Beach Peanuts

GOP Trading Hurricane Safety For Tax Cuts As Overactive Season Looms

Hurricane Charley Makes Landfall In Florida, 2004 (Photo: NOAA)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came out today with their predictions for the 2013 hurricane season, which begins June 1.

Thursday's outlook calls for 13 to 20 named storms, 7 to 11 that strengthen into hurricanes and 3 to 6 that become major hurricanes.

The prediction by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is more than what's considered an average Atlantic season.

Unfortunately, as I wrote recently, the Republicans in Washington (including 16 from Florida) have held tax cuts for the wealthy hostage and the result was the forced sequester that has had devastating cuts for many in everything from Medicare cuts for the elderly, leaving some without cancer treatments to head start programs and more.

Now the sequester is about to impact Florida and other states in the path of those predicted storms:

Federal officials say they have the resources to warn storm-prone Florida and other vulnerable areas about weather emergencies, but a federal union representative warns that a hiring freeze plus furloughs threaten public safety.

Officials say they can maintain adequate staffing at the National Hurricane Center nearin [sic] Miami, though its forecasters will be forced to take off four unpaid days by Sept.ember 30. Staff at the National Weather Service already is depleted because of a hiring freeze.

“This could have a detrimental effect on everybody’s public safety,” said Bob Ebaugh, the steward in Miami for the National Weather Service Employees Organization. “Once you start limiting staffing, you start raising the potential for disaster.”

The furloughs will put stress on staffing for the hurricane hunter aircraft.

That's added stress as we're facing a hurricane season with above average activity. Sen. Bill Nelson voted against those sequester cuts, while Marco Rubio and those 16 House Republicans voted in favor of them. 

Also bear in mind that Marco Rubio voted against giving disaster aid to victims of Sandy last year not once but twice, and his habit of voting against the best interests of Floridians is nothing but consistent.

For Rubio and these Florida House members, keeping taxes low for the wealthiest in the country is of much greater value to them than keeping Floridians safe when the next hurricane hits:

Gus Bilirakis (R)

Jeff Miller (R)

Steve Southerland (R)

Ted Yoho (R)

Ander Crenshaw (R)

Ron DeSantis (R)

John Mica (R)

Bill Posey (R)

Daniel Webster (R)

Rich Nugent (R)

Bill Young (R)

Vern Buchanan (R)

Tom Rooney (R)

Trey Radel (R)

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)

 

 

 

Next GOP Sequester Public Safety Threat: Hurricane Forecasting

(Source: National Hurricane Center)

After the sequester began in March, Americans all over the country began feeling the cuts that Republicans forced on them because they wanted to preserve tax cuts for the wealthy while killing Social Security and Medicare. While Medicare patients were being turned away from cancer clinics, all Republicans were worried about were White House tours.

Then it was flight delays due to air traffic controller furloughs that were causing Republicans pain, so they complained this week while trying to place the blame on President Obama, knowing full well that the sequester was pushed and voted for by them. (Rick Scott tried his hand at it too, as noted here earlier.) 

Last week, as the hunt for the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings was underway, the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was delivering this warning on cuts to Homeland Security and intelligence to the Senate Armed Services Committee:

Sequestration's full impact on the intelligence community and U.S. national security will not truly be felt by Americans until the next terrorist attack happens or the next bomb goes off.

"Unlike more directly observable sequestration impacts like shorter hours at the parks or longer security lines at airports, the degradation to intelligence will be insidious," Clapper told Senate Armed Services Committee members.

"It will be gradual and almost invisible until, of course, we have an intelligence failure," he added during Thursday's committee hearing on emerging national security threats. 

These cuts are just the beginning of some of the things Americans are having to give up merely because the now radical Republicans in Washington want to prevent the rich from paying their fair share of taxes while killing social safety nets.

Yes, Republicans are putting national security at risk so they can keep their precious tax cuts.

Now there's another round of furloughs looming that could have potentially devastating and dangerous consequences for Floridians: Those in weather forecasting systems. The cuts will fall on the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the National Weather Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

It's nearly a certainty that before long we will hear the next round of complaints and false finger pointing from Republicans (probably accompanied by a catchy Twitter hashtag) just in time for Hurricane season. When that happens, just remember who really put Floridians and others around the country in danger just as we're seeing larger and more devastating weather events on a regular basis.

When Hurricane season arrives and those cuts to weather forecasting and hurricane monitoring place Floridians in danger, Sen. Marco Rubio, and these House Republicans from Florida are the ones who are holding public safety hostage to protect tax cuts for the wealthy (and yes, in most cases, that includes them.) 

Give them a (courteous) call and thank them, or let them know what you think. House numbers here, Marco Rubio's number here. (Sen. Bill Nelson voted against the sequester.)

Gus Bilirakis (R)

Jeff Miller (R)

Steve Southerland (R)

Ted Yoho (R)

Ander Crenshaw (R)

Corrine Brown (D)

Ron DeSantis (R)

John Mica (R)

Bill Posey (R)

Daniel Webster (R)

Rich Nugent (R)

Bill Young (R)

Vern Buchanan (R)

Tom Rooney (R)

Trey Radel (R)

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)

 

 

 

Florida House Republicans Unanimously Vote Down Minimum Wage Hike

Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)

With their pledge to create "jobs, jobs, jobs" long forgotten, today all Florida House Republicans voted against a minimum wage hike, including Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) who boasts about helping people find jobs in his district and holding job fairs when he's home from Washington.

House Republicans unanimously voted down a measure Friday that would have raised the federal minimum wage, from its current $7.25 per hour to $10.10 by 2015.

Six Democrats joined 227 Republicans in voting it down; 184 Democrats voted yes.

The legislation was proposed as a last-minute amendment upon passage of the SKILLS Act, which reauthorizes a jobs training program. The procedural move, known as the motion to recommit, was invoked by Democrats with the instruction that the minimum wage amendment be tacked on to the SKILLS Act, an aide said.

An increase in the minimum wage to $9 was backed by President Obama during this year's State of the Union, and immediately shot down by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), who argued that it would drive up unemployment by making it harder for small businesses to hire.

 

In Spite Of These 11 Florida Republicans, President Obama Signs Reauthorization of VAWA

(Screenshot via The White House)

Yesterday, President Obama was finally able to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, after obstruction by Republicans, who tried to block it because it protected all women.

The Florida Republicans below shamelessly voted against it because it also protected undocumented immigrants, LGBT, and Native American victims of domestic violence.

Sen. Marco Rubio

Rep. Jeff Miller

Rep. Steve Southerland

Rep. Ted Yoho

Rep. Ron DeSantis

Rep. John Mica

Rep. Bill Posey

Rep. Gus Bilirakis

Rep. Dennis Ross

Rep. Thomas Rooney

Rep. Trey Radel

 

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Thank These Republicans For Selling Out Floridians In Favor Of The Wealthy, Again

Thank These Republicans For Selling Out Floridians In Favor Of The Wealthy, Again

From President Obama's Friday statement on the sequester:

President Obama held a press conference this morning after meeting with Congressional leaders to talk about his plans to move the country forward in light of the severe budget cuts that will start to take effect today.

But none of this is necessary, President Obama said. These cuts are "happening because of a choice that Republicans in Congress have made."

 

In Florida, you can thank these House Republicans (phone numbers here)  for turning their backs on everyday Floridians and the country so they can protect millionaires and billionaires from having to pay their fair share of taxes.

To see how the sequester will hurt Florida, and what their constituents will have to give up so the wealthy (yes, many of whom are members listed below) can continue to pay less in taxes, see this earlier post.

Gus Bilirakis (R)

Jeff Miller (R)

Steve Southerland (R)

Ted Yoho (R)

Ander Crenshaw (R)

Corrine Brown (D)

Ron DeSantis (R)

John Mica (R)

Bill Posey (R)

Daniel Webster (R)

Rich Nugent (R)

Bill Young (R)

Dennis Ross (R)

Vern Buchanan (R)

Tom Rooney (R)

Trey Radel (R)

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)

 

Florida Legislators, RPOF Used Private Email To "Brainstorm" Gerrymandering

Source: Miami Herald

Surprise! After voters in Florida approved the "Fair Districts" constitutional Amendments to prevent coordination between the Republican Party and Florida legislators in 2010 over redistricting, they did it anyway, through the use of private email accounts.

This information came to light yesterday after the Associated Press requested the documents after they were presented in a court hearing last week.

The documents contain emails from top Republican Party officials, legislators, legislative employees and political consultants who were being paid by the Republican Party. This, after Republicans in the legislature boasted about "transparency" in the process:

Florida’s legislative leaders appear to have authorized their staff to use private email accounts, secret “dropboxes” and to engage in “brainstorming meetings” with Republican Party of Florida consultants in attempting to draw favorable political districts, despite a constitutional ban on such coordination. 

The allegations arise from a lawsuit challenging the Senate and congressional redistricting that include emails showing how top deputies of Senate President Don Gaetz, House Speaker Will Weatherford and several of Gaetz’s consultants were in frequent contact with consultants who drafted and analyzed maps. Redistricting is done every 10 years to redraw boundaries of legislative and congresssional districts to ensure equal representation.

The emails show that just a month after voters approved the amendment banning all coordination between the party and lawmakers in 2010, Rich Heffley, the RPOF political consultant who served as a close advisor to Gaetz, called a redistricting “brainstorming” meeting to be held in the chairman’s conference room at RPOF headquarters in Tallahassee.

Heffley listed the expected participants, which included Weatherford’s redistricting chief of staff, Alex Kelly; Gaetz’s redistricting general counsel Andy Bardos; Gaetz’s district aide Chris Clark, and the political consultants running the House and Senate 2012 Republican election campaigns: Frank Terraferma, Joel Springer, Andy Palmer, Marc Reichelderfer, and Pat Bainter. Also attending: the lawyers advising the House and Senate on their redistricting efforts, George Meros and Ben Ginsberg.

In one example (below), in an email from January of 2012, a Republican official writes to a consultant about changes that could "entice Mica to run against Adams," meaning GOP Rep. John Mica and GOP Rep. Sandy Adams. Mica did run against Adams, defeating her. The email also mentions that "[GOP Rep. Gus] Bilirakis will cry." 

Source: Miami Herald

You can read all the emails here.

So much for "Government in the sunshine." Is anyone really surprised?

Gus Bilirakis' Middle Class Hostages: Silent No More

On Holding Middle Class Tax Cuts Hostage, An "Unfiltered" Response For Bilirakis

As Republicans in Congress continue to refuse to cut taxes for the middle class by using misleading language and reasons for doing so, the middle class will no longer take their inaction sitting down. They're actively fighting back and letting their representatives know how they feel.

In his district in Florida today, Congressman Bill Young's office will be the site of a "Day Of Action" by the Tampa Bay Bush Tax Cut Coalition Florida, where they will hold a press conference followed by a meeting with Young.

Meanwhile, in Rep. Gus Bilirakis' district, constituents are receiving the typical one sided emails from Bilirakis, a message which asks for "input" from recipients. The only problem with his message is that any "input" requested must be in the form of his already dictated multiple choice questions and answers. This is a typical response and "request" from Bilirakis that those in his district are used to getting.

In this message, he uses the same false talking points to mislead voters that all the Republicans are touting to scare and intimidate those who would benefit from the tax cuts, when he's actually holding them hostage to protect the wealthy.

These are the only questions Bilirakis offers to his constituents, and the only answers permitted in the lists are "Yes, No, and Unsure:"

 

Again, this is a typical message from Bilirakis, and emails sent to his office either get only a vague response, one informing the recipient that he's already doing quite enough, thank you very much, or no response at all. Bilirakis has a "safe seat" in the House, and therefore apparently doesn't feel the need to reach out further. 

From the looks of the sign above which I spotted on the street in his district over the weekend, that may no longer be the case. 

Make no mistake, Bilirakis and his fellow Republicans in the House could vote for those tax cuts for the middle class right now, but instead they're holding them hostage because they want to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and they know it. Bilirakis knows it. If he doesn't vote for the tax cuts, the middle class will see an average increase in their taxes of $2,000 a year. 

What's going on is simply this: President Obama is asking Congress to move forward on a plan that would prevent 98 percent of American families from paying higher taxes next year. The Senate has passed that bill, and the President is ready to sign it -- but the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives won't even bring the bill to the floor for a vote. House Democrats have filed a petition that would force a vote if it attracts 218 signatures. If a bill has enough votes to pass, Congress should vote on it and pass it.

Problem is Bilirakis, Young, and all House Republicans are sitting idly by and refusing to sign, or do anything to help the middle class. In other words, Bilirakis is not acting in the best interests of the voters who put him in office. As that handmade sign illustrates, he's acting in the best interests of Grover Norquist who says no tax cuts ever, for any reason, and he continues to work for the wealthy and will protect them from having to pay their fair share of taxes just like the rest of us.

Voters in his district are fed up with Bilirakis' inaction, and aren't willing to be dictated to by him any longer. He may not care to hear what his constituents have to say, but that's too bad. They should continue to do so, and give him a call:

Representative Gus Bilirakis
(202) 225-5755

(Photo: Martha Jackovics)

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House Republicans Should End The "Tyranny" And Give Up Their Own Government Health Care (Updated)

(Updated below.)

House Republicans voted again for the 33rd time to "repeal ObamaCare," the first time since the Supreme Court ruled nearly all of it Constitutional. Never mind their so-called love of the Constitution, their love for Supreme Court Justice Roberts who tipped the vote, nor their apparent fondness for the government health care that they enjoy at low rates and at our expense, and especially this: Never mind that it was all political theater and another way to waste money, time, and to distract from the fact that they have done virtually nothing since the 2008 election beyond blocking everything the President and Democrats have tried to do for all of us in the wake of the absolute disastrous eight years of George W. Bush and the tailspin they all sent the country into.

They. Don't. Care.

Nope. If they have anything to say about it, and if they take the White House, the House and the Senate, you will just have to die waiting before they'll grant you what is now constitutionally your right: Affordable health care, no discrimination from health insurance companies for pre-existing conditions, no children allowed to stay on their parents insurance until age 26, nor any of the rest.

They. Don't. Care.

If the Republicans really feel SO strongly that the Affordable Health Care Act should be repealed, I think it's about time they give up their own government health care. After all, we're paying for it, and isn't that just what they claim, that government health care is absolute tyranny? They compare it to the Nazis and the Gestapo, say it's unconstitutional in spite of the fact that their own Supreme Court Justice ruled it otherwise. Hey GOP, put up or shut up. End the tyranny. Give up yours. We the people "can't afford it" remember?

We Floridians who are living with cut, after cut, after cut from a governor who has made a career out of blocking us from getting good affordable health care, who refuses to implement Medicaid and thinks no court can tell him what to do, who ignores  the biggest tuberculosis outbreak in 20 years and closes the hospital that treats the victims, turning them out into the streets as the outbreak spreads across the state and people die, we are footing the bill for his actions and every one of his enablers below. And we're paying for a lot more than just that.

Guess what GOP, Americans like and need ObamaCare. Look at the polls.

Below are the Florida members who voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act for the 33rd time. Ask them if they intend to end the "tyranny" by giving up their government health care just as they expect us to do.

To Repeal ObamaCare: Yes Votes (244)

Sandra Adams    R    FL-24
Gus Bilirakis    R    FL-9
Vern Buchanan    R    FL-13
Ander Crenshaw    R    FL-4
Mario Diaz-Balart    R    FL-21
Connie Mack    R    FL-14
John L. Mica    R    FL-7
Jeff Miller    R    FL-1
Richard Nugent    R    FL-5
Bill Posey    R    FL-15
David Rivera    R    FL-25
Tom Rooney    R    FL-16
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen    R    FL-18
Dennis Ross    R    FL-12
Steve Southerland    R    FL-2
Cliff Stearns    R    FL-6
Daniel Webster    R    FL-8
Allen West    R    FL-22
C. W. Bill Young    R    FL-10

(Update)

From Karoli at Crooks and Liars:

The House defeated Democrats' motion to amend the repeal bill to require anyone voting for repeal to give up their own taxpayer-subsidized health care plan. They were joined by 8 Blue Dogs. 

So not only is there no question that Republicans and Blue Dogs are telling you "government health care for me,  just not for thee," it's now part of the Congressional record. As far as they're concerned, the rest of us can just stick it.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Florida Republicans Vote To Reject Payroll Tax Cuts

Remember how Republicans have been telling you they're against raising taxes for Americans? Raising taxes of any kind? Even for corporations, millionaires and billionaires?

Well, funny thing about that. They've decided there IS at least one group who don't deserve a tax cut:

You.

The House Republicans today rejected a payroll tax cut for the average American. 

What that means for the average Floridian is that you'll have to pay about $1,000 more in payroll taxes. 

It also means that 277,640 people in Florida will be losing their unemployment benefits.

Except for the two Republicans who just didn't bother to vote at all: Vern Buchanan and Mario Diaz-Balart, every Florida Republican in the U. S. House voted to raise your taxes and cut unemployment benefits.

Happy Holidays from these members of the GOP:

	Miller, Jeff	R
	Southerland, Steve	R
	Crenshaw, Ander	R
	Nugent, Richard	R
	Stearns, Cliff	R
	Mica, John	R
	Webster, Daniel	R
	Bilirakis, Gus M.	R
	Young, C.W. Bill	R
	Ross, Dennis	R
	Mack, Connie	R
	Posey, Bill	R
	Rooney, Tom	R
	Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana	R
	West, Allen	R
	Adams, Sandy	R
	Rivera, David	R

Florida Reps. Join House Republicans In Voting To End Medicare

Republicans in the U.S. House voted today on the Paul Ryan budget plan that would essentially get rid of Medicare, and make significant cuts to Medicaid, while giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.

The vote was 235-193. Only four Republicans joined Democrats to vote against the plan.

Cut benefits for the health care of older Americans, while giving more money to the rich in the form of tax cuts. That's the Republican way!

Ryan calls his plan "A Path To Prosperity." That "prosperity" as you can see depends on who you are. 

All Florida Republicans voted for the Ryan budget plan, while all Florida Democrats voted against it.

Luckily the plan has no chance when it moves to the Senate.