When Will Candidate McCollum Explain The Actions of Congressman McCollum?

From FDP:

At Wednesday's Associated Press Forum in Tallahassee, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum failed to explain, yet again, his insistent effort for financial deregulation that eventually led to the current economic crisis. And the $4.7 trillion question remains on the table, when will McCollum explain his repeated efforts to raise the national debt ceiling?

In Congress McCollum Helped Turn Our "Lemonade Into A Lemon"-As Governor McCollum Would Likely Turn Florida's Economy Into A "Permanent Bust". "In Congress, McCollum helped turn our lemonade economy into a lemon. In 1999, he co-sponsored the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act, which prevented banks from taking on riskier investments that could precipitate the very financial crisis Obama inherited. ... As governor, McCollum would likely turn Florida's economy into a permanent bust." (Column, Sun-Sentinel, 01/15/10)

Congressman McCollum Held Hearings On Subprime Lending - Then Did Nothing-Years Later As Attorney General And During The Crisis: "It's Not The End Of The World." According to the St. Petersburg Times, McCollum, as vice chairman of the banking committee in May 2000, held daylong hearings into mortgage issues, including rising defaults rates and subprime lending practices. The St, Petersburg Times reported, "But hours of testimony resulted in little action. 'It was very hard to convince anyone it was epidemic,' said Cathy Lesser Mansfield, a Drake University law professor who testified before the committee." In 2007, the News-Press reported that McCollum said he thought that the subprime collapse had been exaggerated by the media and investors. "It's not the end of the world," he said. (St. Petersburg Times, 5/24/09 and The News-Press, 11/15/07)

Congressman McCollum Voted At Least 11 Times To Raise The National Debt Limit. The Miami Herald political blog reported that Congressman McCollum "voted to increase the national debt limits" several times. According to records, McCollum voted at least eleven times to raise the national debt limit between 1984-2000. (Miami Herald Blog, 01/20/10; Vote 48, 3/7/96; Vote 30, 2/1/96; Vote 270, 6/29/84, Vote 330, 9/22/87; Vote 336, 11/7/89; Vote 369, 11/13/85; Vote 353, 11/1/85; Vote 743, 10/26/95; San Francisco Chronicle, 10/28/95; Vote 812, 11/17/95; Vote 820, 11/20/95; Vote 102, 3/28/96 and USA Today, 3/29/96)

During Congressman McCollum's Time In Washington, The Debt Increased By 4.7 Trillion. During McCollum's time in Washington, America's debt increased by $4.7 trillion from $907 billion in 1980 to $5.66 trillion in January 2001 (when McCollum left office). (US Treasury)

Got Debt?

From FDP:

Congressman McCollum Sold Out Florida Consumers, Attorney General McCollum Dropped The Ball, And Now Candidate McCollum Says He Wants To Start Helping

Tallahassee, FL - The countless Floridians facing mortgage, credit card or other forms of debt during the current economic crisis should be concerned--very concerned-- by Republican candidate for governor, Bill McCollum.

Candidate Bill McCollum says he wants to protect Floridians who are facing mounting debt and growing bills after Attorney General McCollum dropped the ball. But Congressman McCollum pushed anti-consumer legislation for the banking and credit card interests that funded his campaigns and committees.

"After three years of dropping the ball, Candidate Bill McCollum is now calling for more power to go after abusive debt collectors," Florida Democratic Party Spokesman Eric Jotkoff said. "However, in Washington, Congressman McCollum pushed anti-consumer legislation for the special interests that funded him. Congressman McCollum went on to be well rewarded with campaign cash-a payoff for representing the special interests, not Floridians. He lined his campaign coffers at the expense of Florida consumers."

CANDIDATE McCollum Called For Greater Powers To Go After Abusive Debt Collectors AFTER ATTORNEY GENERAL MCCOLLUM Dropped The Ball

McCollum's Office Called For Broadened Powers To Go After Debt Collectors-But His Office Had "Not Opened A Single Investigation Despite A Flood Of Complaints." "Consumer advocates and lawyers say harassment - including threats - has surged as the economy tanked and people lost the ability to pay their bills." The Orlando Sentinel reported that McCollum "wants to broaden his power to go after debt-collectors - and his office is suggesting Sink's proposal" to grant the Department of Financial Services the power to regulate and punish debt collectors "would weaken the attorney general's ability to protect consumers." But "McCollum's office had not opened a single investigation despite a flood of complaints. Initially, McCollum's office said it had received more than 4,400 complaints last year but later lowered that number to roughly 2,400." The Office of Financial Regulation also received complaints but had not "fined or suspended anyone." (Orlando Sentinel, 01/25/10)

Jacksonville Lawyer Specializing In Consumer Law And Predatory Lending Found That McCollum Rarely Pursued Collector Cases. The Sun-Sentinel reported: "The Attorney General's Office can launch investigations against rogue collectors, but it focuses on companies that generate lots of complaints from consumers across the state. Laura Boeckman is a Jacksonville lawyer specializing in consumer law and predatory lending. She said she has found that the attorney general rarely pursues collector cases - something she attributes to a lack of resources. 'It would be great to see the AG go after more of these on their own,' said Boeckman, 'but given the current budget cuts the office has had, I don't see that happening soon.'" (Sun-Sentinel, 11/09/09)

Attorney General McCollum's Office Only "Generally Referred" Consumer Complaints To OFR, But Never Sent Official Notice. McCollum "said his office would begin taking complaints it receives from its consumer line and forwarding those items to OFR. Until now, staffers manning the hotline - or responding to consumer e-mails - generally referred the person to OFR but did not send that office any documentation." (Orlando Sentinel, 11/04/09)

Orlando Sentinel: "Onus On The Attorney General To Protect Consumers From Illegal Business Practices". The Orlando Sentinel reported: "Florida law puts an onus on the attorney general to protect consumers from illegal business practices. Mr. McCollum's predecessors, Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Bob Butterworth, took on that responsibility with enthusiasm. (Orlando Sentinel, 07/06/08)

Candidate McCollum Is Running From Congressman McCollum's Record Of Pushing Anti-Consumer Legislation For Bank And Credit Card Contributors

Candidate McCollum Has "More Recently - Morphed Into Something Of A Consumer Advocate" As Voters Might Be Seeking A "Pocketbook Protector" For Their Governor- McCollum's "Record In Congress" Is Known For Different Agenda. The Sun-Sentinel reported: "Bill McCollum's current stint as Florida's attorney general is the latest stop in a three-decade political career that began with his 1980 election to Congress from Central Florida. Once known as a fiery social conservative, McCollum in Tallahassee has been mostly low-key. He has pulled together groups to fight gang violence, sought to crack down on child pornography and - more recently - morphed into something of a consumer advocate. ... In a state with the nation's fourth-highest foreclosure rate, double-digit unemployment and the first year-over-year population loss since 1946, economic woes could crowd out everything else" during the election. ... McCollum's record in Congress as a staunch social conservative ... might matter less to voters than having a 'pocketbook protector' for governor." (Sun-Sentinel, 08/23/09)

Congressman McCollum "Was Blistered By Consumer Groups" For Pushing Bankruptcy Law Changes From Banks And Credit Card Companies As He Took Contributions From Them. Earlier, while in Congress, Mr. McCollum was blistered by consumer groups for pushing bankruptcy-law changes for banks and credit-card companies as he took campaign contributions from them." (Orlando Sentinel, 07/06/08)

Congressman McCollum Pushed Legislation On Behalf Of Banking And Credit-Card Industries Who Wanted To Make It Harder For Borrowers To Discharge Their Debt In Bankruptcy. To "Campaign fundraising documents exposed by the Wall Street Journal show that McCollum heavily targeted banks and credit-card companies on whose behalf he has been promoting legislation to make it harder for borrowers to discharge their debts in bankruptcy." (St. Petersburg Times, 10/18/00)

Congressman McCollum Was Well Rewarded For His 'Anti-Consumer Credit Card Legislation. The Orlando Sentinel stated, "In 1998, Public Campaign (an open government group) gave McCollum its 'Golden Leash' award for accepting $373,857 in campaign cash from the banking and financial service industries while using his position on the Banking and Financial Services Committee and the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee to promote anti-consumer credit card legislation." (Orlando Sentinel, 05/14/09)

DEBT INDUSTRY IS GROWING AND FLORIDANS ARE FACING A SURGE OF DEBT CHALLENGES

Debt Collectors Are In High Demand, Particularly in Florida Which Has "The Second-Highest Rate Of Credit Card Delinquencies In The Country." The St. Petersburg Times reported that debt collectors' "services are in sharp demand. Double-digit unemployment translates to surging delinquencies, particularly acute in places like Florida, which has the second-highest rate of credit card delinquencies in the country. Retailers, hospitals and credit card companies are all willing to turn to experts ... in trying to get bad debt off their books as painlessly as possible." (St. Petersburg Times, 11/29/09)

With Millions Of Americans In Debt, 'Secondary Debt' Industry Is Estimated To Be A $60 Billion Industry. Millions of Americans "find themselves saddled with debt they can't repay or can repay only with such difficulty it discourages them from even trying. Trying to collect these debts has become a big and fast-growing business with debts being packaged and sold, of-ten for pennies on the dollar, in financial instruments with a disturbing resemblance to the way subprime mortgages were packaged and sold off. The whole point of buying deeply discounted debt is that the buyers keep every dollar they collect. So-called secondary debt is now a $60 billion industry." (Naples Daily News, 12/02/09)

Governor Crist Continues Putting Political Ambition Above Florida, As Crist Administration Announces Unemployment Rate Up To 11.8 Percent

With Governor Charlie Crist's Administration announcing today that Florida's unemployment rate is now at 11.8 percent, Florida Democrats reacted to Crist's failed economic policies.

"Since Charlie Crist became Governor, 1,522,300 Floridians have lost their jobs according to his own administration. Rather than working to bring jobs to Florida, Governor Crist continues putting his political ambitions above efforts to jumpstart Florida's economy," said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party spokesman. "While other states are beginning to see signs of recovery, Floridians continue suffering under Crist's failed economic policies. Instead of spending his time doing his job as Governor, Crist has only focused on his efforts to reinvent himself as he attempts to appease Republican primary voters. That's why Floridians are going to send Crist into retirement in 2010."

According to the Crist's Administration, when Crist took over as Governor, 8,866,000 Floridians were employed. After 3 years of Crist's failed economic policies, now just 7,343,700 Floridians have jobs.

When 'More-Of-The-Same' Just Won't Cut It

With the news today that Florida's unemployment rate is the highest the state has seen since May 1975, the people of the Sunshine State must make the choice: change directions or continue more of the status quo from our state's politicians this November.

"After more than a quarter century as a career politician, what can we possibly expect from Bill McCollum but more of the same business-as-usual in Tallahassee?" Florida Democratic Party Spokesman Eric Jotkoff said. "A 20-year congressman and Washington lobbyist will do nothing - absolutely nothing - to change Florida's economy for the better. We've tried leaving it to career politicians like Bill McCollum to turn Florida's economy around, and they've driven it into a ditch -11.8 percent unemployment."

Will Bill McCollum Clarify His Statements and Actions Related to Votes AGainst Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday?

From FDP:

QUESTION: DID MCCOLLUM COME TO HIS REALIZATION "IN THE 80'S" AFTER OR BEFORE HIS 1989 VOTE AGAINST THE COMMISSION TO PROMOTE MLK DAY?

1983: McCollum Voted Against Making Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday A National Holiday. In 1983, McCollum voted against a bill to designate the third Monday of every January as a federal holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (HR 3706, Vote 291, 8/2/83 and The Miami Herald, 08/03/83)

2010: McCollum Said He Was "Naive" To Oppose MLK Holiday In 1983 And Came To Realization "In The 80's" "Shortly After The Vote". McCollum said he was 'naive' in 1983 to oppose MLK holiday. "When did he come to that realization? 'In the '80s after the vote,' he said. 'Shortly after the vote. I couldn't tell you the exact year, but this is what? Twenty-five years later? It was very apparent to me upon reflection soon after that that it was not a good vote even though it does cost a lot of money.'" (Palm Beach Post, 01/19/10)

But In 1989 McCollum Voted Against Commission To Promote The Observance Of A Federal Holiday In Honor Of Martin Luther King. Bill McCollum, on May 9, 1989, was one of only 42 U.S. House members who voted against "a five-year extension of the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission", a commission established "to promote the observance of the federal holiday in honor of King." The "House, in a 359-42 vote, passed the bill in the same form approved by the Senate ... 90-7." The bill gave "the commission a five-year budget of $1.5 million," "providing federal money for its operation" for the first time. (HR1385, Roll Call Vote 45, 5/9/89; Motion agreed to 359-42; AP, 05/10/89 and Los Angeles Times, 05/10/89)
1989: St. Petersburg Times Called McCollum's Opposition "An Embarrassment To Florida" And A Demonstration Of How Far Out Of The Mainstream He Is. The St. Petersburg Times opined: "only three Floridians" in the U.S. House voted "to kill all federal funding of the commission." They were: "Mike Bilirakis, Andy Ireland and Bill McCollum. President Bush has indicated that he will sign it, which demonstrates just how far out of the mainstream are Mack, Bilirakis, Ireland and McCollum." The Times called their opposition "An embarrassment to Florida". (Editorial, St. Petersburg Times, 05/10/89)
QUESTION: Did McCollum refute characterizations in 2000 articles during his Senate race that reiterated his opposition to MLK Day? If McCollum publicly stated his regrets for voting against the holiday, did his 2000 campaign mention this?

2000 News Coverage Reported That McCollum Was Known For His "Unflinching Position" Against The Creation Of MLK Day. In his 2000 campaign for Senate, McCollum's vote against MLK Day was a key contrast in the race in news coverage. Several newspapers reported:

2000- McCollum's "unflinching Opposition": McCollum is "known for his unflinching positions against abortion, against control of assault weapons, and, in the 1980s, against letting Mariel refugees with criminal records stay in the United States, against the congressional report that detailed the Iran-contra scandal, against the Martin Luther King holiday and anti-apartheid sanctions for South Africa, and against political asylum for El Salvadorean refugees." (Miami Herald, 10/15/00)
2000- McCollum's Hometown Newspaper: "Nelson supported the Equal Rights Amendment, the creation of a federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and bans on assault weapons. He also backed waiting limits on handgun purchases. McCollum, by contrast, opposed these measures." (Orlando Sentinel, 10/8/2000)