Merry Christmas!

The following is a re-run of a holiday message but I think it best conveys the message of Christmas. Please enjoy this transcript of Ronald Reagan's radio message from 1978:

Christmas-

Meaning no disrespect to the religious convictions of others, I still can’t help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion.Where….is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time-----possibly to your own home town.

A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father’s shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father’s shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He never gets farther that an area perhaps 100 miles wide at the most.He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing---the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb.

End of story? No, the uneducated, property-less young man who…..left no written word has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, general and admirals; all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived---all of them put together.How do we explain that? ......unless he really was what he said he was.

-Ronald Reagan / Daily Radio Commentary (syndicated) December, 1978

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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
to your family from ours!

Hospital buy-in

Last Tuesday, the CEO of Brooksville Regional Hospital conducted a meeting at Silverthorn Country Club with approximately fifty local physicians. The topic of this meeting was to offer these doctors the opportunity to purchase ownership interest in Brooksville and Spring Hill Regional Hospitals.

These facilities are currently under a long term lease agreement with Hernando County government. Below is an email I sent to the county administrator to ask several questions about this proposed agreement:

From: A.L. Covell

Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 4:47 PM

To: David Hamilton

Cc: Dave Russell; John Druzbick; Jeff Stabins; Larry Jennings; Kent Weissinger; Garth Coller

Subject: Question, please

Mr. Hamilton,
Last Tuesday, the CEO of Brooksville Regional Hospital Kathy Burke had a meeting with approximately 50 local physicians. From what I understand this meeting was to propose a future buy-in of interested doctors into the Brooksville Regional/Spring Hill Regional facilities through HMA. At this meeting, it was indicated that the lease for these facilities, with the county, was worth approximately $214 million.

The questions that I have pertain to their lease agreement with Hernando County:

1. Is there an option to add doctors to this lease with HMA, in the event this agreement moves forward?

2. Would this lease agreement with HMA have to be completely re-written to include new tenants? If so, would this lease be constructed like the existing one? The existing contract has the lease payment, with a not to exceed number, that does not even come close to covering the lost Ad Valorem revenue on the property, for the term of the lease, which is a substantial loss to the taxpayers.

3. How would this affect the taxpayers in the event HMA defaults on this lease to Hernando County?

With the current state of the economy, this proposed buy-in at Brooksville Regional/HMA will open up many questions from the public on this lease agreement. HMA stock has slipped from over $25.00 a share to just $1.00 a share in the past year. HMA has laid off over 40 people and is currently working with a limited staff.

Apparently this proposed buy-in is moving forward because a number of confidentiality agreements have been signed by local physicians and the principals will begin to determine the net worth of this deal.

This was a hot button issue in the county when the original lease was written and I don't assume that the future deal will be any less controversial to the public in this slow economy.

Anna Liisa Covell

Her concerns

The following is a newsletter from Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite. She clearly expresses her concerns on the recent bail-out of the automobile industry by the Bush administration. Ginny needs to be commended for her staunch approach to this economy, in relationship to the taxpayers of this country.

VOLUME 6, NUMBER 41

December 23, 2008

Detroit Needs a New Business Model, Not a Taxpayer Funded Bailout

As you may know, the Detroit automobile industry – Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford – recently came before Congress to request $34 billion in loans and lines of credit. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, I had the opportunity to hear first-hand from the CEOs of the three companies, as well as United Auto Workers (UAW) President Ron Gettlefinger.

No one doubts the Big Three are in trouble. Chrysler, by their own admission, will only have $2.5 billion in cash on hand by January 1, 2009, but has $11.6 billion in liabilities that need immediate payment during the first three months of 2009 alone. General Motors is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Ford, which is in the best health of the three, is worried that a failure of either Chrysler or General Motors will have severe detrimental effects to its supply chain.

While the financial crisis has exacerbated these problems, it did not create them. Lack of foresight made them vulnerable to the dramatic increase in gas prices between 2003 and 2008, and poor corporate governance led to a series of bad decisions stretching back thirty years. As a result, nearly one million American jobs may now be at risk.

Many commentators say a loss of the domestic automobile industry will have a severe impact on the economy, and I agree. However, the recent history of taxpayer funded bailouts calls into question whether a bailout of the Detroit Big Three will work. Two months ago, Congress passed a $700 billion bailout. The money spent under this program has not gone into the economy as planned, but instead is sitting in bank vaults across the country. In September, the Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) stepped in to bailout AIG to the tune of $85 billion. A month later, the Fed increased that to $122.4 billion. A month after that, the number grew to $152 billion.

The bailouts of the financial industry, which I have consistently opposed, have put taxpayers in debt for $8 trillion. Similar to AIG, I doubt this will be the last time the automobile industry comes before Congress to ask for money. Giving the industry $34 billion now will simply be a beginning rather than an end. The loan does not solve their long-term liquidity issues, overcapacity in the market, and poor corporate governance.

However, at the same time, millions of retirees rely on their pensions from Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford for their well-being. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, though, protects these pensions. The Big 3 auto-makers have also indicated their pension systems are currently fully funded.

I have carefully weighed the arguments for and against a bailout of the Detroit automobile industry. I have consulted with car dealers in my district, retirees, and financial experts. After much deliberation, I voted against a financial bailout for the automakers when it came before Congress on December 10, 2008. The bill, H.R. 7321 introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D – MA), would have provided $14 billion in loans to carry the automakers through the first three months of next year. However, the bill did nothing to protect the American taxpayer in case of a default, which is a very real possibility. Moreover, the bill allowed the automakers to ignore the dire problem that is facing them; merely sweeping the problem under the rug will not solve the situation.

One also cannot expect the federal government to invest in a privately owned entity such as Chrysler, which is managed by a very large New York hedge fund called Cerberus Capital. Cerberus Capital has been unwilling to invest even one extra dime in Chrysler, which begs the question: if the owners of Chrysler are unwilling to invest in it, why should the American taxpayer?

Sincere apologies

My sincere apologies go out to Bob and Mary Ann DeWitt. My earlier post about Bob's demise was absolutely incorrect and based on misinformation supplied to me by the Hernando County Planning Department. Bob is alive, and well, on his road to recovery. The previous information was provided to me through the Hernando County Planning Department was obviously well intended to notify Bob's friends, unfortunately it was not verified before it was released to the public.

Long over due

I couldn't believe my eyes when I drove down Martin Luther King Boulevard in Brooksville this morning. The construction of sidewalks along MLK Boulevard has begun and they are really an added improvement for this area. This sidewalk construction project is long over due and will provide safety for residents in this community. By the way, these sidewalks are being added on the Hernando County side of Martin Luther King Boulevard. Hopefully, the city of Brooksville will follow the county's lead, with additional improvements for these residents...

Semper Fi

Local attorney Frank Miller of Caglianone, Miller & Anthony in Brooksville deserves a great, big atta-boy! Mr. Miller is providing storage space at his office complex on Lamar Avenue for the Marine Corp League "Toys for Tots" program. I'm sure everyone remembers the problems that arose from the Marine Corp League with the Hernando County Fair Association for toy storage. My husband, who is a former Marine from the Vietnam Era, sends out a special Semper Fi for Caglianone, Miller & Anthony. Thanks for stepping up to the plate for kids and the Marines, Mr. Miller!

Shoe

It just wasn't a bizarre moment when a reporter threw his shoes at President Bush. It was a symbolic gesture to Mr. Bush from this muslin reporter. Does anyone remember the Iraqi people beating the fallen statute of Saddam Hussein with their shoes? The sole of the foot is considered to be the dirtiest part of one's body in the Islamic faith. Throwing, or beating someone, with a shoe is symbolic as the highest form of insult a person can deliver to another person in that region. The Iraqi government immediately demanded an on air apology for this incident from media outlet that employed this reporter. Time will tell if an apology will be offered by this media outlet. This "shoe" incident should not be brushed under the carpet as a bizarre moment. It was a direct insult to our President and our country...

Ginny votes No!

The following excerpt is from Congresswoman Ginny Brown Waite. This is the actual text of our congresswoman's presentation in the House just prior to the vote on the bailout for the automobile industry last night:

Brown-Waite, G. (R-FL): “I thank the Gentleman and I thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's an old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. “And I think today we realize that the well-intentioned road may lead to bankruptcy. Not just for the automakers, but perhaps for the U.S. Treasury. Today we've heard from well-meaning Members of this House that unless we send $15 billion to the Big Three, the American economy will fail. I don't doubt their sincerity but do I disagree with their conclusions. Some of my constituents support the bailout, but most of them don't. As you can see from the picture next to me, the American citizens are hurting right now. The car in this picture is a Dodge Dynasty and by the way, this car has not been produced since 1993. So you can understand the angst of the car owner who realizes that his hard-earned tax dollars and those of his children and grandchildren are going for these bailouts. His message is very clear. Where’s my bailout? The bill before us today does nothing to address the real pain being felt by American citizens. Nothing helps to lower health care costs or protect the mortgages on their home. I’d also like to say that we had again a rush to judgment, a rush to bringing the bill to the floor and we need to be concerned about that process. Please remember that Chrysler is a privately-owned entity by a massive hedge fund firm in New York City. This hedge fund firm is not willing to invest one cent more in Chrysler. And yet we are asking our cash-strapped taxpayers back home to do it for them. Like we saw with the last bailout boondoggle, there are not enough safeguards here. We have to remember, too, that the loan and the conditions that are attached to it do not correct the structural weaknesses at these companies. It merely postpones the consequences for a short while. They’ll be back for more and more and more. This loan policy also continues the tragically flawed policy –

Suggestions

Commissioner David Russell needs a big atta-boy for his two major suggestions at yesterday's planning meeting. Unfortunately, his suggestions were pooh-pooh by several local activists at the meeting, and were glossed over in both newspapers this morning. Mr. Russell's suggestion provides a straight forward way to accomplish the upcoming tasks before the county commissioners, with the public being included in the planning process. This method allows the public to be in on the ground floor of planning Hernando County's future instead of just watching it pass by, after the decisions are made by the county staff, and then confirmed by county commissioners.

First, Mr. Russell's suggested forming four standing committees, to be made up of two county commissioners, county staff, and the public, to address the needs of the county. These committees would work out details of proposals for the county commissioners and provide insight, just like the standing committees in the state legislature, and that of Congress. The suggested, local committees would provide a method of public input in the planning process.

Second, Mr. Russell said the county needs to have state and federal infrastructure projects ready to go now. These planned infrastructure projects would coincide with the proposed federal economic stimulus package being floated in Washington DC, to jump start our economy. Hernando County does not need to miss the boat on this "stimulus" to put local people back to work in our community.

Commissioner John Druzbick also needs a pat on the back for his proposal to change the bid process for engineering firms. His simple suggestion to award contracts to local firms (in the event of a tie situation with companies outside Hernando County) in the bid process keeps jobs local. This was one of Mr. Druzbick's campaign promises to keep the job base local. Hopefully, he will continue to pursue his plan to temporarily reduce impact fees for property owners, using local contractors, to put more local people back to work.

It is refreshing to see these two commissioners thinking outside the box to move our county forward in a positive fashion instead of relying on the old, tired methods pushed by local activists that did not work in the past.

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"Happy Thanksgiving

to your family

from ours"

Stick the handle

This morning I laughed out loud when I read this letter in the opnion section of the Hernando Today. This letter is in reference to the "Broom" story in their Wednesday edtion. Here's the letter. Enjoy!

No Sense Of Humor

In response to your article on Nov. 19 regarding Linda Hayward: How mature is it to bring a broom without a handle to official meetings?

By the way, where did she stick the handle? Maybe the same place she put her sense of humor.

Joan L. Christian
Springhill

Pick a fight

After watching the Online streaming of yesterday's Hernando County Commission meeting it became apparent that one commissioner has come to the table to pick a fight. Newly sworn-in Commissioner James Atkins took no time in drilling several county employees at the podium in a less than polite fashion. Some of his questions were relevant but his delivery method certainly needs to be polished for the public.

One suggestion for Atkins would be to purchase a copy of Robert's Rules of Order so he can conduct himself in a civil manner during these business meetings. He continually interrupted everyone at his first meeting, even after he was reminded of protocol by the chairwoman.

The most revealing comment made by Atkins came at the end of the meeting. He said, "They had a super majority and it was time to get busy". Chairwoman Rocco was quite gracious in her response, saying she hoped it was a reference to gender and not political because she fully intended to represent the public in a non-partisan fashion.

The giant chip Atkins is carrying around on his shoulder will become a burden to all of us if he cannot come to grips with his new-found responsibilities as a commissioner. It must be tough hanging from those marionette strings, dancing to the music of the state committeeman and REC chairwoman...

Broom

Did you read this morning's article in the Hernando Today titled "Activist insulted by county boss' sign". This story really illustrates blatant hypocrisy from the local Hernando County Republican Executive Committee Chairwoman Ana Trinque. This chairwoman has spent the last four years publicly berating Jeff Stabins and now she thinks he needs to adjust his attitude with the press. "I think Jeff needs to use the media to his advantage," said Ana Trinque in this article. Apparently she expects Mr. Stabins to manipulate the media like she has been doing with her cohorts.

Jeff Stabins has endured verbal, and written abuse, from the majority of the media located in Hernando County but still managed to get elected with a 56% majority. These negative attacks have come from WWJB and Hernando Today. There two media outlets have been fueled by Ana Trinque, the state committee people for the REC, individuals associated with Government Gone Wild, and the Hernando County Tax Payers Alliance.

Commissioner Stabins should be commended for conducting himself as a complete gentleman over the last four years. He did not stoop to the nasty, vile behavior of these people. Face it, Commissioner Stabins well placed "broom" comment made all of us laugh at these angry individuals.

Score one for Commissioner Jeff Stabins!

BandShell

The BandShell Bash last Saturday night featured two of our Hernando County Commissioners. Commissioner Jeff Stabins sang his song about Hernando County and Commissioner Rose Rocco lip synced Kate Smith's rendition of God Bless America. Their performances were part of a celebration of our local veterans. Everyone really enjoyed this relaxed version of our local politicians!

Ginny sends thanks

Thank you for again selecting me to serve the citizens of the 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

I am proud to represent your interests in Washington for another term. In case our paths didn't cross on the campaign trail and I missed the opportunity to thank you personally, THANK YOU for your continued support.

There is one more thing. When you are out and about and you see "Ginny!" campaign signs, if you would please pick them up and either drop them at the campaign office at 6161 Deltona Blvd. in Spring Hill OR call my campaign office at 352-592-9222 and arrangements will be made to have them picked up from you.

Again, thank you for all your help and sending me to again serve as your voice in the U.S. House of

Representatives.
Sincerely, Ginny

Ticking

The voters overwhelming agreed that Ginny Brown Waite has served our community well, by returning her to Congress for another term. Her 61% margin of victory clearly shows how well liked she is in her district. Congratulations, Ginny!

John Druzbick ran a clean campaign on the issues that face Hernando County in his bid for county commission. The majority of voters listened to his message which gave him a victory in his race against Diane Rowden. Ms. Rowden needs to be thanked for her eight years of public service to this community. John is so fortunate that he has such a great wife, named Debbie. She helped him every inch of the way in this election. Congratulations, John and you, too, Debbie!

Jeff Stabins should take on the old slogan of Timex Watch company after this election. The slogan that says, "Took a Licking but kept on Ticking" fit his campaign to a tee. Jeff took a proverbial beating on every inch of his soul, even the soles of his feet. This came at the hands of Hernando County Republican Executive Chairwoman Ana Trinque, their state committeeman, Tom Hogan and several other influential people in our community. Their personal vendetta to have him removed from office was an embarrassment to all Republicans in this county. Aside from this unsavory action, Jeff was overwhelming re-elected as our county commissioner. "Congrats Jeff, you are the man of the hour! "

On a sad note, Shirley Anderson was defeated for her bid for supervisor of elections after a very hard-fought campaign. After the votes were counted last night, many comments and accusations flew at the courthouse about the non-party candidate in this race. This candidate was equated as the "spoiler" candidate who got into the race just to draw votes away from Shirley. This may, or may not be true, but if it was a two person race, the incumbent would have lost in this race yesterday. Shirley, we love you. Don't ever give up on your dreams. You did a spectacular job, even if it came up a little short!

Echo

Did you hear it last night? Did you hear the echo behind the roar of Obama supporters in Chicago? This echo was the slamming of doors across this Nation. This deafening roar that could only be heard by the business community. Obama's promise of an almost 4% tax increase on business has caused a ripple effect of fear for our country. The backbone of our economy is small business and we are just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

After two long years of Obama ripping our country to shreds, politically, economically and racially, he proclaimed in his speech last night that we are the "United States" of America. Mr. Obama cannot just snap his fingers to heal the deep wounds he created by his racially charged campaign. Unfortunately, Mr. Obama never learned Dr. Martin Luther King's message of hope that people should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Yesterday, Fox News Network reported an incident on the divided, racial climate created by the Obama campaign. It was reported that white voters were being intimidated at the doors of one polling place in Philadelphia by two Black Panther members. This YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCeD1RcJjAg should send shivers up the spine of any American.

The fear that is being felt this morning throughout this country stems from the racial divide created by this man, Obama.

Thanks, Gene

The following is a thank you note to all the supporters of Gene Magrini who came up short in yesterday's school board race. This note from Gene says it all. His class and his grace prevailed throughout his entire campaign. Thank you, Gene!

Thank you to all of you that supported my campaign and voted for me!

We came up around 4,400 votes short tonight, but I am humbled by the fact that we received over 34,000 votes and garnered 47% of the vote compared to 28% in the August Primary. To put this in context - you have to remember that we faced a candidate that has owned a business in this county with his name on it for over 23 years, was involved in numerous civic organizations over the years and I was basically unknown prior to entering this race.

I attribute this showing to the tremendous work of many volunteers - be it sign waving, walking door-to-door, talking to your friends, neighbors or customers - you made these numbers happen and I appreciate your efforts and hard work! Thank you so much!!

The great thing about our election process in this country is that it forces candidates and incumbents to dig deeper into the issues and challenge conventional wisdom and thinking, and pushes new thinking to the forefront. I truly believe we had a game-changing campaign - even though we didn't win tonight - we won in challenging the assumption of what our county should expect from their School Board members. During this election we had a great message and we brought managing and scrutinizing the School Board budget to the forefront of this debate; we brought raising the bar for our students, not lowering it to the forefront; we changed the assumptions of what a School Board race in Hernando County looks like - and yes this was the most expensive School Board race in our County's history!

I thank all of you again for everything you did for me. My only disappointment is that I didn't honor your hard work with a victory! But keep your head up high, and keep fighting for the issues that matter to you - and yes I will do the same.

Thank you again and have a great night.

Gene Magrini

Live stream

Media Release
For Immediate Release
November 3, 2008

Live Election Results Webstreamed on Channel 622

Hernando County Government Broadcasting will broadcast live local election results Tuesday, November 4, 2008, beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. The complete results of all races and issues on Hernando County ballots will be continuously updated as they are received by the Supervisor of Elections Office until ballots from all precincts have been counted. The live results may be viewed on Bright House Channel 622 or on the Web at www.hernandocounty.us - just click on the "Live Streaming Broadcast" icon located in the upper right corner of the home page. For additional information about the broadcast, call Hernando County Government Broadcasting at 540-6777.

Thanks

All candidates in this year's local elections deserve a round of applause. Granted, some candidates may not recieve our votes tomorrow but they certainly deserve our thanks. They deserve our thanks for laying their hearts and souls on the line for the betterment of Hernando County. It sure will be nice to have the campaign commercials come to their frenzied completion tomorrow.

Good luck Ginny, John, Jeff and Shirley!

Violate county policy

Apparently the county budget director thinks he's exempt from county policy. He was noted for making calls on behalf of Diane Rowden to the Hernando County School Board several weeks ago. Apparently he had a list of questions for the school board representative about Rowden's opponent in this election. All the information requested was a matter of public record so it makes one wonder why he would jeopardize his position with the county to campaign for Diane Rowden during work hours. On the other hand, having the budget director make calls on her behalf appears to be an abuse of power by Commissioner Rowden.

Happy Halloween!

..

2008 Veterans
Appreciation Parade

Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 10 a.m.

Bring your flags, your children & your neighbors to show
support for our men & women of our military, past & present.

Participation in this patriotic event will proudly salute our local
Veterans for their valiant service to our Nation!

Everyone is encouraged to walk with our veterans to express
thanks for their heroic deeds. Please take a few minutes out
of your day to express your patriotism during this very crucial
time in our country's history.

Parade line-up starts at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot
behind Brooksville City Hall, located at
201 Howell Avenue in downtown Brooksville.
(plenty of parking available in adjacent lot on Orange Avenue)

"God Bless America"

Please contact Anna Liisa Covell / Parade Coordinator at (352)544-0680
(Although registration is not required to participate, your RSVP would be appreciated)

Proudly presented by the Hernando County Fine Arts Council

Quote

I received this very thought-provoking, anonymous quote by email this morning:

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check Made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in This country who no longer understand it.'

Executive order

ATTENTION:
Governor Crist has issued an executive order (number 08-217) extending early voting hours.


NEW HOURS FOR HERNANDO COUNTY:
Tuesday, October 28th - open til 7pm
Wednesday, October 29th - 7am - 7pm
Thursday, October 30th - 7am - 7pm
Friday, October 31st - 7am - 7pm
Saturday, November 1st - 7am -7pm
Sunday, November 2nd - CLOSED (Early voting hours on the weekend may vary by county)


Government Center
BROOKSVILLE OFFICE
20 N. Main St., Rm. 165
Brooksville, FL 34601

Government Center
SPRING HILL OFFICE
7443 Forest Oaks Blvd.
Spring Hill, FL 34606

55 pets

This morning in the Hernando Times, the article titled "Trying to hatch out a solution" should have been named "How to completely bypass zoning regulations." After reading this article, it became very apparent that Leon Atkinson did not follow proper procedure in his request to keep 55 chickens on his residential property in Istachatta.

After complaints were made by the neighbors, Mr. Atkinson was responsible for filing for a Special Exception Use permit through the Hernando County Planning Department. Instead, he took his case directly to the Hernando County Board of Commissioners to ask their special permission to keep his wife's "55 pets" on his residential property.

The county commissioners not only allowed him to violate zoning regulations with their special permission, they also allowed Mr. Atkinson to bypass the procedure to file for this request, as specified by county ordinance.

This special allowance (by county commissioners) to keep 55 chickens on residential property violated the very nature of quasi-judicial public hearings that are required for this type of exemption. Mr. Atkinson should have been required to file the necessary documents, with the planning department, for a Special Exemption Use permit. This filing enable the public notification of everyone in 250 feet of the property. It also requires that this be reviewed by the appropriate county departments. The most important thing that this filing insures is a public hearing that has been properly advertised in the local newspaper. There is a $300.00 filing fee for this type of exemption which Mr. Atkinson also appears to have bypassed with his direct request to the commissions.

Although Mr. Atkinson was able to convince the commissioners to approve his request to keep 55 chickens on his property with his "Aw Shucks" routine, it doesn't answer a few obvious questions. Questions like, why was he given a free pass on the regulatory process when everyone else in the county is expected to comply with ordinances? Why was he allowed to bypass the required public hearing to address the necessary health concerns of the neighbors? Why did the commissioners approve a direct violation of their own ordinances?

One last thought on the "55 pet chickens" on residential property. Put into perspective, if this had been 55 dogs, 55 cats, 55 guinea pigs, or 55 birds on this property, the health department and county code enforcement would have been investigating the environmental concerns of this property, so why didn't this set off alarm bells with the county commissioners?

Anderson-Candidate for SOE

Below is Shirley Anderson's response to the Hernando Times:

Shirley Anderson
Republican Candidate for Supervisor of Elections

Needless to say Hernando County was stunned by the endorsement of politics as usual in the Supervisor of Elections Office. From what your paper has written about the current supervisor most people clearly expected a different endorsement. In an editorial earlier this year this paper wrote: “Unaware or unconcerned. There is no other way to accurately characterize Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams mailing out almost 432 incorrect absentee ballots, and then her blasé reaction to an entirely avoidable error.”

This was not the first, second or third mistake by the current Supervisor. Supervisors in neighboring counties have been mailing under the not for profit permit for years, not blaming the post office for their waste. The current supervisor admits to using 2003 maps, but blames the Planning Department for not updating her. During the 2006 election dispute between Rose Rocco and Nancy Robinson, the current supervisor said she, “doesn’t police the ballot.” One wonders what does she do?

Shirley Anderson is running so that voters have a real choice in this election. Shirley Anderson wants to restore faith and trust into our elections office. In these tough economic times we need someone that will be responsible with our tax dollars. Shirley believes that voters deserve better and are worthy of a ballot without mistakes. Shirley Anderson will not make excuses or blame others for the conduct of her office.

We all know if you keep endorsing the same candidate you can expect more of the same flawed elections – with more mistakes, more errors and more excuses. It is time for change in the Supervisor of Elections office and Shirley Anderson will bring that change.

School Board

This morning I received an email in reference to the upcoming school board election. I found the information interesting since it involves a letter from Jim Malcolm endorsing Gene Magrini.

Brooksville: After 16 years on the Hernando County School Board, retiring member Jim Malcolm has seen a thing or two.To be precise, he said in a letter Tuesday, he's seen four superintendents, one interim superintendent, seven finance directors, six human resource directors, six union presidents, and thirteen fellow board members.

So Malcolm's endorsement of either of the two candidates vying to replace him on the School Board -- James Yant, owner of a local insurance company and former chairman of the Pasco-Hernando Community College board of trustees, and Gene Magrini, former human resources director of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- is of more than passing interest.

His choice? Magrini.

"Both are good men and capable leaders," Malcolm said. "Both men have the best interests of Hernando County's children at heart."

But Magrini's corporate business experience -- and his support of gifted education, charter schools, and other programs Malcolm has championed -- tipped the balance for the former School Board chairman."His ability to work with people and seek compromise is a strength which this School Board sorely needs," Malcolm said. "We need Gene Magrini's budget expertise now more than ever."

Vote early

Vote early and vote often!

This famous slogan is from Chicago. No, it didn't originate with Barrack Obama, and his association with ACORN, even though it was from the same city. This famous slogan was attributed to Al Capone, Richard Daley and William H. Thompson who were notorious for corruption and manipulating the democratic process in Chicago. Come to think of it, maybe this is where the Obama and ACORN got their inspiration.

Anyway, today is the first day of early voting. So go vote, please!

Aging beauty queen

The Government Gone Wild organizer is on his soap box again, hoping we will jump on board his propaganda train. His newest stunt is to target the re-election campaign's of Chris Kinglsey and Diane Rowden. It must be noted that he selectively excluded Jeff Stabins in his latest round of campaign attacks without explanation. Everyone should remember his public pledge to oust all of these three commissioners at last year's budget hearings.

To be fair, I listened to the entire 22-minute video Mr. Ingoglia has posted online. This video spent approximately 19 minutes underscoring Mr. Ingoglia's performance at the 2007 budget hearings. The information in the first 19 minutes of this video was outdated, and did not reflect the current economic climate in the Hernando County. The remaining three minutes in this video, Ingoglia laid out his plan to oust Chris Kingsley and Diane Rowden.

Mr. Ingoglia used a list of critical headlines from local newspapers to attempt to make the point county commissioners had not done their job. An example of these headlines mentioned in his video included items like the previous racial problems within the Hernando County Utility Department, and the dumping of raw sewage by their workers. He placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the county commissioners, even though this is the function of the county administrator. Mr. Ingoglia implied in his video that the county commissioners should have micromanaged the county administrator to solve local problems. Mr. Ingoglia failed to give the county commissioners credit for hiring David Hamilton who has tackled each of the "headline issues" swiftly and in a timely fashion. To be fair, Ingoglia made one fleeting reference to Mr. Hamilton is a positive tone.

Dan DeWitt's column in yesterday's Hernando Times tied up many loose ends for the public about Mr. Ingoglia. Mr. DeWitt said that even though Ingoglia had a valid point about tax reduction in 2007, he barely mentioned the tax reductions of the past two budget cycles and the current economic climate in Hernando County. Mr. DeWitt's most revealing comments included the relationship between Ingoglia, the chairwoman of the Republican Executive Committee Ana Trinque and state Rep. Robert Schenck through the Novo Group. From Mr. DeWitt's perspective, it appears that he believes Ingoglia, Trinque and Schenck are tied at the hip with their real estate ventures.

This ad campaign by Ingoglia is reminiscent of the "aging beauty queen syndrome". It seems that Mr. Ingoglia cannot fathom public life going on without him in Hernando County. Like the aging beauty queen, his glory days are long past...

Druzbick's response

Yesterday, John Druzbick emailed me his response to the endorsement of his opponent in the Hernando Times. This pertinent information coincides with the first day of early voting.

I want to thank the St. Pete Times for their recommendation in the Primary. As stated by the Times, Druzbick established a reputation as a good listener, a taskmaster and consensus builder. The most important recommendation comes from you, the Voter! 70% of the residents of Florida passed Amendment 1. That amendment is the reason your property taxes went down. The County Commissioners were then and only then forced to rein in their reckless spending.

Ms. Rowden stated she was against Amendment 1, and voted against a .5 mil reduction in our taxes in 2006, saying it was irresponsible. Do you really think she would have reduced our budget the $37 million that Amendment 1 did? In 7 years, she never voted to reduce expenses, or come up with a plan to reduce costs. It was stated that I have tunnel vision, if so, it is to see that your tax dollars are used correctly. Unemployment is over 9 %, 58 % of people in Hernando qualify for food stamps, and businesses are closing.

I urge you to check the balance in your checking account. Look at your tax bill, and then ask yourself if you can afford another 4 years of the incumbent, or do you want a change. I give you 30 years of successful business, 17 years of community service, 12 years as a successful school board member and proven programs to reduce government cost. Please compare my resume to that of my opponent. Vote for change! Vote for John Druzbick!

Marxist-type windfall

Joe, the Plumber. Bob, the Builder. Anna Liisa, the Electrician. All these small business ventures will fall under the same category in Barrack Obama's wealth redistribution plan. They will all be taxed at a higher rate under the Obama plan. Obama plans to give our money to people in the form of a tax refund. Over 50% of these people do not even pay taxes. These people will reap the benefits of small business in a Marxist-type windfall cooked up by Barrack Obama.

Every small business in this country needs to be very afraid of this convoluted plan of Barrack Obama. Not only will Obama tax many small businesses out of existence, he also plans to force employers to provide health insurance coverage for their employees. Under his plan, employers will be penalized if this coverage is not provided to employees. He also plans to have these policies cover all pre-existing illnesses. These health care costs will force the majority of small business to lay-off employees or close their doors all together.

One more point that should be made about Obama's plan to give 95% of the people a tax cut, with sweat & tears of small business. Obama plans to increase the social security/medicaid deduction on employee's pay checks. Don't forget that employers will also take a hit on this because they have to provide matching funds to the US Treasury.

Obama's elitist plan has failed to understand that Joe, the Plumber and Bob, the Builder do not stash cash under their mattresses. The money that he wants small business to pay at a 39% tax rate is routinely re-invested in additional employees, business equipment and capital projects to keep their business vital to the community. With these Obama proposals, small business will be forced to cut their staff, putting more individuals on the unemployment line.

Here's a suggestion from this small business owner, Mr. Obama. Keep your elitist ideas for your Hollywood crowd. You, Mr. Obama have no idea what the working class in this country need to do to put food on their tables and shoes on their children's feet. Your "wealth redistribution plan" will tax the middle class out of existence...

Dedication this morning!

**Media Advisory**
REP. BROWN-WAITE TO HELP DEDICATE BROOKSVILLE POST OFFICE IN HONOR OF MILITARY HERO CODY C. GRATER

Rep. Brown-Waite Sponsored Federal Law Renaming the Brooksville Post Office in Honor of Army Soldier Killed in Iraq

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) will help dedicate the post office in Brooksville this Friday, October 17, 2008 in honor of Specialist Cody C. Grater. SPC Grater was killed in action while serving in Iraq in July, 2007.

WHAT: Brooksville Post Office renaming ceremony honoring the late Army Specialist Cody C. Grater

WHO: Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite
Timothy Healy – U.S. Postal Service
Robert Carleton – Postmaster, Brooksville Post Office
Anita Lewis – Mother of SPC Grater
Edward Lewis – Uncle of SPC Grater
Sgt. 1st Class Grady Parris – Guest Speaker
Family Clergymen

WHEN: Friday, October 17, 2008
10:00 – 11:00 am

WHERE: Cody Grater Post Office Building
19101 Cortez Boulevard
Brooksville, FL 34601

Voter registration

Yesterday, I was reassured that there is a slight amount of sanity alive and well on the Tampa campus of USF. While turning the corner of the building to my Cultural Anthropology class, I came upon a sidewalk with a campaign message. The sidewalk was decorated with blue and red chalk that said Country, First, McCain / Palin. This campaign message was a breath of fresh air even though this campaign message wasn't suppose to be posted on campus.

From the first day of class in August, students at the St. Pete and Tampa campus' of USF have been overrun with individuals pushing people to register to vote. These individuals have even visited classrooms to promote this registration. Students have been encouraged to register to vote even if they are registered in another state.

Progressive Future is the organization that pushed voter registration on the St. Pete campus. This organization advertised $9.00 hour for career opportunities to register voters (on a printed 1/2 page handouts) across campus. I looked this sight up online. This organization publicly states it is non-profit organization. After digging through their sight though I found an endorsement for Obama. This organization is an offspring of ACORN. In fact, I wonder if this organization is registered with the Florida Department of State as a political action committee since they endorsed Obama on their website.

I called the Republican Party of Florida in Tallahassee three weeks ago to advise them of the campus activity. When the RPOF could not be bothered to return my call, I contacted the McCain Campaign headquarters in Tallahassee. They were very interested in this information, relating to voter registration on the campus' of USF.

Relief soon

Well, it looks like the sign maniacs took their toll on campaign signs over the weekend. These individuals apparently do not know the term "private property" when it comes to dirty politics. I got to work this morning to find about half of the campaign signs at my business ripped out of the ground. Driving up US 41 should have given me some indication of what to expect when getting to work. I noticed numerous campaign signs had disappeared along my route, especially near Mondon Hill road.

One local businessman, Gary Schraut found a unique why to notify campaign committees that his property is not to be used for random sign placement. His property on Mildred Street at the Jefferson and Broad streets' apex have routinely been used for campaign signs, without his consent. The illegal signs on his property now carry a big sticker across the face of the sign, designating it as illegal!

The General Election is just around the corner and all of us will be able to breath a sign of relief soon. Hard fought campaigns are part of our American spirit but everyone needs to be reminded this does not include violating personal property rights.

Reminder

I received this email from a good friend this morning. It is a quick reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness.

JUST A REMINDER.....OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND I WANTED TO JUST REMIND EVERYONE TO DO THEIR SELF BREAST EXAMS.....BREAST CANCER CAN STRIKE ANY AGE AND MALES AND FEMALES ARE AT RISK.....THERE ARE SO MANY NEW TEST OUT THERE THAT MAY HELP US FIND A CURE FOR THIS DEADLY DISEASE.....I THANK GOD EVERYDAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO KNOW MY RISK...I AM SORRY THAT I HAD TO LOSE A SISTER TO FIND OUT, BUT I HAVE TO THANK HER EVERYDAY.....SO TONIGHT WHEN YOU ARE TAKING THAT SHOWER....TAKE 5 MINUTES OUT FOR YOURSELF.....IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE......PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO ANYONE THAT YOU THINK NEEDS A REMINDER.....WEAR PINK A LITTLE MORE OFTEN......TIE A PINK RIBBON IN YOUR HAIR....BUY SOME PINK ROSES....TELL YOUR SISTER, MOTHER, AUNT, AND FRIENDS HOW SPECIAL THEY ARE TO YOU......

Meet John

John Druzbick cordially invites

you to attend a free Meet & Greet this Saturday!

EVENT OCTOBER 11TH
QUALITY INN
POOLSIDE~3:00-6:00PM
ACROSS FROM WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS

Guest Appearance:
Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite

FREE FOOD~CASH BAR~ENTERTAINMENT

This is your chance to rub elbows with John

& ask all those last minute questions before the General Election!

Happy

On a happy note. A big round of applause goes out to David Bearden. David was nominated the best foster parent in Hernando County last week. David will travel to Orlando in a few weeks with his kids to compete with all the other foster parents for the state title. Congratulations, David!

Party died...

Bye, bye, Miss American Pie, or so says the old song. This tune came to mind while watching C-Span this afternoon while the Congress voted on the Wall Street bailout. Even though Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are calling this a rescue plan, it is nothing more than a violation the public trust. This pork-laden piece of garbage, disguised as the life boat to save our economy, may end up sinking all of us.

The national debt increased today by another $1.2 trillion. No one has explained how this increased debt will affect the value of the dollar. No one has explained how this act may influence the inflation rate. No one can give a clear picture of the future price of fuel which is driven by the value of the dollar. No one has explained how this will help the "mom and pop" business struggling to stay afloat in this artificially created economy.

Sadly, no one listened to the taxpayers in this country when we sent Congress an overwhelming NO to a Wall Street bailout. No one listened except our local representatives. We can be very grateful that Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, Rep. Bilirakis, and Senator Bill Nelson heard our voices and voted Nay on this legislation. They can hold their heads high because they were the elite few in the House and Senate that managed to keep their integrity intact today.

Getting back to bye, bye, Miss American Pie. People will remember that this is the day that the music died; the day capitalism in our country died; the day that Republican party died...

Run

The Hernando Times ran an article yesterday titled, "Grants seen as cure-all for Hernando's woes." This article explained how Commissioner Kingsley is pursuing Hernando's share of a $3.92 billion cache of money in a federal grant program to buy foreclosed homes in this county. This funding would enable Hernando County government to purchase foreclosed homes, fix them up to sell, or put them into an inventory for affordable housing, under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

If Hernando County accepts money from this grant, it opens the doors for our local government officials to become landlords of the foreclosed properties in our community. This landlord status will include removing these properties from the tax rolls.

These foreclosed properties would have the potential to become affordable housing, to be managed under the Hernando County Housing Authority. Has anyone forgotten that the HCHA is currently under a "troubled" status from the the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Singer's department was also given more bad news by their outside auditor last month. It was determined that the HCHA performance was less than stellar, as reported in their annual performance audit. In fact, this HCHA annual audit revealed that it had deteriorated in performance from their last year's poor audit. One more pertinent point should be made about the director of the Hernando County Housing Authority. Donnie Singer is not certified to oversee this type of housing in our community.

While no one wants to see foreclosed homes in our community, our county needs to run, not walk, away from this federal grant.

Guard your money

Barry Goldwater, Jr. was on Fox News Network this morning discussing the financial bailout with the economist, Neil Cavuto. As you can imagine, the lively discussion centered on capitalism and whether there was even a need for Congress to bail out Wall Street, as requested by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Goldwater, Jr. was quite clear in his disapproval of a national bailout by a Republican president. He and Neil Cavuto share the same opinion that the markets should not be manipulated by the government with a large influx taxpayer cash, as requested by President Bush.

The ending of this interview was a "classic Goldwater" moment. Barry Goldwater, Jr. quoted his father, who is considered to be the "father of the Conservative Movement" in this country, by saying, "You don't let your dog guard your food, so then why would you let the Congress guard your money."

Korean War Vets

KOREAN WAR 55th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 28TH IN HERNANDO COUNTY – REP. BROWN-WAITE TO PRESENT COMMEMORATIVE COINS TO KOREAN WAR VETERANS

Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582 Hosts Event Honoring Korean War Veterans

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) will join members of the Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582 at a 55th Anniversary celebration of the end of the Korean War. In addition to the afternoon’s festivities and presentations, Rep. Brown-Waite will also present commemorative coins to Korean War veterans during the event.

The public is welcome to attend the festivities.

Korean War veterans interested in receiving a coin to commemorate their service must contact Rep. Brown-Waite’s Brooksville office at (352) 799-8354 to request an application. Korean War veterans will need to provide a copy of their DD-214 to complete the application.

DATE: Sunday, September 28, 2008

TIME: 2:00 – 3:00 pm

LOCATION: Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582
14494 Cortez Blvd
Brooksville FL 34613

WHO: Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05)
Members of Elks Lodge 2582
5th District Veterans

CONTACT: For information about the Korean coin application, call Rep. Brown-Waite’s Brooksville office at (352) 799-8354.

For details about the Korean War celebration, please contact Gail Cleaves at (352) 799-4464.

Broken Vow

It was rather amusing to read this morning's edition of the Hernando Today's article titled, "Candidates cough up campaign cash". It looks like Diane Rowden really snookered Michael Bates. He stated in his article that Rowden had lived up to her vow not to accept money from possible companies or individuals who may have business with the county.

I think Mr. Bates needs to sharpen his pencil and do his homework over again to review Ms. Rowden's campaign contributions. Numerous doctors in our community contributed large sums of money to her campaign and are business owners.

The Teamsters Union gave big money to Ms. Rowden. In fact, Teamster Union, Local 769 gave $500.00 on August 12, 2008, and gave an additional $500.00 on August 15, 2008. Her campaign records list these two-$500.00 contributions from the Teamsters Union by using different addresses for the same Local 769. This combined total from Teamsters, Local 769 is $1,000.00 and appears to be a violation of the maximum limits of campaign contributions. The Teamsters Union is also the organization that is currently attempting to rally the county employees into a vote to become union members.

One more contribution that is noteworthy is the contribution from Hernando County Fire Rescue employee, Jason Brazinski who gave $500.00. I believe he is the president of the local union that represents the employees of the HCFR.

Each of these entities have a vested interest in our community and it looks like Ms. Rowden stretched the truth with her vow. This commitment by Ms. Rowden to not accept money from companies or persons that may do business with the county isn't worth the paper it was written on...

Buzz words

The buzz words were "pride and cooperation" as the Hernando County Fire Rescue and City of Brooksville Fire Department sealed the deal on their inter-local agreement to share space for the next 25 years. This agreement has HCFR closing the Station 24 and moving in with the city of Brooksville's fire department.

In the Hernando Today, HCFR Chief Nickerson said this would save the taxpayers over $1.6 million because they would not have to build a stand-alone firehouse. They will be using $572,000 in impact fee money to build an addition onto the Brooksville Fire Department on Veterans Avenue in Brooksville.

"It's a new day in Brooksville and a new day in Hernando County" when the government considers the best interest of taxpayers in their decisions," said Brooksville Fire Chief Tim Mossgrove, as per his quote from this morning's Hernando Times. Please tell us how a duplication of services for two fire departments, housed in one building for 25 years, is in the best interest of the taxpayers.

Are we all living in some type of time warp? How is spending over a half a million dollars on an unnecessary building addition to the Brooksville Fire Department in the best interest of the taxpayers? Which department is going to pay for the upkeep on this building for the next 25 years? Is the city going to charge the county for utilities, such as electric, phone water, and garbage service? Is there a lease agreement involved between the city, and county fire departments, to cover all these costs, or is it going to be up to the city taxpayers to pick up the tab?

The citizens living in Township 22 tried to warn the HCFR before they took over this district a few years ago. Their main objection was that the city of Brooksville was already providing service this area and there was no need for an additional county fire department. In fact, city fire hydrants were previously installed in the majority of this area to provide the Brooksville Fire Department with adequate water supply, and now the county is using this equipment that was paid by Township 22. The citizens were very vocal with their objections, citing duplication of services.

The most pressing problem with this new spirit of cooperation is the existing billing systems of the two fire departments. The city of Brooksville charges the city taxpayers at an Ad Valorem rate of approximately of 2.5 mil using an MSTU method. The county charges residential customers $195.00 a year on an MSBU. Some people in the city pay minimal fees, or no fire fees, on the MSTU method while county residents all pay a flat rate residential fee of $195.00. Incidentally, both fire departments charge commercial customers at different rates, too.

This new spirit of cooperation should have been the announcement that one of these fire department's would officially close its doors. Maybe its time we seriously look at a county-wide service, as suggested in the consultant's report last year. Its time to stop putting band aids on a broken fire system that continues to cost the taxpayers for duplication of services in some areas while neglecting many areas of Hernando County.

Art contest

The winner of the State of Florida Dependency Summit Art Contest was won by Malcolm Dumaine. This contest is exclusively for children in foster care throughout the state. Malcolm is 14 years old, sight challenged, and is the foster son of David Bearden. David is the president of the area National Federation of the Blind chapter for Hernando and Pasco counties.

Malcolm was at quite a disadvantage going into the contest because he had limited, available art supplies at his disposal. He used watered-down acyclic paints and computer paper for his mixed media art presentation. In fact, the process he used to paint caused it to wrinkle the computer paper. Malcolm used a household iron to smooth out the wrinkles before placing it in a jacket to mail in to the contest. How's that for ingenuity?

Congratulations, Malcolm!

News

Two newsworthy items will be discussed at next week's Hernando County Commission meeting that may be of interest to you. One is the Hernando County Sheriff's Department agreement to begin running the day-to-day operations of the Emergency Management Department. Under the second item, the commissioners will hear about a new warden for the Hernando County Jail. Hopefully this will prove to be a productive meeting for the county, with the approval of the Emergency Management agreement by the county commissioners.

Non-story

Taxpayers' Alliance endorses democrat running for county commission against Commissioner Stabins, or so goes the non-story in this morning's Hernando Today.

The Hernando County Taxpayers' Alliance is solely run by Linda A. Hayward, according to the supervisor of elections office. This political action committee's treasurer is also Linda A. Hayward, according to county records. This misleading article attempted to imply that the Taxpayers' Alliance had a membership of 2,000 members when, in fact, this was the number of email contacts by the sole member of this organization, not the list of contributors for membership to this PAC. In fact, the actual contributors to this organization can be counted on both hands, without having to take off one's shoes.

So, what's the real point of this story?

See Sarah!

Join Governor Sarah Palin
And Your Florida Ticket for a Road to Victory Rally

The Republican Party of Florida announced that Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, will join the Florida Ticket for a Road to Victory Rally at the Villages.

Road to Victory Rally
Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008
Location: The Villages, Lake Sumter Landing, Market Square
1020 Lake Sumter Landing
The Villages, FL 32162
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. EST

For more information, please call (850) 391- 4219 or e-mail victoryrally@rpof.org. Please allow plenty of time to clear security.

You will love this

If you support Governor Sarah Palin, Senator John McCain's pick for vice president then you will love this blog.

Here's the link:

http://www.moms4sarahpalin.blogspot.com:80/

Citizenship Day

Commemorating Constitution and Citizenship Day – September 17, 2008

Few documents changed the world more than the Constitution of the United States. Prior to the United States Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Constitution, people had for centuries lived in counties without personal rights and without a democratic form of government. All that changed when the Constitutional Convention adopted the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

For the first time in history, one nation’s citizens freely agreed to a democratic form of self governance. Today we take our rights and freedoms and form of government for granted. But 221 years ago the concept of three separate but equal branches of government was a revolutionary concept. The Constitution was the framework for our entire government and paved the way for the Bill of Rights and the eventual expansion to today’s 50 states.

That is why the United States now commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution each September 17th. In 2004 the senior Senator from West Virginia, Robert Byrd, passed an amendment that created a national holiday to recognize the Constitution and the benefits of citizenship. A noted historian, Senator Byrd thought, and I agreed with him when I voted for the bill, that today’s youth do not learn enough about the foundations of our republic and the history of the Constitution.

This September 17 schools throughout Florida will take a moment to teach their students about the founding fathers, the history behind the signing and ratification of the Constitution, and why our nation is the greatest democratic republic in the history of the world. Teachers and families across the country can use this day as a teaching opportunity for the next generation of American citizens. Without a firm foundation in American history and its founding documents, our country will lose some of our national identity and core beliefs. I was proud to vote for something that expanded the learning opportunities for our children and taught them about the history of our great nation.

Doing my part to help 5th District residents celebrate the U.S. Constitution, its history and values, I will be making free copies of the Constitution available to all residents throughout the month of September. You may pick up your copy at either my Brooksville or Dade City district offices, call and have one mailed to you, or receive one at any of my outreach meetings throughout the eight counties that make up our congressional district. For more information about when and where to get your copy, please call me toll-free at (866) 492-4835.

The last 221 years have seen our nation progress from thirteen independent states to a global superpower defending freedoms and liberties throughout the world. Our republic was built on the framework outlined in the Constitution, and has lasted throughout wars, economic downturns and even civil war. But today the United States of America is strong, and one of the main reasons for our success is because of the signing of the Constitution. I hope that all 5th District residents take a moment this September 17th to re-read the Constitution, pick up a new copy from my office, and talk to your children about what this document means to all Americans.

Ginny Brown-Waite
Member of Congress (FL-05)

Missed opportunity

The Hernando Times ran an article on the Republican Unity Rally yesterday that was titled "Unified GOP front masks tensions" which was a fairly accurate assessment of the mood Friday night. One a scale from 1 to 10, this Republican rally came in at about a 3 for the excitement factor. This was due, in part, to the organization by the party, and their choice for master of ceremonies of the event.

It is really a shame that so little thought was given to the agenda of activities by the HCREC board of directors because they had a very respectable turn out for this event. The master of ceremonies who could not hold the attention of the crowd and the attendees did not quiet down when he was at the microphone except for the introduction of candidates and elected officials. None of the candidates in attendance were given the opportunity to speak to the crowd except Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite.

Ginny's presentation lasted about 12-15 minutes and focused on party unity, from the national to the local level and she had the undivided attention of every one in the hall. Ginny gave some very interesting poling data results on her race and that of the McCain/Palin ticket, as of last Friday that looks very promising for a win.

At the conclusion of Ginny's presentation, the master of ceremonies once again attempted to rally the crowd to no avail and this concluded the activities for the rally. This was really a missed opportunity by the HCREC to present a unified front. So much more could have been accomplished with their agenda, like choosing a less divisive master of ceremonies. All the candidates in attendance should have been given the opportunity to address the audience, even if it was only a quick walk on stage, with a 2 minute introduction.

Besides the dynamic presentation by Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite, the only other highlight of the evening was free food, that every one seemed to enjoy as they chatted with friends.

.

"WANTED"

High School Bands

for October 11th

Battle of the Bands

at the

Bandshell Bash

Prizes Awarded

Sponsors

The Hernando County Sheriff's

Anti-Drug Coalition Team

Contact Mike Hannigan

813-760-3986

Unity Spirit

Well, the "rebel without a clue" is at it again from the Hernando County Taxpayer's Alliance. This "political action committee of one" is advocating the overthrow of Commissioner Jeff Stabins in the upcoming election by promoting his democrat opponent. This 'clueless rebel' is under some misguided notion that a democrat will provide tax relief for the folks in our community.

"Clueless" is also asking for opinions on the commission race between John Druzbick and Diane Rowden because her candidate of choice did not prevail in the primary election. She is also asking for opinions on offshore drilling. Here's a suggestion, Ms. Clueless, Drill Now, Drill Often and Drill Deep to lower the price of fuel and become energy independent in America.

"Clueless"even included a vague comments for Governor Crist's re-election chances in two years, in the event he doesn't step up to the plate to satisfy her whims. Is she planning another bus trip to Tallahassee, toting her wore-out petitions to gain the attention of the governor again?

This email from "Clueless" included a flyer for the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee's Unity Rally, with a note stating that Blaise Ingoglia would be one of their guest speakers. Funny thing is, Mr. Ingoglia's name doesn't appear on any of the flyers or the HCREC website promoting the event. Listening to the grapevine discussion from within the county, it is quite apparent the majority of rank and file Republicans do not want this person to speak at the rally on behalf of conservatives. This speaker is being promoted solely by a handful of party insiders that include the chairwoman of the HCREC, Ana Trinque

Score one for the unity spirit!

Bailouts

A few minutes ago, I received an urgent request for me to comment on the bailout of Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac. The points made by this local physician were quite succinct on the issues of bailouts and financial incentives for large corporations. Please read this email for yourself. The only item that has been removed is the physician's name to protect her privacy.

Anna Liisa:

If you would, please comment on your blog regarding the Fannie Mae/ Freddie Mac bailout.

As a small business owner, I cannot imagine the government "bailing" us out if we made very poor choices.

It is interesting how those companies privatized their profits however they socialized their losses......I am amazed.

The government encouraged them to write more loans for unqualified consumers, knowing the bottom would fall out at some point!

The CEO's of those companies are Harvard/Ivy League graduates and certainly able to make long term actuarial financial predictions.......how on earth did they allow this to get to that point?

Furthermore, Walmart and other large companies like that, get financial incentives to employ people in our county-however they are the largest employer with the most Medicaid covered employees because they refuse to give anyone a "full time" position.
They continue to socialize any loss a company that large would need to absorb, in order to do business!

Anna, you are my only hope! Please say something about this!!!!!

Fun with a purpose

Grab your boots and come on out as we celebrate the 3rd annual Cattle Baron’s Ball.

Cattle Baron’s Ball is so much more than the best event in Hernando County.

It is a Party with a Purpose…

a celebration of life, love, and hope!

We hope to raise over $50,000 to be given to the American Cancer Society.
This cannot be done without generous sponsors,

hard working volunteers, and supporters such as yourself.

So grab your boots and head to the Palace Grand February 7, 2009 as we

“PARTY WITH A PURPOSE”
in the fight against cancer!

American Cancer Society presents

FEBRUARY 7, 2009

6:00PM

PALACE GRAND
Entertainment: “Rebound”
Phone: 352.597.6331
Fax: 352.597.6314
debbie.walker2@hcahealthcare.com

TICKETS $100.00 EACH


*Great Food
*Great Entertainment
*Silent Auction
*Photographs
*FRIENDSHIP

You don’t want to miss this one! We hope to see you there!

Officially retire

Hernando County Building Department Director, Grant Tolbert will officially retire from his position this Friday. Love him or hate him, Mr. Tolbert lead our county through two of the largest building booms in our history. He also took the brunt of much criticism in the wake of the destruction caused by the No Name Storm in 1993.

Grant Tolbert took his department into the 21st Century with his pro-active approach to compliance to building codes. Mr. Tolbert was instrumental in enacting tough building standards for Hernando County by adopting the Florida Building Code and the National Electrical Code for Hernando County. Although Grant has been criticized for his enforcement of the rules by some individuals and contractors, he should be commended on his steadfast requirements for compliance with building regulations that have made Hernando County a safer place.

Hernando County has entered into a contract with a private firm to provide a licensed building official which is required by Florida Statutes. This short term contract is to provide 20 hours per week for oversight by the building official. Hopefully, Mr. Hamilton will inform the public soon about the future hierarchy at the building department. Questions are beginning to surface about who will actually be in charge of the building department and if 20 hours of building official oversight conforms to Florida Statutes.

Good luck and enjoy your retirement Grant!

Furball

The 5th Annual Humane Society Furball
Saturday, September 13th
Palace Grand
275 Della Court, Spring Hill

$75.00 per Ticket
Cocktails - Cash Bar Opens at 5
Dinner /6:30 pm
Music and Dancing by "Cover To Cover"Silent
Auction 5:00 - 8:30
Special Show by the 4 Non-Breeders

Ticket Information ~Phone: 352-796-2711

Rally

This morning, I received the following flyer for the Unity Candidate Rally which is being presented by the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee. After going to their website, it became apparent that Blaise Ingoglia's name was left off of their flyer even though he is listed as a guest speaker in their information.

UNITY CANDIDATE RALLY

September 12, 2008 @ 6:00 PM
Hernando County Fairgrounds Auditorium
FREE admission offering food, fun, and education
Meet all the Republican candidates that will be on the general ballot
November 4th along with all of our current Republican elected officials.

Speakers will include:
Republican of Florida Party Chairman Jim Greer
Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite

Please register to attend this event at

http://www.unityrally2008.com/

or by calling 352-796-4741.
Attendance is first come, first served basis.

***Please note that the webmaster at the HCREC removed Mr. Ingoglia's name from the guest speaker list shortly after this post. Even though Mr. Ingoglia's name does not appear on the Unity Rally website, or flyers, it has been reported that he will be the master of ceremonies for this Unity Rally.