Compiled by Ed. Wolff

As more recent OVERSIGHT posts preempt older posts, those older posts are moved here to serve as a searchable resource.
Please send any comments you have to: oversight@palmbeachcountyteaparty.org.

OVERSIGHT CONTRIBUTORS

The people involved in the oversight activities and the initials used to identify their contributions are:
Joe Burge – J.B.; Marion Frank – M.F.; Mickey Gallagher – M.G.; Barbara, Mel Grossman – B.M.G.; Sally Schmiedl – S.S.; Carol Wagner – C.W.

This report does not represent any official positions of the Palm Beach County Tea Party

For Later Posts Go to OVERSIGHT.

The more recent archived information, reported first, includes:

The Oversight Archive file has grown to the size where it causes a problem for the web site.
Accordingly, it has been broken up into pieces. The pieces are

OVERSIGHT ARCHIVE, OCT-DEC 2014.

OVERSIGHT ARCHIVE, JUL-SEP 2014

OVERSIGHT ARCHIVE, APR-JUN 2014

OVERSIGHT ARCHIVE, JAN-MAR 2014

OVERSIGHT ARCHIVE, JUL-DEC 2013
and

OVERSIGHT ARCHIVE, JAN-JUN 2013

Introducing Mike Riordan

Editors note: these remarks were delivered at the January 7 PBCTP meeting at Abacoa Golf Club.

Good Evening,

I realize that many of you don’t know who I am. In a moment I’ll introduce myself, but before I try, I first want to thank Pam Wohlschlegel and the board of directors. They have done a fantastic job under intense pressure and serious circumstances. Please take a moment to thank them for all they have done for this county and this country.

My name is Michael Riordan.

I think the most important thing for you to know right off the bat is that I did not vote for barrack Obama.

I was born and raised in Plymouth, MA the very place where 400 years ago the pilgrims, fleeing religious persecution in England, first set foot on American soil. It is known as America’s home town.

I was educated in public schools where the teachers still taught the Constitution and about American Exceptionalism. I went to college at Boston University where I began to study political science and where American Exceptionalism was starting to be called American Arrogance. I switched majors and graduated with a degree in Public Relations. However, I did not use it right away. Instead I returned to my high school. I became a special education teacher of students with moderate to severe disabilities.

I spent almost a decade in the Plymouth Public Schools, but it was my last three years that plays a major role in why I am here. Through a series of events I still can’t quite figure out, I became the full time president of one of the largest public teacher’s unions in the state of Massachusetts. Along with a phenomenal executive board, I spent three years building and reorganizing that union into a formidable force in local and state politics.

It was a well-kept secret that I was a conservative and when I realized the true goals of the public sector unions . . . I resigned. I moved to Florida to begin a new life. I started a small, PR and Marketing business with my sister.

And that, in short, is who I am.

But it doesn’t answer the question of why I am standing in front of you now.

I suppose I am here for the same reasons that you are here. I believe that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States are the greatest documents ever written. I believe they are miracles of human thought and evolution. I believe that the constitution is the roadmap to freedom and prosperity for all mankind. I believe that it is a document that has created the greatest country, the greatest people and the greatest standard of living the world has ever seen. And, I believe that this document, this miracle, is under attack. I am here, to join with you, to protect it.

On Election Day, when it became clear that the greatest country on Earth had re-elected a man who has shown no respect for the constitution or its principles, I was crushed. I resigned to keep my head down. We had lost. I was going to remove myself and my thoughts from politics. Finally, I was going to join the blissful masses and divert my attention to more important things like Jersey Shore and Honey BooBoo. And I was going to call my friends up and talk about it on my shiny, new Obama phone.

But then something happened. Terry Gallagher and the rest of the board approached me after the last Tea Party Meeting.

Unfortunately, my escape into ignorance was halted when they asked me to take over for Pam.
I declined at first, but I went home. I thought about the men and women who have come before us and I thought of their sacrifices. . . many we know. Names like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln are well known to us. . . But many names we don’t know.

I decided that to turn away now would be to dishonor the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on foreign soil. To turn away now would be to deny the dreams of the countless families who, for hundreds of years, have left everything they had and braved the oceans to reach our shores.

To turn away now would be a betrayal of the human soul and its absolute need to be free. To turn away now would be the guaranteed end of everything this country has ever stood for.

The choice was simple: lay down and hope for a good life, or stand up and fight for it. I am standing in front of you today because my mother and father did not raise a coward. AND, I suppose, neither did yours. So we will stand together.

But now, the question becomes . . . How? That, I’m afraid, is not so easy to answer.

There are two mistakes that we cannot allow ourselves to make. The first mistake would be to assume that our opponents are not capable simply because we disagree with their views. They won. We lost. They have a message that appeals to the masses. We don’t. That must change.

The second mistake would be to underestimate the levels to which our opponents will sink to get what they want. They will lie and cheat. They will use fear and propaganda. They will use perversions of the law to tie us in knots. They will use guilt and the good, compassionate nature of the American people to advance their agenda. They will produce despair and poverty and they will sell it as hope and change. They will be relentless.

I want to be clear: we will never stoop to those lows, but we must understand them. We must be prepared. We must accept that we play by the rules, but the playing field is not level. We cannot meet every month only to tell each other horror stories and scream that the sky is falling. We must be the beacon of hope, the heralds of freedom, the sources of truth. We must be teachers. We must remind people that this is the greatest country in the history of the planet. We must stay true to our 3 tenants, but we must communicate them better.

We believe in three things: Constitutionally limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets. It is a truth, a sad truth, but those 3 beliefs do not mean the same things to all people.

We have to adapt. We have to communicate better. We must work with other groups . . . together . . . without ego or quarrel. For united we WILL stand.

I know that it seems bleak right now. Many of us see a future coming that is disheartening: A future where, for the first time in American History, our children will not have better lives than we have had . . . a future where our best days are behind us. In moments of doubt, in moments of weakness, I see that future.

But it is not our future. We are Americans. We are free to choose our future and that . . . IS . . . NOT. . . IT.

Our future is the realization of the dreams of our forefathers, ours is a future of hope. Our future is a future of prosperity. It is a future where America is the solution, not the problem. It is a future where America is an inspiration to freedom loving men and women the world over, not just those who live within our borders. Our future is bright. Our future is free.

I thank you . . . from the bottom of my heart . . . for allowing me to be a part of that future with you.
Thank you.

Sincerely,
Michael Riordan

PBCTP Kicks of the New Year with New Leadership

In its 2013 kickoff meeting, the Palm Beach County Tea Party introduced its new leadership to a good sized crowd at the Abacoa Golf Club last evening.

The meeting was called to order by new Jupiter chapter leader Laura Hanley, a local business owner and long time tea party member who was also a candidate for County Commission last year. Laura then passed the microphone to co-founder Mel Grossman who introduced the new county coordinator Michael Riordan.

Mike comes to us with an interesting background. A public relations practioner and local business owner, he started his career teaching special needs children in Massachusetts and did a three year stint as head of their Teacher’s Union. Organizing for political action is nothing new for Mike. In his remarks, he laid out the challenges and opportunities facing us after the not so successful election of 2012. Honing the message of the three principles – consitutionally limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free markets, will be his primary focus. Getting all tea party members to internalize these principles and be able to explain them succinctly to friends and neighbors as well as the public at large is our task. (For the text of Mike’s remarks see: Introducing Mike Riordan)

Dominique Feldman

Mike then introduced the new Communications Director Dominique Feldman. Like Laura and Mike, Dominique is also a local business owner. Active in political campaigns in 2012, she is a familiar face having led seminars on social media for the South Florida 912 and other groups. In her PBCTP role, Dominque will use her MBA and technology skills in efficiently honing and disseminating our messsage.

Also at the meeting was the new chapter leader for Wellington, Marion Frank. Marion has been active in the PBCTP for quite a while and brings her insight as a healthcare professional to the fight against the government takeover of medicine.

As the group moves into 2013, the initial focus will be in three areas – communicating the conservative message led by Dominque, fundraising led by Terry Brady, and government oversight led by Ed Wolff. Volunteers for these committees are sought – contact info@palmbeachcountyteaparty.org for more information.

The February meeting will feature a forum for canididates in local municipal elections. Stay tuned for details.

Some pictures from the event:
[slide]

First PBCTP Meeting of the Year

Please join us Monday, January 7, at Abacoa, for the first meeting of the New Year.

The Palm Beach County Tea Party is alive, strong and ready for the new year and the challenges that lay before us. New leadership has been chosen and we are preparing an agenda that will give guidance for the days, months and years ahead.

There will be no Boca or Wellington meetings in January. The January 7th meeting at the Abacoa Golf Club is our only meeting this month. Please come and meet the new PBCTP Coordinator, The new Communications Director and new Chapter Leaders. We won’t be announcing who they are until this meeting. We encourage all to attend!

We are excited to lay out the plans and vision that will ensure that the Palm Beach County Tea Party continues to be an organization that champions fiscal responsibility, free markets and Constitutionally limited government.

Please use the button below to RSVP:

HOW TO PROTECT THE KIDS

Most of the television and radio talking heads (except some of the conservatives) have missed to obvious and most effective way to protect the school kids.

They suggest solutions without doing the simplest sanity check to see if their solution would have helped the kids and teachers in Newtown CT.

Examples of ineffective “solutions”:

1. Make it harder for people to buy guns.
But the alleged shooter did not buy the guns, he used someone else’s.

2. Ban assault guns.
But the alleged shooter used a handgun.

The obvious approach is to do what the celebrities themselves (as well as politicians, banks, religious organizations and armored cars) do for protection; provide an armed guard.

People contemplating mayhem tend to avoid places where there are armed guards who might thwart their plans.

It is as plain as the nose on your face.

And while we are at it, there are other places that need armed guards such as shopping centers and other places where there could be a large number of victims.

Palm Beach County State Legislators

PALM BEACH COUNTY STATE LEGISLATORS

Prepared for the Palm Beach County Tea Party

Compiled by Ed. Wolff – Updated January 13, 2013

State Senator Joseph Abruzzo– District 25 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
222 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Phone: (850) – 487-5025

District Office:
12300 Forest Hill Boulevard
Suite 200
Wellington, FL 33414- 5785
Phone: (561) 791-4774

Committees:
Commerce and Tourism, Vice Chair
Environmental Preservation and Conservation, Vice Chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, Alternating Chair

State Senator Jeff Clemens– District 27 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
226 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL32399-1100
Phone: (850)487-5027

District Office:
508 C Lake Avenue
Lake Worth, FL 33460
Phone: (561) 540-1140

Committees:
Banking and Insurance, Vice Chair
Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
Ethics and Elections
Gaming
Transportation

State Senator Joe Negron – District 32 – Republican

Email

Capitol Office:
412 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Phone: (850) 487-5032

District Office:
3500 SW Corporate Parkway
Suite 204
Palm City, FL 34990
Phone: (772) 219-1665
Fax: (772) 219-1666
Toll Free: 1-888-759-0791

Committees:
Appropriations, Chair
Banking and Insurance
Rules
Select Committee on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Chair
Joint Legislative Budget Commission, Alternating Chair

State Senator Maria Lorts Sachs– District 34 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
216 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Phone: (850) 487-5034

District Office:
955 NW 17th Avenue
Suite E
Delray, FL 33445
Phone: (561) 279-1427

Committees:
Gaming, Vice Chair
Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
Education
Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security
Regulated Industries 

State Representative Kevin J. G. Rader – District 81 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
1402 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5081

District Office:
9045 La Fontana Boulevard
Suite 117
Boca Raton, FL 33434-5641
Phone: (561) 470-6596

Committees:
Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
Health Quality Subcommittee
Healthy Families Subcommittee
Insurance & Banking Subcommittee

State Representative MaryLynn Magar – District 82 – Republican

Email

Capitol Office:
1003 The Capito
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5082

District Office:
11704 Southeast Dixie Highway
Hobe Sound, FL 33475-5457
Phone: (772) 545-3481

Committees:
Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee
Health Innovation Subcommittee
Local & Federal Affairs Committee
Rulemaking Oversight & Repeal Subcommittee
Select Committee on PPACA

State Representative Patrick Rooney, Jr. – District 85 – Republican

Email

Capitol Office:
200 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5085

District Office:
3970 RCA Boulevard
Suite #7001
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410-4231
Phone: (561) 625-5176

Committees:
Health Quality Subcommittee Vice Chair
Regulatory Affairs Committee Vice Chair
Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
Ethics & Elections Subcommittee
Healthy Families Subcommittee

State Representative Mark S. Pafford – District 86 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
316 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5086

District Office:
2240 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard
Suite 102
West Palm Beach, FL 33409-3403
Phone: (561) 682-0156

Committees:
Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee
Appropriations Committee
Health & Human Services Committee
Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee
Joint Legislative Budget Commission

State Representative Dave Kerner State Representative — District 87 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
1101 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5087

District Office:
12300 Forest Hill Boulevard
Suite 200
Wellington, FL 33414- 5785
Phone: (561) 791-4774

Committees:
Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
Judiciary Committee
Justice Appropriations Subcommittee
Rulemaking Oversight & Repeal Subcommittee

State Representative Bobby Powell — District 88 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
1401 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5088

District Office:
Suite 105
2715 North Australian Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33407-4500
Phone: (561) 650-6880

Committees:
Healthy Families Subcommittee
Higher Education & Workforce Subcommittee
Local & Federal Affairs Committee
Transportation & Highway Safety Subcommittee
Legislative Service

State Representative Bill Hager – District 89 – Republican

Email

Capitol Office:
410 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5089

District Office:
301 Yamato Road
Suite 1240
Boca Raton, FL 33431-4931
Phone: (561) 470-6607

Committees:
Civil Justice Subcommittee Vice Chair
Insurance & Banking Subcommittee Vice Chair
Finance & Tax Subcommittee
Judiciary Committee
Select Committee on Claims Bills

State Representative Lori Berman – District 90 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
1301 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5090

District Office:
203 Northeast 1st Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444-3714
Phone: (561) 266-6645

Committees:
Energy & Utilities Subcommittee
Finance & Tax Subcommittee
Healthy Families Subcommittee
Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
Rules & Calendar Committee

State Representative Irving “Irv” Slosberg — District 91 – Democrat

Email

Capitol Office:
1401 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 717-5091

District Office:
Suite 200
7499 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33446-1394
Phone: (561) 496-5940

Committees:
Criminal Justice Subcommittee Democratic Ranking Member
Government Operations Subcommittee Democratic Ranking Member
Transportation & Highway Safety Subcommittee Democratic Ranking Member
Justice Appropriations Subcommittee

PBCTP Leadership Changes

Hello friends,

It is only after considerable prayer and with sadness that I am resigning as the County Coordinator for the Palm Beach County Tea Party. I believe strongly that term limits and new leadership are both refreshing and critical to the long-term success of any program.

More importantly, this move will enable me to better contribute to the Palm Beach County Tea Party in the areas that I believe will will be critical in the coming 23 months before the 2014 midterm elections:
* Oversight — keeping our members up to date on key local, state, and federal issues and creating action alerts when needed.
* Hispanic Outreach
* College Outreach

I will continue to serve on the board and as the liaison to both the Tea Party Patriots and the Tea Party Alliance.

Please let me know if you would like to join me in any of these three programs! We will have some fun and definitely create value!

The board is actively recruiting my replacement. I can tell you that this is an exciting and fulfilling job. With the new addition of a Communications Director,Richard Bock, and my new role, the director position will be less time intensive and will be able to focus on strategy and operational efficiencies.

Other Changes in Our Organization

Jupiter/PBG Chapter
Gary Summers has resigned as the Chapter Coordinator for Jupiter/Palm Beach Gardens. Gary had only lived in Florida one month when he found us and almost immediately went to work as our Jupiter/PBG Chapter Leader. He did an awesome job despite his work and family commitments. He is now involved in a business start-up and must focus on that in the coming months. Thank you, Gary, for all that you have done for PBCTP in the past year!

Laura Hanley has accepted this position starting immediately. Laura has been involved in Palm Beach County politics and grassroots efforts for years and, through her efforts, willingness to work and effervescent personality, has a large network of friends and supporters. We look forward to working with her in this capacity. Laura will also serve on the Board of Directors.

Wellington Chapter
Gina Rascati and Joe Madej have also resigned as coordinators for the Wellington Tea Party. Joe did a Herculean job as the GOTV leader in Wellington, personally canvassing hundreds of homes despite hip and knee surgeries only months before. Joe was inspired by our recent visit by Brigitte Gabrielle and will be focusing on programs designed to understand radical Muslim issues in our country.

Marion Frank will be replacing Gina and Joe as the Wellington Chapter Coordinator and will also serve on the Board of Directors. Marion, like Laura, has been very active in the county, is on top of the issues, especially healthcare, and will be an energetic and valuable contributor to our organization.

Boca Raton Chapter
Alex Berry is stepping down as Chapter Coordinator in Boca Raton. In Alex’ words, “The most pressing reason for my departure is that I need to spend more time with my family, my businesses, and my church. I wanted to do all I can up until this past election, and I was as disappointed as could be with the results. I look forward to re-engaging in the future as time and opportunity allow.”

We would like to extend a special thanks to Alex for his hard work and commitment over the years!

Please Consider These Open Leadership Positions

Please contact Mel Grossman, our vice-chair, if you are interested in any of the following positions. His number is (561) 628-1873.

• County Coordinator
• Chapter Coordinator for Boca Raton (includes Delray Beach and Boynton Beach)
• Assistant Coordinator for the Wellington Chapter

Yours in hope & action,

Pam Wohlschlegel
Co-founder & Oversight Coordinator
Palm Beach County Tea Party
Phone: 561.254.1036
pam@palmbeachcountyteaparty.org

Florida State Coordinator
Tea Party Patriots

The Counting Has Stopped, Our “Elected” Officials are Determined

We tea partiers, as fiscal conservatives, small government advocates, and free market supporters, have had a rough two weeks.  Now we need to recoup and determine where we go from here.  I just spent 4 days in Washington, DC with the national Tea Party Patriots.  We spent that time analyzing what has come to pass and brainstorming what needs to be done in the future.

What is very clear is that the liberals have been preparing for this November’s election for six years.  The fact is that they created offices and sophisticated social media systems around the country in 2006.  These offices and social media programs have not only been maintained but their effectiveness enhanced over the past 6 years — resulting in an almost total victory in 2012 at local, state, and federal levels!

My husband received an email from a friend this week that the tea party failed.  His insinuation was the tea party was responsible for the losses because we didn’t do enough. I vehemently disagree!  Maybe we didn’t do enough but many tea partiers put their lives on hold for the last two months, touching over 20,000 voters in Palm Beach County alone.  If you were one of those people, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!  You can take gratification in having given your best in working for change.  If you did not help with our Get out the Vote (GOTV) effort, I invite you to help us starting today to dig our way out of this mess!

We only have 23 months to turn things around in the November 1914 elections!  The opposition has droves of people looking to promote the big government/entitlement driven agenda.

What is our plan moving forward?  First, we are going to take a December break from our monthly meetings.  However, we do want to have an Action Planning Meeting on Tuesday, December 4th at 6:30 pm at the Palm Beach Gardens Library.  More information to follow.

We will continue to keep you updated on key issues that align with our three tenets of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets.  The goal is that each and every one of us have key facts that we can spout when countering our liberal friends.  Remember, we want to calmly counter their emotion-charged rhetoric with solid indisputable facts!

To this end, here are a couple of interesting articles:

http://www.obamacaretruthsquad.com

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/12/obamacare-taxes-mean-obamacare-layoffs/

One last thing, I cannot end this email without making a statement about the recent elections.  I solemnly believe that these election results were not the will of the majority of the people who live and work in South Florida!

COMPLETING WEST/MURPHY BALLOT RECOUNT — SUNDAY AT 8AM

Hello all,

The St. Lucie County Canvassing Board along with tens of observers has been recounting the rest of the early voting and absentee ballots in the West/Murphy congressional race since 9am this morning.  They have completed the count of all the machine readable ballots but still have several that must be manually read.  However, the board has chosen to close down for the night and will reconvene tomorrow morning, Sunday, at 8 am.

Tomorrow will hopefully be the last day of this journey!   We would love to have at least a balance of West and Murphy supporters so please come out to the Supervisor of Elections Office in Ft. Pierce at 8am or anytime soon thereafter.  Here is the information:

7th Rally and Finalization of Ballot Re-count at St. Lucie County Supervisor Board of Elections Office

Sunday, November 18th at 8 am

St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections
4132 Okeechobee Road
Ft. Pierce, FL  34947

(772) 462-1500

PLEASE COME AND BRING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE!  AGAIN, THIS WILL BE AN HISTORIC MOMENT IN TIME!

**Share Your Thoughts/Experiences on Florida Voting** ———-

Lastly, **[click here](https://palmbeachcountyteaparty.org/2012/11/post-your-thoughts-what-is-wrong-with-our-election-process-in-florida/)** for an article on voting issues in Florida.  Please read the linked article and comment!  This is your chance to share your experiences and thoughts while they are fresh in your mind.  _This is particularly important if you were a poll worker or poll watcher._  Things need to change!

Determining where to shop and spend your money

I received this via email today.  Please read, comment, and share:

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