Tag Archives: Bob beauprez

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The Rick Scott Squeeze … repost! Remember when he was a gov. remember what he did and compare contrast this to gov desantis


By CAP Action War Room

Rick Scott’s Policies Are Failing Floridians, And They’re Not Happy

Ahead of Florida’s first gubernatorial debate on Friday, Governor Rick Scott is on the hot seat.

From failing to expand Medicaid and opposing an increase to the minimum wage, to ignoring climate change as a central threat to his state, Scott has hurt the lives and livelihoods of millions of Floridians—many of whom are from communities of color. A new Center for American Progress Action Fund report details Scott’s failure to act on behalf of his state’s residents. Accompanying the report, a new survey shows how Floridians disagree with his harmful positions.

The CAP Action report highlights several ways that Gov. Scott is failing Floridians:

  • Gov. Scott has opposed raising the minimum wage, even though 55 percent of Floridians support raising it to $10.10 per hour and a whopping 79 percent don’t think they could support their family on the current minimum wage. His opposition to raising the wage to $10.10 means that 1.7 million Floridians—including 357,000 African Americans and 536,000 Hispanics—are being denied fair wages. While Scott says efforts to raise the minimum wage make him “cringe,” workers are losing out on $2.1 billion in wages and Florida forgoes $1.3 billion in economic growth. Additionally, raising the minimum wage would save the state money. By putting more money into the pockets of working Floridians, 195,000 people would no longer need food stamps, saving the state $295.1 million each year.
  • Gov. Scott also now refuses to expand access to health coverage for Floridians through Medicaid, despite the facts that Florida has the third-highest uninsured rate in the nation. Gov. Scott’s failure to act means 764,000 working Floridians fall into the Medicaid coverage gap, including 214,000 African Americans and 200,000 Hispanics. This failure is costing the state 63,000 jobs, $66 billion in additional federal funds, and $20 billion in Florida taxpayer money that is going to other states to fund their expanded Medicaid programs.
  • Gov. Scott refuses to address climate change. Initially a climate denier, Gov. Scott now says he is “not a scientist,” a new talking point for conservatives who are trying to skirt the issue. This is despite the fact that Florida is one of the most at-risk states from the damaging effects of climate change and Florida voters are less likely to support a candidate who denies that man-made climate change is real. His failure to act means most of South Florida will be completely washed away by the end of the century, according to current forecasts, and risks $9 billion in lost tourism by 2025 and $40 billion by 2050. Hispanics in particular will feel the effects of climate change, since about half of the state’s Hispanic population lives in South Florida counties.

Floridians are recognizing these failures. By a 12-point margin in the latest survey, voters are less likely to vote to for Scott because of his position opposing a minimum wage increase. Voters are less likely to support Scott by an 11-point margin based on his refusal to expand Medicaid to cover the state’s 1 million low- and moderate-income Floridians. And by a 16-point margin, Florida voters are less likely to vote for a candidate — like Scott — who denies that man-made climate change is real.

BOTTOM LINE: Florida Governor Rick Scott’s policies on the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, and climate change are failing to create an economy that works for every Floridian, not just the wealthiest. Voters in the state disagree with these positions, and they are taking notice.

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Soccer coach: Could artificial turf be causing cancer? 2yrs ago


By Gaard Swanson Published: May 19, 2014 at 10:54 PM PDT Last Updated: May 20, 2014 at 6:30 AM PDT

a repost

Soccer coach: Could artificial turf be causing cancer?

SEATTLE — A local soccer coach is raising serious questions about the material used tomakeartificialathleticfieldsCrumbrubberis made fromshreddedtiresandis used in soccer fields all over the country. The turf is especially popular in Seattle because the tires get recycled and the reliable surface can stand up to soggy weather.But one local coach sees a troubling connection between the turf and cancer among soccer players.Soccer runs in the blood of University of Washington assistant coach Amy Griffin. She started playing goalie as a child, and now helps UW goalies stay fit and improve their skills.Griffin’s always searching for new talent and keeps a list of top players. But one list of names isn’t about recruiting. On it are 13 players from Washington who have all been diagnosed with rare types of cancer.Of those 13, 11 come from an even smaller pool of players: Goal keepers.

“Everyone says it’s just a coincidence and kind of walks away, but the ratio of goal keepers to field players is 15 to 1, 16 to 2, and I know plenty of goal keepers that have cancers and I don’t know many field players,” Griffin said.

Griffin said she can’t walk away from what she’s discovered, and she’s not alone. Former professional goalie and reality TV star Ethan Zohn, who has twice beaten non-Hodgkins lymphoma, had been keeping his own list, which he has now handed over to Griffin.

Combined, the lists name 27 players with cancer, and 22 of them are goal keepers.

Griffin can’t say why goalies are getting cancer, but she wonders if it’s the field turf and the crumb rubber used to make it. She said goalies spend a lot of time on the ground diving for balls, blocking shots and sometimes ingesting the small rubber pellets.

“I lived in the stuff,” former UW goal keeper Jorden Alerding said of the turf. “Four to five times a week I was on it for hours — bleeding sweating, everything. Looking back now I wonder could that have been the cause.”

Griffin’s first brush with the unproven connection between cancer and the pellets came when she visited Alerding, who was being treated for cancer.

“She said, ‘I just think it’s something with the field turf. I don’t know what it is, but I think there’s something in those black dots,'” Griffin said.

The former Husky was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma during her freshman year of college when doctors discovered a large, deadly tumor.

“It was about the size, a little bigger than a softball, right in the center of my chest,” Alerding said.

Alerding is now cancer free, but she still questions the health effects of crumb rubber and the lack of further research.

“If this can be prevented, I don’t know why there isn’t more effort being made to do the research and find out,” she said.

The pain is still fresh for June Leahy. Her daughter, Austen Everett, a star goalie for Seattle’s Blanchet High School and later the University of Miami, died a year and a half ago.

By the time Everett lost her second battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Leahy was raising questions about the use of crumb rubber on soccer fields.

“I feel like there is a strong correlation with the turf,” she said.

This isn’t the first time people have raised concerns about the turf, either. In 2008, a goal keeper at Tacoma’s Stadium High School battled Hodgkins lymphoma. Back then, Luke Beardemphl and his family wondered if crumb rubber had played a part in his cancer.

“I’ll catch it. It’ll stop the ball but not the pellets. They’ll go into my face, go into my eyes, my mouth,” Beardemphl said in 2008.

Earlier that year, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission tested some blades of grass used in synthetic turf for lead. The commission found they did not contain enough of it to put children at risk.

The agency later stated that its “exposure assessment did not include chemical or other toxic metals, beyond lead.”

Tires do contain metals and chemicals that have been ruled too toxic to burn in Washington state. The average athletic field uses 27,000 of them.

So, can prolonged exposure to the fields make people sick? The Synthetic Turf Council says no.

The president of the trade organization was unavailable to talk about this story, but the group directed us to a statement on its website.

“For 40 years, under EPA oversight and OSHA- regulated manufacturing, not one person has ever reported ill effects related to any materials associated with synthetic turf,” the statement reads.

Those statements and tests cannot shake loose the feeling Griffin gets every time she learns the name of another goal keeper with cancer.

She also knows that feelings and suspicion do not equal evidence.

The team’s head physician, Dr. John O’Kane, says the concern is valid and has talked with Griffin about the need for scientific and medical research on the effects of crumb rubber.

He said Griffin’s list is only a starting point.

“The question you would need to ask is over that same time period, how many goalies are there that haven’t gotten cancer?” O’Kane said. “And until you understand that number, you really can’t interpret that there’s anything particularly dangerous about being a goalie when it comes to cancer.”

O’Kane said that kind of research could take years. Griffin hopes someone is willing to take on the work to provide her with an answer. She said any answer will do.

“I would love for it to be disproven or for someone to grab me by the throat and say,’These are the facts. This is why it could never be this. This is just happenstance.’ That would be great,” she said.

One former Husky — Alerding — is on Griffin’s list.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Huge Victory for Forests and the Climate!


Tell the Fast Food Industry to Go Deforestation-Free!

Ask fast food chains to adopt a deforestation-free palm oil policy. There’s no excuse to use palm oil that drives climate change, tropical deforestation, and forest fires.

Take Action Today! a repost

In September, we had an incredible month full of successes—and we couldn’t have done it without your help. Together, we persuaded four food companies—Dunkin’ Brands, Krispy Kreme, ConAgra, and Hershey’s—to adopt zero deforestation commitments for their palm oil purchases.

These new commitments are a direct result of public pressure. The Union of Concerned Scientists and other groups rallied our supporters to voice their concerns at Dunkin’ Brands’ annual shareholder meeting in May and attend Krispy Kreme’s new store openings in Tennessee, Delaware, and Florida. What we have seen time and again is that when consumers speak, companies listen, and act.

But the fast food industry still has a long way to go. McDonald’s. Burger King. Taco Bell. Fast food chains are often the focus of negative attention for their effect on our heath, but they are also having a big effect on our climate.

This spring, the Union of Concerned Scientists exposed how these brands are buying palm oil, largely for their fried and baked goods. As tropical forests are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations, carbon is released into the atmosphere, driving global warming and shrinking habitat for endangered species. Most of the big brands have yet to make a commitment to purging deforestation from their palm oil purchases.

Fast food chains need a push, and that’s where you come in. The Union of Concerned Scientists has been in active dialogues with many of these fast food companies about palm oil—and a few are considering announcing new commitments this year. With your help, we can convince the fast food sector to take this issue seriously.

Send an email today urging the largest global fast food companies to go deforestation-free.

Take Action

Sincerely,
Sharon Smith signature
Sharon Smith
Campaign Manager
Tropical Forest & Climate Initiative
Union of Concerned Scientists

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GOP Senate Majority To Raise Retirement Age, Cut Medicare


campaignForAmericaLgo

The Republicans have made big promises to their ultra-wealthy financial backers: Should they take the Senate, they promise to cut ‘entitlements’ and pass the savings on with more tax cuts for the 1%.

 

This isn’t fear mongering. This is taking them at their word. Republicans have promised to raise Medicare age and cut Social Security benefits.

 

  • Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, who would become chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, proposed legislation to raise the retirement age to 70 and supported President Bush’s plans to privatize the system.

 

  • Representative Bill Cassidy, who hopes to replace Mary Landrieu as senator from Louisiana, has pledged to raise the retirement age to 70 and turn Medicare into a voucher program.

 

  • Senators Ron Johnson and Ted Cruz both refer to Social Security as a “Giant Ponzi Scheme.” Cruz went further, going on the record with the Texas Tribune for privatization. As Texas solicitor general, he even sued the federal government to strike down Medicare’s prescription benefit.

 

  • Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona said he’d prefer “savings in entitlement programs rather than defense spending.”

 

 

 

Campaign for America’s Future has defeated similar bad ideas before. We’ve done it when Democrats are in charge, and we’ve done it when Republicans held all three branches of government.

 

Can you make a donation of $15 today to help us in this fight? We are now pushing to EXPAND, not cut Social Security. And we are gearing up the alliances, and strategies needed to meet the coming attacks. We will not accept any cuts to benefits older Americans have earned.

.

In 2010, Representative Paul Ryan and House Republicans tried to use their new majority in the House to raise the retirement age and cut benefits. We fought back and prevented a “Grand Bargain.” Right-wing GOPers wore their folly around their necks in the 2012 election and it helped re-elect Barack Obama.

In 2015, the assault is likely to be a retirement age of 70 and yet another attempt to replace Medicare with vouchers.

We will not let them savage Americans who are vulnerable because of retirement or disability.

To do this, we need your help. Can you contribute $15 to help us gird for the fight we face? Join us as we work for a country that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and privileged.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

meet bob beauprez, a republican who wants less regulation


Agriculture

Agriculture in Colorado — from cantaloupe farms in Otero County to buffalo ranches in Jackson County, wheat farms and feedlots on the eastern plains to ranches and vineyards on the Western Slope — has a rich heritage. But too often Governor Hickenlooper forgets that he represents rural Colorado as much as he represents Denver. The agricultural community needs policies that make sense, not higher energy costs, restrictive gun legislation, or a governor who thinks Colorado has “backwards thinking.”

Bob and Jill will audit the regulations currently enforced by the Department of Agriculture and rollback those regulations that put needless burdens on our state’s farmers and ranchers.

Capital Punishment

In Colorado, we employ a system of justice that determines the appropriate penalty for crimes, up to and including the death penalty in very rare cases. This is not a flippant issue, but Bob does believe capital punishment should be an option for our most heinous crimes. Regarding pending executions, Bob would review the evidence on a case-by-case basis. Such decisions are – and should be – among the most somber and emotionally trying decisions a governor has to make; but barring the revelation of any new or outstanding information, he would uphold the laws of the state of Colorado, and respect the difficult decision of the jury in seeing through the lawful and appropriate administration of justice.

Even though this is a difficult issue, voters elect a governor make decisions, and John Hickenlooper has failed to make a decision on the case of Nathan Dunlap.

Jobs & the Economy

Colorado has always been a great state, a state big enough for all our dreams. But over the last several years, finding a job — let alone a good job — has been hard. From 2010 to 2014, Colorado’s economic outlook has fallen from #2 to #22. Middle of the pack is not good enough for Colorado.

To create an environment where Colorado businesses can thrive, and where opportunity exists for all citizens, Bob and Jill will audit state government to remove unnecessary regulation, adopt priority-based budgeting to focus agencies on customer service, empower Colorado job creators, and hold the line on destructive legislation.

As governor, Bob will push for more robust vocational and technical training to help middle and high school students prepare for in-demand careers by giving them the skills to work in those fields, whether they decide to go to college or not.

Bob’s plan for A More Competitive Colorado outlines many of his specific proposals to get Colorado’s economy moving in the right direction.

Energy

Colorado’s abundance of natural resources can fuel the economic engine of not just the state, but the country. In order to do so, Colorado needs an “all the above” approach to state energy policy, where consumers choose which energy resources work best for them, rather than government choosing. At the same time, Colorado’s livelihood depends on clean air and clean water, which is why good science should drive the state’s energy policy to ensure Colorado is both utilizing its natural resources as well as preserving its natural beauty and quality of life.

Bob supports the continued safe, responsible development of natural gas and oil in order to create a stable foundation for Colorado’s economy and contribute to energy independence for the nation.

Education

Few things are as critical to the economy and to the betterment of society as a quality education. A great education allows children to pursue the American Dream. A Governor must promote quality education opportunities by establishing high educational standards.

To improve education outcomes in Colorado, Bob supports the creation of a Teachers’ Bill of Rights to give teachers more flexibility to teach students in the classroom and not just administrating a constant stream of tests.

Bob strongly supports charter schools, homeschooling, online schools, and other creative, proven options to empower parents to make the best education choices for their children.

Common Core and other one-size-fits-all federal approaches to education must be ended in Colorado, and Bob will opt-out of Common Core and replace it with high, meaningful Colorado standards for Colorado students.

Healthcare

The effects of Obamacare have hit hard in Colorado, where nearly 340,000 policies have been cancelled and premiums in some western Colorado counties became the highest in the nation. Governor Hickenlooper, who advocated for Obamacare before it even existed, signed a state exchange into law that has seen constant trouble.

Coloradans need a governor who will stand up for the patient’s right to choose. Citizens should be able to keep their insurance and their doctors, costs should be driven down with competition, and insurance policies should fit the individual, not the president’s mandates.

As governor, Bob will partner with other governors to form a pro-active coalition to stand up for Colorado and fight for healthcare policies that are centered on patients and doctors, not bureaucrats in Washington or Colorado.

Immigration

Colorado has long been an opportunity state. No wonder immigrants from across the globe call the state home. Even though immigration is largely a federal issue, governors still need to stand up for their state when the federal government doesn’t do its job on immigration issues. Colorado needs an immigration policy that provides a sufficient workforce for businesses, but also one that upholds the law.

When it comes to issues where the federal government is involved, like healthcare and immigration, Bob will work with a coalition of governors to stand up to Washington and protect our citizens.

Public Safety

The primary role and first responsibility of government is to protect its citizens, their lives and property. Keeping streets and neighborhoods safe requires strong, principled leadership that is unequivocally committed to simultaneously safeguarding the individual rights of the citizens, and ensuring justice is dealt to those who disregard the lives and property of others.

Law enforcement must be given the resources it needs to keep the citizens of Colorado safe, and common sense policies on sentencing and parole reform and administrative segregation must be pursued.

Second Amendment

Governor Hickenlooper signed restrictive gun legislation that must be repealed. He then lied to Colorado sheriffs about his cooperation with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Colorado needs a governor who it can trust to stand up for Constitutional rights. It also needs a governor who will focus on mental health issues for those crying out in need of help as a way to resolve some of the underlying causes of violence.

Transportation and Infrastructure

In a modern economy, transportation is vital. Colorado must have the resources to maintain its infrastructure and make improvements necessary to ensure the smooth flow of people and goods throughout the state. A strong infrastructure serves as the backbone of a competitive economy, and budget priorities need to reflect that.

Taxes & Regulation

Lower tax rates encourage productivity and growth, while excessive regulation kills job creation. Tax rates must be kept low for Colorado individuals and businesses in order to create more jobs, more growth and more opportunity. State government must be audited in order to identify unnecessary regulations that can be eliminated, and if and where tax relief can be applied.

Veterans

Colorado has a long and proud military history. The Coloradans who bravely served our nation deserve the benefits and respect promised to them. Where the government has failed to fulfill this commitment, those responsible must be held accountable.

Bob has always supported Colorado’s veterans. He voted to increase the number of military personnel at Colorado installations and pushed Congress to build the new VA hospital in Denver. He will stand up vigorously for Colorado veterans if they ever receive less than the treatment they deserve.

Water

Water is a vital part of Colorado’s economy. While Colorado’s population has almost doubled since 1970, water storage has increased by only 15%. The state must increase water storage, including underground storage, to ensure that water needs can be met well into the future, without transmountain diversions that will leave our Western Slope high and dry. If Colorado doesn’t solve its water challenges now, they’ll be passed on to the next generation.

Bob realizes that Western Colorado is Colorado too and will lead an effort to create new water storage projects including NISP that increase Front Range water storage while keeping transmountain diversions off the table.

 

Resource: his website

There are only 28 days left before the 2014midterms, it’s important to get all your research done .. Vote for your family and the next generation … this candidate is definitely a states rights guy,  expects to go full out Romney and that is bad for even the most conservative of states.