#Eric County

[subsidystadium]

The Buffalo Bills forgot to involve minorities and locals when building their stadium. Whoops.

When the Governor of New York announced the $1.54 billion dollar agreement to build a new Buffalo Bills stadium, she emphasized that this agreement included a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). These documents would ensure that the Bills are, in fact, hiring minorities and women for the stadium construction. This was important to the local area. The State of…

[sher-ee]

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The Kansas Supreme Court offered a mixed bag in a ruling Friday that combined several challenges to a 2021 election law, siding with state officials on one provision, reviving challenges to others and offering the possibility that at least one will be halted before this year’s general election.

But it was the ballot signature verification measure’s majority opinion — which stated there is no right to vote enshrined in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights — that drew fiery dissent from three of the court’s seven justices.

The measure requires election officials to match the signatures on advance mail ballots to a person’s voter registration record. The state Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s dismissal of that lawsuit, but the majority rejected arguments from voting rights groups that the measure violates state constitutional voting rights.

In fact, Justice Caleb Stegall, writing for the majority, said that the dissenting justices wrongly accused the majority of ignoring past precedent, holding that the court has not identified a “fundamental right to vote” within the state constitution.

“It simply is not there,” Stegall wrote.

Justice Eric Rosen, one of the three who dissented, shot back: “It staggers my imagination to conclude Kansas citizens have no fundamental right to vote under their state constitution.”

“I cannot and will not condone this betrayal of our constitutional duty to safeguard the foundational rights of Kansans,” Rosen added.

Conversely, the high court unanimously sided with the challengers of a different provision that makes it a crime for someone to give the appearance of being an election official. Voting rights groups, including Kansas League of Women Voters and the nonprofit Loud Light, argued the measure suppresses free speech and their ability to register voters as some might wrongly assume volunteers are election workers, putting them at risk of criminal prosecution.

A Shawnee County District Court judge had earlier rejected the groups’ request for an emergency injunction, saying that impersonation of a public official is not protected speech.

But the high court faulted the new law, noting that it doesn’t include any requirement that prosecutors show intent by a voter registration volunteer to misrepresent or deceive people into believing they’re an election official, and it thus “criminalizes honest speech” where “occasional misunderstandings” are bound to occur, Stegall wrote in the majority opinion.

“As such, it sweeps up protected speech in its net,” Stegall said.

Because the lawsuit over the false impersonation law’s constitutionality is likely to succeed, the state Supreme Court ordered the lower court to reconsider issuing an emergency injunction against it.

“For three years now, Kansas League of Women Voters volunteers have been forced to severely limit their assistance of voters due to this ambiguous and threatening law,” said Martha Pint, president of the chapter. “The League’s critical voter assistance work is not a crime, and we are confident this provision will be quickly blocked when the case returns to the district court.”

Loud Light executive director Davis Hammet said he hopes the lower court “will stop the irreparable harm caused daily by the law and allow us to resume voter registration before the general election.”

Neither Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab nor state Attorney General Kris Kobach responded to requests for comment on that portion of the high court’s ruling.

Instead, in a joint statement, Schwab and Kobach focus on the high court’s language bolstering the signature verification law and its upholding of a provision that says individuals may collect no more than 10 advance ballots to submit to election officials.

“This ruling allows us to preserve reasonable election security laws in Kansas,” Schwab said.

Supporters have argued the ballot collection restriction combats “ballot harvesting” and limits voter fraud. The GOP-led Legislature passed it over a veto by Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Critics have said it’s a Republican reaction to baseless claims that the 2020 election was not valid, which prompted a wave of misinformation and voter suppression laws across the country.

Last year, the Kansas Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit challenging the ballot collection limitation and the signature verification, saying both impair the right to vote. But the high court upheld the limit on ballot collections, saying “voters have numerous avenues available to deliver their ballots” and that ballot collecting doesn’t fall within the parameters of free speech.

Kobach defended the majority’s opinion as “well-reasoned” and confirms that the Legislature has the constitutional authority to establish proofs “to ensure voters are who they say they are.”

“And that is exactly what Kansas’s signature verification requirement is,” Kobach said.

[brokehorrorfan]

Mutant will release The Last Stop in Yuma County posters by Eric Adrian Lee for $60 today, June 13, at 1pm EST. Limited to 85, each 24x36 screen print is signed by writer-director Francis Galluppi.

[odinsblog]

BREAKING: Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo paid Ginni Thomas OFF THE BOOKS—$80,000, with at least one $25,000 payment being routed through Kellyanne Conway.

Leo specifically said that the payments should not mention Ginni Thomas.

Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo arranged for the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be paid tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work just over a decade ago, specifying that her name be left off billing paperwork, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.

In January 2012, Leo instructed the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill a nonprofit group he advises and use that money to pay Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the documents show. The same year, the nonprofit, the Judicial Education Project, filed a brief to the Supreme Court in a landmark voting rights case.

Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conway that he wanted her to “give” Ginni Thomas “another $25K,” the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have “No mention of Ginni, of course.”

Conway’s firm, the Polling Company, sent the Judicial Education Project a $25,000 bill that day. Per Leo’s instructions, it listed the purpose as “Supplement for Constitution Polling and Opinion Consulting,” the documents show.

In all, according to the documents, the Polling Company paid Thomas’s firm, Liberty Consulting, $80,000 between June 2011 and June 2012, and it expected to pay $20,000 more before the end of 2012. The documents reviewed by The Post do not indicate the precise nature of any work Thomas did for the Judicial Education Project or the Polling Company.

The arrangement reveals that Leo, a longtime Federalist Society leader and friend of the Thomases, has functioned not only as an ideological ally of Clarence Thomas’s but also has worked to provide financial remuneration to his family. And it shows Leo arranging for the money to be drawn from a nonprofit that soon would have an interest before the court.

In December 2012, the Judicial Education Project submitted an amicus brief in Shelby County v. Holder, a case challenging a landmark civil rights law aimed at protecting minority voters.

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[calkale]

only complaint is they only played aint no love in oklahoma once im pissed but it was tylers intro song so ill let it slide

[ericruchenskyblog]

Horseshoe Bend in a smoky sunset today July 7, 2024

[geekynerfherder]

'The Last Stop In Yuma County' by Eric Adrian Lee.

Officially licensed 24" x 36" screen print, in a numbered (and signed by director Francis Galluppi) limited edition of 85 for $60.

On sale Thursday June 13 at 12pm CT through Mutant.

[grimbunnies]

Nora: No more waiting around!

Nora: If you're not his priority, he shouldn't be yours.

Nora: "Danny had his chance."

Eric: "Thanks for inviting me over. It's good to see you."

Nora: "You too! Come inside. I've got a movie picked out for us."

Eric: "I had a great time."

Nora: "Me too, but I'm an hour late for work..."

Eric: "Can I walk you to the bus stop?"

[ericgunther]

These Are the Best Schools in Palm Beach County! 

Top rated schools are a common search criteria when buying a home in Palm Beach County.  The Florida Department of Education rates each of our schools annually with a grade system from “A” being the best to “F” being the lower scoring.

At Greenfield Waters Florida Realty we find that several areas have a concentration of “A” rated schools.  This quick guide will highlight areas and schools that consistently have years of “A” rating and reliable streaks of quality in their history.

Schools zones in Florida can be very different.  They often fit together like puzzle pieces and unlike other states the zones are not just related to the specific town where the school is located as they may border other towns that attend as well.  There are often Magnet Programs and Charter Schools as well that are very valuable.

Note that this list is a quick view of commonly desired schools.  They have good streaks of “A” ratings and there are certainly great schools that have “B” ratings from time to time.  There are many great schools that we just could not fit into this short list.  A full list of all schools can be found at these following links:

Florida School Accountability Reports

Clicking “School Grades” in Excel format will download the full list of schools for your review.

“Find My School” 

This is a link where you can enter an exact address and know for certain what schools would apply to the home you are thinking of buying.

These Are the Best Schools in Palm Beach County!

Boca Raton

Addison Mizner School (Elementary) 

Del Prado Elementary School

Somerset Academy Boca (Elementary and Middle School)

Sunrise Park Elementary School

Verde K-8 (Elementary and Middle School)

Waters Edge Elementary School

Whispering Pines Elementary School

Boca Raton Community Middle School

Don Estridge High Tech Middle School

Eagles Landing Middle School

Loggers’ Run Community Middle School 

Omni Middle School 

Boca Raton Community High School

Olympic Heights Community High – (Also serves part of West Boynton Beach)

Spanish River High School

West Boca Raton High School

Boynton Beach

Sunset Palms Elementary School

Christina McAuliffe Middle School 

Woodlands Middle School – (Lake Worth - also serves part of West Boynton Beach)

Somerset Academy Canyons (Middle and High School)

Olympic Heights Community High – (Boca Raton - also serves part of West Boynton Beach)

Park Vista Community High School – (Lake Worth - also serves part of West Boynton Beach)

Jupiter

Beacon Cove Intermediate School

Jupiter Farms Elementary School

Limestone Creek Elementary School

Independence Middle School

Jupiter Middle School

Jupiter High School

Lake Worth

Coral Reef Elementary School

Discovery Key Elementary School

Manatee Elementary School

Panther Run Elementary School – (Also serves part of Wellington)

Woodlands Middle School – (Also serves part of West Boynton Beach)

Park Vista Community High School – (Also serves part of West Boynton Beach)

Loxahatchee 

Frontier Elementary School

Osceola Creek Middle School

Seminole Ridge Community High School

Palm Beach Gardens

Marsh Pointe Elementary School

Pierce Hammock Elementary School

Timber Trace Elementary School

Wellington

Binks Forest Elementary School

Elbridge Gale Elementary School

Equestrian Trails Elementary

Panther Run Elementary School – (Lake Worth - also serves part of Wellington)

Emerald Cove Middle School

New Horizons Elementary School

Western Academy Charter School (Elementary and Middle School)

Polo Park Middle School

Wellington Landings Middle

Palm Beach Central High School

Wellington High School

West Palm Beach

Everglades Elementary

Golden Grove Elementary School

Renaissance Charter School at West Palm Beach (Elementary)

Royal Palm Beach Elementary School

Bak Middle School of the Arts

Western Pines Community Middle

Notable Mentions

Alexander W Dreyfoos Junior School of The Arts (Middle School) – (Located in West Palm Beach)

American Heritage

One of the best private schools in the country (K-12) with a solid waiting list - (Located in Delray Beach)

G-Star School of the Arts (High School - Located in Palm Springs)

Morikami Park Elementary School – Magnet School - (Located in Delray Beach)

Palm Beach Virtual Franchise – (Online and some classes in Palm Beach Gardens)

Colleges and Universities

Florida Atlantic University - FAU – (Located in Boca Raton)

Lynn University – (Located in Boca Raton)

Palm Beach State College – (Several Locations in Palm Beach County)

Greenfield Waters Florida Realty is here to help serious sellers of property and buyers of homes navigate the local areas here in Florida.  Real estate is more than just the home but also the communities and the local education quality.  It’s important to know the quality of your school districts even if you do not have any children.  Resale value can be much higher when attached to desired schools so always keep that in mind! Sometimes one side of a road can have a better school than the other and it’s ideal to work with sophisticated and professional Realtors that you would find here at Greenfield Waters.

This school list is not a complete or total list of all of our great schools in Palm Beach County.  For more information make sure to check the links above in the introduction paragraphs to review more schools and ratings.  Always feel free to contact Greenfield Waters for more advice on Palm Beach County and any Florida schools in general.  Our Broker and Owner of Greenfield Waters is Eric Gunther who is married to a career Palm Beach County educator and administrator at the public and private College / University level.  Any questions you have we can always be here for advice you may be looking for.

Make sure to check out our home page www.greeenfieldwaters.com to view current Active Listings and Market Reports free of charge and with zero obligation.  We are simply here to help!

Happy to advise as always,

Eric Gunther

Realtor and Broker of Greenfield Waters Florida Realty

eric.gunther@greenfieldwaters.com

561-400-8474

www.greenfieldwaters.com

[whitesinhistory]

On June 25, 2013, in a 5-4 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and effectively gutted one of the nation’s most important and successful civil rights laws. Despite adoption in 1870 of the Fifteenth Amendment barring racial discrimination in voting, Southern states and others used poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence to deny Black Americans the right to vote for another century. Unchecked and systematic voter suppression targeted African American communities in the South for generations. After decades of organized civil rights activism, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) finally became law on August 6, 1965. It outlawed discriminatory barriers to voting like poll taxes and literacy tests and also imposed strict oversight upon states and districts with histories of voter discrimination. The new law quickly proved extremely effective; Black registration rates soon rose throughout the South, and Black officials were elected at the highest rates since Reconstruction. In this way, the Act directly confronted and addressed a century of racist voting policies. Section 4 of the Act required jurisdictions with the worst records of discrimination to obtain “preclearance” from the federal government before changing voting laws. However, in Shelby County v. Holder, Alabama officials argued that preclearance was no longer constitutional or necessary, and the Supreme Court agreed. Chief Justice Roberts reasoned for the majority that “things have changed dramatically” since 1965—voting tests are illegal, racial disparities in voter turnout and registration have diminished, and people of color hold elected office “in record numbers.” Yet voting discrimination—and the need for the Voting Rights Act—continues in the present day, the dissenters pointed out. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted in dissent that covered jurisdictions continue to propose voting law changes that are rejected under the VRA, “auguring that barriers to minority voting would quickly resurface were the preclearance remedy eliminated.” The decision drastically reduced the VRA’s power to combat “second-generation barriers” to voting, like racial gerrymandering, which minimize the impact of minority votes. “The sad irony of today’s decision lies in its utter failure to grasp why the VRA has proven effective,” wrote Justice Ginsburg. “The Court appears to believe that the VRA's success in eliminating the specific devices extant in 1965 means that preclearance is no longer needed. With that belief, and the argument derived from it, history repeats itself.” The decision unleashed a surge in voter suppression measures—including strict voter ID laws, cutting voting times, restricting registration, and purging voter rolls—that are undermining voter participation by people of color today.

[svalleynow]

Westmoreland Inducted into Hall of Fame

Former Marion County High School football star Eric Westmoreland was inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame on Monday night. He played at Marion County High School, leading the Warriors to three state championships as a running back/safety. As a senior, he rushed for 2,359 yards and 40 TDs and finished with more than 6,000 yards and 85 TDs in his high school career. He played…

[chiistarri]

i want him so bad its embarrassing

[ericruchenskyblog]

Had a great time at the Tour de Scottsdale this weekend!