Crist serves lunch but dish hard to digest

Charlie Crist limits himself to a light dinner each day.

But the oh-so-polite governor didn't want to be rude to a corporate citizen like Burger King, which employs roughly 20,000 people in Florida.

So during a visit to the Miami headquarters, Crist took small nibbles of three products coming to a Burger King near you: the "Bourbon Whopper"

"BK fire-grilled ribs" and funnel cake sticks.

"Oh my word, that is delicious. Get it away from me," after taking a bite of the hamburger with the familiar toppings of lettuce, tomato, onions and mayo and an added kick of bacon, pepperjack cheese and Bourbon sauce.

Of the ribs he said, "Unbelievable...that is delicious. Superb." He declared the funnel cake sticks -- which he declined to dip in the icing to save himself a few calories

-- "kind of light and flaky, like a beignet."
He added, "Probably dangerous for my diet to have come here."

Actually it was his second trip to Burger King this month.

A visit on Sept. 2 had to be cut short because his plane was delayed.

So he came back, spending yet another day in South Florida at a time when his schedule is chock full of fundraising events for his Senate campaign.

He's collecting checks in Miami Beach tonight. Download Charlie Crist Invite US Senate "Isn't that convenient?'' Crist quipped.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2009/09/breaking-news-charlie-crist-eats-lunch.html

But the dish Crist trying to serve that fast food will help Fl. turn around is just plan hard to digest.

Lets face it as an teen a job like this provides gas and money for an date few but managers get full time hours and the lines to fill counter positions long.

Would like to see Crist feed his family and pay bills with this job .

With rent food and utilities going up not to mention the cost of gas to get back and forth

Gov. Charlie Crist promotes low wage Burger King jobs as the way to restart Florida's economy.
``They provide an awful lot of jobs for people in Florida and that's really the point,'' Crist said after meeting with top executives.

``It's the economy, economy, economy, and any time I have the opportunity to visit a great Florida company that's international in scope and that really represents Miami and provides jobs

. . .I'm very grateful.''The Crist explains explains everything that is wrong with Republicans concepts of the economy.

Education and job training offers people the opportunity to move forward. Fast food jobs are the bottom of the economic shithole.

http://pushingrope.blogspot.com/2009/09/charlie-crist-promotes-fast-food-jobs.html

To push the point home .
Gov. Charlie Crist is well past the weekly allowance stage, but he's still getting cash help from Mom and Dad.

The latest e-mail from the Crist for U.S. Senate campaign comes from Crist's parents, Dr. Charles and Nancy Crist.

"We are confident that our son Charlie is the leader Floridians need in Washington," the e-mail states.

"There are only two days left in this fundraising period, and we ask you to join us in supporting the Crist for Senate campaign by visiting http://www.charliecrist.com/ and making a contribution of $10, $25, $50 or even $100."

Dr. Crist touts his son's Cover Florida health care plan, saying that "as a family physician, I am confident that this type of reform will increase the number of Florida families covered by medical insurance, while reducing the taxpayer burden of costly emergency care the uninsured must often seek when a medical emergency arises."

The letter does not mention the fact that only 4,129 people have enrolled since Cover Florida began in March.

An estimated 3,560 Floridians lose health insurance each week.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/09/crist-enlists-mom-and-dad.html

Read the e-mail here: Download Dear Friends092809

Will G.O.P Rebut Obamas Education Speech?

Full text of Obama's education speech

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9405199

Will G.O.P Rebut Obamas Education Speech?
By Richard Wise

Current Update:On the news Geer has changed his tune about speech ,talks about Obama trying to give lesson plans to teachers.Mrs Bush giving her blessing.
I guess this must mean they don't want to rebut his speech.

Among those who wouldn't discuss the situation, or gave limited comments, were Gov. Charlie Crist, Greer's political patron; Crist's opponent in the U.S. Senate primary, Marco Rubio; and Attorney General Bill McCollum, who's running for governor.

But Rubio couldn't stop himself from tweeting about it."I have no problem with President giving political speech to kids........if his name is REAGAN," he said in one Twitter message.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/09/na-state-gop-chairman-softens-tone/news-politics/

Instead of feigning outrage at the prospect of President Obama addressing school children at the start of the school year, Republicans could simply demand equal time for a rebuttal.

Here's how I imagine GOP Chairman Michael Steele might respond to President Obama's opening-day remarks.

"Good morning, boys and girls. My name is Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican Party – the GOP. You just heard Democrat president Barack Obama speak to you as another school year begins.

We Republicans feel the need to respond to his left-wing propaganda, for the sake of giving you a “fair and balanced” perspective.

What you just heard the president say is plainly outrageous. He told you to work hard this year; to set goals for yourself and strive to meet them; and, above all, to stay in school until you graduate.

Or that's what you think he told you. In fact, this is only one more example of how scheming, conniving Democrats try to manipulate young minds and indoctrinate you into their godless world of socialism.

You don't think you were being manipulated with leftist propaganda?
Welll ... that just shows you how cunning and devious these Democrats really are.

When you think you are not being manipulated, that's when they are manipulating you the most. That's how good they are.

Let's go back and take a hard look at what the president said, point-by-point. We will see how his advice stands up to clear-eyed analysis by real, god-fearing Americans.

Then you can decide for yourselves what you want to do. “We report, you decide,” as they say.
First, the president told you to work hard in school.

“You can't spell success without U,” he said. “The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary” ... whatever that means.

Maybe that's true for Democrats and socialists. But they are on the wrong side of history. Look at the great Republican president George W. Bush.

Did he work hard in school? No! Did he work hard as governor of Texas or President of the United States? No! Did he ever work a day in his life?
No! To him, work was a four-letter word. And look where that got him ... he became president of the United States!

Still, this Barack Obama – a man who can't even prove where he was born – isn't the first national leader to encourage his people to work hard.

Seventy years ago, the chancellor of Germany did the same thing.
But he used the phrase, “Arbeit Macht Frei” ... “work makes you free”.

That slogan was forged in wrought iron above the gates of Dachau concentration camp. And who was that chancellor of Germany? None other than Adolf Hitler.

That should tell you something about the true character of this man, this “president” Barack Obama.

Now you know what he and his ilk really think of your school, and you and your classmates.

See what I mean?
You can't take anything these Democrat socialists say at face value.

All the time, they say one thing and mean another.
Second, the president told you to set high goals for yourself and strive to meet high standards.

But when Democrats tell you to set high goals and strive to meet them, what they are really trying to do is shift the burden for your success in school to you – and away from the socialist teachers unions they pander to.

Everybody knows that how well you do in school depends on how good your teachers are. Setting goals for you and making you meet them is your teachers' job.
Otherwise, you could just give yourself your own grades.

My advice to you is to just keep doing what you're doing and make your teachers start working for their over-inflated paychecks.

Don't play into the hands of their unions. All they want is more money for less work, but then, isn't that always the way with Democrats?

Third, the president encouraged you to stay in school. Well, of course he would. But ask yourself why. He wants you to stay in school so you can get a job after you graduate, and start paying higher taxes. That's what he really wants.

And what would he do with all those higher taxes, which we believe you should keep in your own pockets? For one thing, he would take over our country's health care system – already the best in the world – and use it to control every aspect of your life.

Yes, I said every aspect of your life, from cradle to grave.

If the Democrats did not succeed in aborting you before you were born – and, mark my words, they would try – then they will get another crack at you when you have to face their death panels. That's pretty scary stuff, and it's up to you and your parents to see that it doesn't happen.

When it comes to staying in school, you can decide for yourselves what's best for you. Remember, Governor Sarah Palin attended five colleges before she finally graduated.

And she needed to complete only 2/3 of a term as Alaska's governor to establish herself as a great Republican.

Indeed, she and that other great American, Vice-President Dick Cheney, dropped out of more colleges that the last five presidents graduated from.

Abraham Lincoln, the founder of our great Party, estimated that he had only two or three years of formal education. And his successor, President Andrew Johnson, did not go to school at all. Even they knew, way back then, just how wrong this president would be.

We think you should do what is best for you. That's the American way, and it's the only way to keep this country the real America we know and love so well.

Everyone knows that to get ahead in America you need only two things: connections and money – preferably, somebody else's money.

If you've got the money, you will make those connections. And if you have the connections, people will want to give you money. Either way, that's what you really want to focus on this year. Because that's what's really important in this world.

Democrats want you to work hard, to set goals, and to stay in school for just one reason: so you can become another one of their socialist tools. Do not fall into their trap.

Thank you for your attention. Have a good year and, as they say back in the ‘hood, “Don't play no freakin' fool,don't be no Democrat tool.”
God bless you, and God bless America. I'm Michael Steele for the Republican Party.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/WILL-GOP-REBUT-OBAMA-S-EDU-by-Richard-Wise-090906-71.html

Mel slides out of office in his own slime

This is the worse case of foggy memory
I've seen in all my 2 hours after joining the Tenet board

I guess this would explain his wanting to leave to be with his family.

And Crist's foggy memory and "Why is this not being investigated?"

Now we know why Mel was in such a rush to slide out of office -

The Miami Herald reports that:

"Mel Martinez's office repeatedly intervened in a 2007 legal dispute between the Defense Department and a company owned by a top Republican fundraiser who is now at the center of a campaign-finance investigation, according to records obtained by The Miami Herald.

In a series of phone calls and e-mails, a Martinez aide urged Pentagon contract officers to seek a "fair resolution'' to $14 million in contract claims sought by the International Oil Trading Co., a fuel-supply company co-owned by Harry Sargeant III of Boca Raton.

That being the same one who Coordinated campaign donations to McCain And Crist.

Which McCain returned Crist didn't.

"At one point, Pentagon officials told the senator's office it was 'not appropriate' to discuss any settlements while the company's lawsuit was pending in court, records show.

As Martinez's staffer was lobbying the Pentagon, Sargeant and his wife donated $50,000 to the Republican National Committee -- then headed by Martinez.

At the time, Sargeant was the finance chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. ...Sargeant's company ultimately received $3.2 million from the Defense Department -- settling claims the Pentagon had initially denied entirely.

The Pentagon says Martinez played no role in the settlement. ...Sargeant gained notoriety last year as a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, whose campaign returned $50,000 in suspicious donations solicited by a Sargeant business partner.

In February, an employee of a Sargeant company was indicted on federal charges of funneling illegal contributions to several candidates, including McCain and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist -- a college buddy of Sargeant's.

The employee, Ala'a al-Ali, is accused of using straw donors in California to steer about $55,000 in illegal contributions to candidates.

Get this:
In an interview with The Miami Herald last year, Martinez said he offered only "routine'' assistance to Sargeant's company.

He said his office helped IOTC obtain information, but he did not try to sway the Pentagon's stance in the case.

"I do this for hundreds of people throughout the state of Florida,'' Martinez said last year."Much more here: Records: Martinez aide intervened in dispute between Pentagon, GOP fundraiser".

... and LeMieux slides in"Amid charges of political cronyism and claims he was picked to be the governor's proxy in Washington, there is renewed scrutiny of LeMieux's dealings and those of his law firm, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart:"

• The law firm, chaired by LeMieux, helped foreign workers get visas last fall to help build a high-rise hotel and condos in Miami, depriving dozens of Florida workers of jobs at a time of rising unemployment. ...

• Two weeks before LeMieux left Crist's office, Gunster Yoakley landed a $500,000 contract representing the state Department of Transportation on two matters. ...

• After leaving Crist's office in December 2007, LeMieux earned about $150,000 over a 13-month period as an adviser to state Republican Party chairman Jim Greer, a lucrative sideline that has led some to label LeMieux a "political consultant." He will not discuss what he did to earn that money ...

• For the past 15 years, West Palm Beach-based Gunster Yoakley has represented U.S. Sugar Corp., which for months negotiated with Crist's office to sell much of its land to the state and federal government to clean up polluted runoff in the Everglades. ..."Sen. LeMieux faces scrutiny on his way to Washington".

Which makes one wonder, yet again -

"Why is this not being investigated?"

http://flapolitics.blogspot.com/2009/09/mel-slides-out-of-office-in-his-own.html

What is Really Scary

Remember kids this not an indoctrination but like good future G.O.P members never admit to any thing even if you get caught doing the same thing your yelling about.


GOP electeds: Greer's cries of 'lies' & 'indoctrination' were fairposted
by ScottMaxwell on Sep 5, 2009 8:32:20 AM


Current Update:
On the news this morning Geer has changed his tune about speech ,talks about Obama trying to give lesson plans to teachers.
Mrs Bush giving her blessing.

Today's column revealed that Florida GOP leader Jim Greer -- the same man who has been all over national TV claiming that President Obama was trying to "indoctrinate" children and screaming that politicians have no business going into schools without talking to parents first -- has himself spent time in schools talking about politics ... without talking to parents first.

His visits certainly weren't scandalous. One was a career day, where Greer talked about what he did as the top GOP leader in the state.

One parent recalled her son talking about the Hillary Clinton jokes Greer told during his visit.

But you know what?

The parent didn't throw a hissyfit, scream "Indoctrination!" -- or threaten to pull her son out of school for the day ... even though she's a Democrat.

She simply told her son to remember that there are always two sides to every story. She also wanted her son to be exposed to different ideas. What a novel concept.

Anyway, Greer has been roundly criticized for his accusations that the president was going to "lie" and "indoctrinate" ... before he even knew what Obama was actually going to say. Even mainstream conservatives -- including the Wall Street Journal and talk-show host Joe Scarborough -- have decried Greer's antics.

(Scarborough just called them "insane.")
And Scarborough had the same question I did:

Are there any mainstream, sensible Republicans left in Florida who are willing to call Greer out on his hyperbolic rhetoric?

So I decided to check, running Greer's statement by four high-profile Republicans.

None responded with criticism for anyone other than Obama.

House Speaker Designate Dean Cannon and Orange County GOP leader Lew Oliver defended Greer's comments.

And congressman John Mica and Charlie Crist didn't respond at all.

For Charlie Crist this normal or he can't remember he signed it.

(Mica's silence may have been intentional.

Charlie's probably waiting for a poll to tell him how he feels.)
You can read Greer's full statement -- titled "Greer Condemns Obama's Attempt to Indoctrinate Students" -- and the reactions from Cannon and Oliver below.

And you can read the full column here.

Greer Condemns Obama’s Attempt to Indoctrinate Students
Tallahassee – Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer today released the following statement condemning President Obama’s use of taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s children to his socialist agenda.

“As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology.

The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power.

“While I support educating our children to respect both the office of the American President and the value of community service, I do not support using our children as tools to spread liberal propaganda.

The address scheduled for September 8, 2009, does not allow for healthy debate on the President’s agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President’s initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates.

“Public schools can’t teach children to speak out in support of the sanctity of human life or traditional marriage. President Obama and the Democrats wouldn’t dream of allowing prayer in school. Christmas Parties are now Holiday Parties.

G.O.P seem to have narrow view of sanacity of human life.

What about the vets who have lost their life in a war based on lies?

If this is what they call prayer in schools could see why.

http://www.pfo.org/bgothard.htm

But, the Democrats have no problem going against the majority of American people and usurping the rights of parents by sending Pied Piper Obama into the American classroom.

Should students watch President Obama’s back-to-school speech on Tuesday?

But Jim Greer has no issue with members of G.O.P doing it.

The Democrats have clearly lost the battle to maintain control of the message this summer, so now that school is back in session, President Obama has turned to American’s children to spread his liberal lies, indoctrinating American’s youngest children before they have a chance to decide for themselves.”

VIEWS ON THE STATEMENT
DEAN CANNON: "... here's my summary view.

The speech itself is not what I hear people are most concerned about--it’s the federal government-produced study guides and the less than subtle invitation from the Secretary of Education.

People are worried about the all-encompassing, expanding federal government that seems to be creeping into every part of our lives--now even reaching into our elementary schools with “suggested” discussion points for the President’s speech.

My mom worked her whole career in the public school system, and I'm pretty sure that Florida teachers can lead their own discussion without the help of Washington."
LEW OLIVER:

"I have not read the details of what has been proposed but if it is true that the president has asked to have a policy speech specially shown to school kids, that is actually scary.


Additionally, had a republican president asked to do so on such issues as education reform, tax policy, the war, oil drilling, etc.

The screaming would reverberate to the moon and back.

The only statements by political officials that should be distributed through schools are noncontoversial public service announcements.

Never policy advocacy. So yes generally I agree. It's a little scary."

Yes never policy. What is Character first & who developed it ?

Character first, Bill Gothard

That's more than little scary.

Distributed through schools are noncontoversial public service announcements.

Character first is through out the school system all over the U.S.


And with the teaching and prey is controversial.

Lets look a little further.

Huckabee "long-time admirer" of "cult" evangelist Bill Gothard

Sarah Palin, faith-based mayor

State Treasurer David Petersen

Florida child welfare chief Jerry Regier

President Pushes Ahead With Religion Funding

It would seem there was a President pushing character first.

Its even our leagal system.

According to Gothard’s interpretation, first century Roman Centurions were admirable figures of authority who followed their orders without question—the prototypes for the kinds of police officers that CTI instructor Ray Nash, the sheriff of Dorchester County, South Carolina, wants to create in his state and elsewhere.
Nash has conducted “Police Dynamics” training for numerous U.S. and international police departments.

He's now resigned.

Bill Gothard's IBLP Sued for Prison Programs

Secular’ Character Training Institute is working to build evangelist Bill Gothard’s vision of a First-Century Kingdom of God—one city, one state, one school board, one police force and one mind at a time.

Gov. Bush encouraging religious groups to provide government services

Crist Foggy on the Gambling Compact

A WPLG reporter in Miami was stunned/skeptical over Gov. Charlie Crist's inability to answer questions about the gaming compact.

Local 10's Roger Lohse blogs:

Me: "So if the state gave the airport a permit, would the Seminoles still be required to pay?

"Crist: "I'd have to review that to find out for you."

Me: "You don't know the answer to that?

"Crist: "Not offhand, no.

"Me: "But you signed the contract with the Seminoles

."Crist: "That's right and I'll look into that detail for you."

Excuse me?

The governor can't recite a major clause in a contract that he negotiated and signed -- one that could cost taxpayers, by his own estimate, $6.8 billion over the next 20 years. That seems hard to believe.

At this remark I wonder if the reason he could not recite the clase that he negotiated and signed might be it was the same way he signed letter to indorse an hate movie to the rest of Fl.

Read Here

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/09/charlie-crist-foggy-on-those-gambling-compact-details.html

Or is there another reason or would care to explain these facts ?

Some how I think these items would be foggy too.

Amid charges of political cronyism and claims he was picked to be the governor's proxy in Washington, there is renewed scrutiny of LeMieux's dealings and those of his law firm, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart:

• The law firm, chaired by LeMieux, helped foreign workers get visas last fall to help build a high-rise hotel and condos in Miami, depriving dozens of Florida workers of jobs at a time of rising unemployment.

Other questions that don't follow. Read Here

CBS4 News in Miami first reported the law firm's efforts, which included persuading the U.S. State Department that the Mexican workers had special skills that Americans didn't. Neither LeMieux nor the firm would discuss what involvement if any LeMieux had in arranging the visas.

So much for being transparent.

• While serving as Crist's chief of staff in 2007,

LeMieux helped secretly negotiate a lucrative gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that was struck down by the Florida Supreme Court as unconstitutional, and has triggered a debate over the expansion of gambling in Florida.

So much for the rights of people in Fl.

LeMieux recently helped negotiate a second compact that the Legislature will consider this fall. He has said the compact will contribute more money to Florida schools and will limit future expansion of gambling.

• Two weeks before LeMieux left Crist's office, Gunster Yoakley landed a $500,000 contract representing the state Department of Transportation on two matters.

DOT general counsel Alexis Yarbrough, who signed the contract on Dec. 20, 2007, is the wife of Shane Strum, a deputy chief of staff who reported to LeMieux when he worked for Crist. LeMieux said he played no role in his firm's hiring;

DOT has said the firm has special expertise in arcane railroad law. The firm did work for DOT before LeMieux returned there.

• After leaving Crist's office in December 2007, LeMieux earned about $150,000 over a 13-month period as an adviser to state Republican Party chairman Jim Greer, a lucrative sideline that has led some to label LeMieux a "political consultant.

" He will not discuss what he did to earn that money, which was paid from the party's federal account to his firm, MTC Strategies (named after his sons Max, Taylor, and Chase).

• For the past 15 years, West Palm Beach-based Gunster Yoakley has represented U.S. Sugar Corp., which for months negotiated with Crist's office to sell much of its land to the state and federal government to clean up polluted runoff in the Everglades.

Ended up being sold for much more than its really value. Read Here

LeMieux said he avoided any involvement in the U.S. Sual while working for Crist or afterward. The state's chief negotiator was Eric Eikenberg, a LeMieux protege who succeeded him as chief of staff.

To date, he has declined to release a full list of his law firm's clients, citing attorney-client privilege, but has said he will fully comply with Senate disclosure laws. "I have 30 days to file it. I will comply with whatever the law requires," LeMieux said.

Crist said he was not concerned about questions of LeMieux's business dealings.
"I know of his personal integrity, his professional integrity,

" Crist said. "And I'm comfortable that."

I'm sure that he is. Read here

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/sen-lemieux-faces-scrutiny-on-his-way-to-washington/1033873

Time for the Public Board of Education

Or just wait till Charlie done with gambling with the school system.
Pushing more of what the lotto was suppose to have done.

Lake Property Appraiser: Charlie Crist lied to voters
by Aaron Deslatte on Sep 2, 2009 9:27:48 AM

TALLAHASSEE -- Lake County Property Appraiser Ed Havill takes Gov. Charlie Crist to the woodshed today in the Sentinel for his appointment of former chief-of-staff George LeMieux to the U.S. Senate, along with the laundry list of complaints conservatives have been lobbing for a while.


Havill writes in a harshly worded op-ed that he has switched his party registration from Republican to no party affiliation thanks to Crist's moves:

"Crist went through the public motions of pretending to consider various others to fill the seat vacated by Mel Martinez.

By choosing his 2006 political campaign manager, George LeMieux, the governor decisively demonstrated two things:

"He is only interested in what's best for Charlie Crist, and he has utter contempt for what's best for Floridians.

"As the property appraiser for Lake County for 33 years, three areas in particular have troubled me.

"Crist lied to homeowners of this state when he said that property taxes would "drop like a rock," as he elbowed Amendment 1 through the Florida Legislature, and subsequently put it on the ballot.

"Today property taxes, licenses, fees and service charges have placed financially strapped Floridians in a worse situation than they were in when Crist was elected."

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2009/09/lake-property-appraiser-charlie-crist-lied-to-voters.html

Linking this artical.

Parlor games swirl around Crist's U.S. Senate pickposted by Aaron Deslatte on Aug 26, 2009 6:43:01 PMBy Josh Hafenbrack,

Tallahassee BureauTALLAHASSEE -- University of North Florida President John Delaney is picking up steam as a potential darkhorse pick on Gov. Charlie Crist's candidate list for the U.S. Senate, sayeth members of Tallahassee's chattering class.

A sure sign that he's gaining consideration:people backing other candidates are getting nervous.
There's even an anonymous Web site hammering Delaney for his policies as Jacksonville mayor (1995-2003).

Charlie Crist on Friday chose his friend and top political adviser, George LeMieux, to fill the Senate seat a gambling buddy. I guess it was in the cards.

During that period, Delaney, a lawyer, pushed something called the Better Jacksonville Plan, which increased the sales tax a half-cent in order to make infrastructure improvements around the city.That could be a problem for Crist.

An anti-tax and pro-gun record are the governor's few remaining ties to his party's base. (And Crist signed a $1 billion tobacco tax increase this year, breaking a no-new-taxes pledge he'd signed before becoming governor.

More recently, Delaney supported current Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton's plan to increase the city's property tax rate by 12 percent -- a move that would undermine some of the property tax cuts regularly touted by Crist.

The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee rejected the idea.

Here's the lead to a clip from the Florida Times-Union on the $2.2 billion sales tax campaign, led by Delaney when he was mayor in 2000:

If you live in Duval County, expect Mayor John Delaney to show up this summer at a town meeting, club event or fish fry near you with a simple message:

Trust me with your money. I've earned it.From now until county voters decide the future of his $ 2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan, Delaney will bank on a carefully built image as a thrifty administrator to help him coax voters into backing a historic proposal to fix Jacksonville's growing pains by raising sales taxes.

"I don't need any more money to pay for the day-to-day operations of city government.

Don't need a red nickel," the mayor promised when he visited a dinner meeting of Jacksonville dentists last week.Instead, he said the tax hike he proposed Monday would pay for construction projects to widen roads, replace outdated public buildings downtown and fix drainage problems City Hall could never afford to fix.

Only one problem with this Charlie Crist came out that his smart use of stimulas money while other states just used it for re paving projects to be use to widen highways .

"Don't need a red nickel," So just where is the tax hike money going to be used for?"

This is a product you buy for that increase," he said. "It's not some bureaucracy.

It's a product."

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2009/08/parlor-games-swirl-around-crists-us-senate-pick.html

But It's a Party Card

BUT MY CARD CAN'T BE REFUSED

IT'S A PARTY CARD


GOP Credit Card ControversyAugust 25th, 2009 by Whitney Ray
The IRS is being asked anonymously to investigate members of the Republican Party of Florida who used party issued credit cards to spend 3.6 million dollars.

If members didn’t reimburse the party for personal purchases or pay taxes on the spending, the IRS could seek charges. As Whitney Ray tells us, Republican Cabinet members deny any involvement with the scandal.

In just 18 months, 3.6 million dollars in charges were racked up on credit cards given to members of the Republican Party of Florida. Former House Speaker Ray Sansom charged 173,000 dollars on his card.

No one is claiming the rest of the bill, with includes a 4,000 dollar charge to a cigar store, 13,000 dollars for limousines in New York, and 20,000 dollars to a London hotel.

There was also 9,000 dollars charged at this Tallahassee seafood restaurant.”

Since the spending was revealed, Senators Jeff Atwater and Mike Haridopolos canceled their cards. Party Chairman Jim Greer cut his in two, but he isn’t revealing who had the cards.

Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp denies ever using a party card. So does Governor Charlie Crist.


Gov. Charlie Crist blew off a question to investigate Sansom.


“It’s not necessary. Who needs it? It’s a waste of money. We’ve got to save people’s money. That’s why I’ve never had a party card,” said Crist.


Attorney General Bill McCollum also denies having ever owned a card. State Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer cancelled all the cards, but isn’t answering questions about who had the cards and which purchases are valid and which need reimbursement.

McCollum told a Panhandle resident he did not have the jurisdiction to investigate.


After the St. Petersburg Times reported McCollum's email, the Attorney General suddenly put his investigative powers into action.




http://www.flanews.com/?p=7028