Nope.  Not true.  The job is what you make of it.

Let me give you an example:  our work against foreclosure fraud.

During my last few months in office, the evidence accumulated that there was a nationwide wave of foreclosure fraud, perpetrated by the big banks.  Mortgage securitization had sliced and diced mortgages to such a great extent that in many cases, the banks had no idea who owed what to whom.  When homeowners were unable to make their mortgage payments, the banks had to do something.  So they hired unscrupulous lawyers and other henchmen, who simply fabricated the paperwork needed to deprive families of their homes.

Now, to be fair, these families were usually behind in their mortgage payments.  But that did not give the banks any right or excuse to commit forgery and perjury.  If forced to choose between a destitute family and a crooked bank, I’ll go with the destitute family.  Because I know that the crooked bank won’t end up sleeping under a bridge.

Our legislative options were nonexistent.  The Dodd-Frank Act already had passed, so we couldn’t piggyback on that.  Congress was utterly preoccupied with extension of the Obama middle-class tax cuts and the Bush tax breaks for the rich; any amendments that I offered to that would have been ruled out of order, for not being “germane.”  And then there was the impediment of the Senate.  As Sen. Durbin had poignantly observed the year before, the banks “frankly own this place.”

Nevertheless, there were things that we could do – especially when we had a Senior Policy Advisor like Matt Stoller, who kept coming up with things to do:

• I told other Members of Congress how to establish a mandatory mediation program like the one that we had in Orange County, which had cut foreclosures in half.

• We recorded an eight-minute speech called “Fraud Factories” explaining the problem, with some startling examples (like one homeowner whose home was foreclosed without even having a mortgage).  That speech quickly zoomed to more than 100,000 views on YouTube.

• As it turned out, many of the people who watched that videos were reporters, looking to learn more.  That led to more than a dozen interviews, many of which were with national media.

• We held a news conference in Orlando, on the lawn of a homeowner whose bank had tried to break into her home, and change her locks, without a court order.

• We sent a letter to the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the council of key federal economic policymakers established by the Dodd-Frank Act, and we pointed out that: (a) the banks couldn’t properly account for trillions of dollars in assets, and (b) this constituted a potential “systemic risk” that the Council should address.

• I joined with Chairman Barney Frank and Rep. Corrine Brown to send a letter to Fannie Mae, one of the biggest players, asking Fannie Mae to dismiss four Florida foreclosure mills who were under investigation for fraud.  And Fannie Mae did.  Three months ago, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also decided to terminate their contracts with foreclosure mills nationwide.

• We called for President Obama to veto H.R. 3808, a bill which had the potential to let the banks off the hook, and President Obama did veto the bill.

• We called for a national moratorium on foreclosures, until it was confirmed that foreclosure fraud had stopped.

I didn’t get the national moratorium that I asked for, but Bank of America, GMAC and JP Morgan Chase instituted their own moratoria, covering 23 million mortgages.  They kept them in place until they were satisfied that they weren’t conspiring to defraud their homeowners and the courts.

The result was a 27% drop in foreclosures, due to the quashing of “robo-signing” and other types of foreclosure fraud.  This gave many homeowners enough breathing room to get back on track with their payments.  According to RealtyTrac, that saved almost 600,000 homes.

I don’t know who those 600,000 families are, and they sure don’t know who I am.  But I still feel good about it.

I hope to be back in Congress after the November election, and I hope that the Democrats are back in charge in the House of Representatives.  I’ve been working hard toward both goals, and you’ve been helping.  But whoever is in charge of the House, if I’m back there, I’m sure that I’ll find plenty to do.  Because the job is not just the voting.

As Rep. Brown told me before I was elected, the best thing about the job is this:  “all the good things that you can do for people.”

Courage,

Alan Grayson

(Photo: Creative Commons by Vectorportal)

Sometimes good sense prevails. The House on Wednesday voted unanimously to move $10 million around in the budget in an effort to keep a Jefferson County prison open, acknowledging the hardship its closure would have on the rural community.

The House voted to approve an amendment that earmarks the money for the prison system with the idea that it will keep open Jefferson Correctional Institute, which would keep 177 jobs in a rural north Florida county where the prison is the largest employer.

When the House voted by voice vote in favor of the amendment, residents of the tiny county next door to the capital area, who were already standing in the gallery during debate on the issue, erupted in cheers.

“I realize that we need to close some prisons, we have too many prison beds,” said Rep. Leonard Bembry, D-Greenville, who represents many of the prison employees. “But the human cost … is going to be unbearable,” if that particular prison closes.

The Department of Corrections announced recently that it would find cost savings by closing 11 prison facilities around the state including Jefferson C.I., near Monticello.

A national organization of law enforcement officers, “Beat the Heat” is an educational opportunity in the continuing efforts to keep racing “on the track where it belongs and off the streets.”

Ten other Beat the Heat teams from around the state will be participating. Scheduled to appear are the morning show radio crew from Power 95.3, M.A.R.S. (Mothers against racing in the streets), and other celebrities who will challenge Beat the Heat teams and street racers, selected from a drawing, to a race. Universal Nissan will be providing cars for the celebrities.

Spectators will also have the opportunity to take ride along during a pass down the strip in a two-seater dragster!

POC at event will be R. Ramos; who also drives his personal racer with OCSO insignias. He is a K-9 Deputy, steering racers to the track and off our streets.

Beat the Heat has consistently strived to provide alternatives to street racing, where individuals and groups interested in the competitiveness of fast cars and racing can do so in a safe and controlled environment.

For more information visit: driven2windragracingschool.com/Home.html

Event: “BEAT THE HEAT”
Location: Central Florida Racing Complex
10694 Cosmonaut Blvd. Lot 103
Orlando, Fl. 32804
Date: February, 11, 2012
Time: 7:00 pm

Meth lab chemicals and equipment (Photo: VCSO)

Investigators have charged, 26-year-old Brian Jett with manufacture of methamphetamine, possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Christopher Sanchez, 28, of Orange City, and a friend of Jett’s, has also be charged with possession of methamphetamine.

Authorities were alerted to a small, active meth lab in the vicinity of East Avenue and Night Owl Court in DeLeon Springs, after a resident called to report a suspicious person hanging out on a rural dirt road. Investigating officers, responding to the location, discovered a large barn-like shed with chemicals and equipment, where they found Jett and Sanchez.

Asked what he was doing inside the shed, Jett told investigators, “Supporting my addiction, cooking meth.” As it turned out, Sanchez was the man who the DeLeon resident had observed earlier and who aroused suspicions.

Deputies evacuated the building and called in narcotics investigators and the Volusia County Hazardous Materials Unit.

Authorities said, once the chemicals were safely contained and evidence was collected, Jett and Sanchez were charged. A woman, found sleeping inside the shed, was not charged.

Jett and Sanchez were booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.

You may register as an individual or create a walk team. The “challenge” is for teams from churches, schools, civic organizations, and businesses. Trophies and prizes will be given to the teams having the most participants. Registration for the free 5K Walk can be done online by visiting www.orchd.com under the events section.

This event is a collaboration between the Orange County Health Department, City of Orlando and Center for Change to encourage residents to live a healthier lifestyle by becoming more physically active and eating healthier.

Adults and children with healthy lifestyles are less likely to develop heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Together, these conditions accounted for over half (53.4%) the deaths in 2010, according to Florida statistics. In order to help control the risk factors for stroke and other chronic diseases, it is important to live a healthy lifestyle which includes: not smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and visiting a doctor to monitor your health.

This year the 3.1 mile walk will be lead by City Commissioner Samuel B. Ings, District 6 and other community leaders. In addition to the 3.1 mile route there will be a one mile route for senior adults and young children.

Attendees can also enjoy health screenings, health information, healthy snacks, cooking demonstrations, and other fun activities such as a hula hoop contest, rock climbing wall, stepping demonstration, martial arts demonstration, zumba, yoga and massages.

For more information about this event, please contact the Orange County Health Department at 407-858-1464 or visit www.orchd.com.

Doug Guetzloe

On Wednesday, an Orange County jury found political consultant Doug Guetzloe guilty on two counts of willfully failing to file a tax return.

Guetzloe, prosecutors say, earned about $375,000 in 2005 and 2006, but filed no taxes, cfnews.com reports.

He will be sentenced on May 21. Guetzloe could face a minimum of 15 months a jail, or serve a maximum period of two years in a federal prison.

Read More Here.

Photo credit: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

While Las Vegas takes the top spot, Key West comes in second, with Daytona and Miami Beach ranked # 4 and #6, respectively, as the trashiest Spring break destinations.

Of the # 2 ranking scored by Key West, coedmagazine.com stated:

Maybe it’s the fact that Key West is the southernmost inhabitable place in the lower 48 states or that its claims to have never had a frost, but this place is a continuous party.

Panama City Beach nabs the # 7 spot with Fort Myers coming in at # 8.

Coedmagazine.com, in determining the Trashiest Spring Break destinations, considered criteria which included the number of Hooters restaurants; liquor stores, tattoo palors and strip clubs present and whether the particular city hosts an annual bike week.

See Full List of the top Ten Trashiest Spring break destinations Here.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando Area recently welcomed the Clarke family to their new townhome at Stag Horn Villas.

Located on Stag Horn Drive and Silver Star Road, Stag Horn Villas is a 10-building, 58-unit affordable townhome community, featuring green spaces and play areas.

Habitat is in the final stages of constructing Stag Horn Villas, with 41 of 58 units having been completed.

Stag Horn Villas is the nonprofit’s first multifamily community.

Loisisnett Garcia-Rengel

Deputies have found a body in the Lake Nona area and they believe it could be the Orange County mom that went missing Tuesday morning.

Loisisnett Garcia-Rengel was last seen walking her children to school along Narcoosee Road to Lake Nona Middle School around 9:00 a.m. But Garcia-Rengel never returned home, Orange County deputies said.

Deputies also say, Garcia-Rengel placed a call to 911 just after 9:19 a.m., from her cell phone, saying she was concerned for children.  She sounded nervous and was crying.  The call was made in the area of Emerson Lake Boulevard and Narcoosee Road, but attempts by investigators to locate the caller failed.

Garcia-Rengel made another phone call around 11:00 a.m., this one to her daughter, telling her she was unable to pick her up from school.

Family members told deputies that it was rather unusual for the Orange County mom not to make contact with them for several hours.

Around 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, Garcia-Rengel’s husband called and reported her missing.  He told investigators that Garcia-Rengel suffers from depression and is on medication.

Deputies initiated another search for the missing wife and mother, both on the ground and in the air.   This time the search lasted for more than eight hours.

This afternoon, investigators spotted a body in a retention pond near the Eagle Creek subdivision where Garcia-Rengel lived.

Although authorities have not yet identified the body, it is believed to be that of Garcia-Rengel.

Deputies are on the scene working to retrieve the body from the retention pond.

This is a developing story.  Check back later for more. 

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is pushing back hard on a story produced by 10 News Investigators which said, twelve percent of children in Florida who are in state foster care are prescribed psychotropic drugs. And according to a government accountability report, children in foster care in Florida are about three times more likely to receive psychotropic drugs.

10 News Investigation also revealed that many young children under 12 years of age were given these drugs even though the labels warned that they ought not to be given to children under 12.

It is reported too, that parents called wtsp.com to say they had the same experience as the investigation revealed. Now, DCF Communications Director Joe Follick is hopping mad. He sent an e-mail to 10 News management blasting their story and requesting that those who worked on the expose, not do any more stories on DCF, going forward.

To add ‘insult to injury,’ Republican State Senator Ronda Storms (R-Brandon) is moving a bill (SB 1808) through the state legislature to precisely make it harder for DCF to medicate children in the foster care system. As if DCF is unaware of this!

Read More Here.