FIRST ACTION ITEM:

ONCE AGAIN IT IS TIME TO FLOOD THE PHONES AND THE EMAIL ACCOUNTS OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. PLEASE PLEASE MAKE CONTACT. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING A "RACIST OR  ISLAMOPHOPIC" as we have often been called. This has everything to do with placing someone in a government position who has a known CAIR connection. This is all about making SMART decisions and hiring people of great integrity and nothing else. We will not let our stand for ethical leadership be twisted into something ugly. We stand on principles of honor.

Jacksonville, FL council backs returning ex-CAIR chairman to Human Rights Commission

 A Jacksonville City Council committee voted Tuesday to confirm reappointing Parvez Ahmed to the city’s Human Rights Commission.
The vote by the Rules Committee clears the way for a decision by the full council next week, although the 4-3 split of the panel showed divisions remain.
Backers cheered the vote as a step to lay to rest local debates about Muslim values that began when Ahmed, a former national chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, was first appointed to the commission in 2010.
“I think it was a terrific decision on the part of the council … to move forward,” said Celeste Krueger, executive director of OneJax, an interfaith group that had supported Ahmed’s reappointment.
Ahmed, who was born in India, is a University of North Florida finance professor.
Rules Chairman Clay Yarborough had said he would defer a committee vote for two weeks so the decision could coincide with action on legislation to shrink the 20-seat commission to 11 members.
But Councilman John Crescimbeni appealed that during the committee meeting, gathering four of the seven committee votes to go ahead without delay.
In addition to Crescimbeni, the reappointment was supported by Lori Boyer, Warren Jones and Jim Love. Voting no were Yarborough, Ray Holt and Robin Lumb.
Critics, who spoke at last two full council meetings, had argued Ahmed was too supportive of Muslim sensibilities — and was willing to curtail free speech by supporting laws that would restrict comments considered blasphemous. Some critics also said the Council on American-Islamic Relations had been a front for terrorist-aligned groups, a premise that others dismissed.
Clearly those others are clueless. No less than a federal judge has ruled that CAIR is a front for Hamas. The FBI has also banned meetings with CAIR.
Lumb said he had wanted to ask Ahmed about his commitment to free speech and was frustrated that other council members voted to act that day.
From our post the last time Jacksonville sided with sharia, via this 2006 Powerline report:
Who is Parvez Ahmed? Ahmed was a prominent supporter of Sami Al-Arian[page now deleted], the convicted terrorist financier and head of the North American branch of the terrorist Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Ahmed called for Al-Arian’s release before he pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges, admitting that the government’s allegation that he was the head of the North American branch of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Attend the City Council meeting this coming Tuesday night the 26th at City Hall. 5PM.. Show your support in OPPOSITION of this appointment.

Please contact City Council members and tell them NO to the vote of Ahmed to the Human Rights Council.
LINK TO JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
http://www.coj.net/city-council/city-council-members.aspx

Additional information can be found on previous blogs on this issue.

THE SECOND ACTION ITEM:

The following letter can be copied or you can write your own letter but please take the time to make contact and let Governor Scott know your feelings as related to his decision related to the states participation in the Federal Medicaid program as defined in the "Obamacare" mandate.

Dear Governor Scott:

Florida's taxpayers cannot be expected to foot the bill for everyone in the state who doesn't have healthcare. And you know, better than anyone else, that is exactly what will happen in a year or two when the Federal Government runs out of money and leaves us holding the bag. That is exactly what you said you would not allow to happen to Florida's taxpayers when you courted our vote. So.....what happened? Did you get too much heat from DC? Or from the healthcare lobby and AARP?

If you truly understand that Obamacare is the demise of the private health care system - which, yes, needs some reform - and the beginning of socialized medicine which will degrade the quality of healthcare in this state and country, then how can you even entertain the thought of doing what you're doing? The states hold all the power - the power to stop Obamacare. Without the state exchanges, the Feds will have to implement Obamacare and they don't have the manpower. As employers continue to cut back employees' hours or stop providing healthcare altogether, they will choose to pay the penalty for not providing healthcare. Individuals, too, will opt for paying the penalty, as it is much cheaper than purchasing health insurance - they'll purchase for a catastrophic event, then drop once they've been taken care of. This will cause the private healthcare system to collapse. As more people are forced onto the government single-payer system, that too will collapse because it's simply unsustainable. Taxpayers will eventually run out of money and, to add salt to the wound, we'll be on the hook for a defunct system.

Let's stand with those states who understand the power of State Sovereignty - we must demand that the Feds keep their hands out of the way we do things here in Florida. Let's keep government local - let Floridians remain in control of what happens to us. I really thought you stood for smaller government. Please consider what you're doing to the taxpayers and to our great State.
Very truly yours,

Please contact Gov. Scott via the number and link below:

Governor Rick Scott 850-488-7146
http://qa.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/

The response from other Florida leaders was swift.

Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) released the following statement regarding Governor Scott’s decision on expanding Medicaid:

“Governor Scott has made his decision and I certainly respect his thoughts. However, the Florida Legislature will make the ultimate decision. I am personally skeptical that this inflexible law will improve the quality of healthcare in our state and ensure our long-term financial stability.

The House of Representatives has a bipartisan select committee that is currently meeting regularly on this issue. I look forward to the recommendations that our select committee will bring forth in the next few weeks. I am confident that our actions will be based on principle and rooted in facts.”

Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville)  released the following statement:

“The Senate Select Committee on PPACA is in the process of completing its thorough review of state options associated with federal health care reform. Senator Joe Negron, Chair of our PPACA Select Committee, anticipates that the committee will complete its work and be prepared to offer recommendations for consideration by the full Senate towards the beginning of the 2013 Session. I’m eager to read their recommendations and look forward to working with our partners in the House and with Governor Scott on the right solution for Florida.”

Americans for Prosperity-Florida’s State Director Slade O’Brien had the following comments:

“Governor Scott’s announcement today is extremely disappointing.  Governor Scott had been a national leader in the fight against President Obama’s healthcare takeover.  He was elected because of his principled conservative leadership against ObamaCare’s overreach, and led the charge, with Attorney General Pam Bondi, to take ObamaCare to the Supreme Court.  But today he came out in support of the Medicaid expansion he vowed to oppose.

“At every level of government, it is too easy for politicians to spend other people’s money. For far too long, states have fallen for the promises of “free” federal money ignoring the insidious federal strings and the long-term effects on state budgets.  Florida’s Medicaid program already costs the taxpayers more than $20 billion a year, and the financial burden will only grow if a million new people are added to the program. Hopefully our legislative leaders will not follow in Governor Scott’s footsteps and will reject expansion of this broken system.”

AND LET ME JUST ADD: GOV. SCOTT SAYS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL PAY 100% OF THE COSTS FOR THESE 3 YEARS."  JUST WHAT IS IT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRODUCES TO GENERATE THE REVENUE TO DO THIS? THEY DO NOT PRODUCE ANYTHING.  OUR TAXES WILL PAY FOR THIS, SO WE PAY NOW AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PAY WHEN THE 3 YEARS ARE UP.!!!!!!!!!!!

Please contact your state representatives via the link below and again let them know how you feel about Gov.Scott's decison and the expansion of Medicaid in Florida.

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/districtdeta...

Once again it is time to reach out and let our ELECTED OFFICIALS know that we do not expect their actions once elected to be in direct conflict with what was promised as they were on the campaign trail. We expect to have their promises honored. We will no longer be silent and will call out their actions every time they are in conflict with their promises.

Thank you for acting on these issues

May God Bless You and may GOD BLESS OUR AMERICA!

Leanne