The Way I See ItBy cj pollickDemocrats Oppose Drilling For Oil - With the price of gas at about $4/gallon, you probably wonder why Democrats in Washington do not support oil exploration in America. The fact of the matter is that we have shale oil in America that exceeds that in Canada (where it is being extracted in Calgary.) With control of our oil supply, we could lower prices and be less dependent on Saudi Arabia and other nations. Drill for oil? Yes. Two People, One Social Security Number – Holli checked paperwork regarding her 401(k) plan and noticed another name by her social security number – a man named Paulino Rodriguez was next to her name. Holli did not know Mr. Rodriguez and called for help. After turning the matter over to the police department, Mr. Rodriguez was arrested and put in jail for falsely using Holli’s social security identification (for over 3 years). Paulino was in America illegally and had been working with a false social security number. This was not an isolated case. In Chicago Linda found that 37 people were using her social security number. Imagine the shock when Linda saw over 30 names plus hers on her social security statement! How many citizens have illegal immigrants using their social security number? Time will tell, but perhaps it wise to ask for a copy of your social security statement. Vallejo, California - The city of Vallejo, California filed for bankruptcy protection due to large employee costs and declining tax revenues. “We can’t pay our bills,” explains Mayor Osby Davis. Employee union officials plan to challenge the bankruptcy filings of the city. Here is the problem: city union employees expect pay and benefit increases regardless of lower city revenues. Of course, this is a problem with many city governments across the nation – skyrocketing employee expenses and declining city revenues. Hamilton "Ham" Jordan Remembered - In the 1976 political campaign, a peanut farmer from Georgia named Jimmy Carter ran for the presidency. Even though he was educated at one of our excellent U.S. military academies, not many people knew about Jimmy Carter. However, Carter did have a fellow Georgian named Hamilton "Ham" Jordan who would help direct his national campaign. Jordan had the innocence and appearance of a southern gentleman while swaying voters and financial supporters to endorse a candidate who was not a Washington insider. Hence, and in great part due to Ham Jordan, Jimmy Carter won the presidency in 1976 and made Ham Jordan his chief of staff and top confidant. I remember meeting Mr. Jordan at the White House in 1976 and can attest to his charisma and power of persuasion. Jordan endlessly reminded people that we needed someone in the White House who was honest and not a part of the Watergate scandal or Vietnam divisiveness in Congress. Jordan died last week at the age of 63. Born in Charlotte, N.C. and educated at the University of Georgia in political science, Hamilton Jordan was truly a man of the times in the 1970's and remained a loyal political consultant to Democrats until his struggle with cancer became uncontrollable. Not many people remember the important national role Ham Jordan played in the 1970's; however, there are some folks who do remember this astute political consultant who helped direct Jimmy Carter's campaign for the presidency against all odds. Alligator Attacks Pet Dog - In a small mid-Florida town a German Shepard dog was attacked by a large alligator while walking near a small canal. Ironically, neighbors thought the narrow canal did not harbor large alligators. The pet dog was mauled by the gator, but saved thanks to an owner who fought-off the hungry gator. Unfortunately for the pet dog he had several broken bones and resulting medical bills were estimated to be $3,000. The gator was caught and taken away from the canal site. In another Florida alligator case, two young men from Port St. Lucie were trying to capture a seven-foot-long gator when someone filmed the capture and turned the picture film to the Florida Wildlife Dept. The Wildlife officers then went to cite the two young men for capturing a large (protected) alligator. Thus, the two young men are in big trouble. These are just a couple of recent events involving large Florida alligators. It seems as though Florida law protects predatory alligators more than people or pets. From time to time a few of these alligator stories are reproduced in this article to show that there is a huge problem in Florida with protected alligators killing pets and people. When will the law change in Florida to protect people and pets before alligators? Not until an important elected official has a family member or good friend killed. The Way I See It, any wild alligator over four-feet should be removed from local ponds, canals and rivers. The New Barker – Thanks to Anna and Steve Cooke there is a wonderful dog lover magazine on the local market called The New Barker. Kudos to Anna and Steve. |