Publix, Wal-Mart, Kraft and others get Millions but Create Few Jobs.

Florida has given tax breaks and other cash incentives to some of the biggest companies in return for creating jobs.

Publix, Wal-Mart, Kraft and other corporate giants have had trouble meeting the requirements of the contract; matching funds with job creation. While the job creation portion is less than expected, the monies from the various contracts are dwindling.

Who is in charge of monitoring these funds? And why aren’t the funds tied to actual jobs or positions, rather than expectations?

Maybe a better outcome would be achieved by setting up a department within the South Florida Workforce Agencies and allow them to issue the stipends to the clients, once an employer/employee relationship has been established. Whereby the Workforce staff would require the employee to submit a signed worksheet via fax or in person, whichever is convenient for the Workforce staff?

Also someone from the Workforce Agency would have to act as a monitor to visit the various jobs to ensure that there is in fact an employee/employer relationship and cuts down on fraud. The Workforce monitoring assignment could be rotated by the employees already on staff.

Recent data has shown that Florida has signed contracts worth $1.7 Billion since 1995 in return for promises of 225,000 new jobs. But only about one-third [75,000] of those jobs have been filled while the state has paid out 43% [$39,534,883.703] of the contracts.

State Rep. Mike Horner, Republican from Kissimmee, who is a member of the Budget Committee that controls the Economic Development monies, said ‘Hopefully we’ll learn some important lessons.

The real question should be at what cost to taxpayers and the unemployed?

State data shows that at least 327 incentive contracts came up short, producing nearly 35,000 fewer jobs than promised.

That includes 33 companies that cut jobs instead of adding work. Clearly the “Economic Development Unit” needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with a doable plan to put the citizens back to work as Governor Rick Scott campaigned on during his election, but to date, has failed to deliver.

In case after case, the public has witnessed at various agencies, corporate structures or big conglomerates’ throughout the state and this nation, that there is absolutely “no accountability for continuous misappropriation of taxpayers’ funds.”

This is not an injury-free crime or just a white collar crime; “the public is suffering in the worse way.” Yet, the pattern repeats itself, again and again with no accountability and no monies retrieved.

Simply! “We’ll do better next time.” This statement should no longer be acceptable to the governing bodies as well as the general public.

The state was unable or embarrassed to say how many jobs were created as part of 971 other projects, yet the data tells you that those companies have been paid $415 million, including Orlando’s Burnham Institute for Medical Research ($155 Million), the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine ($80 Million) and SRI International in Pinellas County ($2 Million).

When will the public demand to be treated with respect by their elected officials and hold them accountable as well as liable for their actions or lack thereof? “I’ll do better the next time! Should no longer be acceptable!”

“Giving the taxpayer’s monies away to Wal-Mart, Publix, Kraft and other big corporations without accountability needs to end today!”

House Veterans’ Affairs: Dismiss Mary Berrocal & Nevin Weaver from Miami VA Hospital immediately – Part 3

Part 3 of 3

Back to the Veterans’ Committee comments and questions concerning what’s going on at the Miami VA Medical Center and what are Berrocal, Weaver and Schoenhard going to do about it.

“We’ve got veterans that are escaping the facility and committing suicide.” said Johnson, who heads up the Veterans’ Committee oversight and investigative subcommittee. “That’s not accountability, not when patients are leaving your facility and dying.“

Berrocal proceeded to say that she was “keenly cognizant of anything that would be less than perfect for our veterans.”

She also said she believes her staff is held accountable for problems, however, up to this point, she hasn’t name a single person, whom she disciplined as a result of the mix –up that caused Air Force Veteran, Catawaba Howard her life. Berrocal mentioned that she aims for a workplace (she has been in this current position 3 years) culture that allows people to report problems without threat of recrimination. But that’s exactly what she did too one of her employees for speaking out for the veterans.

When Berrocal found out that one of her employees had indeed sent an email to her superior; Berrocal retaliated by confiscating that employees email, transferring her far away from her home and family; and made sure that she was assigned to an office with no windows, giving her the task of calling veterans, effectively, demoting her from her previous position.

Berrocal further states that “We have set policies in place … and when members of our staff deviate, we have a variety of systems in place to understand what happened.” She said. “It is my policy to always start looking at the process.”

Berrocal words are in striking contrast to her actions. Under Berrocal directions, the following has taken place.

1. In the process of moving her executive office from the 2nd floor to the 15th Floor and renovating the entire 15th Floor at a cost of $2.5 Million, compliments of the taxpayers.

2. Cancelled the golf carts for the veterans, making their ability to get to the hospital that much more difficult. (needed the money to pay for her office renovation)

3. Allow Police Officers to work overtime to walk the employees to their car, rather than working out a more cost effective approach.

4. Replaced the locks at the VA Medical Center because she broke protocol and took the keys home and subsequently misplaced the keys, at a cost of $24,000, compliments of the taxpayers.

5. Failed to immediately notify (it took over a year) 79 other veterans that they might have been infected with HIV or Hepatitis through improperly performed colonoscopies at the hospital.

6. And it took nearly two years to notify another 12 veterans’ that were missed after the first notifications.

7. Failed to conduct a “Mock Survey,” previously requested by the Committee, even though she lied and said that she had. The Committee asked for the date the survey was conducted. She couldn’t remember.

8. Failed to respond in a timely manner to other requests by the Committee.

9. Received a retention bonus in 2010 & 2011, respectively, of $36,000, even though she received a less than favorable annual reviews both times.

10. The VA is expected to be in ligation for years to come, due to the negligence at Miami VA Medical Center, at a cost of millions of dollars to the taxpayers.

Berrocal actions or lack there of, speaks for itself, and her representation of the Miami VA Medical Center to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee put the icing on the cake.

The Committee’s patience with Schoenhard wore thin as Schoenhard tried his very best not to assume blame, while at the same time, hold no one particular person accountable for the egregious actions and gross mistakes committed at the Miami Medical VA Center. Only problem is! If no one assumes responsibility, then William Schoenhard will ultimately be responsible for the actions of others.

As the committee stated before recess: “This meeting has generated far more questions than answers and will need to be monitored closely in the future, in addition to changing the current administrators for the betterment of the veterans and its employees. The veterans deserve better treatment!“

Gordon & Norma Yeager: Married for 72 Years, Died “Holding Hands!”

Gordon and Norma Yeager, 94 and 90, respectively, were married for 72 years, died holding hands in a Des Moines hospital. The Yeager’s were involved in a car accident that would prove fatal.

And while Gordon Yeager’s heart stop beating at 3:38pm, the heart monitor continued to detect a heart beat. The family could not understand how that was possible, until the nurse explained that because Gordon and Norma were still holding hands, the monitor actually picked up Norma’s heartbeat through Gordon and the monitor did not flat line until Norma Yeager would succumb to her injuries at 4:48pm.

As in life, always inseparable, and even though they never regained consciousness, looking at them holding hands, still clinging on to each other, you could sense and feel the presence of a higher power at that moment. Somehow you just knew that they were together in a better place.

Donna Sheets, the Yeager’s daughter stated that “neither one of them would have wanted to be without the other. “They’re very old fashioned. They believed in marriage ‘til death do us part,” stated their son, Dennis Yeager. Gordon and Norma Yeager married on May 26, 1939, lived, loved and laughed together for 72 years, died on October 12, 2011 … “Holding Hands” in unspoken love.

Fatal Crash at Las Vegas Speedway 2011: Claims the life of Dan Weldon

Indycar Crash at Las Vegas’ Speedway 2011 – R.I.P. Dan Weldon

My condolences are extended to Dan Weldons’ family and friends.

House Veterans’ Affairs:Dismiss Mary Berrocal & Nevin Weaver from VA Hospital immediately – Part 2

** PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU WATCH THE VIDEO. IT’S APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS IN LENGTH.** YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY BY THE END OF THE VIDEO.***

Part 2 of 3

“What’s really going on at the Miami VA Medical Center?”

If you are affiliated with Miami VA Medical Center by way of employment or proxy, this full committee meeting video on what’s happening at the Miami VA Medical Center is definitely for you!

While Weaver testified that things were moving in a positive direction, the only direction that the Miami VA Medical Center appeared to be headed in was a continual downward spiral. Mr. Weaver continued to ramble on and on but with no clear agenda or even suggestion as to how the VA Center will begin to turn itself around and get back on the right track.

Berrocal testifies that things are also steadily improving, including re-training and hiring new employees who had prior experience in their new positions. She stated that she had over 30 years working with veterans’ in various capacities. Berrocal said that since her tenure with the VA Medical Center, the colonoscopies services provided had increased by 20%, showing a vote of confidence under her leadership.

Unfortunately, by repeatedly mentioning “root cause and analysis,” Rep. Miller drilled Berrocal on exactly what is “root cause and analysis?” It was painfully obvious that Berrocal had no clear concept and began to trail off into a series of cover-ups’ to protect her reputation.

Rep. Miller proceeded to ask Berrocal a series of questions leading up to the death of Air Force veteran, Catawaba Howard, 32, killed by a Miami-Dade police officer, a day after leaving the VA Medical Center. He wanted to know, why Howard was released when she should have been held for 72 hours, after being committed by “Baker Act?” Berrocal first recall that there was a communication problem, between Jackson Memorial Hospital and her staff.

When it was clear that that answer was not acceptable, and Rep. Miller continued to press for more accountability, then Berrocal said that she didn’t know if Howard’s admittance was voluntary or involuntary. Rep. Miller continued to press on, until finally he asks her what does “Baker Act” mean? At first Berrocal tried to side-step the question, but Miller stopped her and ask again, what does “Baker Act” mean? Finally, with her back against the wall, Berrocal conceded that Jackson had indeed placed the word “Baker Act” in the paperwork that they forwarded on to the VA Center. “That was a terrific blow to the integrity of Berrocal.”Unfortunately, the testimony from Ms. Berrocal proved fatal in her repeated lack of concrete facts and her lack of recall. Berrocal’s testimony seemed more like that of a confidential informant than one of a public servant.

As the House Committee questions got tougher, Schoenhard, so delicately threw Berrocal and Weaver under the bus. Each time Schoenhard was asked a question, he responded with a national not Miami specific answer. It was clear that the committee had lost patience with Schoenhard mindless ramblings, posturing more familiar in politics than in public administration, especially when human lives were at stake.

If you continue to follow the hearing, neither Schoenhard, neither Weaver nor Berrocal had the ability to answer a single question. You have to shake your head in wonderment as the picture becomes painstaking clear that the focus was obviously “not” on the well-being of the veterans.

“To the extent that all three top administrators testified, you certainly need to check the locked medicine cabinet at the VA Center and keep the key in visual sight, less some mind-altering drugs may come up missing, if they’re not missing already!”

Too be continued …

House Veterans’ Affairs: Dismiss Mary Berrocal & Nevin Weaver from Miami VA Hospital immediately

Part I of 2

The House Veterans Affairs Committee reports that the troubled Miami VA Medical Center is so poorly managed that both the hospital director, Mary Berrocal and Nevin Weaver; regional director should be dismissed immediately. This report comes after the scandal two years ago that left thousands of patients exposed to HIV and other illnesses.

Capitol Hill on Wednesday reviewed Miami VA Medical Center failed policy and procedures from 2009 and both the Republicans and Democrats collectively criticized the leadership at Miami Veterans hospital and recommended the immediate dismissal of the hospitals’ director, Mary Berrocal as well as the regional director, Nevin Weaver for “Gross Negligence!”

During the review the hospital was also sharply criticized for failing to notify nearly 2,500 veterans that they were given colonoscopies that were performed with unsanitary equipment. The revelation led to a congressional investigation and federal lawsuit, respectively.

“I am so saddened by what I have heard today, by the things that are going on at Miami VA Medical Center that are atrocious. I can only imagine how bad it must have been if you think it is moving in the right direction.” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Pensacola, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs committee.

However, William Schoenhard, a Deputy Undersecretary with the VA hospital, attempted to defend the hospital director, saying that he believes that “the leadership in place is in the best interest of the veterans’ and went on to say that “Berrocal is turning the ship around but that it takes time.”

Schoenhard vote of confidence did not sway the committee and Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio moved forward with a recommendation to let Berrocal and Weaver go. The committee also inquired into the August death of 32-year old Catawaba Howard, an Air Force veteran killed by a Miami-Dade police officer.

Howard had originally come to Jackson Memorial Hospital with psychiatric problems but was transferred to the Veterans hospital when they determined that she was a veteran. Berrocal said there had been some confusion about whether Howard had been voluntary or involuntarily committed even though it was clear that this patient had been admitted under the “Baker Act.” Then Ms. Berrocal backtracked and tried to blame Jackson Memorial Hospital by saying that their paperwork was incorrect. In the end, it was obvious that Ms. Berrocal was once again, caught in a lie.

Subsequently, Howard left the facility and headed home. Ask by the committee if any disciplinary actions had taken place, Berrocal responded “the incident would be addressed at a later time through a performance-appraisal process.” In other words, when its time for the annual review.

Too be continued…

Rick Scott attends secret Koch brothers meeting in Colorado

Florida Gov. Rick Scott attended a secret, invitation-only meeting outside Vail, Colo., hosted by conservative billionaire GOP donors David and Charles Koch,

via Rick Scott attends secret Koch brothers meeting in Colorado.

9 Shot at Hair Salon in Southern California: 6 Dead and 3 seriously wounded

***LATE BREAKING NEWS ***LATE BREAKING NEWS *** LATE BREAKING NEWS ***

A man opened fire in a crowded hair salon located along a cluster of small businesses on Pacific Coast Highway in the City of Seal Beach, California.

When the shooting stopped, 6 people would be found dead and 3 others would be in critical condition.

Police was able to stop, apprehend and arrest a male suspect at a traffic stop about ½ miles from the scene of the shooting.

Police Sgt. Steve Bowles confirmed that 6 died and 3 were indeed in critical condition. The motive remains unclear as the investigation continues.

A SIngle Engine Plane Landed on the Florida Turnpike in Hollywood

LATE BREAKING NEWS … LATE BREAKING NEWS…LATE BREAKING NEWS …

The single engine plane left the Opa-Locka Airport shortly after 1:00pm on its way to North Perry Airport , when the pilot notice that he would not be able to make it to North Perry Airport and had to make an emergency landing on Florida’s Turnpike just south of Hollywood Boulevard.

The pilot signaled that the SOCATA TBM 700 plane needed to make an emergency landing prior to landing on the Florida Turnpike.
Both the pilot and a passenger were transported to Memorial Regional Hospital.

Thankfully, there were no other injuries to life or property damage with the exception of the plane and its occupants.

President Barack Obama’s Job-Creation Package failed short of the 60 votes needed.

Mervin Sealy from Hickory, North Carolina, takes part in a protest rally outside the Capitol Building in Washington

The $447 billion package of tax cuts and new spending failed by a vote of 50 to 48, short of the 60 votes it needed to advance in the 100-member Senate. Voting was expected to continue for several hours but would not affect the outcome.

Obama vows to break jobs plan into seperate bills after Senate setback

The Senate defeated President Barack Obama’s job-creation package on Tuesday in a sign that Washington is likely too fractured to take major steps to encourage hiring before the 2012 elections.

However, will the unemployed / under-employed, 99’ers and the remainder of the 17 million displaced for one reason or another continue too wait or can afford too wait until after the next election, or will a genuine movement with a people’s platform rise up within The Occupy Wall Street movement and force the hand of the government to perform the job they were elected to do or go home?

Someone on Capitol Hill needs to have enough backbone and intestinal fortitude to push through all the manure that the House and Senate keep trying to ram down the people’s throat.

Something that one of the participants from the movement said (she appeared to be middle age, possibly from the suburbs) was very telling of how most of the unemployed and under-employed feel. She stated that for the first time she was worried about the direction this country has taken and wondering how long can we survive in our present state. How Long? Not Long?

Remember the phrase:”A house divided against it self cannot stand.” If that is true, then what do you think about a country?

Even President Obama acknowledged that “Ultimately, the American people won’t take “no” for an answer. It’s time for Congress to meet their responsibility, put their party politics aside and take action on jobs right now.”

This country is at a crossroads. Which road will the House and Senate take?

Is it possible for a group of people to despise a man so much that they are willing to destroy the entire country in the process, even if it means going down in the process?

Let’s call it what it is! Hate!

Will a entire country of people stand idle on the sidelines and allow a small group of politicians to manipulate and use them as collateral damage while they watch the country slide into the sinking sand just to avenge what they perceive to be “A get him out at any cause mentality.” Were you consulted before they decided to play with your life or did the politicians think that they have the “power of attorney” to make life or death decisions on your behalf?

“So, what are you going to do? Stand Up {Mervin Sealy from Hickory, North Carolina, takes part in a protest rally outside the Capitol Building in Washington”}and be Heard or Become Collateral Damage? It’s Your Choice or is it?”

To: All the registered voters who actually vote. There is a lesson to be learned by the mess that United States finds itself in. The voters voiced their choice of representation by way of vote. When you vote for a particular candidate, you virtually give him or her the right to speak for you. When the votes are cast! It’s to late,then,too try to learn about the candidate you selected.

If you voted for a candidate based on popularity, because someone told you to vote for them or because of your dislike for the other candidate, without researching and seeking out as much information on that candidate as possible but got caught up in the hype. Shame on you!

At least now, hopefully, you can learn from past mistakes and make an informed choice based on your own research, so that, at the end of the day, you can truly say that “you have full confidence in the person you selected” and without trepidation can look at the man in the mirror and recognize the person staring back at you.

“Your Voice is really your Vote!” Don’t take it for granted! LooK at it this way! Will you work 40 hours a week and give your paycheck to a stranger just because they ask you for it? If that’s the case? Can I have it? See … what I mean!