Rep. Allen Boyd - Or How I Learned to Stop Complaining and Love the Blue Dogs

From Alan Brock:

First, What is a Blue Dog Democrat? Wikipedia defines Blue Dog Democrats as social and economic conservatives and moderates in the United States Democratic Party, tending to be economic populist and social conservatives. Often a Blue Dog Democrat supports the Democratic Parties social programs (Social Security) but not all of the social issues (Pro-life instead of pro-choice). But as always, the Democratic Party is a big tent and you find different levels of support among the Congressional Blue Dogs for different conservative issues; they don't necessarily have set issues or a platform that they all agree on.

If you read the link in the Title Bar you will read an article from the Tallahassee Democrats that discusses these Blue Dog Democrats. They aren't these DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) that some people treat them as, they are strong Democrats who work hard to help further the Democratic Agenda. All but one of the Blue Dogs vote the party line over two thirds of the time!

Congressman Boyd does an Excellent job at representing our expansive and diverse district, stretching from the cost of Walton County deep into the northern section of our state (to Suwannee, Lafayette and Dixie, and I would be glad to bet that as long as he wants the seat it is his). District 2 is one more safe Democrat Seat in the Congress and when we only have 202 of the 435 seats it is important that we hold onto every one that we can.

Why am I bringing this up today? Because more and more people keep sharing with me their displeasure with Rep. Boyd's voting record and especially his stance on Social Security. Thanks to several commercials that ran in constant rotation here in Tallahassee we know that Rep. Boyd is the only Democrat who activity supports private accounts for Social Security. This is similar to what President Bush talks about all the time, but it isn't the President's plan. I called Rep. Boyd's office in DC to make sure that I understood Rep. Boyd's stance on Social Security. Rep. Boyd DOES NOT support the president's plan. His office told me one of the main reasons that Rep. Boyd doesn't support the President's plan is "because the president doesn't have a plan". The administration keeps spouting rhetoric instead of developing an actual plan. Representative Boyd is supporting a bipartisan bill that has been out there since 1996, and he has been a co-sponsor since 1999. There are foreseeable problems with social security and he has been politically brave enough to try and develop a system to preserve a program that many of us take for granted or at least want to take for granted when it is time for us to retire.

I have had a lot of people tell me that they feel that we should run someone against Rep. Boyd, or that he 'should just go ahead and switch parties'. This frustrates me, I cannot imagine how it must make the representative feel. He is a proud Democrat. Rep.Boyd has sided with the Republicans/conservatives on some issues, but if he got frustrated and decide that he no longer wanted to deal with the complainers and decide to take the foolish advice of switching parties (and I am sure that there have been enticing offers)....Then he wouldn't vote with the Democrats at all any longer. He is a good man and he votes the party line when he needs to, he helps ensure that our important issues get passed.

I am glad that our Congressman is a Democrat, one that does an excellent job of representing his North Florida District and I will continue to vote for Allen Boyd as long as he wants to be our Democratic Congressman.

How to become chair of the Florida Democratic Party

So, I have been asked by several members how one becomes chair of the Florida Democratic Party. I am going to try to explain the process as succinctly as possible in this entry today. Wish me luck.

The first step to becoming chair of the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) is to become qualified.

First you must be a registered Democrat.

Secondly you have to be a voting member of your local Democratic Executive Committee (DEC). Every county can have a DEC for a person to join, this is done either by election in your precinct during the Democratic Primary or by appointment by your county's DEC, or the state party's, Chair.

Then, you must be elected to one of the qualified officer positions. Each DEC will have at least 6 officers: Chair, Vice-Chair, State Committeeman, State Committeewoman, Secretary and treasurer. Sometimes a DEC has more, rarely does it have less. Of these 6 officers, 4 are able to run for party offices on the statewide level: the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the State Committeepeople. You are probably familiar with the roles of Chair and Vice Chair from other organizations that you have been associated with in the past, the role of the State Committeepeople is to serve on the State Executive Committee which helps provide direction to the state party, they are the liaisons from the county DEC to the State Party, and vice-versa.

So, for instance in Leon County the DEC Chair Scott Maddox, the Vice-Chair Monica O'Neil, the State Committeewoman Roxane Dow and State Committeeman Jon Ausman are all eligible to be chair of the FDP. If there is someone else in Leon County who wanted to be chair that person would have to convince one of those four people to resign and then get elected to their post. This is what the current FDP Chair (Scott Maddox) did several years ago. If your county will not support you then you must move to another county where you have the support to get yourself appointed and elected into one of their key post.

Once you are qualified at the local level you must go before the State Executive Committee (SEC). There they will vote and the qualified person who gets the most votes will win. There isn't a primary process, it is a simple plurality of votes. The trick to this part of the process is that the SEC is not a one person one vote organization, it is a lot like the electoral college. Each State Executive Committee member has a weighted vote based of the percentage and performance of the local democrats in their county compared to the total number and performance of democrats statewide. So small rural counties get one vote for each of their state committee people and large democratic counties get much larger weighted votes. 36 of the 67 counties are allocated 3 or fewer votes per state committeeperson. The rest fall somewhere between 4 and 62 votes each. To give you an idea of where the votes fall check out this list of some of the larger counties state committee people's votes weight:

Alachua 09
Seminole 10
Sarasota 11
Lee 12
Leon 12
Pasco 12
Polk 14
Brevard 15
Volusia 16
Duval 25
Orange 25
Pinellas 29
Hillsborough 31
Palm Beach 42
Miami Dade 53
Broward 62

So each of those counties has two state commiteepeople with that number of votes each. There are also a few other people with votes on the SEC. Each Federal representative gets four votes, the house and senate leaders get 20 votes as does our senator Bill Nelson. There are other allotments for each of our statewide elected cabinet positions, but currently we don't have any, plus a few chair appointments and automatic appointments for friends of the FDP and caucus leadership each get 1 vote.

There are 1131 Votes out there, and the State Committeepeople from the large counties that I listed represent well over half (816 to be exact, or a little over 70%). Some of the smaller counties won't come to the election because the weighted vote from Voulsia through Broward counties alone represent over 50% of the vote, and if they join together then they are unbeatable.

But this may not happen this time. Currently the State Executive Committee will be meeting on May 7th in Orlando to elect a new state party chair. There are four people who are running, and each of them bring varied county support. Rep. Karen Thurman has a lot of support out of central and north Florida. FDP Vice Chair is the state committeewoman from Broward, and with her state committeeman have more votes than any other single person on the state committee. Jeff Ryan the director of the House Victory campaign for the FDP, has the committed support of the Leon County State Committee People and of the many elected officials who he has helped to obtain their seat, but he has not yet qualified as one of the four positions that allow a person to run for chair, and the last person who has expressed interest in running is Doug Courtney the former Chair of the Democratic Small County Coalition. The large counties have split their support among these four people which makes each vote more valuable.

Hopefully this will provide you with some insight into the election process of the FDP Chair. You can now see why no one can predict who will be elected as chair on the 7th.

Also worth noting ~ this weighted vote system is also the way that the at-large delegates to the National Convention in the Presidential Election Cycle are elected. So if, in three years, you want to be a delegate to the DNCC it is worth building a relationship with the larger counties now.

Marla Ruzicka

Rock the vote sent out an email today about Marla Ruzicka. She has spent the last year in Iraqi trying to help those people who need help. She was one of the people killed in the car bombings earlier this week. I have linked to the NY Times story in the title bar that overviews her short life.

I had not her of Ms. Ruzicka prior to this article, but it is important to realize how many young people are working around the world to try and help people. Here is a brief excerpt from the article, describing Ms. Ruzicka:

"With a cellphone (that she had a tendency to misplace), a backpack and an apparent genius for working with very different types of individuals and organizations, she would head off to the most dangerous spots on the globe, determined to bring aid and comfort to the afflicted, wherever she found them. This meant, of course, that her constituency was impossibly large. The world is filled with people who have nowhere to turn."

I commend her for being brave enough to help. Don't forget that Ross's friend, Tilli, is in Sri Lanka helping to rebuild after the tsunami. If you would like to help Tilli rebuild homes for displaced families check the yahoo group archives for more information or email/contact Ross.

Separated at Birth?

Tom DeLay

Steve Spurrier

Earth Day/Wakulla Wildlife Festival

The Leon County Young Democrats will be volunteering for Earth Day at the Wakulla Wildlife Festival at the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park this Saturday, April 23, 2005. Volunteer times are from 9 to around 3. You will only be expected to work for 2-3 hours so that our volunteers can also enjoy the festival while they're at the park. Click on the link for more information on the festival and directions to the park.

There wil be several conservation/environmental organizations (i.e., Audubon Society, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge) participating in the festival that we will have the chance to help out and connect with for future volunteer opportunities. This will be our official Earth Day service project for the Young Democrats, however, I know of several other events going on in the area that individuals can participate in. If you are interested in volunteering for the festival with the LCYD's, or you would like information on other events in the area, please post a comment to this blog or contact me ASAP at cwfetrow@yahoo.com

New Committees

The LCYDs are working to design a more perfect organization. If you have suggestions regarding committees post them in the comments section. If you are interested in being on a committee please email our president, Alan Brock, at brock@fladems.com.

We are currently looking for people to join our Bylaws revision committee, to help us better align ourselves with the Florida Young Democrats.

2004 Was a Record Year for Terrorist Attacks

Do you remember last year when the State Department issued a report called Patterns of Global Terrorism that reported the number of terrorist attacks worldwide? It came out in the heat of the election and significantly undercounted the number of terrorist incidents. Bush tried to use this report to support his claim that his war on terrorism was working, then was embarrassed when the numbers had to be revised UPWARD. It was very suspicious because it looked like the Bush administration was cooking the books. (Not that they would ever do such a thing!)

Well, this year’s version of the same report was due to come out this month. It would have reported that 2004 had the highest number of “significant” terrorist attacks (625) worldwide in the history of the report. This report was first published in 1985.

I say that it “would” have reported this record number of terrorist attacks because the State Department has conveniently decided to stop publishing this document.

Here’s the story from the Seattle Times.

How Much Did YOU Save With Bush's Tax Cuts?

Citizens for Tax Justice says that George W. Bush and his wife reported $784,219 in income in 2004. They paid $207,307 in taxes.

That's $28,846 less than they would have under the pre-Bush tax law.

Dick Cheney and his wife reported $2,137,892 in total income (no mention as to how much of that came from Halliburton) and paid $365,840 in taxes.

That's $81,336 less than under the pre-Bush tax law.

Welfare for the wealthy.

How much money did you save on your taxes?

Some 2006 Poll Numbers for Florida

These are some early numbers for the US Senate race (Mainly Nelson's Numbers) and the Governor's Race. Pay more attention to these once the Summer passes and we get closer to the end of the year but it's always good to just keep these in mind and remember that we are going to have to work hard for it in 2006.

*Senator Nelson has a 50% to 17% Approval to Disapproval rating. That is the good news.

The bad news: 35% support his re-election; 37% oppose his re-election; 28% unsure.

*Senator Martinez has lower numbers than Nelson. (43% approval; 29% disapproval)

"Sen. Bill Nelson's approval ratings remain a little soft for an incumbent seeking re-election, but many voters are not focusing on the 2006 election at this point," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.


**For the Democratic Primary for Governor**

Unsure 35%
U.S. Rep. Jim Davis 26%
Democratic Party chairman Scott Maddox 22%
state Sen. Rod Smith 16%
Others 1%

**For the Republican Primary for Governor**

Attorney General Charlie Crist 35%
Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher 33%
Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings 13%
Unsure 19%

Katherine Harris Leads Tom Gallagher for the Republican nomination for US Senate 31% to 23%. Toni Jennings is being rumored that she is about to drop the Governor's bid and run for the US Senate instead but she is only polling 8% for the US Senate compared to Harris' 31%.

Like I said, take this for what it's worth: A whole lot of nothing at this point.

See ya'll tomorrow!

New FSU CD's Executive Board... Congrats!

Congrats to the following members of the FSU College Democrats, who were elected to the Executive Board. I hope that both the LCYDs and the FSU CDs can work together closely in the coming year as we prepare for an exciting campaign cycle in 2006.

Congrats!

President: David White
Vice President: Rebecca Young
Treasurer: Andrea Harris
Secretary: Nicole Vouvalis
Development Vice President: Zachary Dryden
Political Affairs Vice President: David Grimes
Public Relations Coordinator: Lacey Maffettone

8 Years Not Enough... Let's Go for 12!

Seems that members in the Florida House would like to serve 12 year terms instead of 8 year terms. The bill passed the Florida Senate and the Legislature yesterday and will now be placed on the ballot in 2006 for another issue on the ballot that should help people go vote.

*Note: This law is ment to only go into effect starting after the 2006 elections if passed by the voters. However, as stated in the article, some in the Legislature already are looking for ways around the law if approved.*

Personally, I thought 8 year terms were appropriate because it allows for turnover... In this country we have a problem of incubments always winning. New blood is important in the Political System and 8 years was plenty to get your work accomplished and move on.... 12 years is too much.

That is of course my opinion. Check out the link brought to you by the Tallahassee Democrat.

Have a good weekend!

Monday Night MASS MEETING for Leon County Democrats.

The North Florida Democratic Club and their President, Mark Ravenscraft have invited the Leon County Young Dems to their event this Monday:

ARE THE DEMOCRATS BEHIND THE 8 BALL?

Come and find out! Monday, April 18, 2005 at 6:30 – 8 pm.

The meeting will be held at HALLIGAN’S PUB–N–POOL TAVERN 1698 Village Square Boulevard. (Just behind Keiser College).

The Democratic Club of North Florida presents:
Dr. Lance deHaven-Smith
Political Sage and Professor at the FSU Askew School of Public Administration

How can Florida Democrats can get out from behind the 8 Ball in time for the 2006 Statewide Elections????

FAMU, FSU, and TCC College Democrats, along with Leon County Young Democrats are especially invited to attend – for a fun filled evening of new friends and fellowship.

Come and get acquainted with the “new blood” in the Democratic Party.

FREE FOOD, beer/wine, door prizes, electronic darts, free tutorials on how to play pool for anyone interested AND lots more.

Don’t miss this special program!
Call 580-2227 or 766-3555 for information or directions.
A $5 donation is requested, but not required.

All Are Welcome!

Feel free to contact Tracy if you need more information, a ride or directions....

Cruella De Vil for governor?

In today's Orlando Sentinel there Kathleen Parker has made her predictions for the next election cycle in Florida.

Here is an excerpt:

"If you're a Republican, Harris is the attractive granddaughter of a Florida citrus pioneer who held fast against hurricane-strength political winds to keep order during a virulent presidential race. If you're a Democrat, Harris is Cruella De Vil and the Spawn of Satan who helped steal the 2000 election from Al Gore and handed the presidency to George W. Bush.

If you're a Democrat, you get down on your knees three times a day and pray that Katherine Harris will run for the U.S. Senate in 2006 because nothing -- not a terrorist attack on ACLU headquarters or, heaven forbid, a price hike on tattoo ink -- could energize Democrats the way a Harris candidacy would."

Check out the link in the title bar for the rest of the article

Legislature Tries to Unfairly Tax Small Businesses

From Alan Brock:

The Republican lead Legislature is attempting to raise taxes!!!

In 1997 the State of Florida settled with the five major tobacco companies for over 13 Billion dollars to be paid out in increments over the next twenty five years. We are in year eight of the tobacco settlement. This year the state of Florida will collect over 400 Million dollars in settlement dollars from the companies that are commonly called Big Tobacco. The State of Florida will also collect an additional 400 Million dollars in existing tobacco excise taxes.

Because Florida is one of four states that are independent of the Master Tobacco Settlement that the USA settled with Big Tobacco (after Florida's settlement), we have different rules here than in other states. We also have very low tobacco taxes. This has caused many new cigarette companies to sprout up and start selling cheap cigarettes in our state. Our tobacco taxes are so low that certain packs of cigarettes are selling for as little as $1.50 (compared to over $5 in the state of New York for cheap cigarettes).

Currently Legislators, of both parties, are trying to raise taxes on the non-settlement tobacco brands. The argument being made is that this tax will make them more competitive with Big Tobacco's brands. This will also have them contribute more money to the high cost of the tobacco related illness that our state has to cover each year. The legislators are also saying that this will help fund an anti-tobacco program.

These are all good ideas, but this is where I start to become frustrated with the legislative process. Our state already brings in over $800 million dollars a year from tobacco. If the state allocated 10% of that current money to an anti-tobacco program we would meet the minimum CDC recommend funding for anti-tobacco programs for the State of Florida. Our state currently cringes at funding an anti-tobacco program with $1 million dollars. Why would this change with a new tax? Taxes are always raised for a specific reason, but too often the reason the tax was raised is forgotten and the money is transferred to other state accounts where it can be used to add more pork barrel projects for legislators to give to their constituents back home. There is no excuse for not fully funding an anti-tobacco program in our state.

These small tobacco companies have found a loop hole, a place where they can make a profit selling an addictive product cheaper than their competition. Big Tobacco denied for 100 years that tobacco was addictive or that it had any long term health affects. They went so far that in 1994, the 5 major tobacco companies CEOs went before a congressional hearing and stated that they didn't believe that tobacco was addictive or harmful. During the settlement it was found through their confidential documents that they knew that tobacco was harmful and addictive. However, they did research ways to make smoking healthier (which they chose not to do, because that would be admitting that it wasn't healthy) and more addictive (which they did do). The anti-tobacco Truth campaign was started to help raise awareness about these deceptions. It is this history that caused them to be faced with such a large punitive settlement. They had lied for a hundred years. They are still manipulating the facts. By taxing the small tobacco companies (these small businesses) the state will help increase Big Tobacco's market share and help decrease the weight of the message that the tobacco settlement, and the accompaning implied guilt, sends to our young citizens.

Don't misconstrue this posting as anti-tobacco taxes either. The only proven way to decrease tobacco consumption is to raise taxes. I just strongly feel that it is wrong to single out the small businesses without the long history of intentional deceit and abuse for the tobacco tax increase. I feel that we should raise tobacco excise taxes across the board for all tobacco products and brands. This will decrease the number of smokers, and particularly the number of poor smokers who won't be able to afford the high medical cost associated with a lifetime of smoking. The higher taxes, if used appropriately, can discourage more people from starting to smoke and help cover the high medical cost for the smokers in the future.

I hope that our Legislators take a hard look at this legislation and all of its ramifications before voting in its favor.

Protect Floridians Right for Class Action Lawsuits (HB 1925 and SB 2564)

Here is information from Susie Caplowe, for more information on what a Class Action Lawsuit is check the comments section of this post. Post in the comments your thoughts on actions we can take, and what actions you are taking.

From Susie Caplowe

How Would HB 1925 and SB 2564 Eliminate Class Actions?

The bills under consideration by the Florida Legislature give corporate polluters a "get out of jail free" card by requiring that each individual claimant in a class action give written notice of their intent to file and allow the defendant to "cure" their claim individually, by paying their claim or otherwise righting the wrong, before the class action is even filed. This provision would virtually eliminate all class actions, as defendants will be able to "pick off" each individual claim by paying the small amount at issue rather than face liability to a larger class of persons harmed by the same wrongful conduct. Meanwhile, the defendant could continue with its unlawful and destructive practices with impunity. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that to allow a defendant to stop class actions by "picking off" the class representative would nullify the class action rule. In the 1980 decision of Deposit Guarantee Nat'l Bank v. Roper, the Court explained that such a procedure "would frustrate the objectives of class actions; moreover it would invite waste of judicial resources by stimulating successive suits brought by others claiming aggrievement." That this is the true impetus behind the law was made evident, when the House Judiciary Committee rejected an amendment to its class action bill that would have required the defendant to pay the claims of all class members that the consumer giving notice sought to represent (similar class action laws in other states have such a provision). The reason was obvious – it would defeat the bill's intent of allowing corporations to get away with illegal practices by paying the claims of individual claimants, without righting the wrongs perpetrated against the whole group.

These Bills Would Eliminate Deterrents to Corporate Pollution

The bills would also limit the ability to obtain statutory and punitive damages in some class actions. Statutory and punitive damages are designed to deter illegal conduct. Many corporations are beholden only to their bottom lines: the mere potential that they might be faced with paying punitive damages can serve as an important societal deterrent for such entities. This is especially true when it comes to corporate polluters who aren't willing to pay the additional costs of maintaining eco-friendly procedures, even if those procedures are mandated by law, unless there is a higher cost to them if it is proven that they don't. There is no logical reason to reward corporate polluters' bad behavior by granting them a "cap" on liability.

We Must Fight To Maintain Florida's Environment

Class actions are an important part of the Florida civil justice system, helping to ensure that corporate polluters can be held responsible when their reckless behavior destroys the environment or makes whole communities sick. Florida's courts are effective gatekeepers that already protect defendants from frivolous class actions. Florida's trial and appellate courts routinely dismiss or refuse to treat as class actions many lawsuits seeking such status. There is no class action crisis in Florida. As stewards of the environment, we have a duty to protect Florida's unique and special natural treasures. We must ensure that the State of Florida will not tolerate legislation expressly designed to insulate corporate polluters from being held accountable for the damage they do. We are doing everything we can to stop these horrible bills from passing but we need your help. It is imperative that all opponents of these bills stand together and form a united front against HB 1925 and SB 2564. Please contact your local representatives to express your opposition to destructive legislation .

For more information on how you can help fight HB 1925 and SB 2564 contact susiecaplowe@comcast.net

Neverland Beats World of Republican Politics

Great Letter to the Editor in today's (Saturday) Tallahassee Democrat by County Commissioner Thaell on the local Republican Party...

Here is a quote:

"I also confess that some days, the world of Neverland is preferable by far to the crass and ugly world of partisan GOP politics here in Leon County."

Check it out and everyone have a great weekend!

Tuesday April 12 is Election Reform Day

David White, with People for the American Way, has invited the Leon County Young Democrats to attend their Election Reform seminar next Tuesday, April 12, 2005. The seminar will be from 10 AM to Noon taking place on the 22nd floor of the Capital. During the course of the event, Representatives and Lobbyists will be fielding questions concerning the relevant legislation. There will be a free breakfast provided 'prior to the event's commencement'.

The event should be fun and educational. I know that I have spoken with many of you about election issues, including constitutional ballot initiatives. I hope that some of us can attend this event. I sent an email through the Yahoo Group with an attachment of the official invitation.

RSVP by calling (850) 877-0307

If you are interested in getting on our list service click the Yahoo Group Page link to the left of this entry. (stage left)

Bankruptcy Bill: There's Still Time to Act!

The following is from Cherisse of Rapid Response Network in the state of Washington:

There is still time to stop the bankruptcy bill! Raw Story has a leaked 54-page report by the Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee. The report details credit card company abuses and other issues and argues against the bankruptcy bill. Check out both the story and the Daily Kos post by a WA Democratic Chair:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/5/172751/3942
Finally! Opposition to bankruptcy "reform"

http://rawstory.com/exclusives/dissenting_views_bankruptcy_405.htm
House Judiciary Democrats' dissent from bankruptcy bill

*ACTION*

If you do nothing else with actions suggested below today, please write to your legislators urging them to have the courage and the conscience to kill this bill! And keep the pressure on the media -- they're not covering this story!!

To contact your elected representatives: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
League of Women Voters Media email database: http://www.capwiz.com/lwv/dbq/media/

Today's Cartoon from the Center for American Progress

TAKE ACTION:

Tell corporate America to Drop the Hammer!
(The American Progress Action Fund)

Fire Tom DeLay (MoveOn PAC)

More National News ~ Tom Delay

Tom Delay is funneling money, brought to his political Action Committee through his strong arm tactics, to his Wife and to his only child. He has paid his family more than half a million dollars of big business's money over the last four years. I linked to today's story in the New York Times in the title bar. The article presents a fairly even view pointing out that many politicians do this, but usually not to the same degree. This compounded with the other accusations against Delay just continues to demonstrate why this man should not be in office. I encourage you to read this story so that you can be fully aware of the issue.

Damaging bill on Affordable Housing

A bill that would divert funds and establish a cap on Florida's affordable housing trust funds is moving through the House. 1000 Friends of Florida and Florida Housing Coalition is asking for help in fighting this bill. Information is available at the link above, and you can find more details in the Comments section below.

Speak Out Against Nuclear Option Now!

Just a reminder that the Senate is dangerously close to eliminating the opportunity to fillibuster.

Follow the title link to sign the DNC's petition, call your state senator and speak out!

S 2236 (Tuition Bill) Update

There's good news and bad news on Senate Bill 2236, the bill that would gouge college students on their tuition if they exceed the required number of hours for a degree by a certain percentage (see earlier post.)

The bad news is that the bill passed through the Government Efficiency Appropriations Committee on a 5-0 vote.

The good news is that the bill passed through this committee with the following four amendments:

Amendment 1: Changes the excess hours percentage from 115% to 120% of required hours for the enrolled degree program.

Amendment 2: Changes application of this new policy to incoming Freshmen for the Fall 2005 school year and beyond.

Amendment 3: Exempts certain hours from being calculated for graduation and the excess credit policy:

• Hours earned through accelerated programs Internship hours.
• Medical or personal hardship withdrawals.
• Hours for a dual major.
• Hours taken by active duty military personnel.
• Hours taken for certificate programs.
• Remedial and english as a second language credit hours.

Amendment 3 also requires the college/university to notify their students of the excess hours policy as they reach the required number of hours needed.

Amendment 4: Changes the out-of-state tuition rate to 75 % over the in-state tuition rate.

So, while I'm still not happy about this bill and would like to see it voted down in the Senate, these amendments make it MUCH more reasonable than the draconian original version.

WFSU Pledge Drive

The Leon County Young Democrats will be helping out with the phones for the WFSU Spring Pledge Drive this Saturday, April 9, 2005. We will be at the station from 8am - 1pm, with two shifts of 8am - 10:30am and 10:30am - 1pm. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Click on the title above to get directions to the radio station. We need a few more volunteers for the later shift and one more volunteer for the early shift. If you enjoy the public radio stations here in Leon County, this is a perfect opportunity to donate your time to help keep WFSU on the air.

WFSU provides our community with great music, news, and information, and this is our chance to give back. Please respond to me at 322-8356 or post a comment to this message if you are interested in volunteering.

LCYD meeting tonight @ 7PM @ FDP HQ

There is a Leon County Young Democrats Meeting tonight (4-4-05) at 7PM. We meet on the first and third Monday of every month. We will be meeting upstairs at the Florida Democratic Party Headquarters. We will be discussing partnering more with the Capital Area New Democrats organization (CANDO) in the coming months, and upcoming service projects.

I hope you can join us.

Front of shirt!

So after a long debate and much discussion, we finally have decided on a shirt design. You can reference our archives to see the steps that we have taken to get to this design, but I wanted to let you all see the official front of our new shirts! I hope that you like them. Our goal is to have these shirts available for $15 for LCYD members. Hopefully these royal blue shirts will help us all look more like a team when we are out helping our community.

Back of Shirt: List of Values

This is the design for the back of our shirts, order yours now!

Public Radio Pledge Drive

The Leon County Young Democrats will be on the air Monday, April 4 from 2:00-4:00 pm for WFSU's (88.9 FM) semi-annual pledge drive. Anyone interested in helping out with the phones during that time, please contact me at cwfetrow@yahoo.com.

We are also trying to get a group of Young Democrats/College Democrats to man the phones on one of the last days of the pledge drive when it's needed the most. The station informed me that on the final 3 days of the drive (April 7, 8, and 9), they need to hire temps to cover the phones adequately. Every volunteer we can provide is money that WFSU saves on paying these temps. Essentially, this would be our donation to public radio. The more volunteers, the bigger the donation. If you are interested in helping out, please post a comment to this message or e-mail me directly.

I will be deciding on the best day(s) to volunteer as a group based on the response I receive. We will make the final decision at our next meeting: Monday, April 4 from 7:00-8:00 pm at the FDP headquarters downtown.

Public radio provides a valuable service to our local community and country. WFSU is by far the best public radio station in Florida, partly due to the contributions it receives in money and time from Leon County residents. Without these donations, public radio could not survive. If you enjoy public radio on a regular basis (like me), but you're unable to contribute monetarily, this is the perfect opportunity to contribute your time to a worthy cause.