I am voting[1] for Ray Netherwood, the Libertarian candidate for the Libertarian Party in the general election for the Florida 19th Congressional District Special Election. Although I am Republican and do not anticipate switching parties any time soon, for me it comes down to a preference between Curt Clawson, the Republican nominee, and Ray Netherwood, the Libertarian nominee.
Aside from addressing Mr. Netherwood’s excellent economy and jobs platform, I would rather address some conservative social issues. Just take one good look at the Clawson Economic Growth Plan (a dizzy read), and decide for yourself if you want more of the same: government use of debt to sell off corporate debt with offshoot cronyism and special interest corporate causes that do not look at the big picture.
In the many possible political worlds, I have learned that defeating abortion and homosexuality are difficult propositional platforms. Marriage between a man and a woman whips into the homogeneous homosexuality agenda, the phalanx of rhetoric so to speak.
I take on the Tea Party principles and practical legal and political implementations for them – a more courageous political stance. Perhaps persistent, well-educated, and moral legislators and judges, whom we elect, one day will win the pro-life issue by laws supported by the U. S. Constitution.
Although I do not think homosexuality will ever go away, I am not presumptuous enough to think the U. S. Constitution and its interpretation of it can obliterate homosexuality. Certainly, though, homosexuality will use the U. S. Constitution to defend itself. Nevertheless, marriage is another matter: a legal act with historical legal precedence.
I have to admit, we, catholics, are a captious bunch.[2] We stand up against abortion and homosexuality, as we should; however, at the same time, we should find the practical (political, active, and legal) way to defend the unborn and marriage between a man and a woman. DEFEND, in all capitalization, is the key word. The question is, “How shall I be the best defender of the faith?” Knowing marriage between a man and a woman leading to faithful love and care of children and right to life is part of our faith, we would defend it with our lives, I hope. In light of what los españoles say in español,
“El filósofo Epícteto dijo que un hombre sabio no se lamenta por lo que no tiene, sino que se regocija por lo que sí tiene.”
Translated,
“The philosopher Epictetus said that a wise man does not grieve for the things he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
We have many things to be thankful – perhaps not now the defense of innocent lives taken in the womb and the defense of innocent children in homosexual relationships. I can be patient for the good in God’s chance moving hearts over these issues.
Meanwhile, a time is here to shake up the U. S. Congress. Thus, in my little way of the flower, I, a “gut strunk catolic,” [good strong catholic], am voting for Ray Netherwood, the Libertarian nominee.
The Fort Myers and Naples, Florida, general election is June 24, 2014. Ray Netherwood is running against Democrat April Freeman and Republican Curt Clawson.
Please remember to donate to my law school fundraiser https://www.giveforward.com/f/kwj4/1. If you would like to join my law school fundraiser as a team member or recommend a willing team member, just send me your email address. I would be honored by your assistance.
[1] I cannot vote per se in Florida’s 19th U. S. Congressional District due to a voting registration change.
[2] The word, Catholics, is a proper noun with capitalization, as referring to a unique entity. I use catholic with a small “c” for the purpose of this article.
This morning I wrote, “If the Republican Party will not aggressively fight for real cuts and real reform in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, if at all, it very much will be time for a third party in this country.”
The level of hand wringing and disgust from some was predictable. From others, it was downright humorous, if not a bit annoying. For seven years now I have written that third parties are not the way to shift this country. In fact, there is a whole chapter in my book about how third parties are not the answer.
So, I’m advocating a third party and not advocating a third party? It presents a WTF moment and I don’t mean “winning the future.”
Jim Pethokoukis, who is one of my must reads every day, I think probably got the point in this tweet.
From my book:
Remember that 300 Spartans held off the Persian Army. Small numbers compared to the thousands of well armed Persians. Small numbers working well together can be powerful numbers. It just takes some dedication.
Because of ballot access laws in the several states, it is virtually impossible to organize and operate a third party. Look at the Libertarians. They have been around for years and have zero nationally elected politicians and very, very few at the local level. Same with the Greens. And remember 1992? The Reform Party stormed onto the scene only to rain out.
If we are to fundamentally change this country, we will do so through the existing party apparatus. And it is damn easy if you work at it with some friends.
That’s one reason the tea party became so prominent in 2010. It worked as a third party within the existing party apparatus. It did not succumb to the charms of the establishment. It sought to slay the establishment and in many places it worked.
Unfortunately, since the election, we’ve seen a collapse of the national tea party movement, which has become much more fixated on lawsuits and fundraising, and local tea party activists have become very focused on local matters.
If the GOP will not stand and fight on the issue of the debt ceiling and reform, the tea party is going to have to become resurgent in a way we have not seen since the height of the Obamacare debate. During that debate, however, the energy was focused on Democrats. Now that energy must be brought to bear against Republicans, many of whom are even now plotting tax increases and insignificant cuts and structuring of the federal government.
The base needs to work now, within the party, to force the establishment to pay attention. The energy to create a third party and make it viable would distract from the present fight. Instead, the tea party movement needs to act like a third party within the GOP — separate itself from those presently in power if they are not true friends of the tea party movement and then seek to beat them from within.
Along the way, the tea party movement ought to start examining the laws of the several states and see which of them will allow nominations by party convention instead of primaries. Find those states — Georgia is a good example — and start working to force conventions. Then do in those states what happened in Utah to Bob Bennett.
If the Republican Party does not perceive and understand that it is under threat from within by its own base, it will continue surrendering when it should be fighting.
It is worth noting that when Standard and Poor issued its warning about American debt it did not mention the debt ceiling debate.
In fact, Barclay’s Bank specifically noted in its statement about what it all meant that “This announcement was not about the debt ceiling; in fact, the debt ceiling is not even mentioned in the SP release. In sharp contrast, the reason why U.S. government ratings came under pressure in 1995-96 (Moody’s put parts of U.S. government debt on negative watch) was the debt ceiling impasse at that point. This means that even if the debt ceiling debate were to be resolved in the near term, it would not be enough to restore the outlook to stable.”
Certainly, if things were dragged out long term there would be an impact, but not over the short term. As Senator Pat Toomey and others have noted, the United States brings in more money each month than is owed on the interest payments we must make to service our debt.
That has not, however, stopped the Democrats from trying to claim the SP decision is about the debt ceiling.
Witness Democrat Party mouthpiece subsidized by the Washington Post Ezra Klein spinning the SP madly into a demand that we raise the debt ceiling and screw the cuts.
This is going to be the Democrats’ new tactic. Back in 2006, Barack Obama, in opposition to the debt ceiling increase at that time, said, “Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally.”
Harry Reid joined him, saying, “Given the explosion of debt in recent years, it is long past time for Washington to change the course and adopt a new fiscal policy.” The Democrats have adopted a new fiscal policy and it has exploded the debt. Despite Democrat rhetoric about George W. Bush’s out of control spending, the Democrats these last two years have made George Bush’s spending spree look amateurish.
Now the Democrats want to increase the limit on the national credit card instead of paying down the bill. They want a free pass to more spending. Instead, the Republicans should accept the fact that no matter what they do they will never win over the press and should instead refuse to raise the debt ceiling without massive cuts and entitlement reforms.
The American people understand what it means to refuse to pay down credit cards and instead get new credit cards. They understand that is what government is doing. And they are tired of it.
If the Republican Party will not aggressively fight for real cuts and real reform in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, if at all, it very much will be time for a third party in this country.
Friday night the Republicans and Democrats reached a deal to avoid a government shutdown. The Republicans had promised $100 billion in cuts. They back pedaled to $61 billion in cuts. They have actually agreed to $38.5 billion in cuts, or about four days worth of spending by the federal government.
Many of the conservatives who booed them for going from $100 billion to $61 billion are now ready to dip John Boehner in bronze and champion him as the second coming of Ronald Reagan.
The most depressing bit of all of this is how quickly conservative pundits who promised they were to going to throw off the shackles of fidelity to the Republican Party after Bush and become again true conservative warriors for freedom have descended, automaton like, into guttural cheerleading for a Republican Party that just went from $100 billion in promised cuts to a third of that in actual cuts while selling out the unborn for roughly $1000 per murdered child assuming reports are true that they got the Democrats to increase cuts $1 billion in exchange for dropping the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
God knows if there is one lesson for the Republican leaders in this, it is that they can promise the moon, deliver dirt, and the sycophantic conservative media will pop fireworks, fly American flags, and proclaim that dirt the second coming of Jesus Christ.
It’s embarrassing really. The deal is not terrible, but it is not nearly as good as some would have you believe. For starters, that $38.5 billion is total for the year — not an additional cut on top of what was already cut. Let’s review the good and the bad.
The good is that we are about to see real cuts in government. These are not cuts in the rate of spending growth, but actual cuts. That is a good thing.
We will also see the survival of the D.C. school voucher program that black parents in Washington, D.C. have been begging for only to see the first black President of the United States send his kids off to a ritzy private school and tell D.C.’s black parent’s to go to public school hell.
The District of Columbia will again be prohibited from using any tax payer dollars to fund abortion. Barack Obama had signed that, called the Dornan Amendment, into law in 2009 and it had the support of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Joe Biden in the past. In 2010, the Democrats scrapped it. It is now restored.
As an added bonus, if we take the Democrats at their word, we see now that the Democrats were willing to shut down the government and defund our troops in combat zones all to ensure the federal funding of children being murdered.
For those on the left who’d reverse that and say the GOP was willing to have troops defunded to stop children being murdered, actually the GOP proffered several resolutions to keep soldiers paid during a shut down and the Democrats blocked them all.
On the bad side, the GOP is getting $38.5 billion in total cuts for the year. Additionally, of the $38.5 billion in cuts, several folks on the Hill tell me that $12 billion is from readjusting baselines in the budget and are mostly smoke. But we’ll take it. Again though, the actual cuts Friday night were around $26.8 billion, with the original CR having $10 billion and the stop gap over this weekend being $2 billion.
For perspective, the federal government spends $10.46 billion a day. The Democrats and Republicans have now come together to cut out just under 4 days worth of spending out of 365 days. But wait, the GOP and Democrats will say, the fiscal year ends in October.
True, but the spending cuts remain equal to just four days of spending between now and October.
That’s not the only bad part.
The Republicans absolutely caved on defunding Planned Parenthood. Sure, the GOP will get a vote in the United States Senate. They will lose that vote and even if they didn’t, the matter would get vetoed.
The GOP will also get a vote on defunding Obamacare in the Senate. They will lose that vote too. In fact, they already had that vote and lost once.
Both of these could be gotten at any time by Senate Republicans, so it is not as monumental as it seems.
For a year now the Republicans and Democrats have told us we have serious problems and need serious solutions. They’ve told us we have a serious budget deficit crisis. On Friday night the two parties came together and decided the crisis they’ve been telling us about really isn’t worth dealing with.
Today we embrace the status quo and welcome our new Chinese masters.
The issue of marriage equality would never work for a cohesive and strong Republican party, much less for conservatives. This issue will certainly split the party to some degree. The issue is unsupportable because there are too many connections that become unconnected and need reconnection. For instance, the Republican party needs an ideology that is consistent. Pro-Life is one issue, according to Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List, where the Republican nominees for the Chairman of the Republican National Committee were consistent in its ideology. The connection breaks when marriage equality tries to connect to Pro-Life. One can’t be Pro-Life and believe in marriage equality. It just isn’t possible and shows incongruity. Here’s why. Being Pro-Life means an honest respect for Life, respect for the baby in the womb, the baby just outside the womb, the dying, the elderly, the embryonic cell, etc. Life comes from a married couple, between a man and a woman (with male and female sexes emphasized for clarity). Life will never come from cohabitating man and man, or woman and woman. This type of cohabitation would never consist of a marriage because the intercourse between a man and a woman consummate the consenting marriage (making the couple truly one flesh). The human action of intercourse is precisely the act that brings into potential existence the life of a child. So, marriage respects life, produces the child, rears the child, and protects the child. Marriage between a man and woman is necessary and sufficient for Life. Marriage equality breaks the Republican party because it is not connected to Pro-Life.
Dear Deana Bess, F. Preston and (sic) “Guerrero is a cheat,”
The republican primary for my race for Florida House District 112 is now over. I would like to respond to your accusations of cheating and so forth. Maybe the best way to respond is to answer your questions and concerns. Absolutely, I understand that these answers may not alleviate your intellect and decision-making with regard to my running for office. Actually, I respect the SWFL 9.12 Project and believe in most, if not all, of its premises. So, I would like to respond because the SWFL 9.12 Project’s principles are part of my principles, too. But, principles and the application of principles are two different things. When we understand and present the principles right, then we can begin the work on the application of those principles. Sometimes, circumstances exist when the best applications of those principles can not be met. Nevertheless, thank you for your help in the vetting process.
Here goes one question and concern at a time.
1. To Deana Bess posted April 17, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Concern: James Patrick Guerrero (R) candidate for US House of Representatives, District 25 and FL Representative District 112. (He is registered for both positions on the FL Supervisor of Elections web site; I confirmed it’s the same person, same address, etc.)
Platform:
His web site outlines specifics but to paraphrase, it is focused on right to life, family values, and religious beliefs.
Local events:
He was a speaker at the Collier County Republican Club meeting on April 12th.
Answer: All is correct. I wanted to run for U.S. Congressional Representative for Florida District 25. I had to change to a plan B. Residents from Ave Maria, Florida viciously attacked me and the family. I know the names. A resident posted an extremely defamatory web site against my name, business, family, and religion. I began my congressional campaign at the The Bean and the Quasi-Parish Oratory of Ave Maria, Florida, but some residents, some Ave Maria University administrators and employees, and even some officers of the Knights of Columbus defamed my name and family, and under this attack I could obtain only 66 signed petitions for U.S. Congressional representative. From my own Ave Maria community, I did not receive the support to propel me forward, even though I am a Catholic pro-life candidate. Instead, I decided to run for the Florida House District 112, which David Rivera left open seat.
2. To Deana Boss posted April 17, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Concern: I just tried the merchantcircle link again and the article is no longer there. Sorry about that!
Answer: A search by my friend revealed this MerchantCircle web site. I don’t remember logging a new account to the MerchantCircle web site. It is against the law to log an account using some other business name. The negative posts in that web site were made by a resident and business in Ave Maria against my business. Since the postings were untrue, I claimed this business listing and deleted the listing, as I suspected that I did not open the listing. If you need to view copies of the postings, I have them.
3. To F. Preston posted July 4, 2010 at 6:17 am
Concern: Mr. James Patrick Guerrero was in fact a speaker at the Collier Republican Club. He spoke about the right to life at every chance, even when it did not apply to the question. He also said something that really caught my attention, he was running because this was an opportunity to get his name known. Then I saw he was running for Congress.
This candidate is lacking a great sense of awareness and community work. He made me feel as if a priest was running and not someone who could help Florida. He is very stiff and almost feels like I am back in college.
He has little experience, is unapproachable, and worst of all has a chip on his shoulder because he wanted to be appointed to the school board or something.
Added note, he could never win as no one knows him in Collier and in Miami-Dade he cannot get elected not knowing any Spanish, but claiming to be Spanish. Confusing person.
Answer: I have spoken at lot in my life as a husband, father, businessman, college teacher, lector, and leader. Actually, when I was a child, I had to overcome an affliction of stuttering. Yes, really. My education and training, the Marine Corps, combat, and business helped me completely overcome it. I always speak about the right to life. Because of the economy, I decided to leave construction and insurance and go into politics in December 2009. I applied for an appointment to the Collier County School Board to replace Richard Calabrese, District 5. I was short-listed by Matt Hudson to one of six candidates. I did study theology in the minor seminary, so at one time I had an aspiration to become a priest. I believe I already have helped Florida. I was interviewed by Governor Charlie Crist, and Crist selected Roy Terry. My mother did not teach me Spanish because many Texans discouraged Spanish-speaking for upward mobility. This is history. I learned Spanish in Miami while I was adjusting Hurricane Andrew claims. My Spanish-speaking is inadequate, but I’m about as Spanish as one can get. I do not see Spanish inadequacy as an impediment in politics because I can better learn and write it (and Creole) when I’m ready. My background is more of a mix of education and cultural experience. As to whether I could win an election, the question really is when I can win an election. I received 1001 votes in the Florida Republican primary 2010.
4. To “Guerrero is a cheat” posted July 8, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Scroll down to page 12 of the document to read about his discipline.
Case #(s): 2006-066309
James Patrick Guerrero
License #(s): CG C057102
3101 SW 190 Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33332-1370
Probation for 2 years
Satisfy civil judgement obtained by Antwaian M. Crawford.
Pay administrative fines in the amount of $10,000 and costs of $171.35
No one present at hearing
Answer: I am a general contractor and roofing contractor licensed in the State of Florida, although my roofing license is inactive at this time. These professions are my livelihood to support my family. I appealed Case #2006-066309 to the Second District Court of Appeals in a pro se application. I won the appeal, and, currently, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation must work with me so that I can timely pay the civil judgment that I owe to Antwian Crawford. The administrative fine of $10,000 is only retrospective if I do not pay the judgment. The judgment is $5,000 and the court costs are $171.35. If I could pay the judgment, I would. My economic circumstance does not allow me to do so at this time. I am out of work, and I am meeting the most obligatory expenses for my family. When the hearing was set, I could not attend because I overlooked a mail notice that I received late and I was moving to Naples at the time. This was the basis for my appeal.
5. To “Guerrero is a cheat” posted July 13, 2010 at 11:23 am
Concern: Here are links to the two court cases where James Patrick Guerrero was evicted from two different homes in Naples for non payment of rent and damages to personal property.
Answer: The other eviction that was filed in Collier County was 2054 Fairmont Lane, Naples, Florida 34120. The owner of this property is Jack Schwartz. Jack Schwartz actually evicted us; it is true and sad. I have never been evicted in 28 years of marriage and family life. Again, the sign of the times and economic circumstances surrounding our life prevented the payment of rent on a timely basis. I was out of work. Jack Schwartz had also filed for damages. He did evict us, but he did not pursue his damage claim. We had to leave and departed the property as clean as possible, and fortunately we found a rental in Ave Maria. Again, I still owe Jack Schwartz, and I will pay this small debt, as soon as I am able.
6. To “Guerrero is a cheat” posted August 3, 2010 at 11:10 am
Concern: James Patrick Guerrero has not paid his Collier County tax bill in close to two years-follow the link below for more details. This guy has been sued and evicted numerous times, is almost two years delinquent on his tax bill, and has the gall to run for state representative. It’s not a surprise he’s running dead last in every poll.
Answer: Laura and I owe the Collier County Tax Collector for the one 2010 tax bill, not two years. I wish I could pay it. Because of the defamation to my name and business and the inability to find work, it has been a suffering to endure to be in a situation to not pay this tax bill. We have tried to sell the land, but the market is so bad that raw land will not sell. Do you know any buyers for the pristine 20 acres?
7. To “Guerrero is a cheat” posted August 11, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Question: Why is it that James Patrick Guerrero lists his address in all of his campaign literature as 1965 Platt Rd., when according to Collier County property appraiser and Collier County Tax Collector records 1965 Platt Rd. is a vacant lot?
Answer: My Florida homestead is this “vacant lot” consisting of 20 acres of farm property owned by my wife, Laura, and me. The United States Post Office allows us to maintain an address here. Naturally, one would put their address at the property one owns, and this is the only property we own. Collier County impact fees are too high for us to build on this property. Because of the proximity of this land to wetlands, mitigation measures and expensive costs are required to build. We would like to live on this land, but it is economically impossible for us to do so at this time. Our economic situation is still stagnant.
8. To “Guerrero is a cheat” posted August 11, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Question: Could it be because the owner of the house that Guerrero and his wife are renting in Ave Maria has taken him to court and is attempting to evict him for non-payment of rent?
Answer: William Kabry, the owner of the house we rented on 3321 Steinbeck Way, Ave Maria, FL 34142, filed an eviction lawsuit in Collier County Court. The complaint was non-payment of rent. The judge did not proceed with the eviction but neither did he dismiss the lawsuit, and the judge allowed us to rent because the rent was already paid up. We continued to rent until June 22, a month beyond our lease termination date. Not to be exact, but the rent was late about eight (8) days. William Kabry is not the real owner. There is a trust which he manages for his family that is the real owner. We contracted the lease with William Kabry. This whole incident occurred because a resident of Ave Maria, posing as an Ave Maria University professor, called William Kabry and reported the eviction by Jack Schwartz. William Kabry reported this telephone call to us. William Kabry gave us the name of the caller.
In summary, I tell people that I’m poor but I’m happy. I live in a spirit of poverty: I can live in good economic times and in bad. Right now are bad economic times. Nevertheless, I never abandon my family and leave them leaderless. There is debt, and debt is not cheating. Debt is something one owes. Cheating is premeditated taking of one’s property for keeps. My analysis of the above postings is as follows.
I counted one vetting process, one business defamation concern, one concerned reaction to a speech I gave, one disciplinary action to a judgment concern, two eviction lawsuits, one property tax debt, and one address question. In humor, would a poor family not have these types of issues in tough economic times? 1. I appreciate the vetting. 2. To keep my business in perspective, I have never filed for bankruptcy, but yet many individuals around me have. I have always been in business and still am in business. I know that I can’t please everybody. 3. Not everyone pleases me, but I do tolerate everyone. 4. I owe two judgments, and many others owe judgments. Having a debt may mean an imperfect application of a principle. Everyone has debts. 5. Anyone can file a lawsuit. Having a lawsuit does not make the defendant imperfect for office. Having a lawsuit may mean an imperfect application of a principle. Everyone has conflicts. 6. By the way, I do not believe in property taxes which is one of the principles of the SWFL 9.12, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pay it. It’s the law. Remember the land can be foreclosed on the tax certificate, so hasn’t the best application of the principle occurred. 7. My homestead is in Collier County at 1965 Platt Rd, Naples, FL 34120, where I receive my mail all the time.
Yes, I, a businessman, have taken a loss in bad economic times. This is precisely why I am running for office: because the government over-regulates, passes anti-business climate laws, taxes property, and legally over-burdens poor people.
Somehow I think the overused cliche, “barking up the wrong tree,” applies here. Why not let your guard down? I’m not going to hurt you. With what do I have to hurt you? Nothing. I want to help the citizens of Florida and especially the District 112 with what I have learned and experienced. I would like to represent the working class, especially those out of work, businessmen and women, the youth, the young adults, and the poor, all with there particular problems that I have actually experienced. Am I capable, you ask? I always answer yes, i.e., I’m trained and strong to handle all of these types of problems. I’m a steel drivin’ man. If you try to measure me by what you know, you’re making a mistake. Rather, measure me by the way I lead by example. I won’t ask you to do something I won’t do myself.
Once again, thank you for being a good citizen on my vetting process. My best to your families.
ThursdayMan | el hombre del jueves 
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