This election season has not been Palm Coast’s finest hour. The city’s redistricting exercise devolved into an embarrassing circus before the city council recognized–and rectified–the situation last month. And now the city, which is running the election for city council and mayor in September and November, cannot tell most candidates when they’ll actually be running in the election.
Three seats are up: mayor and two council seats. Only the mayor’s race has more than two candidates–incumbent Jon Netts and challengers Charlie Ericksen Jr. and Joe Cunnane. That race will have a primary. It’s scheduled for Sept. 13. If one of the three candidates wins one vote more than 50 percent, that individual will be the mayor, removing the need for another election on Nov. 8.
The city hasn’t yet figured out when to schedule the other two races, which so far have drawn two candidates each: in District 3, an open seat (Mary DiStefano is term-limited), Jason DeLorenzo is running against Dennis Cross. In District 2, incumbent Holsey Moorman is running against Bill McGuire.
But the candidates don’t know if their election will be held on Sept. 13 or on Nov. 8. They’ve inquired with the city. City officials told them they’d be getting back to them with an answer Monday (July 18). The city clerk has been on vacation this week, though she still has been involved in working with the city attorney, Bill Reischmann, who’s figuring out the answer.
“When I find out I will let you know,” Moorman said Friday. “There is some confusion as to what the Plam Coast charter has said, and the attorney is researching that and will get back to me next week. It was interpreted that the original charter read two or more would be in the primary, and Mayor Netts said that there was a change made to the charter back in 2001, which said three or more candidates could be in the primary, so Mr. Reischmann is going back, pulling the charter, all the written amendments, and he said he’ll let us know next week.”
The unambiguous answer is, in fact, in section 8 (4) of the city charter: “If there are more than two candidates who qualify for any office, a primary city election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the second Monday in September.”
For the moment, there aren’t. But official qualifying isn’t until Aug. 1-9, when more candidates could jump in the race. It is unlikely that more candidates will do so (they would have to pay a steep qualifying fee, as opposed to qualifying by petition, as other candidates have). Going by the charter’s language, the city would have to hold the two council-seat election on Nov. 8, not on Sept. 13. But the city is studying the possibility of moving those two elections to Sept. 13. There’s a chance that the mayor’s race, whose first round has to be held on Sept. 13 regardless, may be decided that day. If it is, and the council-seat elections are held on the same day, then there’ll be no need for a November election, and the city can save tens of thousands of dollars.
The logical move is to hold the city-council seat elections along with the mayor’s election in September. But if the city follows the letter of the charter, that would be a violation. It would also narrow the window of time for the four candidates to campaign, though turnout won’t be an issue, whatever the date: neither on the Sept. 13 nor on Nov. 8 will the election involve other races, so turnout is expected to be very low on either day.
Meanwhile, candidates wait.
“We’re preparing for a primary because qualifying doesn’t close until Aug. 9 and anyone else can join the race,” DeLorenzo, one of the candidates for district 3, said. “We were always preparing for a primary anyway.”
That district’s race had started as a three-way race, with Charles Ballard, Cross and DeLorenzo. Cross appeared to have been disqualified by the city’s redistricting, until the manner in which the redistricting commission did its work compelled the city council to reverse the commission’s decision, bringing Cross back into contention, only for Ballard, a member of the city’s Leisure Services Advisory Committee, reportedly to drop out.
Charles Ericksen, Jr says
One has to wonder, why so many questions requiring a legal interpretation, have come up, this late in the process. This certainly is not the first Municipal election, and one would think that the past procedures are well documented. The City has already violated The Charter, itself, when it failed to create the Districting Commission, by the first of the month, following release by the Census Bureau..That release occurred in mid-March and the Commission was not established, until 7 weeks later. That caused a number of questions and challenges. There have been major changes in voting locations, times and procedures, some of which are not in line with a County or National election. ( none of which seem to be defined or discussed in the Charter) Is there something other than the Charter, that is driving all the changes? Is it Frank Sinatra, who originally wrote the Charter?? You know.. for those old enough to remember… “My Way”?? Right now, we are but 60 days to the primary..
lawabidingcitizen says
I think I’ll have cards made up:
Ya can’t make up this stuff.
Layla says
Our city officials cannot be this incompetent. This in not the first election they have held here. More and more they are resembling the Keystone Cops. Perhaps it is time to get an opinion from the State Attorney General?
VoteEmOut says
The PC city commission and City Manager are apparently a bunch of kids playing at real life adult business. It;s time to clean house and replace them with some real life respnsible ADULTS who know how the real world works. One screw per election is too much but Two screwups cannot be tolerated. replace the Commission and let them have Mr Landon explan his incompetence.
Layla says
Mr. Landon never answered the question about why he neglected to notify the Council re the requirements on redistricting until May 10th, when he and the City knew about it on March 17. The Council let that one pass without responding at the Council meeting, and now this.
Are you really this incompetent or is there more at play here? Neither is acceptable. Where is the accountability here? It’s going to be up to the voters. Nobody can get any answers out of these people.
PalmCoastPioneers says
Mr. Ericksen:
Can you please provide us with the URL to your webpage if you have one?
Do you know if any other Candidates have webpages?
Thank you very much.
Dorothea says
Layla, I agree with you on one point, it may take an Attorney General Decision to sort this out. The Palm Coast Charter section that refers to elections was written in 2002. State law, which trumps local law, changed and eliminated a second run-off election which would have been held a month later if no candidate received 50% or more of the vote. It’s not a matter of incompetence, but of interpretation of the law, which appears to be murky at best.
palmcoaster says
I hope everyone is aware of the fact that unfortunately we have in district 3 to extremes running and as I perceive them as dangerous both. Sorry candidates, as this is the way I feel about both. One very much favored by the current city officials, COC and Enterprise, as currently working for the local Home Builders Association aka developers and could be lobbying too much for even further and no so positive development, to which costly blunders we have been exposed before. The other, as if true, representing the local Tea Party and also not exactly what the majority would like lobbying in our council. Unfortunately Tea Party candidates elected last year have bitten hard the hands that balloted for them.
So The Almighty, help us all.
Would be nice if as voters, we could take to our justice system for trial, those candidates promises not complied when they get in office and have them convicted for that. They will stop “the promise them anything” in both major parties at least.
I would have gone after our current Prez for telling the workers while campaigning that if they were to strike or demonstrate for their violated rights, himself Mr. Obama, will put on his sneakerss and will be there supporting them on the lines. Our Wisconsin workers were demonstrating in the freezing winter for weeks and not once the Prez showed up!
I would have gone after all those Wisconsin recently elected legislators that got the Rpublican vote of their law enforcement and firefighters, based on promised lies and also turned against them once on their seats.
VoteEmOut says
Reply to: palmcoaster says:
July 16, 2011 at 10:42 am
“The other, as if true, representing the local Tea Party and also not exactly what the majority would like lobbying in our council. Unfortunately Tea Party candidates elected last year have bitten hard the hands that balloted for them.”
The Tea Party has not endorsed any candidate and has a Meet the Candidate Night Tuesday July 19, 6-8PM at Knights of Columbus. This is a chance for all to meet the candidates and decide for yourselves who will make the best representative on the City Council.
As far as the Tea Party supported folks elected in November they campaigned for returning fiscal sanity to all levels of government, were elected, and actually did what they promised in the campaign. What a novel concept – elected officials actually doing what they promised when campaigning. I know this scares people like palmcoaster, but I for one find it as hopeful that we might be able to restore our Constitutional Government at all levels including PC.
Dorothea says
VoteEmOut,
One definition of insanity is people who keep doing the same stupid thing over and over, hoping that the next time they do it, it will come out right. If one thinks that fiscal sanity is repeating the failed trickle down economic theory over and over, that does, in fact, make one insane by definition. Insanity is firing mid level government workers, in order to give millionaires and billionaires tax breaks, failing to vote for an increase in the debt ceiling and believing that nothing bad will happen, and keeping the oil subsidies intact, when big oil companies are reaping millions of dollars in profits by the hour.
Layla says
I thought we were talking about our local elections? No wonder we never get anything accomplished. We are too busy fighting with one another. I don’t think anybody agrees with subsidies of any kind anymore except politicians.
Too bad we can’t go to zero line budgeting, drop them all, all grants, all foreign aid and start over. The special interests in this country are playing tug of war while Florida plays host to 25% of the homeless children in the United States. Now that’s certainly something to be proud of…..NOT!
Instead of arguing semantics, let’s FIX IT. We’re arguing about candidates when most people won’t even take the time to run for office.
And in the meantime, government wrecks havoc upon us all.
Dorothea says
Layla, if you dropped all the grants and foreign aid you would have cuts amounting to less that 1% of our revenue. It’s not the government that I worry about, it’s the politically uninformed and overly influential tea party members who are holding government hostage that worry me. How do you fix the homeless children problem, if the tea party backed governor and state legislators are cutting off unemployment benefits while making their parents unemployed?
palmcoaster says
Applause to Dorothea! Lyla we ARE talking about our local elections and the current candidates so far….and people IS running for office and hopefully more will show up. I don’t run for office because I own businesses and will be conflictive as I am very busy still and not retired yet.
One can’t focus on our local issues without mentioning and comparing past elections and country wide one’s and those outcomes in order to try to avoid the same mistakes. The voters get very mislead and then we all pay the consequences, like now in Florida with Rick Scott that is the least liked governor in the nations and his polls are pathetic like 27% approval! Sure he didn’t win with 27% of the vote! So what happens to all the ones that voted for him…probably bitching at the results affecting their lives in a negative unexpected way. R. Scott less popular than….feel free to read next;
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/07/rick_scott_approval_rating_ana.php
Layla says
You see, it’s happened again….our local government is pulling shenanigans and nobody cares, nobody says a word….
I guess I can pray that all the incumbents get voted out. That’s one way to take care of the situation, voter enforced term limits.
Dorothea says
Layla, go back about 10 comments. I already explained why I don’t think that our local government is pulling the wool over our eyes, but is instead faced with a question of state law possibly conflicting with the Palm Coast City charter..
elaygee says
Tea baggers are just the dying remnants of white xtian have-it-alls gasping for control. They’ll die out (like dinosaurs) within 20 years, hopefully before they have fully ruined a great country.
Layla says
elaygee: You might want to google DEMOCRATS AGAINST AGENDA 21, watch the video, and rethink that.
I know one thing..I know that the Tea Party puts on the best Candidate Night in the area. I’ll be there.
Can't remain quiet anymore says
Palmcoaster has repeatedly said that Dennis Cross from District #3 is a T-Party Candidate. This is not correct. Cross never said he is a T-Party Candidate and the T-Party has not endorsed him as their candidate. Also, the Chairman of the T-Party is supporting Jason DeLorenzo with the Flagler Builder’s Association. The Chairman apparently still feels indebted to the Builders for their financial support in his two previous election campaigns for County Commission. It’s public record…….check it out.
palmcoaster says
Thank you Can’t remain quiet anymore! And you are correct Mr. Cross never said that he is a Tea Party candidate. He only said that he was promoted and presented as a candidate in the Tea Party gathering to support “all candidates and promote residents to run”. I am just a bit skeptical. I really wish Mr Cross is not a Tea Part one. As we need a candidate like that. I was present on that city council redistricting meeting in support of Mr. Cross because was unfair to take him “no matter which party he represents” out of the race at that point. Not democracy to me. Mr. Cross said he is just a Republican candidate and no affiliation with Tea Party. I was satisfied that we , the people, all won in that meeting and pressure our elected ones to make the right. What happens is that I have seeing in these 20 years in Palm Coast and supported them and even help them on their campaigns, candidates almost I could call friends of mine and once elected, they turn and become insensitive to us the people, when voting on issues that affect us all. I am just a bit skeptical. Where does Mr. Cross stand on our public employees firing to balance our budgets while spending in “just to make nice” capital projects that can wait for better economic times or in pricey consultant,s is taking place? Where he stands on over development without sufficient infraestructure to support it and overburdening the taxpayers paying for it, then? Those are our issues today. I am totally against firing any of our public employees!
palmcoaster says
Really interesting to learn from you now that the former appointed city councilman Mr.Lawrence (not the one from Arabia) and failed twice for council and commissioner candidate in past elections, is supporting developers lobyyst and extremelly well connected with government officials, COC and Enterprise, Mr. De Lorenzo. Jeez these developers are exercising the pressure for when our economy recovers and construction will be back in force. Not that I have a grudge against them at all, as long as they don’t come up with shames like Centex did destroying our beloved ammenity Palm Coast Resort to build more condos and Landmark’s still doing with it to the Matanzas Golf Course to those owners around the course that pay premium price for those lots and now have to live and endure the eyesore and the further devaluation inflicted on their homes by the neglected course. Some developers get away with #@&^* around here as they sure harrass and if the can, brive the hell out of our elected one’s.
Layla says
I don’t have a grudge against them, they built this beautiful place. But I do NOT want one on the Council OR the Planning Commission, not when he gets to keep his day job. Have we lost our minds???
THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a HUGE conflict of interest. I want somebody to represent ME on that council, ME.
What a concept!
Jerry Crowley says
It’s district 3 folks and the “developer underground” is trying to run your city. They don’t want Cross to get elected and they know it is possible he could be elected in the primary, so what do they do? They muddy the water with BS and send it out to our lazy city attorney. Get these people out of your lives by getting Dennis Cross elected to the Council.
Dorothea says
If you want Palm Coast run by Grand Haven, a gated community with a track record of not giving a damn about the rest of Palm Coast’s citizens, then vote for Cross. Otherwise vote for anyone else that’s running. Jerry Crowley, the only ones muddying the waters are the chronic tea bag complainers from Grand Haven who would see the city run into the ground so long as they get what they want.
Layla says
I’m sorry, Dorothea. I don’t know what’s going on in Grand Haven and I don’t care. I’ll take Cross over the Builders.
I’m not suicidal. Maybe you are. The last thing I think we need here in Palm Coast are more disasters like the Palm Coast Resort. Have you noticed how much of our beautiful land here has everthing, BUT the houses on it? How much does it cost the city to keep up acres of vacant land at Town Center? How much does it cost to maintain the new development at Matanzas and Hwy. 1? We are maintaining acres of vacant development land with streets, expensive landscaping and nobody there. Each time this city permits another large builder who fails, our property values go down and it becomes less likely we will pull ourselves out of this mess anytime soon.
We need a moratorium until they are sold, until we have the water, the sewage facilities to sustain them. Otherwise, let it all go back to nature until somebody comes along and wants to buy it.
Personally, I don’t think we should allow anymore empty developments to be built until we don’t have so many acres of vacant land that must be maintained. It is killing our property values. We have grown too fast and if we are not careful, all we will have left is blight. We are busy encouraging it.
VoteEmOut says
I’m not from Grand haven but I agree with Jerry Crowley. How does someone running for City Council get appointed to the planning Board during the election process when that person is paid lobbyist for the arae’s developers (homebulders)? Guess the current city mayor and council are in bed with the developers and seem to be trying to fix the election.
Dorthea, I guess you think limited Constitutional givernment sought by Tea party members is un- American?
Dorothea says
Layla,
This may come as a surprise to you, but developers and their employees are citizens and they have a right to vote and run for office. Not all developers vote the same way and not all are dishonest or are part of an imagined underground conspiracty. Another plus, developers also provide badly needed jobs in Flagler County. I certainly don’t think that Cross would represent me on the city council, but he still has a right to run, even if he represents Grand Haven and not “me.”
Dorothea says
VoteEmOut, I think that the tea party has driven the Republican Party so far to the right that it no longer represents main stream American voters and American values.
Layla says
Dorothea, it is not the Republicans, Tea Party or Democrats who will decide future elections. It is the Independents. They are the largest swing voting block and they are growing. This is because both parties have taken it to the extreme. Take a look at the registration breakdown on the Elections website. Interesting.
Whoa! Conspiracy? Of course I don’t think developers are bad, well, not all. I thought I made that clear. But I do think they have a little too much political influence in Palm Coast. They’ve also made millions off Palm Coast, and I am not criticizing that.
But with such a strong influence on the council and the chamber, they also have the ability to grease the palms of elected officials, that’s enough of a conflict for me. I am not saying that to offend you. We certainly have evidence in this community of developers out of control.
It is not up to the council to provide jobs, it is up to the council to provide the proper business climate for the community to create jobs. From what I have seen here, the COC and the Builders scratch each others backs, meanwhile, small business in Palm Coast is going under. I want somebody in office who will listen to them. They provide the real jobs in Palm Coast. Without them, we couldn’t exist as a community.
vincent liguori says
Dorothea: Your comments say you are a liberal. Please give the folks a recap of Obama’s accomplishments. It should not take you long-ZERO. Have a good day.
Dorothea says
Here you go, Vincent.
Borrowed from the Daily Kos,
On reducing and assisting people that have become victims of the increased poverty made worse by economic crisis
1) A $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps.
2) A $1 billion in funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) that is intended to revitalize low-income communities via “Job training and placement assistance”, “Financial literacy programs”, et al, to helping families become self-sufficient.
3) A $2 billion in new Neighborhood Stabilization Funds that will allow ailing neighborhoods be kept maintained.
4) A $1.5 billion in Homelessness Prevention Funds to keep people in their homes and prevent homelessness.
5) A $5 billion increase for the Weatherization Assistance Program to help low income families save on their residential energy expenditures by making their homes more energy efficient.
6) A $4 Billion program, The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, “authorizes funding for federal school meal and child nutrition programs and increases access to healthy food for low-income children.”
7) As part of the HCR bill, subsidies will be available to the uninsured and families with income between the 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty level($14,404 for individuals and $29,326 for a family of four).
8) Estabilished Open Doors to end the 640,000 men, women and children who are homeless in America by 2020.
9) Increased the amount of federal Pell Grant awards so that funds are available to those with less access to have opportunity.
10) Provided $510 Million for the rehabilitation of Native American housing.
11) Expanded eligibility for Medicaid to all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($14,400 per year for an individual).
12) Providing assistance to low-income workers through the Earned Income Tax Credit giving millions of working families the break they need.
13) Education being the way out of Poverty, kicked off the “Race to the Top”, a $4.3 billion program, that rewards via grants to States that meet a few key benchmarks for reform, and states that outperform the rest.
On Health Care Reform:
1) Coverage can’t be denied to children with pre-existing conditions.
2) Adults up to age 26 can stay on their parents’ health plans.
3) Free preventive care.
4) Rescinding coverage is now illegal.
5) Eliminating lifetime limits on insurance coverage.
6) Restricting annual limits on insurance coverage.
7) More options to appeal coverage decisions.
8) $5 billion in immediate federal support to affordable Coverage for the Uninsured with Pre-existing Conditions.
9) $10 billion investment in Community Health Centers.
10) Create immediate access to re-insurance for employer health plans providing coverage for early retirees.
11) Made an $80 billion dealwith the pharmaceutical industry to contribute to cut prescription drug costs for the nation’s seniors reduce the size of the “donut hole” in the Medicare (Part D) Drug Benefit.
12) Provides a $250 rebate to 750,000 Medicare Beneficiaries who reach the Part D coverage gap in 2010. As of March 22, 2011, 3.8 million beneficiaries had received a $250 check to close the coverage gap, according to an HHS report.
13) Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 35% of employee premiums effective 2011 and a 50% tax credit effective 2013.
14) Creates a state option to provide Medicaid coverage to childless adults with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. By 2014, States are required to provide this coverage.
15) Provides a 10% Medicare bonus payment for primary care services and also a 10% Medicare bonus payment to general surgeons practicing in health professional shortage areas.
16) Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 to 85 percent of the proportion of the premium dollars on clinical services. As an example, WellPoint’s Anthem Blue Cross unit in California has reduced its proposed rate increase.
On Jobs and the Economy:
1) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has worked. The Economy Has Been Growing – take a look at the graph of GDP growth between 2007 thru 2010.
2) The $787 billion economic stimulus package has created or saved nearly 2 million jobs slowing the bleeding
3) Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 that extended Unemployment benefits up to 20 weeks and more.
4) Provided $14.7 billion in small business loans increasing minority access to capital.
5) The $26 billion aid to states package preventing large-scale layoffs of teachers and public employees.
6) As of March 31, 2011, created 1.8 million Private sector jobs since Jan 2010.
7) US auto industry rescue plan saved at least 1 million jobs
8) Helpedmake the Auto Industry start making huge profits again with Ford sales up 19% over last year. GM up 11%. Chrysler up a whopping 31%.
9) Jobs for Main Street Act (2010)injected $27.5 Billion for Highways, $8.4 Billion for Transit into the country’s transportation system to create jobs and spur economic activity.
10) A $33 Billion Jobs Packagethat will allow Small businesses to get $5,000 tax credit for new hires.
11) A $26 billion State Aid Package Jobs Bill saving 300,000 teachers and public workers jobs from unemployment.
12) As part of the 2010 tax extension, Unemployment Insurance was extended to 7 million Americans who would have been without income.
On Banking and Financial Reform
1) Signed a sweeping bank-reform bill (the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act)into law
2) Managed the $700 Billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that Banks have repaid more than 100% of TARP funds ($251 of the $245 banks owed) as of March 2011 exceeding the original investment by $6 billion.
3) Cuts Salaries of 65 Bailout Executives
4) Closed offshore tax safe havens, tax credit loopholes on companies that use the tax laws to ship American Jobs oversees. HR 4213.
5) Signed into law the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act to fight fraud in the use of TARP and recovery funds, and to increase accountability for corporate and mortgage frauds.
6) Signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act
On Education
1) Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 that increased the amount of federal Pell Grant awards and enabled the stripping of banks privileges as intermediaries for student loan servicing saving the US government about $68 billion dollars over 11 years.
2) Created the Race to the Top Fund, a $4.35 billion program to reward States that submit the best proposals for change.
3) As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, funded over$100 Billion for reforms to strengthen Elementary and Secondary education, early learning programs, college affordability and improve access to higher education, and to close the achievement gap.
On Energy
1) Implemented renewable fuels mandate of 36 billion gallons by 2022, four times what we currently consume.
2) Automakers will be required to meet a fleet-wide average of New Gas Mileage Standards at 35.5 MPH by 2016.
3) A $60 billion investment in renewable and clean energy.
4) developed a Biofuels Roadmap to determine the next steps in growing an advanced biofuels economy to meet the goal to use at least 36 billion gallons of bio-based transportation fuels by 2022 helping create more green energy jobs.
5) established EPA regulations which require large U.S. ships to cut soot emissions by 85 percent.
6) pledged via the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future that in a decade from now to cut our oil dependency by one-third, and put America’s energy future by producing more oil at home and reducing our dependence on oil by leveraging cleaner, alternative fuels and greater efficiency.
On Housing
1) $275 billion dollar housing plan – $75 billion dollars to prevent at-risk mortgage debtors already fallen victim to foreclosures and $200 billion to bring about confidence to offer affordable mortgages and to stability the housing market.
2) Established “Opening Doors” to end the homelessness of 640,000 men, women, and children in the United States in 10 years.
3) Provided $510 Million for the rehabilitation of Native American housing.
4) Provided $2 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization Program to rehab, resell, or demolish in order to stabilize neighborhoods.
5) Provided $5 billion for Weatherization Assistance Program for low income families to weatherize 1 million homes per year for the next decade.
6) Provided grants to encourage states and localities to take the first steps in implementing new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency.
On Medicaid/Medicare/Social Security
1) giving $250 economic stimulus check to 55 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients in 2009.
2) Cutting prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients by 50% and began eliminating the plan’s gap (“donut hole”) in coverage.
3) Passing as part of H.R.3962 (Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010) a $6.4 billion measurereversing a 21 percent cut in physician payments that would have started a flood of rejections by some doctors of seniors covered by Medicare.
4) Expanded eligibility for Medicaid to all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level ($14,400 per year for an individual).
5) Committed to ensuring that Social Security Budget Will Not Be Cut nor would change the retirement age.
On Military Veterans and Families
1) A $112.8 billion VA budget, an increase of 15.5 percent over 2009, the largest percentage increase for VA requested by a president in more than 30 years.
2) Implemented a strategic planto increase the hiring of Veterans and Military spouses throughout the Federal civil service.
3) Provided for the expenses of families of to be at Dover AFB when fallen soldiers arrive.
4) Passed the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009 increasing the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.
5) Declared the end of the war in Iraqi bringing back nearly 100,000 U.S. troops home to their families.
6) Donated 250K of Nobel prize money to Fisher House, a group that helps provide housing for families of patients receiving medical care at military and Veterans Affairs medical centers
7) Ended media blackout on war casualties; giving access to the return home of a dead US soldier for the first time since an 18-year ban on coverage was lifted.
8) Create a ‘Green Vet Initiative’ to promote environmental jobs for veterans
9) Signed into law the 2009 Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, that will allow military spouses to claim residency in the same state as their sponsor and retain that residency as long as the service member is in the military, in the process avoiding the states where they currently reside from taxing their earned income.
10) Signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010
On LBGTQ issues no matter this diarythinks it is overselling of Obama’s LGBT Accomplishments
1) Extended benefitsto same-sex partners of federal employees
2) Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
3) Instructed HHS to require any hospital receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds (virtually all hospitals) to allow LGBT visitation rights.
4) Banned job discrimination based on gender identity throughout the Federal government (the nation’s largest employer)
5) Signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act and while more funding is needed per the 2012 proposed budget, an increase of $80 million to domestic and global HIV/AIDS programs committed
6) Extended the Family and Medical Leave Act to cover Gay employees taking unpaid leave to care for their children of same-sex partners
7) Lifted the HIV Entry Ban.
8) Implemented HUD Policies that Would Ban Discrimination Based On Gender Identity
9) Appointed the first ever transgender DNC member
10) Named open transgender appointees (the first President ever to do so)
11) Eliminated the discriminatory Census Bureau policy that kept LGBT relationships from being counted
12) Extended domestic violence protections to LGBT victims
13) Repealedthe Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) Discriminatory law.
14) Declared DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) unconstitutional and stopped Defending In Court
15) Endorsed a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of gays and lesbians around the world in an efforts to make it a worldwide policy.
Tax deal extending Bush’s tax cut for two years which often gets criticized will do the following:
1) Keep $3,000 in tax savings annually
2) Unemployment Benefit for 7,000,000 Americans worth $56 Billion.
3) $2,500 in tax savings to help pay for college tuition and other expenses
4) A $2,000 payroll tax savings to me or a 2% employee-side payroll tax cut for over 155 million workers
5) Child tax credit of $1,000 per child with the $3,000 maximum credit threshold.
6) Earned Income Tax Credit that will give on an average $600 in additional assistance to families with 3 or more children
7) A 65 percent tax credit to help cover the cost of COBRA for those who lost their jobs in the recession
8) forecast to creating approximately 1.6 million jobs increasing the GDP for 2011
9) extended the credit for adoption-related expenses that reduces families tax bill up to $13,170 in 2011 through 2012 with a maximum of $12,170 in credit.
Other Notables
1) signed the Health Package For 9/11 Responders bill that puts $4.3 billion into a fund to assist folks that are suffering from problems caused by breathed-in dust and debris during the 9/11 clean up.
2) signed into law a sweeping Food Safety Act bill that contains 18 major changes to food safety laws.
3) made an excellent choice selecting a new Chief of Staff, William Daley, who Eric London has made a super case for why it was a smart choice.
4) made a $78 billion spending cut to the U.S. military and defense department budget, including reducing the size of the Army and Marine Corps.
5) signed in to law the START Treaty with Russia, a sweeping new arms reduction pact that will reduce the stockpile nuclear weapons in both countries adding new verification plan.
6) The passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act enabling the rights of workers to sue employers over wage discrimination claims.
7) The expansion of SCHIP health-care program for children worth $33 Billion.
8) The declaration of two million more acres of wilderness in one of the most omnibus Public Lands bill.
9) Government Transparency as noted by Common Cause, Democracy 21, League of Women Voters and U.S. PIRG– “The cumulative effect of the Administration’s actions has been to adopt the strongest and most comprehensive lobbying, ethics and transparency rules and policies ever established by an Administration to govern its own activities”. You can read full report in all of the seven areas the report is graded.
10) signed the Tribal Law and Order Act — an important step to help the Federal Government better address the unique public safety challenges that confront tribal communities.
Kevin says
Amazing that anyone can attribute so much to any one human especially given the facts of him (BHO) often golfing, playing basketball, traveling with family, eating, smoking, drinking, etc.
Kevin says
You forgot to include increasing unemployment to hovering permanently over 9.2% (most likely), killing the dollar, making breath-taking increases to the deficit, ignoring getting congress to construct a budget when they were well in control of both houses, expanding the war fronts, assasinating a know terrrorist instead of trying him for his war crimes and possibly gaining access to more information, did I say killing businesses here in the US and allowing and encouraging corporations to cut jobs for foreign workers,… I could wirte on and on but what is the use as you would congratulate him for all his failures as something good for us all here in the US.
Oh I almost forgot about the armns case where Eric Holder knowingly permitted stimulus money to be used to purchase arms that led to the killing of a border agent through the use of one of the unlawfully sold guns, soething done in order to cut into the rights of lawful gun ownership in the US instead of enforcing current laws on the books. Have you celebrated this point yet Dorothea???
palmcoaster says
Exceptional statistics Dorothea. Thank You! Is so much that we can lead a worse to water….
Not that I think our Prez is the best ever…but is the best we can still get, given the pathetic alternative.
Kevin says
I will say the alternatives were not good and I did lean to voting for him but I couldn’t get myself to throw the switch so I didn’t vote which was the first time ever. Experts on matters can easily make the case that some of the things going on during this administration borderline treason, are breaking the dollar, destroying jobs, increasing crime and welfare, and worst of all, expeosing us to danger by not following up and doing something about the porousness(?) of our borders involving those coming over not of Spanish or Mexican origin, something happening by the thousands on a weekly basis. This is a topic I have been focused on recently and it is quit frightening knowing they are filling up pockets of terror cells throughout our nation cultivating attack centers that one day when enough exist, could easily overwhelm any law authority should they decide, yet nothing is being done from what experts see by our so called justice department.
Blah, blah, blah…