A Bad Ethics Decision

The Florida Ethics Commission considered a complaint against JAMES F. COATES, Pinellas County Sheriff. The Commission announced in a press release dated June 17, 2008 that if found no probable cause to believe that Coates misused his position by attending candidate forums in uniform, having Sheriff's vehicles at the forums and/or having deputies in uniform at the forums. Sheriff's who misuse their authority by attending political events in uniform with a posse of deputies in tow are nothing but Southern Good-Old Boys who enjoy playing Boss Hog and give law enforcement a black eye. These misfits are getting away with this behavior as a result of decisions like this one from the Florida Ethics Commission. Since the commission members are politically appointed and the Florida Sheriff's Association is one of, if not the most powerful political organization in the state, maybe it's time for the federal government to...

The Florida Whig Party calls upon every newspaper, radio, television, and Internet bloggers to take photos and write dispatches when you see a boss-hog Sheriff abuse his or her authority. Forget filing a complaint with the ethics commission, file the dispatch under "Abuse of Law Enforcement Authority." Let the people decide once you've exposed them to the problem of intimidation through the possession and display of the badge.

Think About It..

ER Doctor Wonders

The following is from the website of Dr. Marion Thorpe, a candidate for the United States Senate:

"During my last night's shift in the ER, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient with an expensive shiny gold tooth, multiple elaborate expensive tattoos, a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and a new cellular telephone equipped with her favorite R&B tune for a ringtone.. Glancing over the chart, one c...ould not help noticing her payer status: Medicaid. She smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and, somehow, still has money to buy beer. And our Congress expects me to pay for this woman's health care? Our nation's health care crisis is not a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. It is a crisis of culture ˜ a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. A culture that thinks "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Life is really not that hard. Most of us reap what we sow. Don't you agree?

STARNER JONES, MD

Jackson , MS

 

Marion Thorpe - US Senate Candidate

Click HERE for more information about Dr. Marion Thorpe's Campaign for the United State Senate.


The letter written to Dr. Thorpe from Dr. Jones has got to make anyone question the end result of telling Americans that they are not individually responsible for their health. See the Florida Whig Party platform on health care.

Map of Florida Whig Party Congressional Candidates

THE TRILOGY OF EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND RETIREMENT

This is a basic public policy concept that has yet to be discussed by any political party, candidate, or incumbent: “The incongruent employment, housing, and health care system of the United States.”

Fact: The majority of what is known as the PERMANENT WORKFORCE in the nation is better described as the PERMANENT TEMPORARY WORKFORCE as best and a TEMPORARY WORKFORCE at the worse.

Fact: Health care insurance that is based upon the 1930s employer / union model hurts a significant number of individuals and families who are not in the PERMANENT WORKFORCE.

Fact: Increasing the incentives and lowering the bar for homeownership results in an increasing number of individuals and families who in turn are reducing the opportunities for employment advancement and wealth accumulation.

Fact: Excessive homeownership results in the inability by many to reduce expenses during financial panics, depressions, and recessions; which will always be worse in some geographical areas than others.

Fact: The deep economic decline we are experiencing is greater than that of the recent recessions of 1970-71, 1974-76, 1980-81, 1990-93, and 2001-05.

Fact: Approximately 45% of all employees are satisfied with their employment (the lowest in 22 years), which means that more people will change employers and/or occupations when the opportunity presents.

Fact: The recent rise in the stock market has nothing to do with the economic conditions that many Americans are experiencing since corporate profits have rebounded because of reduced payrolls, salaries, benefits, inventories, research and development, and new business ventures.

Fact: Almost 80% of all TEMPORARY WORKFORCE employees have no access to any business based retirement plan and thus must rely upon their individual ability to save and invest; this obviously is not working well for most.

Fact: The national unemployment rate is 10% and the number of people who work less than 35 hours a week, but who are willing to work full-time, is approximately 15%. This means that approximately 25% of the American workforce is UNDER-EMPLOYED.

Solution: The Florida Whig Party has proposed ideas and solutions to the needs of a shifting, diverse, and mobile American workforce; these proposals have been ignored by the Democrat and Republican duopoly.

Solution: The Florida Whig Party platform provides the solution to health care with a basic and fundamental solution that has been ignored by the Democrat and Republican duopoly.

Solution: The Florida Whig Party has proposed the elimination of income taxes, supports the FAIR TAX, and proposes the elimination of all employer based pensions. Employer based pensions, with vesting schedules, results in a limited number of PERMANT WORKFORCE RETIREES and BUSINESS OWNERS reaping the lion’s share of the benefits at the cost of those who comprise the PERMANENT TEMPORARY and TEMPORARY WORKFORCE.

Solution:

The SELF-DIRECTED INDIVIDUAL MANDATORY MINIMUM RETIREMENT ACCOUNT (SIMMER) PROPOSAL of the Florida Whig Party:

1.SIMMERs will supplant all employer based pensions (private and public sector – no exceptions) with a federal law that requires all employers (including the self-employed) to withhold an actuarially calculated percentage of every employees earned income equal to a sum that will provide a minimum guaranteed retirement income at age 70 equal to 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level.

2.SIMMERs are in addition to the current Social Security program which will be phased out as the current recipients and vested benefit generations die off; in other words, if you are alive today and working, you will continue to be guaranteed your Social Security.

3.At age 70, the SIMMER amount of monthly withdrawal (as determined by Congress) must be guaranteed to provide the base income required by law.

4.Any amount accumulated in excess of the SIMMER base is available for flexible self-determined withdrawal or accumulation for future needs, or for the transfer to heirs.

5.At death, all accumulations remaining in the FLEXIBLE PORTION of the SIMMER ACCOUNT shall be distributed to the heirs of the decedent, but only to their SIMMER ACCOUNT through the decedent’s SIMMER TRANSFER ON DEATH BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION.

6.Compliance will take place through annual employer reporting of earned income and annual reporting by the financial institutions that invest and hold the SIMMER.

Solution:

The HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL of the Florida Whig Party:

1.Individuals must take responsibility for their health care.

2.Health insurance should be a personal choice and available to everyone through accessible open enrollment.

3.The failure to provide health care or health insurance for dependent children when financially able is prima facie evidence of child abuse.

4.Government provided health care must be reasonable for those who are physically, emotionally, intellectually, or financially dependent.

The Florida Whig Party is the political party for those who seek solutions to today’s problems. The solutions are not complicated, difficult to understand, or implement. Each solution is based upon the traditional “We the People of the United States of American” principles of LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS while acknowledgement that we must provide a reasonable level of care for those who are physically, emotionally, or intellectually unable to independently take care of themselves.

This is the first of several publications that will appear on this website over the next few weeks.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Congressman Alan Grayson, guess what...

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The Klan & Law Enforcement

The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Florida Whig Party will be collaborating on a unified position regarding the KKK and membership by law enforcement members in consultation and participation by the Board of Directors. Between now and the completion of the writing, please read the following recent articles from the Orlando Sentinel:

· Alachua County prison guard fired for being officer in KKK

· Florida Klan leader says law enforcement officers are drawn to his group

· KKK wizard: If police are in Klan, it 'makes them a better cop'

Conflicting constitutional principles can cause havoc when society does not carefully weigh the near and long-term consequences of action and inaction. What is one man’s wine is another man’s poison. Unlike the typical political party that stays away from the difficult issues, the Florida Whig Party will actively discuss and provide rational solutions; therefore we ask that you prepare yourself and others by considering and discussing the following questions:

What is the definition of a hate group, terrorist organization, religion, and political party?

When a person is a member of the KKK, are they always a member of the KKK?

There is a long and well documented history of the Klan taking credit for lynching, murder, torture, bombing, and more, that was perpetrated mostly against blacks in this country; therefore, should the Attorney General of the State of Florida prosecute those who hate and group together in the name of hate?

Because there is a documented history that some in law enforcement were members of the KKK during the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50, 60s, and then to a lesser degree in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, should there be a zero-tolerance of membership in the KKK, and if so, what other groups fall into this category?

United States Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia is the last known Member of the House or Senate to have been a member of the KKK; therefore, does his past membership disqualify him to serve in the Senate?

Pause and read this article from the New York Times, click HERE. When finished, read this article (click HERE) then this one (click HERE) then continue reading the questions listed below.

Does past membership in a subversive organization disqualify an individual for government employment? If so, for how long and if not, under what circumstances will the person be considered for employment?

If the KKK becomes a political party, does termination of employment in the public and/or private sector constitute a violation of free speech and the freedom of association, or is there a need for exceptions to these broad constitutional principles?

Should there be a uniform code of conduct for all public employees, a selected group of public employees, and/or for private sector employers and employees who do work with a government entity regarding membership or promotion of hate organizations?

Can an employer enforce rules of conduct upon employees while not working and if so, what is reasonable and unreasonable?

If the KKK declared itself to be a religous organization, will denial of employment due to religious beliefs constitute religous persecution?

If the KKK declared itself to be a religious organization, what other religious organizations also have intolerant and violent beliefs that conflict with the basic principles upon which our nation was founded?

Standard principles and practices in criminal justice demand the absolute equality in the treatment of those arrested and convicted of a crime; however, some go to rehabilitation while others go to jail for drug possession, some pay a fine for shoplifting while others go to jail, and some become a state’s witness while others do life for importing drugs into the nation. Where there are exceptions to the rules, principles, and practice standards, we are embracing discretion; therefore, is there any room for discretion in the membership of a hate group by anyone in law enforcement, and if so, where does the point of no-return exists on the slippery slope of precedent?

What is a subversive organization?

Who defines what is a subversive organization?

Does an organization that uses a name of a subversive organization automatically become a subversive organization and thus become subjected to all the enforcement powers that the government has to suppress subversive organizations?

75 Members of Congress were reportedly elected as the result of the Klan in the 1920s, could it happen again? Click HERE.

These are a few of the questions we will address and we look forward to offering the residents of Florida a common sense view and approach to a seemingly simple question that in reality is very complex and has broad ramifications if not handled properly.

Think About It