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Florida Politics: A Storm is Brewing

      I would like to start out my, “This Week in Florida Politics” article here, by saying thank you to my State Representative Rachel Bergen. (fl-56) I had written to every politician in the State of Florida expressing my concerns stemming from the attempt to illegally bypass Governor Scott’s decision to put the breaks on the High Speed Rail plan from Tampa to Orlando. Rep. Bergen surprised me today with a phone call to address my concerns. Sure was comforting to see our elected officials responding to the very people they are supposed to represent today. Thank you again Ms. Bergen  We discussed a couple of issues today,  mainly talking about the Rail plan. She is in agreement with Governor Scott, (and myself)  that in these uncertain economic times this is just too much to put onto the backs of Florida taxpayers. We discussed Senator Bill Nelson telling the country that he will meet with Ray LaHood , the U. S. Secretary of Transportation, and a few lawyers to see what they can do to get around our Governor’s decision. Feds or no Feds, lawyers and other assorted Florida politicians and crony-capitalists looking for payback for promises they made to get elected will not be putting this kind of debt onto Floridians, period. I can not give you a quote from my Senator Bill Nelson, as they are apparently way to important to talk to the little people who pay their salaries. Nelson also doesn’t respond to correspondence from us little people. I can’t count the number of times he and his staff have ignored my letters. Likewise with Cathy Castor, another one of my so-called representatives who are scheming against the will of the people to put us into debt for decades with this rail plan. Castor is also heavily backed by assorted Unions as almost all Democrats are today, as we see by the stats below from OpenSecrets.org.  Special thanks to those folks for keeping track of interesting data like this. As dear old Gramps always said, “Follow the Money, Daniel.”

              2009 – 2010 Campaign Cash- Industries*

Industry Total Indivs PACs
Lawyers/Law Firms $113,060 $82,775 $30,285
Health Professionals $76,700 $21,700 $55,000
Building Trade Unions $34,000 $0 $34,000
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $33,830 $18,330 $15,500
Public Sector Unions $32,000 $0 $32,000

         2009- 2010  Top 5 Contributers*

Contributor Total Indivs PACs
American Hospital Assn $11,680 $1,680 $10,000
American Assn for Justice $10,000 $0 $10,000
Florida Police Benevolent Assn $10,000 $0 $10,000
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $10,000 $0 $10,000
Laborers Union $10,000 $0 $10,000

    Those are a lot of  favors owed by Ms. Castor there, and if she thinks she can pay them off with a multi-billion dollar rail plan, no matter the cost to the taxpayers of Florida, she’s got another thing coming. Yes sir, I see a big storm brewing in the near future for the Florida region. Ms. Castor is so sure she will be able to pay off future donors with this Rail plan, that she even held a press conference today. Just like in Wisconsin, Castor’s “press conference” was even attended by nasty Democratic operatives with signs such as “Impeach Scott, and other types of ugliness. Impeach Scott, for doing what we elected him to do? I don’t think so . Grow up people. You are an embarrassment to the  true meaning of a grassroots movement and Democracy. Yes Sir, a big storm is surely brewing in Central Florida. If you want to know what other area politicians are behind this scheme, you don’t have to look far.  Also at this pep rally against the people of Florida , were what they call “candidates.” TBO.com explains it like this:

“Castor and several candidates for the mayor and city council supporting high-speed rail were present. Opponents, in the minority of those attending the rally, mingled among those who favor it.” (emphasis mine)

    Let me get this straight here. TBO.com deems it important enough to point out that the opponents at this unannounced press conference were in the minority. Mr. Ted Jackovics of the Tampa Tribune, shows his lack of any hint of the ability to write  an unbiased report right there, not to mention his lack of journalistic integrity he shows in pushing one agenda or the other here in Tampa, time after time after time. FYI Ted, the only people showing up there were people paid by them to show support for this scheme or the privileged few who were called ahead of time. Otherwise, just how did they happen to show up with those nasty hate-signs? I saw no announcement of this press conference. I for one, am sick of reading this shameful misinformation from our supposed reporters today. Do you think there might have been some opponents to the plan show up, if this had been announced?

      Of course there would have been, we voted no just last year on this scheme, and I would be one of the people telling you where to stuff your fantasy here. I call it a fantasy, because no businessman in his right mind thinks this will not be a big black hole sucking down taxpayers dollars for decades to come. Castor, Bill Nelson, Mayor Iorio and assorted corrupto-crats are trying to convince us otherwise with another phony “plan” announced today. This was at the same press conference where they made very vague statements that do not prove anything to me about how this rail plan is supposed to make money in the end. Of course if you listen to the fantasies of Sen.  Bill Nelson, Rep.Cathy Castor and other assorted Liberal elitists, Obamacare will insure millions of people for free, lower the national debt and give Seniors better healthcare by taking 500 billion dollars of funding away from them. This is a nasty shell game these Florida/Tampa corrupto-crats are playing to try to cement future campaign donations for the 2012 elections and beyond. Yes Siree, there’s a storm brewing down here in Florida.. Here is another tidbit from TBO.com today:

“Our goal over the next day or two will be to put a written proposal in front of Gov. Scott that he can review,” she said. ” •Put the proposal before Scott to assure him that a private company that wins a bid to build and operate the system would be responsible for any possible construction cost overruns, revenue shortfalls, or financial obligations for repayments of federal grants should the project at any point fail; and last but not least is a good one: ‘Private firms have indicated they would make up the difference between the federal grant and the ultimate cost of construction, as well operate the high-speed rail line with revenue that would not involve government subsidies.”

     First of all we demand to know a few particulars here Ms. Castor, like just which ” private firms” are involved here? Exactly who will be in charge of  project oversight after they get their foot in the door for this project?  How many of these jobs will actually be given to Floridians ? How about your vaunted “transparency” the Democrats like to preach about today?  Sure seems to be a lot of secret deals going on here already, and the people of Florida need to demand some answers before this even gets started. How about a scheduled set of meetings from Tampa to Orlando to hear what the real people think about this deal before you submit your “Plan” to Governor Scott? Will it be deemed a criminal offense to give any jobs for this project to the Democrats friends for votes, Illegal Immigrants?  The fact is, that the people have already told you they don’t want this high speed rail. Your initial projected numbers about the financial viability of this project were already proven to be a bunch of hot air. I say once they get their foot in the door with this misguided bait and switch,  that it will be just like Amtrak. Remember Amtrak?  That was private at one time too. Today?  Billions of taxpayer dollars are being stolen to prop up that so-called “private venture,” that has also been plagued with fraud, corruption, and malfeasance. And Amtrak runs up and down the heavily populated Northeast, unlike sparsely populated Central Florida. 

     My take on this whole scheme? If the people do not speak up, and Governor Scott believes this Amtrak2 plan for Florida, we will be facing a state sales tax within 2 years here in Florida. They may call it something else, but one way or the other these big spending Democrats and their corrupto-crat pals have one agenda today: Tax the working folks as much as they can, any way they can, as has been proven throughout American history. Here is a telling question for all the Democrats and others involved in this rail scheme: ” With Democrats constantly screaming for the rich businessman to pay more in taxes today, just what businessmen are lined up with your plan here? How can these Democrats climb into bed with these evil capitalists that they bash every single day today? Are we supposed to believe that these anonymous business firms here are willing to lose billions of dollars just to snuggle up to this bunch of  Tampa politicians? Oh wait, since Senator Bill Nelson is wheeling and dealing on this deal up in Washington DC, which lobbyists is he in bed with up there, and what have they been promised?  Talk about strange bed-fellows teaming up for the high-speed rail love affair here. Every businessman I have ever met, is in business to make money. Where did you find these people who are supposedly all lined up to be happily taxed more, and are willing to take the heavy losses that are sure to come with this plan?

     We are being told here today folks, that whether we want this high speed rail running through the heart of Florida or not, the corrupto-crats are going to do it anyway. I sure hope Governor Scott doesn’t fall for the Amtrak2 bait and switch of these mathematically challenged politicians from here in Tampa. I am betting that the Businessman we elected as Governor, Rick Scott will see through this gimmickry. As in the picture above, the clouds are rolling in here, over Central Florida. Next up? Governor Scott’s budget cuts. Is that thunder I hear?

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Rich Mitchell

Rich Mitchell is the editor-in-chief of Conservative Daily News and the president of Bald Eagle Media, LLC. His posts may contain opinions that are his own and are not necessarily shared by Bald Eagle Media, CDN, staff or .. much of anyone else. Find him on twitter, facebook and

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3 Comments

  1. TBO and the Tampa Tribune newspaper are so far to the left they have all but disappeared! I wouldn’t line the bottom of my bird cage with the Tampa tribune, for fear that my parakeets would start demanding food stamps and a welfare check the first of the month!

  2. I hope Governor Scott will do as Governor Walker in Wisconsin has and stand firm against the democrats. I don’t know what it takes to get them to see that the country is broke. There are too many “favors” being given among all these sleazy people with no regards to taxpayers.

    1. Hi Carol, thanks for responding here.

      I find it very hypocritical on how we are told to sit down and shut up about everything Obama is doing to destroy our America because as he said “I won the election.” Well FYI to the Democrats and OBAMA, Rick Scott and Governor Walker WON THE ELECTIONS!

      ALL you FEDS and UNION bastards from other states need to get the hell out of Wisconsin and Florida and mind your own damn business! I have had it with this double standard these frigging Liberals are trying to impose on the rest of the country. I say shut down the federal government on the deadline coming up. Get tough with these nutjobs. Slap malfeasance of office and dereliction of sworn duty charges on these punk-sore-loser Democrats in Wisc and recall them immediately.

      Constant ignoring the rule of law has got to be stopped today. This pattern all starts with the asshat at the top, Barack Hussein Obama and his not obeying Federal Judges in regards to his illegal oil drilling bans, the Black Panther thugs at the polls, the illegal Communist Healthcare scam they passed illegally, on and on with this very anti-American agenda of the Liberal propagandists hiding behind the words Democracy and Justice. Liberal’s make up less than 20% of the population, and its high time the rest of this country gets off it’s ass and puts them in their place once and for all!

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