Both Sides Now

Note: This article was published by Newsmax on April 23rd. Both Sides Now

I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose, And still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all

This great classic, Both Sides Now, was written by Joni Mitchell in 1967 and popularized by Judy Collins. It speaks to the recent political loss we Republicans suffered in a special election for Florida House district 87 last month; an election we couldn’t possibly lose, and yet, we did. House District 87 is President Trump’s home district and is solid Republican. This posting is my version of Both Sides Now; the Republican strategy versus the Democrat strategy. And, yes, this is also my home district.

But, first, a trip down Memory Lane. In 2009, then Florida State Senate President Ken Pruitt resigned his seat after the legislative session ended in the Spring. That set up a special election between Republican Joe Negron and Democrat Bill Ramos. I was Chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County at the time (2002-2012) and asked Joe: “How can I help?” Joe told me that the Republican Absentee Ballots (we now call them vote-by-mail) were not being returned on a timely basis and he needed an AB Chase. I told him I was on it. I called Linda from Jupiter and asked her to put a volunteer group together to “chase” Joe’s ballots. How successful were we? When the election was over, Joe had more votes from Absentee Ballots and early voting than his opponent had accumulated in the entire race. In other words, because of Linda’s work, the election was over before people went to them polls that Tuesday.

Fast forward to March 24, 2026. Jon Maples lost to Emily Gregory by around 700 votes. How did that happen? Sometime between Joe Negron and Jon Maples the Republican Party ceded the whole concept of vote-by-mail to the Democrats. Everywhere. In Jon’s election, he lost the mail by 3000 votes and won at the polls on Tuesday by over 2000. Hence, the 700-vote deficit.

In election campaigns there are two strategies; the Air game and the Ground game. The Air game consists of media: Television, Social Media and Postcard mailings. The Ground game consists mostly of door knocking, signs and phone calls. We Republicans got a major dose of the Air game. Literally, every day our (physical) mail box had new large postcards telling us how wonderful Jon Maples is; showing us pictures of his beautiful family, filling us in on his successes in sports, business and politics. At night, there was Jon on television, reminding us of those same successes. I never saw a single Emily commercial, although I was told she did some. I had no idea of what she looked like or believed in. Jon assured us he was for low taxes and that he had the Trump endorsement. Jon also assured us Emily was for higher taxes. Jon’s campaign cost $500,000 and was run by Tallahassee consultants. Emily’s campaign spent $400,000, virtually none of it on Television, large postcards or large signs. So, where did Emily’s money go? TEXTING. Every day Democrats got texts urging them to get a VBM ballot. “Punch here!” Every. Single. Day. Later in the campaign, every day’s text was VOTE EARLY, until it was VOTE TUESDAY. The Ground game strategy of “punch here, get your vbm overwhelmed the Republican “Here’s Jonny” Air campaign. The only Vote Tuesday texts the Republicans received were either sent by me or my vender, all personally paid for. The REC? They simply don’t do campaigns against Dems. Right now, they’re totally focused on beating an incumbent Republican County Commissioner.

And, how about the Tallahassee angle? First, in the campaign business, media expenditures generate placement fees back to the consultants who placed the ads. In other words, television pays. Maybe that mattered and maybe it didn’t. But Emily spent little on television, and won. Jon probably spent six figures on television, and lost. Second, when you’re in a state as Red as Florida, too much fighting is intraparty, Republican versus Republican. Before there was Jon Maples there was Tracy Caruso. Tracy wanted that seat. Tallahassee didn’t want Tracy. Why? Because she and her husband, Mike, were seen as pro-DeSantis. Apparently, Tallahassee is MAGA all the way. Me? I think President Trump and Governor DeSantis are two of the best leaders in American history. I don’t see any need to pick one over the other. I just want to win.

I looked at this election from both sides now, from win and lose, and reached one simple conclusion: Those that keep their eyes on the prize will beat those that engage in not-so-friendly fire.

April Meeting – Brigadier General Mark Holler on the Middle East and Beyond

---

---

Brigadier General (Ret.) Mark A. Holler most recently served as the Deputy Commanding General – Operations for Eight Army in South Korea (2022-23). A native of Florida, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler graduated from the University of North Florida in 1992 as a ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate. His advanced education includes a master’s degree in military operational art and science and a master’s degree in strategic studies.

Over a 31-year active duty career, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler served in leadership positions ranging from platoon leader to commanding general. He served a total of eight years overseas, to include five combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and three assignments within the Pacific region. Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler also served in the Pentagon as the Director of Fires on the Army staff and Executive Officer to the Inspector General of the Army.

Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Holler’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (six awards), Bronze Star (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), and Joint Service Commendation Medal. His badges include the Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Combat Action Badge, Senior Space Badge, Inspector General Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Drt. Frederico Martinez at March Meeting

Federico Martinez M.D. is a United States of America licensed Medical Doctor in the State of Florida originally from Lima-Peru who graduated from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University Medical School where he earned his Medical and Surgeon degree.

He is currently the Medical Director of Healthpark Medical Center, President of San Ignacio University in Miami, Florida and also a member of the Board of Directors Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima-Peru.

Dr. Martinez actively participates in nationwide training programs with special emphasis on Functional and Preventive Medicine, Anti-aging therapies and Aesthetics procedures holding a variety of certifications.

His areas of expertise include prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions with a Functional Medicine approach, Bio-identical Hormone Replacement, Weight Loss program for children and adults, Detoxification, Intravenous Nutritional Therapy, Immune system support, Vitamins and Nutritional supplementation, Stem Cell therapies as well as non-surgical bio-medical procedures such as Platelet Rich Plasma, Radiofrequency, Laser therapies among others.

The theme of the presentation was take control of your health! Doctors tend to treat your symptoms not the underlying issue and you need to be concerned about the side effects of medication. Big pharma brainwashes doctors to prescribe medication. The problems of the times is:
• toxins
• technology- radiation
• poor diet
• stress – lack of physical activity

The consequences are:
• cancer
• heart disease
• depression
• teenager pre-diabetes (poor nutrition)
~70% of diseases in the US

We need to rethink food medicine – diet, lifestyle, etc. All biological operating systems need to be in balance. The external / internal environment is extremely important to your health. For example, chronic inflammation is the root cause of heart disease – suggested get tested …

Dr. Federico Martinez’s presentation was excellent. I’d suggest you Google him for more details.

Dr. Federico Martinez for March Meeting

---

---

Federico Martinez M.D. is a United States of America licensed Medical Doctor in the State of Florida originally from Lima-Peru who graduated from Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University Medical School where he earned his Medical and Surgeon degree.

He completed his post-graduate training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Nassau County Medical Center at the New York State University, Stony Brook New York where he was also elected Chief resident of his program.

He has been a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Florida and has been in active practice in both hospital and medical office setting for over 35 years.

He is currently the Medical Director of Healthpark Medical Center, President of San Ignacio University in Miami, Florida and also a member of the Board of Directors Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima-Peru.

Dr. Martinez actively participates in nationwide training programs with special emphasis on Functional and Preventive Medicine, Anti-aging therapies and Aesthetics procedures holding a variety of certifications.

His areas of expertise include prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions with a Functional Medicine approach, Bio-identical Hormone Replacement, Weight Loss program for children and adults, Detoxification, Intravenous Nutritional Therapy, Immune system support, Vitamins and Nutritional supplementation, Stem Cell therapies as well as non-surgical bio-medical procedures such as Platelet Rich Plasma, Radiofrequency, Laser therapies among others.

February Meeting Featured School Board Member Gloria Branch

The state of the Palm Beach County School District is healthy according to district 5 Board Member Gloria Branch. As one of the conservative members, Gloria looks at the district as a business, with costs and results.

Currently the 10th largest school district in the US, it is “A” rated by the Florida Department of Education with a 96.7% graduation rate. 91% of its high schools are rated “A” or “B”. It is also the largest public food provider in the county, serving 32.8 million meals in a year to its 160,000 students.

Good results are not free of course as the district operates with a budget of $5.9B. Declining enrollments will put pressure on this budget as state payments are per-pupil, but Gloria does not expect to see any school closures as a result. This is unlike Broward county which expects to close 6 or more schools this year. Competition from charters (which are publicly funded) and the voucher program which supports private education are part of the reason for the decline, and we expect changing demographics and the departure of illegal immigrant students contribute as well. The district budget is aided by a 1 mill property tax adder passed by the voters in 2022, and a 1/2 cent sales tax surcharge for capital projects passed in 2024

A great slogan, Gloria sees the mission of the district to be teaching students to “Read, Write, Count and Love America”.

In a short Q&A session, she addressed the recent student ICE protests (“those kids are in trouble”), and the district’s support for the 250 year anniversary celebration with an essay contest to be announced.

In the candidate part of the meeting, we heard from former Representative Rick Roth who is running for Senate District 26 this year, and gubernatorial candidate Caneste Succe. The D+6 Senate district is currently held by Lori Berman who is term limited, and Rick expects to face Democrat and former Representative David Silvers. The Republican primary for these races will be held in August.

School Board Member Gloria Branch for February Meeting

---

---

A native Floridian and resident of Boca Raton since 1983, Gloria Branch has been involved with the Palm Beach County School District for 40 years. Ms. Branch attended Boca Raton Community High School then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida Atlantic University.

She is the past Chair of the FAU National Alumni Board of Directors, a past board member of the FAU Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the Fuller Center for underprivileged children. She has also been involved with numerous non-profit organizations over the past 35 years.

Ms. Branch had a career in banking, business development, and project management that spanned more than 35 years. Most recently, she worked as a substitute teacher for two years gaining valuable knowledge from being in the classroom almost every day. She served on the Spanish River Community High School PTSA Board and SAC Committee.

Ms. Branch is focused on ensuring fiscal responsibility in the District in addition to ensuring that all kids can read, write, and count, getting back to the basic fundamentals. Her other areas of focus include K-12 education preparing students for life through college preparatory classes and/or career academies for workplace readiness programs, as well as the safety and security of our schools.

Sara Baxter and Jon Maples Highlight January Meeting

Our first meeting of the new year started with County Mayor Sara Baxter. Elected in 2022 in what was a D+7 district 6, her re-election chances look good with the district having improved to now R+1. She has drawn a primary challenger in Elizabeth Accomando though, as there is some angst among REC types that she does not always toe the party line. That comes with being independent – she supports things that are right for her constituents and the county, which are sometimes at odds with Republican orthodoxy (like supporting Democrat Ric Bradshaw for Sheriff).

Her priorities for the commission include achieving “roll-back rate” on the millage, and building and maintaining our infrastructure. She seeks solutions to our traffic problems but does not see Palm Tran as the answer, as the buses are never full and it costs a large amount of money. Giving every current bus user a ride-share voucher would be cheaper than what we have now.

Sara favors affordable housing, but not through high density construction that makes the traffic worse. Our roads need better timing of traffic lights and smart technology to manage growth. She praised our new County Administrator Joe Abruzzo for bringing accountability through performance reviews and merit raises instead of across the board COLA policies, and simplifying vender applications for county contracts.

Given the coming proposal for a “Transportation” sales tax surcharge, Sara urges us to vote NO!

The second speaker was Jon Maples who just won the House District 87 primary and will face a Democrat in the special election on March 24th. Jon talked about his priorities if elected and asked for support, and gave his personal view of an approach to limiting property taxes by providing insurance deductions. The current Legislative session is considering various ways to cut taxes at the local level. Regarding CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s claim of overspending in the county budget, Sara added that he is “running for election” and hasn’t provided any concrete examples of wasteful spending. If they want to “DOGE” the county, they need to get more specific.

Candidates who spoke at the end of the meeting included:

Jon Maples HD87
Boca Mayor Scott Singer running for CD23
Elizabeth Accomando (CC6)
Selena Samios (RPB Council)

CD22 candidate Deb Adeimy was also present but did not speak.

Commissioner Sara Baxter to Highlight January Meeting

---

---

District 6 Commissioner Sara Baxter was born at Good Samaritan Hospital and is a second-generation local. She is happily married to Brian and a proud mother of three boys, Sara has always found her heart anchored in her faith. She now resides with her family in the Acreage.

In her early career, Sara worked as a Certified Retinal Angiographer at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. However, a new path opened up in 2011 when she and her husband, a BMW Master Technician, started an auto repair business. As she nurtured the growth of their business, Sara also pursued higher education, she graduated from Palm Beach State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After more than a decade of dedication and hard work, the couple was able to purchase their own building and operates a successful business known as Foreign Auto Specialists.

The difficult process of establishing their business inspired Sara to run for office. Determined to streamline county procedures for other entrepreneurs, she also committed herself to actively support small businesses. She firmly believes that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and nurturing an environment that promotes their growth is essential for Palm Beach County’s future.

Since her tenure as a Commissioner, Sara has channeled her efforts into reducing red tape that stops people from realizing their full potential. She has actively worked on eliminating unnecessary regulations, staunchly supporting our law enforcement officers, enhancing road conditions, and fixing traffic issues in western Palm Beach County. As a small business owner herself, Sara prioritizes empowering her community members with the tools they need to succeed. She’s committed to fostering an environment that encourages personal and economic growth, making Palm Beach County a place where everyone can thrive.​

Jexit at October Meeting

Our October meeting featured President Michele Terris and Event Coordinator Karyn Basle of Jexit.

They started the meeting with a short video in which Jexit presented President Trump the “American Defender of Zion” award at Mar-a-Lago in 2022. The award recognizes President Trump for having done more than any other U.S. president for Israel and the Jewish people. During his time as president, he moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights and brokered the Abraham Accords.

Michelle described her start in 2018 fighting the Broward Supervisor of Elections over the vote counting. She described the difficulty of convincing Jewish voters to abandon the Democrats, and that she is the first non-Dem in her family. Progress is being made however as in 2024, 43% Jewish voters went for Trump, up from the teens in 2016.

Part of the problem she described is that surprisingly, 70% of mainstream American Jews are not religious, lean far left, and most do not care what happens to Israel. Orthodox Jews on the other hand are conservative and vote 2:1 Republican.

Our education efforts in this regard should feature the early efforts of Jews in the American Revolution, such as Haym Salomon who was a member of the Sons of Liberty and helped finance the Continental Congress.

Hatred of Jews is an age old problem – currently 69% of all hate in the US is directed at Jews who make up less that 2% of the population. Michelle described the desire of many during Covid, when we were being lied to by our government, to see religious leaders (Christian and Jews) stand up and tell the truth, as we (and they) are the last line of defense against the Global Jihad and the communists in our midst.

Also at the meeting were candidates Gretchen Feng (HD87), Deb Adeimy (CD22). Angela Templeton acted as a surrogate for Jon Maples (also HD87)

Note that there will be a special primary election on January 13th and a general election on March 24th to replace Mike Caruso who has been appointed Palm Beach County Clerk. Mike’s wife Tracy is also running, in addition to Gretchen and Jon.

Michelle Terris and Siggy Flicker of JEXIT on October 28th

JEXIT believes that American Jews can no longer blindly vote Democrat. Founded in 2018, JEXIT stands for Jews Exiting the Democrat Party. Our mission is to help educate and encourage Jews to understand that the Democrat party has abandoned them and Israel.

---

---

An accomplished executive in both the corporate and nonprofit worlds, Michelle Terris saw a need in the community to educate Jews on the drastic and alarming changes happening within the Democrat Party. Inspired by Ivanka Trump’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, Michelle co-founded The Trump Towel, where proceeds go to Gold Star families for their service to our country. She was co-chair for the Jews for Trump Coalition during the 2016 elections, founded JEXIT in 2018, and rallied on Capitol Hill against antisemitism.

Israeli born and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Siggy Flicker is a staunch supporter of Judeo-Christian values and known for her passion for the Jewish community and Israel. Outspoken and fearless, the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star stands up for those who don’t have a voice. She supports organizations combating the rise in anti-Semitism around the world, as well as the survival of Israel and condemning anti-Zionism. Team #JEXIT is incredibly blessed to have this extraordinary woman as the face of our movement.

Next Page »