Fiscal Rangers

10+ Reasons to Vote AGAINST Lake County, Florida's $800-million "Infrastructure Sales Tax" Referendum on Nov. 3

On Nov. 3, 2015, the ballot in Lake County, FL will have a referendum asking voters to renew an existing one penny sales tax for another 15 years that will generate between $450-800-million in taxes. The funds will be for capital spending like buildings or computers or vehicles and split in thirds for each of these three groups: 1) Lake County government, the 14 cities in Lake County, and the School District. This article covers 10+ reasons to vote NO on the referendum and conditions needed to save taxpayers $100-million plus by prohibiting use of bonds to run up government debt. Read more →

Florida is SIXTH least socialist state in US. Texas is the LEAST socialist state.

Tavares, FL July 27, 2014 Florida is the SIXTH LEAST socialist state in the US, according to this analysis on TheStreet.com . They performed a really simple calculation of dividing the STATE expenditures for 2013 by the State GDP (gross domestic product) and got a percent of 9.32% or sixth lowest rate of spending among states. The same website also lists the 10 worst socialist states. #6 - Florida Total State Expenditures (FY 2013): $70.0 Billion Gross Domestic Product (2013): $750.5 Billion Expenditures as Proportion of GDP: 9.32% http://www.thestreet.com/story/12820447/5/the-10-least-socialist-states-in-america.htm Texas is the Number 1 LEAST socialist state with a GDP spending rate of only 6.99%. Thus they spend only about 7% of their GDP vs Florida at 9.32%. In comparison, the most socialist state is West Virginia, with state GDP spending rates of 34.1%. (http://www.thestreet.com/story/12783796/10/the-10-most-socialist-states-in-america.html) So, if you want the lowest spending state government to emulate, it is Texas. To get government watchdog fiscal & conservative news on Lake County, FL, visit www.FiscalRangers.com and also visit and LIKE our Facebook page "FiscalRangers". Read more →

Nightmare of Obamacare Presentation by Dr. Tim Moore

Tavares, FL - Nov. 4, 2013 Dr. Tim Moore, a cardivascular surgeon who owns a surgery clinic in Leesburg, FL gave at talk on the "Nightmare of Obamacare" to residents and visitors at the Royal Highlands retirement community in Leesburg, FL on Nov. 4, 2013. Moore's talk is blunt and covers all the Obama lies and the restrictions and true cost analysis that will affect both working and retired folks, so this is a good video and/or Powerpoint to watch, with many researched facts. We have both the Powerpoint and the video. Download Nightmare of Obamacare 2013 <<<< This is the Powerpoint You can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSI14Q5OF2I Read the video description also. The best way to watch it is to open a window with the Powerpoint and then another window with the video and click through the Powerpoint as Dr. Moore discusses each. We apologize for the sound, but the microphone was faulty and the hall created an echo due to the placement of the speakers (not under our control). Another version of the video might be uploaded later if we can get it from the owner. Read more →

Forbes ranks 650 Colleges based on "Results" and UF is top Florida College at 80th

You can also go to a link to look up any college. http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/uf-80th-florida%E2%80%99s-top-school-forbes vj Read more →

Reduced Foreclosure Data for Florida and Lake County IS Misleading

Tavares, FL - July 29, 2011 - The press has been reporting reduced foreclosures for Florida and Lake County. For instance, the article below from the local "Right Side of the Lake" blog talked about an improving economy, and cited the following: According to RealyTrac, one out of every 167 homes in Lake County is in some form of foreclosure procedure, which is still too high, but foreclosure activity is down 59 percent in the four county Orlando metro area from the previous six months. You can read the entire article here: http://lakecountygov.info/2011/07/21/lake-county%E2%80%99s-economy-may-be-turning/ The problem with using statistics or economic data, is that you have to understand how it is calculated. For instance, some US economic data showing improvements have been reported to be modified and manipulated by the White House to distort what is really going on. But in this case of Foreclosure statistics for Florida and the US, you need to know that due to former Attorney General Bill McCollum's investigations earlier last year, they found that foreclosure processing firms were LYING about conditions they approved in writing as support for foreclosures. As a consequence, the main processors were accused of falsifiying records for banks and owners of... Read more →

Desperate Obama Finally Considers Action to Outshine Lake County Officials and Reduce Foreclosure Problems

Tavares, FL - July 23, 2003 - We have hammered local officials about the lack of programs to fix the foreclosure problem in Lake County. So, the local Republicans haven't acted, and now the Big Liberal, himself, might initiate an action that could reduce blight caused by foreclosed and empty homes. Local officials could have at least passed ordnances forcing owners of foreclosed homes to pay homeowner association fees so other owners weren't stuck with the common ground costs. But, no action has been initiated to my knowledge. They also could have taken the initiative using Economic Development, CDBG or Tourism taxes to create a Realtor driven co-op marketing plan to snowbirds to buy local foreclosures in a streamlined process - but they haven't. The County has staff organized Green FAIRS and conferences and literature, so why can't they used that "community building" and "program management" expertise to develop foreclosure fixing problems? The Federal Government "owns" many foreclosed homes, so now they are considering RENTING them. What a concept. Local banks and investors who own homes should also consider doing that. Here is the Wall St. Journal article, unfortunately they force you to "subscribe" to read the whole article, so... Read more →

US Federal Reserve Prints Money - Here is YouTube Video Explaining this Fiasco

This is a great, but depressing video cartoon that explains "Quantitative Easing" which is liberal speak for "printing money" which will cause inflation. You may have read that the US Federal Reserve will "print" $600-million dollars in new money to buy bonds...which is a practice known for causing inflation. This video explains this messy technique and the problems it causes... Here is the URL on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUY16CkS-k Read more →

Time to Implement Obama type CHANGE for Democrats

If you own a company or manage a large department and are having a hard time generating enough business to keep all employees, here is a recommended method for selecting who to layoff: A Lay-off letter from an excellent boss. Dear Employees: As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President and that our insurance costs, taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%. But since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off sixty of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go. So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lots and found sixty 'Obama' bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change...... I gave it to them. I will... Read more →

Announcing the Tavares Business Incubator for Lake County Entrepreneurs

Tavares, FL August 16, 2010 Not long ago, I established a new business, Sunshine Medical Tourism, LLC. I actually formed it in 2008 after six months of research, but shelved it due to the economy. Anyway, I started it up two months ago, and I am in a new office at 921 West Main in Tavares, at the corner of HWY 19. We are just down the street from the County Admin Building. Separately, I had been following the UCF-run business incubator in Leesburg, and had talked to them and the City of Tavares about forming one in Tavares using the spare offices in the building I rent. I even proposed we could be a branch office for the Leesburg Incubator, since their offices are full. Incubators are office facilities with experienced business coaches for new, startup businesses. The emphasis is on growth, then they move into their own offices in 18 months. These are common in California. UCF has established a number of them around Central Florida and Orlando. It turns out that UCF charges for running incubators, and normally the local City provides an empty building for new business startups and also provides funds to pay for an... Read more →

Lake County Appoints Dottie Keedy as new Head of Consolidated Dept.

If you had signed up as a fan for our Facebook "FiscalRangers" page, you would already know this. As we mentioned in an earlier post, the Lake County Board of Supervisors will be asked at tomorrow's Board meeting to approve a consolidation of two departments into one. The merger of the former Economic Growth & Redevelopment Dept. (EGR) and the Community Services Dept. will result in a new Department called the Economic Development & Community Services Dept (EDCS?). According to Interim County Manager, Sandy Minkoff, Dottie Keedy, the current EGR Director, Dottie Keedy, will be appointed the Manager of the combined Department. Her position will be filled by... a new hire, and the County will advertise both internally and externally for the position. Critics of the County Economic Development progress will probably cheer at this move, because Keedy was known as an administrator and planner, and not the aggressive marketing and sales professional needed to drive Economic Development activities in the County. The fiscal effect will be to create a NEW position, funded by the General Fund, which will be for the replacement EGR Director. According to the Agenda Request document for tomorrow's meeting, the County will use salary savings... Read more →

Economic Development Leaders in Lake County? Yes, we found one at Yesterday's Minneola Business Summit!

As I have watched various issues affect Lake County, it has become apparent that there is not much leadership among the elected Lake County officials regarding economic development. We don't have a County Mayor, so the County drifts along like a lame duck while the County Board argues over zoning a horse riding stable or suing a water company, or they take junkets to Tallahassee to finalize a 350 page Comprehensive Plan containing regulations that will require hiring NINE new staffers (per the study given to the County Board early last year) and will expand County legal liability if the County does not have staff to act on some of the regulations. But, at the city level we have staffers John Drury and Bill Neron sparkplugging Tavares with the support from their City Council, and carrying on a planning legacy from Nancy Clutts. We have County Commissioner Jimmy Conner pushing for fiscal reform, but the County Commissioners do not even have weekly or monthly status reports on the critical issues of jobs and economic development. We have School Board member Larry Metz analyzing impact tax increases and halting some planned tax increases (last year). There is the small business incubator... Read more →

Economic Development Examples: Rural Oregon County Gets $188-Million Facebook Data Center

So, what has your local Economic Development Commission done for Lake County lately? Below is an example of what happened with an EDC in Oregon. A rural county created an "Enterprise Zone" that gave tax breaks to new businesses, and they got a $188-million data center project for Facebook. Read the DETAILED article below from the local Bend, Oregon paper, then ask your local Lake County Commissioners when we will get a data center from Facebook!! The article gives a good overview of all the considerations of how such a project was defined. vj http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100122/NEWS0107/1220410/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01 Read more →

Lake County Board to hold Workshop on Economic Development Tuesday, Jan. 11

Below is a notice with my stern recommendations I sent out today regarding a pending workshop at the Lake County Board meeting on the Economic Development program for Lake County. The workshop includes a 60 page powerpoint presentation on the MOEDC (Metro Orlando Economic Development Council) and the volunteer Economic Development Advisory Commission, plus input from the County ED Manager Dottie Keedy. I will post a follow up by Wednesday on the results of the meeting.vj =========================================== A workshop will be held at the end of tomorrow’s (Tuesday) Lake County Board meeting. Although the Board has mentioned such a workshop, the only notice of it was buried in the last few lines of the Agenda in “Section VI. Workshop” for the Lake County Board meeting ( SEE main agenda HERE ). But, there were no linked supporting documents to the “Tab 5” to provide background information. Then, in today’s late afternoon, links were ADDED to the main Calendar page (not the online agenda tab) for the January 12 meeting in the same cell with the link to the agenda. So, use the links below or go to the online agenda calendar and click the two new lines for January 12... Read more →

How Government Can Lie With Data - Growing Global Warming Climategate "BAD data" Crisis

Perhaps you have read about the hackers who posted about 1100 emails from a European science center that supports Al Gores Global Warming hypothesis. The emails show a pattern of collusion to modify or drop data so it only supported Global Warming. In my separate blog on corruption, I already posted a lengthy article HERE from the London Times explaining the scandal. It tells how now the guys with all the "underlying data" used to support Global Warming have deleted much of it so the analysis or data cannot be reviewed. Thus the issue is that most of the statements by Al Gore and others about the coming of Global Warming may be a fraud. So, now the issue is moving to the US, where GOP Congress members have sent a letter to the EPA telling them to halt actions and policies based upon the missing data until the quality of the science can be evaluated. This is a clear example of the risk of listening to government officials or policy setting people who control data and they manipulate it to make their case. ALWAYS question the underlying data for data based decisions. If it is not available or clear,then... Read more →