tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23889678957010992012024-02-20T16:20:12.905-08:00The Bill Young DispatchThis is a new local blog for Florida's tenth Congressional district and watching the actions of CW "Bill" Young, the Republican representative who misserves us in Washington.
If you are interested in posting at The Bill Young Dispatch, drop me a line at quinnelk@hotmail.com with some idea of your Democratic and/or progressive credentials and I'll add you as a blogger.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-55741818983743974032009-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:002009-10-22T21:06:02.065-07:00FarewellThis blog is being closed and further updates will be featured on <a href="http://flacongress.blogspot.com/">Florida Congress Watch</a>. Check us out over there.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-7476859703639021862009-10-20T18:04:00.000-07:002009-10-20T18:05:22.385-07:00Bill Young's "Money Pit" Springs a LeakFrom FDP:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Congressman Bill Young should be more careful with what he puts his name on. The Bill Young Reservoir, named for the Congressman, now needs a $125 million patch job. The Bill Young Reservoir project, which was once advertised as a solution for the water issues in the area, was recently described by the local Fox station in Tampa Bay as being "more widely regarded as a money pit".<br /><br />"The Bill Young Reservoir has become a 'money pit' already expected to cost taxpayers an additional $125 million to fix," said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party spokesman. "The people of Florida's 10th Congressional District deserve a leader in Congress who will work against government waste not Congressman Bill Young who builds monuments to his own outsized ego."<br /><br />Background<br /><br />The Bill Young Reservoir requires a $125 million patch job and KPMG consulting has been hired to be paid as much as $908,500 to help find the "best fix at the best price". [MyFox Tampa Bay, 10/19/09]<br /><br />The consulting proposal from KPMG according to Tampa Bay City Councilman Charlie Miranda includes a $125 an hour charge for an administrative assistant. [MyFox Tampa Bay, 10/19/09]<br /><br />MyFox Tampa Bay reports that the project was once touted as a solution for the water problems in the area, but is now "more widely regarded as a money pit." [MyFox Tampa Bay, 10/19/09]<br /><br />The C.W. Bill Young Reservoir was completed in 2005 and named for the Congressman, he attended a ribbon cutting ceremony in October of 2005. [Water Matters Magazine, NovDec 2005]<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-61258328803081456792009-09-26T13:59:00.001-07:002009-09-26T14:02:31.654-07:00Young Is CorruptThe Center for Public Integrity <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/1643/">reports</a> Bill Young has given more than $20 million in earmarks to campaign contributors...Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-38859299208258460782009-07-05T17:41:00.001-07:002009-07-05T17:41:42.897-07:00Why Would U.S. Rep. Bill Young Just Say ‘NO’ to Creating Nearly 95,000 Clean Energy Jobs in Florida?From Americans United for Change:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Americans United for Change sharply criticized U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young for clinging to the failed policies of the past and just saying ‘NO’ to creating millions of clean energy jobs - including nearly 95,000 jobs in Florida - reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and curbing pollution that causes global warming. With no help from Rep. Young, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act late Friday with bipartisan support.<br /> <br />Tom McMahon, Acting Executive Director, Americans United for Change: “Why would Congressman Bill Young just say ‘NO’ to creating tens of thousands of new clean energy jobs in Florida? Why would he just say ‘NO’ to boosting our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil? Why would he just say ‘NO’ to protecting our environment by curbing pollution that causes global warming? The $18,000 Congressman Young has taken from the big oil companies opposed to these initiatives seems like such a small price to ignore the global warming crisis and turn his back on Florida families that are every day losing their jobs and feeling the pain at the pump during the worst economic recession in generations.”<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-68636036687383964002009-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:40:59.228-07:00Capitol Offense: Where Is Congress on the Public OptionToday, I'm joining with Democracy for America, Health Care for America Now and Open Left in supporting the <a href="http://standwithdrdean.com">Stand With Dr. Dean Campaign</a>. The idea is to put pressure on our members of Congress to find out where they stand on health care reform and whether or not they support Dr. Howard Dean's call for a reform that includes a public option. See Dean's statement here:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kytFoPmfycA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kytFoPmfycA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.openleft.com/diary/13580/making-a-difference-on-health-care-through-crowdsourced-journalism">Chris Bowers</a> has suggested that we use crowdsourcing techniques to find out where everyone in Congress stands, which also helps pressure them to take the right stand. So here's the plan:<br /><br />1. Contact your member of Congress via e-mail and ask them the following questions:<br /><br />1--Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?<br />2--If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?<br />3--Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?<br />4--Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?<br /><br />Don't call, do this via e-mail because we want a written response. If they are vague in answering these questions, contact them again and ask for clarification. If they don't answer you, keep contacting them (and have your friends and family contact them) until they do give you the answers.<br /><br />2. Forward the responses to me at quinnelk@hotmail.com. We're going to publish an official response from as many of our members as possible so we know where everyone is. And we'll keep a track of who isn't responding so we know who to put pressure on. Similarly, once we find out who is on board and who isn't, we know who to put further pressure on down the road.<br /><br />3. If you have your own blog, post the responses there, too. The more public pressure we can put on Congress, the easier we make it for them to do the right thing.<br /><br />Here is the public contact info for each of our Florida members of Congress:<br /><br />Rep Gus Bilirakis R FL-9 http://bilirakis.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212&Itemid=44<br /><br />Rep Allen Boyd D FL-2 http://www.house.gov/boyd/zip_authen.html<br /><br />Rep Corrine Brown D FL-3 http://www.house.gov/corrinebrown/IMA/issue.shtml<br /><br />Rep Virginia Brown-Waite R FL-5 https://forms.house.gov/brown-waite/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm<br /><br />Rep Vern Buchanan R FL-13 http://buchanan.house.gov/contact.shtml <br /><br />Rep Kathy Castor D FL-11 https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml<br /><br />Rep Ander Crenshaw R FL-4 https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml<br /><br />Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart R FL-21 http://diaz-balart.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact<br /><br />Rep Mario Diaz-Balart R FL-25 http://www.house.gov/formmariodiaz-balart/ic_zip_auth.htm<br /><br />Rep Alan Grayson D FL-8 https://forms.house.gov/grayson/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Alcee Hastings D FL-23 http://www.alceehastings.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=104&Itemid=<br /><br />Rep Ron Klein D FL-22 klein.ron.web@flsenate.gov <br /><br />Rep Suzanne Kosmas D FL-24 https://forms.house.gov/kosmas/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Connie Mack R FL-14 http://mack.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactConnie.ContactForm<br /><br />Sen Melquiades Martinez R FL http://martinez.senate.gov/public/?p=EmailSenatorMartinez<br /><br />Rep Kendrick Meek D FL-17 http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/contact1.shtml<br /><br />Rep John Mica R FL-7 http://www.house.gov/mica/messageform.shtml<br /><br />Rep Jeff Miller R FL-1 http://jeffmiller.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home<br /><br />Sen Bill Nelson D FL http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm<br /><br />Rep Bill Posey R FL-15 http://posey.house.gov/Contact/ <br /><br />Rep Adam Putnam R FL-12 http://adamputnam.house.gov/contact.shtml<br /><br />Rep Tom Rooney R FL-16 https://forms.house.gov/rooney/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R FL-18 http://www.house.gov/writerep <br /><br />Rep Clifford Stearns R FL-6 http://www.house.gov/writerep <br /><br />Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz D FL-20 schultz.debbie.web@flsenate.gov <br /><br />Rep Robert Wexler D FL-19 http://wexler.house.gov/email.shtml <br /><br />Rep C. W. Bill Young R FL-10 bill.young@mail.house.gov <br /><br />We'll also post the results of these at the WatchBlogs dedicated to each Republican member and at the Florida Democratic News blog.<br /><br />You can also <a href="http://standwithdrdean.com/">sign the petition on health care here</a>.<br /><br />I'm Kenneth Quinnell and I approve this message.<br /><br />Read more on Florida politics at the Florida Progressive Coalition blog (http://flaprogressives.org) and the Florida Progressive Coalition Wiki (http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/).Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-61137494528281629572009-04-07T17:23:00.000-07:002009-04-07T17:25:49.395-07:00Tell the Party of No - "Yes We Can"<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXZ3oJtfq9w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXZ3oJtfq9w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-63763516312838303032009-01-02T10:57:00.000-08:002009-01-02T10:59:55.184-08:00Thank You from DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QHcC3keIVA4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QHcC3keIVA4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-8267153990642161732008-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:002008-10-18T21:54:04.691-07:00Fla. Dems Good on Environment, Reps Not So Much<a href="http://capwiz.com/lcv/dbq/vote_info/?command=results&state=FL&chamber=&session=1102&sort=Score%2CName&submit.x=11&submit.y=13&submit=go">The League of Conservation Voters</a> released their scorecards for Congress. Can you guess what the pattern is? Of Florida Republicans, only Ileana Ros-Lehtinen does as good as any Democrat and that's only one person. Beyond that, all Democrats do way better than all Republicans. No shocker there.<br /><br />Alcee Hastings (D), 92%<br />Ron Klein (D), 92%<br />Timothy Mahoney (D), 92%<br />Kendrick Meek (D), 92%<br />Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), 92%<br />Bill Nelson (D), 91%<br />F. Allen Boyd (D), 85%<br />Corrine Brown (D), 85%<br />Kathy Castor (D), 85%<br />Robert Wexler (D), 69%<br />Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R), 69%<br />Vern Buchanan (R), 62%<br />Gus Bilirakis (R), 38%<br />Ginny Brown-Waite (R), 38%<br />Mario Diaz-Balart (R), 38%<br />C.W. Bill Young (R), 38%<br />Mel Martinez (R), 36%<br />Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R), 31%<br />Ander Crenshaw (R), 15%<br />Ric Keller (R), 15%<br />Connie Mack (R), 8%<br />John Mica (R), 8%<br />Adam Putnam (R), 8%<br />Dave Weldon (R), 8%<br />Tom Feeney (R), 0%<br />Jeff Miller (R), 0%<br />Cliff Stearns (R), 0%Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-3718638615621526352008-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:002008-10-12T17:31:33.201-07:00Republicans Don't Support Troops As Well As DemsCheck out the latest scorecards from Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3483">DAV</a>:<br /><br />Bill Nelson, 100<br />Allen Boyd, 100<br />Corrine Brown, 100<br />Kendrick Meek, 100<br />Robert Wexler, 100<br />Debbie Wasserman Schultz, 100<br />Alcee Hastings, 100<br /><br />Mel Martinez, 60<br />Jeff Miller, 66<br />Ander Crenshaw, 66<br />Ginny Brown-Waite, 66<br />Cliff Stearns, 66<br />John Mica, 66<br />Ric Keller, 50<br />C.W. Bill Young, 66<br />Adam Putnam, 66<br />Connie Mack, 66<br />David Weldon, 66<br />Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 66<br />Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 66<br />Tom Feeney, 66<br />Mario Diaz-Balart, 66<br /><br />Notice a pattern here? All of the Dems have 100%, while none of the Republicans has anything better than a mid-range "D." So much for supporting disabled troops.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.capwiz.com/iava/dbq/officials/directory/statedel.dbq?state=FL&print=yes">IAVA</a>:<br /><br />Bill Nelson, A+<br />Allen Boyd, A<br />Corrine Brown, A<br />Kathy Castor, A<br />Timothy Mahoney, A<br />Kendrick Meek, B<br />Robert Wexler, A<br />D. Wasserman Schultz, A+<br />Ron Klein, A+<br />Alcee Hastings, A<br /><br />Mel Martinez, B<br />Jeff Miller, B<br />Ander Crenshaw, B<br />G. Brown-Waite, B<br />Cliff Stearns, B<br />John Mica, B<br />Ric Keller, A<br />Gus Bilirakis, A<br />C.W. Bill Young, B<br />Adam Putnam, C<br />Vern Buchanan, B<br />Connie Mack, B<br />Dave Weldon, C<br />I. Ros-Lehtinen, A<br />L. Diaz-Balart, B<br />Tom Feeney, B<br />M. Diaz-Balart, B<br /><br />Republicans do a little better on this one, with Keller, Bilirakis and Ros-Lehtinen all getting an "A." Dems still do better, Meek has the lowest grade on our side of the aisle, and he still has a "B." The only "A+" grades amongst Florida's delegation are Dems and the only grades below "B" are all Republicans. Again, which party actually supports the troops?Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-91077215116498083642008-09-11T19:29:00.000-07:002008-09-11T19:30:38.282-07:00We Get MailAn e-mail from a reader:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />As a Republican Disabled Veteran, I tried to get help from Bill Young's office. First they told me that they would mail me a form to fill out noting my problems which I am having with Veteran's Affairs. I never received the form in the mail. So, I called after 2 weeks and the office secretary was rude, nasty, disrespectful and gave me no help.<br /> <br />How can Mr. Young state that he is so involved with helping Vet's when you can't even call his office and get an answer. As a Republican, I will never vote for him, because he uses our veterans in his platform but doesn't really care about us.<br /> <br />A Proud American Disabled Veteran <br /></blockquote><br /><br />This is shameful, but typical, behavior from Young and other Republicans in Congress.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-46095383726291591892008-08-01T14:09:00.003-07:002008-08-01T14:09:42.504-07:00From the BlogsFlablog: <a href="http://www.flablog.net/2008/07/no-9.htm">No. 9</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-58163421090484869622008-08-01T14:09:00.001-07:002008-08-01T14:09:28.310-07:00From the BlogsPushing Rope: <a href="http://pushingrope.blogspot.com/2008/07/bob-hackworth-on-bill-youngs-housing.html">Bob Hackworth on Bill Young's Housing Relief Nay Vote</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-21097773629051865522008-06-26T11:50:00.000-07:002008-06-26T12:06:12.457-07:00Bill Hates America and Its ValuesIt's clear that Americans generally favor more progressive values most of the time. Not Bill. With a lifetime <a href="http://www.progressivepunch.org/">Progressive Punch</a> voting score of 9.96%, it's clear he hates Americans and their values.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-2060275191017163742008-02-24T19:12:00.002-08:002008-02-24T19:17:55.143-08:00Bill Hates the EnvironmentThe <a href="http://capwiz.com/lcv_stage/dbq/vote_info/?command=results&state=FL&chamber=&session=1101&sort=Score%2CName&submit.x=18&submit.y=16&submit=go">League of Conservation Voters</a> recently released scorecards for Congress. How did <a href="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/index.php?n=Main.CWBillYoung">Bill</a> do? Poorly:<br /><br />C.W. Bill Young (REP), 35%<br /><br />Not only did all of the Democrats do better than all of the Republicans, With one exception, all of the Democrats did more than twice as good as all the Republicans. And most of the Democrats voted in favor of the environment more than four times as frequently as most of the Republicans.<br /><br />I wonder how many of these Republicans own property that will be beachfront property when most of Florida is under water because of global warming? I'm just saying...Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-68290537178431256552008-01-18T10:23:00.000-08:002008-01-18T10:34:07.933-08:00Bill Young to Run AgianThe <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">St. Petersburg Times</span> is <a href="http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/01/young-running-a.html?cid=97665112#comment-97665112">reporting</a> that Congressman CW "Bill" Young is going to run for re-election this year. From the Times: <blockquote>Rep. C.W. Bill Young, the white-haired Republican who has brought hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money to Pinellas County, has decided to run for re-election.</blockquote> Young has been in Congress since 1971 and <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/y000031/">votes with the Republican Party 87.2% of the time.</a><br /><br />Young is in a district that is growing more and more Democratic. In a year that is shaping up as another big year for Democrats, Young did not follow the lead of so many of his colleagues and take this opportunity to retire. I wonder if it is really true that he is hanging on until his son turns 25 so that he can succeed him?gatordemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11314331717750462478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-67105192177374427942008-01-07T18:39:00.001-08:002008-01-07T18:40:53.019-08:00Bill Young Hates Reality, MathHe apparently backs <a href="http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/hunter-doesnt-drop-out-young-still-backs-him/">Duncan Hunter</a> for president. I know what you're saying, "Duncan Hunter is running for president? Who is Duncan Hunter?"Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-33562822473931276372007-12-03T23:15:00.000-08:002007-12-03T23:18:46.226-08:00FL-10: Bill Young is "An Outright Hog"Well now we know that there is at least one thing Republican <a href="http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=7D5D33D2847DB6DE5D3B4D711154D131?diaryId=905" target="_blank">crumb-bum</a> C.W. "Bill" Young is good at: wasteful earmarking and spending.<br /><br />Republican hypocrisy well at work.<br /><br />From <a href="http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sens.-cochran-stevens-lead-in-earmark-tally-2007-12-03.html" target="_blank">The Hill</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Senior Republican appropriators in the Senate have collected more money in earmarks than any other members of Congress, even though President Bush and GOP leaders have forcefully criticized “pork-barrel spending.”<br /><br />Not only have these lawmakers defied their leaders, they have also taken a much greater share of the pot set aside for rank-and-file Republicans than have senior Democrats. As a result, some on the Hill are grumbling privately that GOP appropriators are “not only the kings of pork, they’re outright hogs,” in the words of one Senate Republican aide.<br /><br />...<br /><br />Rep. Bill Young (Fla.), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, is the second-biggest recipient of earmarked funds in the House, securing $161 million.<br /><br />...<br /><br />Young said that senior Defense Department officials come to him with requests for the military at large because he is the former chairman of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee and the panel’s current ranking member.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Wow, who knew it could be so fun to be a Congressman.<br /><br />Oh yeah and this comes from the same <a href="http://www.flapolitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2149" target="_blank">Bill Young</a> who was one of only twelve US House members to vote against compensation for family members who lost their loved ones in a US Embassy bombing. That's right, only twelve Congressional representatives voted against it and Bill Young was one of them. Mind you, this is a D+1 district.<br /><br />Rep. Bill Young: Good at wasteful spending for defense lobbyists, bad for everyone else.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-81285962542031543042007-11-12T17:43:00.000-08:002007-11-12T18:06:58.763-08:00Young Hates Fiscal ResponsibilityDespite the fact that the public pretty much hates earmarks, <a href="http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/11/cw-bill-young-r.html">Young doesn't care</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />But that hasn't slowed Rep. C.W. Bill Young, who will send more money home than all but one member of the U.S. House. Young, 76, a Republican from Indian Shores, has slipped $128-million for pet projects into federal appropriations bills, mostly for defense contractors and colleges in Pinellas County.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />It seems borderline treasonous to focus on pet projects during wartime and all-time record debts. Lets get <a href="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/index.php?n=Main.SammSimpson">Samm Simpson</a> into that office so she can do the right thing.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-59785772646617170262007-10-05T12:50:00.000-07:002007-10-05T12:54:41.338-07:00CW Loves Bush<a href="http://pushingrope.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-floridas-congressional-votes.html">Pushing Rope</a> notes the percentage of the time Florida Republicans vote in line with President Bush, one of the worst presidents in American history. Not surprisingly, CW loves Bush:<br /><br />2007 - 71%<br />2006 - 87%Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-85962997440139041112007-09-05T17:47:00.001-07:002007-09-05T17:50:43.211-07:00Young Raking in the Earmark Bucks<a href="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/index.php?n=Main.CWBillYoung">C.W. Bill Young</a> is one of the bigger takers of <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/09/02/MN97RQ7PU.DTL">earmark money</a> in Congress:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Florida Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young, the top Republican on the Defense Appropriations panel, received $142 million.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Young has no problem taking money from around the country to fund pork projects in his districts, regardless of the fact that we are at war and have a world-record national debt. To be fair, some Democrats (nationally) are doing this as well, but few members of Congress can approach the amount Young is taking.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-59090187100343422142007-08-26T17:53:00.000-07:002007-08-26T18:06:39.787-07:00Dem Wonders: Are we even trying?There is a new post on DailyKos regarding this seat. The title, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/26/161219/986"><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">FL-10: Are we even trying?</span></strong> </a>, suggests a certain frustration level with the candidate line up so far. Here is the money quote for me:<br /><blockquote>I complain, I worry and I vent because FL-10 is a pickup opportunity with or without Rep. Young retiring (which is a possibility). The status quo from the left -- (Samm) Simpson running her campaign the same way as in the past and/or lacking another Democratic challenger who can fundraise against Young -- is just blowing this chance. </blockquote>The author urges Kossacks:<br /><blockquote>both nationally and locally to try to get involved with Samm Simpson and help give her the proper direction to victory. </blockquote>It is the author's hope that<br /><blockquote>Simpson will focus on her opponent and not on literary allusions that blasts the president. Focus on the issues facing the local populous and not on the conspiracy theories behind 9-11 and the invasion of Iraq. </blockquote>If Simpson ever hopes to be a serious candidate, i.e, one with a chance of winning, that would be good advice to listen to.<br /><br />Does anyone want to volunteer to take up that issue with Samm?<br /><br /><img title="" alt="" src="http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r92/gatordem/OldFloridaPostcard.png" />gatordemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11314331717750462478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-42519479586966864942007-08-19T06:48:00.000-07:002007-08-19T06:57:57.034-07:00Bill Young ResourcesFor those interested in learning more about Bill, here are a list of relevant resources:<br /><br /><a href="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/index.php?n=Main.BillYoung">FPC Wiki Page</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.house.gov/young/">Official House Site</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.congressmanbillyoung.com/">Official Campaign Site</a><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Young">Wikipedia Page</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Bill_Young">Congresspedia Page</a><br /><br /><a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/y000031/">WaPo Voting Database</a><br /><br /><a href="http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/H6FL06035">FEC Report</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/FL/Bill_Young.htm">On the Issues</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?CID=N00001817">Open Secrets.org</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=H0770103">Project Vote Smart</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-23292156066793002492007-08-15T18:06:00.000-07:002007-08-15T18:09:30.453-07:00Bill Hates Children and the ElderlyCongress recently <a href="http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/005819.html">had a chance</a> to help out children and seniors across the country. Guess which way the <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll787.xml">Florida delegation voted</a>?<br /><br />FL-1: Jeff Miller (R) - Nay<br />FL-2: Allen Boyd (D) - Yea<br />FL-3: Corrine Brown (D) - Yea<br />FL-4: Ander Crenshaw (R) - Did not vote<br />FL-5: Ginny Brown-Waite (R) - Nay<br />FL-6: Cliff Stearns (R) - Nay<br />FL-7: John Mica (R) - Nay<br />FL-8: Ric Keller (R) - Nay<br />FL-9: Gus Bilirakis (R) - Nay<br />FL-10: CW Bill Young (R) - Nay<br />FL-11: Kathy Castor (D) - Yea<br />FL-12: Adam Putnam (R) - Nay<br />FL-13: Vern Buchanan (R) - Nay<br />FL-14: Connie Mack (R) - Nay<br />FL-15: Dave Weldon (R) - Nay<br />FL-16: Tim Mahoney (D) - Yea<br />FL-17: Kendrick Meek (D) - Yea<br />FL-18: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) - Nay<br />FL-19: Robert Wexler (D) - Yea<br />FL-20: Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) - Yea<br />FL-21: Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R) - Nay<br />FL-22: Ron Klein (D) - Yea<br />FL-23: Alcee Hastings (D) - Yea<br />FL-24: Tom Feeney (R) - Nay<br />FL-25: Mario Diaz-Balart (R) - Nay<br /><br />Let these people know what you think about them. Go to their page at the <a href="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/index.php?n=Main.CongressionalRaces">FPC Wiki</a> to find their contact info.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dccc.org/audio/schip_radio_young.wav">Listen to the DCCC ad targeting Bill Young</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-32454141173422897342007-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:002007-08-13T20:58:12.940-07:00Young Reacts "Angrily" to DCCC Ads<strong><a href="http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/bill-young-says-hell-miss-rove/"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bill Young</span></a></strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></span><blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">angrily pointed to a new radio ad campaign this week by Democrats accusing him of opposing increased benefits in Medicare for seniors.</span></blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">Here is the text of the ad to which Young reacted angrily:<br /></span><blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">The DCCC is responsible for the content of this advertising, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.<br /><br />Did you know Bill Young receives health care at taxpayers' expense, but voted against lowering senior's Medicare deductibles and co-payments for preventative care? Tell Congressman Young to put seniors first.</span></blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">The ad is in response to Young <strong>voting against </strong>H R 3162 to extend and improve the children's health insurance program, <strong>to improve beneficiary protections under the Medicare, Medicaid, and the CHIP </strong>program. ROLL CALL 787, 8/1/2007.<br /><br />Young's angry reaction was in response to being asked about whether or not he plans to retire after 38 years in Congress. Here is </span><a href="http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/bill-young-says-hell-miss-rove/"><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">what he had to say</span></strong></a>: <blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">All I can say is that if they (Democrats) think they can do it (convince him not to run) by pressuring me, they’re wrong.</span></blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">So when did <strong>Old Bill Young</strong> get to be such an <strong>angry old man</strong>?</span>gatordemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11314331717750462478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2388967895701099201.post-14390869845052400432007-08-13T19:34:00.000-07:002007-08-13T19:36:07.916-07:00Young to Miss RoveIf you needed any more reason to target Young for <a href="http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/bill-young-says-hell-miss-rove/">retirement</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />GOP Rep. C.W. Bill Young says he’ll miss Karl Rove at the White House, but understands his decision to leave the Bush administration at the end of August.<br /><br />“He was always somebody I was able to get to, to deliver a message to the president,” said Young, of Indian Shores.<br /><br />But Young added: “I certainly understand Karl’s wanting to begin a new phase of his life.” Young, 76, said he does not anticipate much of a direct impact on Florida.<br /><br />But Young suggested that if former Gov. Jeb Bush or George P. Bush decide to continue in politics, Rove could be involved in those campaigns. <br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.com1