Almost 500 Republicans attend 2012 Broward Lincoln Day Gala
Living up to a campaign promise and his Eight Point Platform for the Broward Republican Party, Chairman Richard DeNapoli staged yet another successful fundraiser in Saturday’s Lincoln Day Gala.
Almost 500 Republicans attended the annual Lincoln Day Gala at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was the featured keynote speaker at the Broward Republican Party event. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Congressman Allen West (FL-22), and Republican National Committee co-chair Sharon Day were among special guest speakers in attendance.
Party Secretary Michael De Gruccio returned as the 2012 event chairman.
“It was my honor to return as chairman of the 2012 Broward County Lincoln Day Gala,” said De Gruccio. “We had an amazing keynote speaker followed by special guest speakers that not only honored the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln but our Republican elected officials.”
Prior to the dinner, BREC Chairman Richard DeNapoli hosted a VIP Reception for nearly 200 that included the Florida Attorney General, the state Chief Financial Officer, a prominent Congressman, the Republican National Committee Co-Chairman, a number of local, state, and federal officials as well as candidates for public office.
“The VIP reception offered an opportunity to chat one-on-one with Attorney General Pam Bondi, the keynote speaker and special guests CFO Jeff Atwater Congressman Allen West, and RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day” said DeNapoli. “Guests also had an opportunity to speak with candidates running for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Florida House and Senate, as well as local Broward County offices.”
Returning as auctioneer from appearances at both the 2011 Broward Lincoln Day Gala and the inaugural Grand Old Party BBQ was Highlands County Commissioner Don Elwell. Standing tall above the crowd, Elwell successfully raised thousands of dollars for local Republicans through a live auction.
Attorney General Pam Bondi opened the evening as the featured keynote speaker with a feisty and dynamic speech on a variety of issues. Bondi, who had just returned from a trip to New York and the taping of a segment on Sean Hannity, donated a pink tie – autographed by Hannity – for the evening’s live auction.
Still excited from her recent argument before the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of Obamacare, Bondi recalled some of her experiences concerning the case.
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater followed stating that “you have the state of Florida and our federal government taking two very different paths. In the great state of Florida where you have elected Rick Scott, where you have elected Pam Bondi, Adam Putnam, and a Republican legislature – this is what happens in a downturn. You get people that go to bat for you.”
“Things in Florida are completely different from the federal government. The federal government has raised your taxes, raised the debt, increased regulation. In the state of Florida the last three years has been the exact opposite – your taxes were reduced, regulation was reduced, and debt was reduced.”
Congressman Allen West fired up conservatives, telling Republicans to “find the enemy and fight them wherever they are.” Like American paratroopers before the D-day invasion, West said they “must be like sharks that smell blood in the water.”
The audience applauded and cheered throughout his 19 minute speech, as West appeared before Broward Republican’s for a final time.
West concluded with words from the farewell speech given by Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson when he was promoted by Robert E. Lee.
“He said to his brigade they would always be first in his heart,” said West. “Broward County will always be first in my heart, and I will never forget you,” he told the standing room only crowd.
Special guest and Republican National Committee co-Chair Sharon Day was also encouraged by the work of the Broward Republican Executive Committee and stated so in an interview following the event.
“It was great to see so many Broward Republicans together in such a Democratic stronghold. Taking back the White House and the Senate is the only way we can save America.”
“Lincoln Day was an overwhelming success,” former Plantation Councilman and BREC Executive Director Rico Petrocelli stated. “It was encouraging to see many new faces from throughout Broward.”
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi keynote speaker at Broward Lincoln Day Gala
Broward GOP Chairman Richard DeNapoli is reminding local Republicans that tickets are almost sold out for Saturday’s Lincoln Day Gala.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is the featured keynote speaker at the annual Broward Republican Party event. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Congressman Allen West (FL-22) are among the special guests confirmed to be in attendance.
Party Secretary Michael De Gruccio is returning as the 2012 chairman.
Prior to the dinner, BREC Chairman Richard DeNapoli will host a VIP Reception that will include General Bondi, CFO Atwater, U.S. Rep. West, a number of local, state, and federal officials as well as candidates for public office.
“The reception offers an opportunity to chat one-on-one with our keynote speaker, Attorney General Pam Bondi and special guests CFO Jeff Atwater and Congressman Allen West,” said DeNapoli. “Guests will also have an opportunity to speak with candidates who have filed for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Florida House and Senate, as well as local Broward County offices.”
Expecting a record crowd at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, doors will open at 5pm for a VIP reception and at 6pm for a general reception. Dinner and the program will begin at 7pm.
“It’s an honor to return as chairman of the 2012 Broward County Lincoln Day Gala,” said Michael De Gruccio. “We have a great venue, an amazing keynote speaker and a program that will not only honor President Abraham Lincoln but our Republican elected officials.”
The 2012 Lincoln Day Gala of the Broward Republican Party will be held Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, 2301 Southeast 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.
Tickets for the VIP reception (with photo opportunity) are $300.00 while general admission tickets are available at $150.00 each. Numerous sponsorship opportunities are also available.
For information on Lincoln Day sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rico Petrocelli at (954) 941-7775 or visit: www.browardgop.org.
For direct ticket purchases please visit: http://www.donationpages.com/directory/EventTicket/1494.
To RSVP on Facebook, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/browardrepublicanparty#!/events/338670182860050/
To “Like” the most popular Republican Executive Party in Florida, please visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/browardrepublicanparty
“Please consider joining us at the Lincoln Day Gala,” said former Plantation Councilman and BREC Executive Director Rico Petrocelli. “Between the featured speakers and candidates for public office, you won’t want to miss it.”
Pam Bondi, Jeff Atwater and Allen West headline Broward Lincoln Day Gala
Broward GOP Chairman Richard DeNapoli and the Broward Republican Executive Committee are reminding you that tickets are selling fast for this Saturday’s Lincoln Day Gala.
Unlike other events statewide, the Broward Republican Party will feature three Republican heavyweights – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Congressman Allen West (FL-22).
Party Secretary Michael De Gruccio is returning as the 2012 chairman.
Prior to the dinner, BREC Chairman Richard DeNapoli will host a VIP Reception that will include the featured speakers in addition to local elected officials and candidates for public office.
“The reception offers an opportunity to chat one-on-one with Congressman Allen West, Attorney General Pam Bondi and CFO Jeff Atwater,” said DeNapoli. “Guests will also have a chance to speak with candidates who have filed for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Florida House and Senate, as well as local Broward County offices.”
Expecting a record crowd this Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, doors will open at 5pm for a VIP reception and at 6pm for a general reception. Dinner and the program will begin at 7pm.
“It’s an honor to return as chairman of the 2012 Broward County Lincoln Day Gala,” said Michael De Gruccio. “We have a great venue, amazing speakers and a program that will not only honor President Abraham Lincoln but our Republican elected officials.”
The 2012 Lincoln Day Gala of the Broward Republican Party will be held Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, 2301 Southeast 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.
Tickets for the VIP reception (with photo opportunity) are $300.00 while general admission tickets are available at $150.00 each. Numerous sponsorship opportunities are also available.
For information on Lincoln Day sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rico Petrocelli at (954) 941-7775 or visit: www.browardgop.org.
For direct ticket purchases please visit: http://www.donationpages.com/directory/EventTicket/1494.
To RSVP on Facebook, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/browardrepublicanparty#!/events/338670182860050/
To “Like” the most popular Republican Executive Party in Florida, please visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/browardrepublicanparty
“Please consider joining us at the Lincoln Day Gala,” said former Plantation Councilman and BREC Executive Director Rico Petrocelli. “Between the keynote speakers and candidates for public office, you won’t want to miss it.”
The FICO credit score and strategic default

Considered a viable strategy for managing troubled assets in an era of high unemployment, record foreclosures and government bailouts, millions of Americans are considering strategic defaults.
With almost 12 million mortgages underwater, a growing number of homeowners are simply walking away from the places they call home.
Strategic defaults, also known as strategic foreclosures, often take mortgage lenders by surprise because homeowners generally have had excellent credit histories and have previously met all their other financial obligations.
One of the distinguishing factors between a strategic default and other mortgage defaults is that the strategic default is a deliberate business decision. The homeowner has the ability to make payments but simply decides not to because the property value is less than the balance owed on the mortgage.
According to a recent Experian-Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Report, strategic mortgage defaults rose 53 percent to 355,000 foreclosures in the first half of 2009. Prior studies found that 588,000 strategic defaults occurred in 2008, double the number that took place in 2007.
The number of strategic defaults is predicted to double again by the first quarter of 2013.
With more and more homeowners contemplating strategic default, mortgage lenders have sought out predictive indicators to discourage and prevent them by utilizing advanced credit scoring technologies.
A dynamic three-digit number reflecting an individual’s ability to repay debt, credit scores are assigned by the Fair Isaac Corporation. Credit scores play a crucial role in determining whether a borrower is eligible for a loan, the loan amount, interest rates and repayment terms.
Fair Isaac — the creator of the widely-used FICO credit score — recently introduced an enhanced version of its popular scoring model, the FICO 8 Mortgage Score. This enhanced model has made it more difficult for most consumers to secure mortgage loans.
Enhanced to better anticipate consumer behavior amid the foreclosure crisis, the FICO 8 Mortgage Score has been fine-tuned with predictive powers to assist lenders in determining which borrowers are most likely to strategically default.
Predicted to save over $1 billion by preventing 115,000 foreclosures, FICO officials claim their new model is 15- to 25-percent more accurate in predicting strategic defaults than its predecessor.
“The FICO 8 Mortgage Score’s broad availability means that all U.S. lenders and servicers can now easily access scores that are fine-tuned for mortgage performance,” said Jordan Graham, executive VP of Scores and president of Consumer Services at FICO. “By combining this superior predictive performance with the FICO Economic Impact Service, lenders are able to adjust policies and strategies quickly based upon forward-looking economic modeling.
“This is what we mean by the FICO analytic advantage: the ability to use the most advanced predictive analytics to compete and win in this highly challenging environment.”
In addition to having drastically reduced home values on an underwater mortgage, researchers have found other distinct character traits that identify potential strategic defaulters making this decision. Strategic defaulters typically have higher FICO scores, lower revolving balances, fewer instances of exceeding limits on credit cards and lower overall retail credit card usage.
In fact, their behavior is almost opposite to those of distressed defaulters. Strategic defaulters default “because they believe it is in their best financial interest, and because they believe the consequences will be minimal,” said FICO labs head and FICO chief analytics officer Dr. Andrew Jennings. Homeowners plan ahead for the credit hit they will take upon default by purchasing a car, new house and opening new credit cards before they “do the math and walk.”
“Many homeowners are being told to stop paying their mortgages,” said Carlos Reyes, a foreclosure defense attorney with the Reyes Law Group in Fort Lauderdale. “Homeowners should consider their rights and contemplate the long-ranging consequences of such an action. Making the decision to simply walk away may not be in their best interest.”
Strategic default may make “walking away” from a bad debt seem like a good thing, but it can have long-ranging consequences. Absent a deficiency judgment, homeowners will certainly suffer with lower credit scores and a drastically reduced ability to secure future credit. Higher interest rates and unfavorable terms could end up costing more in the long run than continuing to pay on an upside-down mortgage.
“Homeowners should explore all their options before strategically defaulting,” said Reyes.




