2024 – The Year of the Palm Beach Elephant

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Commissioner Sara Baxter and Sid Dinerstein Highlight December Lunch

What is a winning campaign strategy? Candidates who are newcomers to the political process will tell you they can win against the odds because of their particular background. They may have run businesses, or are professionals of one kind or another, or plan to identify with “the working man”. These newbies for the most part lose their elections because they underestimated the difficulty of raising money, reaching voters and crafting a coherent message. Political insiders, particularly incumbents, have overwhelming advantages in doing these things.

So how did Commissioner Sara Baxter overcome the odds? Winning by 5% while running as a Republican in a D+7 district against a well funded Democrat insider should make us all sit up and take notice. Clearly she knows how it is done, and at our December lunch, she told us.

With a war chest of about $100K (considerably less than her opponent), she didn’t waste it on a bunch of consultants to tell her what to do (a typical rookie mistake). As a small business owner, she already had the skills needed to identify her market and get her message out in an efficient way. She drew on a lot of free advice from the best minds, while taking advantage of a decade of experience in social media marketing. She also started early and worked very hard. Using video to tell her story, she was able to achieve the “touch every voter 7 times” principle so effectively that voters were asking her for new videos to watch.

Unlike the typical newcomer who may say they have the business skills to win but ultimately fall short, Sara actually managed her campaign as a business – with a budget and marketing plan to achieve a business objective – winning the race.

With that kind of skill on the dais, the other six commissioners better pay attention. I expect we will see a seismic shift at the county in the next couple of years.

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Our other speaker was Sid Dinerstein who gave us a sobering assessment of the election just past on the national level.

With all the bad things that the Biden administration has done to the country, this was supposed to be our chance to reverse course. An overwhelming win – 50 house seats for example, would have put us on the road to recovery. Instead we barely limped across the finish line. Unless we can achieve a level playing field in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona (which should be red states but are now dominated by Democrat electioneers) we will never again win a national election.

There is a lot of blame to go around – some of the candidates were not suited for their races, and the national Republican leadership (particularly Mitch McConnell) seemed to be working against our candidates in a number of ways. Sid believes McConnell, Kevin McCarthy and Ronna McDaniel are decent people, but they are not “warriors” and not suited to lead in these times.

Sid also opined about the presidential primary – he believes Ron DeSantis will definitely be in the race. The stars are aligned for him now and it will be impossible to pass that up. In a straw poll around the room on “who do you think will be the nominee”, the members picked DeSantis over Trump by a 3 to 1 margin.

We also had some holiday music at the event, with entertainer Bobby Fonseca.

Commissioner Sara Baxter and Sid Dinerstein at December Lunch

The Red Wave was alive and well in Florida this past election. Not only did the Governor and Cabinet actually win Palm Beach County, but there are now 3 Republican County Commissioners (out of 7) where there had been only one. Congratulations to Commissioners Sara Baxter (CD6) and Marcie Woodward (CD4) who beat the odds.

Sara will tell us how she prevailed in her D+7 district in spite of being considerably outspent and out endorsed by a Democrat favorite.

For the larger perspective on the election just past we will hear from past county chairman Sid Dinerstein.

And to get in the proper mood for the holiday season, we will have a little music from vocalist Bobby Fonseca (Uncle Eddie’s, Eau Palm Beach, Johnny Longboats, …..)

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Born in West Palm Beach, Sara Baxter is a second generation Floridian who understands the value of hard work and the complexities surrounding some of Palm Beach County’s most pressing social and economic issues. A resident of the Acreage, Sara has a bachelors degree in business administration and spent some time in the health care industry and as a teacher. She and her husband opened an automotive repair shop, Foreign Auto Specialists in 2011, learning first hand the difficulty of navigating the planning and zoning departments of the county. As a newly elected county commissioner, she plans to make a difference for all the residents of district 6 and the county at large.

Sid Dinerstein is a leader with a passion for Republican politics. He leads by example, motivates teams, and unites diverse groups to achieve a common goal. With a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College in Economics and an MBA from City College in Statistics, Sid built and eventually sold JBS Associates, inc., an international check guarantee service with more than 600 employees. Sid was Chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County from 2002-2012 and served the county as Chairman of the Palm Tran Service board from 2002-2010. A writer of political books, Sid’s book “Adults Only: For Those Who Love Their Country More Than Their Party” was a Finalist in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Current Events/Political.

Great Participation for Meet the Candidates

On Tuesday, September 27th, many of the Republican candidates on the November ballot joined us for quick introductions and to mingle with the members. Speaking for 4 minutes each, the enthusiasm and drive to succeed comes across strongly in this group as the Republican Party of Palm Beach County is fielding a diverse, capable group to compete in all the offices on the ballot.

Our candidates included:

Eric Ankner Senate 24	Steve Byers Senate 26	Mike Caruso House 87
Roz Stevens House 88	Daniel Zapata House 89	Dorcas Hernandez House 92
Saulis Banionis House 93	Sara Baxter Commission 6	Jennifer Showalter School Board 6
Vicki Franzese (for Dan) Congress 22

Willie Guardiola on October 25th

With the November Midterms looming, crunch time is coming. We need to be out there helping Republicans get elected. For some perspectives on what is at stake in this election and how we all can help, Willy is ready to rattle some cages.

A Florida Pro-Life leader and Catholic activist, Willy works tirelessly on advancing the Right to Life position as well as supporting our Republican Candidates. As an organizer of the “Trump Corner” rallies in Palm Beach Gardens and now the “DeSantis Depot” events, he’s actively involved in bringing our enthusiasm for our great Governor to the fore. Willy was recently honored at “Lobster Feast” by the Republican Party of Palm Beach County for his pro-life leadership.

Come to our October meeting and receive your dose of enthusiasm and Conservative vigor.

NOTE – With the construction completed, we will be back in the usual meeting place, The Paddock Restaurant.

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Obituary – Club Leadership Member Carol Hurst

Carol Hurst
April 26, 1935 – August 23, 2022

Born Carol Jane Cross on April 26, 1935 in Bronx, NY and moved to Boonton Township, NJ. Graduated from Boonton High School and attended St Joe’s Nursing School. Became a nurse and worked at Barnett Memorial Hospital as a surgical scrub nurse, also worked for Dr. Ferrero Paterson, Police Doctor. Then headed the medical department at Ingersoll Rand Corporate office in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Worked as a visiting nurse for the American Cancer Society.

She moved to Florida in 1978 and resided there until passing, on Singer Island and in North Palm Beach. She was active in the Women’s Republican Party in Palm Beach County.

She is survived by Son, Marc Tiscia, two sisters (Jackie and Janet), has two granddaughters, six nieces and three nephews.

She met Jim Vizzi in 1995 whom she lived 27 joyful years together, until passing. She enjoyed the extended family from Jim’s five children and 14 grandchildren. Carol will be missed by all.

Service is on September 25, 2022 3pm – 5pm, All County Funeral Home, 131 South Lakeside Drive, Lake Worth, FL 33460.

Posted online on September 19, 2022
Published in The Palm Beach Post

Service Information
All County Funeral Home
131 South Lakeside Drive, Lake Worth, FL 33460
September 25, 2022 at 3:00 PM

Meet the Candidates – September 27

With the primary over and the November Midterms looming, come and meet some of the Republican candidates for office – from Congress to County Commission and in between.

NOTE – Because of construction at our usual meeting place (The Paddock Restaurant) we will be meeting at the Terrace instead. The entrance is just south of the Paddock entrance.

Participants as of today: (Click on the picture for their website)

Senate District 24 Erik Ankner	Senate District 26 Steve Byers	House District 87 Mike Caruso	House District 88 Ros Stevens
House District 89 Daniel Zapata	House District 92 Dorcas Hernandez	House District 93 Saulis Banionis	School District 6 Jen Showalter
Port District 5 Roderick Clarke

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Pat Rooney at the May 24th Lunch

The May 24th meeting of the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches featured Pat Rooney, Jr. as our guest speaker. Pat is the President of the Palm Beach Kennel Club (PBKC) and has served our community in many ways including a six year stint as a State Representative in the Florida House from 2010 to 2016.

Pat’s topic was “Business and Government: Not Always on the Same Page.” Mr. Rooney began his presentation with an overview of the history of PBKC. The Club opened in 1932 and Pat’s grandfather Art Rooney bought the track in 1970. Dog Racing was one of the most popular sports in Florida from 1970 until the late 1980’s. Dog racing ceased in 2020.

Mr. Rooney discussed the factors contributing to the demise of dog racing including the states introduction of the lottery in 1986 and Indian Reservation gaming being legalized in 1987. Most recently the state convened its once in every 20 years Constitutional Revision Commission, a unique to Florida entity comprised of 37 selected individuals who propose amendments to the Florida Constitution. One amendment (Amendment 13) was placed on the ballot specifically eliminating dog racing at the end of 2020. It passed with over 70% of the statewide vote. Mr. Rooney questioned the legality of putting a specific taxed and regulated business on the ballot.

The Florida Legislature, at the direction of Governor DeSantis, recently negotiated a new compact with the Seminole Indians. This compact primarily would allow sports betting to take place throughout the state. However a district court judge found the compact in violation of another amendment which passed in 2018 (Amendment 3) which stated that only the states citizens through a referendum could expand gambling in the state. Mr. Rooney argued that since the bets would be taken on a Hard Rock App (property of the Seminoles) and since the servers for the app were on tribal lands, no citizen vote would be needed to ratify sports betting. However the district court disagreed and now the compact is on appeal and sports betting is in legal limbo.

Mr. Rooney further discussed the current viable parts of PBKC’s business: simulcast betting (authorized in 1991) where bets could be placed at PBKC on tracks across the country and poker (authorized in 1996). PBKC has the largest poker room in Florida at 64 tables. These two revenue streams have kept PBKC operational since the end of Dog Racing in 2020.

Business continually struggle with local, state, and federal regulations. Many regulations need to be reviewed to be business-friendly. For example, The Palm Beach Kennel Club can only have 3 outside events a year, and there doesn’t appear to be any Rhyme or Reason for this limitation.

For more than three decades, Pat Rooney, Jr. has been a successful businessman and respected community leader in Palm Beach County. Pat Rooney’s presentation was very informative and we appreciate his continued support. Pat has been a gracious host of the Paddock Restaurant for the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches.

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Note: We won’t be having a June lunch in favor of the President’s Council BBQ at the South County Civic Center on June 25th.

Republican Barbeque on June 25th

The Republican Club of the Palm Beaches is happy to support the President’s Council’s

We will be having no separate club meeting in June – come out and visit our booth at the BBQ!

Kennel Club President Pat Rooney at May Meeting

Pat Rooney’s perspective as the President of the Palm Beach Kennel Club and also a 6 year Representative in the Florida House is unique. The PBKC in particular is (and was as a dog track) more regulated than many industries and he has some stories to tell. With the current business climate in the county (inflation, supply chain issues, workforce housing, etc.) and the impact to his business of the expected drawn out court fight over the Seminole Compact, how a business can navigate these challenges will be discussed.

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In his more than three decades here, Pat Rooney has become a successful businessman and respected community leader in Palm Beach County. He is currently the President of the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Pat was a Representative in the Florida House (District 85) from 2010 to 2016, which included Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, Juno Beach, the Acreage, and a part of West Palm Beach. He has also served as Governing Board Member for South Florida Water Management District from 2007-2010. Pat was also a sports co-host on local ESPN 760 AM from 2003-2010.

Mr. Rooney also serves as a Director for the Autism Project of Palm Beach County and is a Founding Board Member for Potentia Academy in Greenacres. Pat also serves as a Director and Co-Chair for the not-for-profit Rooney’s Golf Foundation, Inc., which raises money for local charities through various events held every year. He is a Board Member of The Children’s Healthcare Charity, Inc. (The Honda Classic). He has served as the Vice President for Renaissance Learning Academy, Former Director and Board President of Home Safe of Palm Beach County, Director and Board President of the FAU Honors College, Trustee of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce. Pat served as a Board Member of Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and Biz PAC.

Mr. Rooney graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1986, went on to Villanova University School of Law for his Juris Doctor in 1989 and then earned his MBA from Lehigh University in 1992. Pat and his wife Patti have four children – Mary, Frannie,Patrick III and Anthony – and live in West Palm Beach. They are active members of St. Ignatius Loyola Cathedral in Palm Beach Gardens.

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