The Way I See ItBy cj pollickSandPearl Resort To Open On Clearwater Beach - SandPearl Resort, developed by visionary Mike Cheezem, will open for business August 27th. The SandPearl Resort is located on the same site as the previous Clearwater Beach Hotel (north Clearwater Beach.) With a long list of amenities, the SandPearl will immediately become Clearwater Beach's newest hotel showpiece. Looking for a five-star hotel on Clearwater Beach? Try the SandPearl. Steve Cottrell Gets Job - Experienced city manager Steve Cottrell (former city manager of Belleair) was asked by the city commission of Indian Rocks Beach to become their full-time city manager. Cottrell accepted the offer and will soon become involved in helping to solve several important issues confronting the city commission. The only city official objecting to Cottrell's appointment was Indian Rocks Beach Mayor Bill Ockunzzi. Florida Senator Mel Martinez Out Of Touch - Republican Senator Mel Martinez favors amnesty for illegal immigrants in America. Of course, over 75 percent of Americans do not favor this radical opinion. In fact, it has been stated that if Mel Martinez was running for re-election, he would lose due to his liberal views on illegal immigration. Re-elect Mel Martinez as U.S. Senator? Not likely. Home-Schooling And Test Scores - For the past ten years, yes, ten years, students who were home-schooled scored higher on the ACT (national testing center tests) than other "schooled" students. Home-schooled students consistently score higher on ACT tests. Makes you wonder how this is possible when so much taxpayer money has been spent on public and private education. Mom educates her children better at home? If national test scores, such as the ACT, is one indication of how a student had learned compared to all other students who had studied in schools, then our state and federal government needs to review our educational system. Forget soccer Moms - - how about home-school Moms! Yes, there are other things in life for a young student than just books, things like school activities and interaction with other students while attending school. Those are important things that home-schooled children might miss. However, when speaking with parents that home-school, they arrange after-school interactions for their children with local public schools and church groups for social interactions and activities. Ohio Courtroom Outburst - The father of a young woman killed by an attacker sat in an Ohio courtroom listening to the attacker plead guilty to the murder charge. The father could not stand to see the killer sit at the court table while the judge pronounced the sentence. The upset father lunged at the young, black male attacker with intent to do as much harm as he could. Courtroom police quickly jumped into the fray and wrestled the father to the ground as the killer watched police try to control the out-of-control father. It was clear that if the father could have had the chance, he would have used old-fashioned justice to handle the courtroom sentencing. The killer would have met his maker. Ohio justice? The killer was led away to the Ohio prison system as a ward of the taxpayers, perhaps for 20 years. Here's the point: if you were the father of a young woman killed by a captured man, the killer found guilty and sitting in a courtroom while the verdict was read, would you not lose your control and try to do something bad to the killer? You would think the courtroom would have a wall or something around the killer to prevent wild outbursts or possible shootings. On the other hand, it would be difficult to find the father guilty of any form of courtroom outbursts . . . by a jury of his peers. Imagine the vented anger of the father. This murderer attacked and killed his innocent daughter. Out of jail in ten years due to overcrowding? Might not be a good thing for this Ohio killer, this father could be waiting at the exit door. Coal Mine Tragedy - Another underground coal mine tragedy where coal miners were caught in an underground cave-in. This is just another coal mine accident where miners understood the risks and accepted the risks in order to work at a good-paying job. Regardless of all safety procedure rhetoric, working in an underground coal mine is dangerous business. It is not the type of job most people would plan to take if there were other equal working opportunities. Much like high-rise iron workers, coal mining is a risky business. Now comes an issue few have been discussing: were some of the underground workers illegal immigrants? Did this coal mine company hire illegal immigrants to work in the coal mine? If yes, then this could be yet another example of U.S. employers are using illegal workers to take jobs where there might not be too many legal workers interested in the job unless conditions and pay scales were increased. It is a terrible thing that any person would be killed on the job, legal or illegal. However, if there were illegals working in this coal mine, then perhaps our elected officials in Washington will notice how their lack of interest in this serious matter can result in bad outcomes. Some employers do not employ the best of safety standards when they know they can find workers who would take jobs because they are illegal. This is a terrible tragedy in an industry that needs better oversight. |