Dear Fellow Floridian:
David Green, a man who truly embodies the American Dream, created Hobby Lobby in his garage and turned it into a nationwide chain. Now his dream is threatened. Mr. Green has been free to run his business for
more than 40 years according to his personal religious convictions. Now the federal government has placed Mr. Green in a situation where he literally has to choose between continuing to freely run his business or to pay $1.3 million per day for noncompliance. Instead of helping the working class members of Hobby Lobby’s personnel force, the federal government is hurting them. Unless Mr. Green sets aside his faith convictions to implement new federal laws, which contain elements contrary to his faith, the federal government intends to crush him.
This is not an issue of access to affordable healthcare; this is an issue of Constitutional
rights—our First Amendment. The right to religious freedom is an unalienable right. In fact, the Supreme Court has stated numerous times that freedom of religion is the most precious unalienable right next to life itself. Religious faith and living by moral values are the best ways to protect our freedom and security. Jefferson’s Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom declared that “our civil rights have no dependence [sic] on our religious opinions,” and it concluded that “no man shall . . . be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief.”
On May 23, Mr. Green and his company will continue their effort to protect freedom in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, a federal appellate court. As we wait for their next day in court, I hope you will take the time to learn more about this case. We are Americans; a people not subject to an oppressive government but citizens who take the phrase "We the people" as a call to action. When we see the founding principles being ignored, we must stand united. Join me in supporting Hobby Lobby. Stop by a store today and
share this message with your friends and followers on
twitter and
facebook.
Jeff Atwater
Chief Financial Officer
State of Florida
Check for Your Unclaimed Property before the Statewide Auction on June 8
More than 76,000 items, including jewelry, watches, and rare coins, will be auctioned
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater has asked Floridians to check for unclaimed property prior to his Bureau of Unclaimed Property’s statewide auction, an annual sale of unclaimed safe deposit box contents turned over to the state. The auction, which is open to the public, will be held June 8 in Tampa at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
In his first 28 months in office, CFO Atwater’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property has paid more than 850,000 claims, totaling more than $500 million, including a record-high $24.7 million in June 2011 alone.
“I encourage all Floridians to visit FLTreasureHunt.org and see what property they may have waiting,” said CFO Atwater. “I am proud of the employees who work hard to return millions in unclaimed property every year. It is my goal to raise awareness about the program so that every last dime is returned to its rightful owner.”
At the auction, more than 76,000 individual items, including jewelry, watches and rare coins, with a minimum reserve value in excess of $550,836, will be sold. Featured items include a 1776 Continental Note, silver ingots, an 11-carat sapphire and diamond ring, silver flatware, one 1876 gold pocket watch, South African Krugerrands, and an 18-carat gold and diamond cuff bracelet. These items were turned over to the Bureau after being recovered from abandoned safe deposit boxes.
A free catalog, along with details about the auction, is available at www.FLTreasureHunt.org. Participation in the auction is open to the public but requires registration and a refundable $100 deposit. A public preview of all items will be held Friday, June 7.
Unclaimed money, along with earnings from the auction, is deposited into the state school fund, where, until claimed, it is used for public education. There is no statute of limitations, and citizens have the right to claim their property at any time at no cost.
During the 2013 Legislative Session, SB 464, which will allow certain claims up to $1,000 to be submitted and processed electronically, was passed and was signed into law on May 1. This new automated system will eliminate the need to manually process approximately 27 percent of all claims, allowing unclaimed funds to be returned faster with no additional resources.
Since CFO Atwater took office the Bureau of Unclaimed Property has seen record returns by reuniting owners, heirs and businesses with more than $500 million due largely to persistent efforts to contact owners. To search for or claim unclaimed property, visit
www.FLTreasureHunt.org, or call 1-88-VALUABLE or 850-413-5555.
Operation S.A.F.E. Workshops Scheduled
In honor of Older Americans Month in May, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is launching Operation S.A.F.E., a new initiative to “Stop Adult Financial Exploitation” and turn the tables on fraud artists who target Florida’s seniors. CFO Atwater is seeking to combat statistics which estimate that at least one in five seniors has been a victim of financial fraud. The last workshop will be held in Miami:
Friday, May 24th
FIU - Biscayne Bay Campus
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Wolfe
University Center - Ballroom B
3000 N.E. 151st Street North
Miami, Florida 33181
To learn more or to register for a workshop, visit
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/Safe.
Tune In to a Small Business Disaster Preparedness Webinar
Florida CFO Jeff Atwater and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) invite you
to attend a disaster preparedness webinar to learn how to protect
your business from a natural disaster.
As a small business owner, you wear many hats
and are often pulled in many directions. When
it comes to your business, you want to make
sure you have every base covered. That is why
CFO Atwater wants to give you the tools you
need to insure, secure and recover from a
natural disaster.
This webinar will include ways to ensure that your
business has the proper insurance coverage
in place before a disaster strikes and how to
secure important documents and materials for
safekeeping. We will also discuss ways to
recover after the storm hits so you can get your
business back up and running quickly!
For more information and to register for a webinar, visit
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/YMM.
Dates and Times:
All times eastern.
- Tuesday, May 21st - 10 a.m.
- Wednesday, May 22nd - 12 p.m.
- Thursday, May 23rd - 5:30 p.m.
Got an Insurance Claims Story to Share?
Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate and the Division of Consumer
Services invite you to an Insurance Consumer Forum to share your
experiences and voice your concerns with the homeowners insurance claim
handling process in Florida.
Both the Insurance Consumer Advocate’s office and the Division of Consumer
Services work with consumers daily via Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff
Atwater’s toll-free Helpline at 877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) to find solutions to
insurance claim issues. Policyholders’ testimonies gathered during the workshops
will be used to push for improvements to the insurance claim handling process.
For more information, please visit
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/Division/Consumers, call 877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) or visit
www.MyFloridaCFO.com/ICA.
Printable Forum Flyer
Forums scheduled in May:
MAY22WEST
PALM BEACH 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches
3200 N Military Trail, Suite 102, Boca Raton, FL 33431
MAY22FT.
LAUDERDALE/BROWARD 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors East
1765 NE 26th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305
MAY23MIAMI/DADE
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Miami Association of Realtors®
700 S. Royal Poinciana Blvd,
Suite 400, Miami, FL 33166
MAY23FT.
MYERS 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Realtor® Assn. of Greater Ft. Myers and the Beach
4081 Center Pointe Dr, Ft. Myers, FL 33916
Florida's Bottom Line Shows Transparency
Technology has revolutionized government accountability by enabling the public to have unprecedented and easy access to government data.
Florida has taken advantage of this opportunity by publishing state spending data online. Whether taxpayers are looking for information about past budgets, proposals for this year’s budget, or the state’s payroll, it
all can be accessed via the Internet. Additionally, since 72 percent of the state’s budget is spent in the form of a contract, it is critical that taxpayers can inspect public contracts.
The Department of Financial Services began publishing the details of contracts online last year through the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACTS), and you can use this tool to take a critical look. Because of this commitment over the past two years to increasing accountability and transparency in government for Florida taxpayers, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) gave Florida an A-minus this year for overall transparency based on the DFS Transparency Florida website, which houses FACTS.
In this edition of Florida’s Bottom Line, you will also find information about ongoing efforts to
continue making government in Florida more open and ethical. This includes articles from Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford, who discuss their initiatives on page 8. Additionally, the Florida Foundation for Government Accountability and the First Amendment Foundation provide commentary on how Florida can continue improving in the future.