By TomL

I have heard some rumors about taking the words “Under God” out of the Pledge Allegiance. I fact Check that and I can’t find where the rumor started and can’t find if someone is really trying to take then the words “under God” out. Several political’s repeated the rumor. NOT TRUE!

BUT the way things are going and the strange people that are getting elected it will come up. It will be political suicide! Do you ever wonder how these people are getting elected? Hell we are making girls compete against boys who wish to be girls. The problem is they have the male structure and strength. Girls are better at things that boys are not. NOT FAIR! It’s robbing some girls of their scholarships. I’m getting at what? It show that there is a force trying to disrupt everything in our country that means anything about our great Country’s history and current structure.

The Pledge of Allegiance  was written in August 1892 by the Social Minister Francis Bellamy. It was originally published in the Youth’s Champion on September8, 1892. Bellamy had hope it would be used by all countries.

The original form read: Continue reading →

On January 15, 2021, in News Releases, by Staff

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis commended the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approving the continuation of the Low-Income Pool (LIP) program in Florida. The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) reached an agreement with the CMS to extend the 1115 Managed Medical Assistance waiver that allows for the continuation of the LIP program through June 30, 2030. The LIP program was established to ensure continued government support for the provision of health care services to underinsured and uninsured populations by providing critical funding to important safety net providers, including Florida’s hospitals.

“LIP funding provides critical support to Florida health care providers that serve our most vulnerable,” said Governor DeSantis. “Continuing this essential program means Floridians will have access to quality health care when they need it.”

“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida continues to make great strides in providing meaningful health outcomes and support our frontline providers,” said Acting Secretary Shevaun Harris.  “We appreciate the federal government recognizing the significance of our LIP program and providing us with the necessary funding to ensure the stability of the program for individuals and families.” Continue reading →

On January 14, 2021, in News Releases, by Staff

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida received $85.8 million in CARES Act funding to address housing instability and homelessness across the state. The funds, which are being released in two separate disbursements ($20 million and $65 million), will be used to provide rental assistance, support emergency shelters, and conduct street outreach programs to connect unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness with local housing and other essential services.
“As Governor, I am committed to ensuring Floridians, no matter their circumstances, have the resources they need to succeed,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This federal funding will ensure those experiencing homelessness have the necessary level of support and can access the wraparound services they need to get back on their feet and begin or continue on their journey to economic stability and independence.”
In March 2020, $2.96 billion was allocated to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through Emergency Solutions Grants to support individuals experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness due to financial setbacks resulting from COVID-19. Florida’s Emergency Solutions Grant, which totals $85,896,094, will be administered by the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the single point of contact within state government for the 27 Continuums of Care (CoCs) and other agencies, organizations, and stakeholders serving the homeless population. Continue reading →

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, as part of his ongoing efforts to put Florida’s Seniors First, Governor Ron DeSantis released the following statement regarding booster shots for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines:

Governor DeSantis said, “While there is talk at the federal level regarding how to distribute vaccine doses and whether booster shots should be ‘held back,’ Florida is committed to the two-dose regimen for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. One dose seems to provide some protection, but the 95 percent efficiency has only been shown to be attained by taking the booster shot. This means that while the manner of distribution may change, the necessity of the booster shot will not. Florida wants all seniors to receive booster shots at the appropriate time.”  

Florida Leads the Nation in Vaccinating Seniors

On January 15, 2021, in News Releases, by Staff

Florida announces more than 500,000 seniors vaccinated to date

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis provided an update on Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution progress, highlighting steps the state is taking to increase vaccination sites and put Florida’s Seniors First. Continue reading →

Dear Friends,

Our first round of committee meetings in January are completed and we have begun our preparations for another three weeks in February. The 2021 Regular Session will convene on March 2^nd, but much of the work happens in the weeks leading up to then. Per our state constitution, the Legislature’s only duty is to pass a balanced budget and we will have that completed by April 30^th, unless a special session is called by the Senate President and Speaker of the House. We are grateful that we live in fiscally responsible state that understands that we cannot spend beyond our means. This year, due to the impact of COVID-19, Florida will have to make cuts to our budget to fulfill that responsibility and tough decisions will be made. My colleagues in the Senate, both Republican and Democrat, are united in this effort and in the past few years, the final vote on our budgets has been largely unanimous (note: there have been years with a single member “nay” vote). In 2021, our leader on the budget will be Senator Kelli Stargel and we are very confident in her ability to lead us through the coming changes. Continue reading →

Newspaper have pivoted to digital advertising on their sites to bring their publications into the modern era with some easy, low cost improvements.  With little or no technical knowledge, publishers can create a beautiful digital site in less than an hour, for very little cost or can add various optional enhancements which will help attract more readers and sell more ads.

Many are succeeding with website development while others are struggling or afraid to try.  Here are several fear inducing website development myths busted, with a no holds barred strategy for tackling site upgrades, to guide publishers on the road to progress:

1- “I don’t need a website.”

Today, every newspaper needs to have a digital version in addition to the printed version.  Even local papers often generate from 10 to 30% of total revenue from their websites.  Newspaper websites have contributed significantly to the bottom line.  Having a digital website means reaching a bigger audience.  Only about 30% of newspaper readers read printed papers currently.  That means 70% of the potential audience can only be reached online, including young people, out-of-towners and people who have cancelled their print subscriptions.

2- “I don’t have time to deal with changing websites now.”

With the help of a good consultant, the job is much easier.  Upgrading a website involves as little as 1 hour of your time, to just a few hours, maybe four one-hour meetings, over four to six weeks, to plan and build out your new site.  You can transfer everything over from your old site and set everything up on the new one, easily and quickly.   Continue reading →

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! We hope that each of you enjoyed a blessed and safe holiday season with your loved ones. 2020 was quite the ride and many things have not turned out the way we would like, but God is still good and we know that he is in control.

The second week of January brings our first week of committee meetings in the Florida Senate and we are excited to be back in Tallahassee on your behalf to advocate for the principles that we hold dear. Faith, Family, Freedom, Opportunity, and Life. These principles are worth fighting for and we will not quit.

We are very excited that we have won a big fight on behalf of Life in Florida. Just a few weeks ago, Ocala, Florida become the first city in the state to receive a Safe Haven Baby Box. This “box” or “bassinette” as we call it is located on the outside wall of a building such as a fire station or hospital, with one outside facing door for someone to place the infant in, and an inside door for staff or personnel to accept surrendered children under Florida’s Safe Haven Law. The device has a dual alarm system that activates once an infant is placed inside, and staff is required to periodically check the device and ensure that the alarm system is operable at all times. This will save lives and is one more tool to be used to help someone in distress who feels that they have no other option. The message that we can send with this is that we do care about every life, and every little baby deserves a chance to live. We are continuing to work on legislation to expand our safe haven law and promote these safety devices so that every community in Florida has this option. Every life matters and we can make a difference! Continue reading →

On December 16, 2020, in News Releases, by Staff

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the State of Florida’s initial distribution plan for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Florida is preparing to receive 367,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week, pending Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Doses of the Moderna vaccine will be distributed to 173 hospital locations that did not receive doses in the first allocation of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. These hospital locations span 43 counties. Find the full list at www.flgov.com.

The state is able to distribute this vaccine to a large number of hospitals as the Moderna vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage.

Governor DeSantis has issued regular video updates on vaccine distribution in Florida, which can be found at www.youtube.com/c/GovernorRonDeSantis/videos

Floridians are also encouraged to opt-in to receive updates about the COVID-19 vaccine via text. Floridians can receive these text updates by texting FLCOVID19 to 888777.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office today announced Operation Income Illusion, a nationwide crackdown on scams that target consumers with false promises of income and financial independence. The impact of these scams has intensified this year as scammers take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial crisis to exploit jobseekers. Attorney General Moody is joined by the Federal Trade Commission and other federal, state and local law enforcement partners in Operation Income Illusion.

Highlighted in the nationwide crackdown is Attorney General Moody’s action against FirstUSA Business Development Inc—filed last month in Pinellas County. The complaint filed against FirstUSA alleges that the company induced consumers through telemarketing calls to purchase business coaching products and services, supposedly designed to help consumers start or improve a home-based internet business, but resulted in some consumers losing thousands of dollars without earning the profits promised or, in some instances, not even receiving the products or services. The defendants marketed these services to consumers in Florida and across the country.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Income scams prey on people who find themselves in financially vulnerable situations, such as a sudden loss of employment or imminent retirement with inadequate funding. With high unemployment and the ongoing financial impact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are looking for innovative ways to make ends meet, making them more susceptible to income scams. Sadly, these scams produce the opposite results for income seekers—instead of gaining a paycheck, they lose money. I am proud to work with our federal and state partners to actively identify, investigate and stop these schemes in Florida and nationwide.” Continue reading →