The Way I See ItBy cj pollickBill Jonson Is Back? - Remember former Clearwater city councilmember Bill Jonson? Well, he is back attending many Clearwater city council meetings. Makes some folks wonder if Bill Jonson is considering another run for a Clearwater seat. County Administrator - Wow, apparently at least one county commissioner has been speaking to Clearwater City Manager Bill Horne regarding the position. More Liberalism At Columbia University Not Welcomed - Thousands of protestors are marching at Columbia University due to the invitation of Iranian Dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at their "distinguished" lecture series. New Yorkers who remember 9/11 are not happy with this University decision to invite a man actively engaged in killing American troops in Iraq. Free speech and academic freedom, says the president of the University. In other words, we'll do whatever some of us want to do at Columbia University - - we can invite anyone we want, even a terrorist. On the other hand, this University decision was not widely accepted by New York citizens. Why? Perhaps it was because this Iranian leader has said he would like to see Israel destroyed. Or, perhaps it is because Iran supports terrorists (like the people who attacked America on 9/11.) Then again, maybe it is because this Iranian leader has said there was no holocaust it was just a big lie. Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons and is widely reported as one of the largest threats to America as well as the free world... and the president of Columbia University wants to hear Ahmadinejad's side of this terrorism story? All of this makes Columbia University students and alumni question this administrative arrogance. The arrogance of this University decision has caused many Americans to protest in New York and across America. No holocaust? Tell that to the remaining survivors of German concentration camps. Israel should be demolished? Tell that to the people of Israel. No Iranian officers helping terrorists in Iraq? Tell that to US officials who recently captured one. Nuclear weapons? Yes, Iran would love to have nuclear weapons to threaten other nations with more acts of terrorism. Freedom of speech? Yes, but that freedom was earned by Americans fighting against terrorism and a known terrorist like this Iranian dictator. Maybe this bold terrorist needs to see large crowds of American protestors who despise his leadership. Maybe this terrorist believes some of the foreign liberal media clippings where he is shown as a great world leader. Maybe he needs a good dose of New York protest . . . and, then, maybe he will go home and think twice about picking a fight with Americans who are not part of the University elite. Worse. Ahmadinejad wants to visit Ground Zero. Bad decision. Why Newt? - There are several people running for the presidency that have one thing in common: None of them have a plan for Social Security - - neither Democrats nor Republicans. Social Security is a major issue for retiring American workers, same for Medicare. According to one government study, that included the chief actuary for the Social Security administration, Social Security can become solvent if the system would allow the Social Security fund to be invested (instead of spent by Washington politicians on big government spending.) According to the actuary, the Social Security system can be made secure for many decades. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, has stated that unless something is done to save the current system from failure, either taxes or reduced benefits are likely to occur in the near future. Can you imagine the fallout for the political party that reduces Social Security benefits? Ousted. Newt Gingrich is not running for the presidency, but there are many people that believe America needs an idea-person in the White House (like Newt Gingrich.) If Newt Gingrich decides to jump into the race, he just might become the frontrunner. Hillary Clinton's Health Plan Just More Socialism? - Remember when former President Bill Clinton had his wife Hillary take charge of the development of a national healthcare plan instead of recognized healthcare experts? Yes, outrageous ideas of Hillary fizzled due to three things: 1. American taxpayers could not afford the resulting tax bite to pay for socialized healthcare, 2. Doctors wondered if it would be worth working under her government system of repayment for professional services and, 3. The entire medical system in America would have needed to step backwards when trying to copy the Canadian medical system. Americans were puzzled with Hillary's ideas since whenever world leaders were ill (money being no object) and they wanted to seek the best medical treatment anywhere in the world, they went to America. If the best medical services were in Canada, or elsewhere, they would have gone to Canada, etc.; but no, world leaders went to American hospitals and American doctors for a cure. Best medical care in the world is in America. The issue was, and is, expense. Hillary learned that fact, but now believes she can increase taxes to pay for her national healthcare medical ideas. To Hillary all things could be resolved by increasing taxes and creating a bigger government in Washington using the war in Iraq as a major campaign issue. It is a scary thought that she has not changed much over the years. Sally Fields Tried To Make A Point - If you observed the recent Hollywood award ceremony where Sally Fields (you may remember her as the Flying Nun) tried to make a point about the war in Iraq, you likely wondered what the heck she was drinking. Sally Fields tried to condemn the war in Iraq; however, the words she would have liked to say could not come out of her mouth. It was as though she was practicing a speech with marbles in her mouth. At the end of the protracted stammering, she finally said if mothers were in charge there would be no wars. Thus, actress Sally Fields made her politically (un)correct statement to the national media. Ray K. from Belleair Beach sent a recent e-mail that may remind us of the words spoken by comedian Mort Sahl," Only in show business could someone with a C-average be considered an intellectual." Back to Sally. Sally, fathers and mothers (all grandparents) hate seeing their family member in war. That fact is true of all wars. However, freedom comes at a price and, for many generations, Americans have sacrificed young lives for the freedoms we enjoy in this amazingly great country. Yes, even the freedom of speech and protest which may seem unusual to our young soldiers in battle. Support our troops while they are in battle? Yes, every time. Double Standard For Isiah Thomas? - As most folks know, Isiah Thomas is being sued by a former female executive due to harassment, she alleges. Thomas denies any wrongdoing, but admits to use of certain unflattering words. When asked if Thomas would take offense if a white male executive had used the same words to the black woman employee, Thomas said he would be upset. Yet, Thomas believes a black male executive using the unflattering words to a black woman should be more acceptable. In other words, use of unflattering words depends upon race. Not acceptable. Thomas unfortunately reflected his personal problems with race equality when making such a public comment. This is not new ground for Isiah Thomas, he once said Hall Of Famer Larry Bird, if he was black, would have been called just another good black basketball player (not a great player, like he was.) Racial bias for Thomas? Yes, behind the boyish smile of Thomas lies some deep racial biases. Here is the bad news for Isiah: His comments about the ex-employee (while she was working) were not flattering words that anyone should ever say to a woman. Whether those comments reached a legal level for harassment is not known; but this fact is for sure - - courts of law try their best to be blind regarding race and harrassment. The way I see it, Thomas should be reprimanded by basketball and have the media cover his outrageous comments much like ex-baseball player John Rocker. (Remember how his comments became big news and he was ousted from baseball?) Tid Bits - Why does catgut comes from sheep and horses? Why Gary Cooper turned down the lead role in Gone With The Wind? Why (in 1949) Popular Mechanics magazine said computers would weigh no more than 1.5 tons? Why would any politician support increasing taxes? Why illegal immigration is not illegal?
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