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If Republicans will study the returns from Massachusetts, then review the returns from Virginia and New Jersey, light will fall upon the path to victory over Barack Obama in 2012.

Obama defeated John McCain by winning the black vote 24 to one, the Hispanic vote two to one and taking a larger share of the white vote, 44 percent, than did John Kerry or Al Gore. As the white vote was three-fourths of the national turnout, Obama coasted to victory.

Now consider Massachusetts. In the 2008 election, no less than 79 percent of the voters were white, and Obama carried them by 20 points, winning the state 62 to 36.

How did Scott Brown turn that 26-point deficit into a six-point victory? By winning the white vote as massively as did Obama. While there are no exit polls to prove it, we do have exit polls from Virginia and New Jersey, which tend to corroborate it.

Bob McDonnell won the Virginia governor’s race by 17, while McCain lost Virginia by six. As McDonnell did equally poorly with African-Americans, losing the black vote 90 to nine, while McCain’s lost it 92 to eight, what explains his Virginia landslide?

The white vote. McDonnell won Virginia’s white vote 68 to 32, though his opponent was a downstate Democrat more conservative than the Northern Virginia candidates he beat in the primary.

In New Jersey, same story. McCain won 8 percent of the black vote. Gov. Chris Christie won 8 percent of the black vote. How did Christie turn a McCain loss of New Jersey by 16 points into a five-point victory?

The white vote. McCain won the white vote in New Jersey 50 to 49, but Christie won the white vote 59 to 34, almost two to one.

Republicans have won three major races — two of them upsets and one a Massachusetts miracle — because the white share of the vote in all three rose as a share of the total vote, and Republicans swept the white vote in Reagan-like landslides.

What explains the white surge to the GOP?

First, sinking white support for Obama, seen as ineffectual in ending the recession and stopping the loss of jobs.

Second, a growing perception that Obama is biased. When the president blurted that the Cambridge cops and Sgt. James Crowley “acted stupidly” in arresting black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates — a rush to judgment that proved wrong — his support sank in white America and especially in Massachusetts, where black Gov. Deval Patrick joined in piling on Crowley. Deval is now in trouble, too.

Then there was Obama’s appointment of Puerto Rican American Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Her militant support for race and ethnic preferences and her decision to deny Frank Ricci and the white firefighters of New Haven a hearing on their case that they were denied promotions they won in competitive exams because they were white caused 31 GOP senators to vote against her.

While Massachusetts is Democrat over Republican three to one, Reagan carried the state in 1984 and Hillary Clinton clobbered Obama in the 2008 primary, though the Kennedys were in Obama’s corner. The Scott Brown Democrats were the Hillary Democrats were the Reagan Democrats.

But if McDonnell, Christie and Brown could roll up large enough shares of the white vote to win in three major states McCain lost, why did McCain lose all three?

Answer: In 2008, the working and middle class had had a bellyful of the Bush-McCain Republicans. They were seen as pro-amnesty for illegal aliens and pro-NAFTA, when U.S. workers had watched 5 million manufacturing jobs disappear in a decade — and reappear in China. They were willing to give Obama a chance because Obama had persuaded them by November he was not just another big-spending utopian liberal.

So what have Obama and Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi been doing for a year? Crafting a federal takeover of health care with a vast plan that provides coverage for the uninsured — most of whom are minorities — while sticking it to Medicare recipients, 80 percent to 90 percent of whom are white.

Immigrants are 21 percent of the uninsured, but only 7 percent of the population. This means white folks on Medicare or headed there will see benefits curtailed, while new arrivals from the Third World, whence almost all immigrants come, get taxpayer-subsidized health insurance. Any wonder why all those Tea Party and town-hall protests seem to be made up of angry white folks?

What the McDonnell, Christie and Brown victories teach is that the GOP should stop listening to the Wall Street Journal and start listening to these forgotten Americans.

An end to affirmative action and ethnic preferences, an end to bailouts of Wall Street bankers, a moratorium on immigration until unemployment falls to 6 percent, an industrial policy that creates jobs here and stops shipping them to China appear a winning hand in 2012.

Patrick Buchanan is the author of the book “Churchill, Hitler and ‘The Unnecessary War.” To find out more about Patrick Buchanan, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM

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For those seeking a new beginning iZagg has a unique franchise business opportunity with energy. The entire world has become energy conscious and the cost of energy has sky rocketed. However, with new deregulation policies, opportunities have arisen for energy distribution. This could not come at a better time given the rise in unemployment.

Given the rise in unemployment, the availability and potential of such opportunities could not have occurred at a more beneficial time. For example, individuals can transplant their skills and expertise into providing energy through such enablers as iZagg. As an independent salesperson or agent, one can also earn a significant commission. Their low cost structure supports a high payout. Furthermore, one can also build a franchise within this niche by organizing a sales force. Hence, one does not need to directly sell to end clients. However, the economics vary for agent collaboration.

Aside from self promotion, the energy opportunity is also a positive for the companies. The recent rise in energy costs has increased the over head of many companies. In order to compete, many have been forced to lay off workers in order to cut costs and some have even gone by the way side. A lower cost supply of energy can be a life saver for companies and the communities they serve.

The environment also benefits from the recent focus on energy emissions. The limits imposed by carbon credits have the effect of controlling excessive pollutants. Also, this allows for a third market trading platform for the opportunists. The transparency of the availability of energy rights and their sales can allow some companies to monetize their carbon credits. Independent agents can actively participate within this structure.

For energy brokers, the commission rates can range as high as 70% of the total commission charge. However, this all depends on the organization, supplier, capacity, and accessibility. Additionally, one can build out or recruit other agents to solicit clients within different industries or geographies. Here there is more sharing of commissions and requires additional organizational talent.

The recent rise in oil prices and global financial crisis have created a high focus on the energy sector. Hence, such an opportunity, be it direct or franchise, can lead to a long term career, while also being lucrative. Such an opportunity has the added benefit of supporting other companies, individuals, and communities. For those seeking a different career path, a unique franchise opportunity with energy can be the solution.

Visit the iZagg Energy site to seehow to become successful in the energy field. It will be well worth your time. seehow to be the best in the mlm marketing field. This site will allow you to have the tools you need to begin a highly successful business with the potential for financial growth.

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Jacksonville Public Education Fund President Trey Csar guests on Urban Jacksonville Weekly Monday February 8th at 9:30am
w/ guest Mary Kelli Palka, education reporter at the Times-Union
Watch Live on UrbanJacksonvilleWeekly.com

One item that doesn’t get much positive attention in Jacksonville is education. Now that I’m a parent of 2 (gulp) children, it’s something I’m forced to think about on a weekly, and increasingly, daily basis as my 4 year old prepares to enter kindergarten.

Magnet school or neighborhood school? Private or public? Will we make the right decisions and how will they map the future course of our child’s education? One question we have answered is we’ll be staying right here in Duval County.

This Monday we’ll be talking to Trey Csar, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. The non-profit organization was formed in 2009 to take the place of the former The Alliance for World Class Education, which worked for more than 10 years on teacher recognition and enhancing non-instructional areas of the Duval County school system.

It is focused on student achievement, especially for at-risk students and in lower-performing schools and has the following goals:

• work with local education and community leaders to create programs to help reduce drop-outs
• increase the graduation rate
• erase the achievement gap

There’s not much information online about the JPEF so this should be an informative show. The best place to keep up with them is the Jacksonville Public Education Fund Twitter account.

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Looking for a plumber in the Minneapolis area? There are many good services out there so they say, but we did the digging and have found some that we say you have got to try. Now, you might be asking what makes us thing that our Minneapolis services are that good you have to chance it, well it was not our word you need to take. It is the others in the Minneapolis area who gave their feedback.

One of the first places we checked out and others recommended who live in the Minneapolis area was randy Lane and Sons Plumbing. They are dedicated to getting you the best price. They pride themselves on just how competitive they really are. They also offer quality products as well as swell workmanship.

Yet another that has our eye on them and their great service is Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Heating. Let us just say that they do a bit of it all. They are punctual. If they fail to be on time as they say they will be, then they guarantee that they will pay you. After all, you have a life too.

Clearwater Plumbing is one that anyone seeking Minneapolis plumbing services might consider. They do remodels as well as fix up the old. Some people just need a new look to their kitchen or their bathroom. No matter what you are looking for in a plumbing service, this one has it all for you. They have been giving twenty years of hard core service and the way things look, you can expect them to be delivering much more where that came from.

Soderlin Plumbing has got it going on and has done so for ninety five years. When you are searching for one of them plumbing companies who treat their customers like family, this is where you go. They have won the Angies List Super Service Award for three years straight. Now, how many other companies can say that they have achieved this?

Last, we have one more services for you. They give you the alternatives that some others do not give you. They are the guys at Barnes Plumbing. They treat you with care. That is how you should be treated as a customer.

There you have it ladies and gentleman. These places can really help you when your faucets and pipes give you the trouble that you despise. Show them a solution that cannot be beat. They treat your wallet well and your pipes even better. Get with them and they will get to you and get you going again in no time.

Minneapolis Plumber is affordable and dependable check out our website for details. See The Plumbing Blog for local plumbing news.

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Lower property values, local government restraint and a 2007 state law capping increases have combined to save Florida property owners more than $2.5 billion in local property taxes over the past three years, state revenue officials told a Senate panel on Thursday.

Amid a growing clamor from Tea Party-types and other fiscal conservatives, the 7.5 percent reduction in local taxes is being lost in the fog, said Sen. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, and chairman of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee.

Local and state officials are not getting the word out to constituents that real savings followed a surge in property tax burdens during much of the last decade, Altman said following a presentation by the Florida Department of Revenue.

Since 2006, total local tax levies fell 7.5 percent, with the non-school portion of the tax bill falling even further. Non-school taxes fell $2.2 billion, or 12 percent. During the same period school tax rates, which are not subject to mandatory rollbacks, fell by less than 1 percent.

“The news is that the size of government is reduced and the tax burden is reduced by historic proportions and multi-billions of dollars,” Altman told the News Service. “It is somewhat ironic that you are seeing a lot of protests on taxes. If it’s being directed toward the state, it may be misdirected.”

James McAdams, the Department of Revenue’s property tax oversight director, said officials don’t know yet what portion of the reduced collections is due to caps placed on local tax increases in 2007 following a doubling of local taxes between 2000 and 2006 as Florida experienced white hot growth.

Property values fell and local governments, responded to voter outrage by further restraining millage increases they could have taken within the parameters of the 2007 legislation.

“It’s all part of the mix,” McAdams said.

Looking ahead, Altman said only small revisions in the Save our Homes tax increase cap are likely to be addressed by lawmakers this year, if at all. Save Our Homes limits growth in property tax assessments to 3 percent a year or the consumer price index.

There have been calls for looking closely at the increase because business groups and others say it puts undue burden on commercial property owners and recent home buyers who don’t get the benefit of the limit.

One measure dealing with Save Our Homes that lawmakers may address would eliminate a portion of the 2007 law that requires rates rise at least by the CPI. That would prevent a tax increase when property assessments go down.

Some homeowners have complained that their property taxes will rise this year despite declining property values across the state because of that provision.

Given the state’s current budget situation, Altman said it may not be prudent to further reduce tax rolls by providing even more benefits to property owners who already enjoy the benefits of recent tax reforms.

“I’m open to looking at it but I think we need to have an open and frank decision,” Altman said. “We want to give property tax relief where property tax relief is needed most.”

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How much would you like bright and bold screens adding a splash of colors across your rooms? How much would you like to stand in the middle of shining glass windows fixed to your room walls? Land at Florida screen rooms and get a look at their design and work being done for office and home renovation and building. You are sure to be driven to drive them to your place.

Florida Screen Rooms have been serving for more than ten years and are well known for their lucrative special constructions viz the enclosures, porches and the room additions for buildings in and around central Florida. The company has been in the making of aluminum screens and has earned significant name for its outstanding services in constructing excellent enclosures.

Florida screen rooms, LLC is a family owned Construction Company. Their areas of service extend to both residential and commercial purposes, that is, they cater to both domestic and industrial needs. Their construction list range from screen and pool enclosures to glass and sun room additions. They cover areas of dome, shed, hips, etc and provide enclosures of any shape.

Quality is one factor the company emphasizes on the most. The products they make and the services they offer are assured of high quality. The concrete slabs made by the company have fine precision drawn on them since laser is employed in marking. Also the pool enclosures give full protection from bugs. Thus they ensure high quality and reliability in everything they do.

The workmanship is so perfect and the company has an amazing record of in time services. They have a track record of 97% timely delivery and the most inviting feature of the company is that all these are made available to you at reasonable prices. And you get the job done to your complete satisfaction. There are no surprise packages and absolutely no disappointments.

Florida screen rooms believe in serving with three basic principles as their motto namely the honesty, integrity and the quality workmanship. The company has been working on the same standards too taking all the ‘out of the ordinary’ efforts to take the best finished product to the customers. Thus they manufacture quality products and offer valuable services worthy enough.

Apart from manufacturing screen porches and enclosures the company also does concrete works. They do not start off directly with construction of concrete plates. They take care of necessary ground work such as removal of grass and debris and disposal of the same. They also give an acrylic paint finish to your building if you would like it or make it a simple broom finish.

Florida screen rooms also take extra care to add mechanical strength to the construction. Their concrete slabs, plates are nearly 3000-3500 psi strong. And they support screen porches with solid roof. The work they do is fully supervised and hence more care is taken in implementation right from the design to the finish. Thus they offer services that may well exceed your needs.

To find out more just click on FLORIDA SCREEN ROOMS. Find what you are looking for over at stumblehere classifieds.

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Founder member of the Florida Academy for Cosmetic Dentistry, Jacksonville dentist Dr. Eric Burgess has been recognized as an industry leader in sedation dentistry. Known for his soothing bedside manner, Dr. Burgess is very mindful of his patients’ comfort, especially the more nervous patients and has taken to advanced training in sedation dentistry.

Dr. Burgess is qualified to insert Invisalign’ invisible braces and has also attended advanced training courses in sedation therapy, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants and TMJ treatments.

The Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry in Jacksonville offers advanced dental technology along with comfortable, dedicated care. From teeth whitening to oral hygiene, root canal treatment, crowns, bridges, fillings, veneers and dental implants, The Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry offers comprehensive dental services for the whole family.

Metal fillings can be replaced with white fillings that match your natural teeth. Stains and discoloured teeth can be bleached using hydro-peroxide or laser therapy. Get orthodontics without wires and have your cavities filled without laser. The Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry specializes in complete smile makeovers, where all the necessary steps are taken to help you get a brighter set of pearly whites.

The Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry in Jacksonville is known as the leading cosmetic dentistry offices in Northeastern Florida. For the convenience of their patients, patients can make an appointment online using the online appointment request.

With sedation dentistry, you can have a lot more cosmetic dentistry work done during one appointment than you would be able to stand with ordinary dentistry. Whilst you take a little siesta, all the work is done and you walk out with a brighter smile. A Jacksonville dentist at The Burgess Center for Cosmetic Dentistry will afford you unequalled service with their advanced training and technology.

It is obvious why Jacksonville dentist, Dr. Eric Burgess is recognized as an industry leader in sedation dentistry.

Jacksonville dentist, Dr. Eric Burgess is a founding member of the world renowned Florida Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Recognized as an industry leader in sedation dentistry. More info now on http://www.burgesscenter.com/

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It’s somehow the complete place–you have the time; you have the want; you have the open budget. Opportunity has shown up for us to do a vast idea: to suggest to your people their much needed departure. You can go anywhere you want. You can do what you wish. The world is open to you, its avenues all naked.

And you recognize accurately which to follow.

Destin, Florida serves as the model offering of sand, sun and openness. Why take a chance on chaotic days? Raucous nights? Why spend your trip regretting the run of traffic and celebration-upbeat madness? Find repose and lazy days. And instantly you can have it.

Adventure to the Gulf and be astonished at native beauty (without the usual addition of sizeable crowds and their grumblings). Turn up perfect waves, welcoming breezes and lengthy spans of coast. Take part in the spot and get pleasure from all it has to tender: body board in the ocean, seek out sunsets, throw the frisbee; build sandcastles. Play a round of golf on a wonderful golf course. add a lesson in the wild with Gator Beach (the kids will love it). If you want to try something different, go jet skiing in the Gulf. It’s the ultimate thrill for the ultimate thrill-seeker. You will be surrounded by endless activities and endless fun.

And, of course, that fun is placed right at your door with Destin Florida Vacation Rentals.

Don’t think you have to compel yourself into a hotel, trying to reclaim every inch, trying to calm the frustration that continuously comes from too a lot of people in too not much area. Destin has one purpose: to entertain. It always comes through with its gentle winds and polite climate. But even it can be tamed by a group’s upset mood. Don’t let yourself become trapped in a small space. Instead recommend something distinctive, something… pleasant.

Go out and explore the town.. Don’t squander your afternoons having to search out calm. With Destin, Florida you can attain serenity because it’s all around you. Most of the vacation rentals are found right on the beach and present prime placement for beach actions. Center yourself in the heart of luxury. The miles are meant to be savored, not fretted over. Give yourself the chance to stroll them whenever you want. Rental homes make it laid-back.

You’re not looking for a common vacation. You’re looking for an experience.

Now you can have it.

Eric McMillan is entrepreneur, but his passion is traveling. For more info on Destin, Florida Vacation Rentals drop in on his blog. The mixture of rentals will not disappoint and the prices are very reasonable. For a good selection of lodging obtain more vacation rentals here

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We sometimes forget that garages are an easy access to the rest of our home. So do you have proper garage security? It’s important to be careful as criminals can easily use the garage as an entry point to the rest of your home.

Garages are a popular target for thieves for obvious reasons. You can find some of our most expensive belongings there; our car. We put all kind of things there that is valuable, bikes, lawnmower and other electronic tools. Garages are completely empty at night so very easy for burglars to raid it and not get caught.

You can do a few things to ensure the safety of your home and valuables. A good garage door is very important. An electric door that comes with a remote control and alarm system is a good investment. They are equipped with many safety features that enhance the security of your home. Just remember to reset the combination, as the default combination can be worked out by criminals.

Garage doors tend to see a lot more wear and tear than any other door in your home. So, try to have a regular inspection on the sturdiness of the door and that all panels are secure. There should be no places where something can be forced to open with a little effort. Garage doors sometimes come with windows, which are easier to get through. Ensure that the window is secured properly.

Change the locks of the door if you need to or add it to an existing electric door for added security. Locks can be tampered with so get a good lock so it is difficult for anyone to break into your garage.

We overlook the security of the connecting door that leads from the garage to the home. As it is an interior door we can forget how important it is that this door needs to be equally secure as our front door. Implement the same security measures that you use for your front door on this one. Criminals know that we overlook this so it is a prime entry point into our homes by burglars.

A common mistake made by people is to leave the garage door open during the day especially if they think that they will be back in a few minutes. This leaves everything in the garage to be seen by intruders who now know what they can get from there. In some cases, they can even attempt to hide in the normal clutter of a garage and wait for the right moment to run away with your valuables.

Learn more about garage door repair. Stop by Dean Hartkins’s site where you can find out all about Orlando Garage Door and what we can do for you.

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Harry Singletary Jr., the first African-American to run the Florida prison system died Friday. The Tarpon Springs native and Tallahassee resident was 63.

Singletary spent eight years at the helm during the tenure of the late Lawton Chiles, heading the agency during a period marked by a rapid increase in the state’s inmate population, which rose from 46,233 to 68,599 between 1991 and 1999.

During Singletary’s tenure, prison overcrowding became a hot topic and led to legal challenges from inmates. To combat overcrowding and comply with federal requirements, Florida lawmakers had since the mid 1980s enacted a series of early release and gain-time provisions.

By 1993, inmates were serving, on average, approximately 35 percent of their prison sentences, a situation that raised public concern. Lawmakers responded by curtailing many of the early release efforts and the state when on a prison building binge to increase capacity.

In 1995, lawmakers passed legislation that required violent offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. While keeping prisoners longer, Singletary also orchestrated the expansion of inmate programs in an effort to reduce recidivism and better prepare inmates for life in the outside world.

“Mr. Singletary had a profound and positive impact on individual employees, and an equally important and lasting impact on this department as well, for which we can all be grateful,” DOC Secretary Walt McNeil said in a statement Tuesday.

Former employers said Singletary was a personable leader who empowered employees and demanded professionalism. Singletary often traveled to correctional institutions around the state to get a firsthand look at conditions and employee morale. He called it “management by walking around” and was known for taking the time to get to know employees.

“He changed peoples’ lives – he certainly changed mine,” said former Personnel Bureau Chief Shawn Baldwin, who at Singletary’s urging went on to earn a master’s degree and became a director at a regional service center in Marianna. “Harry had expectations for my life that I didn’t even have for myself.”

Singletary attended Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College), and earned a master’s degree in social service from the University of Chicago. He began his professional criminal justice career in Illinois before moving to Florida.

Services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Timberland Church of Christ in Tallahassee. Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

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