Orlando Political Observer

Orlando Politics, Government, and Elections

Opponents of Senate Health Care bill continue 3 day activism push in Orlando

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Opponents of the Senate Health Care bill were in Downtown Orlando on Tuesday afternoon, to protest the recently unveiled Obamacare replacement proposal, the second day of their three day push leading up to an eventual vote on the sweeping legislation.

Representatives from various groups like Planned Parenthood, CAIR, and patients who in favor of the Affordable Care Act, waived signs on Orange Avenue and took turns explaining on how the law helped them and others in their lives. Some of the speakers required special assistance to deliver there remarks from wheelchairs and through computers.

State House District 48 Representative Amy Mercado was on hand for the protest and explained how she thought the Senate Health Care bill hurt Floridians.

“This health plan is truly a continuation of a state and national GOP assault on poor and working families.” said Mercado “Why? So they can give the largest tax breaks to the wealthiest of Americans and to the insurance companies which are their friends.”

On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office announced that 22 million Americans could be left without Insurance under the new plan.

The protest was the second part of a three day push. Last night a health care forum was held at the University of Central Florida to discuss the negative effects of the deal and on Wednesday many of these same participants along with members of other groups will return to Senator Marco Rubio’s downtown office for a “die in”, which involves attendees lying on the ground to raise awareness of the issue.

Earlier that Morning Rubio said he was undecided on the legislation but reiterated his commitment to repealing Obamacare.

Is The Senate HealthCare Bill “Mean”?

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The recent  CBO report said that there would be  22 million more people left uninsured by 2026 under the legislation than under current law. President Donald Trump called the house bill which he once praised as “incredibly well crafted” mean. He has encouraged the Senate to spend more on the bill to make it “generous, kind, and with heart.” According to Senate rules, the bill must save the same amount as the House bill which is $133million. This leave very little wiggle room on spending, and proposes a challenge when aiming to make the bill “more kind”. Is this the right bill for the American People or is It mean? What do you hope to see come from the Senate repeal bill?  Don’t forget to like and share our posts.

President Donald Trump told Republican senators lunching at the White House Tuesday the House-passed health care reform bill he celebrated earlier this year was “mean,” a source told CNN.

Seminole Commission awards naming rights to Boombah for two County Sports Facilities

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On Tuesday morning, the Seminole County Commission awarded naming rights of two of it’s sports facilities to sports goods provider, Boombah, in a deal valued at $1,000,000.

“Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park” and “Boombah Sports Complex at Seminole” County will also provide the new sponsor the ability for merchandising at 20 tournaments held at the facilities. The agreement was done in cooperation with Major Display, the company providing scoreboards to county facilities.

“I don’t think we’re getting enough for it and I don’t like the name” said District 4 Commissioner Carloton Henley who did not support the measure. He added that he didn’t believe the agreement laid out the terms of the deal clearly enough.

County staff reassured the Commission that Boombah’s tournament rules fell within existing county regulations and that the county still held the final decisions over various details involving it’s hosted events. Commissioner Brenda Carey offered a one sentence amendment to the contract to clear up any confusion.

The vote passed 3 to 1 with Henley in opposition.

County officials added that the events and the partnership with Boombah would continue to draw hundreds of teams to the area that would stay at local hotels and boost Tourism Development Tax dollars for the county collected from those guests.

Ron DeSantis wants Ruth Bader Ginsburg off Trump Travel Ban case

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Daytona Beach Congressman Ron DeSantis signed a letter on Monday, along with 57 of his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives, asking that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg excuse herself from the Trump travel ban case involving several middle eastern countries.

The call comes after the Supreme Court set an October timeline to hear the case and removed some of the injunctions on the ban placed by lower courts earlier in the day.

“As an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, you are required to recuse yourself in cases in which your “impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” and where you have “a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party.” said DeSantis “There is no doubt that your impartiality can be reasonably questioned; indeed, it would be unreasonable not to question your impartiality. Failure to recuse yourself from any such case would violate the law and undermine the credibility of the Supreme Court of the United States.”

It’s unlikely Ginsburg will recuse herself from the case, the long time justice who has sat on the court for 24 years, will most likely rule against the ban and with the new addition of Trump’s appointee Neil Gorsuch, the balance would almost certain swing towards allowing the controversial measure to proceed.

Ron DeSantis

Stephanie Murphy discusses Puerto Rican issues with local leaders at Orlando town hall

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Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy was in East Orlando on Monday to discuss the issues facing Puerto Ricans both on the island and here in Central Florida. Murphy participated in a town hall discussion with local leaders and reiterated her support for statehood for the U.S territory.

Murphy was on a panel that also included State Senator Victor Torres and Orange County School Board member Joie Cadle. The bipartisan discussion was moderated by Anthony Suarez, who is the President of the Puerto Rican Bar association.

The Congresswoman acknowledged the Puerto Rican community’s contributions to the nation and pledged to fight for the issues important to their growing population.

“Simply put, you’re a powerful and vibrant community, you deserve recognition and respect. And you deserve to have the issues you care about taken seriously by your elected leaders and I intend to do precisely that.” said Murphy “Floridians will always welcome Puerto Ricans to Central Florida because you contribute so much to our communities and economy.”

Murphy’s remarks continued as she laid out the importance of increasing the quality of life for Puerto Ricans not only in her district but also on the island, she concluded by announcing that she would be introducing legislation that would direct more resources to Puerto Rican students learning a English as a second language.

While the Congresswoman’s remarks were aimed at bipartisanship, Torres’ words were critical. The Democratic State Senator pulled no punches when discussing Governor Rick Scott and the GOP’s handling of the budget which effected Puerto Ricans in the area.

“Why is it that Republicans have a problem with what we are?” asked Torres, pointing his family’s multi-generation military service “We fight and defend this country everyday.”

Cadle provided a rundown of the challenges facing Puerto Rican students in Orange County and asked both Murphy and Torres to work towards improving current conditions in their respective levels of government.

Other local lawmakers on hand included State Representative John Cortes, Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez, Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla, and Orange County Soil and Water Supervisor Daisy Morales.

While much of the material was well received by the friendly group, there were some in attendance who would have wanted to hear more about the push for statehood.

“To just to come out and do press conferences and give statements is not enough. We want to see action.” said Businessman and Hispanic Community Leader Peter Vivaldi “We want to see Congress vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. That’s all we’re asking for.”

Victor Torres endorses Gwen Graham in Florida Governor race

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Former Congresswoman and Candidate for Governor Gwen Graham announced Monday morning that her campaign has been endorsed by Orlando State Senator Victor Torres.

Torres cites Graham’s commitment to education in his statement

“As someone who has lived a full life full of hard work, I can tell you nothing provides more insight into what Floridians need than real life experiences.” said Torres “Gwen Graham has the knowledge and common sense solutions to renew Florida’s public schools. She’s fighting to make sure our children and grandchildren have more opportunities to succeed and that when they graduate — whether it’s from high school or college — they have good paying jobs available right here in Florida. Gwen understands how important education is to our community and to all Floridians. This is why I’m proud to enthusiastically endorse Gwen Graham for Florida’s next governor.”

Torres’ daughter, State Representative Amy Mercado has also endorsed Graham. The former Congresswoman is one of three Democrats running to replace Rick Scott who has reached term limits. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Orlando Businessman Chris King are also in the Democratic primary. Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam is running on the Republican side.

“For too long Tallahassee politicians have had the wrong priorities for the wrong people. Too many Floridians in our growing state have been ignored. We must put an end to businesses as usual and extinguish the status quo,” Graham said. “When I’m elected governor, our state will support every community as we renew our promise to public education, expand health care and create good-paying jobs, right here in Florida.”

Victor Torres

Rick Scott to name Jimmy Patronis CFO

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Florida Governor Rick Scott is expected to name former State Legislator, Jimmy Patronis, as the state’s next Chief Financial Officer on Monday according to a report from the Associated Press (story HERE).

“As a small business owner, Jimmy has been a successful job creator and has helped grow Panama City’s economy,” Scott told AP on Sunday “I know that he will bring his wealth of private sector experience with him to Tallahassee.”

Patronis will be replacing former CFO Jeff Atwater, who left office early to accept a position with Florida Atlantic University. The term runs until next year, as of today, only former Democratic State Senator Jeremy Ring has filed to run for CFO next year. Patronis served in the Florida House for eight years and currently sits on the Public Service Commission.

“As Florida’s next CFO, I want Florida to be the place where government does its job fairly and predictably so workers can find great jobs at great businesses,” said Patronis.

Scott is expected to make the formal announcement on Monday morning at a press conference in Panama City.

Jimmy Patronis

Buddy Dyer talks fighting Homelessness and working with Universities at Mayor’s Conference

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Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was in Miami over the weekend for the 85th U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Annual Meeting, where he discussed several issues with his colleagues and attendees, including his work with local universities and the fight against homelessness.

Dyer is the Chairman of the Mayors and Metro Universities Task Force, which focuses on how cities can better collaborate with their hometown universities. The Mayor has been working with the University of Central Florida over the past few years on standing up their downtown campus which is currently under construction and expected to serve thousands of students in the region.

The Mayor also sits on the Fighting Hunger and Homelessness task force. Orlando has made progress in the fight against homelessness by working with Orange County and private organizations like Florida Hospital, to place residents into workforce housing.

Other local Mayors listed on the program included Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer. Former President Bill Clinton headlined the event as the keynote speaker for their Saturday luncheon.

ORWN Barbecue draws GOP Leaders that could run for higher office in 2018

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The Orlando Republican Women’s Network held their annual Summer Barbecue on Saturday afternoon, and while primary elections are still over a year away, there were several GOP elected officials considering or currently running for higher office that made an appearance.

State Representative Mike Miller was in attendance, the House District 47 lawmaker is currently considering a run for Congress against Stephanie Murphy in the 7th District. Miller’s colleague, House District 30 Representative Bob Cortes, who was once weighing a run for that seat, was there and announced his reelection campaign for his Orange-Seminole County seat would be kicking off later this summer.

Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke was on hand. Clarke, who was first elected to the board in 2012, is a regular name in the conversation over who could run to replace incumbent Mayor Teresa Jacobs, who has reached term limits.

Orange County Republican State Committeeman Paul Paulson spoke about his current campaign for Commissioner of Agriculture. Paulson is looking to replaced Adam Putnam who has reached term limits. Orange County Republican State Committeewoman Kathy Gibson was also in attendance.

“There is no such thing as an off-year.” said ORWN President, Gina Perez-Calhoun, who is also running for Orange County Commissioner District 4 next year “Every year and every day is an opportunity to make our neighborhoods and countries better”

Last minute notice leaves Orlando Leaders scrambling to put together bid for 2019 MLS All Star game

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Late notice by local sports officials put Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the rest of the Tourism Development Council in a tough spot on Friday morning, as they scrambled to put together a plan to complete the city’s bid for the 2019 MLS All Star game.

The county didn’t receive information on the bid until late last week and had to get the deadline extended by MLS to have their 2019 All Star game played at the brand new stadium here in Downtown Orlando. The game is expected to be a “Week Long Takeover” by MLS, resulting in $4.7 million in estimated economic impact to the area and 6,700 hotel room nights which could boost the local tourism development tax.

The challenge is going through the necessary steps needed to approve the $350,000 needed for the bid. With an August 25th deadline, the county will need to reconstruct it’s agreement with VISIT Orlando (the local tourism development agency}, vet the agreement and it’s projections, stand up an advisory board, and have it approved by the County Commission.

Jacobs was wary about rushing he deal without a proper vetting process, especially with the recent scrutiny on economic development programs and agreements with private entities. VISIT Florida was blasted last year for a deal it made with rapper Pitbull to promote the state without offering enough transparency of it’s process and the dollars spent to complete the agreement.

The board did approve a resolution type motion approving of the proposal and asking the County Commission to approve the deal when it does make it to their meeting, which could be as soon as August 1st or as late as August 22nd.

“The board knows there is an interest with this.” said Jacobs “We’re going to do all we can to bring this in before sundown.”