And you are wondering why they had trouble keeping on schedule during inclement weather?
Here is a comment in the NYT on this:
Trains generally perform well in inclement weather but currently Amtrak is being forced to cancel some trains to and from Chicago thanks to barely having enough equipment to cover those operations.
Amtrak would be in much better shape at this time if some spare equipment was available to it; but given the last 8 years of bare bone budgets and attacks from the current administration, many folks travel plans are being impacted that otherwise would not be.
Thanks W for doing completely nothing to assist passenger rail transportation in 8 years and let us not forget John Mica, (R) Florida who ardently assisted the President to starve Amtrak who now all of a sudden when it appears politically correct fashions himself a rail supporter. Sure you are John-
Transportation plan anyone?
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Commuter rail rolls on . . . to failure?
Here is what Pam Hasterok says about John Mica's Pet Project,......good to see some realism about the flaws of the project rather than the incessant cheerleading for the "behind closed doors" arrangements with a very profitable private company, profiteering some more at the expense of the Florida tax payers:
The life or death of the rail line hinges on who's responsible for accidents. The state is buying the tracks for the passenger line from the freight giant CSX.
CSX plans to keep running freight trains on the tracks, too. If an accident occurs, CSX is demanding that neither it nor its contractors be held liable.
State transportation officials agreed. Lawmakers didn't.
They weren't pleased, either, that officials negotiated the deal in secret without the knowledge of most legislators. Unless a compromise emerges over who pays for accidents and their legal fallout, commuter rail will die next year, too.
Forget the happy talk you'll hear from local lawmakers and council members who say everything will work out.
Powerful representatives can probably pass the project through the House on sheer force of will. That won't work in the Senate.
Enough senators have enough doubts to say no, as they did before, to saddling the state with bills for an accident that is the fault of a private company.
"I don't want the state to be in a situation where it has to take care of every accident and every lawsuit when we're talking about a company that makes a lot of money," said Sen. Jim King, who represents part of Volusia County.
The life or death of the rail line hinges on who's responsible for accidents. The state is buying the tracks for the passenger line from the freight giant CSX.
CSX plans to keep running freight trains on the tracks, too. If an accident occurs, CSX is demanding that neither it nor its contractors be held liable.
State transportation officials agreed. Lawmakers didn't.
They weren't pleased, either, that officials negotiated the deal in secret without the knowledge of most legislators. Unless a compromise emerges over who pays for accidents and their legal fallout, commuter rail will die next year, too.
Forget the happy talk you'll hear from local lawmakers and council members who say everything will work out.
Powerful representatives can probably pass the project through the House on sheer force of will. That won't work in the Senate.
Enough senators have enough doubts to say no, as they did before, to saddling the state with bills for an accident that is the fault of a private company.
"I don't want the state to be in a situation where it has to take care of every accident and every lawsuit when we're talking about a company that makes a lot of money," said Sen. Jim King, who represents part of Volusia County.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Accountability and Efficiency with PUBLIC Owned Rail Tracks
Transport Politic offers a little background and some advice on John Mica's ill-conceived favoratism of private enterprise in public infrastructure:
The Bush administration, as we chronicled a few months ago, has repeatedly pushed to sell or lease public assets to private companies.
But having high-speed railways run on privately-owned tracks is a bad idea. The most compelling argument for this is that infrastructure cannot act as a competitive entity in the free market. If you build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and then sell or lease the tracks to a private company, no competing company will build its own tracks over the same route. There is simply not the market or the financial means for that to happen, and it’s the reason why it makes sense to continue the public ownership of, for example, the interstate highway system or the New York City Subway.
Keeping the track in public hands also ensures political accountability. For instance, if a section of track passes through a neighborhood and residents there complain of unreasonable noise, the elected government is more likely to respond with the construction of noise walls than is a private company, because there’s no motive for increased profit in building such a wall. Even if the neighborhood were to boycott the rail system, the collective loss in ticket revenue would be less than the cost of building the wall, so the company would be unlikely to do so, at least unless pushed to do so by the government.
Similarly, if poor management bankrupts the owner of the track, a vital public utility that cannot be shut down, government would be forced to subsidize the track’s operation, even as the private owner escapes accountability. The government does not go bankrupt, and as long as there’s public interest in supporting a railway system, the tracks will continue to be funded, no matter the economic situation. This is necessary insurance for infrastructure.
Indeed, mainland Europe’s highly developed rail system is publicly owned. The European Union’s competition laws are opening services up to private companies (we will discuss this further later in this post), but the infrastructure itself remains under the control and ownership of the national government.
The benefit of having governmental control is efficiency; nations decide to invest in new high-speed rail lines and simply hand the money and right-of-way over to the public infrastructure owner. The government is also responsible to the citizens for the maintenance of the lines; when several French TGVs were delayed because of problems with overhead catenary earlier this year, an infuriated public pushed for the government to invest more in the electrical systems, and it did. Would that have happened if there were a private owner? The public’s ability to ensure the continued quality of the tracks is improved with the government in power.
The Bush administration, as we chronicled a few months ago, has repeatedly pushed to sell or lease public assets to private companies.
But having high-speed railways run on privately-owned tracks is a bad idea. The most compelling argument for this is that infrastructure cannot act as a competitive entity in the free market. If you build a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and then sell or lease the tracks to a private company, no competing company will build its own tracks over the same route. There is simply not the market or the financial means for that to happen, and it’s the reason why it makes sense to continue the public ownership of, for example, the interstate highway system or the New York City Subway.
Keeping the track in public hands also ensures political accountability. For instance, if a section of track passes through a neighborhood and residents there complain of unreasonable noise, the elected government is more likely to respond with the construction of noise walls than is a private company, because there’s no motive for increased profit in building such a wall. Even if the neighborhood were to boycott the rail system, the collective loss in ticket revenue would be less than the cost of building the wall, so the company would be unlikely to do so, at least unless pushed to do so by the government.
Similarly, if poor management bankrupts the owner of the track, a vital public utility that cannot be shut down, government would be forced to subsidize the track’s operation, even as the private owner escapes accountability. The government does not go bankrupt, and as long as there’s public interest in supporting a railway system, the tracks will continue to be funded, no matter the economic situation. This is necessary insurance for infrastructure.
Indeed, mainland Europe’s highly developed rail system is publicly owned. The European Union’s competition laws are opening services up to private companies (we will discuss this further later in this post), but the infrastructure itself remains under the control and ownership of the national government.
The benefit of having governmental control is efficiency; nations decide to invest in new high-speed rail lines and simply hand the money and right-of-way over to the public infrastructure owner. The government is also responsible to the citizens for the maintenance of the lines; when several French TGVs were delayed because of problems with overhead catenary earlier this year, an infuriated public pushed for the government to invest more in the electrical systems, and it did. Would that have happened if there were a private owner? The public’s ability to ensure the continued quality of the tracks is improved with the government in power.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sixth-straight year of Record Ridership for Amtrak
As a fan of Amtrak, government run passenger rail transportation, I was pleased to see these excellent Amtrak numbers ( no doubt much to John Mica's chagrin):
Published by Progressive Railroading MagazineNovember 2008--For the sixth-straight year, Amtrak posted record annual ridership, carrying 28.7 million passengers in fiscal-year 2008, an 11.1 percent jump compared with FY2007’s total. For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Amtrak also recorded $1.7 billion in ticket revenue, up 14.2 percent.
Published by Progressive Railroading MagazineNovember 2008--For the sixth-straight year, Amtrak posted record annual ridership, carrying 28.7 million passengers in fiscal-year 2008, an 11.1 percent jump compared with FY2007’s total. For the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Amtrak also recorded $1.7 billion in ticket revenue, up 14.2 percent.
Monday, December 15, 2008
If You Pee on CSX’s Parade in Central Florida....
"If you pee on CSX’s parade in Central Florida, do you think they’re going to cooperate with other entities?" says Mica in another thinly veiled threat, coercing support from other FL areas for Mica's Pet Project.
Just a week or so ago there was an earlier threat made by Mica, reported by local media but without question as to the ethics of quid pro quo, blackmail type wrangling on getting this Private Public Partnership off the ground for Mica's Pet Project:
"You're on hold and everybody else is on hold until that gets resolved," Mica said.
John Mica wants Hillsborough rail supporters to work with the legislature to come to an agreement on the liability issue for the Central Florida Commuter Rail, Mica's Pet Project, and claims everything is on hold throughout the state of Florida, until he gets his way on that.
Factoid on lightrail which offers more stops than commuter rail and is thus more functional in highdensity areas:
Light rail delivers 4 times the congestion-reduction potential per dollar as incremental freeway lanes.
Differences between light rail and commuter rail can be found here. Because commuter rail has fewer stops sharing track or right-of-way with intercity or freight trains, commuter rail is more suitable to lower-density areas.
Just a week or so ago there was an earlier threat made by Mica, reported by local media but without question as to the ethics of quid pro quo, blackmail type wrangling on getting this Private Public Partnership off the ground for Mica's Pet Project:
"You're on hold and everybody else is on hold until that gets resolved," Mica said.
John Mica wants Hillsborough rail supporters to work with the legislature to come to an agreement on the liability issue for the Central Florida Commuter Rail, Mica's Pet Project, and claims everything is on hold throughout the state of Florida, until he gets his way on that.
Factoid on lightrail which offers more stops than commuter rail and is thus more functional in highdensity areas:
Light rail delivers 4 times the congestion-reduction potential per dollar as incremental freeway lanes.
Differences between light rail and commuter rail can be found here. Because commuter rail has fewer stops sharing track or right-of-way with intercity or freight trains, commuter rail is more suitable to lower-density areas.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
John Mica is Virulently Anti-Government
So says the blogger at thetransportpolitic. And John Mica is supposed be a champion for PUBLIC transportation? I don't think so and neither does Representative Jerry Nadler. From thetransportpolic blog Jerry Nadler is quoted:
http://thetransportpolitic.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/nycdc-private-bullet-train-monday-announcement/
The blogger then makes this very valid comment:
No reason to think Mr Mica should be trusted on ay of this as he wasn't able to get a light rail system in place in 1999 his own back yard, and is now struggling to get a Central Florida commuter rail off the ground that is THE most expensive rail system ever in the history of our nation, which is not surprising since it involves private industry:
and more on the folly of private industry involvement:
http://wpmobserver.com/WPMObserver/article.asp?ID=1165
Here is a little on the 1999 failed Mica Light Rail Plan:
The (CSX commuter rail) plan was developed by U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, after the Orange County Commission rejected his plan to build a light-rail system connecting Downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport in 1999.
Also note that in terms of the article writer and probably John Mica's mind, the grassroots are the Chamber of Commerce folks. This is just too laughable!
Sad indeed.
I oppose privatizing the Northeast Corridor. While I appreciate and support efforts to expand high-speed rail service in this country, it remains to be seen whether or not this RFP will achieve that goal. The only thing that Congress authorized is the submission of proposals. There will be a rigorous review process, and Congress will have to take subsequent action to move ahead should any of the proposals be worthy.
In the meantime, Congress should continue to increase investment in Amtrak, which has been chronically under funded and faces a multi-billion dollar backlog on the Northeast Corridor alone. I fully expect the incoming Democratic Congress and Administration to increase funding for Amtrak as part of a rational transportation policy and an economic stimulus package for infrastructure.”
http://thetransportpolitic.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/nycdc-private-bullet-train-monday-announcement/
The blogger then makes this very valid comment:
The 1993 privatization of British Rail was a well-known disaster, leading to huge
problems in transportation in the United Kingdom. Far more successful European
high-speed rail programs - in France, Germany, and Spain - have been implemented
by fully government-owned and managed systems (though the European Union’s new rules have changed that a bit in recent years). There’s no reason to think that
a government run high-speed rail system of similar magnitude and speed as Mr. Mica has suggested would not be possible.
No reason to think Mr Mica should be trusted on ay of this as he wasn't able to get a light rail system in place in 1999 his own back yard, and is now struggling to get a Central Florida commuter rail off the ground that is THE most expensive rail system ever in the history of our nation, which is not surprising since it involves private industry:
The (Central Florida Commuter Rail) system would cost $10.5 million per mile — a record for U.S. rail systems.
"It's the most expensive rail project in the history of the United States,"
and more on the folly of private industry involvement:
The Florida Department of Transportation and transportation company CSX
have a history of setting records for cost in taxpayer-funded rail systems in
the past. Of the top six most expensive rail deals per mile in U.S. history,
three of them were brokered between the Florida agency and CSX.
http://wpmobserver.com/WPMObserver/article.asp?ID=1165
Here is a little on the 1999 failed Mica Light Rail Plan:
The (CSX commuter rail) plan was developed by U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, after the Orange County Commission rejected his plan to build a light-rail system connecting Downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport in 1999.
Also note that in terms of the article writer and probably John Mica's mind, the grassroots are the Chamber of Commerce folks. This is just too laughable!
Sad indeed.
Amtrak Station for St Augustine Still a No Show
The U.S. Conference of Mayors released its member cities’ “wish list” for
project funding from an infrastructure stimulus package. Its web site
outlines every project by category. $1.06031
billion is requested for Amtrak-related projects, mainly station and station
track work. Of that, $750 million was requested by the City of Sacramento
alone for track relocation and tunnels as part of the 244-acre Railyards
redevelopment project. Charleston, SC requested $78.03 million for its
proposed commuter rail service between Summerville and Charleston. Cities
requested nearly $7.07 billion for transit-related projects.
http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/main/hotline_583/
Still no word on the Amtrak station in St Augustine, that John Mica promised in 2001.
What's up with that?
Friday, December 5, 2008
John Mica is a Political Ostrich
Or so says Charlie Cook in the National Journal:
http://www.cookpolitical.com/node/4071
And here is where John Mica portrays himself as the political ostrich advocating more conservativism for the GOP:
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=39635
In general, in the higher-growth segments of our country, Republicans lost
ground, prevailing only in small towns and rural areas. When Democrats win the
suburbs, Republicans are in trouble.
Republicans have lost an enormous amount of support among upscale voters, basically just breaking even among those with household incomes above $50,000 a year, a traditional GOP stronghold. Similarly, McCain's losing to Obama among college graduates and voters who have attended some college underscores how much the GOP franchise is in trouble. My hunch is that the Republican Party's focus on social, cultural, and religious issues --
most notably, fights over embryonic-stem-cell research and Terri Schiavo -- cost
its candidates dearly among upscale voters.....
Those who write off the 2008 election by saying that Republican
candidates weren't conservative enough are in denial. They are political ostriches, refusing to acknowledge that the country and the electorate are changing and that old recipes don't work any more.
Obama's message and agenda were a far cry from those of the Democratic
Party of a generation or two ago, but the Republican Party's message and
agenda haven't changed much other than becoming even more fixated on cultural issues and tax cuts.
http://www.cookpolitical.com/node/4071
And here is where John Mica portrays himself as the political ostrich advocating more conservativism for the GOP:
But Both Mica and Flake noted that though the conservative voice has grown in
strength in the aftermath of the Nov. 4 elections, conservatives likely would
not have been able to replace Boehner as House Minority leader with one of their
own. “We [conservatives] could certainly have mounted a more formidable
challenge” towards Boehner, Flake told CNSNews.com. “But I don’t know that
it would have been enough. We thought we mounted a pretty good challenge last
time, and we got socked.” “I don’t think conservatives would have had the
votes,” said Mica.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=39635
John Mica's Clout Waning in Transportation
Here is something voters should have considered when they made the mistake of re-electing John Mica for Central Florida:
Two major projects: commuter rail and the Wekiva Parkway to complete Orlando's beltway loop while protecting sensitive environmental land are critical to Central Florida, so the fact that Grayson could step in and help on these issues would be really welcomed:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/orl-healy0908nov09,0,5145390.column
No longer will Central Florida be able to count solely on Republican U.S.
Rep. John Mica for key issues, such as commuter rail and major highways. His clout already was waning when Congress went Democratic two years
ago. Now it is even weaker with a Democratic president as well.
Two major projects: commuter rail and the Wekiva Parkway to complete Orlando's beltway loop while protecting sensitive environmental land are critical to Central Florida, so the fact that Grayson could step in and help on these issues would be really welcomed:
(Grayson) now says he would like to be on the Transportation Committee, but
during the campaign, he listed his top three issues as ending the war in Iraq,
expanding health-care coverage and raising labor standards.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/orl-healy0908nov09,0,5145390.column
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Will Martinez be Asked to step Down for a Hand-picked Replacement?
That's what Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel thinks is a real possibility:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-maxwell0308dec03,0,2499749.column?page=2
Mica, Stearns or Putnam most likely would be precluded from being "hand-picked" since they need to continue their roles as "place-holders" for the Republican Party.
Martinez says he's leaving on his own terms. And now he will have two years to decide what to do next -- assuming the Republican Party doesn't ask him to step down early, so that Charlie Crist can name a replacement.
Martinez says he has no plans to play that game. And I believe he's earnest. But I also believe he will face pressure to change his mind -- from party leaders, maybe even Bush, who would rather handpick a candidate than let voters in on the action.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-maxwell0308dec03,0,2499749.column?page=2
Mica, Stearns or Putnam most likely would be precluded from being "hand-picked" since they need to continue their roles as "place-holders" for the Republican Party.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
John Mica May square off Against Jeb Bush for Martinez Senate Seat
Mel Martinez today announced he will not be running for re-election:
“I make this announcement today in order to give the many qualified individuals who might choose to try to succeed me an opportunity to organize and gather support,” Martinez said in a press release.
The field is wide open, but likely names of contenders for the Senate seat include Jeb Bush:
John Mica also has expressed interest and will decide in January:
On the Democratic side State’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, would be a strong contender, along with Democratic Representatives Dan Gelber. Mr. Gelber already acknowledged interest.
“It’s just no fun to be in the minority in D.C. when the other party controls the
White House,” said Lew Oliver, chairman of the Orange County Republican Party,
where Senator Martinez got his political start. “The number of interesting,
important and meaning things to do dwindles fast.”
Recent polls suggested that Senator Martinez, 62, had been weakened by his close association with President George W. Bush. He served as Secretary for Housing and Urban Development during the president’s first term, before running successfully for the Senate in 2004, and becoming chairman of the Republican National Committee
in for 10 months in 2007.
“I make this announcement today in order to give the many qualified individuals who might choose to try to succeed me an opportunity to organize and gather support,” Martinez said in a press release.
The field is wide open, but likely names of contenders for the Senate seat include Jeb Bush:
If he decides to run, Republicans expect the field to clear for him. Maybe. Gov.
Charlie Crist, with whom Bush has not had the warmest of relations, is said to
be interested in moving to the Senate. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is
weighing a bid, as is former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, Orange County
executive Richard Crotty, and U.S. Rep. Connie Mack.
John Mica also has expressed interest and will decide in January:
Other bloggers disagree:"He is someone who has stature in the state and has a lot of name
recognition outside his district," said Rusty Roberts, his chief-of-staff.
Among those I suspect will consider the run:
Charlie Crist (Disaster)
Tom Gallagher - good solid Republican
John L. Mica, Congressman from the 7th District - solid Republican, weak on name recognition.
Cliff Stearns, Congressman from the 6th District. A rating from National Taxpayers
Union, Solid defender of Gun Rights, My personal favorite.
On the Democratic side State’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, would be a strong contender, along with Democratic Representatives Dan Gelber. Mr. Gelber already acknowledged interest.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Kerry-Specter High Speed Rail Bill
Initiatives on High-Speed Rail taking place absent John Mica. While John Mica is making pro-forma visits to the Tampa Bay Area nudging local officials to get their mass transit plans ready for federal funding, major initiatives are already in the works......
The press release on the Kerry-Specter high-speed rail bill:
Kerry-Specter Bill Would Create Jobs, Stimulus, Infrastructure Investment
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor Ed Rendell Applaud National High-Speed Rail Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) introduced a bill to create new jobs by updating the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 would transform America’s outdated and underfunded passenger rail system into a world class system.
“At a time when our economy desperately needs a jumpstart, we need an effective national investment that puts Americans back to work,” said Sen. Kerry. “A first-rate rail system would protect our environment, save families time and money, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and help get our economy moving again. The High-Speed Rail for America Act will help fix our crumbling infrastructure system, expand our economy, and match high-tech rail systems across the globe.”
“We must continue to focus our energies on building and maintaining a strong national passenger rail system in order to ease congestion of air and highway corridors connecting high-growth markets, as well as to meet energy and environmental goals,” said Sen. Specter. “The High-Speed Rail for America Act is an investment in our nation’s infrastructure and has the potential to provide tremendous economic opportunities throughout Pennsylvania and the nation.”
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Joe Lieberman (I-CT.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), cosponsored the legislation.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell both voiced their support for the high-speed rail initiative.
“Creating a national high-speed rail network is an ambitious goal, but one that gets more urgent by the day,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Investing in modern infrastructure is vital to the nation’s long-term economic and environmental health - and in the short-term, it would help put more Americans back to work. Many countries in Europe and Asia are investing in high-speed rail, and if our economy is going to remain competitive, we have to start catching up. Greater investment in our railways is a top goal of Building America's Future, the infrastructure coalition that Governors Rendell and Schwarzenegger and I created. I applaud Senator Kerry for tackling the issue head-on, and I strongly support his efforts to create the high-speed rail network our country needs.”
“This long-overdue national investment in high-speed rail would help to stimulate economic recovery while creating good jobs that cannot be outsourced,” said Gov. Rendell, one of the founding co-chairs of the Building America’s Future coalition. “Expanding our nation’s critical rail infrastructure will make our transportation network more efficient, reduce traffic pressure on our already busy interstate highways, and improve the environment.”
The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 builds upon the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 which reauthorizes Amtrak and authorizes $1.5 billion over a five-year period to finance the construction and equipment for eleven high-speed rail corridors. It provides billions of dollars in both tax-exempt and tax credit bond and provides assistance for rail projects of various speeds. The bill creates the Office of High-Speed passenger rail to oversee the development of high-speed rail and provides a consistent source of funding.
Specifically, the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 provides $8 billion over a six-year period for tax-exempt bonds which finance high-speed rail projects which reach a speed of at least 110 miles per hour It creates a new category of tax-credit bonds – qualified rail bonds.
There are two types of qualified rail bonds: super high-speed intercity rail facility bond and rail infrastructure bond. Super high-speed rail intercity facility bonds will encourage the development of true high-speed rail. The legislation provides $10 billion for these bonds over a ten-year period. This would help finance the California proposed corridor and make needed improvements to the Northeast corridor. The legislation provides $5.4 billion over a six-year period for rail infrastructure bonds.
The Federal Rail Administration has already designated ten rail corridors that these bonds could help fund, including connecting the cities of the Midwest through Chicago, connecting the cities of the Northwest, connecting the major cities within Texas and Florida, and connecting all the cities up and down the East Coast.
November 20, 2008 in High Speed Rail Permalink
The press release on the Kerry-Specter high-speed rail bill:
Kerry-Specter Bill Would Create Jobs, Stimulus, Infrastructure Investment
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor Ed Rendell Applaud National High-Speed Rail Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) introduced a bill to create new jobs by updating the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 would transform America’s outdated and underfunded passenger rail system into a world class system.
“At a time when our economy desperately needs a jumpstart, we need an effective national investment that puts Americans back to work,” said Sen. Kerry. “A first-rate rail system would protect our environment, save families time and money, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and help get our economy moving again. The High-Speed Rail for America Act will help fix our crumbling infrastructure system, expand our economy, and match high-tech rail systems across the globe.”
“We must continue to focus our energies on building and maintaining a strong national passenger rail system in order to ease congestion of air and highway corridors connecting high-growth markets, as well as to meet energy and environmental goals,” said Sen. Specter. “The High-Speed Rail for America Act is an investment in our nation’s infrastructure and has the potential to provide tremendous economic opportunities throughout Pennsylvania and the nation.”
Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Joe Lieberman (I-CT.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), cosponsored the legislation.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell both voiced their support for the high-speed rail initiative.
“Creating a national high-speed rail network is an ambitious goal, but one that gets more urgent by the day,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Investing in modern infrastructure is vital to the nation’s long-term economic and environmental health - and in the short-term, it would help put more Americans back to work. Many countries in Europe and Asia are investing in high-speed rail, and if our economy is going to remain competitive, we have to start catching up. Greater investment in our railways is a top goal of Building America's Future, the infrastructure coalition that Governors Rendell and Schwarzenegger and I created. I applaud Senator Kerry for tackling the issue head-on, and I strongly support his efforts to create the high-speed rail network our country needs.”
“This long-overdue national investment in high-speed rail would help to stimulate economic recovery while creating good jobs that cannot be outsourced,” said Gov. Rendell, one of the founding co-chairs of the Building America’s Future coalition. “Expanding our nation’s critical rail infrastructure will make our transportation network more efficient, reduce traffic pressure on our already busy interstate highways, and improve the environment.”
The High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 builds upon the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 which reauthorizes Amtrak and authorizes $1.5 billion over a five-year period to finance the construction and equipment for eleven high-speed rail corridors. It provides billions of dollars in both tax-exempt and tax credit bond and provides assistance for rail projects of various speeds. The bill creates the Office of High-Speed passenger rail to oversee the development of high-speed rail and provides a consistent source of funding.
Specifically, the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 provides $8 billion over a six-year period for tax-exempt bonds which finance high-speed rail projects which reach a speed of at least 110 miles per hour It creates a new category of tax-credit bonds – qualified rail bonds.
There are two types of qualified rail bonds: super high-speed intercity rail facility bond and rail infrastructure bond. Super high-speed rail intercity facility bonds will encourage the development of true high-speed rail. The legislation provides $10 billion for these bonds over a ten-year period. This would help finance the California proposed corridor and make needed improvements to the Northeast corridor. The legislation provides $5.4 billion over a six-year period for rail infrastructure bonds.
The Federal Rail Administration has already designated ten rail corridors that these bonds could help fund, including connecting the cities of the Midwest through Chicago, connecting the cities of the Northwest, connecting the major cities within Texas and Florida, and connecting all the cities up and down the East Coast.
November 20, 2008 in High Speed Rail Permalink
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Un-Masking John Mica
Failure to Regulate and Lead
John Mica is a Hard-Core Conservative Anti-Regulation, Crony-Capitalism Career Politician. Click here for explanation of political philosophy.
3,500 Aviation Fatalities since John Mica's post on Aviation
Rep. Mica was named Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation in 2001 and served through 2006. As the current minority leader of the House Transportation Committee, Mica serves on all six Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittees including the Aviation Subcommittee, and is thus resposnible for the proper functioning of the FAA.
The Subcommittee on Aviation has jurisdiction over all aspects of civil aviation, including safety, infrastructure, labor, and international issues. This jurisdiction includes all aspects of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) except for research activities, which are within the jurisdiction of the Science Committee.
Prior to the September 11th terrorist attacks, the number of air travelers in the United States had reached record levels and had begun to strain the existing infrastructure capacity. For several years after the attacks, the demand for air travel decreased and the impending capacity crunch was delayed while officials in the
Federal government, at the airlines and at airports dealt with many new security
issues.
Demand has returned to pre-9/11 levels, however, and the Subcommittee
will continue to contend with existing capacity and security concerns, as well
as an aging air traffic control system.
The Aviation Subcommittee is also traditionally the lead subcommittee with jurisdiction over the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal agency responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents and other transportation accidents.
The essential air service program, which ensures commercial air service to
smaller communities, the war risk insurance program, which provides insurance
coverage for commercial flights to high-risk parts of the world, and passenger
and cargo commercial space transportation also fall within the purview of the
Aviation Subcommittee.
The Subcommittee continues to exercise oversight jurisdiction over the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and continues to have jurisdiction over the impacts of transportation security on the aviation industry and aviation safety.
Issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Aviation Subcommittee include:
Federal Aviation Administration
Air traffic control modernization
Airport capacity
Airport Improvement Program grants
Aviation antitrust issues
Aviation labor, as governed by
the Railway Labor Act
Aviation safety
Aviation security, including the Transportation Security Administration
Commercial aviation
Essential air service for small communities
General aviation
International aviation
National Transportation Safety Board
War risk insurance
Commercial space transportation and tourism
Air carrier operations
Use of the navigable airspaceFor a more complete description of the Subcommittee's jurisdiction, click here to link to the official Jurisdiction and Activities document for the Subcommittee on Aviation, as approved by the full Committee at the beginning of the 110th Congress.
While Mica sat on the Aviation Subcommittee and being a former Chair of the Aviation Suncommittee, where was his responsible oversight of the FAA?
FAA ignored Southwest Airlines violations
Regulators overseeing Southwest Airlines repeatedly allowed the airline to
escape punishment for safety violations because of a close relationship between
the airline and federal officials, according to a federal watchdog
investigation.
The inspector general's report found that Southwest violated more
federally required safety regulations than previously known. It also discovered
that FAA managers in North Texas didn't act on questions – raised as early as
September 2005 – about whether decisions to let Southwest off the hook violated
the FAA's own guidance about how its amnesty programs should be used.
And more recently:
FAA faulted for laxness on repair outsourcing
Nine U.S. airlines outsourced more than 70 percent of their major aircraft maintenance last year, and federal aviation officials' oversight of repair
facilities is lagging, according to a government report.
One-fourth of the outsourced maintenance is being handled by contractors overseas.
The Transportation Department's inspector general said the outsourcing, which has
more than doubled in four years, was of concern because the Federal Aviation
Administration has failed to closely track how much maintenance is farmed out
and where it is performed.
Now that's some kind of oversight!?! Just like our government had its eye on oversight of the financial industry. I just don't understand why voters continue to re-elect this bozo.
Like on so many of his votes he scores a failing grade in the Aviation Subcommittee.
How important is this?
Airline Industry. U.S. commercial aviation helps contribute to $1.2
trillion in output and approximately 11.4 million U.S. jobs. Between 2001 and
2005, the aviation industry posted $35 billion in cumulative net losses,
including a $5.7 billion net loss in 2005. Contributing to these losses are the
economic slowdown, a decline in business travel, the aftermath of the September
11th terrorist attacks, the SARS epidemic, increased competition within the
industry and, record fuel prices.Several airlines declared bankruptcy and some
continue to restructure through that process. Recently, U.S. Airways withdrew
their bid to take over Delta Airlines, which is still in bankruptcy. Such a
merger could have had an adverse impact on fares, competition, and service to
small communities, and also might have sparked other mergers between large
network carriers.
We couldn't trust him when he promised to retire in 2004 ( as he reminded those in attendance at a Casselberry townhall meeting in 2002), and then lied about it only days before the 2008 election: "I have never signed any pledge to support term limits for members of Congress."
In 1994 Mica signed the Contract with America, which promised to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives and included in its 10 point plan for America: Term limits on Congress
By supporting the Contract with America, he pledged to support term limits for members of Congress, and in fact he voted YES on H.J. 73:
The Citizen Legislature Act
An amendment to the Constitution that would have imposed 12-year term limits on members of the US Congress (i.e. six terms for Representatives, two terms for Senators). H.J.Res.73[7] rejected by the U.S. House 227-204 (a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority, not a simple majority), 3/29/95;
RC #277.
If you look at the roll call vote, Mica voted Yes to the 12-year term limit. Mica has exceeded that “pledge” by 4 years…....
And now also considering the fact that John Mica head butted an ABC camera man, why the heck is he representing Distict 7?
Bottom-line: John Mica is an absolute embarrassment, and irresponsible with our safety and tax-payer monies!
But that's not all, despite his reasonable facade in his own district, he is known to be THE most partisan Bush apologist in Washington DC, with his theatrical performance on C-Span, blaming the financial meltdown with sub-prime mortgage crisis on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,........and John Mica even indirectly puts blame on our President Elect Barack Obama, before he was even elected!!!
Almost 150,000 people voted for Faye Armitage, John Mica's opponent in 2008,........so I guess they don't need to be reminded of what a Hard-Core conservative he is:
See Image above.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Private Investors Place Nation's Transit Agencies at Risk
The Danger of Public Private Partnerships
Mica, who for years has been prmoting the Public Private Partnerships, is suddenly doing an about face. One wonders if this is just a symbolic stunt on his part?
He co-wrote a letter with Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn. to Mary Peters, the Transportation Secretary, to warn agains lack opf transparency with these Public Private Partnerships.
The letter in part says this:
The National Council for Public Private Partnerships has been holding
presentations across the country to educate officials on how to tap private
sector capital to fund public transportation projects, and shift the
construction costs and operational risks to the private sector.Private funding
for public projects isn't new and the number of projects using private funds
seems to be growing.
In late September, John Hancock Life Insurance Co. and two other partners
announced they had won a $2.5 billion, 99-year lease to operate and develop
Chicago Midway Airport. If completed, the airport would be the first privatized
major airport in the U.S. In April, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
announced he would pursue private partnerships to fund transit projects.
Mica, who for years has been prmoting the Public Private Partnerships, is suddenly doing an about face. One wonders if this is just a symbolic stunt on his part?
He co-wrote a letter with Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn. to Mary Peters, the Transportation Secretary, to warn agains lack opf transparency with these Public Private Partnerships.
The letter in part says this:
....the current financial crisis on Wall Street is leading to more and more
so-called public-private partnerships that lack "adequate transparency" to
protect the public's interest."We are particularly concerned about efforts by
private investors to exploit the financial crisis to place a number of the
nation's transit agencies at risk of default and financial collapse," the letter
said.
Is John Mica Snubbing Amtrak AGAIN?
This is from the National Association of Railroad Passengers website,.......seems like no one wants to point out the obvious:
Yet
http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/main/hotline_580/
Why the heck don't we have Amtrak submit a proposal?
Oh yeah, that's right, our gederal government loves to pay "beaucoup" extra for private company profits. That's been their plan for Universal Healthcare too.
Meanwhile, Amtrak finally secured steady funding, something that was sorely missing, and part of the plan to replace Amtrak with a host of unregulated private companies.
"Starving the beast" if you will, as a concerted Repulican effort to make Amtrak irrelevant vs Private rail road companies.
Well, here is what a Democratic controlled Congress finally was able to accomplish:
Public rail gains traction
and:
Amtrak COO and Acting President William Crosbie asserted, “We know how to
do high speed rail.” He said Amtrak is the country’s first HSR
operator, with crews and teams with first-hand experience and
institutional knowledge of the hurdles and the bottlenecks to HSR.
Yet
Section 502 (of H.R. 2095, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement
Act (Amtrak reauthorization and rail safety bill) is the provision that
mandates the U.S. DOT to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) from
private companies or consortia to establish high-speed rail (HSR)
service on any of the 11 federally-designated HSR corridors within 60 days
of bill enactment.
http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/main/hotline_580/
Why the heck don't we have Amtrak submit a proposal?
Oh yeah, that's right, our gederal government loves to pay "beaucoup" extra for private company profits. That's been their plan for Universal Healthcare too.
Meanwhile, Amtrak finally secured steady funding, something that was sorely missing, and part of the plan to replace Amtrak with a host of unregulated private companies.
"Starving the beast" if you will, as a concerted Repulican effort to make Amtrak irrelevant vs Private rail road companies.
Well, here is what a Democratic controlled Congress finally was able to accomplish:
Public rail gains traction
For years, Amtrak has struggled along without dedicated funding. And for
years, Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey has campaigned for permanent funding,
without which Amtrak has been unable to make reliable plans for upgrading
infrastructure, providing new rail cars and building new rail lines.
This legislation lays a framework for funding over the next
five years. The last time Amtrak got multi-year funding was in 1997.
and:
With this funding, Congress is acknowledging the cost effectiveness, energy
efficiency and convenience of rail travel. Steadily increasing ridership numbers
in recent years support those advantages. Amtrak recently reported a record of
28.7 million riders for fiscal year 2008. A little-noticed provision of the
legislation provides grants to states for connecting local rail lines to Amtrak
-- a valuable contribution to the national goal of increasing the use of public
transportation. All this is also a step toward greater transportation balance in
a country where we spend $40 billion on roads, $14 billion on airports and, up
to now, $1 billion on rail. In the past, every request for funds had to begin
with a debate over whether funding Amtrak was a good idea. Now, with the
creation of a benchmark, that question has been answered.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
John Mica's Power Rating Very Low and Getting Lower in Florida Delegation
Look for it to drop futher to 17th or lower, out of 25 Congressmen representing Florida!
Already John Mica's Power Rating is much lower than most might expect of a 16 year incumbent Congressman.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/state.tt?state=FL
Already John Mica's Power Rating is much lower than most might expect of a 16 year incumbent Congressman.
House:
Name
Rank in State
Score
Rank in House
Rep.
Wasserman Schultz (D-FL 20th)
1
38.04
24
Rep.
Boyd (D-FL 2nd)
2
32.86
53
Rep.
Wexler (D-FL 19th)
3
28.54
85
Rep.
Meek (D-FL 17th)
4
28.09
91
Rep.
Putnam (R-FL 12th)
5
26.97
100
Rep.
Mahoney (D-FL 16th)
6
25.89
110
Rep.
Klein (D-FL 22nd)
7
23.72
131
Rep.
Young (R-FL 10th)
8
21.48
150
Rep.
Stearns (R-FL 6th)
9
20.09
160
Rep.
Castor (D-FL 11th)
10
17.37
200
Rep.
Hastings (D-FL 23rd)
11
17.19
202
Rep.
Brown (D-FL 3rd)
12
15.39
229
Rep.
Feeney (R-FL 24th)
13
13.59
261
Rep.
Brown-Waite (R-FL 5th)
14
13.56
263
Rep.
Mica (R-FL 7th)
15
13.52
265
Rep.
Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL 18th)
16
12.54
288
Rep.
Weldon (R-FL 15th)
17
11.93
303
Rep.
Crenshaw (R-FL 4th)
18
10.37
346
Rep.
Diaz-Balart (R-FL 21st)
19
9.65
358
Rep.
Diaz-Balart (R-FL 25th)
20
7.94
379
Rep.
Keller (R-FL 8th)
21
6.83
393
Rep.
Mack (R-FL 14th)
22
6.00
406
Rep.
Buchanan (R-FL 13th)
23
5.85
407
Rep.
Miller (R-FL 1st)
24
5.60
412
Rep.
Bilirakis (R-FL 9th)
25
3.35
429
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/state.tt?state=FL
Thursday, November 13, 2008
John Mica et al's Phony Support for the Military
Here is another prime example of the ribbon-cutting fakery that surrounds the purported military support by Republicans like John Mica:
Members of Military Families Speak Out are condemning comments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs suggesting that the dramatic increase in the suicide rate among young veterans is not connected to the war in Iraq .
The government's "You're On Your Own" or YOYO mentality even extends to those who've sacrificed their lives for our country!
John Mica has repeatedly refused to support the issues that are most important to the Disabled American Veterans. By scoring a 0% with the Disabled American Veterans in 2003, 2004, and 2004 while we were in the midst of two wars overseas, he shows his complete disregard for the needs of our disabled soldiers.
The problem is greed, and it usually comes in the form of delay, deny and deceit.
When will the voters understand that with the wrong people in office, greed will trump need every time?
Do voters really consider helping our veterans as just another "hand-out", while corporate welfare is ok with them?
Members of Military Families Speak Out are condemning comments by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs suggesting that the dramatic increase in the suicide rate among young veterans is not connected to the war in Iraq .
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- November 12, 2008
CONTACT: Sean Donahue, Communications Director -- 617-983-0710 (w), 978-809-8054 (c), press@mfso.org
MILITARY FAMILIES TO VA:
STOP DENYING THAT MILITARY SUICIDES ARE CASUALTIES OF WAR!
The suicide rate among male veterans under the age of 29 is now twice that of the general population.
In an interview aired Monday November 10th on PBS's NewsHour, Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake said that Veterans' suicides are the result of:
"the same kinds of issues that have to do with suicide in the general population. It is issues of failed relationships, senses of hopelessness, transitions in life, that are at the root cause . . . we're not making a direct correlation with combat."
Specialist Scott Eiswert committed suicide in May after being told by a friend that his unit of the Tennessee National Guard would be returning to Iraq . His widow, Tracy Eiswert, a member of Military Families Speak Out, expressed outrage at Secretary Peake's comments:
"I am not a statistic. We are a military family. We are real people with real experiences as a result of my husband's PTSD and his suicide. He wasn't that way before he went to Iraq, he came back changed."
After returning from a tour of duty in Iraq , Spc. Eiswert had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by civilian doctors, but the Veterans Administration denied that his condition was the result of his experiences in Iraq . The Veterans Administration reversed that ruling in August. Tracy Eiswert says:
"It took him having to put a gun in his mouth for the military to admit that the
changes in my husband were a result of the war. If they had admitted that earlier he might still be alive."
Kevin and Joyce Lucey are members of Military Families Speak Out and the parents of Corporal Jeffrey Lucey, a Marine Corps Reservist who suffered severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his service in Iraq in 2003. Shortly after being turned away from a Veterans Administration hospital, Corporal Lucey killed himself on June 22, 2004 . Kevin Lucey said:
"Secretary Peake's words are the kind of self serving comments that this nation does not need to hear from the Veterans Administration and its leadership. This is why many regard this VA administration to be steeped in disgrace and dishonor when it comes to our loved ones. They feel that they need to explain away, rationalize, justify or minimize - instead of committing their resources, time and efforts to create the best healthcare system on God's earth."
Joyce Lucey also had strong words for Secretary Peake:
"This is dishonorable, disgraceful and shameful behavior from someone who is charged with giving the best of care to our warriors.
With this type of message and thinking, Is it any wonder that many of our troops and veterans don't seek help from those who are so callous and uncaring?"
Specialist Joe Hafley, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Military Families Speak Out who has had to fight to get treatment for his own Post Traumatic Stress Disorder , agreed.
Hafley served in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserves from 2004-2005, and his brother, a Major with the U.S. Army Reserves is scheduled to deploy to Iraq early next year.
When Hafley returned from Iraq , the Veterans Administration diagnosed him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and severe depression -- but ruled that none of those conditions were the result of his service in Iraq . He
said:
"My treatment at the VA was belittling and frustrating. To have them diagnose me with PTSD and not attribute it to my service in Iraq is a slap in the face. To have them tell me the problems could be the result of failed relationships rather than the result of my experiences in combat makes me feel that as a veteran I have no place at the VA.
"The thing that is most baffling to me is this 800 pound gorilla in the room not being addressed. Why are we feeling hopeless? Why do we have failed relationships?
The common denominator is we all served in Iraq.
Maybe my feeling of hopelessness is that I served my country with honor and I am still trying to figure out for what reason? For what just cause?
"Secretary Peake, it doesn't matter how many additional mental health workers you hire if you as the person at the top still feel we are just losers that failed to adjust or that we entered our military service unfit. No amount
of false support will help us."
The government's "You're On Your Own" or YOYO mentality even extends to those who've sacrificed their lives for our country!
John Mica has repeatedly refused to support the issues that are most important to the Disabled American Veterans. By scoring a 0% with the Disabled American Veterans in 2003, 2004, and 2004 while we were in the midst of two wars overseas, he shows his complete disregard for the needs of our disabled soldiers.
The problem is greed, and it usually comes in the form of delay, deny and deceit.
When will the voters understand that with the wrong people in office, greed will trump need every time?
Do voters really consider helping our veterans as just another "hand-out", while corporate welfare is ok with them?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
John Mica Won't Protect Central Florida Bridges from Collapsing
I decided to check John Mica out on other votes that affect Transportation in Central Florida.
Low and behold I found John Mica doesn't want our bridges inspected!
Vote 530: H R 3999: National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act
Seems that lack of transportation safety isn't something that bothers Mica.
He even went against the Republican recommended vote on this one, showing him to be even more extremist than his own party:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000689/votes/against-party/
Low and behold I found John Mica doesn't want our bridges inspected!
Vote 530: H R 3999: National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act
Seems that lack of transportation safety isn't something that bothers Mica.
He even went against the Republican recommended vote on this one, showing him to be even more extremist than his own party:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000689/votes/against-party/
Friday, November 7, 2008
Public Transportation in Central Florida
You'd think that someone who's sat on the Transportation Committee forever, would have been able to do a better job on transportation.
John Mica's only claim to fame is a commuter rail project that barely got off the ground, while previous attempts failed miserably. It seems he missed the boat on a light rail project in 1999, with federal funding going elsewhere when it had been slated for Orlando, Central Florida.
The commuter-rail system will use small diesel trains on the railroad tracks of the CSX corridor between DeLand and Poinciana, a distance of 61 miles, providing commuters an alternative to an overburdened Interstate 4.
The plan was developed by U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, after the Orange County Commission rejected his plan to build a light-rail system connecting Downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport in 1999.
I don't think most people remember the failed attempts, but I was reminded here where candidate Faye Armitage debated John Mica on this issue and other important issues affecting the people in District 7: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q
ASCE ( American Society of Civil Engineers) estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to a good condition.With each passing day, aging and overburdened infrastructure threatens the economy and quality of life in every state, city and town in the nation.
Where has John Mica been on this for the past 16 years in US Congress?
Unfortunately Faye Armitage was unable to defeat John Mica this time around.
"Out with the OLD, in with the NEW" didn't happen much anywhere in Florida in their congressional races.
John Mica's only claim to fame is a commuter rail project that barely got off the ground, while previous attempts failed miserably. It seems he missed the boat on a light rail project in 1999, with federal funding going elsewhere when it had been slated for Orlando, Central Florida.
The commuter-rail system will use small diesel trains on the railroad tracks of the CSX corridor between DeLand and Poinciana, a distance of 61 miles, providing commuters an alternative to an overburdened Interstate 4.
The plan was developed by U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, after the Orange County Commission rejected his plan to build a light-rail system connecting Downtown Orlando and the Orlando International Airport in 1999.
I don't think most people remember the failed attempts, but I was reminded here where candidate Faye Armitage debated John Mica on this issue and other important issues affecting the people in District 7: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q
ASCE ( American Society of Civil Engineers) estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed over a five-year period to bring the nation's infrastructure to a good condition.With each passing day, aging and overburdened infrastructure threatens the economy and quality of life in every state, city and town in the nation.
Where has John Mica been on this for the past 16 years in US Congress?
Unfortunately Faye Armitage was unable to defeat John Mica this time around.
"Out with the OLD, in with the NEW" didn't happen much anywhere in Florida in their congressional races.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
VOTING RECORDS MATTER!
If you haven't looked into the Congressional race for Florida's 7th District, you might want to check out this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q&feature=channel
Mica is most famous for the pork he hands out, while his voting record completely gets ignored.
With his brother being the Director of the Florida Petroleum Council, Mica has consistently supported Big Oil:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9xKZX2jsw
Are we ready for Change?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q&feature=channel
Mica is most famous for the pork he hands out, while his voting record completely gets ignored.
With his brother being the Director of the Florida Petroleum Council, Mica has consistently supported Big Oil:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9xKZX2jsw
Are we ready for Change?
Monday, October 27, 2008
John Mica's Voting Record Revealed
I wonder if the voters in District 7 know about this:
- An F score with The Middle Class!!
- A 0% with the Disabled American Veterans in 2003, 2004 and 2005
- A 5% with the League of Conservation Voters
Watch Faye Armitage debate John Mica on Orlando's Local PBS station.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q&NR=1
He takes a lot of credit for things, but never gets called on his voting record. Let him take responsibility.
It is time for Change: Vote Faye Armitage!
John Mica's Voting Record Exposed
And it doesn't look good.
Imagine an F score with The Middle Class!!
Sounds too weird to be true, right?
Well, that's what Faye Armitage said during a debate with him on Orlando's Local PBS station.
Check for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q&NR=1
Imagine an F score with The Middle Class!!
Sounds too weird to be true, right?
Well, that's what Faye Armitage said during a debate with him on Orlando's Local PBS station.
Check for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q&NR=1
Sunday, October 26, 2008
John Mica, a National Embarrassment
Electing to U.S. Congress Faye Armitage of Fruit Cove -- an economist, mother of five, grandmother of three, she raised a disabled son (her son-in-law is in Iraq).
Eight-term incumbent John Mica is way too big for his britches, a national embarrassment. Mica's voted against raising the minimum wage and granting (unpaid) family and medical leave. Mica never apologized for taking money from the likes of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff or head-butting an ABC News cameraman upon leaving Tom DeLay's lobbyist party.
Mica's spends special-interest campaign contributions on travel/hotels/casinos/restaurants/bars/private clubs. See www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com. Ungracious Mica's guilty of goading "liberals," President Clinton ("a little booger") and social welfare recipients ("don't feed the alligators"). But as Record Senior Writer Peter Guinta reported, Mica's given earmarks to campaign contributors (that's corporate welfare). Mica wrote that he flew to Tibet to sell airplanes to China for Boeing (whose PAC contributed thousands to Mica's campaigns).
Economist Armitage will represent all of us and we can be proud to say that we finally have a Congressman who works to help people like us. No ninth term for Mica.
http://staugustine.com/stories/102608/opinions_1026_058.shtml
Eight-term incumbent John Mica is way too big for his britches, a national embarrassment. Mica's voted against raising the minimum wage and granting (unpaid) family and medical leave. Mica never apologized for taking money from the likes of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff or head-butting an ABC News cameraman upon leaving Tom DeLay's lobbyist party.
Mica's spends special-interest campaign contributions on travel/hotels/casinos/restaurants/bars/private clubs. See www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com. Ungracious Mica's guilty of goading "liberals," President Clinton ("a little booger") and social welfare recipients ("don't feed the alligators"). But as Record Senior Writer Peter Guinta reported, Mica's given earmarks to campaign contributors (that's corporate welfare). Mica wrote that he flew to Tibet to sell airplanes to China for Boeing (whose PAC contributed thousands to Mica's campaigns).
Economist Armitage will represent all of us and we can be proud to say that we finally have a Congressman who works to help people like us. No ninth term for Mica.
http://staugustine.com/stories/102608/opinions_1026_058.shtml
Friday, October 24, 2008
Saddest Displays of Partisan Politics in Washington
This has got to be one of the saddest displays of partisan politics in
Washington, a system that oftentimes places a much higher priority on assigning
blame to the folks on the other side of the aisle rather than attempting to
understand the problems they are charged with solving.Let's be clear. There is plenty of blame to go around here - Alan Greenspan, Fannie and Freddie, Countrywide, hedge funds (also scheduled for after the election), rating
agencies, the SEC, individual homeowners, Wall Street firms ... the list is very
long.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/101680-pathetic-display-at-yesterday-s-financial-hearings
Mr. Mica is shown taping a sheet of paper in front of his microphone. What a circus!!!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Are Minorities to blame?
This is what Daniel Gross in Newsweek reports:
Shame on you Mica, trying to cover up your own lack of oversight in the Government Reform and Oversight committee!
Here is another blogger's astute comments:
Oft-Repeated GOP Lie Exposed by ex-Lehman CEO
Subprime Suspects
The right blames the credit crisis on poor minority homeowners.
This is not merely offensive, but entirely wrong.The subtext: if only Congress
didn't force banks to lend money to poorminorities, the Dow would be well on its
way to 36,000.At Monday's hearing, Republican Rep. John Mica of Florida
gamelytried to pin Lehman's demise on Fannie and Freddie. After comparing
Lehman's small political contributions to Fannie and Freddie's much larger ones,
Mica asked Fuld what role Fannie and Freddie's failure played in Lehman's
demise.Fuld's response: "de minimis."
Lending money to poor people doesn't make you poor. Lending money poorly to rich people does.
Shame on you Mica, trying to cover up your own lack of oversight in the Government Reform and Oversight committee!
Here is another blogger's astute comments:
Oft-Repeated GOP Lie Exposed by ex-Lehman CEO
So there you have it folks. The former CEO of Lehman Brothers telling you
under oath, that Fannie and Freddie had absolutely ZERO to do with the Wall
Street meltdown.Indeed, as a column in today's Newsweek points out, the Community Reinvestment Act, which GOPers from John McCain to Ron Paul have fingered as root cause of the meltdown, only applies to depository banks. In case you haven't noticed, it is depository banks like Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase that are still standing, and purchasing up failed investment banks like Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch.
In other words, this whole nonsense is misdirection intended to distract attention from the root cause of the meltdown, the deregulation of the financial markets by the GOP buddies of the Wall Street fat cats.
Are Minorities to Blame?
This is what Daniel Gross in Newsweek reports:
Shame on you Mica, trying to cover up your own lack of oversight in the Government Reform and Oversight committee!
Subprime Suspects
The right blames the credit crisis on poor minority homeowners. This is not merely offensive, but entirely wrong.
The subtext: if only Congress didn't force banks to lend money to poor
minorities, the Dow would be well on its way to 36,000.
At Monday's hearing, Republican Rep. John Mica of Florida gamely
tried to pin Lehman's demise on Fannie and Freddie. After comparing Lehman's small political contributions to Fannie and Freddie's much larger ones, Mica asked Fuld what role Fannie and Freddie's failure played in Lehman's demise.
Fuld's response: "de minimis."
Lending money to poor people doesn't make you poor. Lending money poorly to rich people does.
Shame on you Mica, trying to cover up your own lack of oversight in the Government Reform and Oversight committee!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
John Mica Turns $15,000 into $1 Million (or two)
No it wasn't hard work, ...........it was taking advantage of a government give-away.
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/util/printready.asp?id=957
The giveaway
The man who said those words was former Federal Communications Commission chairman Mark S. Fowler, who was in charge of the giveaway. The date was March 30, 1985. Fowler was addressing a Senate subcommittee on communications, trying to get Congress to help him turn off the spigot of public money. It was a frustrating time for Fowler; nothing was done, and the result was a five-year opportunity for a few thousand sharpies in and out of government. Fowler’s welfare program was John Mica’s ticket to easy millions.
It was called the cellular telephone service lottery. On announced occasions, beginning in 1984, in a windowless room on the eighth floor of the FCC building, three big air-blown tanks full ofpingpong balls were activated as groups of 30 to 50 anxious players looked on. Like Meyer Lansky or a Wisconsin tribe, the federal government was in the gambling business. But players of FCC Cellular Bingo, unlike the naive pigeons of Vegas, placed their bets for free or nearly free.And payoffs ranged from a few million dollars to hundreds of millions.
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/util/printready.asp?id=957
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
John Mica Turns $15,000 into $1 Million (or two)
No it wasn't hard work, ...........it was taking advantage of a government give-away.
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/util/printready.asp?id=957
The giveaway
The man who said those words was former
Federal Communications Commission chairman Mark S. Fowler, who was in charge of
the giveaway. The date was March 30, 1985. Fowler was addressing a Senate
subcommittee on communications, trying to get Congress to help him turn off the
spigot of public money.
It was a frustrating time for Fowler; nothing was
done, and the result was a five-year opportunity for a few thousand sharpies in
and out of government. Fowler’s welfare program was John Mica’s ticket
to easy millions.
It was called the cellular telephone service
lottery.
On announced occasions, beginning in 1984, in a windowless
room on the eighth floor of the FCC building, three big air-blown tanks full of
pingpong balls were activated as groups of 30 to 50 anxious players looked on.
Like Meyer Lansky or a Wisconsin tribe, the federal government was in the
gambling business. But players of FCC Cellular Bingo, unlike the naive pigeons
of Vegas, placed their bets for free or nearly free. And payoffs ranged from a
few million dollars to hundreds of millions.
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/util/printready.asp?id=957
Friday, August 22, 2008
Faye Armitage Signs Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative
Bi-Partisan Group of Congressional Candidates Support Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative
Staten Island, NY - former Assemblyman Bob Straniere, the conservative Republican candidate for Congress in New York’s 13th District, announced the initial list of congressional candidates joining The Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative today. The program aims to have Congress hire more wounded military veterans and their families to their congressional staffs.
The Straniere Pledge is to hire at least one-third of his congressional staff from the ranks of American’s wounded military veterans or members of their immediate families. The Wounded Warriors Workplace Initiative is open to all wounded military veteran families regardless of where or when they served. Bob Straniere asked other congressional candidates to make the same pledge when he announced the initiative last week.
Bob Straniere said, “We have received an amazing amount of support from all over our nation for The Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative. Democrats, Republicans and Independents have made The Straniere Pledge. This is a non-partisan effort and the nationwide movement continues to spread every day.”
Below are comments from some of the congressional candidates who have made The Straniere Pledge:
Democratic congressional candidate, Joel Gill from the 3rd District of Mississippi said when making the pledge, “These brave men and women gave their best and now it is our time to return what we can to them and their families.” For more information abut Joel Gill, please visit his website http://www.gillforcongress.org/.
Republican congressional candidate, Dan Mansell from the 2nd District of North Carolina said when making the pledge, “being a veteran myself, I feel we need to do everything we can to support our wounded soldiers.” For more information about Dan Mansell, please visit his website http://www.danmansell.com/.
Steve Beren, the Republican congressional candidate for the 7th District of Washington said when making the pledge, “Support for our nation’s veterans and active duty troops has been a paramount issue in my campaign, so I salute Bob Straniere’s initiative, and gladly commit to implementing the pledge with regard to my congressional staff if the voters send me to D.C.” For more information about Steve Beren, please visit his website http://www.berenforcongress.com/.
Republican congressional candidate, Delia Lopez from the 3rd District of Oregon said when making the pledge, “Being someone who has had family in the military, I support this initiative because the veterans are the ones who keep us being free.” For more information about Delia Lopez, please visit her website http://www.dlopezforcongress.com/.
Democratic congressional candidate, Paul Renneisen from the 22nd District of Florida said when making the pledge, “without question I support this great initiative and I have already hired a veteran on my staff.” For more information about Pual Renneisen, please visit his website http://www.renneisen2008.com/.
Bert Copple, Republican congressional candidate for Michigan’s 12th District said when making the pledge, “Employers often find it difficult understanding how military experience translates into real world experience. Things like leadership, loyalty, perseverance and duty are often overlooked. This pledge means more than just hiring wounded heroes - it’s an initiative to educate employers about the benefits of hiring veterans.” Copple continued, “I understand what our veterans go through, because I am a decorated Iraq War veteran living and working with a disability. That’s why I’m proud to make this pledge.” For more information about Bert Copple, please visit his website http://www.bertcopple.com/.
Texas Republican, John Faulk, who is a congressional candidate in the 18th District said when making the pledge, “As a veteran, I believe we should do everything possible to support all of our veterans.” For more information about John Faulk, please visit his website http://www.faulkforcongress.org/.
Lee Ferrell, who is a Republican congressional candidate in the 2nd District of Georgia said when making the pledge, “We can sleep safely at night thanks to what these brave men and women have done for our country.” For more information about Lee Ferrell, please visit his website http://www.leeferrell.com/.
Republican candidate for the 11th District of North Carolina, Carl Mumpower, said when making the pledge, “This initiative is a commendable effort to bring attention to veterans and their families.” For more information about Carl Mumpower, please visit his website http://www.mumpower08.com/.
Albert Spencer, the Republican candidate for the 5th District of South Carolina said when making the pledge, “I greatly support the initiative and I have already employed veterans for my staff.” For more information about Albert Spencer, please visit his website http://www.spencer4congress.com/.
Republican candidate for the 2nd District of Nevada, James Smack said when making the pledge, “I think this is an awesome idea and a great plan. I fully support the initiative.” For more information about James Smack please visit his website http://www.jamessmack.com/
Even two congressional candidates who recently lost the Republican primary in the 4th District of Tennessee made the pledge. Kent Greenough said, “Bob Straniere shows both leadership and compassion in his outspoken support of The Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative. This demonstrates his willingness to take action and not just issue ‘feel good’ press releases. Bravo for Bob!” Greenough continued, “I can only hope the Members of our Congress will follow his lead.” Donald Strong stated, “As a Vietnam-era veteran, I take great pride in the actions taken by Bob Straniere. Bob’s Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative is exactly what I would expect from a fellow veteran and patriot. Our Nation needs leaders like Bob Straniere, leader that are willing to stand up for those who would sacrifice life and limb so that others can continue to enjoy the freedom and privileges our great nation provides.” For more information about Kent Greenough and Donald Strong please visit their websites, http://www.kentgreenough.com/ and http://www.donaldstrong.com/.
United States Senate Candidate, Dr. Steve Sauerberg, has also joined The Wounded Warriors Workplace Initiative as the first U.S. Senate candidate to make The Straniere Pledge. Dr. Sauerberg is running for Senate in Illinois. For more information about Dr. Sauerberg, please visit his website http://www.sauerberg2008.com/.
In addition, the following congressional candidates have also made The Straniere Pledge:Charles Hargrave - California’s 9th District (Republican)David Crowlely - California’s 33rd District: http://www.crowley08.com/ (Republican)
Christopher Balding - California’s 34th District: http://www.baldingforcongress.com/ (Republican)
John Roberts - California’s 43rd District: http://www.johnbroberts.com/ (Republican)
David Lee Joy - California’s 51st District: http://www.davidleejoy.com/ (Republican)
Mark Mulligan - Florida’s 2nd District http://www.markmulliganforcongress.com/ (Republican)
Faye Armitage - Florida’s 7th District: www.FayeForCongress.com (Democrat)
Kevin Lehoullier - Florida’s 15th District (Republican)
Allen West - Florida’s 22nd District: http://www.allenwestforcongress.com/ (Republican)
Marion Thorpe - Florida’s 23rd District: http://www.marionthorpe.com/ (Republican)
Thomas E. “Pinkston” Harris - Maryland’s 3rd District: (Republican)David Dillon - Minnesota’s 3rd District: http://www.dillonforcongress.org/ (Independent)
Greg Gloeckner - Missouri’s 7th District: http://www.gloecknerforcongress.com/ (Democrat)
Roland Straten - New Jersey’s 8th District: http://www.rolandstraten.com/ (Republican)
Lee Zeldin - New York’s 1st District: http://www.zeldin08.com/ (Republican)Duane Grassell - Ohio’s 17th District: http://www.grassellforcongress.info/ (Republican)
Bob Straniere announced he will be meeting with leaders of Staten Island and Brooklyn’s Veterans Group to discuss implementing The Wounded Warriors Workplace Initiative on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. At 2 p.m. Bob will be meeting in Staten Island at 885 Annadale Road and at 4 p.m. he will be meeting in Brooklyn at The VFW Hall located at 9312 4th Avenue.
To learn more about Bob Straniere’s campaign please visit his website http://www.bobstraniere.com/.
Staten Island, NY - former Assemblyman Bob Straniere, the conservative Republican candidate for Congress in New York’s 13th District, announced the initial list of congressional candidates joining The Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative today. The program aims to have Congress hire more wounded military veterans and their families to their congressional staffs.
The Straniere Pledge is to hire at least one-third of his congressional staff from the ranks of American’s wounded military veterans or members of their immediate families. The Wounded Warriors Workplace Initiative is open to all wounded military veteran families regardless of where or when they served. Bob Straniere asked other congressional candidates to make the same pledge when he announced the initiative last week.
Bob Straniere said, “We have received an amazing amount of support from all over our nation for The Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative. Democrats, Republicans and Independents have made The Straniere Pledge. This is a non-partisan effort and the nationwide movement continues to spread every day.”
Below are comments from some of the congressional candidates who have made The Straniere Pledge:
Democratic congressional candidate, Joel Gill from the 3rd District of Mississippi said when making the pledge, “These brave men and women gave their best and now it is our time to return what we can to them and their families.” For more information abut Joel Gill, please visit his website http://www.gillforcongress.org/.
Republican congressional candidate, Dan Mansell from the 2nd District of North Carolina said when making the pledge, “being a veteran myself, I feel we need to do everything we can to support our wounded soldiers.” For more information about Dan Mansell, please visit his website http://www.danmansell.com/.
Steve Beren, the Republican congressional candidate for the 7th District of Washington said when making the pledge, “Support for our nation’s veterans and active duty troops has been a paramount issue in my campaign, so I salute Bob Straniere’s initiative, and gladly commit to implementing the pledge with regard to my congressional staff if the voters send me to D.C.” For more information about Steve Beren, please visit his website http://www.berenforcongress.com/.
Republican congressional candidate, Delia Lopez from the 3rd District of Oregon said when making the pledge, “Being someone who has had family in the military, I support this initiative because the veterans are the ones who keep us being free.” For more information about Delia Lopez, please visit her website http://www.dlopezforcongress.com/.
Democratic congressional candidate, Paul Renneisen from the 22nd District of Florida said when making the pledge, “without question I support this great initiative and I have already hired a veteran on my staff.” For more information about Pual Renneisen, please visit his website http://www.renneisen2008.com/.
Bert Copple, Republican congressional candidate for Michigan’s 12th District said when making the pledge, “Employers often find it difficult understanding how military experience translates into real world experience. Things like leadership, loyalty, perseverance and duty are often overlooked. This pledge means more than just hiring wounded heroes - it’s an initiative to educate employers about the benefits of hiring veterans.” Copple continued, “I understand what our veterans go through, because I am a decorated Iraq War veteran living and working with a disability. That’s why I’m proud to make this pledge.” For more information about Bert Copple, please visit his website http://www.bertcopple.com/.
Texas Republican, John Faulk, who is a congressional candidate in the 18th District said when making the pledge, “As a veteran, I believe we should do everything possible to support all of our veterans.” For more information about John Faulk, please visit his website http://www.faulkforcongress.org/.
Lee Ferrell, who is a Republican congressional candidate in the 2nd District of Georgia said when making the pledge, “We can sleep safely at night thanks to what these brave men and women have done for our country.” For more information about Lee Ferrell, please visit his website http://www.leeferrell.com/.
Republican candidate for the 11th District of North Carolina, Carl Mumpower, said when making the pledge, “This initiative is a commendable effort to bring attention to veterans and their families.” For more information about Carl Mumpower, please visit his website http://www.mumpower08.com/.
Albert Spencer, the Republican candidate for the 5th District of South Carolina said when making the pledge, “I greatly support the initiative and I have already employed veterans for my staff.” For more information about Albert Spencer, please visit his website http://www.spencer4congress.com/.
Republican candidate for the 2nd District of Nevada, James Smack said when making the pledge, “I think this is an awesome idea and a great plan. I fully support the initiative.” For more information about James Smack please visit his website http://www.jamessmack.com/
Even two congressional candidates who recently lost the Republican primary in the 4th District of Tennessee made the pledge. Kent Greenough said, “Bob Straniere shows both leadership and compassion in his outspoken support of The Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative. This demonstrates his willingness to take action and not just issue ‘feel good’ press releases. Bravo for Bob!” Greenough continued, “I can only hope the Members of our Congress will follow his lead.” Donald Strong stated, “As a Vietnam-era veteran, I take great pride in the actions taken by Bob Straniere. Bob’s Wounded Warrior Workplace Initiative is exactly what I would expect from a fellow veteran and patriot. Our Nation needs leaders like Bob Straniere, leader that are willing to stand up for those who would sacrifice life and limb so that others can continue to enjoy the freedom and privileges our great nation provides.” For more information about Kent Greenough and Donald Strong please visit their websites, http://www.kentgreenough.com/ and http://www.donaldstrong.com/.
United States Senate Candidate, Dr. Steve Sauerberg, has also joined The Wounded Warriors Workplace Initiative as the first U.S. Senate candidate to make The Straniere Pledge. Dr. Sauerberg is running for Senate in Illinois. For more information about Dr. Sauerberg, please visit his website http://www.sauerberg2008.com/.
In addition, the following congressional candidates have also made The Straniere Pledge:Charles Hargrave - California’s 9th District (Republican)David Crowlely - California’s 33rd District: http://www.crowley08.com/ (Republican)
Christopher Balding - California’s 34th District: http://www.baldingforcongress.com/ (Republican)
John Roberts - California’s 43rd District: http://www.johnbroberts.com/ (Republican)
David Lee Joy - California’s 51st District: http://www.davidleejoy.com/ (Republican)
Mark Mulligan - Florida’s 2nd District http://www.markmulliganforcongress.com/ (Republican)
Faye Armitage - Florida’s 7th District: www.FayeForCongress.com (Democrat)
Kevin Lehoullier - Florida’s 15th District (Republican)
Allen West - Florida’s 22nd District: http://www.allenwestforcongress.com/ (Republican)
Marion Thorpe - Florida’s 23rd District: http://www.marionthorpe.com/ (Republican)
Thomas E. “Pinkston” Harris - Maryland’s 3rd District: (Republican)David Dillon - Minnesota’s 3rd District: http://www.dillonforcongress.org/ (Independent)
Greg Gloeckner - Missouri’s 7th District: http://www.gloecknerforcongress.com/ (Democrat)
Roland Straten - New Jersey’s 8th District: http://www.rolandstraten.com/ (Republican)
Lee Zeldin - New York’s 1st District: http://www.zeldin08.com/ (Republican)Duane Grassell - Ohio’s 17th District: http://www.grassellforcongress.info/ (Republican)
Bob Straniere announced he will be meeting with leaders of Staten Island and Brooklyn’s Veterans Group to discuss implementing The Wounded Warriors Workplace Initiative on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. At 2 p.m. Bob will be meeting in Staten Island at 885 Annadale Road and at 4 p.m. he will be meeting in Brooklyn at The VFW Hall located at 9312 4th Avenue.
To learn more about Bob Straniere’s campaign please visit his website http://www.bobstraniere.com/.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
FAYE ARMITAGE, The People's Voice in Congress!
........For Economic Justice
........For Energy Independence
........For Healthcare Security
I attended a fundraising dinner at Amici's in St Augustine for her and was very impressed with her speech. Faye Armitage is the ONLY candidate in the race against John Mica who has already worked on the issues that matter most to the people in Congressional District 7. Check out her website at: www.FayeforCongress.com
........For Energy Independence
........For Healthcare Security
I attended a fundraising dinner at Amici's in St Augustine for her and was very impressed with her speech. Faye Armitage is the ONLY candidate in the race against John Mica who has already worked on the issues that matter most to the people in Congressional District 7. Check out her website at: www.FayeforCongress.com
FAYE ARMITAGE: The People's Voice in Congress
........For Economic Justice
........For Energy Independence
........For Healthcare Security
I attended a fundraising dinner at Amici's in St Augustine for her and was very impressed with her speech. Faye Armitage is the ONLY candidate in the race against John Mica who has already worked on the issues that matter most to the people in Congressional District 7.
Check out her website at: http://www.fayeforcongress.com/
........For Energy Independence
........For Healthcare Security
I attended a fundraising dinner at Amici's in St Augustine for her and was very impressed with her speech. Faye Armitage is the ONLY candidate in the race against John Mica who has already worked on the issues that matter most to the people in Congressional District 7.
Check out her website at: http://www.fayeforcongress.com/
Thursday, July 31, 2008
STOP Medicare Cuts of 10% in Dr. Payments
Veterans and Vet orgs lobbied long & hard to get this passed..the President vetoed it. But the House & Senate were able to override his veto, no thanks to John Mica.
Raise Hell with John Mica! Or better yet: VOTE HIM OUT OF OFFICE!!!
From: Veterans Helping Veterans Support Group Forum
the US Senate overrode the President's Veto of HR 6331 which would
replace the 10.6% cut in Medicare/Tricare cuts in physician reimbursements with a
modest increase of 1.1%.
Raise Hell with John Mica! Or better yet: VOTE HIM OUT OF OFFICE!!!
From: Veterans Helping Veterans Support Group Forum
Monday, July 28, 2008
John Mica = The Past
John Mica does not look to the future. His voting record shows that he is clearly stuck in the past and intends on staying there.
Voted NO on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies.
Creating Long-term Energy Alternatives for the Nation (CLEAN) Act
- Title I: Ending Subsidies for Big Oil Act--denying a deduction for income attributable to domestic production of oil, natural gas, or their related primary products.
- Title II: Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act--to incorporate specified price thresholds for royalties on oil & gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Title III: Strategic Energy Efficiency And Renewables Reserve--makes the Reserve available to accelerate the use of clean domestic renewable energy resources and alternative fuels.
Voted NO on investing in homegrown biofuel.
H.R.3221: New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act: Moving toward greater energy independence and security, developing innovative new technologies, reducing carbon emissions, creating green jobs, protecting consumers, increasing clean renewable energy production, modernizing our energy infrastructure, and providing tax incentives for the production of renewable energy and energy conservation.
Voted NO on regulating the subprime mortgage industry.
H.R.3915: To reform consumer mortgage practices and provide accountability for such practices, to establish licensing and registration requirements for residential mortgage originators. Prohibits certain creditor practices with respect to high-cost mortgages, including:
- recommending default on an existing loan in connection with closing of a high-cost mortgage
- steering incentives to mortgage originators
- exercising sole discretion to accelerate indebtedness
- single premium credit insurance and
- negative amortization mortgages.
Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels.
Require a combined corporate average fuel efficiency [CAFE] standard for passenger automobiles and light trucks, including sport utility vehicles, of 26 mpg in 2005 and of 27.5 mpg in 2007. It also would offer incentives for alternative fuel vehicles.
Bill HR 4 ; vote number 2001-311 on Aug 1, 2001
Voted NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol.
Vote on an amendment that would allow the implementation of the portions of the Kyoto climate change treaty that are already allowed under law. The Kyoto protocol of 1997, which aims to reduce emissions of certain greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, has not been ratified by the United States. The amendment would allow federal agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] to implement procedures already allowed under law that are also part of the Kyoto accord before the treaty is ratified by Congress.
Reference: Amendment sponsored by Olver, D-MA; Bill HR 4690 ; vote number 2000-323 on Jun 26, 2000
Voted NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility.
Allows State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), that require state legislation to meet additional requirements imposed by this Act, additional time to make required plan changes. Pres. Bush vetoed this bill on Dec. 12, 2007, as well as a version (HR976) from Feb. 2007.
Voted NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D.
Would require negotiating with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to prescription drug plan sponsors for covered Medicare part D drugs.
These are just a few of John Mica's rubber stamp votes with the Bush administration.
Mica Votes NO to Relief for Homeowners
Florida is one of the states worst hit by the foreclosure crisis, . . . so many of our state residents have been devastated by losing their homes.
Many Republicans, particularly those from areas hit hardest by housing woes, were eager to get behind a housing rescue as they looked ahead to tough re-election contests. But NOT John Mica who decided to vote NO to the Homeowner Rescue Bill!
As always we can count on John Mica to be the rubberstamp for Bush, since Bush had long threatened to veto the bill:
In a rare Saturday session, the Senate voted 72-13 to send the bill to the President; the House had passed it Wednesday on a vote of 272-152 to provide mortgage relief for some 400,000 struggling homeowners.
Though Bush dropped his opposition to the measure just hours before the House vote, Mica was unrelenting. Adding yet another reason why Mica scores an F with http://www.themiddleclass.org/
Many Republicans, particularly those from areas hit hardest by housing woes, were eager to get behind a housing rescue as they looked ahead to tough re-election contests. But NOT John Mica who decided to vote NO to the Homeowner Rescue Bill!
As always we can count on John Mica to be the rubberstamp for Bush, since Bush had long threatened to veto the bill:
The bill would let hundreds of thousands of homeowners trapped in mortgages they can't afford on homes that have plummeted in value try to escape foreclosure by refinancing into more affordable, fixed-rate loans backed by the Federal Housing
Administration. Lenders would have to agree to take a substantial loss on the existing loans, and in return, they would walk away with at least some payoff and avoid the often-costly foreclosure process.
In a rare Saturday session, the Senate voted 72-13 to send the bill to the President; the House had passed it Wednesday on a vote of 272-152 to provide mortgage relief for some 400,000 struggling homeowners.
Though Bush dropped his opposition to the measure just hours before the House vote, Mica was unrelenting. Adding yet another reason why Mica scores an F with http://www.themiddleclass.org/
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