Get involved in your village, town or city. And don’t forget to vote on Tuesday!
We’d publicized a panel on A Six Pillars Forum: Beyond the Local Vote. How do Municipal Elections Affect our Daily Lives?
The intent of the forum was to inform people about the importance of municipal elections – as typically in Palm Beach County, turnout is around 12% every year. A very few voters are determining what happens to you on a daily level. The goal was to both stimulate turnout, encourage attendees to get more involved via boards and to run for office. We also wanted to explore the inhibitors to participation. My personal goal is to see that all incumbents have an opponent. On the filing deadline of 2/14/12 – 44 people got ‘elected’ automatically because no one opposed them. Is that good? Is that why we get the government we deserve?
Many people worked hard to pull the meeting together in a short timeframe.
Our panelists – Steven Abrams – Vice-Chair and County Commissioner District 4, represented the view of one who has served as a city council member, mayor, and now County Commissioner; Michael Bornstein, Town Manager, Lantana, represented the view of those who run the municipalities; and Dennis Grady, President, Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, represented the business communities. Our moderator was Craig Agranoff, author of “Socially Elected: How To Win Elections Using Social Media” and award-winning CBS News Television Technology Correspondent.
Nat Roberts, board chair of the Economic Council kicked off the meeting with a brief history of the Six Pillars effort. Craig took it from there. Each of the panelists answered several questions by Craig in depth and then we quickly moved to audience questions – with a fairly free form format that worked well. I did not take notes, however copied the gist of the topic take-aways from notes written by Beth Kigel, Mike Jones and Steven Abrams. Subjects discussed included:
1) County and municipal commission/council meetings tend to happen in the middle of the day. Makes it difficult for citizens/residents to attend. Time limits on speakers and lack of genuine dialogue/interaction at meetings dissuades the public.
2) How to utilize HOAs to get information out to the residents?
3) How to encourage folks to get to their own municipalities websites and get informed about local issues?
4) The discussion got side-tracked a little when an audience member asked how to make voting more convenient? The panel subject was municipal elections which don’t have early voting – but most of the changes the audience explored were things that would require changes by the Florida state legislature.
5) Times have changed. In the past (eg 10-20 years ago), multiple ‘beat’ reporters covered each town meeting. Now we’re lucky if anyone is covering a meeting – usually only if a controversial topic is on the agenda. So how do we leverage social media, public access channels, other means to educate the residents and get them involved?
6) There was a brief discussion on salaries for municipal elected officials, and was that an inhibitor to people running? For the most part city officials are part-time efforts but still take a lot of time. County Commissioners are a full or almost full-time job.
7) Term limits were discussed as well. Are people discouraged by the daunting advantage an incumbent has and would term limits help that? As is often the case when the subject comes up, there are pros and cons.
And don’t foget to vote on Tuesday! Check at the Supervisor of Elections website to see what’s on the ballot!
We hope to build on the effort to stimulate citizen participation as the year proceeds. Please get involved with our county and look for future Six Pillars activities. For more information on Six Pillars go to the Florida Chamber Six Pillars Overview. The Economic Council of Palm Beach County orchestrated the county’s effort and the strategic plan for Palm Beach County can be found here.
Meet the Wellington Council Candidates
Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom
All Americans who value freedom of religion must stand now as our first amendment rights are dictated away. If one church is attacked, no church, no faith is protected.
Freedom, once lost, is not easily regained. We may not see it again in our lives nor our children or grand children’s lives.
“Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world.”
—Daniel Webster
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Speak out to your friends, support your church, vote for religious freedom.
On March 23 spend one hour outside your Congressman’s office or a federal building. Pray for our freedom of religion and the preservation of our Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees. Details HERE
Stop the Trains!
This is from Sharon Calvert of the Tampa Tea Party. She and Tampa-912 leader Karen Jarosh were instrumental in the grassroots uprising that killed light rail in the Tampa area. Now Senator Jack Latvala is trying to end run the voter’s decision. Please click on the link and send a message to Tallahassee.
18 HOUR ALERT
LESS than 18 HOURS before critical BUDGET HEARING
Tallahassee INSIDERS are working to nullify the 2010 vote of Hillsborough County residents against Light Rail! As you read this, imagine the smoke-filled, back rooms of government from years ago, playing out again tonight in Tallahassee!
Senator Jack Latvala is working the back rooms of Tallahassee (before Tuesday’s all important BUDGET COMM. Vote), having inserted language into a BIG TRANSPORTATION bill to FORCE a merger between Pinellas (his) and Hillsborough County Transit Agencies. His aim is to FORCE these local communites, TWO SOVEREIGN COUNTIES, to pay a third Agency TAX PAYER MONIES . This agency TBARTA, has plans to re-introduce LIGHT RAIL despite the 2010 vote by HILLSBOROUGH residents against LIGHT RAIL by 60+%.
The TBARTA plan has not been vetted, it has not been put through a COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS!
It is an attempt for BIG GOVERNMENT INSIDERS to nullify the election results of 2010! But the PEOPLE have already spoken! Senator Latvala is trying to overturn the ELECTION with a back-door deal!
DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT! You have less than 24hrs to let them HEAR YOU
In the last year (since the people voted down Rail in 2010), the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) authority has given up its rail aspirations and has made steps to streamline costs and pare down inefficient routes to provide transportation to the transit-dependent. To survive in an era of dwindling property tax revenues, they have enacted reforms such as freezing wages, requiring employees make a contribution towards their health insurance premiums, and laying off redundant administrative staff. They have plans to raise fares so riders pay more of the costs that taxpayers are currently shouldering.
Contrast this with Pinellas’ transit agency PSTA. PSTA’s answer to shrinking tax revenues was to raise their property tax rate to a rate 50% higher than HART’s! They did not attempt to slash spending and live within their means. In January, PSTA also announced plans to build a lavish $1.7 billion light rail system that would require an ADDITIONAL $100+ million a year of taxpayer dollars to operate.
In order for PSTA to qualify for federal funds (more DEFICIT spending we cannot afford), they need to show phenomenal ridership numbers. This is a problem since demographers anticipate that Pinellas county’s trend of decreasing population will continue for the next 20 years! Therefore PSTA needs Hillsborough County’s robust 30% growth rate in their corner.
So, Senator Latvala and his partners in the efforts to OVERTURN the ELECTIONS of 2010 want to MERGE the two seperate County Agencies to beef up ridership numbers.
BUT….
…They have a problem however, because the HART board has rejected this idea with three resolutions. PSTA and HART already collaborate with seamless bus service across all three bay bridges and already realize quantity discounts on joint fuel and vehicle purchases.
SB 1866 pushed by Senator LATVALA requires HART and PSTA must meet to formulate the merger and bring the plan to the SENATE by February 2013!! Additionally, it requires HART to meet TBARTA goals within 7 years…including LIGHT RAIL…YES…the same LIGHT RAIL that HILLSBOROUGH residents already REJECT!
Senator Latvala is trying to OVERTURN the WILL of the PEOPLE! STOP Senate Bill 1866!!
PLEASE help the residents of CENTRAL FLORIDA stop SENATE BILL 1866….the next stop on this RAILROADING of the VOTER could by YOUR COMMUNITY!
Protect LOCAL CONTROL PROTECT your VOTE STOP SB1866!
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/libertytree/rcR4bPqr.aspx
Beyond the Local Vote – a Municipal Elections Forum
February meeting in Wellington recap
Pam Wohlschlegel, Leader of the Tea Party Patriots in this area, shared some of her activities including traveling around Florida with Jenny Beth Martin, national Tea Party Patriot leader, visiting other Tea Party Patriots. Pam commented that the Patriots are like sleeping tigers ready to re-emerge and assume a much more active role as they did four years ago. We were reminded to keep the focus on our three principles: fiscal responsibility, constitutionality, and free markets. There are a number of tea parties in our country; unlike some others, the Patriots do not endorse candidates. Pam noted that the Hispanic vote, a major block, is being indoctrinated by the left. What is it we can do to counter their influence? Progressives are using the approach of having home meetings. We need to do the same.
On March 22, a rally will be held on the Supreme Court lawn in D.C. Florida needs to be there! Busses will be leaving on February 21, for Tallahassee in preparation for a meeting with our legislators. Pam emphasized the need for poll watchers. Irregularities apparently occur when members of our group are not present.
Sharon Bock, Comptroller and Clerk, was the main speaker for the evening. An attorney, Sharon has been in her elected position for 14 years. She employs 750 individuals, none of whom make policy. All county funds, amounting to well over a billion dollars, must go through Ms. Bock’s office in order to be spent. She is an auditor and a watchdog who signs all checks. Before checks are signed three criteria must be satisfied: is there a public good involved, is the expenditure legal, and is it in the budget? Ms. Bock’s speech was an impassioned one in which she gave many examples of how she functions and how she is constantly confronted with obstacles. Her talk was very educational since many of us were not aware of how the individual in this position operates nor how important her position is to the well being of Palm Beach County.
Pictures by Boris Balaban.
Santorum Boca event seems to be cancelled
NOTE: THIS EVENT NO LONGER APPEARS ON THE SANTORUM CALENDAR FOR MONDAY MORNING.
As you may know, Senator Santorum had to send surrogates to events in Florida today due to his daughter’s illness.
Santorum is currently scheduled to participate in a candidate forum organized by the Orthodox Union in Boca Raton, FL tomorrow, Monday, January 30th at 9am.
Location:
Boca Raton Synagogue
7900 Montoya Circle North
Boca Raton, FL
Prior to going to the event, I suggest that you check both Rick Santorum’s Event Calendar and the Synagogue.
Senator Nelson Calls for Investigation of Conservative Activists
Some of you may have received this letter from our Democrat Senator. He is claiming that
“..a handful of super-rich conservative activists are behind an orchestrated effort to keep millions of seniors, younger voters and minorities from casting ballots next year…”
and he is calling for a Senate investigation to
“..see if Florida’s law was part of a plan that led to similar voting law changes in more than a dozen other states this year.” and then “.. I have asked the Justice Department to look into who’s behind these changes. “
This is chilling. Where was Senator Nelson when Acorn was subverting the election process all across the country and Black Panthers were intimidating voters at the polls. This is a part of an organized effort to weaken our election laws and all the more reason why everyone who is able should volunteer as a poll worker or watcher to help keep elections fair.
Taking Action Starting Today!
A week ago I woke up at 1:30am sitting on the couch with the television blaring, my headsets still on, and a stiff neck. But all was ok because the first words I heard were “Two for two”. That is, conservatives won the 9th Congressional seat in New York and easily kept the House seat in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District.
I am sure that all of you have read and heard about both of these big wins so I won’t bore you with restating the facts. However, I do want to take this moment to congratulate all of the estimated 30 to 40 million tea party members and followers who are voicing their opinions and will not be silenced. This was not just a New York moment, this was a “tea party moment” and we need to savor it.
Ok, now we have finished savoring and we need to start thinking and planning for 2012. We need your help! There are so many things that you can do — whatever your circumstance. Here are a few Palm Beach County Tea Party teams that I hope you will consider joining:
- Oversight Team (federal, state, or local) — Pick an elected official, a legislative body, a candidate, or an issue you are interested in and track them like a bloodhound. Share any news and/or blogs you consider important. When you find information we should know, send it to us and we will send your information out to our membership, post it on our websites, facebook, etc..
- Media Contact Team — This is an exciting new team where you will interact with specific media! You will follow and provide responses to articles, posts, etc.
- Connect Team — This is a critical team where you welcome new members and integrate them into PBCTP. Its a great way to meet new people and tap into their passion directing them to the right activity within the Tea Party
- Social Media Team — Help plan and implement training courses for our members so they are more savvy tapping into social media tools like facebook, twitter, and our website. Create strategies to effectively use these new media to effectively get our message out.
- Newsletter Team — We are putting together our first Palm Beach County Newsletter. If your passion is writing, we need you!
- Operation Reach Out Team — Reach out into the business community, colleges, nursing homes, and special shows like Antique Shows, meeting with private organizations, etc.
- Fundraising — We have a robust fundraising team that is working on two big fundraisers, a Gold Party and Fashion Show. We need more ideas and help on implementation of ideas.
- Event Planning Team– Help plan monthly meetings, candidate forums, special movie nights, rallies, etc.
To get more information about or to join one of these teams, please email us at info@palmbeachcountyteaparty.org.
Lastly, someone told me the other day that:
“There is not a Tea Party person that cannot take on a significant role to help move us to victory in 2012.
If you cannot join one of the above teams, you can always join the Donor Team!”
To join the Donor Team, simply hit the Donate button below!
County Tax Rate Comes Closer to TAB Target
Last evening at about 11:00pm, the County Commission voted to set the county-wide tax rate at $4.79 per $1K valuation, up 0.8% from last year. While still technically an increase, it is much better than the number set in the July meeting and an indication that all the work of the last few months has had an effect.
Thank you to those who attended or wrote letters and emails, but a very special thanks to those who stood up at the meeting and spoke their mind. Of the 80 people speaking at the meeting, 75% were there to protect “their” county funded programs, but 25% were on our side, a rising tide.
From South Florida 912, speakers included Marianne Polulack, Iris and Fred Scheibl, Rita and Jim Boger, Victoria Theil, Albert Key, Alison Rampersad, Nancy Hogan, Mike Lameyer, Shannon and Doug Armstrong, and Jason Shields.
Palm Beach County Tea Party was represented by Anita Carbone.
For a synopsis of the meeting and what the tax decision means, see: A Surrealistic Budget Hearing on the TAB website.
