Politicians Watching Tapped-out Voters Rise Up In Anger are Getting Nervous (You can help)

Ronals Reagan Club ^ | February 20, 2011 | Vanity, Various

[SandRat]

How many unions will be interwoven into High-Speed Rail?

Steel Workers Union, Communications Workers, IBEW, AFL-CIO, Teamsters (well .. someone has to haul in the supplies), & since the GO-bama-ment is going to run it the SEIU/AFSME. That's my stating list.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Terrific LINKS and information.

I have to take off for the day.

Thank you for getting all this information out there Matchett-PI!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

New AFSCME-SEIU Pact to Help More Workers Win Voice at Work

[CLICK] "We have been making history all week and into the weekend. On Saturday, union members and our many friends turned out all over the state to protest the refusal by key Wisconsin leaders to act like leaders." ~~~~~~~~~~

[Feb 22, 2011] "In a show of solidarity, AFSCME and SEIU members are again scheduled to wear "Together We Can!" sticker buttons at work that day. The stickers feature that slogan along with a green (AFSCME) and purple (SEIU) "unity fist bump" logo. Union members also wore the stickers on Feb. 10, which was the opening day of bargaining." [Oregon] State's economic proposals coming Feb. 22; wear your stickers!

[CLICK] Facebook UNION RALLY FOR WISCONSIN

[Matchett-PI]

Cincinatus’ Wife wrote: “Terrific LINKS and information.”

Thank you. Here’s where Florida FReepers and TEA party movement groups will be on Monday evening (tomorrow):

*** Governors Saving America Rally ***

We here in Orlando are going to join Tampa in putting on a rally Monday evening! We are Calling it the “Governors Saving America Rally”, to support Rick Scott and show solidarity with Wisconsin’s Governor.

We are gathering outside Sen. Bill Nelson’s office near downtown at Lake Eo la at 5:30PM.

Show Your Support For Rick Scott’s Courage To Stop The Insanity!

In a world that seems to have gone mad, We the People are standing with the Governors of America who are making the difficult decisions to save this country from financial disaster.

Doing Nothing Is No Longer An Option!

Show up HERE on Monday:

Monday, February 21st - 5:30 - 7PM
Outside Bill Nelson’s Office
Landmark Two
225 East Robinson Street, Ste 410
Orlando, Florida 32801

NOTE: I think we also need to organize rallys in front of Paula Dockery’s and John Mica’s offices. bttt

[Matchett-PI]

MORE (Especially see the letter from a TEA Party Movement group to his Senator at the end):

Even the Washington Post in a recent editorial on 2/14/2011 stated that high speed rail is a bad idea. Read it here:

High-speed rail is a fast track to government waste
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/13/AR2011021302203.html

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Florida Lawmakers Encouraging Reckless Spending on high speed rail
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2675687/posts

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Tallahassee (850) 487-5078
Statewide: 1-800-500-1239
Senate majority bashes Scott’s high-speed rail scuttling
by aaron deslatte on February, 17 2011
Orlando Sentinel
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2011/02/veto-proof-senate-majority-bashes-scotts-high-speed-rail-scuttling.html

TALLAHASSEE A majority of the Floridaa Senate sent a letter to U.S. Secretary Ray LaHood Thursday, blasting Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to scuttle the state’s $2.7 billion high speed rail plan and pleading for more time.

“This project would create real jobs, cleaner and smarter transportation, and true economic development for Floridians,” said the letter signed by 26 senators, and led by Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland. “Politics should have no place in the future of Florida’s transportation, as evidenced by this letter of bipartisan support.”

Here’s the letter:

February 17, 2011
The Honorable Ray LaHood
U.S. Department of Transportation
200 New Jersey Ave, SE, Washington, DC 20590

Dear Secretary LaHood, In December of 2009, members of the Florida Legislature voted to create the Florida Rail Enterprise and the Florida Statewide Passenger Rail Commission. The enterprise could have the ability (pursuant to s. 341.822, Florida Statutes) to independently move forward with Florida’s plans for high speed rail. Please give us the time necessary to work with the enterprise prior to re allocating Florida’s funds to another state. This project would create real jobs, cleaner and smarter transportation, and true economic development for Floridians. The international consortiums who have been investing time and money while waiting for the chance to respond to a request for a proposal deserve that opportunity. Politics should have no place in the future of Florida’s transportation, as evidenced by this letter of bipartisan support.

Senator Anthony Hill, 1 District
Senator Greg Evers, 2nd District
Senator Stephen Wise, 5th District
Senator Bill Montford, 6th District
Senator Andy Gardiner, 9th District
Senator Mike Fasano, 11th District
Senator Dennis Jones, 13th District
Senator Paula Dockery, 15th District
Senator Jack Latvala, 16th District
Senator Arthenia Joyner, 18th District
Senator Gary Siplin, 19th District
Senator Mike Bennett, 21st District
Senator David Simmons, 22nd District
Senator Nancy Detert, 23rd District
Senator Thad Altman, 24th District
Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff, 25th District
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, 27th District
Senator Chris Smith, 29th District
Senator Maria Sachs, 30th District
Senator Eleanor Sobel, 31st District
Senator Jeremy Ring, 32nd District
Senator Nan Rich, 34th District
Senator Gwen Margolis, 35th District
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, 36th District
Senator Rene Garcia, 40th District

LET’S GET TO WORK !!!
They noted that politics should have no place in the future of Florida’s transportation, but they are doing exactly that with this political power play to quiet your voice and that of your elected Governor. Email them directly, and tell them that we can’t afford to play politics over High Speed Rail.

evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov, wise.stephen.web@flsenate.gov, gardiner.andy.web@flsenate.gov, fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov, jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov, dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov, latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov, bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov, simmons.david.web@flsenate.gov, detert.nancy.web@flsenate.gov, altman.thad.web@flsenate.gov, bogdanoff.ellyn.web@flsenate.gov, benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov, portilla.miguel.web@flsenate.gov, garcia.rene.web@flsenate.gov, hill.tony.web@flsenate.gov , montford.bill.web@flsenate.gov, joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov, siplin.gary.web@flsenate.gov, smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov, sachs.maria.web@flsenate.gov, sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov, ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov, rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov, margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov

********************************
Below is a letter one of the TEA Party Movement leaders sent to his Senator. If you would like to send the letter, it is available below. Just make the changes where appropriate.

Mr. Gardiner, I was deeply disappointed to see your name on the Paula Dockery inspired letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The actions by Republican officials in this state, best personified by this letter, toward Gov. Scott’s decision to reject the federal money for high speed rail is disgraceful.

As a member of the Republican Party myself, I am required to sign a ‘loyalty oath’ and I submit that these ongoing actions to undermine our Republican Governor would fail to meet the very expectations that I am held to. I have to ask, is this a matter of do what I say, not what I do?

I am also a recognized leader in the tea party movement and I can assure you that we are paying close attention to the actions of Republican officials in the wake of Scott’s decision.

The prevailing attitude within the movement is that our elected officials from the same side of the aisle are now trying to shove HSR down our throats just as the Democrat Party shoved healthcare reform down our throats. I assure you, this is not a perception that you want projected upon you.

Regardless of your position on HSR, the project was rejected through the Democratic process and these ongoing actions to circumvent the Governor smacks of Alcee Hastings’ comment, “rules, what rules, we make ‘em up as we go along”. Or worse, yet, Nancy Pelosi, “You go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole-vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in.”

Hopefully you are picking up a theme here, which is that conservatives in this state are beginning to see similar elitist traits from those who were thought to be ‘friends’. You would be far better served to take a leadership role here and stand up for the interests of those you were elected to represent. The same folks who will ultimately bear the burden of the out of control national debt brought on by big spending politicians.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to a tea party meeting in your district to speak to a couple of hundred folks about the rail issue.

Thank You,

[SandRat]

You realize that SEIU and AFSCME are both supported by the Workers of the World, the Wobblies.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yeh, Memo to Barry: Americans are not homogeneous. They like their big gas guzzling SUV’s. They like to drive themselves in the privacy of their own vehicles without the government patting them down at both ends of the journey. They like to stop and buy a big juicy, fat laden burger and fries whenever the mood hits them. Maybe stop at Stuckey’s along the way for a pecan log and a rubber gator. I’m originally from Fla and thats just the way they roll down there. They don’t want no steekin high speed rail system.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thanks!

Wobblies in Wisconsin

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.....The prevailing attitude within the movement is that our elected officials from the same side of the aisle are now trying to shove HSR down our throats just as the Democrat Party shoved healthcare reform down our throats. I assure you, this is not a perception that you want projected upon you.....

Snippet of a GREAT letter!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Great stuff! Thanks!

Punch line at the end of the WaPo Editorial:

“Governing ought to be about making wise choices. What’s disheartening about the Obama administration’s embrace of high-speed rail is that it ignores history, evidence and logic. The case against it is overwhelming. The case in favor rests on fashionable platitudes. High-speed rail is not an “investment in the future”; it’s mostly a waste of money. Good government can’t solve all our problems, but it can at least not make them worse.”

[4Liberty]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Obama’s off the rails proposal

[excerpt]....My train riding includes Amtrak, and Amtrak is a fun way to travel, as long as you don’t care when you leave or when you arrive. Since most travelers do care about those things, Amtrak does not have a large customer base and roars deeper into the red every year. It has escaped the ax time after time because of too many jobs involved, or too many riders dependent on the service (like, maybe, 12), or even perhaps a touch of nostalgia for the great age of rail travel. Nostalgia, I suspect, had something to do with the creation of Amtrak in the first place. No one yearns for the great age of covered wagon travel, but I guess there’s a limit.

High-speed rail would be Amtrak on steroids. Almost literally, for most plans call for upgrading parts of the existing system to run faster and more often. Vice President Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for years, and the president has apparently caught the bug: “Imagine, he said in a 2009 speech announcing his plan, “boarding a train in the center of a city. No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes.” And imagine there’s no countries, or nothing to kill or die for, or—no wait, wrong pipe dream. The State of the Union speech devoted a paragraph to giving “80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail . . . for some trips, it will be faster than flying—without the pat-down.” Good one, Mr. President. Though what makes anyone imagine that mass rail transit would escape the grope of the TSA?....

........A network of high-speed rail like Obama proposes (with lines fanning out from Chicago, up from Texas, and down both coastlines) ignores the most basic element of railroading: the track. Most track in the United States is rated for speeds no higher than 70 mph (or 80 max). To support speeds of 110 or more, it would have to be upgraded, at huge expense and inconvenience for the trains already running on it. Once upgraded, passenger trains would be given right-of-way over freight, as Amtrak trains already are, disrupting further the most economical and environmentally friendly transit system in the world and forcing common carriers to bear expenses that they would pass on to shippers. That would inevitably translate into higher utility and product costs for us. And if current Amtrak ridership is any indication, those extra passenger trains—whizzing by in a blur while valuable commodities simmer on a siding—would be mostly empty...[end excerpt]