Links are items of interest to registered voters who have selected the Florida Whig Party as their party of choice and those who are Whigs In Name Only (the WINOs as opposed to DINOs [Democrats] and RINOs [Republicans]). The newest link will appear at the top of each page. When you see an article that you would like to share with fellow Whigs, use the contact form on the right side of this page.
Zack Webster
Most current item:
The next round of medical litigation has begun. LINK
Something seems off with the Gallup Poll regarding most admired. LINK Some of these polls are hard to swallow.
Rick Perry's "Are you kidding" position on abortion. LINK
Bill Maher on Tim Tebow via Twitter. LINK
The Mitt Romney Florida campaign organization. LINK
UNF picked as the site for GOP debate. LINK
Volusia County food stamp program continues to grow. LINK
Orlando domestic partner register. LINK
Sell ad space on a school bus for birth control? LINK
Kenneth Walker makes $837,000 a year. LINK
Teachers enjoy greater average hourly compensation in wages and benefits than any other group of state and local government workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. LINK
Look up. LINK
Follow the money. LINK
Most GOP candidates for President don't get it. Florida votes early and the race may already be decided. LINK
Life is pretty good for the President when he takes time off and heads to Hawaii. Trips like this are great for the economy of friends of Bo. Trips like these are also great for the unemployed and under-employed American who struggles to pay bills. Form over substance or substance over form? You decide.
We believe that there will be dozens of arrests of high profile Democrats and Republicans in the state within the next few months. LINK Between Rothstein and Greer, the Republican National Committee will regret coming to Tampa if the national press does its job.
High unemployment and an aging population have left the Social Security system for pre-retirement disability under severe financial pressure. The number of people collecting disability benefits rose to 10.6 million in November 2011, up from 6.9 million at the end of 2001. Federal budget experts from all political corners have concluded that the program could exhaust its reserves within 5 to 7 years, making it the first major entitlement program to go bust. As a result of Congress making key changes to the law, the number of lawyers who are able to work with applicants has grown, legal fees have exploded and those who are on the edge of work or not, are often looking at "not" and obtaining disability benefits that a few years ago would have been denied.
Romney releases his list of honorary campaign chairs for Florida counties. It is interesting to see who is on and not on the list. LINK
Sixteen year old appointed to a state commission, he happens to be the son of a well known politician. LINK
The foreclosure mess in Florida: Firefighter evicted after 40 years of living in his home. LINK
Hispanic group in Hillsborough County cries foul when it comes to the drawing of county commission districts. LINK
Home prices down, sales up in Florida. LINK
Florida Congressman appears to have broken federal campaign finance laws. LINK
Rest in peace. Officer Arnulfo Crispin of the Lakeland Police Department. LINK
The heat is going up another notch in the fight over splitting off the University of South Florida's polytechnic branch.South Florida President Judy Genshaft on Tuesday fired Marshall Goodman as vice president and CEO of the still-developing polytechnic campus in Lakeland.Goodman has been a key supporter of making the polytechnic branch Florida's 12th public university.Genshaft told Goodman in a letter that she had lost confidence in his ability to lead.The issue has evolved into a political dispute between the university and Florida Senate Budget Committee Chairman JD Alexander.The Lake Wales Republican is leading the effort to make the Lakeland campus a stand-alone university. Genshaft opposes that move. LINK This amounts to nothing but a turf battle and it is doing nothing but wasting taxpayer dollars. the Interstate 4 corridor should have the university.
One in six Floridians depends upon food stamps. LINK This begs the questions: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Are you going to continue voting the same two political parties into office? Unless you change your voter registration and become involved, nothing will ever truly change.
Under the category of "Here We Go Again", a federal prison guard has been arrested for having sex with inmates. Jack Jackson was arrested for having a few encouters with a few men at an all male medium security facility. LINK
Herman Cain drops out of the race and also stiffed the Palm Beach Republicans as the keynote speaker for their Lincoln Day Dinner on January 28th. Stepping in for Cain will be Newt Gingrich.
Poor taste and judgement: Estero firefighters willingly showed some skin when they posed for photos in a 2011 calendar for charity.But some say their chief crossed the line this month when he asked five of the models to serve alcohol shirtless at a private party to promote the calendar. That request put them in an awkward situation Dec. 8, they say, and left one fire station unmanned. LINK
Pasco county is home to a dozen or more nudist communities and the number of residents is growing. As a result, the Pasco County Commission is planning on spending tax dollars to promote their unique industry to Europeans. Boys and girls, you cannot make this stuff up. LINK
More than four months after an investigation into the firings of two foreclosure fraud attorneys in the Attorney General’s office began, the inquiry carries on. Theresa Edwards and June Clarkson were forced out this past summer despite stellar performance reviews and a settlement with a law firm accused of using fraudulent foreclosure documents to speed up the cases. LINK
Remember the ten words to live by from the Florida Whig Party: Principles before Party, Personality and Profits with Deeds not Words.
Private health insurance coverage in Florida continues to drop. For five years running, the number of residents with private insurance policies has continued to fall. The pressure on federal, state and local welfare and charities continues. The impact on budgets will continue to be negative. LINK
Florida unemployment drops. LINK
A group of hackers in China breached the computer defenses of America's top business-lobbying group and gained access to everything stored on its systems, including information about its three million members, according to several people familiar with the matter. (See the Wall Street Journal, WSJ.COM) We cannot help but wonder if we will ever have a President and Congress that understands that we are at war with China, regardless of their denials.
Broward county teacher union president has $56,000 docked from his final paycheck for overpayments and inappropriate use of a union credit card. LINK Despite the fraud, no charges have been filed but rather walks away with nearly $175,000 for a final pay day.
Four more members of the United States Congress (in addition to former Senator Dodd and soon-to-be former member Barney Frank) have been discovered to have gotten sweetheart loans from now defunct Countrywide. LINK
Americans Elect, a third party group, is now on 13 state ballots with California as the latest. The group continues to refuse to release their list of donors. LINK
Newt Gingrich pledges to not use super PACs to fund dirty dollars for dirty attack ads against GOP opponentrs. LINK
Disney fights casino gambling in order to protect their share of tourist dollars. LINK
While surrounding cities and counties are adding red-light cameras, Manatee County may totally abandon its photo enforcement program to catch red-light runners. LINK
Never one to be accused of timidity, Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich is turning up the volume of his ongoing assault on “activist judges” so high that even conservatives say he is going too far. LINK
From Chairman Truesdell: There is an uproar over recent comments by Newt Gingrich about compelling Justices of the Supreme Court to testify before Congress. Some are crying that there is no authority for Congress to do this and Gingrich is off his rocker, another zany comment. Not so boys and girls. On first blush, and from a knee jerk media reaction, I can see how most people would go crazy; however, Congress can subpoena witnesses, or force them to testify under oath, before its committees. The authority is found in the Constitution's grant to Congress of “all legislative powers” (Article 1, Section 1). Witnesses can be subpoenaed to provide information to assist committees in preparing legislation. Mc-Grain v. Daugherty, a decision from the 20s, by the USSC, did not exempt Justices from being compelled. The Court recognized that Congress could subpoena "anyone" and noted that not everyone would volunteer needed information, “some means of compulsion are essential to obtain what is needed.” Witnesses who refuse to respond to a congressional subpoena, or refuse to give information (unless they invoke their 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination) may be found in contempt of Congress and sent to prison. Since judges are exempt from criminal prosecution for their decisions, if called they should not be able to exert their 5th Amendment right. It is time to pause and ponder the totality of the circumstance. I grant you that the time limitations on Face the Nation did not allow for an expansive discussion, but why not ask Justices to explain what they were thinking in order to craft appropriate legislation? Be careful of people talking about the United States Constitution as experts when they do not know beans about what they are talking about.
The upheaval in the Middle East and the rise of fundamental Islamists threaten not only the security of the United States but also the millions of Christians who call the region home, the Rev. Franklin Graham tells Newsmax. LINK
Welcome to Washington Mr. Rubio. LINK
Update: Scott Rothstein, close friend to the Republican Party of Florida, may or may not tell attorneys for those who lost $1.2 billion in his Ponzi Scheme where the money is. LINK (Note: Media coverage regarding former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer and Rothstein has been muted for the past year by most media outlets. We wonder why.)
Operation D-minus results in many students being arrested for dealing drugs on high school campus. Operation D-minus is a program where very young looking law enforcement officers pose as students, go to class, and make drug buys. Some school districts refuse to allow the program out of fear of having the amount of drugs being sold on campus actually being known by rank-and-file parents. LINK
Grade Recovery: The abuse continues. LINK
The Legislature for the past three years has failed to pass bills that supporters said would increase renewable energy production in the state and create more jobs. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is seeking to change that. LINK
More questionable spending at Workforce Central. Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on everything other than helping people get jobs and padding the pockets of board members, and yet, nobody has gone to jail. Why is that? LINK
For the past 15 years, as Collier County underwent one of the most volatile times in its history — a population boom, a real estate market bust, unstable employment rates — one trend has remained the same; the crime rate fell. Collier County appears to focus on the rank-and-file deputy rather than political promotions. LINK
Former Miami Assistant Fire Chief Veldora Arthur was sentenced Friday for her role in a $317,000 mortgage fraud scheme. Arthur was earning nearly $185,000 in yearly salary and a $167,000 pension through the deferred retirement option plan. LINK
Homeowners in foreclosure may have a better chance of getting a true trial, instead of a quickie judgment, following a 4th District Court of Appeal decision that requires banks to prove ownership of the note at the time they file for repossession. LINK
During an economic period where many are unemployed or under-employed, foreclosures abound and wages falling, Sheriff Tom Knight gave $300,000 in pay raises to top administrators at the sheriff's office over the past two years, about a 5 percent increase for his 85 highest-paid employees. Sarasota's two dozen lieutenants now make up to $91,000 a year — $10,000 more than in neighboring Manatee County.The raises also went to information technology employees and other non law-enforcement staff — the assistant IT director got the biggest increase, a $19,000 a year bump that pushed his salary from $52,500 a year to $71,600. LINK
A Tampa used car dealer received more than three million from Hezbolla related organizations as part of a large money-laundering scheme designed to funnel cash to the terrorist group, according to the United States Attorney General. Mansour Brothers Auto Trading, Inc. which specializes in exporting vehicles, and lists a vacant lot as it's business address, is one of 30 used car dealers that reportedly wired at least $329 million over a four year peior to Hezbolla, according to the complaint. LINK
It appears that putting non-English speaking (Spanish) young children in school in a classroom together with other non-English (Spanish) children results in higher learning and quicker English skills. Well go figure. LINK
The percentage of seniors graduating from most of the major public high schools in Palm Beach County dropped last year but still is higher than it was two years ago, according to statistics released by the state this week. LINK In addition, the drop out rate will likely skyrocket next year when the federal Department of Education mandates all schools include those students, who left high school for a GED program, and who then dropped out be included. Current, Florida removed GED students who drop out from being counted as dropouts. We expece some school districts will see a twenty percent increase in their dropout rates next year.
What is Tom Feeney, form Governor Jeb Bush's BBF doing now? LINK
United States Congressman Connie Mack's liberal use of earmarks could come back to haunt him; however, Florida Republicans tend to turn a blind eye to matters such as this. LINK
Retired Florida law enforcement officers convicted of felonies and serving time in prison are collecting their pension funds. LINK
Amid the murder of a student during a hazing incident that was poorly handled, Governor Scott wants the President of FMAU out. LINK
The year-long Miami-Dade state attorney’s office investigation into Congressman David Rivera’s personal and campaign finances has stalled over questions about more than $100,000 in undisclosed campaign donations that appear to fall under a little-known loophole in Florida’s campaign-finance laws.Rivera collected the money not for a political office but for a campaign he mounted for an obscure, unpaid position within the Republican Party. Campaigns for party posts are not governed by state election laws, allowing Rivera to raise and spend as much money as he wanted without public disclosure or contribution limits. LINK (Principles before Party, Personality, and Profits, with Deeds not Words, do not appear to apply to Rivera.)
