Most Idiotic Congressman in America: John Mica

John Mica spoke to the teabagger anti-health care reform crowd gathered at the Bachmann Tea Party Overdrive in Washington Wenesday to try and stop progress. And while the Congressional Budget office issued a report critical of the Republican health care plan saying that it would reduce the federal deficit by $36 million less than the Democratic plan ( Republicans want to cover only 3 million uninsured vs coverage for 39 million uninsured in the Democratic plan), only one lone Congressman was illustrating the ethical obligation we have to enact health care reform.

On the House floor this week, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) read off the estimated number of people represented in Republican congressional districts who will die next year due to a lack of health insurance.

Here are Grayson’s numbers for congressional districts in Florida:

Florida District 1, Jeff Miller: 130 dead
Florida District 4, Ander Crenshaw: 116 dead
Florida District 5, Ginny Brown-Waite: 200 dead
Florida District 6, Cliff Stearns: 152 dead
Florida District 7, John Mica: 143 dead
Florida District 9, Gus Bilirakis: 129 dead
Florida District 10, Bill Young: 138 dead
Florida District 12, Adam Putnam: 133 dead
Florida District 13, Vern Buchanan: 160 dead
Florida District 14, Connie Mack: 159 dead
Florida District 15, Bill Posey: 152 dead
Florida District 16, Thomas Rooney: 165 dead
Florida District 18, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: 199 dead
Florida District 21, Lincoln Diaz-Balart: 195 dead
Florida District 25, Mario Diaz-Balart: 195 dead

Here is John Mica's Most Idiotic response:

He said Democratic leaders were "well-intentioned" but "missed the mark" in part
because the bill did not include tort reform for malpractice lawsuits."They
[doctors] practice defensive medicine, and they cover themselves with tests and
paperwork to protect themselves against lawsuits," said Mica, who added this
approach drove up costs. "People should get payment when there's malpractice,
but you do have to get a handle on that [lawsuits]."

It's such a tired old response, just directed at the uninformed. A quick look at the list of unnecessary and wasteful medical expenses ( over $800 billion per year), which make up one third of all medical expenditures in the US, shows that the bulk is due to overuse of antibiotics and lab tests (37%)......."Medicine has become a pig trough", fraud (22%), administrative inefficiencies (18%) and medical errors (11%):

The U.S. healthcare system is just as wasteful as President Barack Obama says it is, and proposed reforms could be paid for by fixing some of the most obvious inefficiencies, preventing mistakes and fighting fraud, according to a Thomson Reuters report released on Monday.
The U.S. healthcare system wastes between $505 billion and $850 billion every year, the report from Robert Kelley, vice president of healthcare analytics at Thomson Reuters, found.
"America's healthcare system is indeed hemorrhaging billions
of dollars, and the opportunities to slow the fiscal bleeding are
substantial," the report reads.
"The bad news is that an estimated $700 billion is wasted annually. That's one-third of the nation's healthcare bill," Kelley said in a statement.
"The good news is that by attacking waste we can reduce healthcare costs without adversely affecting the quality of care or access to care."

Making our healthcare system more simple and efficient will help us cover the uninsured without incurring additional expenses, but too many vested interests are making money of this corrupt system.

John Mica Reads Teabagger Scroll on House Floor!

Late yesterday news broke that the moderate Republican Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, candidate in the hard-fought special election in New York's 23rd Congressional district, had been driven out and the Republican party was throwing their weight behind the Palin/Limbaugh/Glen Beck endorsed radical tea party candidate instead.

Today, the moderate Republican threw her support behind our proud Democratic candidate Bill Owens.

It has never been clearer that the Republican Party has been hijacked by extreme right wing ideologues with a radical agenda that would effectively dismantle Social Security and Medicare, and are out of step with a vast majority of Americans.Eight extreme right wing groups spent more than $1 million on this campaign including the Minute Men, Club for Growth and the Family Research Council.

Now comes word that John Mica Has Read the Teabagger Manifesto in a really theatrical presentation with a Scroll no less, on the House Floor. Video here:

Rep. Mica Reads Teabagger Scroll on House Floor!

John Mica Votes Against Defense Spending

Obama this week signed the Hate Crimes Bill into law:

More than 77,000 hate-crime incidents were reported by the FBI between 1998 and
2007, or "nearly one hate crime for every hour of every day over the span of a decade," Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee in June.
The FBI, Holder added, reported 7,624 hate-crime incidents in 2007, the most current year with complete data.

The Hate Crimes Act was included in the Defense Spending Bill, and was the sick reason John Mica for the first time in his life voted against defense spending:

After decades of defaming every Democrat, every liberal of any kind, progressive politics in general and anyone who opposes their party’s line, as “weak on defense” or “soft on crime”, often using the most convoluted rhetoric to make the defamatory claims, 28 Republican senators and 131 Republican House members have now voted to cut off funding for the US military in order to give special rights to violent criminals driven by hate.
These 159 Republicans in Congress voted against the Defense funding authorization bill, because it included the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expands federal hate crimes law to punish attacks motivated by bias against gays.

John Mica in Anti-Stimulus Hall of Shame

Despite voting NO on the stimulus bill, John Mica immediately started taking credit for our nation receiving stimulus monies:

Representative John Mica (FL-07) - "I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future." [Congressman John Mica Press Release; 2/13/09] Mica was also one of "Nine GOP House members from Florida, all stimulus no's, joined nine of their Democratic colleagues, all yesses, in asking the feds to grant a waiver giving them access to, you guessed it, hundreds of millions in state stabilization stimulus cash (for education)."

[Politico; 2/19/09]

Then he turns around and does NOT support High Speed Rail for his own state!

Ill-Fated Sunrail Project Cost Tax-Payers $832,000 For Public Relations

But that's not all. The total state tax-payer monies already spent on Central Florida Commuter Rail: a whopping $80 million.

Florida lawmakers this spring voted to kill Central Florida’s planned commuter-rail system, but state contractors still made nearly $44 million on the deal.
That’s how much the state Department of Transportation spent on nearly 60 contracts tied to SunRail, according to documents released Wednesday.
The total does not reflect all spending on the ill-fated project. For example, it does not include money spend on right-of-way acquisition. ( estimated at $20 million)
But it does include costs such as $802,000 on public relations, $91,000 for archaeological services and $30,000 for a website.

Yet Florida refuses to support the already existing South Florida Commuter Rail, Tri-Rail:

Legislators have previously rejected a proposed $2 surcharge on car rentals to
finance commuter-rail projects. That was despite the possibility that the state might have to give back some $256 million in federal aid if it
does not provide a continuing funding source for Tri-Rail.

The Sunrail project has failed twice and incredibly talk of it being resurrected is once again in the news. This time, let's investigate the special interests at work before proceeding with this ill-fated project.

But what the Orlando Republican did not reveal is that the engineering firm that bears his family name has received $1.7-million from the state to do survey and mapping work for the controversial CSX project in Central Florida. Nor did Precourt disclose his ties when he voted for the deal last session, as some other lawmakers have when their public and private interests appeared to overlap.
Now, CSX is back under the SunRail moniker, and a fight is brewing
-- one that will shine more light on advocates like Precourt.

Just one blatant example of the "personal" gains are at stake here.

Besides, the ill-fated project is said to reduce congestion on I-4 by reducing traffic by just 2%:

As a point of comparison, the Light Rail Transit System in the I-4 corridor had
a cost of $600 million and was voted DOWN by Orange County voters. It had a
ridership in excess of 24,000 per day.
Give the voters a choice between light rail (I-4 corridor) with 24,000 trips a day and commuter rail (on CSX tracks) with 3500 trips a day.

Now doesn't that makes sense!!

John Mica Solely Focused on US/Turkish Relations

The Sunlight Foundation has an interesting list tracking Foreign Lobbying Influence, and here are the results for John Mica:

John Mica, the Republican Representative in Florida's 7th District, appears solely focused on the nation of Turkey, meeting with lobbyists 5 times in 2007 about the
country. His donor list includes lobbyists representing New Zealand and
the United Arab Emirates.

http://jaxpoliticsonline.com/2009/10/11/jacksonville-area-congressmen-have-interesting-foreign-ties/

Sunrail based on Corporate Socialist Model of Florida

Before the Central Florida CSX commuter line is reborn, let's have a look at its start:

This plan, it seems to me, represents the apotheosis of the Florida land boom mirage of the middle of this decade. Everything about it screams early 2005. It’s the product of 2005 land values, hammered out by an imperial, sunshine-be-damned Republican governor who got rich through the classic “conservative” paths of inheritance and developer welfare and by John Mica, a corporate socialist Republican congressman who raised tons of campaign cash from Big Freight Rail and later was against stimulus spending before he was for it.

It relied upon perpetual 45 degree upward growth projections for Florida’s population and international shipping container traffic, not to mention contributions from local governments that signed on when they were artificially flush with property boom tax money. CSX and company dressed up all of this in the language of progressive priorities like transit and emissions reduction – "greenwashing,” it’s called.

The crash of the housing bubble, and all that ensued, eviscerated much of the underlying logic of the plan. The deal would have committed itself — and our money — to a model of Florida that no longer exists.

Billy Townsend in Lakeland Local also points out this:

I always considered this plan harmful to the long-term prospects of rail throughout Florida because of its cost, geographical patterns, and commitment to use CSX’s lines on CSX’s usurious terms. Those people who claimed it was a stepping stone for other rail systems never, ever explained how that could be.

The Central Florida CSX commuter Rail was a complicated plan, and Orlando would have done better to have refocused on Light Rail like Tampa is currently doing:

TBARTA has put together what seems to me a reasonable,
well-conceived plan that lays out a series of multi-modal projects and projected costs – starting with light rail [as Orlando should have] – and making it clear that it all requires publicly approved funding. Tampa and Hillsborough County may place a sales tax referendum on the ballot in 2010 to fund a light rail program. The Orlando plan had no such ongoing funding base, just a commitment from local county governments to cough up money they don’t have, forever.

Well, well, John Mica is at it again,.........this time he's trying to get dedicated High Speed Rail funding to pay for his Pet Project, and CRX give-away, on the basis that it might feed into the High Speed Rail that Mica doesn't really want for Florida:

http://hhbslawblog.com/news/articles/8.24.09%20State%20asks%20feds%20for%20$270%20million%20for%20commuter%20rail.pdf

The state is seeking $270 million in federal aid to help pay for
the planned SunRail commuter train that would run through
Central Florida.
An application filed Monday with the Federal Railroad
Administration said the money would be used to help offset
the $1.2 billion cost of SunRail, which would link DeLand in
Volusia County with downtown Orlando and Poinciana in
Osceola County.
The federal money would come from an at least $8 billion fund set aside to build high-speed trains in the country, plus some related projects.

Florida also wants $2.5 billion for a train that could hit 150 mph on a 90-mile route between Orlando International Airport and downtown Tampa, with a midway stop in Lakeland. A final application for that project is due Oct. 2.

The 51-page application sent in Monday would lighten the financial load on the state, as well as the five local governments banding together to operate the commuter rail system and to buy 61 miles of track from the CSX railroad company based in
Jacksonville.
Florida officials contend the federal money should come from
the high-speed fund because SunRail would feed passengers into the fast
train. U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, says Washington has already
pledged $300 million for the project, which has twice been voted down in the
Florida Legislature.

Opponents have criticized the price tag of SunRail, saying Florida
is doing little more than engaging in corporate welfare for CSX.
That criticism could be blunted somewhat if the federal government ends up paying
$570 million of the cost.
State senators twice have balked at approving a $200 million insurance pact that assigns liability in case there is an accident with SunRail. Critics contend the plan placed too much risk on the state and not enough on CSX.
SunRail enthusiasts hope to blunt that charge by having CSX assume more risk, particularly when its employees are at fault.

John Mica Plays Nice in Public, Yet Encourages Racist Attacks

https://secure.presenteaction.org/contribute/sotomayor

When it comes to Judge Sonia Sotomayor, some Republican leaders like John Mica have been talking out of both sides of their mouth: playing nice in public while privately encouraging racist attacks from the likes of Rush Limbaugh. That's why Presente Action is running radio ads calling out members of Congress like John Mica who refuse to condemn Rush's rhetoric. Please make a contribution and help us put these ads on the air.

Heavy-handed, Condescending and Less than Forthcoming with the facts

Hmmm, some excellent pointers from Scott Macwell on why Sunrail failed to attract more supporters:

I have never liked the way this town's "visionaries" have handled rail.

They can be heavy-handed, condescending and less than forthcoming with the facts.

They offer vague and misleading answers to legitimate questions and then seem puzzled by the fact that everyone doesn't jump on board.

They help create the very gadflies that drive them so batty.

There's also the fact that so many of them seem to have their hands in the cookie jar.

I remember last month when we got our hands on the documents that showed how much public money had been spent promoting this thing — well over $1 million on lobbying and public relations alone.

More than a quarter-million of that went to the regional civic group, Myregion.org. Taxpayers already support this well-intentioned but amorphous chamber-of-commerce outgrowth, which is bigger on feel-good talk than concrete results.

So the taxpayers help fund this group ... which then bills the taxpayers for more money ... so they can convince everyone to spend more taxpayer money on a massive project. Nice gig if you can get it.

(And by the way: Nearly $1 million for sell-jobs that failed? Maybe someone should throw a few expected-results clauses into the next contract.)

There are a lot of people who support this project. SunRail proponents should find more of them who are willing to give help — without also giving them a bill.

Even the so-called "deadline" that was miraculously extended last week was an artificial one.

It was simply a date CSX chose to try to force lawmakers to strike a deal as quickly as possible. There's a reason that CSX both set the deadline and now agreed to extend it — because the company is going to make out like a bandit.

That's something else proponents have trouble admitting. When pressed about whether CSX is getting too much from taxpayers, they resort to the well-that's-how-everyone-else-did-it response.

My mother didn't buy that excuse when I was back in grade school. Maybe I need to sic Mom on the SunRail strategists.

Maxwell also points out that among the apponents are ardent anti-public works folks (more commonly referred to as anti-tax folks) who cannot be placated, because they lack the vision necessary to help such a grand project materialize.

He continues by stating the most obvious but ofetn missed point in local media:

And then somewhere between the constant complainers and paternalistic pom-pom shakers are what I think is the majority of us — people who want more transit options but have some legitimate concerns and questions.

We are the people who understand that SunRail would simply be a first step, but a crucial one. People who understand that nothing this significant comes cheap.

But we are also people who expect those championing this project to act more like responsible stewards of the public's interest than starry-eyed cheerleaders. People who want public officials to drive a hard bargain on their behalf. And people who want civic leaders who will do that without looking to get paid for it.

The best thing proponents have going for them is the possibility of tapping even more stimulus money for the project.

A point of caution remains,........stimulus money is still tax payer monies and we should make sure be get the best deal possible so as to not make it seem like a corporate give-away at tax payer expense.

Bottom line, while it is imperative that we invest in public transportation, and while these projects are inherently expensive and rarely pay for themselves, it MUST be negotiated in a way that puts the tax-payer interest first, instead of leaning toward being a corporate give-away first and foremost. We MUST get the best deal possible, so let's get started on re-negotiating a better deal.

John Mica who Brags about Stimulus, Flip Flops again

First John Mica votes against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( the stimulus funding), and then brags about it as has been reported by numerous media outlets.

Now he's having some second thoughts again on transportation and infrastructure project funding provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saying:

We must ask, is this so-called stimulus funding being used to help Americans who badly need jobs, or is this funding being used to benefit private companies, fund long-term studies rather than ready-to-go projects, and pay for projects that do nothing to employ people?

What is it Mica,......only if it's for your Sunrail pet project it's ok?

How about your own earmark to "study Beach erosion," how many jobs did that create?

Ah, there are different standards for the money you bring in, or the stimulus money spent on your pet projects. BTW, what was that ridership for Sunrail again? 3,500 you say? Sounds like this project wasn't done to take traffic off I-4, instead it likely has a business development motive rather a commuter need.

Good thing this bad deal fell through. It would have set a bad example to start Central Florida rail transit with.
The something is better than nothing argument is unconcionable when we are talking about a $1.2 billion project.

FEMA grant to Debary is NOT linked to John Mica

As much as John Mica likes to get credit for monies coming into the district, more than 95% of federal monies come through the regular grant process,......not earmarks.

Yet, it seems to be part of the ritual to have John Mica announce a FEMA grant for a drainage project, and local officials clamoring to give him credit. Why?

Here is how projects are selected for FEMA grants:

"because of the repetitive nature of the flooding in the project area."

The comprehensive reviews for technical feasibility, cost effectiveness, environmental coordination and compliance, and program eligibility are complex. So FEMA and FDEM adopted the joint review process.

The HMGP ( Hazard Mitigation Graqnt Program) is administered by the state, with projects funded 75 percent by FEMA and 25 percent by the applicant. Applicants include the State of Florida, local governments and private non-profits. Most applications are for wind retrofit, elevation, acquisition and demolition, and drainage projects.

And for a complete description of the grant application process:

In Florida, local mitigation strategy committees establish funding priorities for the HMGP and select projects based on those priorities.

HMGP projects go through a six-step process:

Step 1 - State sets priorities and application deadlines
Step 2 - State, in partnership with FEMA, conducts applicant briefings
Step 3 - Applicants submit project applications to the State, who selects projects for funding
Step 4 - State and FEMA conduct joint review, which includes:
Review for program eligibility - essentially meant to answer the question: "Does this project solve a problem HMGP is meant to address?"
Technical feasibility and cost effectiveness review, conducted by engineering review team
Environmental coordination and compliance review, which encompasses a number of issues, such as:
Historic preservation concerns
Environmental concerns including wetlands and endangered species
Flood plain implications
Step 5 - If reviews are satisfactory, FEMA obligates dollars to the State for approved projects
Step 6 - State informs applicant of approval (allowing applicants to draw down funding) and project implementation begins
Action Items at All Levels: Local, State, FEMA

The key to disaster response and recovery - including long-term improvements, such as mitigation - is a strong partnership between local, state, and federal partners. On HMGP, there are action items at all levels, including:

Applicants (local level):

Submit individual project applications to the State
Coordinate with participating homeowners and businesses who will benefit from the proposed project
Draw down obligated dollars from the State and manage implementation of the approved project
Comply with all applicable requirements, including environmental regulations
Account for the appropriate use of grants to the State
Maintain records

State:

Develop the State Hazard Mitigation Plan
Establish funding priorities, and select projects for funding based on those priorities
Establish deadlines for applications
Conduct applicant briefings and provide technical assistance to applicants
Ensure that the scope of work complies with all applicable requirements under HMGP regulations, as well as Federal, State, and local laws
Notify Applicant when projects are approved and dollars are available
Send dollars to Applicant when drawn down
Monitor the progress of projects
Work with Applicant to close out projects

FEMA:

Establish minimum criteria for eligibility, and review and approve eligible projects
Prepare the environmental decision based on information submitted by the applicant
Provide technical assistance to the State and Applicants
Obligate dollars for eligible projects to State

Where does John Mica come into play? Nowhere at all according to the application process!

Why then do local officials insist of complimenting John Mica on FEMA's grant approval?

“I’m excited,” (DeBary Mayor Bob) Garcia said. “I’ve got to thank Mr. Mica from the bottom of my heart.”

Get REAL Mr. Garcia!

Water Resources Development Act Blocked for 7 Years

John Mica has the habit of patting himself on the back for getting a Water Resources Development Act passed for the first time in 7 years ( he has said the same for an Amtrak reauthorization bill). What he craftily omits to tell people is that it was the new Democratic Majorities elected to congress in 2006, that were instrumental in making passage possible:

Traditionally, Congress has passed a water bill each even-numbered year. The 2000 bill included the Everglades Restoration Act, a product of almost 20 years of state and federal action and negotiation. That legislation cemented a marriage between Florida and Washington over revitalization of the Everglades, with each partner assuming an equal share of decision-making and cost. The fruits of the union were to be 60 projects - to remove levees and increase water storage - that would restore natural water flow through the Everglades. Of the 535 senators and representatives, only one opposed the nuptials.

The 2000 bill authorized the first few Everglades projects, with the expectation that Congress would authorize additional projects in subsequent legislation. But partisan and regional politics intervened. The 2002 bill stalled over Missouri River dams. In 2006, there was a fight over the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As a result, the nation went seven years without a new Water Resources Development Act.

With each battle, the Everglades was caught in the crossfire. Congress failed to authorize projects critical to restoration, which prevented those initiatives from even being considered for federal financing. Meanwhile, Florida exceeded the state's obligation - paying over $2 billion while it waited. Since one partner doing all the work is no way to sustain a marriage, the state-federal union to restore the Everglades was headed for the rocks.

But in 2007, a new Congress passed a water bill containing delayed Everglades projects. When President Bush vetoed the bill, Congress overwhelmingly overrode his veto. Everglades restoration was back on track.

Let's be honest,.....John Mica never was much into the environment, or into sustaining Amtrak. In fact he is a known polluter defender, and Amtrak hater.

In his usual theatrical manner he made this off the wall statement about Amtrak:
“Giving Amtrak more money would be like giving at this point an alcoholic another drink and asking him to sober up.”

John Mica likes the idea of having Amtrak come begging for funding year after year, without providing a dedicated funding source like aviation, highways and transit have. Investing in our Nation’s passenger rail service simply hasn't been a priority for Mica. In 2006, Mica voted NO to increased funding for Amtrak, even though 71 other Republicans voted Yes.

Mica's Hypocricy on West St. Augustine Sewer Health

In another prime example of two-faced John Mica's double talk, he acts like he cares about local sewer problems, while cutting off federal funding for clean water projects.

John Mica voted NO to Water Quality Investment Act of 2009

James L. Oberstar (Minn.), said, "The bills we approved today take us another step toward creating jobs and strengthening the economy through federal investment in public infrastructure."
The Water Quality Investment Act provides authorizes $13.8 billion in federal grants over five years to capitalize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and provide low-interest loans to communities for wastewater infrastructure.
It also reauthorizes $250 million in grants over five years for alternative water source projects and authorizes $1.8 billion over five years in grants to municipalities and states to control sewer overflows. It amends the Clean Water Act to provide a national standard for public notification of overflows, and increases the authorization of appropriations to $150 million for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014.

John Mica joins company with other haters of jobs and local clean water: Ander Crenshaw, Connie Mack, Jeff Miller, Bill Posey and Cliff Stearns.

While Mica is praised for delivering earmarks to his district, he cuts of funding through the regular appropriations process: NO LOW INTEREST loans or grants to municipalities and states to control sewer overflow!!!

Mica instead wants to have complete controle over who gets money and who doesn't. According to Mica, everything should go through earmarks,.....nothing through the regular low interest loan and grant programs,....after all without earmarks local municipalities don't need him.

I guess John Mica is employing the ultimate "job security" tactic for himself, at tax payers expense.

John Mica Trashes Our Nation's National Heritage

Here we go again. John Mica, AGAIN, wants to trash our nation's natural heritage. He votes NO to HR 146: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll153.xml

Today, the House passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 by a vote of 285-140. But of course, as the true loyalist to the Party of NO, John Mica voted NO.

It took long enough. But the House has finally done it. Congress has cleared the way to protect two million acres of wilderness in nine states: California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.
In addition to the new wilderness designations, it protects over 270,000 acres along more than 1,000 miles of rivers in Oregon, California, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Massachusetts, and adds 2,800 miles of new hiking trails in public lands.

How can we trust John Mica with our Florida Natural Resources?
Can we trust John Mica with our St Johns River or our beautiful coastal areas? NEVER!

Environmental groups and lawmakers in both parties long have pushed for the bill, which several called landmark legislation that will strengthen the national park system, restore national forests, preserve wild and scenic rivers, protect battlefields and restore balance to the management of public lands.

"After nearly a decade during which our parks were taken for granted and our range lands were scarred by a spider-web of roads and (drilling) well pads," the bill "represents a new dawn for America's heritage and American values," said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

How DARE John Mica represent NE, and Central Florida?!? Really outragous,.....I wonder if the Sierra Club will take notice? How about the Major newspapers in Florida? Will they be reporting on this?

No,......keeping voters in the dark is the name of the game.

John Mica fails to consider curing deadly diseases as "pro-life."

In the wake of Obama lifting the Bush stem cell research ban, it's appropriate to look at where John Mica stood on this issue. As the ultra-extremist right-winger that he is, he twice decided to snub the hopes of tens of thousands of people in his district, who are suffering from incurable and often deadly illnesses and injuries.

In 2007, John Mica voted NO on HR 3, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which passed the House with an overwhelming majority of 253 to 174, but not enough to thwart a Bush veto.

In 2005, John Mica voted NO on HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which passed the House by a vote of 238-194, showing more bi-partisan support than almost any other issue during the Bush administration.

His message to the sick and dying: Drop Dead!

John Mica Represents Winter Park and New York

Something is really seriously wrong with Florida,....gerry-mandered worse than Texas.

Thanks to carefully drawn lines, not a single congressional or legislative incumbent lost a re-election bid in 2004.

This maintained the forced lop-sided 7 Democratic to 18 Republican District split in Florida, a state which has more registered Democrats than Republicans!!!!

the controlling party did more than just gift-wrap Feeney a congressional district that year(2002).

It also stuffed so many Democrats into Brown's district that there were enough Republican voters left over to give GOP candidates the advantage in all of the others. Even though Democrats outnumbered Republicans overall in Central Florida, Republicans outnumbered Democrats in five of the six Central Florida districts.

A comment to Scott Maxwell's article says:

I grimace every time I see John Mica listed as "John Mica - R-Winter Park." The way the district lines are drwan, he actually represents maybe 400 out of Winter Park's 28,000 residents. It's disgusting, right along with his toupee, and his, "You don't want to get on the wrong side of John Mica" bullying for anyone with a different opinion than his. Everybody says the American political system is the world's best, but sometimes you really have to wonder.

Everyone wants to claim they represent Winter Park, and four Representatives actually can!

Winter Park, which is a little more than 3 square miles, is represented by 4 members of congress.(District 3,7,8 and 24).

In fact Mica's home used to be in District 8, Alan Grayson's district!

Here are some district trivia about John Mica, as another commenter remarks:

Remember when Bill McCollum was the Representative of District 8? It was a long standing joke because Mica (District 7) lives in Winter Park which at the time was not in his district yet when he was ever quoted in the news, it would say “Rep. Winter Park” and Bill McCollum who did represent Winter Park/Greater Metro Orlando would say “Rep. Longwood,” which was in Mica’s district.

Scott Maxwell has it right when he says:

They've turned this state into a psychopath's jigsaw puzzle, with misshapen legislative and congressional districts that split communities in two and can be longer than 100 miles and yet as narrow as a few hundred yards.

It's all designed to stifle competition and stack the deck before you even get to the polls.

Want proof that our current districts are distorted and contorted? Well, consider the following about these U.S. House members:

•Republican John Mica lives more than 130 miles from many of the residents he represents. Much of the congressman's district is actually in Flagler and St. Johns counties. In fact, just about the only part of Orange County included in Mica's district is the swath of land around his Winter Park home.

Are we ready to change business as usual? Efforts are underway to work for Fair Districts instead of how it was done in the past:

"It happens in dark rooms at night with the computers," said Thom Rumberger, a Tallahassee attorney and Republican Party patriarch who was once part of the system he now wants to reform. "Both sides do it. That's why I'm trying to make this an issue of fairness rather than partisanship."

That's also why Rumberger is leading a bipartisan coalition that wants to give voters the chance to vote on fair-districting as a constitutional amendment next year.

The premise of the amendment: Florida's political districts must be compact, using geographic boundaries that can't be stretched far and wide for political purposes. And if legislators ignore residents' wishes and try to do themselves political favors, they could end up in court.

As Scott Maxwell says,...."This common-sense approach to democracy is way overdue."

Go to http://www.fairdistrictsflorida.org.

John Mica is an Ultra Right-winger, Loyal Member of the Party of NO

Americans already know that this economic crisis is too big for the "free market" to solve, after all it was the "free market" gone wild that caused our economic meltdown. So lets see how John Mica reflects 2/3 of the Americn voters:

64% favor giving aid to homeowners who are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. John Mica's position? Oppose.

59% oppose giving aid to U.S. banks and financial companies in danger of failing. John Mica's position? Oppose.

67% favor giving aid to state governments in serious financial trouble. John Mica's position? Cut that aid.

Yet John Mica is routinely given praise for delivering aid to his district, which clearly he votes against. He is AGAINST any AID to Florida:

NO on the stimulus, then is bragging about its passage.
NO on the appropriations bill, then is happy it passes.
No on Help for Families Losing their Homes to Foreclosure, while FL-07 is in the top 10 of all 435 congressional districts in the number of home foreclosures!

Is THAT how John Mica is helping Florida recover from our economic crisis. Just Say NO, do-nothingness?!?

Is John Mica just a place-holder for the Republican party? It sure looks like it.

John Mica voted Against Closing the Enron Loophole

Remember Oil prices at an all time high in 2008? We were paying over $4 at the pump due to unregulated Oil speculation that got started with Phil Gramm's insertion of the Enron loophole in 2000 which first caused havoc in CA with "rolling black-outs" due to extremely high energy prices, and later spread to the rest of the nation.

The Enron Loophole was finally closed in a measure that was included in the Farm Bill that was passed in May 2008.

The House vote to override Bush's veto was: 316-108

John Mica of course voted against lower oil prices, reflected by Mica voting NO on closing the Enron Loophole.

Guess he was just protecting the interests of his brother David Mica who is Executive Director at the Florida Petroleum Council.

John Mica Votes Against Helping Families Save Their Homes

One in five home loans in Florida was past due or in default at the end of last year -- out-ranking other states.

More than half of the nation's foreclosures last year took place in just 35 counties, most of which were in Florida.

Projected foreclosures by Congressional district shows 14 Florida Congressional Districts in the top 20 for the nation, with John Mica's district projected to see almost 20,000 foreclosures.

Surely Mica would want to level the playing field by allowing judges in bankruptcy court to require banks to rework the mortgage for homeowners who are about to loose their primary home due to bankruptcy, just like is already permitted under law for secondary homes. Not so.

The legislation, would let bankruptcy judges reduce the principal and interest rate on a home loan. That essentially would require mortgage companies to let debt-strapped homeowners reduce their monthly payments rather than lose their main residences.

As usual, Mica does not side with the average people, just those who were able to afford a second home.

Mica voted against help for homeowners in Bankruptcy court. Check out who else voted against this bill meant to help American Families stay in their Homes:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-104

Hypocricy Runs Wild: Mica is leader of the Pack

Check it out, the party of No at it's best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um4gyjnSkrQ

Facing the Voters on Earmark Spending

All week, John Mica received a huge backlash after he issued a two-faced press release that caused huge controversy for his praise of stimulus spending for Central Florida, with no mention that he voted AGAINST the stimulus bill.

Here is a far more appropriate and more personal response from another congressman in a face to face meeting with the people in his district:

During the question-and-answer period at his town hall meeting, constituents asked Kratovil about certain aspects of the stimulus package, including whether there was money for the Chesapeake Bay. Kratovil responded there was no money for the Chesapeake because the stimulus did not include earmarks, which are funds targeted to specific local projects.

Now that's a really up front answer, rather than boasting that stimulus money is targeted to a specific central Florida project as John Mica does:

“The total appropriation for transit systems includes $750 million for the New Starts program,” Mica said.

“Nationally, the Central Florida Commuter Rail project is next in line for final approval and federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration."

And more confounding is the fact is that Mica had long ago asserted that he had already secured federal funding for the commuter rail project,......way before there was talk of a stimulus bill:

In 2007:

With one day to spare before possibly losing $180 million in federal funding, CSX Transportation and the state Thursday reached the final deal needed for the region's first commuter-rail system.The agreement turns over 61 miles of tracks from DeLand to Orlando to Poinciana. That means the first leg of the project -- from Fort Florida Road in DeBary to Sand Lake Road in Orange County -- is on track to open in summer 2010.

And at that point, nine daily freight trains -- the bane of harried ommuters -- will be moved out of the heart of Orlando and rerouted around the city toward Winter Haven.
Mica noted that although he could not guarantee when the federal money would be awarded, the money from the Federal Transit Administration is "as certain as anything can be."
Half of the $615 million system will be paid for by the federal government, 25 percent from the state and 25 percent from Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties and Orlando. All five governments voted unanimously for the project earlier this year.

A separate $491 million agreement between CSX and the state of Florida covers several items, including the 61 miles of track, improvements to the freight line that will carry the extra freight traffic and several new or improved rail crossings in Alachua, Marion and Sumter counties.

In 2008

Mica is largely responsible for securing more than $300 million in federal funding to help build the 61-mile long rail project between DeLand and Poinciana, connecting Osceola, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.

Now which one is it? Did John Mica already have federal funding lined up, or is he dependent on stimulus funding, and if so, why the heck did he vote AGAINST the stimulus plan?

Smacks of deception aka lying.

John Mica Votes Against Funding for Sun Rail

In true form, as a representative of the Party of NO, John Mica votes against funding for Sun Rail, ........ he votes NO on the stimulus package.

Then John Mica has the nerve to brag about the funding the stimulus package "might" create for Sun Rail:

“The total appropriation for transit systems includes $750 million for the New Starts program,” Mica said. “Nationally, the Central Florida Commuter Rail project is next in line for final approval and federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration.
“The timing couldn’t be better. All the project needs is the State Legislature’s approval of the CSX-Florida Department of Transportation liability agreement,” Mica said.

And apparently Mica has also had the gall to brag about the highspeed rail funding that was put into the stimulus bill by Senator Harry Reid. So lets get this straight,......again John Mica voted AGAINST this highspeed rail funding and then turns around to brag about the funding being in the stimulus plan:

Rep. John Mica was gushing after the House of Representatives voted Friday to pass the big stimulus plan.
"I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future," the Florida Republican beamed in a press release.
Yet Mica had just joined every other GOP House member in voting against the $787.2 billion economic recovery plan.
Republicans echoed their party line over and over during the debate: "This bill is loaded with wasteful deficit spending on the majority's favorite government programs," as Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., put it.

How do you explain that?

Mike Steel, a spokesman for House GOP Leader John Boehner of Ohio, at first ducked when asked about Mica and Young issuing press releases praising the bill
they'd opposed.
"I don't work for Mica or Young," Steel said initially.

So there you have it Mica was for the rail spending, before he was against it, before he was for it....

You figure it out.
One thing is for sure,.....Mica is against creating jobs or he would have voted YES on the stimulus bill.

BTW John Mica and Don Young have been connected before on questionable earmark spending in the case of another famous transportation pet project: The Coconut Road Earmark

Republicans United Against Jobs and Against Helping the Unemployed

Ray LaHood passed up the allure of K Street to join President Obama’s Cabinet, but he’s been doing a lot of lobbying this week.

The former Illinois congressman, who is now Obama’s secretary of Transportation, is leaning on his ex-colleagues to back the president’s stimulus package. He has placed calls to a number of Republicans, including Reps. John Mica (Fla.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Steven LaTourette (Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (W. Va.) and Charlie Dent (Pa.). LaHood told ABC News that he has called 11 House Republicans.

LaHood, who used to sit on the Appropriations Committee, has been trying to sell Republicans on the increased infrastructure spending that would go to their states.
Despite LaHood’s outreach, Mica, ranking member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said that he is likely to vote against the measure.

Wow, the ranking member of Transportation voting against jobs!


And this is coming from a man who inanswer to the question about voters' wish for Congress to stop bickering and creating consensus, said this:

"I think folks who know me that (I) am probably one of the most bipartisan folks you ever met."

You can find that quote at about 14 min and 20 sec into this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5ylBIS5x6Q

Back to the Hill article, what's even more distressing:

During an interview on CNN on Sunday, LaHood said he is having little luck
convincing his former House Republican colleagues to back the stimulus package.
“I’m going to do everything I can to help the president find the votes for the conference report once the Senate passes this. I’m going to work the phones, I’m going to talk to my former colleagues and do everything I can to persuade them that this bill really will put people to work.”
Democrats will have the votes to pass a stimulus bill in the House, but they privately
acknowledged that they were surprised that every voting Republican rejected the House-passed measure in late January.

Yeah, you heard that right,.......not one Republican voted for jobs. They want to work the old, tried, and failed formula of more of the same: Substantially just Tax Cuts.


Never mind that tax cuts will do nothing for our economy according to Mark Zandi:

Only $1.02 is generated in economic activity from every $1 in tax cuts.

Japan’s Big-Works Stimulus Is Lesson shows us that from every $1 invested in infrastructure projects in the 1990s, $1.37 in economic activity was created.

As far as helping the unemployed, Republicans would do well to realize that spending heavily to promote social development, is a good investment. Again Japan's experience shows that every dollar spent on spent on social services, like care for the elderly and monthly pension payments, created $1.74 of economic activity.

Many of the excessive additional tax cuts will do little to nothing for our economy, and will not benefit those who already have a reduced incomes or those who have already lost their jobs.

As the title of this blog entry says: Republicans are United Against Jobs and Against Helping the Unemployed. Survival of the fittest may be a quaint idea when the economy is flourishing, but it is outright irresponsible and disastrous during a recession

John Mica Hates Women and Children

Well, Mica started the legislative session of the 111th US Congress exceedingly poor. And he is not alone among Florida Congressmen, who are extremely out of touch with the needs of Floridians. Now more than ever, with 255,000 lay-offs state-wide over the last year, we need to protect our children.

Unfortunately John Mica voted No on extending S-Chip to 2013, as did Cliff Stearns, Ander Crenshaw, Bill Posey and Adam Putnam. H.R. 2 paves the way for up to 4 more million uninsured kids to obtain coverage. From an e-mail message sent by Florida CHAIN ( Community Health Action Information Network):

We greatly appreciate the support of Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, particularly Senator Martinez' vote in favor of extending coverage to legal immigrant children.
On the House side, 15 of Florida's 25 Representatives also voted in support, including 5 Republicans (Reps. Buchanan, L. Diaz-Balart, M. Diaz-Balart, Ros-Lehtinen and Young)!
Congratulations to all of the advocates who made calls to urge passage of this important legislation!

A few differences between the Hoouse version and the Senate version are being resolved. President Obama is then expected to quickly sign the bill, in contrast with the 2 vetoes issued by former President Bush.

Now you may ask how Mica did on a previous bill that supported women, HR 11, the Fair Pay Act, that recently passed the House, and was the very first bill signed into law by President Obama.
I'm sorry to report that John Mica didn't do any better there either, to assure that women get equal pay. And where is the outrage or even plain reporting by local media on this?

From a Press Release by NOW:

"This is an important first step in our efforts to undo years of backsliding on the right to be paid a fair and equitable wage," said National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy. "The Ledbetter bill will allow redress for workers with the energy and willpower to seek redress in the courts, but we have a long way to go before we have fair pay for women, and laws with real teeth."
While it is too late for her to receive the compensation she deserved from Goodyear and was denied by the Supreme Court, Lilly's determined quest for equal rights for women in the workplace led to today's Senate passage of the legislation introduced in her name.

The Ledbetter (Fair Pay) Act, which was blocked in the Republican-led Senate last year, will essentially reverse the 2007 Supreme Court decision that required workers to file charges on a pay discrimination claim within six months after receiving their first discriminatory paycheck.

So lets see how our Florida Republican Congressmen did on this one: NONE voted Yes for H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which was the very first bill Obama signed into law on Jan. 29th.

Before putting his pen to the paper, Obama said:

"Lilly Ledbetter did not set out to be a trailblazer or a household name. She
was just a good hard worker who did her job -- and she did it well -- for nearly
two decades before discovering that for years, she was paid less than her male
colleagues for doing the very same work. Over the course of her career, she lost
more than $200,000 in salary, and even more in pension and Social Security
benefits -- losses that she still feels today.
"Now, Lilly could have accepted her lot and moved on. She could have decided that it wasn't worth the hassle and the harassment that would inevitably come with speaking up for what she deserved. But instead, she decided that there was a principle at stake, something worth fighting for. So she set out on a journey that would take more than 10 years, take her all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, and lead to this day and this bill which will help others get the justice she was denied. ...
"I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal --
it's bad for business -- to pay someone less because of their gender, or their age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability."

I guess discrimination is ok for John Mica, Cliff Stearns, Ander Crenshaw, Bill Posey and Adam Putnam, and other Florida Republican Congressmen as long as the women finds out about it six months after her first discriminatory check. Good thing Adam Putnam is not running for re-election.

Here is my hope that the voters dump these out-of-touch Republican Congressmen who are hurting our women and children and elect Faye Armitage, Tim Cunha, Steven Blythe, Doug Tudor, and Jay McGovern if they decide to run again.

Charlie Crist's Plea to John Mica Gets Rejected

The bipartisan National Governors Association called on Congress to quickly pass the stimulus plan. The stimulus bill consists of $819 billion combination of tax cuts and new spending, with the goal to create or preserve 3 million to 4 million jobs.

"States are facing fiscal conditions not seen since the Great Depression — anticipated budget shortfalls are expected in excess of $200 billion," the NGA statement said. "Governors ... support several key elements of the bill critical to states-increased federal support for Medicaid and K-12 and higher education; investment in the nation's infrastructure; and tax provisions to spur investment."

Like Sara Palin who supports the stimulus plan, Charlie Christ also urged House Republicans from Florida to vote Yes.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist worked the phones last week with members of his state's congressional delegation, including House Republicans.

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican vice chairman of the National Governors Association, planned to be in Washington on Monday to urge the Senate to approve the plan.

But despite the Nadler amendment that passed in the House and put $3 billion more into the stimulus package for transit, and Governor Crist's pleas, Mica had the nerve to vote No.

In fact the "begging" by the National Governors Association got them nothing from any House Republican.

I guess House Republicans decided to listen to Rush Limbaugh and put partisan politics ahead of getting people back to work as the Obama plan would do.

Get Serious About Infrastructure

In this blog we won't just look at what doesn't work, but also highlight ideas on what does work:

A couple of weeks ago, Ed Rendell, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania,
came to Washington to talk up infrastructure. He is a member of a tripartisan threesome — along with Michael Bloomberg, New York’s independent mayor, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Republican governor — trying to persuade the
country to get serious about infrastructure.
In his talk, Mr. Rendell said he understood that the stimulus bill couldn’t come close to solving all these problems. But it could make some progress, and Mr. Obama’s
sky-high approval ratings gave him a wonderful chance to do so. “This is the
time to put down some markers — this is the time,” Mr. Rendell said.

And the (stimulus) bill does include a couple of markers. It will list on the Web the projects that the federal government is financing — an idea that, amazingly enough, is considered radical — and will require that mayors and governors sign off on projects. That will make it harder for them to lobby for projects now and criticize those same projects later, as Gov. Sarah Palin did with the Bridge to Nowhere. At least one version of the bill also sets aside $5.5 billion to be awarded by the transportation secretary, supposedly on the merits of a project.

But it’s not clear how that will work, and there is so much more that could be done. The bill could create a small-scale version of an “infrastructure bank,” a free-standing entity that could make more merit-based decisions than Congress does (an idea that Mr. Obama supports). The bill could also finance the creation of new state offices to conduct cost-benefit analyses. It could also help cover the budget shortfalls of public transit systems, instead of simply allocating another $30 billion for the construction of new highways.

Fifty-one transit systems have recently proposed service cuts or fare increases, including those in Atlanta, Denver, New York, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Diego and Washington. If these cuts go through, they will make it harder for people to get to work (or look for work), and they will undermine one of the long-term goals of the stimulus package: laying the groundwork for a greener economy.

John Mica Did Nothing After 2004 Flooding to Prevent New Disaster

Mica has a habit of "announcing" funding for our district. Easy to do when as a DC insider you are the first to be notified about the funding. Fortunately people are catching on as a telling comment to another John Mica praise story in the local Traditional Media shows:

BOOOOO! on John Mica pulling a Corrine Brown trick, i.e., being the messenger which he wants us to feel he is responsible for the whole blessing on Debary. The only real good news he could bring is that he is going to campaign against the rail road to no-where and save lots of money that could be spent on many better community-Florida efforts.

One thing that has always bothered me is that John Mica got nothing done to prevent the 2004 flooding from occurring again in 2008. See below where someone in the article points that out. In fact funding for the Army Corp of Engineer projects falls under infrastructure and so does federal funding for water management projects in general. It appears that Debary was left out of the Clean Water Act even though John Mica always brags about putting together the one and only Bush veto override. I guessing saving the Everglades makes for better headlines than saving Debary from future flooding catastrophy. And the override would have happened anyway, with or without John Mica's help. As always John Mica goes with the tide, and claims credit for the work of others. Lets praise the local officials for putting in their request to FEMA, and for FEMA to have responded faster which they now know how to do, given the Katrina Disaster.

As for the city's ongoing stormwater drainage problems, Garcia said
officials are working on it and "I'm hopeful."
Consultant David Hamstra
said the money will help but it doesn't solve a bigger problem: how to pay for $8.5 million in stormwater drainage improvements that include funding a
much-anticipated westside emergency flood-management system.
Locations near the DeBary Golf and Country Club were among the hardest-hit areas during Fay and improvements to the west side drainage system would help lessen that area's flooding problems, according to city officials.
The city has a $5 million shortfall to pay for the west side system and needs $3.5 million to fund 29 new projects, Hamstra said.
"(The reimbursement) is not new money to pay for any
of these situations," he said. "My goal at the moment is to find money for the
west side."

Well don't count on John Mica for looking for federal funding for that,...... even in the stimulus bill. All he is interested in is his Central Florida Rail pet project where we see the usual greed, excess and arrogance that we've become so accustomed to in the Bush years.

On the other hand another commenter makes a good point too:

I still don't like Tax payer money going to cover bad engineering though. The
developers should foot the bill in Glenn Abby, DeBary Golf Club, and Saxon
Woods. Those developers were the major culprits here anyways, with their ponds
not being "as Built" according to design, and failed miserably.

But that's what we do. Taxpayers bail out banks and other large corporations, so why not bail out the developers for their pursuit of a quick profit?

John Mica The Great Pretender Says No to Jobs

Mica says: “We need to get this money out as soon as possible so people who want to work have a choice of work, have that opportunity”, but then he votes against the stimulus bill!

So lets see,....John Mica was for the stimulus bill before he was against it.

You can bet nobody in the Traditional Media will call him on this, because he is the media darling. And to be sure sometimes his theatrics, and outlandish quotes do make for the type of "drama" that readers love.

All over the media John Mica goes around complaining about "miniscule" infrastructure funding in the stimulus. If he really were interested in more infrastructure funding, he could get his Republican buddies to cut out their continuous calls for even more tax cuts than the 33% of total stimulus already going to tax cuts.

As Matt Iglesias says about Republican's inconsistency: "we can’t afford large new temporary deficit spending but can afford large new permanent tax cuts?"

It turns out some infrastructure projects were dropped to make room for more tax cuts in the stimulus bill, and even so not one Republican voted for it.

Traditional Media's Usual Mica "grab the mic" Fluff Story

Here we have the usual Mica "grab the mic" fluff story where Mica showers special attention on ONE Crescent city young man.

The usual "feel good" fluff that distracts from his ultra poor record on supporting the more than 100,000 veterans in his district. For three years he held the absolute worst record on disabled American veterans issues, scoring a ZERO percent.

Only recently did John Mica start noticing the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. These men and women who will forever live with the horrible reminders of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but who according to John Mica do not deserve our support at 100%. Finally, John Mica after 16 years of "public service" decided to support these courageous men and women by just 60%.

But do you think Traditional Media will call John Mica on this? No, they'd rather continue to distract us from our real every day problems and the lack of solutions John Mica has offered.

All show and no action is just fine with Traditional Media. That's what they call a "need to know" basis, a society where traditional media will filter out the reality of poor performing officials and offer just the "feel-good" fluff.

Calls Economic Stimulus Package a Spending Free-for-All

John Mica voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

I guess he didn't feel enough "private enterprise" would benefit from tax payer dollars: "My efforts in the coming months will be aimed at putting people back to work concurrent with the economic recovery package and further stimulating private sector job creation." said Mica in his newsletter.

Meantime John Mica's Paris Hilton-like need for the camera's lens is evident again when he attends Kosmas' swearing in ceremony.

Banking Committee, Major Influence on Rebuilding Rail Routes

Dodd, whose Banking Committee has major influence over federal transportation policy, described 2009 as a pivotal year for rebuilding half-abandoned rail routes and extending new ones.

That will create good-paying construction jobs in the short term, and will
transform the region in the long run, he said. Dodd cited the long-overdue
Springfield-to-Hartford-to-New Haven commuter rail project as an example of what New England needs to be economically competitive in the 21st century. Sponsored by the Sierra Club and the National Corridors Initiative, the "Need for Speed" forum focused on ways to create better high-speed rail through the region, and substantially expand commuter rail, light rail and freight service. Rail advocates have run similar sessions for years, but are getting more attention because of the nation's economic crisis and the dizzying summertime spike in fuel prices.

Too bad we haven't seen much from Florida Senator Mel Martinez who also sits on the all important Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Senate Subcommittee. Well, like John Mica's role in the House Transportation Committee, Sen. Mel Martinez is in the minority party which will the protect business interests at the expense of passenger rail.
Republicans have gone as far as wanting to cut off funding for Amtrak all together, claiming it needed to be self-sufficient.
But when it comes to the banking industry they are all too ready to bail them out. Go figure.

John Mica Wastes Tax Payer Monies with Cronyism

This comes from the Tampa Tribune titled Commuter Rail Falters Again As Supplier Fails

When Florida Department of Transportation officials chose a Colorado company early last year to build 10 railcars for its new Orlando commuter system, they knew the company was in financial trouble.Nevertheless, the department moved forward with the $45 million contract, and is having to scramble now that Colorado Railcar went out of business at the end of the year. The state had to rewrite the railcar proposal to get new companies to bid.The last-minute change is one more stumble in the state's controversial efforts to bring commuter rail to Orlando. Last May, state lawmakers rejected an agreement with CSX Transportation, the company planning to sell tracks to the state for the $1.2 billion, 61-mile system. The agreement would have freed CSX from responsibility if one of its (freight)trains caused a commuter accident while using the tracks.

Hmmm, now they want old-fashioned locomotive-hauled trains instead of CA Marin county's choice for light rail cars below? So much for John Mica's rhetoric of getting Florida into the 21st Century! Bulgaria and other so-called lesser advanced countries are light years ahead of us, but then again they don't have to worry about pleasing CSX.

The state originally advertised the railcar bid invitation in February. It was so narrowly written that Colorado Railcar was the only company that qualified. In a Tampa Tribune story about the purchase, state officials said the company produced precisely the kind of railcar it wanted for the Orlando system. It's a fuel-efficient vehicle that combines the engine and seating in one unit but is also sturdy enough to withstand a collision with a freight train. The revised bid is for the more traditional locomotive-hauled train.

Meanwhile Marin county in CA found a better solution, which is far more energy efficient and environmentally clean:

The closure ( of Colorado Railcar) may have little effect on SMART, which can choose to run lighter, European-built, diesel-powered rail cars instead. If the rail agency chooses to stay with the heavier cars, however, Siemens Transportation of Germany is planning to develop and build such cars at its Sacramento plant, filling the void left by Colorado Railcar."It is part of our growth strategy and product development plan," said Frank Guzzo, business development director in Sacramento. "we clearly see a niche market."Voters in Sonoma and Marin counties approved a quarter-cent sales tax increase in November, and SMART is now looking to start Cloverdale-to-Larkspur service in 2014.

SMART is planning to request proposals for its rail cars within the next two months and award a purchase contract next year.The transit district has budgeted $88 million for 14 self-propelled, diesel-powered rail cars. The cars will take two to three years to build.SMART initially had specified the Colorado Railcar vehicles, which are classed as heavy rail, diesel-powered vehicles, in its 2006 environmental impact report.However, in a 2008 supplemental report, SMART indicated that it could also use lightweight European-style rail cars by running freight train service in off hours."The major difference between the two is how they operate in conjunction with freight on the same corridor," Coursey said. "To use the light cars, you need to have time separation, they cannot be operating at the same time as freight."

The most popular lightweight cars available are made by Siemens in Germany.There are 12 of them in use by the North Coast Transit District in San Diego on its 22-mile Sprinter service from Oceanside to Escondido.District spokesman Tom Kelleher said the freight service runs at night on the Southern California tracks to meet the federal rules against running lightweight cars and freight together. The lightweight cars are
not as crash resistant as heavy-rail cars.

While Mica's Pet Project is dragging on, bending over backwards for CSX's freight needs is clearly not in our best interest.Here is what the President of the Passenger Rail Asociation said when Colorado Railcar had been selected by Florida DOT:

Since Colorado Railcar announced production of its new vehicle in 2002, only
three transit agencies - in Florida, Oregon and Alaska - have purchased any.They're expensive, said Paul Dyson, president of the Passenger Rail Association of California and Nevada. They cost about twice as much as the locomotive-passenger car combination. And although they use less fuel than thelocomotive train, they use more fuel than other DMUs. That's because ColoradoRailcar had to beef up its vehicles to meet the federal crash standards."If Iwere a Florida taxpayer, I'd be asking the state if they've looked at every alternative," Dyson said.

And Siemens' Frank Guzzo typified the selection process as a done deal favoring Colorado Rail:

One of the potential bidders was a Korean company, Rotem, that designs crash-worthy DMUs and has a U.S. plant. It was planning to build cars for theRaleigh, N.C., commuter system until federal funding for that project fellthrough. Its cars, however, have only one level, and Florida officials said theyneed bilevel cars for the Orlando system.
Another company, Siemens, was also interested and proposed scheduling freight and commuter trains at different times so the state could use the company's lighter DMU. But the state said no, said Siemens' Frank Guzzo."There could have been other ways to approach the project. We had offered an alternative," Guzzo said. But the state "was fixatedon this one approach."

Lobbying Connections:

By 2002, Mica was pushing a new plan to use existing CSX freight tracks - and
Colorado Railcar vehicles.The railcars weren't in service, but Mica had met
Rader and was intrigued by his efforts to build a new kind of railcar. He can't
recall where he met Rader.
A September 2002 news release on Mica's Web site announced that he "had secured $8 million for ... a national demonstration of a new commuter rail technology." It said he planned to show off an example of that technology, a Colorado Railcar DMU, in Orlando the next month. ( ***Does everyone see the lie in Mica's announcement)
The amount was down to $4 million by the time the transportation bill with the earmark passed in early 2003.
In August 2003, after Congress approved the railcar earmark, the law firm Greenberg, Traurig registered to lobby for Colorado Railcar.
One of the Colorado Railcar lobbyists was Duane Gibson, former chief aid toU.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who was chairman of the House TransportationCommittee from 2001 to 2007. Gibson continued to represent the company after heleft the law
firm.
"I spoke to Duane about Colorado Railcar," Mica said. "I can't remember if they were looking for someone to represent them or what." He also can't remember precisely when it was, but he said he is sure Gibson was not at Greenberg, Traurig at the time.Tom Rader founded Colorado Railcar and was removed as its president thisyear. Since 2003, Rader and his company have reported spending nearly $300,000on lobbyists and federal campaign contributions. Rader gave Mica's politicalcampaigns a total of $3,000 for 2004 and 2005.Mica angrily denied that lobbying or campaign contributions had anything todo with his position. "My relationship with the company has been nothing butabove the board," he said.

The company spent its own money developing a new kindof fuel-efficient railcar and deserves government help, Mica said.

Pretty fishy if you ask me! I wish we had some investigative reporters dig up some more on this. Could turn out to be a really big national scandal.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/20/200015/na-railcar-deal-missing-key-component-the-tracks/c_2/#comments
And here is a final revealing comment made in the comment section of the TBO to the above story:

Why is FDOT and Congressman Mica's CSX mainline trackage in Orlando is worth $420 million for 61 miles while the EJ&E Railroad in Chicago isselling 200 miles
of their mainline for only $300 million to the CanadianNational RR. Could this
be more of those educational "improvements" in fuzzymath that Jeb was able to
accomplish with his educational system "reforms"?
And please explain why Illinois' and Indiana' Senators and Representatives havecalled in the "key Federal railroad regulatory agency" to review their ChicagoCN-EJ&E rail transaction but the Surface Transportation Board is conspicuously absent in Florida to deal with the Orlando CSX-EVWN transaction?Sounds like the Tampa Tribune is doing some outstanding investigative reportingon your choo choo friends! Keep up the great work. The rest of Florida's media outlets may be missing the next Watergate in progress, all he"King's" men may fall.

And oh by the way, I want to be able to ride trains inFlorida just like
they do in California, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, NewYork, Virginia and a
host of other states, but we won't get them here untilsomeone cleans up this CSX
mess. Thanks Trib for bringing out the mop.

Colorado Railcar Sinks: John Mica is 16 Railcars Short

This comes from the Tampa Tributes titled Commuter Rail Falters Again As Supplier Fails

When Florida Department of Transportation officials chose a Colorado company early last year to build 10 railcars for its new Orlando commuter system, they knew the company was in financial trouble.

Nevertheless, the department moved forward with the $45 million contract, and is having to scramble now that Colorado Railcar went out of business at the end of the year. The state had to rewrite the railcar proposal to get new companies to bid.

The last-minute change is one more stumble in the state's controversial efforts to bring commuter rail to Orlando. Last May, state lawmakers rejected an agreement with CSX Transportation, the company planning to sell tracks to the state for the $1.2 billion, 61-mile system. The agreement would have freed CSX from responsibility if one of its (freight)trains caused a commuter accident while using the tracks.

Hmmm, now they want old-fashioned locomotive-hauled trains instead of CA Marin county's choice for light rail cars below? So much for John Mica's rhetoric of getting Florida into the 21st Century! Bulgaria and other so-called lesser advanced countries are light years ahead of us, but then again they don't have to worry about pleasing CSX.

The state originally advertised the railcar bid invitation in February. It was so narrowly written that Colorado Railcar was the only company that qualified. In a Tampa Tribune story about the purchase, state officials said the company produced precisely the kind of railcar it wanted for the Orlando system. It's a fuel-efficient vehicle that combines the engine and seating in one unit but is also sturdy enough to withstand a collision with a freight train. The revised bid is for the more traditional locomotive-hauled train.

Meanwhile Marin county in CA found a better solution, which is far more energy efficient and environmentally clean:

The closure ( of Colorado Railcar) may have little effect on SMART, which can choose to run lighter, European-built, diesel-powered rail cars instead.

If the rail agency chooses to stay with the heavier cars, however, Siemens Transportation of Germany is planning to develop and build such cars at its Sacramento plant, filling the void left by Colorado Railcar.

"It is part of our growth strategy and product development plan," said Frank Guzzo, business development director in Sacramento. "we clearly see a niche market."

Voters in Sonoma and Marin counties approved a quarter-cent sales tax increase in November, and SMART is now looking to start Cloverdale-to-Larkspur service in 2014.

SMART is planning to request proposals for its rail cars within the next two months and award a purchase contract next year.

The transit district has budgeted $88 million for 14 self-propelled, diesel-powered rail cars. The cars will take two to three years to build.

SMART initially had specified the Colorado Railcar vehicles, which are classed as heavy rail, diesel-powered vehicles, in its 2006 environmental impact report.

However, in a 2008 supplemental report, SMART indicated that it could also use lightweight European-style rail cars by running freight train service in off hours.

"The major difference between the two is how they operate in conjunction with freight on the same corridor," Coursey said. "To use the light cars, you need to have time separation, they cannot be operating at the same time as freight."

The most popular lightweight cars available are made by Siemens in Germany.

There are 12 of them in use by the North Coast Transit District in San Diego on its 22-mile Sprinter service from Oceanside to Escondido.

District spokesman Tom Kelleher said the freight service runs at night on the Southern California tracks to meet the federal rules against running lightweight cars and freight together. The lightweight cars are not as crash resistant as heavy-rail cars.

While Mica's Pet Project is dragging on, bending over backwards for CSX's freight needs is clearly not in our best interest.

Here is what the President of the Passenger Rail Asociation said when Colorado Railcar had been selected by Florida DOT:

Since Colorado Railcar announced production of its new vehicle in 2002,
only three transit agencies - in Florida, Oregon and Alaska - have purchased
any.They're expensive, said Paul Dyson, president of the Passenger Rail
Association of California and Nevada. They cost about twice as much as the
locomotive-passenger car combination.And although they use less fuel than the
locomotive train, they use more fuel than other DMUs. That's because Colorado
Railcar had to beef up its vehicles to meet the federal crash standards."If I
were a Florida taxpayer, I'd be asking the state if they've looked at every
alternative," Dyson said.

And Siemens' Frank Guzzo typified the selection process as a done deal favoring Colorado Rail:

One of the potential bidders was a Korean company, Rotem, that designs
crash-worthy DMUs and has a U.S. plant. It was planning to build cars for the
Raleigh, N.C., commuter system until federal funding for that project fell
through. Its cars, however, have only one level, and Florida officials said they
need bilevel cars for the Orlando system.

Another company, Siemens, was also interested and proposed scheduling freight and commuter trains at different times so the state could use the company's lighter DMU. But the state said no, said Siemens' Frank Guzzo.
"There could have been other ways to approach the project. We had offered an alternative," Guzzo said. But the state "was fixated
on this one approach."

Lobbying Connections:

By 2002, Mica was pushing a new plan to use existing CSX freight tracks - and Colorado Railcar vehicles.The railcars weren't in service, but Mica had met Rader and was intrigued by his efforts to build a new kind of railcar. He can't recall where he met Rader.

A September 2002 news release on Mica's Web site announced that he "had secured $8 million for ... a national demonstration of a new commuter rail technology." It said he planned to show off an example of that technology, a Colorado Railcar DMU, in Orlando the next month. ( ***Does everyone see the lie in Mica's announcement)

The amount was down to $4 million by the time the transportation bill with the earmark passed in early 2003.

In August 2003, after Congress approved the railcar earmark, the law firm Greenberg, Traurig registered to lobby for Colorado Railcar.

One of the Colorado Railcar lobbyists was Duane Gibson, former chief aid to
U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who was chairman of the House Transportation
Committee from 2001 to 2007. Gibson continued to represent the company after he
left the law firm.

"I spoke to Duane about Colorado Railcar," Mica said. "I can't remember if they were looking for someone to represent them or what." He also can't remember precisely when it was, but he said he is sure Gibson was not at Greenberg, Traurig at the time.

Tom Rader founded Colorado Railcar and was removed as its president this
year. Since 2003, Rader and his company have reported spending nearly $300,000
on lobbyists and federal campaign contributions. Rader gave Mica's political
campaigns a total of $3,000 for 2004 and 2005.

Mica angrily denied that lobbying or campaign contributions had anything to
do with his position. "My relationship with the company has been nothing but
above the board," he said. The company spent its own money developing a new kind
of fuel-efficient railcar and deserves government help, Mica said.

Pretty fishy if you ask me! I wish we had some investigative reporters dig up some more on this. Could turn out to be a really big national scandal.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/20/200015/na-railcar-deal-missing-key-component-the-tracks/c_2/#comments

And here is a final revealing comment made in the comment section of the TBO to the above story:

Why is FDOT and Congressman Mica's CSX mainline trackage in Orlando is
worth $420 million for 61 miles while the EJ&E Railroad in Chicago is
selling 200 miles of their mainline for only $300 million to the Canadian
National RR. Could this be more of those educational "improvements" in fuzzy
math that Jeb was able to accomplish with his educational system "reforms"?

And please explain why Illinois' and Indiana' Senators and Representatives have
called in the "key Federal railroad regulatory agency" to review their Chicago
CN-EJ&E rail transaction but the Surface Transportation Board is
conspicuously absent in Florida to deal with the Orlando CSX-EVWN transaction?
Sounds like the Tampa Tribune is doing some outstanding investigative reporting
on your choo choo friends! Keep up the great work Media General. The rest of
Florida's media outlets may be missing the next Watergate in progress, all the
"King's" men may fall. And oh by the way, I want to be able to ride trains in
Florida just like they do in California, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New
York, Virginia and a host of other states, but we won't get them here until
someone cleans up this CSX mess. Thanks Trib for bringing out the mop.

Calls to Move Train Traffic Out of Downtown Orlando

Ahhh, some much needed perspective on the CSX Boondoggle named Central Florida Commuter Rail, now packaged as Sunrail ( a $300,000 marketing effort):

For 20 years, there have been sporadic calls to move (freight)train traffic out of downtown Orlando, but the effort has never picked up steam. It’s a great idea, offcials say, but no one has been willing to take on the tab, which could top $400 million.

“…The best chance for moving freight may come if local leaders decide to run commuter rail through Orlando. Already, John Mica, R-CSX [OK, that's mine] has secured about $8 million in federal money…

“…”It’ll have to be tied to a mass transit project,” Mica said. “That’s the only way.” [That, and finding a state Department of Transportation willing to dump one city's problem onto another with no warning, discussion, or mitigation.]

Again, not a passenger rail deal, folks. It begins and ends with freight rail, as Mica himself so elegantly puts it. None of this is new. I reported these basic facts back when I worked for The Trib.

http://www.lakelandlocal.com/2008/12/the-almost-charmingly-relentless-bad-faith-of-the-orlando-sentinels-editorial-page/

Orlando wanted freight rail out of Orlando and had to sweeten the deal for CSX to agree. It wasn't initially about commuter rail at all.