Guide to the General Election
Here is a guide to the candidates and issues that will be on the General Election ballot. I'll tell you how I'm voting after explaining both positions. As a Republican Precinct Committeeman, I will not be supporting or endorsing any non-Republican in any election in which a Republican is a candidate. However, I will still provide reasons for my choices and, to the extent I can find them, web sites for all candidates and positions on constitutional questions.
Key links for voting information:
Our polling location for ELECTION DAY, November 5, 2024, is the Huntington Lakes Clubhouse from 7 am - 7 pm. This is the ONLY location you can vote on election day. I urge you to use early voting or vote by mail to make sure your vote counts and your voting is as easy as possible. Avoid stress on election day caused by emergencies, bad weather, last minute scheduling conflicts, etc. by voting early either in person or by mail. Make sure your vote counts and isn't sidelined by an unforeseen event.
From October 21 - November 3, 2024, you can vote at ANY early voting location in Palm Beach County. https://vls.vrswebapps.com/#county=palmbeach&election=569
The nearest locations are the Hagen Ranch Rd library and the South County Civic Center. You can also make appointments to do early voting to avoid long waits.
https://www.votepalmbeach.gov/Voters/Early-Voting
Republican Party Guide which also has links to useful information from the Supervisor of Elections: https://www.palmbeach.gop/vote
Supervisor of Elections
Sample Ballot for our precinct (8879):
https://www.voterfocus.com/SampleBallots/WHSampleBallot.php?county=palmbeach&precinct=8879&party=GEN&election=569&city=&ward=
Vote by Mail information: https://www.votepalmbeach.gov/Voters/Vote-By-Mail
President/VP
REP: Donald Trump / J.D. Vance - I think they represent the best hope for our country to return to normalcy, rule of law, preventing the government from abusing our civil rights, and growing the economy WITHOUT inflation. They are also much better with respect to foreign policy and defense issues. With Trump as President, it is very unlikely Russia would have invaded Ukraine, Afghanistan would not have fallen so disastrously for America, and Israel would not have been ruthlessly attacked by Hamas and still at war with them. Iran would still be marginalized if Trump were still president, and their current regime might have already collapsed.
DEM: Kamala Harris / Tim Walz - These two leftist pose a substantial danger to the United States. They are contemptuous of our freedoms and the institutions that keep us free. Tim Walz is an active endorser and support of Ilan Omar, one of the leading members of the "squad" who is pro-Hamas, pro radical Islam, and against Israel and Jews generally. Kamala Harris is a fake who is not capable of serious action. The only substantive things she has done in the past 4 years is support violent protesters in 2020 and neglect her responsibility to help secure the border. Harris was one of the most leftist US Senators before she became VP - even to the left of Bernie Sanders! Harris talks out of both sides of her mouth regarding Israel: she says she supports Israel's right to defend itself while criticizing Israel and being part of an administration withholding armaments from Israel for trying to defend itself and destroy Hama. She provides Hamas the benefit of a false moral equivalency with Israel when Hamas is clearly evil and Israel is simply trying to protect itself while minimizing civilian casualties even when Hamas is using them as human shields and even though most residents of Gaza support the barbaric acts of Hamas against Israelis (and also American citizens who were in Israel). Harris and Walz routinely lie. It is ironic that they accuse Donald Trump of insurrection when they actively supported the riots in 2020 which were a real insurrection.
There are a variety of third party candidates, but none of them is likely to win a plurality of votes. Unless you refuse to vote for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance under any circumstances, there is no practical reason to vote for any of them. Even if you slightly prefer Trump over Harris, you should seriously consider voting for Trump.
My choice: Vote for Trump and Vance. This is an obvious choice for any American who actually supports American values like liberty, low taxes, and limited government.
US Senator
REP: Rick Scott - He does a credible job of supporting government policies to ensure a good economy and good national security without encroaching on civil liberties. I would prefer him to have a more conservative policy perspective, but he is the most conservative candidate on the ballot.
DEM: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell - She is a cookie-cutter leftist whose web site has platitudes combined with disastrous policy prescriptions that would only make the problems she complains about worse. She wants to expand the power of government over people's lives by promising benefits that could never be realized, and would probably result in net losses of well-being for most people, if her policies were followed. Her positions on gun rights sound reasonable to someone ignorant about gun policy, but the loop-holes and restrictions she proposes adding are mostly already covered by existing law. She wants to make more restrictive laws that would have no effect on gun violence except to disarm lawful citizens which would empower criminals and make crime worse. Her foreign policy position says she supports Israel, but that is hollow because of her equal concern for "innocent" residents of Gaza. As I recall, when the United States fought Germany and Japan, we did not have extraordinary concern for civilians in those countries, and we certainly did not provide them with food, water, and fuel. Anyone who support supplying Gaza residents with anything before they totally and unconditionally surrender is not really pro-Israel. Hamas steals those supplies for their soldiers anyway, so the aid doesn't even provide significant relief to civilians.
https://www.debbieforflorida.com
As with the presidential election, there are a variety of third party candidates. However, none of them is unlikely to get a plurality and win the election. For your vote to count and ensure better representation in the Senate, I urge you to vote for Rick Scott.
My choice: Vote for Rick Scott. Any Democrat will mostly support leftist policies which will be bad for America and Florida. Rick Scott will support legislation that will protect American values better than any Democrat. This is important because the Senate must confirm presidential appointment including for the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Also, we need as many Republican Senators as possible so we can get a majority in the Senate which will give us control of committees and the Senate agenda. This will also help to reduce taxes and spending.
US Representative
REP: Dan Franzese - He supports American values including lower taxes, lower spending, a strong military, a strong border, and civil rights such as freedom of speech, religion, weapons ownership, and preventing the government from weaponizing the Justice Department.
https://www.danforusa.com/meet-dan
DEM: Lois Frankel - Frankel is a traditional Democrat supporting leftist policies. Although she makes a show of supporting Israel, she does not vote substantially differently on Middle East policy than other Democrats. She supports high taxes and high spending by government. She says on her website that "She is always on your side." Obviously, this is impossible since different people come down on different sides of issues. Unless, she means that she knows what's better for you than you do yourself, so she is on your side even if you are too ignorant to know what really should be done. Also, her support for Israel is undermined by her support for "innocent" civilians in Gaza (who overwhelmingly support Hamas). There is no way to support "innocent" Gaza residents without providing support for Hamas. She has also not advocated a strong policy against Hamas even though some of the hostages are U.S. citizens. She says she is strong on national security, but her deeds say otherwise.
https://loisfrankelforcongress.com
My choice: Dan Franzese. We need a Republican majority in the House of Representatives to keep the executive branch accountable and help pass laws to improve our economy, national security, and generally promote American values. We need government reduced. Lois Frankel wants to expand it, and Dan Franzese wants to reduce it so it does not interfere with our freedom. Lois Frankel tries to present herself as reasonable, but she support leftist Democrat policies their leadership proposes.
County Commissioner District 5
REP: John Fisher - John will promote lower spending and taxes by the county government as well as greater efficiency in the delivery of county services.
DEM: Maria Sachs - This is a typical Democrat who wants more spending and less accountability for government while say she is all about your (with your tax dollars). By the way, even though the millage rate did not go up, our taxes did since appraised values increased. That is still a tax increase for propety owners.
My choice; John Fischer. We need to maintain and expand the Republican majority on the County Commission that we recently achieved. It is critical for Republicans and any person who wants better county government with lower taxes and spending to vote for John!
State Attorney
REP: Sam Stern - experienced prosecutor and litigator. He would be tough on crime.
DEM: Alexcia Cox - Endorsed by the usual Democrats, labor unions, and leftist political activist groups. Currently works in the State Attorney's office.
NPA: Adam Farkas - He has some good ideas and would definitely be an improvement over the status quo.
https://www.adamfarkasforthe15th.com
My choice: Sam Stern. We need to keep the county safe and the State's Attorney office running without a Democrat slant. For those who will not vote for Sam Stern because of his party or any other reason, Adam Farkas is the best alternative because he will be non-partisan and hold government officials (who are mostly still Democrats) in Palm Beach County accountable for any corrupt acts they commit. It is critical for voters to replace the current leadership group with fresh leaders.
Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
REP: Samuel L. Thompson - We need Republicans running county offices to ensure taxpayers are being well served.
DEM: Joseph Abruzzo - Having a Democrat running the operations of our courts and monitoring financial expenses is probably not ideal for well managed government.
My choice: Samuel L. Thompson. We need Republicans running county offices to ensure taxpayers and citizens are being well served.
County Court Judge Group 2 - Non-partisan.
Lourdes Casanova - seems best qualified.
https://www.casanovaforjudge.com
Jean Marie Middleton - Endorsements by Democrat elected officials and School District counsel jobs are concerns for me.
https://www.jeanmarieforjudge.com
My choice: Lourdes Casanova because she seems the most qualified and least political of the candidates.
Judicial Retention Elections
Getting information about judges is very difficult, so I do not have definitive information at this point. I will post updates if I find out anything. In general, I am comfortable with the Supreme Court justices, but I know absolutely nothing about the appeals judges.
My Choices: I will vote to retain the judges since I have heard good things about the Supreme Court justices and have heard nothing bad about the other judges.
Constitutional Amendments
Overview of Information on the amendments:
https://jamesmadison.org/wp-content/uploads/2024_Amendment_Sheet-8.5x14-v02-web.pdf
1. Partisan Election of Members of District School Board
Full text:
https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-104.pdf
My Choice: YES because it will help identify the basic values of candidates and allow party primaries instead of of just run-off elections where even the top two candidates might not have a majority of votes. It is difficult for most voters to get information about candidates - especially non-partisan candidates. This makes it easier for voters to assess candidates.
2. Right to Fish and Hunt
Full text: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-105.pdf
My Choice: YES because it explicitly codifies these rights without creating any significant demands on government or individuals.
3. Adult Personal Use of Marijuana
Full Text: https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Fulltext/Fulltext_2205_EN.pdf
My Choice: NO because the wording is very vague which could make it very difficult for the legislature to place limits on public use for recreational purposes and does not create a sufficiently free market for marijuana. People are not allowed to grow their own plants for personal use which is a key indicator that this is to promote established marijuana businesses instead of promote personal freedom. If the proposed amendment simply abolished criminal and civil penalties for marijuana possession and cultivation (other than regulations applying generally to agricultural products), that might be a good amendment because personal freedom would be preserved, and the legislature could still make reasonable laws to protect people from negative side effects. The current proposed amendment could result in Florida reeking of drugs like Colorado which is very unpleasant. It also does not address issues related to condominium living where fumes can easily penetrate adjacent units as already happens with tobacco (and tobacco use is not constitutionally protected). This is something that would be better handled by legislation than by a constitutional amendment in order to allow it to be fixed and tweaked as needed to work properly. It also provides for government licensing of marijuana growers and distributors which creates the potential for private companies using the government to establish cartels to make monopoly profits which, in turn, can corrupt the government. It is also very easy for almost anyone to get a prescription for medical marijuana under current law, so this does not really give anyone access to something not currently available. The benefits of tax revenue are legitimate, but they are probably overstated since the overall amount of taxes collected will probably increase under this amendment with little real benefit for taxpayers because it will be accompanied by much larger increases in wasteful government spending. Generally, people should be free to make these decisions for themselves, but there are many cases when use by some people can adversely affect neighbors. Also, the method of regulation should be oriented to a free market approach. As written, a government regulated cartel will serve primarily to raise profits for those already licensed for medical marihuana by using the government to prevent legal competition. This proposed amendment is not clearly enough thought through to be added to the constitution regardless of the possible merits good legislation or a good amendment would provide. Badly worded amendments, even for good causes, are very bad ideas! They are very difficult to fix after bad consequences become apparent.
See this news story for more information:
4. Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion
Full text: https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Fulltext/Fulltext_2307_EN.pdf
My Choice: NO because the wording is very vague and expansive which could make it very difficult for the legislature to place any limits on abortions including late term abortions (which is probably the intent of the people pushing the amendment). It also allows ANY healthcare provider to approve an abortion - not just a physician. We already have legislation with exceptions for rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother. This proposed amendment is not clearly enough worded to be added to the constitution regardless of the possible merits even for those considering this to be good legislation or a good amendment. If you think the 6 week limit is too short, the best remedy is to ask the legislature to change the law. Passing this amendment could result in a lot of late term, partial birth abortions which is probably not the intent of most Florida voters. Badly worded amendments, even for good causes, are very bad ideas! They are very difficult to fix when the consequences become apparent.
Get more information here:
https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/floridacares/floridacares
https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/floridacares/FactVsMyth.png
https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/floridacares/CurrentLawVSAmendment4.png
5. Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions
Full text: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-106.pdf
My Choice: NO because the amendment should apply to all taxes including school taxes and the first $25,000 assessed value. The $25,000, $50,000, and $75,000 current amounts in the law should all be increased uniformly by the inflation index. The first $25,000 is exempt from all property taxes except school taxes. The second $25,000 is exempt from school taxes, The third $25,000 is exempt from all taxes except school taxes. This amendment only changes the value of the third level of the exemption without also changing the first two levels. This will not reduce funding for local governments because they will just raise tax rates to adjust. It will slightly shift the burden of taxes more to non-homestead properties and away from homestead properties. Also, the annual adjustments for inflation should be based on something other than the consumer price index which has many versions and is something created by federal government statisticians. It can be easily redefined or manipulated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as has happened in the past. The inflation measure should be based on a number related to a real event instead of subject to political manipulation by federal government statisticians. For example, the annual adjustment could be based on the percent increase in the state budget which is public, local to Florida, easily verifiable, and impacts Florida taxpayers. Alternatively, it could be linked to the price of gold or a bundle of publicly traded commodities which are also public and are based on actual market valuations. There is no reason to not adjust the Homestead Exemption for school taxes and all dollar amounts applicable to the Homestead Exemption. Voting YES has some appeal for voters because of a slightly bigger tax break, but we should hold out for a better amendment. Badly worded or thought through amendments, even for good causes, are very bad ideas! They are very difficult to fix when the consequences become apparent.
6. Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement
Full text: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-107.pdf
My Choice: YES because taxpayers should not be financing campaigns of candidates they do not support. This should never have been put in the constitution in the first place, so it should be taken out. This exemplifies why constitutional amendments should be looked at very skeptically and generally rejected. Most ideas for constitutional amendments are presented in an overly simplified way which masks vague wording and unpleasant consequences for the general public.
County Question 1
PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLS SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY, FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ONE-HALF CENT SALES SURTAX
My Choice: NO because taxpayers already provide substantial funding to schools. There needs to be an audit to ensure existing funds are being spent appropriately. Also, we should have controls to ensure charter schools would get appropriate funding. We should also change school accounting and funding to have funds follow the students instead of the facilities and faculty. Unless the revenues from this tax would be required to be used to reduce school property taxes (and they are not), all it will do is encourage the school board to waste more tax money.
Here is a good site for more information:
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