Yet that was then; this is now. So, where’s the media hue and cry now that the liberal wing of the Florida Supreme Court has denied Floridians the right to vote on not one, not two, but three proposals that the Legislature had placed on the November ballot?

One proposal would have clarified the contradictory redistricting standards mandated by two petition-driven amendments the Court cleared. Another would have offered property-tax relief. A third would have let Floridians have a say on “Obamacare” and its mandate that everyone must buy health insurance.

Meanwhile, another proposal tentatively scheduled for the November ballot – the amendment the Legislature proposed to ease some of the class-size amendment’s rigid restrictions – is also under attack by the usual suspects, including the teachers union.

Also awaiting the Florida Supreme Court’s eventual scrutiny are two other troubling examples of judicial activism. One is a lower court ruling that a 2009 law modifying the state’s growth-management system is somehow “unconstitutional.” The other is a judge’s ruling that lets plaintiffs proceed with a lawsuit complaining that the Legislature isn’t “adequately” funding education.

Taken together, these rulings suggest an urgent need for revisions in Florida’s civics curriculum. Instead of three branches of government – judicial, executive, and legislative – Florida now has a fourth: an all-powerful entity wherein appointed judges legislate from the bench.

The reality of the movement, however, is much different (surprise, surprise) from the perceptions promoted by the old media and the Left. In a fascinating study by the Sam Adams Alliance called The Early Adopters: Reading the Tea Leaves and its subsequent report called The Next Wave: A Surf Report, the research shows among other things that those active in the movement (as a percentage of the American population) have rarely participated in politics until now, are more educated, and are more active in the community. They also tend to oppose a Third Party movement but are generally disgusted with both parties today. Moreover, they have a deep and abiding understanding of this nation’s founding documents and its history, and they are not going away.

Suffice to say that despite the best efforts of the statists to tar the Tea Party movement, it is growing and appears to be on the political scene for the long-term. To read the full reports on this fascinating and influential political movement click on the links above or visit www.samadamsalliance.org, and keep up the fight.

-During this election cycle, voter registration has shifted slightly towards independents, who grew by 2.5 percent to 2,154,818 since the 2008 Primary. Independents now makeup nearly one-fifth of all voters in the state. Democrat registration has declined by 2.3 percent, to 4,610,771, and Republican registration declined by 1.6 percent, to 3,997,998. The current total number of registered voters in Florida is 11,120,316.

-The amount of early voting is up significantly this year. As of yesterday, 361,615 ballots have been cast early compared to 251,110 the day before the 2008 primary. That’s a 44 percent increase. The number of absentee ballots is also expected to be quite higher than in 2008.

-Polls have been all over the map indicating that there will probably be several close races. For example, over the past few days in the Republican gubernatorial primary, a Mason-Dixon poll shows Bill McCollum up by 9 points, 45-36 percent; the Quinnipiac poll has McCollum with only a 4 point lead, 39-35 percent; while Public Policy Polling has Rick Scott up by 7 points, 47-40 percent. It’s also noteworthy that all of the numbers in these polls have shifted significantly over the past few weeks. The U.S. Senate Democratic Primary has also seen similar fluctuations.

We also know that today is an important day for civic engagement. So get out there and vote if you haven’t already…and bring a friend or co-worker while you’re at it.

The results should be exciting to watch roll in tonight. What are your predictions for Florida’s 2010 Primary?

Florida State University Professor Dr. James Gwartney was interviewed and shared his views and research regarding our country’s global standing in terms of economics.  I was surprised to learn that the United States’ current trend is toward no longer being the most powerful economic group in the world—due to federal policy decisions and the increasing influence of nations such as China, our economic freedoms are becoming more limited.

We believe in the government that our Founding Fathers designed, and we place our trust in those whom we elect to represent us.  Unfortunately, if they do not adhere to strict Constitutional concepts then our economic and social life slowly changes.

Attending this event helped me to realize that the economic well-being of the United States affects all of our lives. I’m now beginning to develop an awareness of the importance of the economic aspects of political and policy decisions, and with this awareness, I will become a more alert and vigilant citizen.

 
Worse, a sneaky effort in Congress to insert a “rider” in an appropriations bill could pave the way for even more casinos. As a Sacramento Bee editorial reports, “At the behest of Indian tribes and their lobbyists, some members of Congress are seeking a ‘fix’ to a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision that cast doubt on the federal government’s authority to permit some bands of Indians to create new reservation land.

“In Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri v. Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar, the court held that the Interior Department can take land into trust on behalf of tribes only if those tribes were under federal jurisdiction as of 1934, when Congress passed the Indian Reorganization Act.”

The proposed rider could speed federal recognition of new tribes. Therefore, if this sneak attack succeeds, expect more Indian reservations with full-service casinos to pop up in the name of previously unrecognized “tribes” – even in areas where the voters overwhelming oppose casinos. You can bet on it.

Given this call by the Governor, let’s take his idea and his rhetoric to a logical conclusion. What if we turned to green energy today to meet our personal and economic needs for energy consumption? Could we do it? With the help of Robert Bryce from the Washington Post, who authored a recent article on the subject, let’s chase down several popular maxims related to “green energy” and check out the veracity of each.

• Solar and wind are truly clean energies. Not true – as an example, both require large tracts of land including what the Nature Conservancy called “energy sprawl”…tens of thousands of high-voltage transmission lines required to carry electricity to far off places for the purposes of consumption.
• Wind energy substantially reduces the dreaded carbon footprint. Not true – the wind doesn’t always blow so guess what electric companies use to offset the unpredictability of wind – gas and coal-fired generators. Plus, when the wind does blow, how is it trapped, contained and transported as a power source?
• A green economy means green jobs. Not true – American companies must compete in the global market whether they produce turbines or tiddly winks.  You can bet that if there is a profit to be made, companies around the world will compete with America’s high corporate taxes and labor costs to gain an edge…and if we decide to subsidize or mandate these “jobs,” well then we’re losing money, not making it.
• Going green will reduce our dependence on foreign sources as well as people who mean us harm. Not true – right now the oil market has numerous players in it…an opportunity for America to get the best deal at the lowest cost with the greatest efficiency. If we go green, China is the 500 pound gorilla in products and parts needed to retrofit our economy–they’ve got 90 percent of that market. Think they have our best interests at heart?
• Electric cars are the future. Not true – Car companies haven’t figured out a way to mass produce these babies and make a profit. They are expensive to make, don’t go as fast or as far, and no one wants them. Plus, can you name the closest place in your neighborhood to plug in and recharge that battery…me neither.

The James Madison Institute’s position on energy has been the same as long as I’ve been here…let’s try all of the above.  Plus lower taxes, reduce regulations and release the entrepreneurial spirit. The market will provide the answer.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that a profound economic crisis – and a move to dramatically increase the size and scope of the federal government in response – has sparked an interest in our nation’s founding.

My colleague Bob Sanchez recently shared with me a copy of the October 8, 1934 edition of Leon High Life, the student newspaper for Tallahassee’s oldest public high school.  That edition’s lead story described how Leon High had celebrated Constitution Week in late September with not one, but two guest speakers furnished by the local Kiwanis Club.   

Another front page story from that same 1934 edition described how a group of Leon High seniors were drawing up a “class constitution” complete with a Preamble that began: 

We the members of the Senior class of Leon High School, in order to govern ourselves more profitably, and to promote cooperation between the students and the faculty, and to better prepare ourselves for the outside world, both by helping us to obtain more knowledge and by the practice of constructive government, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Senior Class of Leon High School.

Taken together, these two stories from a Leon High Life issued 75 years ago illustrate that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”  Then, as now, tough economic times – and the emergence of forces eager to centralize power in Washington – gave rise to a renewed interest in all things Constitutional. 

Let’s hope that today’s outbreak of Founding Fathers Fever ultimately leads to constructive ends.  For the sake of those who will be reading our stories 75 years from now, we all need to renew our commitment to government of the people, by the people, and for the people.