GRU and BioMass impact on our county

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GRU is an evil monster that is out of control. Being a publicly owned utility should mean that all “profits” reflect an overcharge and should be redistributed back to the ratepayers. As it stands now GRU is pumping $30-35 million in “profits” into Gainesville’s general fund yearly and yet still wants to increase ratepayers electric bill. The impact of the BioMass plant will have an effect on every taxpayer in the County not just those individuals unlucky enough to be serviced by GRU. The County Commission finally woke up and realized the impact of the rate increases on the County’s budget. They are already prone to raising taxes to subsidize their agenda pushed projects, and the GRU rate increase would surely take away from much of that. The BoCC would only have 2 options. #1. They can raise taxes in the county to cover extra costs incurred from GRU or.. #2. They can look for a different energy provider. Fortunately in this case they opted for #2. There is another taxing body that will be impacted far worse than the BoCC and that is the Alachua County School Board.. we can only hope that they recognize the impact of the BioMass Rate increase on their budget and choose the same option that our county commission has. It just goes to show that the Gainesville City Commission (as the governing board of GRU) has no vision of actually protecting its citizens much less giving a care about those outside of Gainesville. Please visit www.voteforwalt.com and tell me what you think

Local Purchasing Preference

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Recently the Alachua County Commission held a meeting to address the Local Purchasing Preference for County purchases. I will go on record as saying that I do favor utilizing local vendors versus outside venders as that keeps our citizens (the taxpayers) money in the county. In stating this, I will also say that I will approve the lowest reasonable bid (lowest bid doesnt always equate to best work). My primary opponant has gone on record as stating that she too is in favor of utilizing local vendors. But not to my suprise she (Jean Calderwood) also put a caveot that she would further push to use those local businesses that contribute the most in charity or money to our communities. So I will ask, where does the line that seperates the largest contributors start. And by adopting a policy such as this, what does that mean for our smaller businesses that are just getting by? Could this be a stance taken by my primary opponant because of where her campaign donations are coming from? It is important for you the voter to make an informed choice as to who can and will truly represent you and also be aware that any money spent is your money.  Please click on the link and scroll to 1:13:00 to see Jean Calderwood speak.  It will open in a seperate media window
http://alachua.granicus.com/ASX.php?view_id=8&clip_id=1820&r=e23e3501d74f44f4419c539cb0383c4c&xp=y&intro=1&sn=alachua.granicus.com&bitrate=&SESS1=cea2c200d01b74c6ad338751c29e9d4c&sn=alachua.granicus.com

Save our Lakes and Identity

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Although I do not feel there needs to be any additional noise ordinances, I applaud Sen. Oelrich for trying to create a statewide airboat noise measure. It creates a consistency for those that rely on their airboats to provide a living. We have worse problems with our Lakes than airboat noise and if these aren’t addressed, we will no longer have lakes. Our lakes are being lost on 2 fronts. The first problem is that the natural flow of water through our lake system to the ocean has been interrupted. When you block that natural flow, the sediments that would normally flow out to the ocean remain in the lakes as silt, which is filling in our lakes from the bottom up.
The second problem is the St. Johns River Management District. They continually permit more and more of our water resources to be drained from our aquifer system and this lowers ground water levels. Just the latest to be permitted is 155 million gallon a day draw for JEA, and of course the 1.5 million gallons a day that the GREC Biomass plant will use.  (JEA should invest in desalinization plants and Biomass plant should just go away)
If this is allowed to continue then we will lose an important part of our County Identity. Our lakes will become swamps and marshes. We need to relieve St Johns River Water Management District from the obvious burden of maintaining our water resources and allow our Florida Fish and Game  Department  the responsibility of preserving our water resources, which would have an immediate impact on the wildlife and ecosystems that depend on Florida’s water for existence.

Property Rights under Attack

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  Our Government, using EPA, DOT, and other government agencies (Federal and local) to push excessive unnecessary government regulations, are slowly sapping property owners of their property rights.
If one can control food production (agriculture), health care (medicine), energy, the financial system and education, one has gained nearly complete control of the country…. But, standing in the way of this takeover are freedom and free markets, both of which have private property rights as their cornerstone. It’s not surprising then, that private-property rights are currently under a full-out assault by those wanting to change the basic direction of our country.
If the government has the power to dictate how we use our cash, cars, or land–then we are no longer free to act on our own judgment. We are no longer in control of our lives and able to pursue our happiness.
History teaches us that power gained ultimately leads to power exercised. The time to fight for our freedom is before those freedoms are totally lost. Once our freedoms are gone, it is definitely harder to get them back

County again will review road assessment policy

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http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?p=4&tc=pg&AID=2011111009631&tc=ar

As far as assessments for subdivisions go, our county is already #1 in the state in property taxes with very poor return of service in the rural areas. Why not use a portion of property tax already being generated from these rural subdivisions to pay for the road repairs needed within them..
The County Commission is responsible for maintaining our county road system. They are so efficient at th…is that they have accumulated nearly $400 million in needed road repair. Commissioner Mike Byerly, being the standout leader he is, stated that this is because of past commissions..  Considering Mike Byerly and Rodney Long have been on the board for 12 years, Paula Delaney has been on the board for 8 years and Lee Pinkoson is in his 10th year, just how far back are we supposed to go before we find those commissioners that are responsible for this backlog.  In just the last 12 years the county has collected $150 million dollars in Gas Tax funds and has only spent $25 million in road resurfacing. This commission has made the gas tax funds a source to pay Debt Services from. They also use gas tax funds to subsidize RTS (was $806k a year and was just increased to over a million a year). This Commission will spend $34,000 on a bike path that is less than 400 foot long. This commission will shoot down staffs original recommendation of a simple repave of 16th/23rd for $300,000 of gas tax funds for a plan that will cost over $1 million …  This commission went to bat for the COG in the narrowing of Main St and is now on the hook for all maintenance cost for that road (use to be maintained by the state).

We deserve better

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The government is here to serve and represent the citizens not the other way around. We are not here to support our government. Millage rates should follow property values with a cap on maximum… Our county government is wrong to raise millage rates just to stabilize revenues.. our property owners are losing money as property values keep declining. Our citizens are doing everything they can to make it through this ecomonic mess and our BoCC ignores those facts. You can dig a well and tap it but eventually it will run dry and just because you dig a little deeper for that water, dry is dry..If you are a big government guy then I can offer you this.. If I am elected I will open a bank account in the name of any social program that you wish, but the catch is that those who want it must contribute your own moneys to these funds…it would not be a countywide tax… lets see how fair and giving of your money you liberals really are. You want Choices… then you fund it… you want CAPP… then you fund it and allow me to chose my own charities to contribute to. I dont need government picking winners and losers for me.. I want a government that embraces fiscal responsibility and respects and reflects what its citizenry is going thru.

County Raises Millage rate while housing values decrease

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Without any concern for diving property values or the increased burden on our citizens the BoCC has approved a 3% increase… they are more concerned with making our citizens support the government instead of decreasing burdens and shrinkin…g government, its called Revenue stabilization and it keeps revenues to the county stable while your property decreases in value. If tax dollars werent wasted over the last 12 years and the county acted somewhat fiscally responsible, our millage rates would be more like our surrounding counties which hover around 4% instead of the almost 9% our property owners are saddled with. You have options available to replace the 3 seats that are up in Nov 2012. I encourage you to find a candidate and support them. Without your help we will never be more than voices in a crowd that the commissioners ignore.

Review of Countys 10 year budget and expenditure report

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‎10 years ago the county was spending at roughly 49% of total budgeted revenue . Last year the county was spending at roughly 60% of total revenue.  The overall increases based on the 10 year spread had been a 28% revenue increase with a 55…% spending increase. Many of these spending increases are projects that our current board of Commissioners simply decide to overspend on. Several examples are 16th/23rd Ave, this project could have been a simple repave for about $200,000, the commissioners chose to approve a design that would cost about $1 million while sacrificing safety. This project which will narrow lanes and allow for a bicycle lane will be paid for with the nickle gas tax fund that prohibits the use of these funds to restrict vehicular travel. Another example is 91st St, all the residents of the area wanted was a simple repave and the county again chose to overspend on the project by completely rebuilding the sidewalk to a wider width and putting in curbing which takes away from the character of the roadway and also the intersection of 91st and Sw 8th Ave ($650,000 for 1 intersection is absolutely ridiculous when the Traffic signs and blinking red light work fine.) Our county has roughly $400 million in backlogged road repair which will never be addressed due to the overspending.

When the Commission finally decided to approve the Jail HVAC repair, they opted for the most expensive repair versus a more conservative alternative, again spending in excess of $1 Million of county taxpayer dollars when a proposel was presented for $500,000.

As far as the largest contribution increases to County revenue,  County Property taxes with an increase of 57% in the 10 years and a steady increase in the last 4 years as property values have dropped, home sales have dropped , and foreclosures have risen, and Business,Impact and Building Fees with an increase of 126% over the 10 year period and a 29% increase in just the last 2 years.

So as I go over the 10 year budget and expendatures report , I am drawn to the fact that our commission is spending faster than revenues can be generated and instead of promoting growth in our County to make up the difference, they raise property taxes and business taxes/fees to run their vision of government putting undue burdens on our citizens

Say NO to Allied Veterans and their “Internet Cafe”

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Hmmm lets do some math…. ok so Allied Veterans has donated $6 million in approx. 6 years… we agree that that is $1 million a year and if you divide that by the 39 units they operate it comes out to $25,641 per unit per year. Ok so lets calculate Allieds revenue intake… since we know that they charge $12 an hour for “Internet Access” and each of their units have at least 150 terminals (some may have more, some less)and are open 24/7…. So here we go, are you ready? If at max capacity all day , each unit can generate $43,200 but we will do our figuring at half capacity so we will start with a daily figure per unit at $21,600.. keep in mind that Allied operates 39 units so that is $842,400 daily…. So that in turn is $307,476,000 a year. So based on a mere 50 occupancy level they seem to have collected $1,844,856,000 in 6 years yet have only found it in their heart to donate $6 million…Keep in mind that Allied Veterans is a 501C Tax exempt organization…This is nothing more than a gambling hall under a different name to prey on our weaker citizens.

Live What You Preach…

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Live what you preach… does anyone find it odd that our BoCC all drive inefficient gas guzzling cars and trucks? Not a single one of them drive an electric vehicle or a Smart car or even ride a Bicycle. Yet these same individuals will consistently make it harder and harder for people to navigate thru Gainesville in our cars and trucks. They will overspend your money to do this. Why would you take an Arterial Road (owned by the county) and narrow it for the addition of a bike lane? Is there not enough bike lanes in the city. Are you telling me that you would be lost and not be able to get around on your bike if 16th/23rd was simply repaved? Don’t get me wrong I appreciate those people that think healthy and want to ride their bikes.. that is their choice.. But why introduce dangers that currently don’t exist? There has been zero fatalities on 16th/23rd because of the current road design. Even the countys own engineers feel that narrowing the lanes is a bad idea. They call it SUBSTANDARD for a reason… Our budget is already strained due to the overspending that our commission does and this project will only make things worse.. there are so many consequences to our county with this decision and most of the other decisions our BoCC has made and our Commissioners refuse to look at that as long as they can push their own agenda’s. The time is drawing near to elect new faces that will actually represent Alachua County as a whole and to stop catering to one municipality.