In the Flagler County Court Judge election, Paul Guntharp, a Palm Coast attorney, evaluates the candidacies of Craig Atack and Melissa Moore-Stens, and Atack replies.
Elections 2024
Hutson and DeSantis Are No-Shows as Holland and Beaven Stress Flagler’s Voice
Travis Hutson and Ron DeSantis did not attend Flagler’s broadest political forum of the season–it was broadcast live on WNZF–Wednesday, giving opponents Milissa Holland and Heather Beaven free rein to speak of the voice they’d give Flagler County if elected. County judge candidates Melissa Moore Stens and Craig Atack, and Senate candidates John Thrasher and Kathleen Trued, were also at the forum.
Abby Romaine: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 2
Abby Romaine is an Independent candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Frank Meeker in the District 2 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Frank Meeker: the Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 2
Frank Meeker, a Republican, is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Independent Abby Romaine in the District 2 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Flagler Votes: Candidate Forum Tonight at Knights of Columbus
Candidates in seven local races have been invited and will be heard over the two evenings at the Knights of Columbus hall on Old Kings Road, answering questions prepared by the Chamber of Commerce, the Flagler County Association of Realtors and the Flagler Home Builders Association.
Herb Whitaker: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 5
Realtor Herb Whitaker, a Republican, is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Democrat and five-term incumbent George Hanns in the District 5 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
George Hanns: The Live Interview
Flagler County Commission, District 5
Five-term incumbent Democrat George Hanns is a candidate for the Flagler County Commission in the Nov. 6 election, facing Republican Herb Whitaker in the District 5 race. All registered Flagler County voters get to cast a ballot in this race.
Ronald Reagan Assembly Attack on Frank Meeker, Over Hatch Act, Declared Groundless
The federal Hatch Act prohibits candidates for office from holding jobs that are federally funded. County Commission Candidate Frank meeker’s job at the St. Johns River Water Management District does not violate the act, as local Republican opponents claimed in August.
Amendment 3: A Fight Between Capping Taxes and Funding Government Responsibly
Amendment 3 before Florida voters on the November ballot would tighten the state’s rarely-used revenue cap, potentially giving it more teeth – something supporters say will restrain reckless spending but opponents say would gut vital services.
How Companies Track Your Politics And Assemble Profiles Through the Internet
If you’re a registered voter and surf the web, one of the sites you visit has almost certainly placed a tiny piece of data on your computer flagging your political preferences. That piece of data, called a cookie, marks you as a Democrat or Republican, when you last voted, and what contributions you’ve made. It also can include factors like your estimated income, what you do for a living, and what you’ve bought at the local mall.
State Ethics Commission Finds Sheriff Fleming in Violation Over Hammock Gift Membership
The Florida Commission on Ethics today found probable cause that Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming violated the state code of ethics when he accepted a free, gift membership to the Hammock Beach Resort since 2005, a finding that may seriously damage Fleming’s chances of re-election in less than three weeks.
The Orlando Sentinel Endorses Romney
Right-wingers’ elation at the Romney endorsement aside, to call the Orlando Sentinel liberal of course is to seriously misread the house organ of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, central Florida edition.
Amendment 6: Narrowing Down Florida’s Abortion and Privacy Rights
Sandwiched within a long list of issues on a crowded ballot, Amendment 6 is emerging as a multi-million dollar fight touching abortion, parental rights and privacy protections now guaranteed in the Florida Constitution.
I-4 Corridor, Rife with Legislative Battles, Is Florida’s Electoral Ground Zero Again
The I-4 corridor is almost a mythical place in presidential politics, with Republicans and Democrats seeing it as a ticket to the White House. But down the ballot, the vast stretch of Central Florida also is the biggest battleground this year in state House and Senate races.
As Whitaker-Hanns Feud Boils Over “Creepy” Comments, an Apology from the Incumbent
Flagler County Commissioner George Hanns called his challenger, Herb Whitaker, “creepy” at a recent forum, and ridiculed his late-blooming college education, promoting embarrassment from fellow-Democrats and a public apology from Hanns Monday evening.
For Opponents of Amendment 8, “Religious Freedom” Has Never Been Under Threat
The so-called “religious freedom” proposal to amend the Florida constitution would create a government bureaucracy to channel tax dollars to religious organizations, its opponents say, jeopardizing the very religious freedoms it claims to be protecting.
Amendment 1: Floridians Will Get Their Say on Obamacare, But Only Symbolically
Lawmakers have proposed a constitutional amendment that, if passed, would say Floridians can’t be forced to buy health coverage. At least in the short term, the measure would appear to have little effect, but House sponsor Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, pointed to what he sees as a “basic right” that Floridians should not be “fined, taxed or penalized for our health care choices.”
Florida Republicans’ Poll Tax Nostalgia
Hoping to minimize Democrats’ turnout, the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature is going out of its way to make voting more of a privilege than an absolute right. There are a few ways to get around the voter-suppression schemes.
Flagler Beach Kills Discussion on Amendment 4 as Property Tax Measure Divides Politicians
The quick death of the discussion item is a reflection of the polarizing effects of Amendment 4, which has ardent anti-tax advocates–including politicians elected on limited government platforms–rallying around it while some local government representatives strain to explain how it would short-change revenue.
Big Bird Debate: How Much Does
Federal Funding Matter to PBS Anyway?
The amount of tax dollars PBS receives is roughly .012 percent of the $3.8 trillion federal budget – or about $1.35 per person per year, compared to $22.48 in Canada and $80.36 in Britain. Public broadcasting is a popular target among conservatives, who’ve long portrayed it as an example of wasteful government spending.
Purity, Schmurity: GOP’s Ray Stevens Picks Democrat Jim Manfre, Jolting Sheriff’s Race
Ray Stevens spent much of his primary battle discrediting John Pollinger’s GOP credentials. General election rules are different, he says, explaining his endorsement of Jim Manfre, and drawing charges of opportunism from Pollinger and Fleming. Yet the endorsement potentially upends the race in Manfre’s favor.
Three Florida Supreme Court Justices Fire Back at Attempted Conservative Putsch
Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince pushed back against a campaign to push them off the bench that has spread from a conservative grass-roots uprising to a denouncing of the three by the Republican Party of Florida. The justices spoke to an audience at the FSU College of Law comprised mostly of students.
Ballot Up: Today Is Your Last Chance To Register to Vote in the Nov. 6 Election
Beyond registering, voters this election cycle are urged to know their sample ballot and fill it out ahead of time, because it’s the longest in memory. Early voting, beginning on Oct. 27, or absentee voting, is encouraged.
Holland-Hutson Money Race Still Lopsided; Manfre Doubles Take, Closing Fleming Gap
The last two weeks of September saw Travis Hutson add almost as much money to his treasure chest–$13,000–as Milissa Holland raised in the entire election cycle ($15,502). Sheriff Candidate Jim Manfre has raised $19,000 to incumbent Don Fleming’s $24,000.
Romney’s Foreign Policy Vacuums
Today’s foreign policy address by Romney, to the Virginia Military Institute, was better suited for the Hoover Historical Center in Canton, Ohio. He spoke for about half an hour. He said absolutely nothing that might have told us what his foreign policy would be–or what he thinks it is today.
Crucial Jobs Report Gives Obama a Boost as Unemployment Falls to 7.8%, Lowest in 4 Years
The national unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in September, its lowest level since President Obama’s inauguration in January 2009, as the economy added 114,000 jobs in September, and revised figures for the previous two months boosted those totals by 86,000 jobs. In the last three months, the economy has added 434,000 jobs.
Bob Graham Ridicules $300 Million Higher Ed Cut as Issue Galvanizes Democratic Races
Democrats have started a push to make higher-education cuts and the state’s tuition burdens an issue in state legislative campaigns. The state pays just 40 percent of universities’ tabs, down from 75 percent.
FDLE Investigating GOP Voter Fraud Case
The FDLE said Wednesday it launched a formal criminal investigation into the activities of Strategic Allied Consulting, a Virginia-based company hired by the Republican Party of Florida to register voters in preparation for the November elections.
Obama’s Clobbering
Mitt Romney demolished the Obama mystique in Denver while Obama surrendered: This is the Obama flincher we’ve come to know. The man of a thousand retreats. The prevaricator. The terminated.
Mitt Romney’s Dangerous Game: Making Israel a Wedge Issue in Florida
The Florida Jewish community should see through the false premise that Obama is anything less than stellar on Israel, as Mitt Romney, hoping to score partisan points with Florida’s Jewish vote, has attempted to claim, Dan Gelber argues.
Snubbing Voters, Lame-Duck County Enacts 20-Year Sales Tax While Slashing Cities’ Shares
Many questions remained unanswered about the use of the money and the size of the proposed jail it’s supposed to pay for as the Flagler County Commission voted 4-1 to enact a sales tax it feared the public would not have approved at the ballot box this November.
Where Obama Fear and Loathing Comes From
Charles Kesler’s new book on Barack Obama loathing is a window into the closing of the conservative mind, which Mark Lilla’s review opens a notch to let in a breath of wit–unusual for unusually dour liberals.
Mitt Romney’s , and Republicans’, Goldwater Moment
Blowing an election it should have won, the GOP might finally realize it has strayed far out of the mainstream and become a little too odd for the American public, writes Bill Cotterell.
Those 11 Constitutional Amendments on November’s Ballot: Women League Says Just Vote No
Florida voters will see 11 of the most confusing, complex and sometimes misleading state ballot amendments ever proposed, and voters will need to decide: Do I want this in our state constitution? Deirdre Macnab, state president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, says No.
Obama Opens Biggest Florida Lead Yet As Romney Reels from 47% Remark
Romney’s challenge is no longer to win just undecided voters–a very thin sliver–but to win back voters who have decided to give Obama a second term. The three October debates are Romney’s last chance to make a play for those voters.
Conservative Koch Brothers Enter Florida Supreme Court Fray
Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group financially backed by billionaires Charles and David Koch, is slated to release a series of ads aimed at recalling liberal Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince from the state’s highest court.
Palm Coast Mayor Netts Says Amendment 4 Takes Taxes From “Screwy” to “Screwier”
Other Flagler government leaders joined Jon Netts in criticism of of proposed Constitutional Amendment 4, which would limit the tax liability of commercial, rental and vacant properties while lowering the tax liability of first-time home-buyers, but at the expense of local government revenue, which has been battered since 2007.
Early Voting War Over as Judge, Citing “Souls to the Polls” Sundays, Refuses Injunction
The war over early voting in Florida ahead of November’s presidential election appeared to wind down Monday, with a federal court refusing to block a portion of the state’s controversial 2011 elections law. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan denied a request from Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown and other black voters to […]
Florida Republican Party Wades Into Supreme Court Fight as Justices Curtail Fund-Raising
The Republican Party of Florida issued a statement saying the GOP opposes three justices who form the backbone of the court’s left-of-center majority–R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince. The justices slashed their fund-raising activities according to the latest filings.
Partisanship Works. One-Party States Don’t.
They are two of the most repeated claims you’ll hear every four years: That this is the most important election in our lifetime. And that partisanship is demolishing the country. Rubbish on both counts.
In Flagler’s Elections, Some Coffers Are Depleted, Some Rich in Out-Of-County Donors
The biggest contrast s in the Frank Meeker-Abby Romaine race for the Flagler County Commission, with almost 80 percent of Meeker’s money coming from out of the county, and 100 percent of Romaine’s coming from within it.
Fox News Has Obama Leading by 5 in Florida
The Fox News poll of likely voters has Obama leading Romney 49 percent to 44 in Florida, and by seven points in Ohio and Virginia. If similar results hold on Election Day, Mitt Romney will lose the election.
In Volusia Senate Fight Between Bruno and Hukill, a Bellwether of Republican Dominance
Would voters be better off again electing a Republican to the GOP-dominated Senate? Or is it time for Democrats to claw back a seat in the newly-drawn, swing district? The Senate District 8 race between Democrat Frank Bruno and Republican Dorothy Hukill will answer the questions.
Mitt Romney’s 47 Percent Problem
In 2008 John McCain’s big challenge was to control Sarah Palin’s mouth. In 2012, Mitt Romney’s biggest challenge is to control Mitt Romney’s mouth. His characterization of 47 percent of Americans as victims and dependents, besides being demonstrably false, unravels the cynicism at the core of Romney’s campaign.
Warning of “Scary Things” in Coming Election, County Attorney Hadeed Urges Voter Education
In a surprisingly candid talk framed around the 225th anniversary of the Constitution, Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed warned of the potentially corrupting influence of money in Florida’s judicial elections, and of the Legislature’s loading of the November ballot with 11 purposefully long and confusing constitutional amendments, a spiteful snub of the Supreme Court.
Trey Corbett, Running for Flagler Supervisor Of Elections, Trips Over Several Election Rules
From a minor fine to more serious questions about his home and where he’s voted for the last four elections, Trey Corbett’s pattern of issues stand out because of the office he’s seeking, since he would be responsible for monitoring and controlling those very issues as supervisor of elections.
Property Tax Amendments on November 6 Ballot Would Cut Local Revenue Further
Florida voters in November will face a flurry of proposed amendments to reduce property tax levies for groups ranging from first-time homebuyers to disabled veterans, while preventing increases on those whose homes lose value.
Jamesine Fischer’s Hit-and-Run Trial Pushed to January, Benefitting Flagler Sheriff Fleming
Jamesine Fischer, facing a first-degree felony charge in the killing 76-year-old Francoise Pecqueur in a hit-and-run almost a year ago, will go to trial in January. The continuance works in favor of Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming’s re-election campaign.
Siegel Resigns Over Comments on Christians’ Israel Support
Mark Alan Siegel has resigned as chairman of the Palm Beach County Democratic Party after saying conservative Christians were allies of Israel only because they wanted to bring on the Second Coming.
No Bounce: Economy Adds Only 96,000 Jobs in August as Unemployment Drops to 8.1%
The national economy added a meager 96,000 jobs in August, and the previous two months’ total was revised downward by 41,000 jobs. Nevertheless the unemployment rate edged down to 8.1 percent, from 8.3 percent, as the employment picture continues to zigzag between hope and anemia.