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Post-Election Message From State Sen. Al Lawson

“I wish to extend my congratulations to my Republican colleague and our incoming Senate President, Jeff Atwater, on his re-election.

“These are historic times. By an overwhelming majority, the people of Florida played a pivotal role in delivering this state – for the first time in four presidential elections – to a candidate who not only broke the conventional stereotypes in every sense, but offered the first tangible ray of hope to so many of our citizens desperate for opportunities so elusive and so hard to come by.

“Last night, Floridians joined their countrymen in declaring that the old way of doing things has not worked. Their votes underscored the critical need for unity to solve the many problems we face as a nation and as a state and the people’s hunger for leadership dedicated to solutions rather than partisan scorecards.

“As we take the helm of our respective leadership positions here in the Florida Senate, I wish you and all of my colleagues God’s blessings and inspiration. It is our turn to continue the Senate’s legacy of rejecting divisiveness, and dedication to our constitutional mission to “perfect our government” in order to preserve our liberty and its benefits. I pledge my support and the support of our Democratic Caucus to that mission.

“In this new day, this new beginning, let us always remember that whatever our differences, we are all Floridians, all members of the Florida Senate, and all hopeful that your presidency mirrors the reflection of a state ready for change.”

HisNoseGrows.Com Launched Responding To Atwater's False Claims

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

The Florida Democratic Party has launched www.HisNoseGrows.com today, which highlights Jeff Atwater's attempts to run away from the truth as he tries to hide from his record of being puppet of the big insurance companies.

"Floridians are wondering why Jeff Atwater's nose keeps growing ever time his mouth is moving. In the Senate, Atwater has been a puppet for Big Insurance. He fought to make it easier for insurance companies to deny claims and then he allowed the same insurance companies to raise rates by 71.5%. Now Atwater's special interest friends are bankrolling his campaign to help him hide from his failed record. While Atwater tries to run from his party, and his record, we'll make certain voters know he can't run away from the truth," said Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff.

The new website www.hisnosegrows.com, builds upon efforts to dispute the presumptive Senate President's false claims and expose his special interest ways. Earlier, the Florida Democratic Party launched Senatorjoke.com, awarding Atwater the "Best Insurance Hypocrite" award. Both website allows voters to click-through and find links to online records, news articles, and testimonials that will allow them to check the record for themselves.

Florida Gets a "D" on Choice Issues

NARAL points out the following facts:

69 percent of Florida counties have no abortion provider.

Florida has unconstitutional and unenforceable criminal bans on abortion.
Details

Florida law subjects women seeking abortions to biased counseling requirements.
Details

Florida allows certain individuals or entities to refuse to provide women specific reproductive health services, information, or referrals.

Florida restricts low-income women's access to abortion.

Florida law restricts young women's access to abortion services by mandating parental notice.

Florida subjects abortion providers to burdensome restrictions not applied to other medical professionals.

Governor Charlie Crist (R) is anti-choice.

Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp (R) is anti-choice.

Attorney General Bill McCollum (R) is anti-choice.

The Florida House is anti-choice.

The Florida Senate is mixed-choice.

We can do better than this.

Atwater Hates the Truth, Loves Big Insurance

NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

For Immediate Release: September 25, 2008
Contact: Eric Jotkoff, 850.222.3411

JEFF ATWATER LIES ABOUT INSURANCE TIES IN HIS NEW CAMPAIGN AD

Campaign Contributions Show He Hasn't Changed

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - In response to the website SenatorJoke.com which parodies his own campaign site, presumed incoming Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach) has launched an advertisement where he apologizes for his past support of the big insurance industry's agenda, but claims that it was nothing more than a youthful indiscretion. Atwater claims that he's changed. Unfortunately, the facts don't support this claim. (See Atwater's ad at http://vimeo.com/1804802.)

Jeff Atwater does not dispute that he's accepted excessive amounts in campaign contributions from the insurance industry. In fact, the most recent reporting period which posted last Friday now puts Atwater's grand total of insurance money at $284,076. But Jeff Atwater implies that this money was for past campaigns. NOT TRUE.

A detailed review of Atwater's current contributions shows that he has accepted over $90,000 for his current campaign from insurance interests - $61,450 to his 2008 reelection account and $29,381 to his PAC, Preserve the American Dream.

"It's a lie, and he's a liar," said Linda Bird, reacting to Atwater's latest campaign commercial. "This is the kind of political doubletalk that prompted me to run for the Florida Senate. While Jeff Atwater has been taking thousands of dollars in contributions from insurance companies, Florida's homeowners are stuck in a financial crunch from higher insurance rates and higher property taxes. When I'm elected to the Florida Senate, I will succeed where Jeff Atwater has failed."

This past year, Jeff Atwater engaged in harsh rhetoric against the insurance industry, but his demagoguery can't hide his long record of supporting those same big insurance companies. In 2005, Atwater voted to make it easier for insurance companies to deny claims to homeowners. (SB 1486, 2005) But the most infamous example of towing the insurance line was Atwater's vote in 2006 to raise homeowner's insurance rates by 71.5%. (SB 1980, 2006)

"Jeff Atwater claims to have had an insurance epiphany and has renounced his sins, but voters aren't buying this mea culpa," said Linda Bird. "Families are paying two or three times what they paid a few years ago, while the insurance companies that are slipping thousands in Atwater's pockets are making huge profits. I will take on the big insurance companies, and not just in election years. We can, and we must, make a change for Florida's future."

"Florida deserves better than this," said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party Communications Director. "Now that he is lying about his support from big insurance, Atwater is proving once again that he is the Best Insurance Hypocrite. The only place where Jeff Atwater deserves to be senate president is in the State of Denial."

New Site Tracking Atwater

Senator Joke has a particular focus on incoming Senate President Jeff Atwater and his ties to the insurance industry.

Gaetz Hates History, Facts

Kudos go to State Senator Don Gaetz for supporting the Equal Rights Amendment. Clearly it's the right thing to do. But in explaining his support for the Amendment, he ignores reality and history:

"I think it's historically inaccurate that liberals have tried to hijack equal rights. It's an improper characterization to label it a liberal issue."

This is complete nonsense and 100% historically wrong. It has always been liberals that support and fought for equal rights, in all definitions of that phrase. It is Gaetz that is trying to hijack the issue. It is true that we shouldn't have to label it as a liberal issue, but history and facts clearly say we do. Any look at the voting records of liberals and conservatives on equal rights issues clearly shows that, in general, liberals favor equal rights laws and conservatives oppose it. Even on this issue, if you look at the states that haven't ratified the ERA, you'll find some of the most conservative states and legislatures in America.

Gaetz is misleading, but a little more honest, when he goes on:

"Equal rights, in general, and the Equal Rights Amendment, specifically, started as a Republican principle," said Gaetz.

This is technically true. But it happened when the Republican party was the liberal party. Since then, things have changed.

Florida Senate Republicans Hate Gay People, Unmarried People, Common Decency

Specifically:

Carey Baker
Rhonda Storms
Dan Webster
Stephen Wise

So says their endorsement of the Hate Amendment.

Atwater Hates Ethics

Republican Jeff Atwater is paying a man, Robert "Budd" Kneip, to aid in his transition to Senate president six months in advance of taking office and prior to his strongly challenged re-election campaign is over. Traditionally, people like this are hired after the election. And usually, they have some experience with this type of thing. Kneip has no such experiences. He's getting paid $7,000 a month and the taxpayers are paying for it. In this time of budget shortfalls and a bad economy, it's good to see that Republicans can still give out sweetheart deals to their friends and stick the rest of us with the bill.

Republicans Hate Floridians

SB 2860, the supposed fix to our insurance problems, is a red herring. "To be candid, this bill was not designed to reduce premiums," said Rep. Don Brown. What else are they lying about?

Webster Hates the Middle and Lower Classes, Loves Tax Increases

Naked Politics reports that Sen. Majority Leader Daniel Webster wants to raise the cost of tolls in Florida. To the rest of us, tolls are nothing more than a tax on people who use a road. So much for "no tax increases."

Crazy Jim Greer Quote of the Day

Aren't we currently in a budget crisis? Greer doesn't seem to know about it:

"When it comes time to get out and speak around the state, it's important that we have the ability to travel there and that we accomplish as much as we can in any given day... You will see that the party is much more engaged in traveling the state..."

They've spent more than $1 million in private charter jet flights in the last year. Greer wants you to think that these expenses are necessary, but the Sarasota Herald Tribune found otherwise, discovering that they lodged "high-flying expenses from last year with tens of thousands of dollars in ritzy New York hotels, thousands of dollars in limousine services and thousands of dollars more in regular air service."

This is while they are seeking to cut healthcare for more than 40,000 low-income senior, disabled and seriously ill Floridians. And it flies in the face of the rhetoric the members of Greer's party regularly spout off...

Charlie Crist: "We're asking local governments to tighten their belts, too. We are tightening ours. We can do no less... I feel for our students and I feel for their families... They are paying higher insurance rates. They are paying higher property taxes. They are paying higher gas prices."

Durell Peaden on the healthcare cuts: "If we don't get to print money, we're going to have to do with what we've got."

Charlie Crist: "If a family with two young boys can tighten their belts to live within their means certainly our cities and counties can also."

Alan Hays: "We cannot ask our state and local governments to tighten their belts if we continue to support frivolous spending."

Mike Haridopolos: "Experience also proves that government in Florida does not have a revenue problem -- it has a spending problem."

Apparently, it's the Republicans who have a spending problem and have pretty serious problems with hypocrisy. I wonder if any of them will call in their votes to cut healthcare for poor people while riding in a limo or if Crist will sign the bill flying in his a chartered jet?

Legislative Watch -- S2400

S2400: Would require that an ultrasound be performed on any woman obtaining an abortion (Webster): This is a thinly-veiled assault on a woman's right to choose. We talked about this bill on the radio show yesterday and it really does two things. First, it tells women that they aren't wise enough to understand the decision they are making and that if they only saw a picture of the fetus, they'd change their mind. Second, it adds an expensive add-on to the cost of an abortion, pricing poor women out of making this particular choice. These type of laws are never equal. No matter hwo many restrictions you put on abortion, rich women will still be able to get them, but laws like this simply make it harder for por women to exercise their constitutional rights.

Crazy Republican Quote of the Day

"You can put that in your peace pipe and smoke it." - Senator Ronda Storms (R-Brandon), March 06, 2008, erratically explaining why she will vote against a tax cut which would add nearly $300 million to the state's education system.

I'm sure you don't actually know this Ronda, but in addition to being dismissive of the horrible state of our education system, comments like this are racist.

Haridopolos Hates Honesty, Ethics, UF, Students, Taxpayers

Mike Haridopolos paints himself as a person who hates waste and fights wasteful government spending. He's a liar.

A few years back, Haridopolos somehow "earned" himself a full-time salary at Brevard Community College to write a book he doesn't appear to have actually written. Over four years, he amassed $160k in salary for apparently doing nothing. $40k a year is a moderate salary at a school like that -- moderate if you are actually doing the job. When you aren't doing the job, it's government-funded waste.

Now Haridopolos has "earned" himself a full-time "lecturer" gig at the University of Florida. One he isn't qualified for and one he won't really have to do -- during the Spring semester he won't have to teach because of the session. During Summer semester, he won't have to teach. So for one semester a year, he'll teach a few classes and do no research and he'll get paid nearly $30k more than the professors there who are actually doing the job and have the credentials.

Haridopolos claimed he was working on a PhD at the University of Arkansas -- a PhD is usually one of the basic requirements to get a job like this -- but apparently that was a lie, too, since he hasn't been enrolled there since 2000.

At a time when Florida's colleges and universities are in financial crises and many are turning away students, t his kind of wasteful political spending should not just be unethical, it should illegal.

I wonder if he'd gotten this latest deal if he wasn't in line to be Senate president? Using your political position to enhance your own personal wealth at the expense of the taxpayers, while offering nothing in return is the height of unethical behavior. Haridopolos seems to have mastered it.

Good Saunders

Following in the steps of Nancy Argenziano, Sen. Burt Saunders is doing the right thing. Tallahassee Democrat:

Sen. Burt Saunders, chairman of the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee, says he expects to file a bill to establish a pilot program requiring springs protection zones where advanced wastewater treatment and improved septic tanks are required.

This is a good bill, even if it isn't strong enough. Not suprisingly, it was killed last year by developers and ag interests, and they want to do the same this time. Their argument is nonsensical:

Frank Matthews, a lobbyist representing the Association of Florida Community Developers, said the bill would add to the cost of housing at a time when the real-estate market is in a slump.

As always, these people only care about their own short-term financial interests, and everything else be damned. The long-term health of our environment is more important than a minor blip on the economic cycle. Their arguments get worse:

Matthews said Saunders' draft legislation would duplicate the state's current process of establishing pollution limits on waterways.

"We think it's premature," Matthews said. "There is a lot of overlay regulation that already exists or is in place that should satisfactorily address springs."

Obviously, this isn't true. Otherwise we wouldn't have the problem. And Saunders wouldn't be proposing this bill. Let's hope he sticks to it and fights to push this through.

Campbell Hates Taxes, Honesty...Republicans?

House District 32 Special Election Candidate Sean Campbell has been going on and on about his "top priority" -- property taxes. And he warns that his opponent, Tony Sasso, will raise taxes if elected. This ignores, of course, the fact that Sasso actually voted repeatedly to cut taxes as Cocoa Beach City Commissioner. While Sasso did vote to increase tax revenue, what this really means is that he voted to support real estate improvements and new growth, things that generate additional tax revenue while maintaining or even cutting tax rates.

So, while Campbell is dishonest in going after Sasso, he is on target in attacking people who say they favor lower taxes but actually vote to increase taxes. It's good to see that he's takign on the Republicans in the legislature, who love to talk about cutting taxes, but actually have done quite a bit to increase them. Like last year when they required local governments to increase their share of education funding -- something they could only do by raising taxes.

But lets not just talk about this in generalities, lets get some numbers, using the Republican way of looking at this, tax "revenue" increases:
*Will Weatherford (R-Land O' Lakes) - Voted to increase property tax revenues more than $550 million
*Dean Cannon (R-Winter Park) - Voted to increase annual property tax revenues more than $1.5 billion, for a total of nearly $3 billion
*Ray Sansom (R-Gulf Breeze) - Voted to increase annual property tax revenues by $2.7 billion for a total of nearly $7 billion
*Marco Rubio (R-Miami) - Voted to increase annual property tax revenues by $3.8 billion for a total of more than $40 billion
*Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) - Voted to increase tax revenues so many times that its hard to keep track, but the total is certainly more than Rubio's

This is the problem with so much of the Republican rhetoric, they create dishonest standards by which to judge their opponents, and don't apply these same standards to themselves.

Gaetz Hates Kids, Knowledge, Education, Common Sense

We have an early front-runner for stupidest political quote of the year, from Sen. Don Gaetz:

Insiders are not bad. They’re good, because it’s a complicated world, and you have to be able to navigate that world. But education is too important to be left to educators.

The fact that non-educators are so heavily involved with education in Florida is the primary reason that the whole thing is so messed up. Education should be left up to educators. Parents and students should have a role as well. Politicians and businessmen really shouldn't. The purpose of education isn't simply to create good little worker bees for corporations to exploit for profit, which is exactly how Gaetz sees our school system.

Atwater Hates the People, Campaign Finance

Sen. Jeff Atwater doesn't care about the spirit behind campaign finance laws and tells the people that they don't matter, only money matters to him:

State Sen. Jeff Atwater can't accept a free cup of coffee when he meets with a lobbyist because of a gift ban intended to lessen the influence of special interests on Florida's Legislature. But the North Palm Beach Republican rakes in donations of up to $25,000 for a political committee under his control.

Roughly a year before he is expected to assume the Senate presidency, Atwater sits atop a $521,000 fund raised from a few dozen donors in the past 11 months. Among the $25,000 contributors were AutoNation, political action committees for car dealers and Realtors, and Hartman & Tyner, a gambling company. Atwater is one of more than two dozen lawmakers who together have amassed millions of dollars under a continuing anomaly in Florida' political fundraising laws.

Lynn Hates Common Sense, Loves Wasting Time

Sen. Evelyn Lynn wants to ban salvia divinorum, a plant that is similar to pot, is legal in most of the world, is not the subject of any particular medical or law enforcement officials and, because of its appearance and smell, is almost impossible to detect. Yep, that's a good use of government time and law enforcement resources.

Good Constantine

I don't agree with Sen. Lee Constantine often, but I agree with him on this one:

Automated external defibrillators, like the hundreds Walt Disney World has deployed throughout its Central Florida property, could become more commonplace in Florida under a change in state law proposed by state Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs.

Constantine wants to alter the wording in Florida law so that anyone who can lay hands on a portable heart defibrillator in an emergency can use it to try saving someone's life without worrying about a lawsuit later.

His Senate Bill 564, advocated by the American Heart Association, is intended to sweep away liability risks so that schools, businesses and other institutions, small and large, might feel more comfortable about buying portable defibrillators and placing them in handy locations -- as fire extinguishers are now -- without worrying about someone getting sued.

This is a good idea that will help save lives. Good job, senator.