Sandy Adams Hits John Mica Over Earmarks
The gloves came off on Wednesday as U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams ripped into fellow Florida Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica. The two square off in a primary contest on Aug. 14 in a rare battle between two congressional incumbents.
Adams took aim at Mica on earmarks on Wednesday, insisting that he was a strong supporter of them.
“John Mica and other big-spending career politicians are part of the problem in Washington, D.C.," said Adams. “After requesting $4 billion in earmarks and increasing our nation’s debt by more than $10 trillion over the past 20 years, Central Floridians cannot afford John Mica any longer. My freshmen colleagues and I came to Washington to be part of the solution. However, there are still members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that continue to be part of the problem. With a nearly $16 trillion debt, it is clear the old way of doing things in Congress just doesn't work for the American people. I will continue to fight for an earmark ban in the 113th Congress, but the question begs to be asked: Would John Mica?”
Alan Byrd, a spokesman for Mica, fired back by pointing to Adams' record in Tallahassee. "Congressman Mica is not going to participate in a campaign stunt, especially from someone who personally received $129 million in earmarks while a state legislator," Byrd told Sunshine State News.
Previous
Next
6 comments
Comments (6)
11:17PM JUL 11TH 2012
This is all much ado about nothing. This isn't even going to be a close race. Sandy's poll had Mica up 16, Mica then does a poll a couple months later up 30. Lets compromise here and meet in the middle 46/2 = 23 points.
Sandy can throw all the mud she wants. She's going to lose and lose big. Everybody in Central Florida with any kind of electoral or political science experience knows this to be true. Sandy's folks count on voters being stupid and believing the nonsense her campaign dishes out. She is going to completely ruin any chance she has of being a beloved public figure in Orlando, and she only has herself to blame.
It's all very sad. Mark this post, Mica wins by minimum 15 points. Minimum.
Sandy can throw all the mud she wants. She's going to lose and lose big. Everybody in Central Florida with any kind of electoral or political science experience knows this to be true. Sandy's folks count on voters being stupid and believing the nonsense her campaign dishes out. She is going to completely ruin any chance she has of being a beloved public figure in Orlando, and she only has herself to blame.
It's all very sad. Mark this post, Mica wins by minimum 15 points. Minimum.
8:36AM JUL 12TH 2012
Team Mica would love for D7 voters to think Mica's win is in the bag to suppress turnout for Ms Adams. If Mica's campaign is so confident of a victory, why do they routinely "buy" straw polls? So they can further the lie that Mica's victory is a done deal, that's why. In a poll run by channel 13 news, Sandy Adams got 75% of the vote, compared to Mica's 25%. That victory couldn't be bought like the straw polls team Mica beats their chest over. Interesting the writer says Adams slings mud, but doesn't refute any of the claims she makes. Mica's campaign is counting on his name recognition after his way too long career in DC, and that uninformed voters will back the soon to be ex committee chairman. Fact is, the electorate is more informed and engaged than ever before, and tired of politicians like Mica. Washington is broken, and entrenched power brokers like Mr Mica, who ran up $11,000,000,000,000 in new national debt over the last twenty years are responsible for breaking it. Mica is part of the problem in DC, freshman conservatives with integrity and accountability to the voters like Adams are part of the solution.
8:45PM JUL 11TH 2012
Sadly Sandy Adams requested over 100 million in earmarks when she was at the state level...that's the REST of the story. Do as I say, not as I do Sandy is how I see my former rep.
8:14AM JUL 12TH 2012
The claim that she “requested over $100 million in earmarks” is one that Mica's paid hacks like to make, but its as fake as Mr Mica's hair helmet. The problem is, technically, there are no earmarks in the Florida legislative process.
Legislative earmarks of the kind Mr Mica is so fond of and known for are spending measures inserted into a bill, air-dropped may be a more accurate description, and is done so with little to no discussion or oversight. Much like those that were included in Mica's Transportation Bill passed just a week ago, that he is running to hide from now. The purpose of those earmarks are to ‘sweeten’ a piece of legislation to help garner the needed votes to pass it. ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ come to mind?
In the state of Florida, members submit Community Budget Issue Requests (CBIR) that go through an extensive process before being signed into law. There’s transparency all the way through the process, as well as total oversight.
A CBIR generally starts when a request is made to a county delegation by a not for profit or for profit business or local government entity. The request is discussed in a hearing by these members and then moves on to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee, where it must survive a vote before being inserted into the budget. These requests can be tracked and are open to the public for review all the way through the process.
Most importantly, CBIR’s are placed in the budget as line items, meaning the Governor can veto them individually. In Adams case, as the chair of the Volusia, Seminole and Orange county delegations at different times, she would have submitted CBIR’s on behalf of the delegation members, or may have been part of a group submitting a CBIR. All of which would be included in the $129 million referenced by the Mica campaign – over an eight year period.
So did Adams actually “request over $100 million in earmarks”? Not exactly, no matter how much Mica's campaign might like to mislead voters. Contrast this with the fact that Mica, who was named ‘Porker of the Month’ by Citizens Against Government Waste, said in July 2008, “There’s no way in hell I would support banning earmarks“. In his 20 year career, it is estimated that Mica has requested upwards to $4 Billion in earmarks. That’s billion with a B. Time to put the old bull and his old big spending ways out to pasture. While his campaign would like for all to believe we cannot afford to do without him, truth is- we simply cannot afford him, and his way of legislating anymore - period. To add insult to injury, the beneficiaries of his earmarks can often be found to have been represented by Mica's own family members who lobby for him. It's a despicable and corrupt practice that has to end, and he is on record as supporting.
Legislative earmarks of the kind Mr Mica is so fond of and known for are spending measures inserted into a bill, air-dropped may be a more accurate description, and is done so with little to no discussion or oversight. Much like those that were included in Mica's Transportation Bill passed just a week ago, that he is running to hide from now. The purpose of those earmarks are to ‘sweeten’ a piece of legislation to help garner the needed votes to pass it. ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ come to mind?
In the state of Florida, members submit Community Budget Issue Requests (CBIR) that go through an extensive process before being signed into law. There’s transparency all the way through the process, as well as total oversight.
A CBIR generally starts when a request is made to a county delegation by a not for profit or for profit business or local government entity. The request is discussed in a hearing by these members and then moves on to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee, where it must survive a vote before being inserted into the budget. These requests can be tracked and are open to the public for review all the way through the process.
Most importantly, CBIR’s are placed in the budget as line items, meaning the Governor can veto them individually. In Adams case, as the chair of the Volusia, Seminole and Orange county delegations at different times, she would have submitted CBIR’s on behalf of the delegation members, or may have been part of a group submitting a CBIR. All of which would be included in the $129 million referenced by the Mica campaign – over an eight year period.
So did Adams actually “request over $100 million in earmarks”? Not exactly, no matter how much Mica's campaign might like to mislead voters. Contrast this with the fact that Mica, who was named ‘Porker of the Month’ by Citizens Against Government Waste, said in July 2008, “There’s no way in hell I would support banning earmarks“. In his 20 year career, it is estimated that Mica has requested upwards to $4 Billion in earmarks. That’s billion with a B. Time to put the old bull and his old big spending ways out to pasture. While his campaign would like for all to believe we cannot afford to do without him, truth is- we simply cannot afford him, and his way of legislating anymore - period. To add insult to injury, the beneficiaries of his earmarks can often be found to have been represented by Mica's own family members who lobby for him. It's a despicable and corrupt practice that has to end, and he is on record as supporting.
5:13PM JUL 11TH 2012
I don't know a lot about Ms Adams because I have had Mr Mica as my representative for years, but based on this story, Adams will have my support. These earmark programs need to be scuttled and I agree that this is the kind of business practice that causes people to distrust politicians in general and congress in particular. If Mica cannot support Adams efforts, then she has earned my support.
