Putnam Co Tea Party Patriots – The Brew October 23, 2014 A Voice for Limited Constitutional Government, Individual & Fiscal Responsibility, Free Markets & Strong National Defense Currently: 723 Subscribers! Derek Hankerson PCTPP Chairman  ONLY 11 Days till November 4th Election Day!  This election needs every last Conservative to vote! Don’t leave anything to chance. We cannot permit anyone to sit this one out. Call your family, friends, and your neighbors and talk about the importance of this election. Offer them a ride to the polls. If you have an absentee ballot, remember… for your vote to count, your ballot needs to be delivered and received by the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7PM on November 4th. All of our hard work comes down to what happens in the next 11 days. Early Voting begins today - Available at three locations 1. 2. 3.  Elections Office: 2509 Crill Avenue, Palatka, FL Interlachen Elementary School: 251 S. County Rd. 315, Interlachen, FL South Putnam County Government Complex: 115 N. Summit St., Crescent City, FL Supervisor of Elections Office: 386-329-0024 Sign Wave on Memorial Bridge 4 - 5:15 PM before the October 27th Meeting - Bring your favorite candidate signs or flags. Let’s prove the Tea Party is ALIVE & here to stay! This is it! FINAL Opportunity to Meet the Candidates & Ask Questions Monday, October 27th Non-Partisan “Meet & Greet” Candidates Forum Invited Candidates:  Glo Smith (R), US Congressional District 5 - Currently occupied by Corrine Brown (D), also invited  Allegra Kitchens (Incumbent), Justin Campbell and Robin Cadle (write-in), Candidates for City of Palatka Commissioner, Group 2  Phil Leary (Incumbent) and Rufus Borom, Candidates for City of Palatka Commissioner, Group 4  Vernon Meyers (Republican, Incumbent) and Terrill Hill (Democrat), Candidates for Palatka Mayor  Allen Baggett and Jane Thomas Crawford, Candidates for School Board, District 5 All of our meetings Begin at 6:30 pm at the American Legion (316 Osceola Street, Palatka) The Legion Canteen will be open from 5-6:15 PM to purchase sandwiches, salads, ice cream, soft drinks & the best thick milkshakes in town! Proceeds from the Canteen support our local veterans. For details call Stan Owens (386) 325-0630. One Meeting Only During the Holiday Months November 10th and our Annual Christmas Party will be on December 8th AMENDMENT 1 – A Dangerous Precedent for Florida An Op-Ed by Dan Petersen, Executive Director, Coalition of Property Rights Amendment One – a proposal to collect $18B in documentary stamps over twenty years primarily for land acquisition brings to our state several dangers that should raise serious questions with anyone concerned for good public policy regarding conservation and the growth of government. First, how much conservation land owned and controlled by government do we need? Twenty-eight percent of Florida is already in conservation. That’s more than one in four acres. Add another 3% for government facilities and we have over 30% of our state owned and controlled by government. The spokeswoman for outgoing Senate President Don Gaetz issued this statement “The government already owns a large percentage of our state. President Gaetz does not believe in obligating the taxpayers of Florida to arbitrarily give government more control over land.” Second, is it wise to insert part of our state’s budget into the constitution thus limiting the budgeting flexibility of the Legislature? It is the Legislature’s responsibility to work with the Governor to craft an annual balanced budget. Through the Legislature, all of Florida’s needs (including environmental) are considered, debated, and approved by our elected representatives, not just those of a single special interest. California has so many spending mandates into their constitution they now flirt with bankruptcy as a consequence. Florida should avoid repeating that mistake. Third, have you considered the impact the decrease of taxable private property will have on local needs such as education, roads, infrastructure, and public safety? When property is moved from private ownership to government ownership, it is moved off the tax rolls. That means less tax revenue. Local governments will have the choice to cut spending or raise property taxes. Which decision do you think they’ll make? Fourth, do you know that most groups endorsing this amendment are special interests pushing an environmentalist agenda? Their petition and campaign has been funded and directed in large part by a Boston-based 501(c)(4). The Conservation Campaign and The Trust for Public Land have been directly involved in one-quarter of all US conservation finance measures since 1996, generating $35 billion in new public funding for land conservation. They anticipate Amendment One will generate $18B for Florida, one of their top priority targets. Floridians should beware of any outside special interest group spending and seeking to influence such huge amounts of money. Fifth, does government ownership of land enhance wise purchasing practices to protect taxpayer money, good stewardship maintenance of land, or making more land open to the public? US Congressmen representing the state of Utah (87% federally owned) will tell you “No.” Too many government owned lands are either uncared for or off limits to citizens. Despite efforts to regain ownership and use of their land, the federal government continues to say “No.” The American free market system encourages willing buyers and sellers to transact agreements and there is a place for government to own limited amounts of land. But, government should not be handed $18B of tax payer money to buy and control land. The American dream was founded upon the principle of private citizens owning and using property as a protection against the potential tyranny of the state. Increased government ownership threatens that principle with no guarantees of better land stewardship. Purpose driven, targeted conservation can have value for our state. But, Amendment One brings many dangers to our state and is promoted by very driven and well-funded special interest groups. A huge amount of money put into the hands of political appointees, who could be influenced by special interests, for a big government spending program is a recipe for bureaucratic waste and fraud. These questions should be considered before writing an $18 B check to Amendment One advocates. Coalition for Property Rights, www.proprights.com, Orlando, Florida 32806, 407-481-2289 or 407-758-2491 "Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist." ~ John Adams, 1790 The Florida Chamber Opposes Amendment 1 Because It: • Forces the taxpayers of Florida to arbitrarily give the government control over more land than the state has the ability to manage and protect from invasive species • Ties the hands of the Florida Legislature in the event of a future downturn in the economy • Encourages other special interests to try to get their funding placed in the Constitution, potentially harming our elected state leaders’ ability to govern in a fiscally responsible way • Is not a responsible or effective way of protecting Florida’s environmental resources “Imagine, if every group that wasn’t satisfied with the amount of funding their special program got during the recession decided to do a constitutional amendment and mandate a certain amount of spending, how impossible it would be to balance our state budget?” ~ David D Hart, Executive Vice President Florida Chamber of Commerce Florida Chamber of Commerce • 136 S. Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301 • (850) 521-1200 AMENDMENT 2 The Orlando Sentinel, Pensacola News Journal and Westside Gazette Editorial Boards have all come out in opposition to Amendment 2, which will be on the ballot this November. Below are the three editorials. If you have not done so already, we ask that you share these editorials with your family and friends, and anyone who has not yet learned why Amendment 2 is just bad for Florida. Pot amendment: Vote No: Editorial Orlando Sentinel | October 17, 2014 ...Compassion is a shiny EKG of pulsing humanity. However, it often proves a shaky rudder for governance. And this compassion play is no exception. Certainly, marijuana, in some cases, may prove the proper medicine. However, legalizing it through a constitutional amendment is the wrong prescription. ...Nov. 4 shouldn't be the day. Nor should a constitutional amendment be the way. Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Editorial: 'NO' to Amendment 2 Pensacola News Journal | October 16, 2014 The Constitution is not the place to make decisions that we may want to alter in the years to come. A constitutional amendment is a large, lasting act of voters. Unlike basic legislation, once it is there, it is difficult to edit or adapt. In this case, there are many serious questions about aspects of Amendment 2. The last thing Florida needs is to be opened up to endless, taxpayer-funded legal battles because of poorly defined language in our Constitution. ...On Amendment 2 on the Nov. 4 ballot, the Pensacola News Journal recommends voting "NO." Read more: http://www.pnj.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/10/16/editorial-amendment/17379047/ JUST SAY NO or YES………MARIJUANA??? Westside Gazette | October 16, 2014 On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 and before, voters will be casting their vote Yes or NO on Amendment 2 which legalizes medical marijuana. Of course no one wants to see family or friends suffer. But is this a “SMOKE SCREEN?” No pun intended! Is Amendment 2 much too broad? Will this Amendment open the flood gates to loopholes for increased marijuana use among our children and misuse and abuse by illegal drug users? ...The WEB’s position is not oppositional for a cure that may enhance the lives of sick individuals; we just choose to prioritize what’s really killing us—the laws. WE SAY VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT 2 as it is written. Read more: http://thewestsidegazette.com/just-say-no-or-yesmarijuana/ BEWARE! Amendment 2 places NO RESTRICTIONS on the location of seedy Pot Shops No restrictions mean Pot Shops (dispensaries) can be located near your child’s school or next to your church… Pot Shop owners from Colorado and California are already looking to set up shop in Florida and they will use the amendment to defend their right to place their so-called “medical” shops anywhere. We don’t need another Pill Mill fiasco! The Devil is in the details. Don’t let them fool you. Amendment 2 is NOT designed to help the sick. Amendment 2 is designed to legalize pot-smoking in Florida. Will this be Florida’s Future? Entire new twist on Halloween that definitely takes the fun out of it. Treat or Nasty Trick? Denver Police Warn of Pot-Tainted Candy DENVER (Reuters) - The two almost identical gummy bears sitting side by side, coated in sugar and tinged with the same red hue, may end up in a trick-or-treat bag, but only one is plain candy. The other is loaded with marijuana. As children around the country prepare their costumes in anticipation of Halloween goodies on Oct. 31, police in Colorado are warning parents that some treats may not be all they seem. "Apples, gummy bears, there's a ton of different edible stuff out there on the market that's infused with marijuana," Sergeant Brett Hinkle of the Denver Police Department's marijuana unit said in an official podcast. Since Colorado and Washington this year became the first U.S. states to allow recreational sales of pot to adults, much of the public debate has focused on marijuanainfused products such as chocolates, cookies and candies, given their potential to attract children or be eaten accidentally. Anti-marijuana activists say childhood favorites such as Sour Patch Kids, Pixy Stix and peanut butter cups have all been found in Colorado infused with potent marijuana concentrate. The owner of one city pot shop displays the gummy bears and explains how some producers of lower-cost pot edibles buy cheap, generic candy in bulk, then infuse it by spraying it with hash oil. Gina Carbone, the mother of four boys and co-founder of Smart Colorado, a non-profit aimed at informing young people about the risks of marijuana, says it is a real concern for parents that pot could be in their kid's candy, at Halloween or any other time. "This is highly deceptive," she said. "Why do regulators and elected officials in Colorado think that everyday candy loaded with marijuana somehow won't appeal to our kids?" Activists and the police say the main risk to children at Halloween is that they may stumble across pot edibles by accident and mistake them for regular candy, not that they will have been given them maliciously while out trick-ortreating. "Some of these products look so similar to candy that's been on the market and which we've eaten as children, there's really no way for a child or a parent, or even an expert in the field, to tell," said Patrick Johnson of Urban Dispensary, a Denver marijuana outlet. In one case, a college student from the Republic of Congo jumped to his death from a balcony after eating marijuana cookies, and in the other a Denver man was accused of fatally shooting his wife, apparently after consuming something similar and hallucinating. Activists have also recorded examples of Colorado children, teenagers and adults falling ill after accidental ingestion. They include a 7-year-old girl in Basalt who was hospitalized after her mother unwittingly brought home marijuana candy, and a teenager in Steamboat Springs who accidentally ate a whole bar of pot-laced chocolate. Typically, the recommended dosage for such a bar would be just a small section. Colorado officials say marijuana sales are running at more than $60 million a month. In recent days, both the state's gubernatorial candidates have questioned the legalization of pot. John Hickenlooper, the incumbent Democratic governor, said voters were reckless in 2012 for legalizing the drug, and his Republican rival, Bob Beauprez, said people should be asked again "if the citizens think that this is maybe a step we've gone too far." Meanwhile, police say parents should check to see that candy is made by well-known brands, tossing out anything that appears tampered with. Read entire article and see video: http://news.yahoo.com/treat-nasty-trick-denver-police-warn-pot-tainted-123837659.html On the Ballot November 4th Putnam County School Board In Putnam County the Superintendent of Public Schools is presently elected by a majority of the qualified electors. Should the Superintendent of Public Schools be appointed by the District School Board?  YES  NO Never Give Up Your Right to Vote! Great Resource! American Conservatives of Color http://blackandconservative.com/ The principles of conservatism – personal empowerment, less government intrusion into private lives, a strong national defense, greater individual freedom & liberty, fiscal responsibility from our elected officials – make sense and work for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. The chasm between black (and brown) and conservative America is unhealthy for both sides and at B&C.com we are dedicated to helping bridge that gap. Our deepest desire is to aid in bringing both sides to a place of mutual understanding and respect. Black America, we have got to change the way we operate. Automatically running to one political party and voting for its candidates and policies without so much as considering another is fundamentally flawed. Conservative America, we have got to change the way we operate. Where is the outreach, where and what is the message to ethnic minorities? Not making an effort to reach divergent groups is fundamentally flawed. Fixing this divide will be neither fast nor easy, but we’ve got to start someplace, sometime. Why not here, why not now? If this makes sense, please join our cause – become a partner, subscribe to our newsletter, come to local events and visit this site often for news, updates and information. October County and City Meetings Schedule Government works best when “the people” stay engaged & keep government accountable to us. PUTNAM COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Regularly Scheduled Meeting: DATES: October 28; TIME: 9:00 AM LOCATION: Suite 100, 2509 Crill Ave., Palatka, FL 32177 To contact BOCC: Phone: (386) 329-0205 / Email: harris@putnam-fl.com; chip.laibl@putnamfl.com; karl.flagg@putnam-fl.com; larry.harvey@putnam-fl.com; walt.pellicer@putnam-fl.com Tuesday Nov 18th at 9 AM: BOCC Swearing in Ceremony, Everyone is encouraged to attend. PALATKA CITY COMMISSIONERS DATE: October 23; TIME: 6:00 PM - LOCATION: 201 North 2nd Street, Palatka, FL 32177 Thank You to all of our Paid Advertisers! Serving Putnam and Surrounding Counties Mention “The Brew” - Receive 10% Off of Your First Cut! PUTNAM COUNTY TEA PARTY PATRIOTS It’s That Time of Year! Please Help Us Meet Our Annual Fund Raising Goal! WE ACCEPT ONLINE DONATIONS! TRY IT! http://www.putnamteaparty.org/inv_donate.asp KEEP THE GRASSROOTS OF LIBERTY ALIVE IN PUTNAM COUNTY! FYI - We have never asked for tax exempt status from the IRS. 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