May 2, 2008
Contact: Beverly Roberts 941-228-5740
JAN SCHNEIDER:
END THE WAR AND PRESERVE DEMOCRACY AND PROSPERITY AT HOME
"Immediate Responsible Redeployment from Iraq and Preserving the Endangered Middle Class: These are my two primary reasons for my entering the 2008 race in the Florida 13th Congressional district," says Jan Schneider. "This election is also about integrity in government and clean campaigning," she adds. Jan will appear on the November ballot as an independent (no-party affiliation) candidate.
On the Iraq War: In Congress, Jan will be a strong advocate for responsible redeployment from Iraq – to commence immediately. The United States death toll in Iraq has reached 4,065, with almost 70% of these patriots under the age of 30. The cost to the U.S. economy is approaching $3 trillion. "While our troops have performed valiantly, the time has come when the Iraqis must assume responsibility for their own country," Jan insists. "Our own political leaders must face head-on the enormous challenges of rebuilding our armed forces, restoring readiness and preparing our military to meet and deter future threats."
In contrast to Jan's position, Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL13) has repeatedly and consistently voted for the failed policies of President George W. Bush in Iraq and against responsible redeployment of our troops and civilian personnel. He also voted for allowing waterboarding and against troop rest and recuperation periods between deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jan notes that the Democratic opponent has declined to support immediate withdrawal or a set schedule, instead urging that any new strategy should come from military experts not political leaders.
On the Endangered Middle Class: With stratospheric energy prices, escalating food costs, predatory lending practices, spiraling foreclosures, unimpeded illegal immigration and other unprecedented pressures, the middle class in the United States is being squeezed out of existence. At present, some 47 million Americans are without any health insurance and tens of millions of others are underinsured in the country with the most expensive healthcare system in the world. "Healthcare has become a middle class crisis, bankrupting many families," Jan observes; "it must be addressed on a nationwide basis."
Other candidates in the FL13 are closely tied to energy lobbies, bankers and mortgage brokers, and other special interests that bear heavy responsibility for the current recession or financial crisis. While Exxon profits increased to $11 billion in the last quarter and predatory lenders continue to prey on overstressed consumers, middle class families are having trouble making ends meet and educating their children. "We need representatives who will not hesitate to undertake measures to stem the abuses and protect constituents and consumers." Jan is convinced.
On Integrity in Government: Integrity in government begins with "clean campaigning." In this Congressional district in particular, the voters have registered their disgust with personal attacks and “mudslinging" in place of candidates and representatives addressing their issues, needs and desires. In previous campaigns, Jan Schneider has lived up to her commitment to maintain the high road, refusing to stoop to false, misleading and nasty “attack ads." She challenges the other candidates to do likewise.
Jan's Background: Jan is a Yale-educated lawyer with a PhD in political science and a wealth of experience in several areas of law and politics. She has impressive credentials as a practicing lawyer, law professor, international civil servant and policy advisor. She is the author of two books and dozens of articles on the environment, as well as many articles and op-ed pieces on education, homeland security, international relations and other topics. She has served as an officer and director on numerous national and local boards.
Jan Schneider is an independent thinker who is currently dissatisfied with both political parties. Having run previously as a Democrat, she shares the distress of so many Democrats and others at Presidential primary processes where "superdelegates" can override the will of a majority of the electorate and the votes of four million Florida Democrats do not count. She denounces as well efforts by Democratic party "insider" to interfere with the will of local voters. On the other hand, particularly with respect to the Iraq War and middle class values, Jan cannot support the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration and its Republican allies in Congress. Instead, she offers a better choice for rising above partisanship and effecting essential changes in our federal government.
August 1, 2007
CHRISTINE JENNINGS' HYPOCRISY ON ATTACK ADS AND IRAQ
The Hill revealed yesterday (July 31) that Christine Jennings, the 2006 Democratic candidate in the Florida 13th Congressional District, failed for as long as three years to pay required payroll taxes. Jan Schneider, who ran against Jennings in the 2006 primary, wishes to thank those who contacted her concerning the story and the false accusation leveled by Jennings in that race.
Schneider acknowledged that she finds it "more than ironic" that, at the very time Jennings was running nasty attack ads making false allegations about a $300 property tax credit on a condominium owned by Schneider, Jennings knew that her own campaign had failed to pay over $100,000 in overdue taxes. Indeed, Schneider deems this “shameful hypocrisy” on the part of Jennings. "Worse still," she added, "is the disservice to the voters of the Florida 13th Congressional district inherent in the nasty, negative campaign run by Jennings throughout the 2006 primary and general election cycles." Congressman Vern Buchanan, in Schneider’s view, indulged in similarly offensive campaign practices, explaining the large number of undervotes in the Congressional race.
Schneider, a lawyer, observed that she could not comment on the substance of the tax problems of Jennings, a former bank president, except insofar as certain facts are found in Federal Election Commission public records. FEC records appear to show that, while the Jennings 2004 campaign committee, Chris Jennings for Congress, paid employee salaries since early 2004, it paid no payroll taxes for three years until May 23, 2007. Jennings formed a new committee for her 2006 campaign, Christine Jennings for Congress, which started paying salaries in June 2005 but did not pay any payroll taxes until July 31, 2006. The overdue tax payments, as much as three years late, totaled nearly $125,000 on both committees combined.
FEC records also reveal more than a dozen inquiries to the Jennings 2006 campaign committee, including with respect to failure to make required reports on large last-minute campaign contributions and to contributions apparently in excess of legal limits. In addition, the FEC dismissed a complaint by Schneider’s campaign manager, Jennifer Cohen, concerning Jennings' acceptance of a $25,000 admission to a Clinton event. The dismissal was not based on a finding of propriety, but rather on the exercise of "prosecutorial discretion."
This is the second time in less than a week that Schneider has been intensely critical of Jennings. In a prior press release (July 24), Schneider declared herself “appalled” by Jennings’ failure to take a decisive position on the war in Iraq. The Sarasota Herald Tribune reported (July 23) that when asked about the troop withdrawal bill, Jennings said she was "not sure whether she would have voted for it." That newspaper later reported (July 30) that Jennings had reviewed the legislation and "now says she would have voted with Democrats."
Schneider has been on record as an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq since running against Katherine Harris in the 2002 election. She does not view the critical issue as voting “with the Democrats” or any other political party, but rather as taking a clear position "against the failed policies pursued by President George W. Bush in Iraq." "Issues of war and peace," Schneider reiterated, "should not be the decided on a partisan basis." "The American people, and especially the men and women who have so bravely and honorably served our country in Iraq," she added, "deserve far better." Schneider reaffirmed her view that the Iraq war "continues to be the defining political issue of our times" and was "the primary reason for the Democratic landslide in the 2006 elections."
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For the article in The Hill, a well know publication on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, see http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/jennings-went-years-without-paying-taxes-on-payrolls-fec-reports-show-2007-07-31.html.
July 24, 2007
WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ
(Response to Jennings Remarks and Buchanan Votes)
Former Democratic Congressional candidate Jan Schneider said today that she supports the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq to begin within the next 120 days – a plan approved by the United States House of Representatives earlier this month.
"Congress should long ago have asserted itself to overturn the failed policies pursued by President George W. Bush in Iraq," Schneider observed. "The current
dministration lied to our country and the world about the reasons for invading Iraq and has since
engaged in a prolonged pattern of lies and deceit.'
In response to questions from the press, Schneider said she was appalled by comments by Democrat Christine Jennings about the Iraq war. The Sarasota Herald Tribune reported Monday (July 23) that when asked about the troop withdrawal bill, Jennings said she is “not sure whether she would have voted for it.” The article went on to say that Jennings “said she would have to take a better look at the bill.” Jennings’ position was consistent with her equivocal reply to a question on Iraq during the Herald-Tribune/SNN candidate forum last summer that President Bush should give the country “a plan” and we should leave Iraq strategy to the military.
Representative Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key) voted against the bill, which Schneider found equally disturbing. This was at least the third time Buchanan voted against withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Schneider maintained in guest column in the Herald Tribune earlier this year (April 24) that questions of war and peace and of support for our troops should not be decided along partisan lines. As she said then and repeated today, “we should all try focusing more on the consequences than on the politics of war.” Schneider has openly opposed the war in Iraq since she ran against Katherine Harris in the 13th Congressional district in 2002. She believes that the war in Iraq continues to be the defining political issue of our times and was the primary reason for the Democratic landslide in the 2006 elections.
The legislation approved by the House on July 12 would require commencement of reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq within 120 days and completion of reduction and transition to a “limited presence” by April 1, 2008. While no bill is perfect, Schneider acknowledged, after four years and more than 3,636 American deaths in Iraq, the time has come to plan the safe withdrawal of our troops within a defined time frame. “The men and women who have served our country in Iraq have done so bravely and with great honor,” she added, “and our troops have accomplished all they can reasonably be expected to do for that war-torn country.”
Asked about her own political future, Schneider said that she had no comment at this time. She would not rule anything out, but would make no decisions before the fall.
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