THE YEAR OF THE FEES…

‘Prez-Elect Makes New Pitch, Promises on Job Creation — Including 600,000 New Government Employees’

‘No. 1 goal of my plan … is to create three million new jobs, more than 80 percent of them in the private sector.”

If you do the math: 20 percent of three million means 600,000 new government employees.’

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/prez-elect-make.html

Jake Tapper shows the math…the “political” math…this is the math  that throws out the top number…the soundbite…80% in the private sector …hoping no one …in the math-deprived audience…thinks about the 20%…and usually this works…for we are a country made up of “soundbites”…without background…or question…throw in math…percentages….and the odds of someone carrying that pail of water……is like winning the new Florida Powerball lottery…

It’s like partaking in vast “sales and bargains”… the adding the 99 cents at the end of the price tag…or the no interest until spring 2010….it just messes with the heads of  the math-deprived among us….and the “inventors” of these schemes know it!…

Expected this week… more mind numbing numbers …..to be coming out of the “Superbowl Shuffle”  at the special sessions to deal with the budget for our state…Wait til you see how they float around millions as if they were tossing pennies into the  sock drawer… It will be a shell game that compares to being stuck in the dreaded car dealers cubicle…( when you could qualify…that is)…just about the time when they open the side desk drawer and proceed to put out their numbers…quickly crossing them out….while the buyer….unable to read upside down…( a fact they count on….pun intended)… goes out of their way….not wanting to appear one of “those”…math- deprived customers…….. and starts dutifully nodding in agreement…painful as that is…that the numbers make sense…the deal is good…. despite not getting it at all…Ahhh…the pit-falls for the sake of appearances….

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/legislature/sfl-flfspecial0105sbjan05,0,7591016.story

So how are we going to deal with these “looming” directives…..coming our way in this new year?….

We’re going to pay…we have to pay…for the “growing of government”…and the “perks” the government will require as it expands… those coveted “golden packages” …their promised retirement and pension plans …( you know the ones…that let a worker retire…go back to work to get  a second…”bite of the golden apple”….and then re-up as a judge…or do “volunteer” work in some small seaside village)….)….with fees…increasing fees…additional fees…sweeping fees…at all levels….They  will hit us with added “user fees”….. seen monthly in additional fees that impact our bills…those fees at the end …..that are already the gift that keeps on giving for government … adding up to big bucks on the bill….This “cash-cow” will really be mooing….for years to come…

Here in LBTS …we will be short-lived in our smugness…left over from last September’s budget…the “pats on the back” of no cut-backs…no raised taxes…no increase in fire fees…and such…For we are headed into massive fees…courtesy of the new administration…with a “town-wide sweep”…with “sections of code”…inspections…and citations baring the “fruits” of added fees…big revenue for the town….We were warned…after all…from our Manager…repeatedly from the dais…”This won’t be the beginning”….”The codes are the law”…and she is still when all is said and done…a “numbers” person…a finance person…a longtime government employee…and she is….anything but…math-deprived…

January 13,2008…Code Workshop…should not be missed….for the outcome…will impact us all….

more to come

Tags: fees, local-state government, Scoops
Posted in Local Politics, News, Scoops, State Politics

‘Atwater now Florida’s 83rd Senate president’

‘Sen. Jeff Atwater, who represents most of coastal Broward and Palm Beach counties, today became Florida’s 83rd Senate president, a role that for the next two years makes him one of the three most influential figures at the capitol.’

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politic

s/broward/blog/2008/11/atwater_becomes_floridas_83rd.html

Psst…Senator Atwater…your “BFF” Vice Mayor McIntee is using you and the Republican party as “collateral” damage in his attack on LBTS Mayor Minnet….

HMMM…let’s see…The new 83rd President of the Florida Senate…who graciously came for McIntee driven-BTSTimes P.R. and the 4th of July CIC- led Town event…is now being “scorched”along with the Republicans for being part of a non- McIntee- CIC Town Greenfest event…in what is really an attempt to derail the ongoing inquiries into the VFD……..

BCbythesea….This writer was in receipt of a copy of an e-mail sent by a faithful reader to BTSTimes…after the reader forwarded a copy to me as well…advising the Editor at the time MacMillan …(pre-Furth takeover)…that Sen Atwater was having a “walking event” for his campaign at Coral Ridge mall….deciding I better see if this was a go…and on the up and up…I called Sen. Atwater’s office…and the Aid whose name appeared on the e-mail. The Aid commented that they had decided to add a quick stop by the Greenfest before their own event…a last minute addition.

When another Commissioner called to comment on the “robo” call received with the Mayor speaking of Greenfest event and Republicans …saying a few citizens had called to complain…that the Greenfest event was now a Republican event….I related my above conversation…

Surprise…surprise when weeks after the fact…angered about his take of a “personal attack” …(most agreed it was no personal attack on the Vice Mayor) from a resident…McIntee took aim at the Mayor for what he decided was lack of her brandishing the “perpetrator” for the alleged personal attack…with the Greenfest “spitball”…calling her on her costs…well aware of the “robo” calls…and preparing to do battle…Republican BFFs…be damned!…

As previously posted….for McIntee the heavens opened.up…big time……after the first volley at that commission meeting……and after he already placed the item on the agenda….when the Town Manager’s Nov. 7th e-mail was put in his Town Hall box……(if he was not already informed personally by Madam Manager…in their daily meetings)…and he zoned in on the name of names included at the top……Terry Arthur…the Mayor’s former campaign manager… being front and center in the Greenfest mix…

HOLY INVESTIGATIONS…CALL THE FEDS….TEFLON MAN HIT PAYDIRT…ON THE MAYOR…THE MAYOR’S FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER….AND COLLATERALLY….THE 83rd PRESIDENT OF THE FLORIDA SENATE…

LBTS residents…should take note…so far it all adds up to “ZILCH!”…except…for the “black eye” LBTS might have when we need to call upon the 83rd President of the Florida Senate…the next time….YIKES!

more to come…

Tags: greenfest, local poliics, sen. atwater, State Politics
Posted in Local Politics, News, Scoops, State Politics

Issue 35: November 1, 2008 – Election Preview and Predictions’ Putting on our swami hats – here are our predictions of the winners and losers on Tuesday. Topic 1: Presidential Race A Mason-Dixon poll released Saturday shows Obama up by 2 points in Florida, a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll shows McCain up by 1. McCain is in Tampa today. Palin stopped in New Port Richey, Lakeland and Ocala on Saturday. Biden campaigned in Daytona and Tallahassee yesterday, and Obama is scheduled to appear in Jacksonville today. Early voting suggests that Obama will take a lead into Election Day here in Florida, so McCain will have to win the Election Day vote. Prediction: Winner Obama. McCain should carry Florida in a nail bitter, but Obama will carry the nation winning: Colorado, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. Missouri, Virginia , and Ohio are too close to call. Even if McCain wins all three, he will fall short. Bonus Prediction: Electoral Vote Count: Obama 322; McCain 216.’ http://www.thelemieuxreport.com/

Tags: lemieux report
Posted in State Politics, Web News

GET OUT THE BOUNTY?….

It’s been a while since this writer posted Lemieux…due to several factors…time…and topics…that were already covered…and hoping that most faithful readers have subscribed to his weekly e-mails news…worth it…and it’s free…

Today…his first topic…Pensions and who took the hit with their state funds being in Lehman Bros. and AIG…etc….leaving an inevitable “boomerang” to come back and hit all taxpayers…who will be expected to cough up the funds to continue to give all these government employees all they are expecting when they walk out the door…and it’s a lot….

According to Lemeiux….. Florida…has enough money after this hit to cover the full retirement of every state employee…WOW!…

Three ways to look at this one…

The glass is half empty…for other states…

The glass is half full….for our state…

THE GLASS WAS OVERFLOWING …for our state to begin with?….

Especially after the 2007…”Pool”…see below…

http://www.thelemieuxreport.com/

full text online…

“The trouble Wall Street has seen in recent weeks has found its way to Florida not only in its general effect on the overall economy, but in particular with regard to the Florida Treasury.”…….” Similarly, the Florida Pension System, with investments in AIG, Lehman, Washington Mutual, and Wachovia Corp, lost nearly $350 million last month. With an asset value of $115 billion, the Florida Pension Fund is only marginally down. The Florida Treasury Investment Pool has lost $71 million in five months, over $25 million in September alone, but still totals $24 billion.

Bottom Line: Florida is one of the only states in the country with a fully funded pension system. If every state worker retired today, the pension fund could fully fund each worker’s retirement. These decreases in pension value are substantial, but it is important to keep in mind that for the time being, most of the losses have not been realized and are only on paper.”

http://www.sbafla.com/

REMEMBER 2007?……….

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEWz6lIRbqE4&refer=home

Final Note:…LBTS still was never told by the Town Manager when she pulled our money….from that “POOL” if we paid a fee for that removal and what the actual amount was…HMMMM……

more to come…

Tags: florida pension funds
Posted in Scoops, State Politics

THANKS…TO BENDER…THANKS TO THE SENTRY….

http://flsentry.com/

Feeling overwhelmed…or concerned about facing this election…and the many amendments it contains?…

J. P. Bender and the Sentry have made it easy…whether you agree with their decisions or not…they take the time to break down the mumbo jumbo with plain English presenting the content of each one…….WHEW!…

If you recall a few amendments were pulled for having misleading language on the ballot aimed at voters…and the response from the legislators that wanted it on the ballot….they weren’t required to give all the info in the limited space provided…HUH!…

I know many will be voting early…hopefully not often…as in other states we are hearing about….and a “cloak” of secrecy is all around…on who voters will really be voting for… whether it is in- line with the polls…the media pundits….or a Kerry- like wipe-out…where the pollsters discover…voters lie to them and Republicans do not answer polls… at least you can be comfortable going in …knowing what the 6 State Constitutional Amendments….and the 8 County Charter Amendments are all about….

Now just be patient with the lines….and the new voting system….

more to come….

Tags: amendments, Local News, voting
Posted in Local News, Politics, State Politics

THE ICING ON THE CAKE….

http://jaablog.jaablaw.com/2008/10/03/investment-opportunity.aspx

Tags: florida judges
Posted in State Politics, Web News

VOTING…. BY GENDER AND NAME…

In a previous post…this writer wrote of meeting a gentleman at dinner one night after going to vote at Jarvis Hall in the recent election….he  and his girlfriend sat at the  Benihana table with the BCbythesea hubby and myself….

He spoke of starting the Jaablog…and I admit as I did in that post….. I was skeptical…being an avid …longtime reader of the blog….but after a Google…which he suggested I do…. upon my arrival home……I found out it was true….who would have thunk it?….

He asked me how I voted for the judges that day…and I had to admit…by gender …women…and name…Jewish…(BCbythesea is Jewish)….because I was not up on all the candidates for judges…sorry to say…

He then went on to tell us of a woman judge who changed her name to make it sound more Jewish than the Jewish last name she used up to this point in time to practice law………especially for this ballot…especially in this race…especially for this reason….

I told him I think I voted for her….especially ….because of her gender and her name….we laughed…

Low and behold…some days later….it came to be the woman in question…was questioned on doing just that…using a different name than her Law license showed…. a series of Jaablog posts followed ….as the case moved forward from the initial challenge by one of her opponents…..

Resulting in the decision handed down today….she is off the ballot…no matter what name she used …..her opponent is on….a man….

SMALL WORLD!….

http://jaablog.jaablaw.com/

Tags: florida judges, gender, name
Posted in Scoops, State Politics

The Supremes said no go!…

The Taxation Board and legislators lost this one…for assuming they could mis-lead…legally….

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0903supremecort,0,7604925.story

Posted in State Politics, Updates

OBAMA WHO?….OFF THE RADAR……FOR THIS?……

You just gotta love the “elitist” media….they thumb their noses at the National Enquirer..ignoring the John Edwards scandal for as long as possible…beneath them they espoused….but now they “one-upped” the “rag”…with Sarah Palin…and her 17 year old daughter…and …that “glass ceiling” just became “super glued!”….

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/08/in_light_of_edwards_journos

_fa.html

“Walter Shapiro, writing for Salon.com, opines that reporters, including himself, have had little success in fully covering vice presidential candidates, failing to unearth some of the less desirable qualities of politicians:”

All those who just a few weeks ago exclaimed equality for women ….celebrating women…now question not only the titillating underbelly of a family’s personal life….but the V. P.’s “judgment”…for running for V.P. while her family is going through these events….HMMM…….

http://feminism.eserver.org/the-glass-ceiling.txt

Now the liberal woman and men are speaking of the intrinsic differences between a man and a woman….as seen in today’s Washington Post by Ruth Marcus……followed up by her appearance on MSNBC this morning…talking of women being different than men….emotionally….YIKES!…

BCbythesea….quite a 360 from the stance taken with former Harvard President Larry Summers?….

http://www.slate.com/id/2112570/

We have seen it locally and nationally…sons and daughters….drugs…arrests….and pregnancies…(maybe?)….

Remember Al Gore’s son….busted…

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3345350

McGovern’s daughter…alcohol…eventually she died from it…

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n16_v48/ai_18614115

Recently…as she runs for re-election….Lori Parrish’s son in trouble with the law….she stayed in her race…no suggestion she step away…no questioning her judgment….

http://www.local10.com/news/16972868/detail.html

Countless other …candidates…politicians……judges……have had similar news stories…the difference…if referenced at all…no delving to the depths seen in this sick story….

V. P. candidate Biden…had his own family tragedy right after he was elected to the Senate….he lost his wife and daughter…in a car wreck….and was left with two small sons seriously injured……did anyone question his “judgment” to go ahead and take the oath….faced with two motherless small children…

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080824/news_1n24biden.html

“On Dec. 18, 1972, five weeks after Biden was elected to the Senate, his wife Neilia, infant daughter Naomi and sons Beau and Hunter were driving to get a Christmas tree when a tractor-trailer broadsided them.

Neilia and Naomi died in the crash and the boys were critically injured. Biden said he did not find this out for certain until he flew to Delaware and arrived at the hospital.

Biden considered resigning but was persuaded to start his Senate term.

He devoted himself to the care of his sons and was sworn in at the bedside of one of them ….”

Fellow women…again…should be questioning the equality of their positions….their choices….no matter which political party we belong to….

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02mother.html?th&emc=th

BCbythesea…previous post…thanked Obama…for his “top down” responses…but guess the “top down”…rings hollow this time around… …too bad….

more to come……….

Tags: Obama, palin, Politics
Posted in News, Politics, State Politics

Dear Readers….A faithful reader is not happy with the Obama…postings…and says I am showing where I stand…as a former resident of Illinois…I admit my view is more jaundiced than most…but…as a political observer…long interested in national politics…it is not possible to avoid the conventions… ..all in good “fun” ….the staging for this historic speech…the # 1 topic around…and making it known …. of any attempts to silence freedom of speech …whether it is from the Obama Camp.. the McCain Camp…or the MacMillan Camp…it needs to be posted…

Hope those concerned will wait to see the postings of the Republican Convention…before signing off…that is if there is one…due to Gustav?……..more to come…..

LIGHTS…CAMERA…ACTION….

YIKES…they are going to lower Lake Okeechobee …again…please…make sure they document the procedure…this is how we ended up in trouble in the first place………

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/661805.html

I WAS NOT ALONE….

BCbythesea…and hubby at Benihana the other night…after voting…yep …we were included in the miserably low turnout of approx. 8%….who cast their votes….Tuesday….

When asked by a fellow patron seated at our table…who this writer voted for…I admitted…on the judges…I was stumped…so I voted for the women……

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbelection0828sbaug28,0,6816068.story

HE REALLY DID…..

That patron…started talking politics…Obama…McCain….local….

He said he was an attorney…and when I asked him…after talking about the candidates for Broward judges….as stated above…if he read the blog....jaablog.com

he said he started it!….Skeptical of course….I inquired further….to learn he was no longer involved…but he assured me ….if I googled him… I would see it was so…..I did….and he really did start the blog….imagine that!

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1178787891113

JUDY…JUDY….JUDY…THE LOBBYIST….

She’s back…remember Judy Stern…much discussed …Judy Stern…in the middle of the last confrontation between the hatFutures and the McIntees……..over the gas port……..

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/08/lobbyist_judy_stern_wins_big_in_

tuesdays_elections.html

More to come………

Posted in Local Politics, News, Politics, Scoops, State News, State Politics, Web News