PBC Tea Party and SF 912 jointly host Candidate Roundup

As elections approach, there are many venues in which to see and hear the candidates. Many of these, such as the network of political clubs of both parties, have rules that don’t allow non-party members to speak, even in non-partisan elections like Sheriff or Supervisor of Elections.

President Obama’s Campaign Searching for Dirt on Sen. Rubio

Hello my friends,

Now we know how the Obama Biden campaign is getting all of their unsubstantiated, garbage rumors that turn into the false advertisements that are bombarding us daily!

Ted Deutch’s Gun Control Survey

District 82 Candidate Forum with Senate Candidate Dave Weldon

Last evening’s joint event with Palm Beach County Tea Party and South Florida 912, kicked off with a visit by Senate candidate Dave Weldon.

Connie Mack – Impressions of the Presumptive GOP Challenger

The Senate race has produced a number of interesting candidates, many of whom see the value in grassroots support and have reached out to our various groups. Of those that dropped out, Mike Haridopolos, an early favorite, met with 912 state leaders in Orlando, and made the trip to Wings Plus for a DCWFUS session. Adam Hasner, who won the CPAC-FL straw poll, made the rounds of all the meetings and took time to get to know grassroots leaders personally. George LeMieux made multiple appearances at Tea Party events and valued our input. Those that remain – Mike McCalister, Marielena Stuart, Ron McNeil, Dave Weldon and others, started from the grassroots and have maintained their relationships.

Let your views be heard on the EPA Lawsuit

We have posted information in the past as to how the EPA is holding our taxpayers hostage requiring unreasonable, possibly unattainable phosphorus  reduction in the Everglades.  Here is an article written in May: EPA holds Florida taxpayers hostage with billion-dollar ransom

Why Accept Your Unemployment Benefits Running Out This Year or Next?

SSDI to the Rescue!

In the August 2012 issue of Newsmax magazine an article appeared entitled “America: A Disabled Nation?”. Fleshing out the statistics in the article regarding the current state of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) disability program this is what the American taxpayer is up against. Allow me to apologize in advance for all the SSA acronyms in this posting. Bureaucrats are rendered inoperable without acronyms! To call the disability program perverse is a gross understatement, in my view. About 5 million more workers have joined the ranks of disability beneficiaries since President Obama took office in January 2009, adding to the approximately 4 million workers already on disability which is a striking addition in such a short time.
The definition of who is too disabled to “do any substantial gainful activity in the national economy” (the loose and imprecise SSA standard to which benefits are awarded has been broadened over the years to cover depression, chronic back pain, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc., etc., etc.). With this subjective standard (a Laundry list of disabilities that can’t show up on an MRI) the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) who preside over SSDI appeals apply this standard to the SSA Rules and deny approximately 50% of disability appeals nationwide, yet there are still about 9 million disability beneficiaries in 2012.
Running the numbers a 44 year old worker making $70,000.00 annually (based upon the required 40 quarters or 10 years of reported earnings) he/she would receive a benefit of about $1,900.00 per month according to the SSA benefits calculator on the SSA’s website. This benefit could continue for 20 years until the recipient is 64 years old and then, at age 65, be rolled into the standard SS benefit, much more per month and decades longer than unemployment. There is a recent trend when state unemployment compensation runs out many more individuals are then taking a crack at SSDI benefits. Why not go for the much bigger prize of SSDI? Attorneys are waiting in the wings to assist you in your disability claim. In 2011 the cost of SSDI and SSI (Supplemental Security Income, i.e. welfare based on disability and financial need, not work quarters) payments was 132 billion dollars. Added to this is the 80 billion dollar cost of Medicare. The Newsmax article states that Medicare is awarded after 2 years, regardless of the age of the claimant. The rule is actually 2 years from when the SSA determines the “onset date” of total disability.
Therefore, Medicare could be awarded with the back benefits, and the 2 years is calculated from onset date, not the filing date. A lump sum payment for back benefits is awarded when the claimant receives a “fully favorable” decision from the ALJ after an initial denial of claim appealed to the Office of Disability Adjudication Review (ODAR). Using the $1,900.00 monthly benefit mentioned at the beginning of the foregoing paragraph times 24 months of back benefits (onset date going back 2 years which not unusual) the lump sum payment would be $45,600.00 plus Medicare! In fact SSI beneficiaries receive Medicare and, of course, Medicaid. SSI benefits automatically go together with Medicaid benefits. They’re both welfare based, not work based.
Another aspect of SSDI and SSI is the “ticket to work” program. According to Bloomberg Business Week less than 1% of the disabled ever return to work. And if an individual does choose to return to work the SSA has a program for these individuals known as “ticket to work”. Here we go again (just like my last post on this site)……….. cue up music from The Twilight Zone TV series while I explain “ticket to work” SSA’s program to purportedly facilitate disability beneficiaries returning to work part time. Normally SSA conducts a “continuing disability review” (CDR) every 3 years or so to determine if the beneficiary is still totally disabled or can attempt to return to the work force. However, if a beneficiary, who is presumed to be 100% disabled, applies to the “ticket to work” program regardless of whether he/she ever gains employment no more CDRs are conducted while in the program.
In other words now the beneficiary is magically no longer considered 100% disabled by the SSA and is available to work part time and keep up to a certain amount of earned income as well as the SSDI or SSI benefit payment! According to the SSA’s upside down logic the formerly 100% disabled beneficiary is now not 100% disabled and available to work (whether he/she is actually working is irrelevant) and will never again be subjected to a CDR while in the program even though he/she is, according to the SSA, no longer 100% disabled. Would it surprise anyone to know “ticket to work” is a miserable failure.
This is another very troubling example of a social program created by a federal law originally passed in July 1956 with the best of intentions that has morphed into the massive, tangled bureaucratic web and costly boondoggle we have today. What a surprising turn of events!

Jupiter-Palm Beach Gardens Chapter Meeting Is District 82 Florida House Candidate Forum …And US Senate Candidate Dr. Dave Weldon!

The next Jupiter- Palm Beach Gardens Chapter Meeting will be Monday, August 6, 2012 at Abacoa Golf Club, Jupiter and will be a Candidate Forum for the District 82 Florida House Seat.  The Forum is  jointly sponsored by our South Florida 912 friends and those candidates confirmed to attend include:  Carl J. Domino (REP), Mary Lynn Magar (REP), Jonathan W. Milton (REP), Jonathan “Jon” W. Pasqualone (REP) and Calvin D. Turnquest (REP).

Doors will open at 5:00 with dinner buffet at 5:30, Dr. Dave Weldon speaking at 6pm  and the Candidate Forum beginning at 7:00 PM.  Be there, it will be an interesting and very timely meeting!

Mr. Brian Mudd of  WJNO has accepted our invitation to moderate the Candidate Forum and South Florida 912  will assist in time keeping of responses.  Questions are being developed relative to our Tea Party / SFL912  precepts of Fiscal Responsibility, Limited Government and Free Markets and more specifically – how the candidate’s presence in the Florida House can make a difference for genuine Constitutional Governance; first in Florida, then serving as an example to other States on a national scale.

And now, we get to meet Dr. Dave Weldon, US Senate candidate and hear from him between dinner and our Florida District 82 House Candidate Forum!  Dr. Weldon is a practicing physician in Melbourne, Fl and was US Representative from 1994 to 2008.  This will make it a near sweep on hearing personally from each of our Senate primary candidates.  (See the Voters’ Guide on the Senate Race.)  This promises to be a packed and very informative evening, hope to see you there.

Your District Your Candidates – sponsored by Jupiter Tequesta Republican Organization

JUPITER/TEQUESTA REPUBLICAN ORGANIZATION MEETING, JULY 31

 “YOUR DISTRICT, YOUR CANDIDATES”

Please join us!  Tuesday, July  31, 2012, 7PM

American Legion Post 271
775 North US Hwy 1
Tequesta, FL

Moderator: Bob Nichols

Cash Bar –Event is free

Jupiter/ Tequesta Republican Organization (www.jupitergop.com) is all about its residents and candidates.

We are sponsoring this Candidates Night event for YOU.

Races Covered:  US Senate, Circuit Court Judge, US Representative, School Board, State Representative, Sheriff, PBC State Attorney, Property Appraiser, State Committeeperson, Supervisor of Elections, County Commissioner, Jupiter Inlet Commission

RSVP- jupitergop@gmail.com

Sheriff Candidates Face Off at Wellington Chamber Lunch

Palm Beach County Sheriff candidates Ric Bradshaw, Joe Talley and Cleamond Walker faced off in a relatively cordial exchange at the forum hosted by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce today at the Wanderer’s Club

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