The Florida House of Representatives unanimously passed House Memorial 1131, sponsored by Rep. Gayle Harrell, (R) Port St. Lucie. By doing so, the House sent a strong message to the Congress of the United States, urging Congress to fully fund the implementation of the Indian River Lagoon South Restoration Project, the first phase of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), as authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
The Indian River Lagoon is the most biologically diverse and unique estuary in the world as stated by the Smithsonian Institute. The southern lagoon and its watershed have been negatively affected over the past 100 years by the construction of canals discharging directly into the lagoon, changed water flow patterns, and storm water runoff.
The Memorial urges Congress to provide its share of the funds to restore the southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie Estuary. Since the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 which established the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the State of Florida and South Florida Water Management District have invested over $2.3 billion dollars. The federal government has provided only $365 million. The Federal government needs to be a full partner in the restoration.
Martin County has also demonstrated its support, when local voters approved a special sales tax referendum which raised more than $50 million to assist in the purchase of the land necessary to implement the Indian River Lagoon Restoration Project.
“It is time that our Federal partners step up to the plate and fund their share of cleaning up the Indian River Lagoon and the Everglades. The State of Florida continues to do its share,” said Rep. Gayle Harrell, “we must have funding for this important project.”
Add commentApril 28th, 2008 at 10:41am Anthony Bonna
Democrats Won’t Reveal Their Secret “Commonsense Plan” to Combat Rising Gas Prices Two Years Later, Time Has Run Out for the Democrat-led Congress’ Endless Stream of Broken Promises
Gas price on January 4, 2007: $2.33
RECORD Gas price on April 23, 2008: $3.53
The “Pelosi Premium”: $1.20/gallon
Washington–Rep. Tim Mahoney and his Democrat leaders have failed to reveal their secret “commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices.” In the face of a slowing economy and soaring cost of living, Mahoney and his fellow Democrats rejected a call to force Speaker Pelosi to tell the American people how she plans to relieve their pain at the pump.
Two years ago on the campaign trail, Democrat leaders made insistent promises to lower the cost of gas:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “Democrats have a plan to lower gas prices…” (Release, 4/18/06)
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices….”(Release, 4/24/06)
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD): “Democrats believe that we can do more for the American people who are struggling to deal with high gas prices….” (Release, 10/4/05)
Democrat Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC): “House Democrats havea plan to help curb rising gas prices.” (Online Town Hall Meeting, 7/26/06)
Tim Mahoney voted in lock-step with his Democrat leadership to block a bill to force Speaker Pelosi to “reveal the ‘commonsense plan’ to lower gas prices [she] promised two years ago.” (House Roll Call 211)
“Contrary to their campaign promises, Democrats have done virtually everything they can do to raise the price of gasoline for U.S. drivers… and their plan has worked to perfection. The only question is why they aren’t doing more to take credit for the success of their plan?” (Nashville City Paper, op-ed, 4/17/08)
“Americans are facing new record high gas prices every day, and Tim Mahoney and the Democrat-led Congress have done nothing to relieve the unbearable strain on Americans’ wallets,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “While inaction might be the hallmark of this Democrat-led Congress, Tim Mahoney owes Florida voters an explanation as to why he has gone to such a great extent to ensure nothing gets done on this issue.”
Since January 4, 2007, when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats took control of Congress, gas prices have risen by $1.20 per gallon. In Florida alone, the “Pelosi Premium” has resulted in an additional $1.22 at the pump.
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Add commentApril 24th, 2008 at 07:38am Anthony Bonna
From the Palm Beach Post…
State Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie, assured herself a spot on the ballot for Congress - and gained grass-roots bragging rights in her competitive primary - by collecting at least 4,794 signatures from voters in the district represented by freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney.
Harrell appears to be the only local congressional candidate to get on the ballot via the signature method. Other partisan candidates will have to pay a $9,912 filing fee next week.
…
“We truly feel that we’re the hardest-working grass-roots campaign in this race,” Harrell deputy campaign manager Anthony Bonna said. “We’re the only Republican campaign in this race ready to take on Tim Mahoney.”
Harrell used an 11,000-piece mailing and circulated petitions at events and in door-to-door canvassing to gather the signatures. The 4,794-signature figure derives from a state law requiring petitions from 1 percent of the voters who were registered in the district in the last general election.
Both of Harrell’s Republican primary rivals, attorney Rooney and former Palm Beach Gardens councilman Hal Valeche, collected signatures but fell short of the state requirement.
State Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, has became the first to qualify in her race by collecting the required 4,794 signatures of registered voters from the eight counties in the 16th Congressional District.
“This was really the first test of grassroots campaigning,” said Anthony Bonna, Harrell’s deputy campaign manager. “It’s obviously going to take a lot of work to win this seat: mailing efforts, door-to-door efforts, going around to events, appealing to friends and neighbors. And this is the kind of grassroots operation that will bring us victory in November.”
Last night, Gayle, Dr. Harrell, and I attended Okeechobee County’s Lincoln Day Dinner.
Congressional District 16’s three Congressional candidates were the featured speakers.
Gayle talked about her record of cutting taxes, serving on the homeland security committee, fighting illegal immigration, reforming health care, and protecting our values.
A congratulations to Debi Large, Carolyn Arnold, Chairman Dick Ahrens, and Joe and Melissa Arnold for helping to make the event a great success.
”Just one Florida congressional race — the battle over the U.S. House seat now held by Democrat Tim Mahoney — is on a major publication’s list of the 40 most competitive House races in 2008.
With 25 congressional districts in the state, at least a half dozen of the races are expected to be competitive. But in a special edition released today, Roll Call, a political insider’s newsletter, puts only the battle for Florida’s District 16 seat in the nation’s top tier of big political fights.”
“Gayle is a very distinguished leader of conservative causes in the Florida legislature. She’s voted for over $28 BILLION in tax cuts and she’s voted against the largest tax hikes in the history of Florida.
When it comes to securing the border… she is adamantly opposed to any kind of amnesty for those who came to our country illegally and she won’t allow a guest worker program until AFTER our border is secured.
I could talk about her support for the 2nd amendment, but all that needs to be said was said by the NRA when they gave Gayle Harrell an A+ rating and the Gun Owners of America gave her a 100%. You don’t get much more conservative than that.
You don’t get much more conservative than Gayle Harrell. We need people like her in Washington representing us.
…
Gayle has a plan. Gayle knows where she stands. And the people of Florida’s 16th should do what’s right and support Gayle Harrell for Congress - the most experienced, the most conservative, the most intelligent, and the most talented Republican in the race.
Gayle Harrell is the Only CD16 Candidate to Qualify by Petition
Gayle Harrell has successfully collected enough signed petition cards from Congressional District 16 to become an official candidate for Congress.
Harrell easily collected more than enough petition cards from throughout the district and enjoyed strong support from voters in all eight counties: “I am honored and humbled by the support of thousands of voters throughout the district who took time to voice their support for my candidacy. I look forward to campaigning across the district and speaking with voters who are looking to send a proven conservative to Congress.”
While other candidates tried to make the ballot through the petition process, Harrell is the only candidate in the race from either party to reach the goal of 4,794 signatures: “Being the only candidate in this race to qualify by petition is a reflection of the hard work of so many of our volunteers and supporters. It is a testament to the strong grassroots network we continue to build throughout the district.”
On why only one candidate was able to qualify through the voice of the people, Harrell said: “I think our message of securing our borders, keeping taxes low and making Florida affordable is resonating with voters. Today being tax day, I think it is especially important to point out people’s desire to elect someone with a proven record of cutting $28 billion in taxes.”
Add commentApril 16th, 2008 at 12:47pm Anthony Bonna
If there’s one issue almost as high on state lawmakers’ list of priorities as Florida’s budget and economy, it has to be illegal immigration.
In a year of hot-button issues, it’s more than just glowing red.
It’s starting to smoke.
That only makes sense, since most people look at illegal immigration as a pocketbook issue.
There are bills that would do everything from stopping public funding of day-labor centers to requiring local law enforcement officers to report anyone they arrest and suspect of being an illegal immigrant to federal Immigration, Customs and Enforcement agents.
It’s especially significant when you compare the number of bills introduced this session to last year.
I found 11 bills working their way through the House and Senate this session.
When I looked at last year’s records, I found two.
If legislation is a measure of what legislators think their constituents are concerned about, the conclusion is obvious.
People are fed up with illegal immigration and what they see as an increasing demand on resources they feel should be reserved for citizens.
“People tell me they don’t want state or local dollars going to help individuals who have broken the law by coming here and who continue to break the law,” said state Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie.
Harrell is sponsoring HB 821 to prohibit municipal, county or state money from being spent to establish or maintain day-labor centers like “El Sol” in Jupiter where illegal immigrants gather for jobs.
“If private organizations want to do that, fine. But there is to be no state or public funding to do this,” Harrell said.
She’s seen some opposition. When she conducted a news conference at the Capitol to announce the bill “we had demonstrators there saying we were anti-American and anti-Hispanic,” Harrell said.
Harrell scoffs at that generalization, which she says is thrown at people to take the focus off the real issue.
“I’m not anti-Hispanic. I am ‘anti illegal,’ ” Harrell said.
“What they don’t realize is my background. I speak fluent Spanish and have a master’s degree in Latin history. My children all speak Spanish,” Harrell said.
State Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, is sponsoring HB 107, the “Human Smuggling” bill, which would create a state law making it illegal to smuggle illegal immigrants into Florida. Harrell is a co-sponsor.
She’s also a co-sponsor of HB 73, sponsored by Donald D. “Don” Brown, R-DeFuniak Springs, which would among other things require people applying for public benefits to prove they’re in the United States legally.
I’ll be going to Tallahassee next week to follow Treasure Coast legislators on these and other issues and reporting back to you — as we do each year — on some of the behind-the-scenes things that happen as these and other bills make their way to final votes.
Harrell said she’s confident of these and other bills’ chances this year.
“Since the feds have not stepped up to the plate, the state has an obligation to do everything it can do,” Harrell said.
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