[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGFg1DoccwM 400 400]
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.
You can read more about the event here.
April 20th, 2008 at 02:00pm
Anthony Bonna
Respected political analyst Stu Rothenberg released updated ratings on Friday.
Our race is just one of 15 races, with 6 Democratic incumbents, considered “pure tossups”.
With your help, we can and will win this race.
More here.
April 20th, 2008 at 01:42pm
Anthony Bonna
Our campaign has been running two new TV ads talking about issues important to the district.
The Economy: “Unforgiveable”
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGpLxEs2hjE 400 400]
Illegal Immigration: “Straight Talk”
We are having difficulty embedding this ad. In the mean time, it can be viewed here.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyThT20×7rU 400 400]
April 16th, 2008 at 01:13pm
Anthony Bonna
From Ktracy.com…
“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.
If elected, she’ll be among the most experienced, conservative, intelligent, and talented Republicans in the entire Congress. We need to make sure she gets there. Show your support for Gayle Harrell.“
Read the full post here.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:51pm
Anthony Bonna
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.”
April 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.
Martin County columnist Geoff Oldfather can be reached at (772) 221-4217 or geoff.oldfather@scripps.com.
March 23rd, 2008 at 04:38pm
Anthony Bonna
From the NRCC…
Mahoney Votes for $683 Billion Tax Hike and Increased Wasteful Spending, Hurting Hardworking Middle-Class Americans
Washington- Rep. Tim Mahoney (FL-16) made history this afternoon as he voted for the largest tax increase in American history, creating tens of billions of dollars in new wasteful Washington spending and rejecting any reform to solve our nation’s entitlement crisis (House Roll Call 141). Mahoney’s support for this $683 billion tax increase would devastate the hard-working taxpayers of Florida, costing them an additional $3,040 in taxes next year alone.
Despite campaign promises to rein in debt and wasteful spending, the Democrats’ budget that Tim Mahoney loyally supported contains over 11,000 earmarks at the cost of $16 billion, and will pass on an additional $14 billion in debt to future generations, because it fails to address the fiscal crisis facing Social Security and Medicare programs.
Tim Mahoney’s historic and destructive vote for the Democrats’ budget would impose a crippling tax increase for every single taxpayer in the United States including married couples, families with children, senior citizens, small business owners and farmers:
- Nearly 48 million married couples will be penalized with a $3,000 tax increase
- Low-income families will be hit when the child tax credit is cut by $500 per child
- Almost 18 million senior citizens will have to pay an extra $2,100 in taxes
- About 27 million small-business owners will be strapped with a $4,000 tax increase
- Reinstating the Death Tax will cost taxpayers an additional $180.6 billion
“Tim Mahoney made history today by supporting the Democrats’ reckless budget proposal, forcing America’s hard-working taxpayers and middle-class families to be saddled with massive tax increases to foot the bill,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “At a time when American families are facing increased stress with rising costs, Mahoney’s vote to raise taxes is blatantly irresponsible and yet another obvious indication that he remains out of touch with Florida voters.”
As Tim Mahoney gets ready to head out of Washington for a two-week spring break, he should be prepared to answer questions from the voters as to why he chose to raise taxes and increase government spending at their expense.
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March 14th, 2008 at 08:31am
Anthony Bonna
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