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Allen Eyestone/Palm Beach Post
By JENNIFER SORENTRUE
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:20 p.m. Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Posted: 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tea Party activists from across South Florida urged regional water managers Wednesday to kill the planned $500 million purchase of land owned by U.S. Sugar.
About 100 activists rallied outside the South Florida Water Management District’s headquarters on Gun Club Road to oppose the purchase, which Gov. Charlie Crist unveiled in 2009 as part of a plan to increase the flow of surface water through Florida’s Everglades. The deal’s opponents describe it as a corporate handout rather than a boon to Everglades restoration.
The Florida Supreme Court is weighing opponents’ arguments that the state’s plans to finance the purchase because the land deal would serve no public purpose and would delay restoration.
Many in Wednesday’s crowd held signs and wore T-shirts criticizing Crist and the land deal. Some traveled from the state’s west coast.
“The message is we want to end this bailout,” said Marianne Moran, who gave each of the board members a box of cookies made with U.S. Sugar’s product.
“If you end this bailout you can cut our taxes,” she said. “We are overpaying for this deal.”
Martin County resident Cindy Lucas, chair of her county’s 9/12 Tea Party Committee, said the district should be doing more to cut its budget.
“We are tired of taxes without representation,” Lucas said. “People are suffering here in Florida and we are going to go out and spend this money. No more bailouts.”
Several environmental groups, including the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club, spoke in favor of the purchase, saying it is critical to restoring the Everglades and supplying South Florida with clean drinking water.
“I think this is just an attempt to influence the election in favor of Marco Rubio,” Drew Martin of the Sierra Club said of Wednesday’s rally. Rubio, former Florida House Speaker, is facing Crist in U.S. Senate race and has received campaign contributions from Florida Crystals, a rival of U.S. Sugar.
“Really, they are well meaning people that are being manipulated by the industry,” Martin said. “This is a fight between sugar companies.”
Members of the governing board said they have no plans to raise taxes to pay for the purchase.
“We have no plan and there has been no discussion of raising taxes,” Chairman Eric Buermann said. “I know there are a lot of rumors out there regarding the acquisition of U.S. Sugar.
“There are some corporate opponents,” he said, in an apparent reference to Florida Crystals. “Whatever information you are hearing The information is wrong.”
Florida Crystals spokesman Gaston Cantens said the company is opposed to the purchase, but did not organize or pay for the Tea Party protest.
“Two years have gone by and they still have no clue what to do with the land they’re trying to force the taxpayers to buy,” Cantens said in an email.
Likewise, a campaign spokesman for Rubio said Wednesday: “For a long time, Marco has been a vocal opponent of Charlie Crist’s taxpayer-funded bailout of this major campaign contributor. This is another example of Charlie Crist’s willingness to say and do anything to win an election, even if it comes at the taxpayer’s expense.”
The budget proposal would keep the district wide tax rate flat next year at 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value, the same amount charged to homeowners this year. The plan would leave the district with about $61 million less in property taxes then it took in this year.
Governing board members are slated to vote on the rate proposal at a meeting today
Find this article at:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/activists-protest-water-district-plan-for-major-land-803119.html
Protesters rally today at South Florida water district to oppose land purchase
Gov. Charlie Crist and U.S. Sugar Corp. President Robert Buker look on as Shannon Estenoz, SFWMD board member, signs the first agreement to acquire 180,000 acres from the sugar giant (Image: courtesy of SFWMD)Hide
Tea partiers and a Republican political action committee say they will descend on South Florida Water Management District headquarters today to protest the agency’s purchase of U.S. Sugar property for Everglades restoration.
“We want to end the bailout,” said Daniel Diaz, director of the Republican Majority Campaign PAC, based in Pompano Beach.
GOP and tea opposition to the U.S. Sugar-Everglades deal has galvanized since Gov. Charlie Crist — the prime proponent of the land purchase — bolted the Republican Party and took his U.S. Senate bid “independent.”
Diaz said his group is part of a conservative coalition whose Web site –EndCharliesBailout.com — is helping to organize today’s protest.
“On Thursday evening, the coalition successfully hosted a teleconference that included 54,000-plus calls made to citizens in Florida,” Diaz related.
Some 200 protesters are expected to rally at the water district’s West Palm Beach office at 11:30 a.m. A similar number could address the SFWMD board when it convenes a workshop at noon.
The district’s plan to pay $536 million for 73,000 acres of U.S. Sugar property has fractured Floridians environmentally, economically and politically.
Unveiled with much fanfare by Crist in 2008, the project was subsequently downsized from the original $1.75 billion deal. The revised plan contains an option for 107,000 more acres.
The sale of the U.S. Sugar tracts purportedly will “save” the Everglades through the restoration of a southbound flow way. Critics, including Florida Crystals, a rival sugar concern with large land holdings of its own, have called the proposed purchase scientifically unproven. Others have deemed it a political payoff for one of Crist’s biggest corporate supporters.
Everett Wilkinson, state director of the South Florida Tea Party, said representatives from 15 tea groups and a dozen “patriot” organizations plan to be on hand Wednesday.Opponents have challenged the SFWMD’s proposed method of financing, which involves a potential tax increase without a vote of the public. The funding vehicle — bond-type instruments called certificates of participation — is under review by the Florida Supreme Court.
From his group’s site – sugarlanddeal.com — Wilkinson said 4,000 e-mails have been sent to SFWMD board members and 1,800 petitions have been gathered during the past two weeks in opposition to the U.S. Sugar purchase.
The fight against the Big Sugar deal has, for the time being, unified feuding tea factions. The Orlando-based Florida Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party, which has been sued by Wilkinson’s group over appropriation of the name, has also declared its opposition to the water district’s scheme.
“This is a bad deal, but we’re minimizing Charlie’s impact. We’re against all kinds of bailouts. This one happens to be local,” said Wilkinson, who is based in Palm Beach Gardens.
Rosa Durando, a longtime Palm Beach County activist, is no fan of the tea party movement. “They’re ignorant, self-serving bastards,” she fumes. Still, Durando agrees that the land deal is badly overpriced.
“It’s highway robbery,” she said.
Durando, who says she favors sound restoration projects for the endangered River of Grass, complains that the U.S. Sugar acquistion was “mishandled from the beginning.”
“If (the water district) had come out with dimensions and paths for a flow way, they would have gotten more public support and less cynicism,” Durando said. “The (state and district) agencies have not acted properly and the (SFWMD) board is totally ignorant. They’re political appointments.”
The nine-member board, all appointed by Crist, has taken heat from fiscal conservatives and even some environmentalists who fear that politics has polluted the latest effort to restore the Everglades.
Board chairman Eric Buermann stands by the purchase.
“Benefits of this acquisition to the Everglades and Florida’s coastal estuaries are immense, providing us the opportunity to restore a unique and treasured ecosystem in ways not previously envisioned,” Buermann said in a statement.
“By approving this revised acquisition, the board has balanced its duty to both the environment and the taxpayers, embracing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity while protecting the agency’s mission responsibilities.”
–
(Pompano Beach, FL) – The Republican Majority Campaign PAC (RMCPAC), a coalition member of the EndCharliesBailout.com organization, was a part of a massive phone conference Thursday night. Thursday evening the coalition successfully hosted a teleconference that included 54,000+ calls made to citizens in Florida.
The goal was to attract, inform, and mobilize citizens to attend a protest of Charlie Crist’s bailout of the U.S. Sugar Corporation at the South Florida Water Management District Headquarters. The call included coalition leaders from Tea Parties, 9/12 Groups, the RMCPAC and others dedicated to liberty.
Protest Charlie Crist’s Bailout of U.S. Sugar info:
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14th 2010
TIME: 12:00pm (At the Board Meeting Workshop)
WHERE: South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) HQ
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
Visit www.EndCharliesBailout.com for more information about the event.
RMCPAC is a multi-candidate PAC that is dedicated to restoring the Republican majority in Congress in 2010 by advancing a Platform of lower taxes, individual liberties, strong national defense, and support for the free enterprise system. During the 2008 election cycle, RMCPAC raised over $4,000,000 and spent over 80% of the funds raised in support of Republican candidates and in independent expenditure campaigns.
(Pompano Beach, Florida) – The Republican Majority Campaign Political Action Committee (RMCPAC) joins forces with Conservative Activists from Orlando to Miami-Dade to protest Governor Crist’s Bailout of U.S. Sugar. The New York Times investigation highlighted that the deal is overpriced; it will only benefit U.S. Sugars top executives, and will cost taxpayers billions of dollars which will ultimately cause the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to raise property taxes in 16 counties in South Florida.
“This is a boondoggle! We should not be using taxpayer money to bailout private enterprise. The people of Florida do not benefit from this deal. The only beneficiaries are Charlie Crist and the executives of U.S. Sugar.” said Daniel Diaz, State Director of the RMCPAC.
Join the RMCPAC and concerned Floridians across the state as we protest Charlie’s Bailout and persuade the SFWMD board members to end the deal and cut our taxes!
Protest Charlie Crist’s Bailout of U.S. Sugar info:
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14th 2010
TIME: 12:00pm (At the Board Meeting Workshop)
WHERE: South Florida Water Management District Headquarters
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
Visit www.EndCharliesBailout.com for more information about the event and to view attack ads against the deal and videos in support of the protest.
RMCPAC is a multi-candidate PAC that is dedicated to restoring the Republican majority in Congress in 2010 by advancing a Platform of lower taxes, individual liberties, strong national defense, and support for the free enterprise system. During the 2008 election cycle, RMCPAC raised over $4,000,000 and spent over 80% of the funds raised in support of Republican candidates and in independent expenditure campaigns.
As expected, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has vetoed legislation that would have required a woman to get an ultrasound test before an abortion.
“This bill places an inappropriate burden on a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy,” Crist said in his veto message.
The measure would have required most women to have an ultrasound before having an abortion, unless the woman could prove she was a victim of rape, incest, domestic violence or human trafficking. Women could choose not to see the ultrasound or hear a description of it.
The Tallahassee Democrat explains Crist’s action on HB 1143:
Crist has made no secret, all week, that he didn’t like the bill requiring abortion providers to do ultrasound examinations and give women an opportunity to view the results before having the procedure. The bill also included language that legislative Republicans wrote to prevent what they considered the possibility of federal funding being used for abortion in Florida, along with some provisions intended to thwart President Obama’s national health care program.
In April, when it became clear he would not win the primary, Crist left the Republican Party to run for the U.S. Senate as an independent.
Earlier this week it was noted that Crist has removed anti-abortion language from his campaign website.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(ST. PETERSBURG, FL.- April 29, 2010)- After officially switching from a Republican to an independent candidate for the United States Senate from Florida, Charlie Crist has left many who donated money to his Republican campaign feeling betrayed. And the Republican Majority Campaign Political Action Committee (RMCPAC) vows to aide in the recovery of these donations intended for a Republican candidate.
Sources have indicated that Charlie Crist is not only running as an independent candidate for Senate, but he has extensively dipped into the $9 million in money raised while he was a Republican candidate to pay for television commercials through the November election. The reason behind this advance payment is easy enough to understand, as, now, if his donors ask for their money back, he can say that he has none to give back.
Daniel Diaz, the State Director of the RMCPAC explains it as this, “While Crist proclaims himself as a Republican, his voting record and affiliations have shown him to be a Democrat in nature. Charlie Crist has broken his word and lied to the Republican Party, and to his donors, by promising that he would not abandon the GOP, as quoted in various interviews and his pledges to the American people.”
Beginning today, the Republican Majority Campaign will begin contacting Crist’s over 6,000 donors and urging them to demand a refund of the contributions that they gave to Crist with the understanding that he was running for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate. It would be unethical for Governor Crist to use those contributions to further his campaign without first obtaining approval from each and every contributor.
Diaz continues. “The Republican Majority Campaign will make sure that Charlie Crist understands this betrayal of trust with those that supported him as a Republican, and we will take all possible steps to see that he returns the contributions of all those that request them.”
ABOUT THE RMCPAC
RMCPAC is a multi-candidate PAC that is dedicated to restoring the Republican majority in Congress in 2010 by advancing a Platform of lower taxes, individual liberties, strong national defense, and support for the free enterprise system. During the 2008 election cycle, RMCPAC raised over $4,000,000 and spent over 80% of the funds raised in support of Republican candidates and in independent expenditure campaigns.
###
Press Contact:
Daniel P Diaz
Florida Project Director
Republican Majority Campaign PAC
954-834-3429
danielpdiaz@rmcpacfl.com
Pompano Beach, FL – Charlie Crist obviously doesn’t appreciate freedom of speech from his constituents. On Thursday March 25th Charlie Crist blocked incoming faxes to his campaign headquarters from people asking him to “drop out of the US Senate Race”. The Republican Majority Campaign Political Action Committee (RMCPAC) launched a website called www.sorrycharlie.cc that allows concerned citizens from across the State to send FaxGrams directly to Crists campaign headquarters.
While it is certainly within his right to shut off communication to his campaign, it seems unfitting that a potential US Senator would block out the voice the people who he will possibly be representing in Washington DC.
Actions such as this from Gov. Crist continues to show how out of touch he is with his constituents and his arrogance regarding the will of the people who he currently represents as Governor. These are just some of the many reasons why in recent polls he is down by as much as 34 points.
“Charlie’s blocking my fax to his headquarters does not surprise me and obviously reflects why he stands at 35 points compared to Rubio’s 56 points in the recent Rasmussen Poll .” said Chad Lincoln of Hallandale Beach, FL.
The RMCPAC responded to Gov. Crist’s action to block faxes to his campaign by switching phone numbers so that now the Governor is receiving the faxes to the governor’s office.
RMCPAC is a multi-candidate PAC that is dedicated to restoring the Republican majority in Congress in 2010 by advancing a Platform of lower taxes, individual liberties, strong national defense, and support for the free enterprise system. During the 2008 election cycle, RMCPAC raised over $4,000,000 and spent nearly 90% of the funds raised in support of Republican candidates and in independent expenditure campaigns.
###
Press Contact:
Daniel P Diaz
Florida Project Director
Republican Majority Campaign PAC
954-834-3429
danielpdiaz@rmcpacfl.com
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2010 CONTACT: Jordan@yaf.com; 202-596-7923
Florida Atlantic University Officals Shut Down and Harass YAF Campus Organizers for Discussing Liberal Bias on Campus
Boca Raton, FL - On Wednesday March 3, 2010 at around 5:20pm Florida Atlantic University (FAU) campus officials shut down and called campus police on four students and an alumnus of FAU to stop an informational meeting about starting a conservative organization on campus
James Schackleford saw a need for a conservative club on campus and decided to start a Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter. Shackelford hosted and informational meeting with FAU alum and Florida YAF State Director Daniel P. Diaz discuss future activities of YAF on campus as well as around the state. While Diaz was speaking at the informational meeting David Blank, a university administrator, asked the group to leave the room. Diaz asked Blank for fifteen minutes to finish speaking and Blank politely agreed to allow the group to finish its meeting. Upon hearing Diaz addressing the liberal bias on the FAU campus Blank stopped the meeting again and boorishly ordered the students to vacate the meeting room; shut off the room lights, tore down the group’s promotional posters, and called the campus police.
Ben Buck, an FAU student at the meeting said “We were sitting in a peaceful meeting, just discussing a new organization, when we were approached by an administrator asking us to leave based on the content of our discussion regardless of previous verbal permission to talk on public property.”
While the FAU students and Diaz were leaving campus FAU police detained and interrogated the group. Shackelford and Diaz were ordered to drop their meeting materials and to present identification. Diaz asked if they had broken any laws the officer said “we are investigating a possible trespassing charge and that is why we need to see your identification.”
Officer Lieutenant Irving of FAU police, the third officer to arrive on the scene, upon Diaz’s request allowed Diaz to leave and had an officer follow Diaz to his car. As Diaz was leaving Lieutenant Irving commented to a fellow officer [referring to Diaz] “…that guy probably has tea bags hanging out the back of his car.”
Diaz said, “If we were a Marxist, Socialist or Liberal group they would have let us finish our meeting, but the university officials and police harassed us because we are conservatives.” Diaz added, “This was the exact liberal bias on campus that I was discussing in the meeting that these future YAFers experienced firsthand. The university is no longer a place of open discussion and freedom of expression, but a breeding ground of intolerance for conservative beliefs.”
YAF is the nation’s oldest and most recognized conservative / libertarian youth activist organization. Founded on September 11, 1960, in Sharon, Connecticut at the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., YAF is a non-profit organization engaged in advocating public policies and activism consistent with The Sharon Statement. For more information call YAF’s national headquarters at 202-596-7923 or our visit our website at www.yaf.com.
Florida Contact:
Daniel P. Diaz, State Director, Florida YAF
Phone: 954-834-3429
E-mail danielpdiaz@rmcpacfl.com
###
By Jack Funari
Two highly placed and independent sources, speaking strictly on background, tell me that Gov. Charlie Crist is preparing to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in the race for the U.S. Senate.
With Crist trailing Marco Rubio by 18 points in the latest polls, the Crist campaign has been in panic mode, launching attack after attack on the conservative Rubio.
Yesterday, the attacks reached a crescendo with the Crist campaign, and/or his disgraced Republican Party of Florida thug bootlickers, leaking Rubio’s credit card expenses from his time as speaker of the Florida House.
According to published reports, the former RPOF chair, the bovine bully-boy buffoon Jim Greer, spent more in a month than Rubio did in his entire two years as state House speaker. If all the Crist campaign has on Rubio is $53.49 at Winn-Dixie in Miami for “food” and a couple of plane tickets for his wife, then it’s game, set and match, as far as the Republican primary for Senate is concerned.
From what’s been made public, Rubio’s credit card expenses make him the most frugal of the Republican leaders with RPOF credit cards.
The attacks are not having the desired effect on the conservative Republican base because Crist, and the people who enable and support him, have lost all credibility with the majority of activists and Republican primary voters throughout the state.
Another well-placed source tells me the reason several Crist campaign staffers left recently is because, being committed Republicans, they refused to take part in an independent Senate run by Crist. That’s not confirmed by an independent second source, but it does ring true.
Now, reports from anonymous sources are sometimes wrong, so I have stopped short of reporting a Crist independent run as a verifiable fact, even though I believe my sources are accurate.
Here, in a minimalist nutshell, is why Crist will lose to Rubio in a Republican primary:
If someone told you that Sid Dinerstein, chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, was going to leave the Republican Party to become an independent, would you believe them? Would you believe it about Marco Rubio? No. If you knew anything at all about politics, or anything about Rubio and Dinerstein, you would dismiss out of hand such a ridiculous report as not being credible and just another silly political rumor.
So tell me, do you believe it is possible that Crist will leave the Republican Party to run as an independent?
You do, don’t you?
And that is why Crist will lose to Rubio.
