Archive for March 2012

Thank You. Adams and Mica get hearing on delayed Orlando VA Hospital.

March 9, 2012 Uncategorized 4 comments

This is the first post on this blog that has started with a thank you but, it’s personal to me.

And it’s personal to the thousands of Veterans in Central Florida.

If you recall last week there was a post about the delayed Orlando Veterans Hospital. The one that was promised to be completed this summer and instead is not expected to be completed until late next year, or perhaps later still.

First Congressman John Mica visited the construction site and identified a number of problems with the project. Including a staffing shortfall of almost 700 employees. Here in Florida with unemployment higher than the national average, that alone is a bitter fact to swallow.

Then Congresswoman Sandy Adams sent a letter to colleague Rep. Jeff Miller (House VA Chairman) calling for a hearing and an explanation of the delays that are keeping local veterans from revving the best care possible.

“They put their country first so that might have a prosperous future. After all they have given to our country we expect the people at the VA who are responsible for this project will ensure that the promises that have been made to our veterans will be kept”

The hearing will be held March 27th.

It’s unfortunate that these two members of the house are lined to oppose each other in what is shaping up to be a tough race for congressional district 6. This is due to redistricting which has redrawn the lines of the districts they’ve previously served. There is still hope that one could slide to district 7 and take on former CD 24 and Senate candidate, restauranteur Craig Miler. Adams has already defeated Miller once.

But, on this Friday afternoon in Orlando, veterans from both parties, all backgrounds, branches, and generations, can all move into the weekend with the knowledge that the boulder we all push uphill for benefits has moved a few feet forward.

And these two elected officials helped make it happen.

Rep. Mica visited the site and identified a staffing shortfall responsible for delays

Adams called for the hearing. It's set for March 27th

Orange County Commission doesn’t need to Expand

March 9, 2012 Uncategorized One comment

It needs easier access to information.

There, this post could end right now and the problem would have been solved but, I’ll explain anyways.

Thursday the county charter review commission voted against expanding the current 6 member county board to 8 members. And it was the right call. The current size is exactly where it needs to be.

You see, there has been a lot of controversy in county government over the last year. No one liked the county redistricting appointments, negotiations for a domestic partnership registry were tense at times, and the Sunrail debate went right down to the wire.

But during those debates the problem was never with the size of the county commission it was the availability of the information to the community.

Unless a resident of Orange County puts aside a portion of their day to aggressively seek out information about the issues, they’re going to have a hard time finding what they’re looking for and when important and potentially controversial issues come before the Commission. Then you have residents feeling like they’ve been duped and that the political process is taking place behind closed doors, instead of out in the sunshine.

Not to mention additional costs to the taxpayers. More commissioner salaries, more resources needed to serve constituents and more confusion over who’s in who’s district.

Oh, but Orange County Government isn’t off the hook, they must do a better job of making announcements and information easily accessible.

Look at the County Website….. see all that empty real estate on the lower half of the screen. There should be an aggressive listing of open board appointments.

Every member must be using social media correctly. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Only two members use it effectively on a regular basis. One doesn’t use it at all. This is a must! Put the widgets on their County profile page.

Return phone calls! Commissioners don’t do it. Instead phone calls are vetted through staff and don’t always get through (I know firsthand).

Both sides have work to do. The county has to eliminate excuses that have caused these problems and if activists and adversaries still aren’t happy, they need to find better leadership and mobilize on the campaign trail.

The size of the Orange County Commission is fine.

Far from perfect but the size of the County Commission should stay where it is.

Orange County Commission doesn't need to Expand

March 9, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

It needs easier access to information.

There, this post could end right now and the problem would have been solved but, I’ll explain anyways.

Thursday the county charter review commission voted against expanding the current 6 member county board to 8 members. And it was the right call. The current size is exactly where it needs to be.

You see, there has been a lot of controversy in county government over the last year. No one liked the county redistricting appointments, negotiations for a domestic partnership registry were tense at times, and the Sunrail debate went right down to the wire.

But during those debates the problem was never with the size of the county commission it was the availability of the information to the community.

Unless a resident of Orange County puts aside a portion of their day to aggressively seek out information about the issues, they’re going to have a hard time finding what they’re looking for and when important and potentially controversial issues come before the Commission. Then you have residents feeling like they’ve been duped and that the political process is taking place behind closed doors, instead of out in the sunshine.

Not to mention additional costs to the taxpayers. More commissioner salaries, more resources needed to serve constituents and more confusion over who’s in who’s district.

Oh, but Orange County Government isn’t off the hook, they must do a better job of making announcements and information easily accessible.

Look at the County Website….. see all that empty real estate on the lower half of the screen. There should be an aggressive listing of open board appointments.

Every member must be using social media correctly. Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Only two members use it effectively on a regular basis. One doesn’t use it at all. This is a must! Put the widgets on their County profile page.

Return phone calls! Commissioners don’t do it. Instead phone calls are vetted through staff and don’t always get through (I know firsthand).

Both sides have work to do. The county has to eliminate excuses that have caused these problems and if activists and adversaries still aren’t happy, they need to find better leadership and mobilize on the campaign trail.

The size of the Orange County Commission is fine.

Far from perfect but the size of the County Commission should stay where it is.