Fiscal Rangers

Shocking Details of Obamacare Website Failure Disclosed in Today's Congressional Hearings

Tavares, FL - Oct. 24, 2013 Note: This version contains updates and my rough notes not shown on other posted versions on Facebook, etc. I am watching CSPAN.org and the Congressional hearing about the Obamacare website failure. It is really clear that the Federal Dept., CMS , was project manager and screwed it all up by bad testing of "end to end" data flow. As a former information systems auditor, they dropped the ball. They also only allowed the last two weeks to test the system "end to end" by following data through all the different vendor and provider systems, when "months" were needed per vendors. They also made last minute changes which then could cause security failures since security tests had been done before the changes, thus any changes could let external hacking to go on. CMS also waited until two weeks before roll out to change the system so NOW the applicant had to supply personal info and register just to shop choices and prices, when Obama earlier promised they could compare choices without doing so. This was called "anonymous shopping", which was turned off. Testimony from CGI indicated it could be turned on if project manager CMS... Read more →

Analysis: Regarding Orlando Sentinel article re "Lake Schools missing thousands of dollars in equipment"

Tavares, FL - Monday, oct. 14, 2013 I read Friday’s Orlando Sentinel article by Erica Rodriguez about the “Lake Schools missing thousands of dollars in equipment” and did my own research. The reports she used are items 7.03 and 7.04 of today’s evening agenda. Erica based her story on inventory reports attached to today’s agenda (attached). Although I like to disclose government fiscal fiascos as much as any watchdog or media writer, It is my belief that the inventory reports lack details that would reduce the overstated “$74,000” impact cited by Erica, and the reports are the problem. As a former internal auditors, I consider the losses cited are extremely low compared to the total inventory values (which are NOT disclosed), and they are shown at original cost, and not depreciated value or market value. Here is the article (which is also attached). http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-lake-school-property-missing-20131011,0,5217651.story The relevant Oct. 14, 2013 6pm agenda and documents for agenda items 7.03 and 7.04 can be found in the Board Docs section of the School District website: http://www.boarddocs.com/fla/lake/board.nsf/Public (Their stupid online BoardDocs software does not provide direct weblinks to pages, so you have to click the dated agenda to find them). I tracked the inventory... Read more →

Don't Ignore the dangers of GMO food anymore - watch this video to understand why

Have you been ignoring the GMO Issue (Genetically Modified Organisms)? Monsanto and other large, global corporations have locked up the patent on certain agriculture crop seeds after genetically modifying them. They then developed court decisions to say that even if their patented seed drifted in the air to a neighboring farmer's crop, then they, not the farmer, owned that crop. You need to watch this documentary, which isn't so much about the biological dangers (which are separate issues), but how Monsanto is restricting farmer's rights to plant NON-GMO or organic crops, thus reducing the foods you can choose from. Watch this video with your family to understand when someone says Monsanto is EVIL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omtYlsG1P5U#t=18 Read more →

Colorado school district inflames conservative parents over "Righty - Lefty" 6th grade questionnaire

Here is an article with a copy of the "Righty or Lefty" questionnaire on political leanings that was required of 6th graders in a Colorado school district, and sent home for parents to fill out. This is why Common Core and liberal educators inflame many conservative parents so much. As one commenter suggests, it is part of the socialist process to collect data on kids and parents for later actions by the government. Another commenter says he doubts sixth graders even know what they believe in at that level. I would hope nothing like this is used in Lake County Schools. I keep remembering that two former Lake County Commissioners and former Lake County teachers were extreme liberals once they were elected. Asking kids about personal issues like politics or religions and gathering the data is not acceptable. http://standupforthetruth.com/2013/10/colorado-6th-graders-parents-required-to-take-rightyleftysurvey/ Anyone seeing questionnaires like this or hearing about them from Lake County kids is encouraged to let me know. Read more →

FiscalRangers Alert - Breaking: Fitch Bond Ratings service REDUCES one Lake County bond rating to "Negative" from "Stable" due to Lake County reducing reserves this year to fund operations

Tavares, FL - Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 11pm Not long ago, if my memory is accurate, the Lake County Board had a policy to maintain a 10% reserve of their budget (my details should be confirmed) for emergencies like hurricanes, etc. Then Board member Jimmy Conner pushed them to move the reserve to 15%. However, in the last year, as revenues fell off, the Sheriff and some other Constitutional officers also refused to cut their budgets 6% like other Lake County Departments. In reaction, the County Board not only dropped some programs, including the controversial Lynx routes 55 & 204 (now partially re-instated), and laid some employees off (or did not fill vacancies), they also reduced the budget reserve policy to 7-12%, but they planned 7% for the new budget year 2013-2014. That is a huge drop. The result is that according to this article, the Fitch bond rating service reduced one of their bond ratings to “negative”, which could result in higher interest rates. I have no idea how bond investors will react to a "negative" ranking, even though the bonds are still AA- and not lower (see chart below). http://www.4-traders.com/news/Fitch-Affirms-Lake-County-FL-Ratings-Outlook-to-Negative-on-Capital-Improv-Bonds-Implied-ULTGO--17334462/ I expect the County Board and County Manager... Read more →

Update on Niagara Bottling permit application in Lake County, FL

Tavares, FL - Thursday, oct. 10, 2013 The Niagara Bottling plant owners in Lake County, FL recently requested permission from the St. Johns River Water Management District to almost double their withdrawal of water from the aquifer for bottling. They want to increase withdrawals from 484,000 gallons to 910,000 gallons per day. Niagara was a huge controversy in the past when they received the original permit. The SJRWMD decided more technical information is needed and exended the response time at a meeting today. Now Niagara has until Feb. 7, 2014. http://floridaswater.com/news/?utm_source=2013_October_10&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Water_News Read more →

Orlando Channel 9 TV Interviews FiscalRangers about 1 Mill Hospital Tax

Tavares, FL - Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 Orlando Channel 9's Berndt Petersen interviews FiscalRangers as well as local pundit Ralph Smith and Hospital District Chair Catherine Hanson about the 1 mill tax for the North Lake County Hospital Tax District. It generates about $8-million in tax revenue allocated to two local hospitals and five clinics to pay for indigent care. We all figure that if Obamacare gets implemented, it should replace the need for this rare tax, since most Florida counties do not have it, and even Sumter County voted one down. http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/affordable-care-act-could-ax-lake-county-hospital-/nbLJR/ Vance Jochim Read more →

Emergency Vehicle Delay in Volusia County Shows Weaknesses in Sheriff Run Dispatch Group

Tavares, FL (Lake County) - Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 by Vance Jochim [email protected] An emergency vehicle in Volusia County took 15 minutes to reach a guy who died before they reached him. They were dispatched by a central Sheriff run dispatching department. A trainee dispatcher somehow gave the wrong instructions to the Ambulance drivers. Apparently the problem was inability of the caller to 911 to explain what address he was at. The trainee then sent the ambulance to an address 3-miles away. This article is hitting Facebook distributions because the guy that died was a friend of a well known watchdog blogger in Volusia County. http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20131009/NEWS/131009459/1040?p=1&tc=pg This should be sent to the Lake County emergency dispatch operations managers (in cities as well). I have had a related problem with Fire dispatch in Lake County because I called to report a fire and I am on the border of Lake County and Tavares, and had to go through confirming exact addresses and being re-routed from one dispatch to another. It was only an electrical junction box fire, but the issue was quite confusing and service delayed while the dispatchers worked out who was responsible so they could sent the correct fire... Read more →

New Technology & Entrepreneur's Group Meeting in Lake County, FL

This isn't our normal subject, but since I am running this group, I thought I would post this. NEWS|Release AbacusTech Technology & Entrepreneurs Association (ATE) Meetings: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 6:30 pm Northeast Lake Business Opportunity Center 1520 S. Bay St., Eustis Contact: Vance Jochim 352-638-3578 [email protected] For immediate release — Oct. 10, 2013 New group Meets Tuesday, Oct. 15 to promote technology entrepreneurship by brainstorming and sharing ideas EUSTIS, FL — A new technology-based group, the AbacusTech Technology & Entrepreneurs Association (ATE), is inviting local residents who are interested in learning and sharing ideas about understanding current technologies and creating high-tech products and businesses, to their third meeting. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at the Northeast Lake Business Opportunity Center, 1520 S. Bay St., Eustis. Meetings will be held on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays. The purpose of ATE is to help budding technology-minded entrepreneurs by discussing, as a group, the various parts of high-tech startups, to learn what resources are available and to hear from technology businesses as they share their success stories. “There was a need to develop this type of group because I saw very few developed high-tech industries... Read more →