JEB BUSH PHOTO PIT STOP JUNE EDITION: "Hot, Hot, Hot"

June 1, 2002 | floriduh voter

[Joe Brower]

Easy guys, we're all on the same team, even if not everyone is as happy with the current political situation as others.

Having come from the People's Republik of Kalifornistan not two years ago, I can say straight-out that having a guy like Jeb for governor is a sea change for me, compared to Red, er, Gray Davis and his statist cronies out in the PRK. Not that there isn't always room for improvement. Personally, I don't fully trust ANY politician, Jeb included. My take is that you get the best man you can in there and then stand on his/her shoulders to make sure they behave themselves and keep their promises. Jeb is unquestionably good in this regards, an indication of his personal character. God know we would benefit greatly from more people like him in positions of leadership.

FV, AAABEST is a strict Constitutionalist like myself, and he, like me, sees our government today as mostly an overgrown, overreaching entity that more and more seeks to intrude into and control every aspect of our daily lives. Although Florida is better than most, it still seems all too often like state and federal governments are in some sort of perverse competition to see which can tax us to death and strip us of our rights the quickest. To quote Jefferson, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.".

I try to be a realist about these things, and I realize that, after nearly a century of incremental expansion and encroachment, restoring our governments at all levels back to some semblance of their legal mandate will take the rest of our lives, and probably longer, and that 's only after we've stopped the "progress" of the Fabian socialism that has slowly infiltrated the system and the mindset of it's minions. This is what I am working towards, since I am NOT raising my kids to fight the second civil war. As Thomas Paine once said, " If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace". I have no doubt that any such conflict would make the French Revolution look like a softball game.

One thing I find quite interesting about the whole money thing is that Florida's latest state budget came close to $48 BILLION dollars. That's for a state with 17 million people, and it manages this with NO income tax, which I love. Again, IMNSHO, probably 90% of this money is for things that the state has, in my opinion, no mandate to dabble in. But compare this to Kalifornistan, which had an approx. $100 billion budget for over 30 million people, has a 10% state income tax, and is STILL $20 billion in arrears! How did Red Davis and his cronies manage that? My first take is that they burn it up funding too many things that are non-durable (like failed energy deregulation schemes, welfare, fat contracts to political donators, etc.). But I don't really know. The only thing I do know is, to quote Thoreau, "The government is best which governs least".

My $0.02,

[mafree]

GO JEB!!

[floriduh voter]

Joe, I am a refugee from Kalifornistan myself, only it was decades ago. The valley girl in me acts aloof but, after spending years working with lawyers, I always want specificity from everyone I come in contact with.

Less government would be ideal but unfortunately, Florida is a tourist state and protecting our shorelines keeps us safe and keeps tourists arriving.

I didn't know I was still in a disagreement here on my Jeb thread - I just made the point that reading the budget from myflorida.com is a good place to start before complaining about taxes. I think that tourists pay lots of our taxes. Guys, let's all chill. Canoga Park Refugee, FV

[floriduh voter]

Thanks for the photos, ragtime. I told ya we'd be up all month. This is a record. Your comments are appreciated too. Sounds like you've been studying some of summer's ed threads; "The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows".

[summer]

BTW, I do think people here are truly getting to know him! :)

[floriduh voter]

Great cartoons! They are right on! Don't see ANY of these in lib country, St. Pete Times. RAOFLMAO!

[Joe Brower]

Chill? I considered my comments to be quite emotionally tempered.

From what I gathered, yes, most of Florida's income is derived from tourism-based tax schemes, and, if so, they seem to work incredibly well. $50 billion is a bit of change, and I'm happy it's sourced from there and not my personal pocket.

And yes, the shorelines and such need to be protected and whatnot, although I sincerely doubt that the money spent by Tallahassee to do this comes anywhere close to $50B.

As a student of the 20th century, I simply refuse to blindly trust big government. So far, the way the 21st is shaping up, I'm not seeing any reason to alter my perceptions.

YMMV...

[AAABEST]

Heck I'm all chilled out and loosey goosey. My middle name is "cuke".

I didn't mean to start a fight or anything, I just have a huge mouth and a huge desire for austere government. You're a nice girl FV, but we see things way different.

Now if that list of "accomplishments" you had posted was a list government programs he cut instead of new government intitiaves he created I'd be hooting and hollerin. I'd be even more enthused if politicians started posting on their websites how much money they've saved us instead of going on about all of the ingenious programs they created.

I'll try to be nice to Jeb, I may even help out his campaign (as I've done in the past before it was hip). Like I said he's way better than his brother and like JB has pointed out we could have done much worse. Let's face it though, both Bushes have a disturbing affinity for government.

Disturbing to me anyway.

[floriduh voter]

I agree, aaabest. No government will ever solve every problem on the face of the earth. And, that asteroid almost took us all out. And will you agree with me that Jeb's 12 hour days are giving you too much of a good thing? LOL Finally, I didn't think we were even fighting but I'm glad we made up anyhow.

[floriduh voter]

We're all chillin' here on the Jeb thread. Everything's kewl. Thanks for helping me with MAGNUS JOHNSON. Please folks, visit my MAGNUS JOHNSON thread. Well, I like it anyway.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good posts, here, fv. Joe, great posts. If we could get control of the media and the schools...maybe we could change our complacent Americans who are more concerned with personal pleasure than personal growth and stewardship of the great country and the Constitution left us by our forefathers.

We're deep into "Brave New World," imho. Jeb wouldn't be elected cutting government. Even local Republicans want "theirs". Local papers are owned by large leftist corporations...so forget objectivity.

With the Bush brothers we do have decent, God-fearing men who are trying to break up a bit of the organized crime machine on the left---the two most powerful special interests - Trial lawyers and the NEA. They are changing public perception on education. Homeschoolers are celebrated and parental choice is supported bya growing number of Americans. The ABA was kicked out of the vetting process for judicial nominees...and the real characters in the Senate, those who call James Byrd's death "domestic terrorism" and equate it with the widespread militant Muslim threat, implying that Republicans not only don't find James Byrd's death abhorrent, but that Republican policies will ensure that many more deaths like James' will occur. This is beyond tolerable. This is character assassination of the lowest order...and shows a core rottenness in the leading Democrats that makes them not only a threat to our national security, but to our civilization.

GW and Jeb are good men. Kennedy, Edwards, Leahy, Reid, Clinton and company are corrupt, lying, dishonorable posers who would sell out our nation for personal power. Rant over.

Obligatory Jeb pic: (^:

Firefighters and Rudy with Jeb

[floriduh voter]

You did not need to chill. I was chillin'. Someone else is promising to support Jeb but going around FR and disagreeing with other posters. That's fine with me but I never pinged him to begin with and so it began. I don't know if you pinged this person or not. To that I say "Oh, well."

I don't trust government myself as a rule; I think the federal govt. is a worse bureauracy than Florida is. But, I am not going to follow anybody around to argue about the constitution. I'm starting a new business and it's taking up most of my time. I come to FR to learn things and to meet interesting people - not to argue about stuff I can't do anything about at this time.

That's why grass roots activism is so important because there's still time for change but we have to convince everyone afflicted with apathy; and as you know, there are many Americans so afflicted. Regards. FV

[GUIDO]

Great photos, thanks for posting this. I would love to see a family portrait of the Govenor and his family. Is there any such thing out there? Does anyone have one. I would love to see George P. hehehe

[floriduh voter]

Gee, ragtime, I was just thinking about the rampant apathy when all Americans should be paying attention and then I read your previous post. I think it will take time and I don't know what it will take for people to desire to participate in their government.

Although people seem to be more patriotic, they have to make more of a commitment or who knows what kind of future we will have. That being said, I am for God-fearing candidates who believe in the flag, school prayer and those who try to keep us one nation under God, whether folks are paying attention or not.

Thank you, ragtime, for paying attention. For every one of us who is paying attention, there are at least thirty who are not. That's why whatever grass roots work I do, this is now a lifetime commitment for me. Regards. FV

[floriduh voter]

You want the entire Jeb family? Gee, can I recommend that you visit myflorida.com. I don't think there are any family portraits at jeb.org. Or, do a google search such as: Governor Jeb Bush Family Portrait.

All I have are the old black and white ones, nothing current. Yahoo sometimes has Jeb Bush stuff but they also have pop-up ads that I detest. Thanks for stopping by.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for your good work and passion, fv. Sometimes I get too negative, as my mother and many great FR vets assure me - there are many hard working, patriotic Americans today - usually minding their own business very well indeed, and my pessimism is an insult to them, and to God.

We don't need no steenkin' props.
Our guy is the real deal!

(^:

[floriduh voter]

Floridians had baptism by fire; those of us who experienced the potus election in y2k. That changed my life forever and Free Republic opened my eyes too. You seem very positive to me. It's hard to convey it to others though, out there in the real world, but optimism can be contagious. If anyone out there is still undecided regarding the governor's race, I am stunned. The others are horrible campaigners and have horrid or no records. They don't even have TV COMMERCIALS. It's the out of state money that's going to be coming on strong in about July and definitely after their Sept. primary.

I DO NOT TRUST DEMS, NOTHING POSITIVE ABOUT THAT. FV

[Melinator]

Please take me off your ping list Deputy. Second request.

[floriduh voter]

BTTT for the countdown to election day!