Senator George LeMieux for July Lunch

Join us on July 22 at Bear Lakes Country Club, for Senator George LeMieux, co-founder of the LeMieux Center for Public Policy at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Senator Lemieux will discuss “The 2016 Presidential Race and Why it Matters”.

Currently Chairman of the Board of the Gunster Law Firm, Senator LeMieux has broad experience in Washington and Tallahassee, having served as both as US Senator and chief of staff to former Governor Charlie Crist, chairman of the Governor Jeb Bush re-election campaign, and as a Broward county GOP Chairman. From politics to public policy, he will give us his perspective on the issues and events of the day.

Read Senator LeMieux’s recent op-ed on U.S. Supreme Court overreaches in the Tampa Bay Times.

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George LeMieux focuses his practice on resolving business and governmental disputes, and advising CEOs and “C” level executives on business, law and politics from a state and national perspective.

He has advocated for clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as governmental agencies and regulatory bodies.

George served as Florida’s 34th United States Senator in the 111th Congress. In the United States Senate, he served on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and the Special Committee on Aging. He successfully passed legislation on health care fraud, export promotion, rating agency reform, small business promotion, as well as a treaty resolution on tactical nuclear weapons.

George served as Florida’s deputy attorney general overseeing more than 400 attorneys and appearing before appellate courts on behalf of the state of Florida, including the United States Supreme Court. George also served as the Governor’s chief of staff overseeing all state agencies and operations. In that role, he negotiated a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

George LeMieux serves as the chairman of the board of the Gunster law firm.

PBAU President William Fleming Presents 2015 Anne Roberts Scholarships

This year, the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches was happy to award the Anne Roberts Scholarships to five deserving scholars – two new awards and continuing support for three previous winners.

The awards were presented by William Fleming, President of Palm Beach Atlantic University. In his remarks, he highlighted the strengths and accomplishments of PBAU, most particularly its focus on the American Free Enterprise system. Unlike many peer institutions that are openly hostile to the ideas of the free market and capitalism in particular, President Fleming leads an organization that lives and breathes free enterprise, and instills in its students the importance of character, morality and public service.

PBAU is also a partner with former Senator George LeMieux in the LeMieux Center for Public Policy which is located on campus.

The new scholarship recipients are (Click on their name to read their winning essay):

Aaron Mejias

Aaron grew up in Tampa but resides in West Palm Beach at Palm Beach Atlantic University where he is studying Political Science and History. In addition to being a scholar he excelled in music in high school where he was a Concert Master in the Honor Band and led the Marching Band. He is presently interning with the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, expecting to graduate in 2017. Following graduation, Aaron intends to use his leadership skills and education as an officer in the US Army after which he will again become involved in politics and public service.

Ryan Walker

Ryan graduated from Glades Day School, attended Palm Beach State, and is now enrolled at the University of Florida studying Political Science. He was a member of the Republican Executive Committee and led the Western Communities Caucus. He served in the campaigns of Governor Rick Scott and other campaigns for US Congress and City Commissions. Ryan will graduate in 2017. He may not be specific about his future but we see a great political and public service life.

Our returning scholars are:

Daniel Kozell

Daniel grew up in Palm Beach County, graduating from Jupiter High School. He is studying Mechanical Engineering at FSU. He interned at Simmons and White, Inc, Civil Engineering firm in West Palm Beach and was an undergraduate research assistant at Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion at FSU. He is presently Children’s Ministry Coordinator for his church in Tallahassee, ministering to young adults with disabilities. He will graduate in 2017.

Dylan Brandenburg

Dylan grew up in North Palm Beach, graduated from SunCoast Community High School in Riviera Beach and is studying Computer Criminology at FSU. He also works part time at Florida’s Division of Insurance fraud under the administration of CFO Jeff Atwater. Dylan should graduate in 2017.

Hanna Matry

Hanna graduated from PB State with an AA degree before her graduation from our local William t. Dwyer High School. She is in her final year at UF studying Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. In addition to working through school and tutoring in math, she has worked with the Design and Manufacturing Lab at UF and the rocket team at UF. She is spending her summer at the Aircraft office of NASA’s flight Facility in Wallops, VA as an engineering trainee, working on engineering modifications towards some of NASA’s airborne science missions. Her dream is to become an astronaut or work in her field at NASA’s Cape Canaveral facility after graduation.

Hanna was unable to be with us at the meeting, but her mother, JoAnna Matry, provided us with the following video:

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Candidates present included former RCPB President Rick Kozell who has thrown his hat into the crowded ring for the Republican primary for Congressional District 18. Rick is the brother of Daniel Kozell, our scholarship winner.

Some photos from Delia:

Lobster Fest 2015

Support the Republican Party and join us for our 14th annual lobsterfest hosted at Broken Sound Country Cub in Boca Raton. The event will begin with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and a desert. Featuring Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera,Congressman Ron Desantis, Congressman Jeff Miller and many more to come!

PBAU President William Fleming to Present 2015 Anne Roberts Scholarships

Please Join us for the awarding of the 2015 Annual Anne Roberts Scholarships and celebrate the day with our young scholars.

Presenting the awards for the club will be our featured speaker, Palm Beach Atlantic University President William Fleming.

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William M. B. Fleming, Jr. was elected 8th president of Palm Beach Atlantic University on May 7, 2012, after serving as interim president for the previous 14 months. Up to that time, he served Palm Beach Atlantic as vice president for development, joining the University in 1992.

Under President Fleming’s leadership the University has gained significant momentum as illustrated by ratings as a “best” choice in U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, and inclusion in the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In the fall of 2013, the University brought in a record class while maintaining strong academic standards.

Further, the University has established four Centers of Excellence; was chosen as a model for community engagement by the NCAA Division II; and increased its local economic impact to $326 million in 2013. In addition, the Rinker Athletic Campus officially opened on Sept. 4, 2014. President Fleming has been instrumental in raising more than $142 million for Palm Beach Atlantic during his tenure as vice president for development and president.

Prior to coming to Palm Beach Atlantic, Fleming served in several administrative roles at Wingate University and Guilford College, both in North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Guilford. Judson University in Illinois presented him with an honorary doctorate degree. He lives in Wellington, Fla. with his wife, Pam. They are members of St. Peter’s United Methodist Church and parents of two sons.

Joe Negron and Pat Rooney Explain the Senate/House Discord on Health Care

Previously scheduled for the May meeting to occur after the end of the 2015 session, our Legislative Update was particularly timely since the Legislature failed to finish their work this year and are headed back for a special session next week.

District 32 Senator Joe Negron and District 85 Representative Pat Rooney gave us their view of a few of the issues that were particularly important to them. For Senator Negron, these included Lake Okeechobee discharges, school testing and veterans benefits, while Representative Rooney spoke about placing limits on “sober houses”, city and county pension issues, and letting bars and restaurants serve beer in 64 oz. “growlers”.

The main event of course was health care. In a strange intra-party battle between the Florida Senate on one side and the House and Governor on the other, Tallahassee has shown that they can be just as dysfunctional as their counterparts in Washington. With an impasse over “Medicaid Expansion” (which each side trys to call something different) holding up the passage of the state Budget and three days left before the scheduled end of session, the House took their ball and went home. Since the constitution requires a budget, the Governor is calling them back for a special session starting next week.

What makes this most curious is the fact that the leadership of both bodies are Republican. Those in the Senate though, perhaps are not your father’s Republicans.

The Senate position, represented by Joe Negron who could be the next Senate President, is one of compassion for the working poor and a desire to make sure that “everybody has health insurance.” Relating anecdotes about uninsured parents bringing their screaming children into emergency rooms because they waited too long to seek care, he spoke sadly about the 800,000 uninsured in Florida in that narrow band between existing Medicaid and Obamacare subsidies (100%-130% of the poverty line). Apparently, Senator Negron’s goal is universal health care, with the Florida taxpayer providing subsidies for those who either can’t or won’t purchase their own health insurance. His arguments about stopping the cost shifting from the uninsured to the hospital emergency rooms (who make it up by charging us more), and the urgent necessity to “solve the problem” of Florida’s uninsured, are very reminiscent of the arguments made by President Obama for the Affordable Care Act. In a state that has fought the imposition of Obamacare on constitutional grounds, and has so far resisted its major expansion of Medicaid – a budget buster in a few years, the Republican Senate has gone all Progressive on us. They are actually proposing a brand new entitlement that will redistribute wealth to yet another class of recipient. It is no wonder that the Senate approach is strongly supported by the Democrat party in Florida, and the Hospital and Health Insurance industries which would profit mightily by its passage.

The House position (supported by Governor Scott) was clearly defined by Pat Rooney – we need to care about the cost of these programs, particularly in the out years which very shortly would add another $3-4B Billion burden on the state budget. The House opposes the expansion of Medicaid provided for in Obamacare (which the Supreme Court ruled could not be imposed on the states), for several reasons, most importantly its unaffordability. The House in aggregate, and Pat Rooney in particular, are still governed by Republican principles.

For more information about the dispute and its likely outcome in the budget battle, see: Retooled health proposal snubbed

Also at the meeting, the passing of long time club member Barbara Hawley was noted with a moment of silence, and GOP vice-chair Tami Donnelly made a pitch for new REC members.

Carly Fiorina’s Debut in Palm Beach County

In a quickly expanding field of GOP Presidential hopefuls, several candidates stand out for what they are not.

Most have been in the political arena for much of their careers and currently are sitting (or former) Governors or Senators, and few of these have made much of a mark in the private sector.

Only two – Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, are known for their accomplishments outside of politics and have not held public office. Carson, a leading neurosurgeon, was inserted into the national psyche when he took on Obama at a national prayer breakfast. Fiorina, well known for being the first woman to lead a Fortune-50 tech company, made an unsuccessful attempt at a Senate seat from California. One of these, Carly Fiorina, visited Palm Beach County on Wednesday and spoke to a good size crowd of party regulars.

Considered a long shot, barely registering in the polls, Ms. Fiorina should not be overlooked. Since her debut on the national stage, she has rained fire on the presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, deftly turned the tables on snarky media types like Chuck Todd and Katie Couric, and staked out her own territory in the emerging campaign narratives.

For whatever reason, Clinton is getting a pass from most of the other candidates, in spite of hiding from the press and having new scandals emerge on a regular basis. Carly Fiorina on the other hand, is not shy about pointing out Clinton’s most outrageous failings, from the Benghazi coverup, to the server in her basement, to the “pay to play” aspects of Clinton Foundation slush fund collecting millions from foreign governments as she handed out favors as Secretary of State. Mrs. Clinton will not be able to hide behind the “war on women” shield with this candidate.

Speaking forcefully on the characteristics of leadership and what she can bring to the table, Ms. Fiorina’s themes are compelling.

There is an uneasy feeling in the country she says, that we are losing something precious. The country that has offered the most opportunities to all people, regardless of who you are or where you came from, has lost its way. Oppressive regulations like Dodd-Frank have consolidated the too-big-to-fail banks, while driving smaller regional and community banks out of business. Crony capitalism is alive and well, and only the larger companies have the financial and legal resources to effectively deal with big government. Our foreign policy is in disarray as we curry favors with adversaries like Iran while turning back on our traditional allies like Israel and Egypt.

Carly Fiorina lays out a reasoned case that our government needs change, making the arguments without resorting to red meat and applause lines. Whether her campaign will catch fire is anybody’s guess, but she brings a new perspective and should liven things up as we go forward into the debate season.

Legislative Update with Senator Joe Negron and Representative Pat Rooney

Please join the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches us for an interesting and informative legislative update from State Representative Pat Rooney and State Senator Joe Negron. A brief Q & A will follow, time permitting.

$20/Members $25/Guests

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A Spirited Discussion About Common Core

As expected, the topic of Common Core led to a spirited discussion by our two speakers, Kate Wallace, Director of Community Engagement for Foundation for Florida’s Future, and Rebecca Negron, a Martin County School Board Member.

Kate described how Florida has made significant gains in educational achievement between 1999 to 2014 with a 24% increase in graduation rates. Further, 30 % of Florida graduates earned a passing score on an AP exam compared to 21.6% nationally, placing Florida third behind only Connecticut and Maryland. On the most recent international student literacy test, Florida ranked second in the world and far above the national average. Our fourth grade math and reading and eighth grade reading improvement is double that of students nationwide.

Higher standards are necessary to prepare students to enter college or the workplace, and the improvement in Florida’s educational results since standards were introduced demonstrate that the higher standards result in higher achievement results.

Kate distinguished among three vocabulary words that are often misunderstood or misused:

1. Standard: The skills we ask to be mastered by a specific grade level
2. Curriculum: A range of approaches to achieve the standards
3. Assessment: The tools to measure objectively whether the standards have been mastered.
As standards change, the curriculum and tests must also change. Children rise to meet standards as they are increased. The progress shown in Florida demonstrates that this works.

Rebecca agreed with Kate that we want our state to be the best in the country in education. Her concern is about the apparent lack of transparency in the development of the standards and curriculum in the past with little involvement of educators and the public. Concerns of various experts point to the Common Core focus being more on writing rather than reading, the failure of the curriculum to develop critical thinking skills, and the developmentally inappropriate programs for children in early grades. Pointing to the design of Common Core, she explained that it is not designed to educate or instruct students using the great stories of western tradition but rather to direct people to be preoccupied with functional aspects.

Rebecca voiced concerns about the Department of Education vetting books for use in the curriculum. Parents are concerned about the biased and negative aspects of human behavior that is found in the curriculum. Teachers also have concerns about the impact on their profession because the evaluations and changes make it hard for them to keep up with the demands. They would like more flexibility to do what they think is best. With regard to the Common Core reading material, she noted that about 70% of it is instructional rather than being good quality literature and only chapters of books are included, rather than entire books.

Rebecca said the most important thing for us to consider is what the purpose of education is. We need to stop having students unready for college, and to educate them so that they grow into respectful and responsible adults. The question we should ask is: “What kind of person do we want to produce?” It will take involvement of all stakeholders, making sure teachers are prepared for teaching to standards, and getting control back to local school districts in all areas. In conclusion, she said that it is good to have this type of discussion because the dialogue is what’s important, we need to identify what our students need to know, and we need to get everyone on board.

In the question and answer period, both speakers agreed that increasing competition is necessary so that parents have a choice in where to send their children for an education. Kate noted that Florida leads the nation in school choice with a variety of traditional schools, charter schools, private schools, on line learning options, and vouchers for pre-kindergarten.

Some pictures by Delia

April Topic: Common Core – Pros and Cons

Join us on April 22 at Bear Lakes for a spirited discussion on a topic that has become a battleground from the local school districts to the Presidential Election. Common Core – is it a set of carefully constructed national standards conceived by educators with an eye to global competition? Or is it a federal power grab of local perogatives with a decidedly progressive ideology embedded in its implementation?

No matter what your personal view of Common Core, come hear the views of two experts engaged in this debate.

Speaking on behalf of the Florida implementation of the Common Core Standards will be Kate Wallace, Director of Community Engagement for the Foundation for Florida’s Future, an education reform non-profit started by former Governor Jeb Bush. The FFF vision is “An education system that allows each child to achieve his or her God-given potential and prepares all students to succeed in the 21st Century economy.”

Taking a different view is Martin County School Board member Rebecca Negron. Directly involved in the dispute over the standards at the local level, she can relate how local districts are dealing with the implementation of common core through textbook selections, teacher preparation and the impact it is having on students.

Get beyond the misinformation that surrounds this topic and let our speakers bring you up to date on the facts about Common Core in Florida.

$20/Members $25/Guests

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Kate Wallace serves as the Director of Community Engagement for North Florida at the Foundation for Florida’s Future. Previously, Kate served as State Advocacy Director for nine southern states with the Foundation’s national sister organization, the Foundation for Excellence in Education. Prior to joining the Foundation, Kate served as Legislative Coordinator for The Fiorentino Group, a Jacksonville-based government affairs firm. Kate also served as government affairs assistant for the Washington office of Triadvocates LLC and as staff assistant for the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., federal government relations office. As a college student, Kate interned for the White House in Vice President Dick Cheney’s Office of Domestic Policy and for former Florida Congressman Adam Putnam’s Capitol Hill office. A Bartow, Fla., native, Kate holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida. She currently resides in downtown Jacksonville and is an active member of Christ Church InTown, the Junior League of Jacksonville and the Taxslayer Bowl Committee.

About Foundation for Florida’s Future

Foundation for Florida’s Future is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Its mission is to make Florida’s education system a model for the nation. When it comes to education reform, Florida is a national leader and has generated dramatic, nationally-leading and recognized improvements in student achievement since 1999.

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Rebecca Negron serves on the Martin County School Board, representing Hobe Sound and southern Martin County in District 3, and is a Registered Nurse who practiced in the field of Obstetrics.

She has spent many hours volunteering in classrooms and is concerned not only that our students have a rigorous academic experience, but that they are taught the values that are important to a thriving and free society.

As a School Board member, Rebecca has focused on three major issues. First, she is working to empower and encourage parents to be actively involved in their students’ education. Second, Rebecca believes students must have a solid foundation in traditional academics, as well as learning to think critically and creatively. Finally, Rebecca is committed to developing, keeping and rewarding high performing teachers.

Larry Horist and the Ideological Divide

“There are two types of liberals – the evil and the misinformed.” Thus began a rambling discourse on the ideological divide by conservative pundit Larry Horist at the March RCPB lunch.

From basic definitions – “Liberals look to government, conservatives to themselves”, to the mainstream media narrative – “Liberals are cool, conservatives are old fuddy-duddies”, he examined the common stereotypes.

Horist refuted the false charges that conservatives are racists by examining the records of both parties throughout history, particularly noting that the areas with the most racial strife (Chicago, St. Louis) are one-party governments run by Democrats. “Liberalism is inherently racist”, he claims, because they target minority groups that need special help, who are then “cared for but not allowed to run free”.

The problem for conservatives, he says, is that liberals control the culture – media, publishing, education. With these tools, liberals encourage divisions among us, with hyphenated categories (“African-American”, “Irish-American”), while conservatives prefer to see us all as just “Americans”.

Exploring the behavior of our current President, Horist relates his upbringing outside the US by a mother who didn’t particularly like the country, and his influences in the Kenwood area of Chicago, which he describes as the anti-American part of that city, home of Bill Ayers and the like. Two key advisors – Valerie Jarrett, who is a product of Kenwood, and David Axelrod, an insider with the authoritarian Daley machine, help explain why Barack Obama’s instincts are both dictatorial (ie. “a pen and a phone”) and counter to most conservative’s view of America. This is not unusual for progressives he explains, pointing to similar behavior by both Roosevelts as well as Woodrow Wilson.

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