Legislative Update at May Lunch

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Gayle Harrell represents Florida Senate District 25, which includes Martin and St. Lucie Counties and part of Palm Beach County. She was elected to the Florida Senate in November 2018 after serving two term in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000-2008 and 2010-2018.

Senator Harrell has over 25 years of experience in healthcare. She has worked as a Healthcare Administrator, managing the Ob-Gyn. practice of Dr. James E. Harrell and was the founder of the Breast Imaging Center, a mammography center specializing in preventive care for women. Her experience in healthcare has made her a leader in setting healthcare policy for the State of Florida

Senator Harrell is Chair of Committee on Health Policy and Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. Senator Harrell is also a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Military and Veterans Affairs and Space and the Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight.

Senator Harrell has won numerous awards for her legislative service. Among her many awards she has received the Legislator of the Year by the Florida Medical Association, the Legislative Leadership Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Legislative Award by the Florida Children’s Forum, an “A” Ranking by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Friend of Free Enterprise Award by the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Legislative Achievement Award by Keep Florida Beautiful, and the Distinguished Legislator Award by the Florida Police Benevolent Association.

A resident of Florida’s Treasure Coast for over 40 years, Senator Harrell is committed to serving our community having served as president of many civic organizations such as Hibiscus Children’s Center, Education Foundation of Martin County, Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties, and HPS – Helping People Succeed. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and a Master’s Degree in Latin American History from the University of Florida where she received the Edith Bristol Tigert award as an Outstanding Female Graduate and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Gayle has been married to Dr. James Harrell for 51 years, has four children and eight grandchildren, and is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Stuart.

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Rick Roth, a 39 year Wellington resident, grew up in Belle Glade. He is the President of the 5000 acre Roth Farms east of Belle Glade, and has been producing vegetables and sugar cane there since 1976.

Although never holding a public office before 2016, Rick has been involved in politics for years, including fund-raising for former Governor Bob Martinez, and he has held a variety of leadership positions with the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association and is on the board of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. In 2016, he defeated Andrew Watt with 62% in the Republican primary and then beat Democrat Robert Simone in the general with 57% of the vote.

NCNC President Sal Faso at April Meeting

April’s speaker will be Sal Faso, President and founder of the North County Neighborhood Coalition (NCNC). The NCNC is composed of 23 communities from West Palm Beach to Jupiter, and represents 45,000 residents and 30,000 voters. Advocating for quality of life issues in the north county, Sal works with county and city elected officials and staff to relay his member’s positions on western development, traffic issues and the environment, and supports community involvement through candidate forums and invited speakers at monthly meetings. NCNC is similar in operation and influence to COBWRA (Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations) which operates in south county.

As developer lobbyists and other special interests have increasing influence on the leaders of our cities, organizations like NCNC organize and present the positions of the citizens and insure us a seat at the table. They also foster awareness of issues and candidates for office.

Sal will present an overview of some of the issues of interest to county residents, such as the State route 7 extension, traffic issues on Northlake Boulevard and elsewhere, the status of the new developments being constructed west of the turnpike, and what to expect from the fresh crop of elected officials sworn in after the March elections in the Gardens, West Palm Beach and the other northern Municipalities.

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Sal is an experienced executive with sales, marketing and operational knowledge in leading businesses both nationally and internationally.

He retired in 2000 from IBM after working 30 years with geographic responsibilities for customers within the United States, Europe and South Africa.

His organizations were responsible for significant revenue and profits. He held positions such as General Manager for all sales within the Midwest United States, he was CEO of IBM South Africa, a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and worked with Emerging markets in Europe.

Soon after retiring he engaged with the local communities, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens and became a civic leader. He led the Transition Team for the mayor of West Palm Beach in 2011 and had chaired the City Budget committee and conducted the Fire and Police Pension Task Force. He participated in activities for the WPB and PBG Police radio dispatch system. He currently serves on his community Property Owners Association Board of Directors.

The North County Neighborhood Coalition was formed in 2010 with seven communities and now has grown to 23 communities with 45,000 residents and 36,000 voters. The NCNC promotes working with Government, Business and Community leadership to plan for a better county. The NCNC is a not for profit organization filed as a 617 chapter in the State of Florida.

He recently became the President of the North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce Foundation and a member of the Strategic Planning committee and Technology and Connectivity committee.

He and his wife celebrated 51 years of marriage and they have two children and four grandsons. Loves golf, tennis and the Arts (Opera). He is a native Floridian born in Coral Gables and graduated from the University of Miami.

Everglade’s Foundation’s Erik Eikenberg Discusses Water Projects

A design element of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), authorized by Congress in 2000, is a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee referred to as the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir. Currently a key feature of proposed solutions to the toxic algae problems plaguing the estuaries on both coasts, it would allow the diversion of Lake outflows away from the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers, and help restore the flow of fresh water through the Everglades to Florida Bay.

Erik Eikenberg, who heads the influential Everglades Foundation, presented a hopeful outlook for the project as we now have in Governor DeSantis someone who can potentially make it happen.

A Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School graduate, he recalled the influence of that school’s namesake on him. (Douglas, the author of “River of Grass” in 1947, helped redefine the popular conception of the Everglades as a treasured river instead of a worthless swamp.) Long a player in Florida Republican politics, he was an intern for Congressman Clay Shaw, who authored the CERP, and saw the introduction of the snout beetle into the ecosystem to manage the proliferation of the invasive Australian Melaleuca. Chief of staff for Governor Charlie Crist, he also worked for former Governor Bob Martinez.

Water is a “unifying issue”, he said, as many of us depend on the Everglades for our water supply. West Palm Beach, for example, depends on the Grassy Waters Preserve. The toxic blue-green algae (also known as cyanobacteria), is a health issue, and threatens the use of our waterways and hence the tourism economy of the state.

Governor DeSantis campaigned on fixing the problem, and is supported by Congressman Brian Mast (who is the Governor’s point man on the issue). The Governor’s recently released state budget includes $625M for the project in addition to expected federal funds. One significant roadblock of course is the decision by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to extend the Florida Crystals lease on the EAA land for another 8 years. This was done without public notice and several days before the Governor’s inauguration, in spite of an impassioned plea by Brian Mast to delay it. In an unprecedented move, DeSantis then demanded (and got) the resignation of the entire SFWMD board.

Time will tell how this plays out, but it is a hopeful sign that President Trump will be visiting the Lake to review related projects (such as dike repairs) on Friday of this week. The Governor’s good relationship with the President should be helpful in moving this project along.

Also at the meeting was CD21 candidate Christian Acosta who has announced his exploratory quest to unseat Congresswoman Lois Frankel in 2020. This D+17 seat was uncontested in 2018, allowing the incumbent to remain in office without campaigning for the privilege. Stretching along the coast from Singer Island through Delray Beach and encompassing most of the county south of Southern Boulevard, including Wellington, it deserves a Republican challenger.

Christian is a resident of Boynton Beach and teaches Electric Power Engineering at Palm Beach State. A nuclear engineer and Pittsburg transplant, Christian has been making the rounds of the Republican clubs and plans to introduce himself at the Trump-45 Club next month.

Next month, please join us on April 24 for Sal Faso, President of the North County Neighborhood Coalition.

Representative Mike Caruso Describes the Recount Circus

Our February lunch featured FH89 Representative Mike Caruso.

With the nickname “landslide” in Tallahasee, given his 37 vote winning margin, Mike relayed some of the arduous steps involved in moving through the circus that was Susan Bucher’s election operation.

Although he admits he very much enjoys the work of the capital, he may have thought twice about running if he knew what was in store for him. The coastal district, held for the last 8 years by Bill Hagar, was described to him as an easy Republican win when he decided to run. “Easy” is relative of course as the district is actually only R+1.6, practically even.

The campaign was dirty, with opponents stealing signs, lots of nasty lies spread in mailers, etc., but the worst was to occur after election day.

FH89 was one of the four races that were close enough to trigger a recount, and Mike witnessed first hand all the corrupt practices that were on display at the Supervisor of Elections. Many of us who were involved in the process were aware that there was no transparency, and that communications from Susan Bucher’s office were few, misleading and probably not true.

What you may not have known about though, was the gobs of ballots that were being “found” after the counting was supposed to be done – over 4000 in the case of FH89. Mike’s opponent Jim Bonfiglio was heard to say at one point during the recount “don’t worry, we will have the votes”. Bucher was never able to actually say how many votes had actually been cast in any of the races, yet she seemed to always know the margins.

Lots of dirty tricks were occurring. SOE employees were observed in a backroom hurriedly filling out new ballots – supposedly transcribing “unreadable” ones but who could tell – no one was allowed in there and the canvassing board was not present in violation of law. When this activity was challenged, the supervisor’s response was to move filing cabinets around to block the view of the activity from the “public”. When the canvassing board was present and involved in “determining the intent of the voter”, Mike was keeping count of how many votes were being assigned to him and his opponent. At the end of the day though, when the tallies were supposedly “rolled up”, his count never changed. This occurred multiple times.

The most arrogant action by Bucher though was about toilets. With hundreds of volunteers from both parties descending on the Riviera Beach counting facility, there was only one bathroom and she refused to remedy the situation as she really didn’t want to make it pleasant for those looking over her shoulder. Mike requested from the Republicans in Tallahassee assistance in obtaining porta-johns and toilet paper, and when they came through, Bucher refused to place them on “her” property and said she would have them towed if placed on the street.

Fortunately, when the race was finally certified, Mike was ahead by the same 37 votes he had been from the start and his opponent conceded. Although the entire experience was an unpleasant one, he has taken his place in the Legislature, and through the actions of Governor DeSantis, we have a new Supervisor of Elections.

March Lunch to Feature Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg

As CEO of the Everglades Foundation, Erik Eikenberg has helped bring widespread national and international attention to the perennial toxic algae crisis in Florida that threatens the state’s waterways and tourism industry. He leads a team of nationally recognized scientists, educators, lobbyists, and communications and development professionals, all working together to achieve a decades-long campaign to restore America Everglades – roughly three million acres of endangered habitat that is vital to Florida’s economic and environmental viability.

Join us on March 27 to hear Erik’s assessment of the water crisis in the state.

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Eric Eikenberg is a seasoned political strategist and environmental policy expert who leads one of the country’s most prestigious and respected environmental non-profits – The Everglades Foundation, which has an annual operating budget of more than $10 million.

As CEO, Eikenberg oversees a team of nationally recognized scientists, educators, lobbyists, and communications and development professionals, all working together to achieve a decades-long campaign to restore America Everglades – roughly three million acres of endangered habitat that is vital to Florida’s economic and environmental viability.

Appointed CEO by the Foundation’s board of directors in 2012, Eikenberg has extensive policy and political experience in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., and served as chief of staff to former Gov. Charlie Crist and former U.S. Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr., the latter who authored the landmark $8.4 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

Prior to joining The Everglades Foundation, Eikenberg served as senior policy advisor at the law firm of Holland & Knight, LLP, co-chairing the firm’s Florida Government Advocacy Team with former Gov. Bob Martinez.

A sought-after public speaker on the importance of preserving one of America’s most unique natural habitats, Eikenberg is a regular OpEd columnist and a widely quoted source for national and local media outlets, including National Public Radio, CNN, The Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report, Politico, The Miami Herald, and many others.

Eikenberg has been a long-time champion for expediting Everglades restoration, with a knack for innovation and engaging partners in the corporate, philanthropic and political arenas.

This included, most recently, leading an intense public awareness campaign that ultimately led to the passage of critical state and federal legislation authorizing construction of a $1.6 billion reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee – a key component of CERP.

During his tenure as CEO, Eikenberg has helped bring widespread national and international attention to the perennial toxic algae crisis in Florida that threatens the state’s waterways and tourism industry; launched the world’s largest water incentive prize – the $10 million dollar George Barley Water Prize; expanded the Foundation’s Everglades literacy program to reach tens of thousands of students across Florida; and provided scientific, technical and policy support to numerous decision makers in executing CERP.

A graduate of The American University, Eikenberg, his wife Tonya and four children reside in Miami.

Apply Now for the 2019 Ann Roberts Scholarship

The Republican Club of the Palm Beaches’ Scholarship was named after a long-standing and active member of our Club, Anne Roberts.

The Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship is available to any resident of Palm Beach County who is a full or part time undergraduate or graduate student seeking to further their education. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above and plan to attend an accredited college. Applicants must be registered (or pre-registered under 18 yrs. of age) Republicans. Current members of our Club may refer applicants for this scholarship. The deadline for this application is May 31. The recipient will be eligible to receive up to $500 to be sent to the school they will attend. Award will be presented at the monthly luncheon June 26, 2019.

RCPB Scholarship application 2019

Previous Years Winners

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In 2017, our new winner was Jessica Blakley, majoring in Political Science and Economics at Belmont University (she was also awarded an internship during the 2018 session of the Tennessee Legislature). We also continued Jenna Calderaio, studying entrepreneurship at FSU, Lauren Staff who is studying telecommunications at UF, and Ryan Walker who is at Stetson Law School.

Lauren and Jenna were first time winners in 2016.

Lauren graduated from Dwyer High School in 2015 and is presently a Junior at UF. She writes for the Independent Florida Alligator Newspaper and works for ESPN Gainesville Radio 95.3 researching sports statistics. She tells us that Law School is in her future.

Jenna graduated from Jupiter Community High School in 2016 and is attending Florida State University. Her major in business and entrepreneurship will prepare her for a career in product development. She attended the Florida Sunshine Summit in Orlando witnessing 14 presidential candidates which supported her goal to be a strong conservative leader for the Republican Party on a local or national level.

In 2015, our new winners were Aaron Mejias, who studied Political Science and History at PBAU and Ryan Walker, a political science major at the University of Florida.

In 2014, our previous undergraduate recipients kept up their grades to receive additional scholarship: Dylan Brandenburg, John Clark, Jason Ferrara, and Daniel Kozell. Because of the generosity of our club members, we were able to add a fifth recipient, Hanna Matry, a junior at UF majoring in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering and a member of the University’s Rocket Team in the NASA Hybrid rocket competition.

2013 was an expansive year for our scholarship program, with 6 recipients. They went to Elizabeth Cayson, a county employee who is attending Walden University in Illinois remotely, and Danielle Madsen, who recently graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic and is working at a TV station. Three Florida State students received grants including John Clark (3rd year), Dylan Brandenburg (1st year) and Daniel Kozell (2nd year), and Jason Ferrara who is attending the University of Alabama received his third year scholarship.

In 2012, there were 5 scholarships awarded: James Schackelford in his 3rd year at Florida Atlantic University and Daniel Kozell entering Florida State University. We continued to follow John Clark, Jason Ferrara and Shirley Schaff.

In 2011, there were four scholarships awarded. John Clark attending Florida State University, Jason Ferrara attending University of Alabama, Shirley Schaff attending Northwood University and Kimberly Twoey attending Palm Beach Atlantic University.

In 2010, one scholarship was awarded to Cindy Morris, mother of 5, in her final year with 3.7 GPA at Palm Beach Atlantic College School of Education with endorsements in special education and English and a second language.

The second 2010 scholarship was awarded to James Shackelford, majoring in accounting at Florida Atlantic University. With his passion for politics, he is active in student government and volunteered for Allen West and Marco Rubio campaigns. After receiving his masters in Finance, James plans to attend law school.

The 2009 recipient, Nicole Vega, from Berean Christian High School, aspired to be a civil engineer. After much mentoring by several Club members, Nicole has changed her studies to major in Communications with a minor in Political Science at Palm Beach State College.

RCPB Scholarship application 2019

FH89 Representative Mike Caruso at February Lunch

Our February speaker, newly elected to House district 89, has not yet participated in a Legislative session, but has experienced first hand the chaos that surrounded the 2018 election. As the recount dragged on, his was one of the 4 races that were too close to call, and Mike was down at the SOE facility daily keeping watch on Susan Bucher’s minions as they tried to sort it out in the biggest election fiasco since the butterfly ballot.

Now that Governor DeSantis has replaced Bucher with Wendy Link, we can look forward to 2020 in his words “.. where there’s not any type of circus after the votes are in.”

Join us on February 27th to hear Mike’s thoughts on the matter and what it was like to participate in the that circus as his vote advantage over Jim Bonfiglio shrank with each passing day. The FH89 race was not actually over until Bonfiglio conceded on November 18. The margin was 37 votes.

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Mike Caruso learned from a young age that in order to succeed, he needed to roll up his sleeves and work hard until the job was done. As a child, Mike sold flowers and mowed lawns to earn money. He kept his entrepreneurial spirit alive and worked his way through college at George Washington University, where he earned a degree in Business Administration, specializing in accounting.

After years of experience as a CPA in accounting firms such as KPMG and Grant Thornton International, Mike opened his own CPA firm, Caruso & Caruso, in Palm Beach County. Over the next three decades, Mike used his skills to benefit the community, serving on many community organization boards, and serving as an expert witness in many local and national court cases as a forensic account.

Mike is a proud father of 7, a champion barefoot water-skier, a tennis enthusiast, and enjoys spending time at the beach with his wife and two dogs. Mike is honored to call District 89 his home where he has lived for 32 years.

Since being elected to the Florida House, Mike has been assigned to serve on the following committees: Energy & Utilities Subcommittee; Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee;Insurance & Banking Subcommittee; Joint Legislative Auditing Committee; Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee; and the Ways & Means Committee. He is looking forward to passing meaningful legislation and working on good public policy for the people of Florida.

PLF’s Mark Miller at January Lunch

This month’s speaker was Mark Miller, Senior Attorney of Pacific Legal Foundation, one of the most active and effective public interest legal organizations in the US. Founded during the Reagan years, PLF has tallied up an impressive set of victories in high profile cases, including 11 wins at the Supreme Court. A 501(c)3 organization, PLF is supported by grants and donations and does all its work pro-bono.

Mark specializes in environmental law, land use and first amendment cases, and he described for us many of his projects that have been covered by the national media.

In his recent Supreme court case, Weyerhaeuser vs. US Fish and Wildlife, Mark successfully argued that restricting land use in Louisiana as habitat for the “Mississippi Dusky Gopher Frog”, an amphibian that has not been found there in decades, was a mis-application of the Endangered Species Act. In an 8-0 decision (Cavenaugh had not yet been confirmed), SCOTUS overturned both the district court and the 5th circuit who had maintained that Fish & Wildlife had ‘agency discretion’ to so designate.

Another case Mark explained was Knick v. Township of Scott, in which a Pennsylvania property owner challenged a recent town ordinance that required public access to her property which was alleged after an intrusive search, to contain graves. With an argument that this was in violation of the 4th (unrestrained search) and 5th (unlawful taking) amendments, PLF argued at the Supreme Court recently that the case should not have to exhaust all remedies at the state level prior to argument in federal court. This case, argued this month, is pending.

Another high profile PLF Supreme Court case was Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky, in which voters who wore clothing containing political sentiments were denied access to the polling places. A tea party “Don’t tread on me” slogan was at issue. The Court issued its ruling on June 14, 2018, stating in a 7–2 decision that Minnesota’s law did violate the First Amendment, ruling it unconstitutional.

Mark has also been involved in state and local cases. In 2014 he represented the owner of the Crafted Keg brew pub in Stuart, who wanted to sell beer in industry standard “growlers” (64 ounce containers) in violation of a Florida law which protects large beer makers from upstart craft brewers. This one received national attention. “Why should his success be limited by a state law that’s irrational?”, Mark argued. After suing the state, this one was resolved in the Legislature where the 64 oz. growler was legalized.

He also volunteered to represent JP Krause, a Vero Beach High School student whose election to student body President was dis-allowed by the school over a “build a wall’ joke he made during the campaign. He was re-instated after the story was picked up by Fox & Friends and Whoopi Goldberg supported the student’s position on “The View”.

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After the meeting, in preparation of a full page ad in the Lincoln Day Dinner booklet, the club leaders were photographed with our new club banner:

Defending Liberty against the Power and Reach of Government

Did you ever feel outraged when predatory regulators attack ordinary citizens, take their property, and impose catastrophic fines for behavior that we “thought” was protected by the Constitution?

If that happens to you, “Who you gonna call?”

Pacific Legal Foundation litigates nationwide to secure all Americans’ inalienable rights to live responsibly and productively in their pursuit of happiness. PLF combines strategic and principled litigation, communications, and research to achieve landmark court victories enforcing the Constitution’s guarantee of individual liberty.

Mark manages the Palm Beach Gardens office of PLF and is fresh from his 8-0 victory in front of the Supreme Court in “Weyerhauser vs U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service”, (aka the “dusky gopher frog” case) which protected the rights of a Louisiana property owner against the “critical habitat” designation of the Endangered Species Act.

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Mark Miller, a PLF Senior Attorney, manages PLF’s Florida office in Palm Beach Gardens. He defends your constitutional rights in state and federal court. CBS This Morning, Fox & Friends, The View, The Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio (NPR) have all featured his work.

An expert in appellate practice, Thomson Reuters lists Mark as a Florida SuperLawyer, Florida Trend Magazine has described him as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite, and Martindale-Hubbell awarded him its AV-Preeminent rating, its highest rating. He serves as a director for the boards of Americans United for Life, Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc., Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal Historical Society, and the Martin County Legal Aid Society. He is both a James Madison Institute senior fellow and a Federalist Society expert and approved speaker. He is a past president of the Martin County Bar Association. In 2018, Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed him to serve a four-year term as a member of Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission.

Mark learned to fight for justice and love our country from his two grandfathers: one fought under General George S. Patton in World War II, and the other graduated from NYU Law in the early 1920s. Both men taught Mark to believe in the greatness of the United States but also to keep its government honest; that is what he has done throughout his career and does now as a member of the PLF team.

He attended college and law school at the University of Florida, earning both diplomas with Honors. He elbow clerked for U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr., of the Middle District of Florida and Emerson R. Thompson, Jr., of Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal. Mark has represented clients before local zoning boards and through every court level up to and including the Supreme Court of the United States. He served as co-counsel and second chair before the High Court in United States Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes Co., one of our recent wins before the Court, and was lead counsel for the family landowners in Weyerhaeuser v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, PLF’s most recent Supreme Court win.

Charles Bender and Monique McCall at December Lunch

Our annual Christmas lunch this year featured Place of Hope CEO Charles Bender and local vocalist Monique McCall.

With a beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night”, Monique got us started, and later ended the meeting with more seasonal fare including her own composition “Everyday is Christmas”. She has performed this song on local radio, and has also recorded “Feel Like Florida” an outstanding boost for the Sunshine State.

Charles, one of the founders of his organization “Place of Hope”, gave us an overview of current operations.

When you think of the leadership at many charitable organizations, you don’t immediately think “Republican”, but Charles defies the stereotype. To drive that point home, he showed off his white “Trump Socks”, a positive sign indeed. He has been in the business for many years and goes way back with our club President Fran Hancock. As the DeSantis organization finds it feet in Tallahassee, Charles will be there as part of the transition team.

Place of Hope is in the group foster home business – they take the really tough cases of kids who have been severely abused and may have had multiple placements in foster care. Many are rescued from sex traffickers at a young age. By the time they are referred by the Florida Department of Children and Families, they are typically in desperate straits as DCF will not remove a child from their parents lightly.

The approach taken at the five Place of Hope facilities is to “parent” the kids, and teach personal responsibility and independent living skills. They also try to keep sibling groups together if at all possible. When a child “ages out” at 18, they do what they can to get them set up in an environment that will help them be successful, and in their years of operations, they have had 300 adoptions.

For more information about Place of Hope or to make a donation, please visit their website at https://www.placeofhope.com. They currently have a 4-star rating with Charity Navigator, with 86% of their $7.6M in annual revenue going to program expenses.

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Next month, please join us on Wednesday January 23 for Mark Miller of Pacific Legal Foundation. Mark will share his interesting perspectives from arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court and will tell us about his recent 8-0 victory in Weyerhauser vs U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service”, (aka the “dusky gopher frog” case) which protected the rights of a Louisiana property owner against the “critical habitat” designation of the Endangered Species Act.

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