FGA’s 5 Hot Mics brings together five controversial
political professionals with five different ideological
perspectives debating five different topics in an informal and energetic way.

Our Hot Mics panelists are clever, informed and outspoken.
They are determined to make their points heard loud and clear.
FGA’s 5 Hot Mics is this season’s can’t miss political event.

Grey Oaks Country Club
2406 Grey Oaks Drive North | Naples, Florida 34105

Thursday, May 9, 2013
11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Program
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

RSVP by May 7, 2013 at
5HotMics.com
239.244.8808

Cost $40.00

MEET THE PANELISTS:

Jim Roach  | Former Democratic Congressional Candidate; Vietnam War Vet

Bob Harden | Producer & Host, Bob Harden Show

Slade O’Brien  | State Director, Americans for Prosperity-Florida

Rev. Wayne Robinson | All Faiths Unitarian Church

Chad Goote | Director of Development, Foundation for Government Accountability

THE RULES

• 5 different Hot Mic panelists
• 4 topics chosen by 4 Hot Mic panelists in advance
• 1 surprise topic chosen by the moderator
• 7 minutes of debate among Hot Mic panelists per topic
• Each panelist will answer specific audience-generated questions during a speed round
• 1 moderator keeps time ONLY for the topics—Hot Mic panelists are responsible for making their points heard
• 1 winner determined by audience applause
• Hot Mic winner receives the coveted Golden Microphone

FGA’s 5 Hot Mics brings together five controversial
political professionals with five different ideological
perspectives debating five different topics in an informal and energetic way.

Our Hot Mics panelists are clever, informed and outspoken.  
They are determined to make their points heard loud and clear.  
FGA’s 5 Hot Mics is this season’s can’t miss political event.

Grey Oaks Country Club
2406 Grey Oaks Drive North | Naples, Florida 34105

Thursday, April 11, 2013
11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Program
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

RSVP by April 9, 2013 at
5HotMicsApril.eventbrite.com
239.244.8808

Cost $40.00

MEET THE PANELISTS:

Jim Roach  | Former Democratic Congressional Candidate; Vietnam War Vet

Byron Donalds | Former U.S. Congressional Candidate and Political Commentator

Bob Levy  | Chairman, Cato Institute

Betty Parker | Political Columnist, Fort Myers News-Press

Chris Cinquemani | Chief Operating Officer, Foundation for Government Accountability

THE RULES

• 5 different Hot Mic panelists
• 4 topics chosen by 4 Hot Mic panelists in advance
• 1 surprise topic chosen by the moderator 
• 7 minutes of debate among Hot Mic panelists per topic
• Each panelist will answer specific audience-generated questions during a speed round
• 1 moderator keeps time ONLY for the topics—Hot Mic panelists are responsible for making their points heard
• 1 winner determined by audience applause
• Hot Mic winner receives the coveted Golden Microphone

By Jonathan Ingram, Director of Research

Executive Summary

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act’s optional Medicaid expansion have made a series of promises to Florida lawmakers as they decide if the government health program should include parents and childless adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. These promises include a reduction in the rate of uninsured, gradual enrollment increases, low and predictable costs, and a reduction in the amount of charity care.

These same promises were made in other states that previously expanded their own Medicaid programs. Because of this, Florida lawmakers now have an opportunity to see how Medicaid expansion impacted those states, and if
supporters’ promises were actually kept.

This report takes a closer look at Arizona, Maine and other states that expanded Medicaid. It finds that, unfortunately, expansion supporters have a poor track record of keeping promises.

• Enrollment among the expansion populations was much higher and faster than the slow and gradual enrollment that was projected.
• Medicaid expansion had little impact on the rate of uninsured. Arizona’s uninsured rate actually increased in the five years after expansion, while Maine’s did not change.
• Per-person costs for the new expansion populations were much higher than projected—particularly for the childless adult populations.

The experiences of these other states are instructive for Florida lawmakers. In those states, promises made by supporters of Medicaid expansion were unable to be kept. The same will likely be true for Florida if lawmakers ultimately decide to expand.

READ THE FULL REPORT (pdf)

NAPLES – A new poll commissioned by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is likely to cause buyer’s remorse for Governor Rick Scott and legislators who announced support for Medicaid expansion.

“Any Florida politician that hoped to score political points by supporting Medicaid expansion will be disappointed, and probably a little nervous, by these results,” said FGA President and CEO Tarren Bragdon.  “Medicaid expansion is unpopular with Florida voters, and a majority is likely to reinforce that opposition at the ballot box.”

The 811-person poll of registered Florida voters found that fewer than a quarter of respondents (24%) want Florida to expand Medicaid right away to enroll roughly 1 million more people into the taxpayer-funded health program.  A vast majority (70%) either want politicians to delay the decision for one year, or reject the expansion entirely.

With regard to expansion, voters indicate a lack of trust in the federal government to fund the expansion, support for a different approach to reducing the uninsured, and a belief expansion will increase voters’ taxes and personal health care costs:

• Half of voters have very little (27%) or no (23%) trust in the federal government to keep its promise to fund Medicaid expansion costs;
• 78% said making private health coverage more affordable was the best way to reduce the uninsured rate, compared to just 15% who said Medicaid expansion is the best approach;
• 62% strongly or somewhat agree Medicaid expansion will result in higher personal health care costs, while 70% of voters strongly or somewhat agree expansion will result in higher taxes.

A majority of voters (53%) are so firm in their opposition that they would be less likely to support their state legislator if he or she voted to expand Florida Medicaid by another 1 million enrollees.  Just 39% indicate they would be more likely to support their legislator for favoring expansion.

“Few voters believe that a massive expansion of government-run Medicaid will solve anything,” Bragdon said.  “Voters know it will cost more, tax more, provide less, and leave future generations with the bills.”

The poll was conducted by Mark Blankenship Enterprises (MBE) between February 19 and 23, 2013.  It has a +/- 3.44% margin of error and a 95% level of confidence.

CLICK HERE to access the full poll.

CLICK HERE to access the polling memorandum prepared by Mark Blankenship Enterprises.

About MBE

Mark Blankenship is president and chief executive officer of Mark Blankenship Enterprises, LLC (MBE).  MBE is a national communications and opinion research firm.. Blankenship’s surveys, commentary and insights have appeared in a range of national and regional media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Drudge Report, Fox News, Roll Call, The Hill, Politico and others.  MBE provides a range of actionable and reliable research methodologies to Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, prominent law firms, media organizations, associations and non-government organizations. 

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By Jonathan Ingram, Director of Research

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

As a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the federal Affordable Care Act, Florida policymakers are forced to decide whether or not they should expand the state’s Medicaid program to cover individuals earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Whichever decision they reach will impact the state’s long-term finances, overall patient health, and taxpayers’ bottom line.  The decision is made even more difficult due to a lack of consistent projections related to costs (both short and long term), participation rates, and per person spending.

Myriad academic and advocacy groups have generated projections on the impact of Medicaid expansion in Florida.  However, the projections lack consistency—varying widely from one another.  This should be a red flag to policymakers.

• Over the next ten years, Florida will spend $270 million on Medicaid if the state does not expand.  Spending climbs to $341 billion over the decade if expansion occurs.
• In other states, providing Medicaid coverage for childless adults costs anywhere from 67 percent to four times the cost of providing coverage to parents.
• Looking at expansion scenarios for Florida given the actual experiences in other states leads to a wide range of possible costs for the expansion population ten years out–from a lowest cost projection of $4.1 billion to a highest cost projection of $19.5 billion.

Without a clear understanding of how Medicaid expansion will affect patients and taxpayers, the best decision for Florida policymakers would be to reject expansion.  At the very least, they should delay their decision until they can see the results of expansion in other states.

READ THE FULL REPORT (pdf)

5 Hot Mics is not your typical policy event.  FGA’s 5 Hot Mics brings together five controversial political professionals with five different ideological perspectives debating five different topics in an informal and energetic way.

Our Hot Mic Panelists are clever, informed and outspoken.  They are determined to make their points heard loud and clear.

FGA’s 5 Hot Mics is this season’s can’t miss political event.

Grey Oaks Country Club
2406 Grey Oaks Drive North | Naples, Florida 34105

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Program
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

Cost: $40.00

RSVP by February 15, 2013 at
http://5HotMicsFebruary.eventbrite.com
239.244.8808

MEET THE PANELISTS:

Betty Parker  | Political columnist, Fort Myers News-Press

Roy Lenardson | Republican Commentator and Political Consultant

Joe Whitehead | The Joe Whitehead Radio Show/Retired Law Enforcement

“Smitty” Dorsey | The Ledge Radio Show – 96.1 K-Rock

Tarren Bragdon | CEO, Foundation for Government Accountability

THE RULES

• 5 different Hot Mic panelists
• 4 topics chosen by 4 Hot Mic panelists in advance
• 1 surprise topic chosen by the moderator
• 8 minutes of debate among Hot Mic panelists per topic
• Each panelist will answer specific audience-generated questions during a speed round
• 1 moderator keeps time ONLY for the topics—Hot Mic panelists are responsible for making their points heard
• 1 winner determined by audience applause
• Hot Mic winner receives the coveted Golden Microphone

FGA’s 5 Hot Mics is not your typical policy event.

It’s five controversial political professionals with five different perspectives
discussing five different topics in an informal and energetic way.
It’s like Thanksgiving Dinner without the turkey.

Our panelists are clever, respectful and informed, but they will be sure to make their points heard loud and clear.
FGA’s 5 Hot Mics is this season’s can’t-miss political event.

Grey Oaks Country Club
2406 Grey Oaks Drive North | Naples, Florida 34105

Thursday, January 17, 2013
11:30 to 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Program
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

Cost: $40.00

RSVP by January 14, 2013 at
5HotMicsJanuary.eventbrite.com
239.244.8808

Cost $40.00

MEET THE PANELISTS:

Byron Donalds | Former U.S. Congressional Candidate and Political Commentator
“Smitty” Dorsey | The Ledge Radio Show – 96.1 K-Rock
Steve Hart | Social Media Consultant
Roy Lenardson | Republican Commentator and Political Consultant
Tarren Bragdon | CEO, Foundation for Government Accountability

THE RULES

• 5 different Hot Mic panelists
• 4 topics chosen by 4 Hot Mic panelists in advance
• 1 surprise topic chosen by the moderator
• 8 minutes of debate among Hot Mic panelists per topic
• Each panelist will be asked 1 audience-generated question during a speed round
• 1 moderator keeps time ONLY for the topics—Hot Mic panelists have to figure out themselves how to make their points heard
• 1 winner decided by whoever receives the most applause from the audience
• Hot Mic winner receives the coveted Golden Microphone

A report authored by the Naples, Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) and the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation takes a close look at a tax most taxpayers are unaware of, but hits hard at many businesses’ bottom line.

The report, States Moving Away From Taxes on Tangible Personal Property, was authored by FGA Senior Fellow for Tax Policy Joyce Errecart, and the Tax Foundation’s Ed Gerrish and Scott Drenkard.  It provides a detailed explanation of tangible personal property taxes (taxes, typically targeting businesses, charged on the value of items such as furniture and manufacturing equipment), an overview of TPP tax policies across the states, and why states are moving away from TPP taxes as a source of revenue.

This November, Florida voters will vote on Amendment 10, which seeks to increase the amount of equipment a business can own before being subjected to tangible personal property taxes, and gives counties and municipalities the ability to reduce TPP taxes even further, or eliminate them entirely.

“This report shows that the tangible property tax is a particularly bad tax,” Errecart said.  “It can be burdensome, especially for small businesses, and can cause economic distortions.  In Florida, we need to reduce this tax, and let small businesses can do what they do best—create jobs. “

Upcoming publications by the Foundation for Government Accountability will discuss more directly what Amendment 10 means for small businesses in Florida, and the out-of-work Floridians hoping entrepreneurs will have the resources to grow and create more jobs.

Download report here (PDF)

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Some states will celebrate.  Others will cringe.  Policymakers, bureaucrats and child advocates are sure to thumb through the pages of the first-annual Right for Kids Ranking to see how their child welfare system compares to every other states’ and the District of Columbia’s.

The 2012 Right for Kids Ranking, authored by Foundation for Government Accountability Chief Executive Officer Tarren Bragdon, is a first-of-its-kind report that scores each state’s child welfare system performance overall, and in 11 key outcome areas.  The ranking methodology relies on 41 different data measures uniformly reported to the federal government, and a state’s 2012 ranking compared to its ranking in 2006.

A state’s child welfare system typically operates out of the public eye unless a tragedy, often the death of a child, pulls the system from the shadows to the front page.  It shouldn’t be this way, Bragdon said.  1,770 children in America die from abuse each year, and at least 740,000 more are abused or neglected.  The Right For Kids Ranking shows which states are doing the best job for vulnerable kids, and serves as a guide for states to improve in the 11 key outcome areas.

The report identifies the overall Top Five Right for Kids states as: Idaho (1), New Hampshire (2), North Carolina (3), Florida (4), and New Jersey (5).  The Bottom 5 Wrong for Kids states are: South Dakota (47), Illinois (48), Oregon (49), Massachusetts (50), and Washington D.C. (51).  RightForKids.org, a companion Web site to the report, presents nine years of child welfare data in an interactive way, and allows users to chart information unavailable in the report.

A state’s overall rank is important, but its rank in each of the 11 key outcome areas is also meaningful.  A state may perform well overall, but may need improvement in a specific outcome area.

New Hampshire ranks second overall in the 2012 Right for Kids Ranking, but ranks 36^th in Outcome 4—length of time before a state safely returns children to their biological families whenever possible and appropriate.

The Granite State could learn how to improve its Outcome 4 performance from a state like Mississippi.  Although Mississippi ranks a disappointing 43^rd overall, its Outcome 4 fourth place rank is impressive.

A rare showing of bipartisanship made it easier for a state’s child welfare system performance to improve.  Last fall, Congress gave states tools for child welfare reform, including flexible funding waivers with the freedom to dedicate resources toward prevention strategies.

Every state, regardless of their overall rank, can and should improve its child welfare performance, Bragdon explained.  Now that Congress has given states the tools and flexibility, governors and state policymakers should use the 2012 Right for Kids Ranking as a handbook to guide reform.

###

Read the full report here

Visit the companion website at www.RightForKids.org
________________________________________________________________

CONTACT:
Chris Cinquemani, Chief Operating Officer
239.244.8808 (o), 207.240.7090 (m) chris@FloridaFGA.org

Georgia State Representative Jason Spencer, sponsor of HB 668, invited Bragdon to testify in support of his bill after studying earlier FGA research on Florida’s welfare cash drug testing requirement.  FGA analysis of state-generated data from the first quarter of the Florida law showed a 48 percent drop in monthly cash assistance approvals and a drug-related denial rate of 19 percent.  In all, Florida taxpayers saved an estimated $1.8 million.

In December, Bragdon gave a similar presentation on Florida’s welfare cash drug testing law to the Health and Human Services Task Force of the American Legislative Exchange Council, an association of public, private and non-profit policy leaders who collaborate to develop ideas that address common challenges faced by the states.

“Drug testing ensures taxpayers’ generosity won’t fund illegal drug addiction by setting reasonable parameters for welfare cash,” Bragdon explained.  “Florida’s law proves this welfare accountability measure achieves major taxpayer savings.  It preserves benefits for the truly needy, and keeps children safer by no longer enabling meth moms and dope dads with no-strings welfare cash.  Representative Spencer’s bill will accomplish these same positive results.”

Georgia State Representative Jason Spencer (left) with Foundation for Government Accountability CEO Tarren Bragdon (right) at a legislative hearing on Rep. Spencer's bill to require drug testing for welfare cash applicants in Georgia.

Like Florida’s law, the Georgia bill requires welfare cash applicants test negative for drug use before receiving welfare dollars and compels the state Department of Health and Human Services to provide a list of area drug treatment facilities to applicants who test positive.  The Georgia bill specifically exempts applicants’ drug testing results from public records laws and criminal investigations.

“It’s critical for both taxpayers, and for the children state welfare programs are meant to protect that welfare cash assistance is not used to subsidize an illegal addiction.  My bill in Georgia is one part of a broad and important nation-wide movement toward welfare accountability,” Rep. Spencer said.  “I’m grateful the Foundation for Government Accountability has done such great work researching the success of Florida’s law.  Tarren’s testimony is important for my colleagues in the Georgia Assembly to hear and understand.”

According to recent media reports, up to 37 states are considering welfare cash drug testing.  Besides Florida, Arizona and Missouri have already passed such legislation.  Many reject the activist ruling of pro-addict federal Judge Mary Scriven temporarily halting Florida’s law.  State leaders understand her decree—criticized by legal scholars and child advocates—is wrong and puts kids at risk.  Governor Rick Scott has appealed her decision.

“The success of Florida’s welfare cash drug testing law is clear, and I am encouraged that Georgia and other states are headed in the same direction,” Bragdon said.  “Representative Spencer should be commended for his leadership on this important issue.  The Foundation for Government Accountability supports his efforts, and the work of other state leader looking to protect kids and save taxpayer dollars.”

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CONTACT
Chris Cinquemani, Vice President
239.244.8808 (o), 207.240.7090 (m), chris@floridafga.org