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Martin 9/12 Calendar (& City of Stuart)

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Latest: Governor's office says Finch will be reinstated 'immediately'

Latest: Governor's office says Finch will be reinstated 'immediately'

Oct. 31, 2013 12:00 PM

Within hours of this afternoon's acquittal, Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order reinstating Liberty County Sheriff Nick Finch to his position "effective immediately."

“I would like to thank the members of the jury in Liberty County for their service in this trial," Scott said in a statement. "I would also like to thank Interim Sheriff Buddy Money for his service to the state of Florida."

Read the story on Tallahassee.com...

 

Ginny Sherlock does not speak for all of us, Mr. Murphy

Martin County Currents: Ginny Sherlock does not speak for all of us, Mr. Murphy

Posted on  by Barbara Clowdus | http://hobesoundcurrents.com/?p=1695

An email to Congressman Patrick Murphy is hurriedly being circulated among Martin County residents prior to the Nov. 4 County Commission meeting that we find downright offensive. Martin County’s unelected commissioner, Ginny Sherlock, wrote the email blasting Mr. Murphy for his letter (to Commission Chair Sarah Heard) pledging his support for the proposed customs facility at Witham Field. 

Mr. Murphy, we want you to know that Ms. Sherlock speaks only for a small minority—quite a vocal one, but nonetheless a minority–particularly considering this proposed customs facility. We also want you to know that voters here did not turn out previous commissioners based on their support of the customs facility, as she told you. That’s an exaggeration that borders on the ridiculous.

Ms. Sherlock has deliberately perpetuated the misconception among her followers that building a customs facility, which then would reclassify Witham Field as an “international” airport, would inevitably transform it into a large, commercial airport. That’s wrong. It’s also dishonest to continue to perpetuate that myth simply to garner oppositional voices through fear.

Her fear is not that we’ll one day have a huge commercial airport, because that cannot happen for a host of reasons. Her fear is that the convenience of having a customs facility here might actually attract a few more people—or even a new business—to Martin County, an anathema to no-growthers.

An “international” classification means simply that international travelers can “check into” this country at Stuart, instead of going to Ft. Pierce or to West Palm Beach first. It does not mean building runways longer and larger to accommodate large commercial jets. Witham Field cannot and will not become another Palm Beach International Airport. It is an economic stimulus for this county because those travelers who must fly to Ft. Pierce or to West Palm Beach now before coming to Stuart are more likely to spend their cash there—at their first stop. We’d rather they spend it here, instead of in Palm Beach or St. Lucie counties. Our still-struggling restaurants and shops—as well as our hotels for guests—need that extra shot of revenue.

We hope also to attract perhaps a few more tourists to the Stuart area, although the projections of additional flights are modest. We like tourists. We like the idea that they come, they spend, but then go home; therefore we want to make their trips here smooth and memorable, so they’ll come back. It also would be the first time that boaters can check in at an airport facility. The combined aircraft/marine facility not only would make a Martin County customs facility unique, but also will make it economically feasible, because we are a community of boaters who take advantage of living only 60 miles from the Bahamas.

We also have international boaters who might ply that wonderful waterway called the St. Lucie River and C-44 canal to Lake Okeechobee and points west, should a customs facility be located in Stuart. It would provide an opportunity for some of our established businesses at Witham Field to grow, maybe adding jobs, and certainly making them healthier. Commissioner Heard calls these businesses “special interests.” We call them “part of the county’s tax base.”

Is the facility funded? Not completely, but the $128,000 shortfall for construction is relatively small, especially since we’re contemplating construction of a $2 million training facility for firefighters, though maybe desirable, will not bring additional revenue to the county. The customs-funding shortfall would be made good if given just a little more time to procure grants.

Is there a risk it won’t be self-sustaining? Yes, but it’s fee-based, so the airport manager could raise the fees, which have been deliberately set lower than those at either Ft. Pierce or West Palm Beach.

And, there are other benefits.

An international status ranks higher than regional in the Federal Aviation Administration’s list of priority airports, so shutting down Witham Field’s control tower as a result of Congressional budget craziness is far less likely. That’s an important point for Stuart residents since those noise-abatement flight patterns are controlled by the tower. Without a tower—which we came close to losing after the sequester—a pilot chooses his own flight pattern.

Perhaps most important, Congressman Murphy, is that Ms. Sherlock and her drummers who insist on quashing every opportunity for real economic growth will ultimately destroy the quality of life of the majority of Martin County residents—the hard-working, don’t-give-me-handouts middle class—and will undermine the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of our small business enterprises.

Mr. Murphy, the large majority of us do want this customs facility. As one speaker told the county commission at a public hearing earlier this year, a customs facility “will just polish the jewel” that is Martin County. Thank you for pledging to help us find the polish. Now the rest of us just need to apply some elbow grease.


An opinion offered by Martin County Currents is not necessarily endorsed by any of the publication’s advertisers. It may be freely shared, republished or reprinted without permission, as long as the source is cited.

Proposed bill seeks more regulation oversight of agencies

The Florida Current: Proposed bill seeks more regulation oversight of agencies

Gray Rohrer, 10/30/2013 | State and Local Administration

State agencies would be required to report on their rulemaking procedures to lawmakers more frequently and outline their efforts to implement new rules to conform to newly enacted laws under a proposed bill from the House Rulemaking, Oversight and Repeal Subcommittee.

The proposed committee bill, RORS 14-01, requires agencies to submit a plan outlining their regulation efforts to the Legislature each year. A similar report is required every two years, but under the bill agencies must begin the process of formulating new rules to comply with new laws passed by the Legislature, or explain why the law can be implemented without a new rule or regulation.

Rep. John Wood, R-Winter Haven, chairs the Rulemaking, Oversight and Repeal Subcommittee. He said the bill is not a direct critique of any particular agency but an attempt to streamline oversight of the rulemaking process. The bill is designed to move on from 2011 legislation calling on agencies to produce reports on the economic effects of all regulations existing at that time. Those reports are due out by Dec. 1, and the new bill would repeal the requirement to inspect the economic impact of all existing regulations in future reports.

“I’m not aware of any specific issue but obviously these procedures are not meant to be critical of anybody,” Wood said.


Read the entire report on TheFloridaCurrent.com...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Breitbart: GROVER NORQUIST TURNS TO PROGRESSIVE MEDIA IN CRUSADE AGAINST TED CRUZ

GROVER NORQUIST TURNS TO PROGRESSIVE MEDIA IN CRUSADE AGAINST TED CRUZ

by MATTHEW BOYLE  |  29 Oct 2013

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) president Grover Norquist has now turned to left-wing media to continue his smear campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), a first-year senator already emerging as a leader of the Republican Party.

“I have never had a criticism of Ted Cruz’s strategy because I’ve never been able to find it,” Norquist said Monday night on Sirius XM’s Standup with Pete Dominick, according to a report in The Daily Beast. Dominick is a reliably progressive radio host who hosts his show on the liberal POTUS network on Sirius XM. The Daily Beast is similarly liberal, having dropped notions of objectivity when Tina Brown killed the Newsweek arm of the publication.

Norquist’s staffers have engaged in a deliberative Twitter campaign against Cruz and the Tea Party movement.


Please read this article about this pseudo-conservative who promotes programs aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, while posing as a crusader for reduced government spending...

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/10/28/Grover-Norquist-turns-to-the-liberal-media-in-crusade-against-Ted-Cruz

 

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Geisinger: Seven50 could undermine local authority

Seven50 could undermine local authority

StuartNews  by Richard Geisinger Jr. 

In 2009, the U.S. departments of Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency created an interagency partnership and Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant program that supports regions committed to work collaboratively across jurisdictional boundaries.

The purpose? To create “regional plans for sustainable development.” This was done under Presidential Executive Order No. 13575, previously called the “President’s Council on Sustainable Development.” The grants supported metropolitan and multijurisdictional planning efforts that better integrate housing, land use, economic development, community development, social development, water, environmental protection, transportation, energy conservation and infrastructure.

The term Seven50 refers to seven counties in South Florida for the next 50 years. The counties are: Monroe, Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River.

In 2010, the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning councils assembled 200 organizations, which comprise the South Florida Regional Partnership. They then proceeded to apply for and were awarded a grant in the amount of $4.25 million to begin Seven50.

In essence, 200 unelected organizations or individuals, “The Partnership,” would drive the Seven50 agenda. The idea of a regional partnership planning our community sounds benign at first glance. However, when terms such as social development, zoning and regionalism are used, we begin to be concerned.

Martin County is different [from] our southern neighbors. The majority of our residents chose to live in this area because of that difference. It is hard to imagine Miami-Dade County residents voicing opinions on the future development of our county.

Seven50 also could place one more layer of bureaucracy and expense on our residents. As it stands, residents who reside in Stuart, Sewall’s Point, Jupiter Island or any other municipality in the county already have three layers of government and taxes to pay: city, county and state. Additionally, we all have federal government oversight and taxation.

The Martin County Taxpayers Association believes local governments should maintain control over their respective areas and not be directed by a partnership that is not elected. We also believe the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council already does an effective job bringing counties together and assisting with regional issues, such as water quality, transportation and coastal development.

However, when terms such as community development and social development are used, we believe these issues are the sole responsibility of our elected officials. If we do not agree with the direction of our elected officials, there is always the voting booth, where we can be heard.


For more information about the Martin county taxpayers Association, including membership, or more detailed information about the seven50 plan, please visit our website: mctaxpayers.org. you can also like us on Facebook.


Download this article in .pdf format HERE.

Issue 22 of American Patriot News

Click on the image for the .pdf download.


DOWNLOAD Issue 22

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

DICK CHENEY: OBAMA 'WITHOUT A CLUE'

by JOE KOVACS | World News Daily

VP CheneyPALM BEACH, Fla. – Former Vice President Dick Cheney says President Obama’s administration is “without a clue” when it comes to its attempt to implement health-care reform in the country.

Appearing on Rush Limbaugh’s national radio broadcast Wednesday, Cheney, who served as VP under George W. Bush, thoroughly flayed Obamacare.

“It’s devastating,” Cheney said. “It’s having a devastating impact.”

“I think it’s a travesty,” he continued. “I think it’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in the domestic policy arena and I hope we get it shut down before we’re unable to correct it.”

Cheney, who himself is the recipient of numerous heart transplants and is promoting his new book, “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey,” said he fully expects health facilities across the nation to be laying off doctors and nurses as a direct result of the Affordable Health Care Act.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/dick-cheney-obama-without-a-clue/#P920l0JFd8PeEubc.99

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Common Core State Standards Invade Catholic Schools #StopCommonCore

If you think your kids are safe from Common Core in Catholic schools, THINK AGAIN!


Link to YouTube...

http://youtu.be/WdMI9cQTBjA
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2013-10-18

The Surrender to Obama is Complete #tcot

The Surrender to Obama is Complete

Published Fri, Oct 18th, 2013 |  Floyd Brown, Chief Political Analyst

If John Boehner was the leader of America in 1776, we’d all be singing “God Save the Queen” to this day.

After a 16-day standoff with Obama, Boehner and the rest of the House leadership capitulated without so much as a fig leaf to allow them any cover. The white flag now proudly flies on Capitol Hill.

Immediately after the vote to end the government shutdown, I spoke with Congressman Steve Stockman from Texas. He was deeply disturbed by the way his colleagues in the U.S. Senate handled the situation. Stockman voted no, and he rightly observed that Republicans who voted for the continuing resolution (CR) were doing more than endorsing Obamacare: They were endorsing the entire Obama agenda.

He said that the CR was like giving Barack Obama a blank check to do whatever he wants.


Read the entire story on CapitolHillDaily.com...

Thursday, October 17, 2013

FEE: Healthcare Reform for Your Facebook Friends

[Ed: Read a comprehensive article about the real threats of ACA to our economic stability.]

 

An interview with Merrill Matthews

OCTOBER 17, 2013 by THE FREEMAN

 

Excerpt:FEE

 

The Freeman: How many of these problems we’ve been discussing does Obamacare address?

 

Matthews: Obamacare probably exacerbates all the current problems. Its two key components for expanding coverage to an estimated 30 million-plus Americans are expanding Medicaid to some 16 million low-income Americans and creating a system of health insurance exchanges (increasingly referred to as “marketplaces”) where taxpayer-funded subsidies would help people afford coverage. And so Obamacare gives millions of Americans free or heavily subsidized health insurance that greatly insulates them from the cost of care. Sheltered from the price of care, total healthcare spending will likely go up significantly.

Read more: http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/healthcare-reform-for-your-facebook-friends#ixzz2hzYPAOWI

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Florida Tenth Amendment Center’s Second Amendment Preservation Act Endorsed by Gun Owners of America #FLSAPA

Florida Tenth Amendment Center’s Second Amendment Preservation Act Endorsed by Gun Owners of America

Posted by  TAC

Gun Owners of America has thrown its weight behind the Florida Second Amendment Protection Act.

The proposed legislation would prohibit any state cooperation with federal acts that violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“No agency of this state, political subdivision of this state, or employee of an agency or political subdivision acting in his or her official capacity, or corporation providing services on behalf of this state or a political subdivision of this state shall enforce any federal act, law, order, rule, or regulation of the federal government of the United States regarding a personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition within the limits of this State.”

“The proposed Florida Second Amendment Preservation Act is the kind of legislation that all states should be enacting. Since the Federal government seems not to understand the meaning of ‘shall not be infringed,’ the states must step in to reign in an out-of-control government in Washington,” Gun Owners of America Executive Director Larry Pratt said.

The bill rests on the non-commandeering doctrine that holds the federal government cannot compel states to enforce federal acts.

“There is absolutely no legitimate debate on this issue,” Tenth Amendment Center national communications director Mike Maharrey said. “The Supreme Court has held at least four times that the federal government cannot force states to into action on its behalf. This bill essentially lets the feds know, if they want to violate Floridian’s rights they’ll have to try and do it themselves.”

Maharrey said Florida Second Amendment Protection Act would seriously impede any federal attempts to violate the right to keep and bear arms in the Sunshine State. Just last week, the National Governors Association admitted in a letter to Congress that the feds need help “in implementing most federal programs.”

“Northern states effectively used this exact same strategy to thwart draconian federal fugitive slave acts allowing black people to be snatched up and hauled back south into slavery simply on the word of a white man,” Maharrey said. “By refusing to lift a finger to help, states can slam the door on unconstitutional federal acts.”

Gun Owners of America has over 300,000 members nationwide. Florida Tenth Amendment Center outreach director Francisco Rodriguez said he’s thrilled to have the organization backing the legislation.

“The Florida Tenth Amendment Center is anticipating flood of support for this bill preserving the Second Amendment, and GOA’s endorsement sparks the engine to accelerate the success.”

You can find more information on the legislation, including the full text HERE.


 

Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue.

The Tenth Amendment Center exists to promote and advance a return to a proper balance of power between federal and State governments envisioned by our founders, prescribed by the Constitution and explicitly declared in the Tenth Amendment. The TAC works to preserve and protect the principle of strictly limited government through information, education, and activism.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The Blueprint: James Madison’s Advice

by  on August 7, 2013

Lysander Spooner was a 19th century anarchist and staunch abolitionist.

Every once in a while I run into those who’ve given up on the constitutional system in America. They argue that the whole thing suffers from fatal flaws, and they will often quote Spooner to make their case.

TenthAnCent

“But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain – that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case it is unfit to exist.”

Lysander Spooner was a 19th century anarchist and staunch abolitionist.I understand the frustration, but I think those who make this argument miss an important point. They almost act as if the Constitution should enforce itself, or self-execute. They seem to think that because waving the document in front of rogue federal officials fails to compel them to stop usurping power, we should simply abandon the constitutional system altogether. But a contract doesn’t enforce itself. Some power must stand behind the ink and parchment to ensure compliance with its terms.book

Even some who revere the Constitution make a similar mistake in thinking. They expect the federal government to restrain itself. They look to federal courts, staffed with federal employees, to limit federal power. Or they think if they can just get the “right people” inside the system, the “good guys” will keep everything in check. When these strategies fail, they protest and march. And when the federal officials ignore them and still refuse to respect the limits of their power, they throw up their hands in desperation.

Read the entire article at The Tenth Amendment Center...

BREITBART: Exclusive: Immigration Agents Rip @GOP House Lawmakers Pushing #Amnesty

BREITBART: Exclusive: Immigration Agents Rip @GOP House Lawmakers Pushing #Amnesty

 

by Matthew Boyle 9 Oct 2013

U.S. Immigration Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agents have expressed strong concerns over House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and other Representatives pushing for immigration legislation that would legalize the status of America’s at least 11 million illegal immigrants.

In a public statement that will be released Thursday morning but has been provided exclusively to Breitbart News ahead of its public release, USCIS Council president Kenneth Palinkas warned that Goodlatte (pictured), House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-VA), House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) seem to be following the same pathway that Senate “Gang of Eight” members did, regarding how they are working on immigration legislation.

Read the article at WashingtonDCTeaParty.com...

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Stop the Seven 50 Regional Plan #tcot

The Plan Will Create:

  • A loss of Local decision making and Property rights
  • Increased Government Spending and layers of Bureaucracy
  • Changes to the County’s desired Low Density character and scale
  • Local control sacrificed to “central planning”
  • Regulations on local matters
  • HUD high density population, stack-and-pack
  • High rises with demographic quotas

 

Re-zoning = Skyrocketing taxes + Plummeting property values

SEVEN50 DESTROYING AMERICA, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AT A TIME

THE AMERICAN COALITION 4 PROPERTY RIGHTS PROVIDES FREE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

HUD & Seven 50 will pass this Reform without your knowledge, without your consent, without your vote, but with YOUR tax dollars. Protect your property rights and your neighborhood.

Learn more at:

Download the FLYER

Download the Seven50 DRAFT plan.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Parents Launch Executive Order to Stop Common Core and to Stop Student Data Mining

This week, a group of Florida parents, supported by parents and educators nationwide, have released an executive order, demanding an end to Common Core and the parentally unauthorized student data mining that’s taking place in every state.

As parents, we claim the privilege of directing our own childrens’ educations, free from SLDS (state longitudinal database tracking systems), free from Common Core-aligned testing, standards, or “model” curriculum; free from private trade group EIMAC/CCSSO data collection, free from federal micromanagement, free from federal “accountability”; free from the both student and teacher data mining and tracking that is offensive to individual liberty and to Constitutional, local control.

As parents and teachers, we claim the privilege outlined in the Declaration of Independence that government is only by consent of the governed. We, the governed, have not been asked nor have we approved these unvetted standards and systems. Therefore, any governance of children or school staff under the Common Core agenda is simply invalid.

Why: The promises of the promoters of the Common Core Standards do not add up. The evidence is overwhelming, and is increasing daily, that the Common Core agenda damages where it claims to serve; yet those who push back against the Common Core agenda are disrespected by school boards and in hearings around the nation. This is outrageous. We are the children’s parents; children are not the government’s human capital” despite what the Department of Education repeatedly claims.

Please pass this message along.

http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/parents-launch-executive-order-to-stop-common-core-and-to-stop-student-data-mining/

ExecOrd

Here is a partial list of parent-educator groups working to fight the federal-and-corporate partnered machine of Common Core.

■Alabama: Facebook link
■Alabama: Facebook Link
■Alaska: Facebook Link
■Arizona: Facebook Link
■Arizona: Facebook Link
■Arkansas: Facebook Link
■Arkansas: Facebook Link
■California: Facebook Link
■California: Facebook Link
■Colorado: Facebook Link
■Colorado: Facebook Link
■Colorado: Facebook Link
■Conneticut: Facebook Link
■Conneticut: Facebook Link
■Delaware: Facebook Link
■Delaware: Facebook Link
■Florida: Facebook Link
■Florida (Central): Facebook Link
■Georgia: Facebook Link
■Georgia: Facebook Link
■Idaho: Facebook Link
■Idaho: Facebook Link
■Illinois: Facebook Link
■Indiana: Facebook Link
■Indiana: Facebook Link
■Iowa: Facebook Link
■Kansas: Facebook Link
■Kentucky: Facebook Link
■Louisiana: Facebook Link 
■Maine: Facebook Link
■Maryland: Facebook Link
■Michigan: Facebook Link
■Minnesota: Facebook Link
■Mississippi: Facebook Link
■Missouri: Facebook Link
■Missouri: Facebook Link
■Missouri: Facebook Link
■Montana: Facebook Link
■Nebraska: Facebook Link
■Nevada: Facebook Link
■New Hampshire: Facebook Link
■New Hampshire: Facebook Link
■New Mexico: Facebook Link
■New Jersey: Facebook Link
■New Jersey: Facebook Link
■New Jersey: Facebook Link
■New York: Facebook Link
■New York (State Island specifically): Facebook Link
■New York (Long Island specifically): Facebook Link
■North Carolina: Facebook Link
■North Dakota: Facebook Link
■Ohio: Facebook Link
■Ohio: Facebook Link
■Ohio: Facebook Link
■Oklahoma: Facebook Link
■Oregon: Facebook Link
■Pennsylvania: Facebook Link
■Rhode Island: Facebook Link
■Rhode Island: Facebook Link
■South Carolina: Facebook Link
■South Dakota: Facebook Link
■South Dakota: Facebook Link
■Tennessee: Facebook Link
■Texas: Facebook Link
■Utah: Facebook Link
■Virginia: Facebook Link
■Washington State Group: Facebook Link
■Washington State Page: Blog
■West Virginia: Facebook Link
■Wisconsin: Facebook Link
■Wyoming: Facebook Link
■Special Education Group: Facebook Link

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