010) committing the County to work in cooperation with the seven counties to apply for the SCI planning  grant and to complete the work program funded under the grant and,
  2. A Sustainable Communities Grant Consortium Agreement (July 2011) which sets forth specific obligations of the Consortium members. 
The existence of these agreements is directly relevant to the issue of whether Martin County should withdraw from the Seven 50 Consortium. Some of the terms of the Agreements apply to the preparation of the Plan but a number of others appear to be ongoing.  If the agreements bind the County to take certain actions after the completion of the Seven 60 Prosperity Plan, anticipated to occur within the next 60 days, the Commissioners should understand those obligations thoroughly.

I have provided a copy of the Agreements highlighted to show the language that implies an ongoing commitment. The purpose of developing the Plan is to achieve implementation, thus the basic understanding of the language of the Consortium Agreement must presume that.

The signatories are committed to implementation of the Plan and support for continuation of operations of the Consortium. In particular the following examples:

In the Memorandum of Understanding: (signatories agree to)
  • Follow seven livability principles including: “equitable” affordable housing; investing in neighborhoods that are “walkable”.
  • Coordinate their policies and target their funding to meet these principles 
In the Consortium Agreement:
  • Section II  Goal:  agree to “achieve and sustain” the Regional Vision and Blueprint (the plan)
  • Section IV  Roles and Commitments:  commit to “develop and implement” the Regional Vision and Blueprint unless it is detrimental to the Partner and the Region
  • Also, play specific roles implementing local projects, providing leadership, staff support and financial support
  • Section V  Governance: agree that the intent is to develop a long term structure for ongoing operations
  • Section VI  Tier 2 Consortium Membership (includes Martin County):  commit to providing leveraged resources; to development and implementation of the Vision and Blueprint (the plan)
Some of the terms in the agreements are undefined, including sustainability and equitable affordable housing, making it difficult to assess what is entailed and whether that obligation has been met. Equitability in housing choice is in the eye of the beholder or in this case in the eye of the federal agencies that will fund implementation. Two recent rules by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing and Disparate Impact, as well as actual Agency actions and statements by the Secretary of HUD, demonstrate its goal is to affect local land use decisions. HUD is using federal funding to aggressively enforce these rules, requiring fund recipients to change zoning to achieve their desired outcome. Implementation of the Seven 50 Plan will depend upon funding by HUD. To fulfill its obligation as a Consortium member to implement the Plan, Martin County may be required to modify its zoning and land use ordinances.

Why opt out?

The Consortium agreement anticipates that members may want to opt out, and provides specific terms for doing so. There are numerous reasons to do so to preserve Martin County’s control over decisions affecting the future of our residents.
  • Broadly defined, the environment of Martin County is very different [from] the Counties to the South. We have a small population and will almost certainly be dominated by the wishes and objectives of the larger counties.
  • Implementation of the plan may conflict with Martin County zoning and Comprehensive Plan.
  • Martin County environmental policies may be stronger than those favored by the other Counties
  • Plan elements may not be suitable to the culture of Martin County and be inconsistent with the land use patterns that exist. The Seven 50 Plan emphasizes the preference for higher density, mixed use development.  The emphasis on walkability, for example, presupposes a preferred choice of housing for higher density housing rather than the demonstrated preference of most residents for single family homes.
  • The ongoing structure to implement the Plan has not been fully defined but will be heavily influenced by numerous unelected bodies that are not accountable to the public.
  • Two of the specific goals of the County have already been accomplished:  access to the wide range of data collected in preparation of the plan to inform future decisions; agreements to upgrade fiber optic technology and expand the opportunities for communication between and among County and regional organizations.
Martin County has an interest in working with surrounding counties to address issues of mutual concern. Participation in the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council provides that opportunity as do other mechanisms such as the Indian River Lagoon Counties Collaborative focusing on protecting the Indian River Lagoon estuary. The work to compile the Seven 50 Prosperity Plan has produced useful data and suggestions Martin County can take advantage of in making future decisions which may include implementing one or more of the suggested projects or policies.

The County does not need to be a member of the Sustainable Communities Consortium to take advantage of the information developed.  Remaining in the Consortium potentially exposes the County to, at a minimum, the need to defend its policies and Comprehensive Plan against an action favored by the majority of the other Consortium members.  Unless the County formally withdraws from the Consortium, it will be expected to comply with the mandates of HUD and other agencies investing funds to implement the projects proposed in the Seven 50 Plan.

Respectfully submitted December 10, 2013

Kate Boland, Chair, Martin County Republican Executive Committee

Monday, December 9, 2013

SSN: Did Environmental Icon Maggy Hurchalla Finally Outsmart Herself?

Did Environmental Icon Maggy Hurchalla Finally Outsmart Herself?

By: NANCY SMITH | Posted: December 9, 2013

Technology might finally have outsmarted Maggy Hurchalla, one of the state's leading environmentalists -- a champion of Everglades restoration and the author of Martin County's controversial, often-litigious, comprehensive plan rewrites.

What technology are we talking about? Her just-surfaced private email. The kind that never seems to go away. One of the "letters" she wrote to a county commissioner has become a focal point in a lawsuit against her for "tortious interference," legal lingo for interfering with a company's ability to conduct business.

Lake Point, a rock mine located in Martin County, filed the lawsuit against Hurchalla last February, claiming she worked "aggressively behind the scenes" making false statements in an attempt to kill a deal made with the previous commission majority that would transfer the 2,000-acre property to a state agency and allow mining for 20 years.


Read the post at Sunshine State News...

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Holiday Wishes from Bill Oldfield

Wow!  What an inspirational moment just after sunset on December 1st in a little town in East Central Ohio.  This is the America we all hold dear in our hearts.

I stopped in Newark, Ohio on a trip through Ohio for Thanksgiving.  I specifically made my way through Newark for the must-see event of the annual lighting of their City Hall/Courthouse on December 1st, 2013.

The attached photograph was taken as the Courthouse was spectacularly and lovingly illuminated to celebrate the holiday season.



Man, I love the original Northwest Territory Western Reserve towns settled by former Revolutionary War officers, risk-taking business people, and families willing to sacrifice everything to build new life for themselves.  These towns inspire me with their independent thinking, get-it-done attitude, and absolute love of country and their faith.

The privately written and privately financed Northwest Ordinance of 1787 organized, pre-planned the infrastructure and land-use, and opened up the Great Lakes area of the fledgling United States as a massive new territory north and west of the Ohio River.  The Ordinance was the first document in world history to decree that slavery and indentured servitude was illegal forever; and it was written by well-educated, former revolutionary war officers as private businessmen preparing to expand post-revolutionary America.

Private property rights, private industry, the rule of law, individual liberties, and well-understood natural rights were forever written down on this paper at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern near Boston to codify that each individual could and would be successful if they were industrious enough to stand on their own two feet and work hard.  Rufus Putnam and Manasseh Cutler founded a private company called the Ohio Company of Associates and proposed the development of the lands north and west of the Ohio River as a business enterprise.  The Northwest Ordinance was modeled after the original constitution/treaty between the Native American Iroquois nations and became the model document from which our United States Constitution was created two years later.  The first settlement in the Territory was built in Marietta, Ohio and included the largest number of former Revolutionary War officers anywhere in America.  Interestingly, they used the surveying papers of former British officer George Washington to layout the territory in six-mile squares which would eventually become all of the cities of the Great Lakes states.  Most of these former officers and entrepreneurs are now buried in Mound Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio near their first settlement called Campus Martius.  Note that they named the town after Marie Antoinette in tribute to her determined financial support of the Revolutionary War effort.  Mound Cemetery has more revolutionary war officers buried there than any other cemetery in the United States.  The officers built the cemetery around a large 2000 year old, 80 foot high, ancient Indian conical burial mound out of respect and reverence for the many Indians whom came and settled the area before them.

On the lighting of the Courthouse and its meaning to the people of Newark. Ohio:  

I had to arrive quickly after sunset on the first day of Advent to catch the official lighting of the City Hall/Courthouse and grab about 20 spectacular photographs.  Immediately after I was allowed to take the photographs (before the official celebration), the town square surrounding the building was opened for many people and cars to continuously parade around the square to photograph and celebrate the beginning of the season of giving and rebirth.  Each of the parading adults, children, and cars donated gifts of food, clothing, and money for local people who were less fortunate than them to awaiting volunteers placed around the square.  There is rampant poverty in the once bustling and wealthy Newark and many other small towns of the industrial Great Lakes.  If you don’t remember, the formerly powerful and wealthy Great Lakes invented and produced much of what grew this nation for 200 years and made America what it is today.  Those who have done well and are still living in the Great Lakes are giving extensively of themselves to their communities and working diligently to develop and foster a new resurgence of small-town America.

Newark, Ohio and hundreds of other small formerly industrial communities have been destroyed by the transfer of most of our “Made in America” industry to Mexico, India, Brazil, and China over the past 30 years; but they are doing everything they can to support budding entrepreneur-ism to revitalize their micro-economies.  Their faith in one another, private enterprise, tradition, hard-work, innovation, charity, extensive privately-sponsored retraining of people for the new global economy, and in their God are going to be the catalysts for their recovery as communities.  This is happening all over the Great Lakes in so many desolate and severely injured small towns.  They are attacking depression and hopelessness with a new-found desire to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and start over, whether the government helps them, or not.  They are relying on individual entrepreneurism and community intrapreneurism.  These small towns are using numerous methods to bring innovation back to their people by leveraging the original tenants of the Northwest Ordinance:  common-sense management, reducing the size and scope of their government and regulations, promoting the renewed concept of free-enterprise, creating public-private partnership between new business and government, respecting the natural rights of their fellow man, and many other rediscovered creative approaches.  They have a long way to go, but the seeds have been planted from the ashes of despair.

It is my hope that the attached photograph will inspire and motivate you to give back and be part of the solution and the productive future of your communities.

All the best to you and yours during this holiday season.

In Liberty, Fraternity, and Peace,

Bill Oldfield

Entertainment irony.

Subscribe