A big thank you to those of you who supported me in the Florida US Senate race. It was a great privilege to have the opportunity to run for office. Please revisit my website for updates as I prepare to run again in 2012. You may also find this website for Florida US Senate candidate Bruce Ray Riggs of interest: www.dirtyunclesam.com.
An important message from Mr. Bean: The need for transparency in government has never been greater – especially for working-class and middle-class Americans. When a government is being run honestly and efficiently, there’s no need for red tape or railroading. Of particular concern is public education, law enforcement, and our courts. Please read this excerpt from my book (available soon for purchase in 2011- please visit this website again to order a copy), which documents the damaging effects of government run for personal gain rather than for the people. The following excerpt documents my family’s first-hand experience with government abuse. What happened to us never should have happened in a Democracy. When you read this section, ask yourself what it costs taxpayers when such abuses take place:
Six Sheriff’s Office cars with a K-9 unit roared into our driveway at nearly midnight and awakened the entire house. Several Sheriff’s Office deputies were at the door when I answered it in my underwear. One by one, my wife and children rose out of bed and gathered behind me. “Step outside, Mr. Bean. You’re under arrest,” I was told.
As the cold tip of a gun pushed up against my temple, an officer snapped some handcuffs around my wrists. I looked behind me on the walk to the cruiser – my family were clustered in the doorway, disbelief and fear stamped across their faces. Bobbie was pacing back and forth crying.
I asked to use the bathroom before being placed in the deputy’s car. One of the officers pulled my underwear down to my ankles. “Go!” he ordered, as the deputies broke into laughter.
It wasn’t until my booking took place at 1:06 a.m. at the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office that I learned the “heinous crime” I’d committed that I was told could result in a year’s jail time – cutting a fence and letting a cow out.
On Nov. 16, 2004, I, Bobbie Jessie Bean of Highlands County, was booked for breaking or injuring a fence and “criminal mischief.” But there was nothing criminal about it – among other things, I was trying to keep the ice cream and other frozen groceries from melting in my wife’s car, which had been sitting in the hot, Florida sun for close to an hour. The air conditioning was broken. Not to mention caring for my mother’s health: She also had been sitting in a hot car for close to an hour. I cut the makeshift fence our neighbor had constructed to regain access to the same deeded easement my wife and family had been using for the last 9 years and get my family to our air-conditioned home.
I believe Florida is the only state in the nation that considers breaking a fence and letting a cow out a criminal act punishable by a year in jail. The law is nearly 100 years old and dates back to the 1920s. Here are a few other interesting archaic Florida laws that are still on the books:
• Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal. (Ouch. I promise to my constituents I will never touch a porcupine.)
• Unmarried women are prohibited from parachuting on Sunday or they risk arrest, fine, and/or jail.
• You re not allowed to break more than three dishes per day, or chip the edges of more than four cups and/or saucers.
• If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle. (I will remember this one when I trade my truck in for cheaper transportation.)
• You may not kiss your wife’s breasts. (I’m guilty as sin on this one, but I managed to evade arrest.)
• Men may not be seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown. (The homosexual rights activists should work to have this removed from the books.)
• It is illegal to skateboard without a license. (Minors take notice.)
But around the Sheriff’s Department, my arrest was no joke. I was treated like a criminal – they fingerprinted me, took a mug shot, and locked me up in a cell with some guys who were accused of drug dealing. Marilyn depleted our savings account to pay the $250 bail at around 2 a.m. When we paid the bail bondsman, he burst into laughter when he read the charges against me. “Son,” he said as he leaned back in his chair and took a puff of his cigar, “I’ve heard of hog thieves, horse thieves, just about everything in my 40 years as a bails bondsman in Highland, Polk, and Hardee Counties, but I’ve never heard of this one!”
It was clear the onslaught of challenges we were facing was being orchestrated by a network of townies with an attitude of entitlement. As one person told us, it was impossible for a family to have so many crises at one time. The attacks seemed endless. It was retaliation for our seeking justice and raising too many questions about the bullying incident with our son at Sebring Middle School.
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As a resident of Florida, I decided to run as an Independent for the United States Senate because I feel our country is adrift. We need to get back on course, and I will continue to pledge to pay attention to the needs of the average American, the Constitution, job creation, affordable health care, Veteran’s services, civil and constitutional rights, a progressive environmental plan, agriculture, safe and exceptional schools for our children, and national security.
One of my greatest concerns is the growing gap between the rich and poor in America, which has never been greater. Sun Belt suburban areas such as Lakeland, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami are showing some of the greatest increases in poverty nationwide,according to a report recently released by the Brookings Institute. The number of Americans falling into poverty in suburban areas has increased by nearly 40 percent. I want to hear from you about what you’d like to see changed. I want to hear your views so that I can represent you better. I believe that all Americans have the right to pursue and earn the American Dream. Vote for me, and I’ll promise to shake up Congress and pass legislation that will make a progressive difference in your lives. - Your Friend, Bobbie Bean
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Here’s one of my favorite videos on the Constitution.
Judge Andrew Napolitano
Judge Andrew Napolitano Natural rights Patriot Act – Part 3 of 3
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Trailer for “The Cartel,” and award-winning documentary film by Bob Bowdon
Please watch this trailer to an award-winning movie and then email me, call me, and let me know if you think the time has come to change America’s public eduction system.
Bobbie Bean is offering an easy-to-read, large print edition of The Constitution of the United States, The Amendments, and Declaration of Independence for $5 (includes shipping anywhere in the Continental United States) or 5 copies for $20. Call 863-243-2196 or use the contact form on this website for more information about buying in bulk for educational purposes. ” Use the words in this book … learn your Constitution, or lose your freedom!” – A quote from Bobbie Bean
Bobbie Bean consistently promoted solar roadways throughout his US Senate campaign. It appears to be a popular idea among the public as well, according to the following press release:
SOLAR ROADWAYS WINS $50,000 PRIZE FOR THE MOST POPULAR VOTES IN GE’S ECOMAGINATION CHALLENGE
From the GE Ecomagination Blog (http://challenge.ecomagination.com/ct/ct_blog_list.bix?c=ideas):
“The Challenge community has spoken, and today we’re excited to announce that Sagle, Idaho-based Solar Roadways received the highest number of Challenge community votes and will receive the $50,000 award.”
The GE Ecomagination Challenge is a $200 million innovation experiment where businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students share their best ideas on how to build the next-generation power grid – and just might get funded. GE has teamed up with some of the best-known venture capital firms, including Emerald Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, KPCB and Rockport Capital, to help back the most promising ideas.
“This is wonderful – this is like the “People’s Choice” award and we’re honored that so many people from all over the world took the time to vote for us. This will give us the funding needed to continue bringing together a team of the best and brightest engineers, scientists, companies, and universities on board for the project that may very well become the New Deal of the 21st century”, said Scott Brusaw who, with this wife Julie, created the Solar Roadways project and founded Solar Roadways Incorporated.
Solar Roadways is a company with a single purpose: to replace our nation’s deteriorating highway infrastructure and crumbling power grid with an intelligent highway system that pays for itself through the generation of electricity and doubles as an intelligent, self-healing, decentralized power grid. The Solar Roadway is made of structurally engineered solar panels that are driven upon.
In addition to roadways, other possible applications include driveways, parking lots, sidewalks, patios, sport’s courts, playgrounds, bike paths, amusement parks, airports, racetracks- really any surface that vehicles or people use. More information about Solar Roadways can be found below on Bobbie’s website from written when he promoted the idea with his campaign.
Solar Highways Would Redesign the Energy Grid, Reduce CO2, and Create Jobs
America needs jobs, a sound energy program, and forward-thinking ideas that protect future generations. That’s why I’m recommending Solar Highways as a Great Works Project for America. Please watch this video (above) to learn about solar roadway designs that can triple the amount of energy America presently produces, and then call or write me about whether you support the idea of a Solar Highway Grid. The cost of the BP Oil spill is already $32 billion and counting. Think about how many solar panels $32 billion could buy. I think Florida should be a leader in the creation, design, and implementation of solar highways that would provide electricity for cars, homes, and businesses. After all, Florida is the sun and sand state! The sun provides the renewable energy for the grid, the sand provides the materials for the glass panels. We need to wean ourselves from our dependency on oil and asphalt, which is expected to skyrocket in price within the next few years. A solar highway would create millions of jobs for our state and for America! Much as the Internet became an Information Highway, Solar Highways could become an Energy Highway for the future! Oregon is already explorinng some of the technology. Florida should follow suit.
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Congressional Spending Between June 2009 and March 2010 Reached A Whopping $1,013,162,955
The Sunlight Foundation, a Washington-based non-partisan, non-profit organization, recently released some data on congressional spending from June 2009 to March 2010. The Foundation was established to track government spending and encourage greater accountability and transparency in government – http://sunlightfoundation.com/about/. The Senate version of this spending report is due out soon. The statement of disbursements can be found here: http://disbursements.house.gov/.
Largest expense: $80 million for retirement benefits for federal employees;
Largest spender: $1.5 million by Pedro Pierluisi (D) of Puerto Rico;
Second largest spender: $1.3 million by Jim Costa (D) of California;
Zinger spending items: $114,925 by Democratic caucus for weekend getaway at a resort in Williamsburg, Va., to set their 2009 legislative agenda; $362,939 received by former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) to run a taxpayer-funded office for up to five years, as designated by Federal law to “facilitate the administration, settlement and conclusion of matters pertaining to or arising out of ” a former speaker’s tenure in the House;
Payroll expenditures: $552 million;
Travel : $12.5 million ($1.4 million a month);
Publications and research: $11 million;
Rep. Howard Berman (D) of California on publications and research (largest spending in that category): $84,000;
New York Times newspaper: $93,976;
Washington Post newspaper: $78,857 ;
Food and beverages: $2.6 million;
Bottled water: $604,000;
Catering: $397,000;
Catering by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D) of Maryland: $7,536;
Average Catering cost per representative: $1,316;
Coffee: $84,794;
Health insurance: $34.9 million;
Student loan repayments: $12.6 million;
Computer software and hardware: $23.5 million;
Furniture, carpets, and drapes: $3,382,677
- Compiled from data provided by the Sunlight Foundation, the Capitol Hill newspaper “Roll Call,” and America Online news.