DO NOT SHOP LIST ............

ATTORNEY GENERAL McCOLLUM’S “DO NOT SHOP” LIST

Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued a consumer advisory, urging parents to check toy recall lists before shopping for their children’s holiday presents. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 50 toys have been recalled since the beginning of the year, most due to toxic levels of lead or lead paint. The toys include popular brands such as Mattel and Fisher-Price and millions of “must-have” toys such as certain Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys, Aqua Dots craft kits and some Barbie doll accessories.

“I am concerned about the staggering number of reports of tainted toys coming into the United States and the dangers they pose to our children,” said Attorney General Bill McCollum. “Parents need to do their research before they head out for holiday toy shopping. There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and in this case, knowledge could literally save lives.”

The dangers don’t stop with lead exposure, as evidenced with the recall this month of the Aqua Dots craft kit because of toxic coating on the toy that rendered at least two children unconscious. While most toys should at this point have been pulled from store shelves, McCollum encouraged parents to go back and check any toys they may have purchased earlier in the year before recalls were announced. Recalled toys can also occasionally show up at flea markets and resale shops. To make it easier for parents to keep track of the recalls, the Attorney General’s Office is providing a “Do Not Shop” List containing the most recently recalled toys for parents to print and take into stores when holiday shopping.

The list, along with links to the CPSC’s website is available on the Attorney General’s website at http://www.myfloridalegal.com. A current list of toys recalled this year can also be found at http://www.cpsc.gov/recentrecalls.html.

The Attorney General’s Office will continue to monitor the recalls and discuss options with Attorneys General around the country who are equally concerned about lead-tainted toys. As it becomes available, the Attorney General’s Office will provide additional recall information on its website.


Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Richter on Education ........

The Richter campaign agrees with the Florida Education Association …….

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Increase the recurring general revenue base. The state cannot continue its dependence on nonrecurring revenue sources and an aging tax system. Evaluation of the countless sales tax exemptions and corporate tax exemptions followed by the elimination of non-vital exemptions should be a top priority.

Reduce the level of spending for the Florida School Recognition Program.

Allow local school boards authority to utilize local 2-mill capital outlay funds to pay for property and casualty insurance premiums.

Reevaluate the funding model for exceptional student education. (ESE)

Expand teacher lead funding to include all full-time instructional personnel and pro-rata funding for part-time instructional personnel.

Provide free tuition or loan forgiveness scholarships to ESP for coursework to become certified teachers in critical shortage areas.

Reject simplistic schemes like the 65% “solution” that seek only to shift school funding without examining the needs of students, school employees, schools and school districts.

Examine Florida’s corporate tax policy and associated business tax breaks and the real economic benefit to Florida.

FACTS:

Pay teachers and other public school employees a competitive wage.

Experts agree that a highly qualified teacher in every classroom is critical to providing our children with the best education possible. But in Florida, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain quality teachers.

The teaching shortage is real.

Florida must recruit many new teachers each year and faces strong competition from other states and other professions. The average Florida teacher salary is $6,200 below the national average. Education support personnel such as counselors, nurses, and reading coaches are just as vital to our schools and must also make a living wage.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Richter announcing new campaign headquarters in Lehigh Acres .....

Keith Richter campaign now has a office located at:

Richter for Florida
(Candidate for Florida House Dist. 72)
205 Joel Blvd East Suite#116
Lehigh Acres, Fl 339712

239-822-9300


Office hours to be announced soon.

CHECK OR IN-KIND DONATIONS ARE

Greatly Appreciated!

The maximum an individual, business or corporation may contribute is $500.00 dollars. If you have any questions regarding your contribution, please contact me or my staff directly by phone at 239-822-9300 or by email campaign@richterforflorida.com

Please make check payable to: Keith Richter for Florida campaign fund.

Thank you all for your support!

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

It's time to keep our kids safe from Lead ..........

Keeping Your Kids Safe from Lead

Nearly 300,000 young American children have blood lead levels high enough to cause irreversible damage according to the Centers for Disease Control. Every one of these cases is avoidable. While many young children have been affected by lead from paint in older homes, other children are being exposed to the toxin through toys, especially toy jewelry, they love. These toys are identifiable and should not be purchased, played with, or even produced.

Every child is at risk for exposure to toys containing lead. Every parent needs to take important steps to keep their kids out of harm's way.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Children

Avoid purchasing toys from vending machines. In 2004, 150 million pieces of children's jewelry were recalled from vending machines nationwide. To be safe, parents should avoid these products.

Avoid toys which have small parts which may be swallowed, especially if the parts are metal or metallic.

Avoid glossy, fake painted pearls which may be painted with lead-paint.

Test suspect jewelry. Lead Check swabs are available at most local hardware stores and can be used to test for lead in products you may purchase for your child. Swabs turn pink when lead is detected. You can also order test kits online.

Check your child's toys. These toys may contain lead. If they do, remove them from your child's toy box and dispose of them. See photos of a sample of products which have tested positive for lead. For more information about disposing of lead contaminated toys, contact your local municipality.

Get your child tested. Lead poisoning can generally not be detected any other way. Regular testing will ensure the health of your child.

Ask retailers about their toy jewelry and ask them if they have documentation that the jewelry does not contain lead. Let them know that you are concerned if they don't have documentation.

Stay vigilant. Sign-up to receive e-mails from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) about new product recalls. For past recalls of kid's products click here.

How Does Lead Affect Young Children?

The primary danger to young children from lead poisoning is brain damage. This can result in lower IQ levels, hyperactivity, developmental delays, and aggression.

Lead can kill. In February 2006, a child in Minnesota died after ingesting a piece of toy jewelry.
Lead is a soft, naturally occurring metal and can be found in contaminated soil, water, old paint, inexpensive jewelry, and other consumer products.

There is no safe level of lead for children.

Children are generally exposed to lead by eating dust or soil contaminated by old lead-based paint or by swallowing or mouthing contaminated objects.

Children six and under are particularly vulnerable to lead contamination. Two-year olds tend to have the highest levels of contamination because of their instinct to put objects in their mouth.

Brain damage from lead cannot be reversed, but blood lead levels can be lowered to prevent further damage and early intervention can help to reduce long term effects.

The best treatment is to remove the source of lead from the child. Parents should discard or avoid consumer products that contain lead.

Don't allow lead to become part of your holiday!

Click below and watch the movie ..............

Source Sierra Club http://sierraclub.org/healthycommunities/lead/#badges

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Lehigh candidate for state House sides with the people

Lehigh candidate for state House sides with the people

By Betty Parker Originally published on November 10, 2007

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/COLUMNISTS01/711100458/1017/COLUMNISTS

State House candidate Keith Richter, who's challenging state Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, in the GOP primary election next year, got his audience's attention this week when he initially appeared to call for legalizing marijuana.


Asked about his hometown of Lehigh Acres' leading cash crop, Richter knew what was coming."Marijuana?" he replied. "We should tax the hell out of it and make some money on it."
"You can't tax it if it's illegal, can you?" he said, then he noted, "But I'm not saying we should legalize it."Most people want it to be illegal, he said, and he wants to do what the majority of the people desire.

He went on to say "prisons are full of people with minor drug charges," and imprisoning a parent for such small violations means "we've destroyed a family unit and they go on welfare."He suggested the "burden" on the prison system could be lessened by putting violators on house arrest with a monitoring bracelet.

Speaking at Business people United for Political Action, Richter, 39, said as an individual, he supports efforts for Lehigh to become an incorporated town. As a candidate, however, he said he'd abide by the will of the people as evidenced in an upcoming straw ballot planned on incorporation.

He said he wants to support the will of the people on issues, but it was less clear how he'd decide between two issues that had widespread support, and no referendum to help gauge public opinion.Richter, a disabled veteran, said he hurt his back while moving airplane parts at an Arizona military facility. Although he was told he'd never walk again, he said he was determined to prove doctors wrong, and now walks with no obvious problem.

His background makes him very pro-military, he said, and helped him form ideas about the role of the military. "Being a police force is not what we're supposed to do," he said.

He also said unfriendly Middle Eastern forces "have us by the short hairs" because of the U.S. dependence on oil. Florida needs to develop alternate energy sources, he said, which does not include drilling for oil off Florida's shores."I don't want us out there drilling the hell out of it," he said. "People complain about red tide now, can you imagine a lot of gooky oil there?" on the beach.

All it takes, he said, is one

Exxon Valdez-type spill "and it would be disastrous for Florida's economy."

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Richter Campaign Store Now Open .........

Richter Campaign Store Open


Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Development of a healthy planet bill ……..

As you know the importance of working together to accomplish important goals:

protecting wildlife, including threatened and endangered species,

preserving our national forests, wild lands, uplands and wetlands,

figuring out a way to solve global warming,

using alternative fuels in our everyday lives,

. . . and ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come.

As you know, the current Federal Administration and its special interest friends are continuing their efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, allow development within our national forests, increase oil & gas drilling in fragile wild lands such as in the Arctic, and resist measures to solve global warming.

We need to work together to accomplish these important goals ………. and develop a healthy planet bill …….. before it's to late!

Leadership on a different scale

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Richter to speak to BUPAC ..........

Keith Richter, Candidate for State House, Dist-72 will be speaking at BUPAC on Nov 6th

YOU are invited to attend. TUESDAY ...

Breakfast starts at 7:00 am

Meeting begins at 7:30 am ...

Adjournment promptly at 8:30 am

French Roast Cafe, 12995 S Cleveland Ave (Pinebrook Plaza, north of the Bell Tower Mall)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BUPAC/message/90

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Building Community Spirit ..............

State House 72 candidate Keith Richter of Lehigh Acres

building community spirit and waits for the water balloon to drop after the target is hit during Saturday’s family fun day and voter registration event

sponsored by the Lehigh Acres Community Council

Link to story

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Improve Transportation and Strengthen our Infrastructure ...

Improve Transportation and Strengthen our Infrastructure: Richter said improving transportation must be done in a sensitive way to protect the local natural environment.

Southwest Florida's popularity comes with a price. IROX costs more than $430 million, but Governor Crist says the payoff will be worth the price tag."We want to keep growing, grow the economy, grow our infrastructure, and that's what today's all about," Governor Crist says.

You can also visit http://www.irox75.com/ for more information.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Building Consensus .....

Building Consensus: Richter said he will build consensus throughout Lee, Charlotte and Desoto counties, while always fighting for the rights of our citizens and veterans.

Consensus is a decision making process which equalizes power over a group of people. Instead of simply voting for an item, and having the majority of the group get their way, the group has to sit down and get a solution to a problem that EVERYONE is ok with. People take different ideas and we see how we feel about them. The solution that the group thinks is the most positive gets chosen, unless a member of the group finds the solution totally unacceptable. Consensus is based on compromise, and the ability to find common ground.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Fiscal Responsibility ........

“All levels of government must exercise fiscal responsibility to their citizens.”

Richter has said he will promote fiscal responsibility while seeking to protect and promote public safety and well-being for residents of District 72.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Richter on Smart Growth ..........

Smart Growth: Richter said he is a supporter of community planning through the Smart Growth initiative. He said he will combat urban sprawl by promoting greater density in urban areas. “We must grow in a smart and responsible manner.”

Ideas from Richter …..

Enact an inclusionary zoning ordinance for new housing developments.

Provide home buyer assistance through support to community land trusts.

Revise zoning and building codes to permit a wider variety of housing types.

Plan and zone for affordable and manufactured housing development in rural areas.

Educate developers of multifamily housing units and nonprofits on the use of limited-equity (or equity-restriction) components.

Educate realtors, lenders, and home buyers on the use of resource-efficient mortgages.

Implement a program to identify and dispose of vacant and abandoned buildings.

Adopt special rehabilitation building codes to regulate the renovation of existing structures.

Enlist local jurisdictions in implementing a regional fair-share housing allocation plan across metropolitan areas.

Give priority to smart growth projects and programs that foster smart growth in the allocation of federal housing and community development block grant (and other) funds.

Plant trees throughout communities and preserve existing trees during new construction.

Create active and secure open spaces.

Create special improvement districts for focused investment.

Create opportunities for community interaction.

Create a network of trails and greenways.

Zone for concentrated activity centers around transit service

Incorporate opinions and interests often and routinely into the planning process.

Bring developers and the development community into the visioning process.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Florida Tax Relief

As you know, providing property tax relief for Floridians has been a priority this year. Over the last 10 months, there have been many different ideas presented and debated, and I applaud leaders like Speaker Marco Rubio

and Speaker-Designate Ray Sansom

for being willing to advance what was consider to be very sensible reform proposals.

Political reality is that the legislative process requires agreement from both the House and the Senate and the members within their respective bodies. I am glad that Floridians will have a chance to vote for some property tax relief in January.

The highlights of the Constitutional Amendment are as follows:

*Allows "portability" of accumulated Save Our Home benefits for homestead property owners,
Expands the homestead exemption.

*10% assessment cap for all non-homestead and commercial properties.

*Tangible Personal Property exemption of $25,000 for small businesses.

I’m urging you to vote for this plan and support it. Passing this plan would be a small victory in the effort to reform the property tax system. My effort to fight for property tax reform will not end on January 29th but all continue if you elected me as your Representative for District 72

Keith Richter

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72

Let's Support Governor Crist ---- I DO !!!!!

Dear Friends,

Over the summer, Florida Governor Crist signed an Executive Order (EO127) calling for increased investment in renewable energy in the state.

Now is the time to speak up for Florida Solar Energy in "The Sunshine State." The Florida Solar Initiative will result in a world-class solar market in Florida, replacing the equivalent of 20 average coal-fired power plants.

It's critically important that the Governor knows that this plan has the support of the people. That's why we'd like to deliver a petition signed by renewable-energy supporters. To be effective, we need something huge: a veritable mountain of signatures.

Can you add your name to the list of people supporting the Florida Solar Initiative today?

Click Here to Sign the Petition.

Check out "Vote Solar".

Your Candidate for House Dist 72

Keith Richter

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Keith Richter, Republican for State House, District 72