SB 234 – WE NEED PRESENCE IN TALLAHASSEE!!!
For those who didn’t watch the Senate Judiciary Meeting today, SB234 made it through. Senator Book gave her pitch, never mentioning the change in definition to “part of a day” and NOBODY showed up to oppose it. The next stop is the Senate Rules Committee and we NEED, NEED, NEED people to show up to speak out in opposition. We MUST put our objections on the record.
Anybody in or near Tallahassee who would be willing to speak out against this bill, please contact [email protected]. We need to do a better job at the next stop.
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Sailtime:
I have helped out several registrants over the years. I have a registrant who has lived in one of my houses for more than 3 years rent free. He lives in the house that I stay at when I’m dealing with my rental properties. I’ve had a friend on the registry that has since died. I am more than familiar with what registrants go through on a daily basis. Before I placed this registrant in this house I had one of my attorneys contact the police and advise them that under no circumstances are the police to come to this property to do compliance checks because this is my part-time residence. In over 3 years, the police have not come to this house to check on him. His probation officer came by to approve this house and I made it clear to his probation that I don’t tolerate any drama on my properties and won’t tolerate any drama from MDOC either. His probation officer did not come back the whole 2 years he was on probation. I have a registrant in another of my houses. I cut his rent in half because he couldn’t afford $900 per month. He lives in a nice 2 bedroom in a nice neighborhood for only $450 per month. I am not making any money on this house. I know a freeloader when I see one. Unless everyone gets on board fighting the registry then no progress will be made. If riffraff wants to live in a shell and avoid carrying his own weight, that is his choice.
As for registrants not having any money. I sent out over 2,000 letters to registrants in order to get meetings going and received over 100 responses. About 60 to 70% of these registrants had some type of income and several worked more than 1 job. I don’t know their incomes but do know part of the income of one because he is a retired O-5 with 30 years of service. I know what a retired O-5 earns because it is published. He earns $7,140 per month from his military retirement. He also drives 100 miles to Detroit each day. I don’t know what he earns in Detroit but if he is collecting over $85,000 a year in retirement pay, his job in Detroit must pay pretty good. So to say that every registrant is broke is a misstatement of the situation. I understand that 30 to 40% of registrants lack an income, but they can contribute in other ways. Riffraff isn’t brave for speaking out. He is a coward that chooses to hide under a rock and anyone who defends him is a fool.
You failed to read my previous post. I was talking about helping the registrant community in general, not any individual registrant.
Also, I never said that FAC dropped the ball. I appreciate the work that the volunteers of FAC do. I was mentioning an annual rally as an event to draw in more participation. I know Tallahassee is 7 hours from Miami. Derek made it to Tallahassee from Ohio and he doesn’t even own a car. I drove 2,000 miles each way to participate in a protest in Denver. I realize about 1/2 of all registrants don’t have cars. That’s why I suggested rallys in Tampa and Miami as well. The concept of rallys isn’t just to bring your cause to public attention. It brings persons interested in this cause together as a group and gives them a way to participate . These groups tend to expand over time. With this suggestion I am looking at the long-term goal of getting more people to participate.
I believe our difference of opinion boils down to perspective. I was raised in a family that we all have a duty to serve our country. My grandfather fought in the first world war, my dad stepped on a landmine in Korea and one of his brothers also fought in Korea, his oldest brother landed at Normandy on D-Day. Both of my brothers, one of my sisters and myself are all veterans. My son was wounded in Iraq. We were all raised to fight to the last and to defend the values of this country. And one of those values is the freedom to speak ones mind. If you want to call me a fool or an ass, you are free to do so and I won’t get mad at you for it. I may disagree with what you say but will always support your right to speak your mind.
This is one of the reasons that I support what Derek does. I don’t always agree with what he says or does but I respect his courage to put himself out in the front of the fight. His advocacy has cost him a lot of grief and he is currently facing bogus criminal charges in retaliation for his advocacy. What Derek does takes as much courage as any soldier going into battle. What people forget in this fight is that the registry is the greatest assault on personal liberties in the history of our country and it is the duty of every American to remind our leaders of what makes America great. What they are doing to registrants today they can do to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren tomorrow. You are free to defend a coward hiding under a rock. You will learn that in order to obtain victory you must stand behind those that have the courage to fight.
Detroit, below you wrote, “RIFF RAFF:… I, and a lot of other people, are wasting our time trying to help you. If you cannot find the time to help yourself, then I cannot find the time to help you.” When questioned as to whether you had ever made an effort to help him, you defended yourself with, “I was talking about helping the registrant community in general, not any individual registrant,” accusing others of failing to read, preceded just a sentence earlier by the following regarding an individual registrant: “Riffraff isn’t brave for speaking out. He is a coward that chooses to hide under a rock and anyone who defends him is a fool,” in response to his choice not to attend a rally that does not exist.
Do you understand how this comes across?
Further above, you claim that officers avoided making compliance checks because you asked them not to— a claim I find dubious, and something that in any case would not fly in Florida. If you think you can help Floridian registrants by renting to them, that’s great, but you will need to be in a position to handle compliance checks and PO visits on your property. If you can’t handle that, then you need to re-think whether you have any real commitment to helping registrants in this state.
Jacob
To add to what you said, if you told cops, Sheriffs or FDLE agents to not come to your house for compliance checks, you would open a can of worms so big that it couldn’t be described. They would make it their mission to make your life misrable.
I treat the officer that comes to my house with respect and he does the same to me. I don’t ever have an issue with him (But have with some others in the past). He leaves and I never hear from him again until it is the appointed time to come by again.
He is nice but I can bet your bottom dollar, if I was nasty to him and told him to get off my property, he would make my life a living Hell. Now if some a-hole cop is harassing you just for being on the registry, make a complaint with your state’s law enforcement agency.
Good morning. FAC
Here is question.
We need boots on the ground in Tallahassee for the meeting coming up.
Is there someone who is in the FAC leadership who has the clout willing to go and speak, but can’t because of funding. What would it cost to send them, food, transportation, hotel.
Even though we are living on a budget we will put money where our mouth is. We may not be able to cover it all but we will do our part.
As you have said it is so important to have representative there, speaking, not just for the RC’S but their family’s, and many others, it the introduction of the person it can be stated who they represent which can include how many members and how many that represents as a whole lot of people who vote. And are tax payers.
So let’s see if we can raise the funds to get er done.
Thanks for letting me share
It’s more than that. Things get snuck on the agenda last minute and we may not know from one day to the next whether something will be heard.
True I understand that that happens. but what about those FAC knows about?
Would it not be better to at least be there for that?
I am a bit confused, as the reason that no one could not go from FAC was funding.
Help me out here
I just got finished reading the bill for a second time this morning. From what I read this bill is being seriously misrepresented on this site.
The changes referred to involving partial days refers to a registrant’s residence or temporary lodging. I see nothing that states you must register a store or a friends house or any other place you visit 4 times per year. The partial days refer only to a residence or lodging. And even if it didn’t, it requires you to stay at the place for 3 consecutive days. You are not going to stay at a store for 3 consecutive days unless it’s open for 24 hours. If you stay at a friends house for 3 consecutive days then you have to register his house. The first day doesn’t count so it is apparent they intend that this not apply to brief visits.
I can see how people can view it as if you go to the store 3 days in a row that you have to register the store. But this takes out a couple of cardinal rules in statutory interpretation, first the statute must be read by the plain language of the statute and second the statute must be read as a whole. Reading the statute as a whole, the most reasonable interpretation is that brief visits are not part of the statute’s intent. The statute also contains criminal penalties. Another rule of statutory interpretation is that penal statutes are read strictly against the state. There is nothing in this statute that says that you have to register a place you visit 4 times per year. The statute is clear that this subsection applies to where you reside or lodge.
It defines a residence (Temporary, transient and permanent) as including where you “abide”. Abide means “to remain stable or fixed in a state”.
If it were “abide for at least 24 hours” or “abide overnight”, there would be clarity, but it does not.
Under Transient residence it clearly states, where a person “lives, remains, or is located for a period of 3 or more days in the aggregate during a calendar year”. The words “remain” or “is located” also have common understanding. This morning I was located at Dunkin Donuts.
Whatever ambiguity existed before was not clarified by adding days can mean any part of a calendar day.
FAC can prepare the statement. Someone just needs to read it into the record. You don’t have to share your story if you don’t want to.
Something I gleaned from tonight’s weekly update that may not be clear above.
Jacob:
There are a lot of people in this effort trying to help registrants in general. I have helped out individual registrants with housing and other needs. I am speaking about helping registrants in general. When we work to end the registry all registrants benefit.
FAC and affected Floridians should take a glance at how ACSOL and Janice fight bills in Sacramento.
They actually have a lobbying team that works the Capitol prior to public debate and vote.
When it’s time to speak up they will have 35 people speak in opposition of the bill against 1 or 2 supporting it. They have defeated many horrendous bills in California this way.
It truly gets the attention of the lawmakers when that happens.
There are many on this forum who are bright, intelligent and could articulate the problems with this non-stop lunacy before a legislative committee.
That is the way forward for FAC and to put a check on the madness in Florida. Just my 2 cents…
Way to go JZ!
You have answered what I have been asking myself all day how does ACSOL do it?
It’s what I posted the other day about needing the right representation.
Now the question and challenge is the how to get that here with FAC.
I don’t believe it’s wishful, magical thinking to hope for that to happen.
I don’t believe in my heart of hearts that FAC would be against that happening here in FL. But our people are worked to the hilt.
Because of my age and other circumstances I can’t be as involved as I want. But I have still got a bright mind and a desire for all to prosper and be free to live.
Thank you for you info, I now know how to pray better.
God bless FAC!!! And all those who work so hard!
That was meant to be “CJ”
Sailtime:
This site is busier than the ACSOL site. Based on that you have many motivated to stand up against tyranny.
You must walk before you run. I’d suggest conference calls for education and shared collective thoughts.
Then, scheduled meetings in various large populated regions within the state.
Once the momentum builds then bring forth an action plan to fight in the state Capitol.
Truth is always a defense to false light. We own many truths that are ignored by legislators such as your maniacal Mrs. Book and her cronies.
I never read the constitution until my constitutional rights were robbed from me.
All the best!