The Way I See ItBy cj pollickSpring Break - It seemed that there were more people visiting Clearwater Beach during this year's Spring Break than the last two years. Things are looking up for Clearwater Beach... and, as soon as the new highrise hotel opens in December, even more people will be visiting Clearwater Beach. That is the good news. The bad news? - No new parking garage. Cabana Club Project - The proposed 38 room hotel (not condominiums) and 165 seat restaurant that Legg Mason plans to build may have another legal hurdle. It has been stated that another legal appeal may be instituted that would clearly cause another delay in the Sand Key development project. Legg Mason is also waiting to see the results of a legal decision regarding the Belleview Biltmore project. That legal decision is expected any day. More delays for Legg Mason? Time will tell. Clearwater Beach Communities Have Had Enough - Activists from Clearwater Beach, Island Estates and Sand Key have hired a local attorney to review legal issues of secession from the City of Clearwater. That idea, however, is not new. Legal letters and opinions had been written years ago regarding the same issue from the same beach communities (different activists.) The result? Too many legal hoops to dance through. In fact, and perhaps the most serious legal hurdle, according to the older legal review, was a city-wide referendum approving the secession of those communities and tax base. Yes, why would Clearwater citizens approve the removal of a large tax base from their much needed revenue income? Would elected city officials approve the idea? Unfortunately for those beach communities, the time for such an idea was perhaps many years ago when taxes and expenses were not such large issues. Imagine, Belleair Shore was able to become a city, same for Belleair Beach and Belleair Bluffs, but that was done when the time was right. Good luck, but little chance of secession. Support Your Rays - Looking for some fun? Take in a Rays game. And, do not forget to purchase your USF football season tickets. BOA Gone From Sand Key – Bank of America located in the Shoppes of Sand Key closed their doors for the last time Friday, April 17th. The convenience of a bank many folks on Sand Key could walk to will be sorely missed. Hopefully another bank will take over the location. USA Today Reports – According to a recent USA Today polling question: Does the second amendment give individuals the right to bear arms? 96% of voters said, yes. 3% said, no. 1% undecided. The right to bear arms is one of our fundamental constitutional rights that is under attack by the Obama administration and must be defended. (Over 2 million people participated in the poll.) Cargo, Ships, Pirates And Guns – Large cargo ships passing through the waters off Somalia are being attacked by Somalian pirates using small runabout boats. Since the cargo ships do not carry armed security guards, piracy and ransom are the result. Why do these cargo ships not employ security guards with machine guns? The New Deal? - Our government is quickly nationalizing AIG and large banks. Soon our government may nationalize the US car industry and other large US corporations. Folks, we are headed down a financial path from which we may never return. The end of capitalism and era of big government/socialism. President Obama and his entourage is traveling the world (at a huge expense to taxpayers) to promote himself and his endless ego across the globe. He has bowed to a king in Saudi Arabia, smiled and obtained a signed book from a radical leader who hates America and Americans, obtained little at the world leaders summit, asked his staff to cut millions of dollars of expenses while billions of tax dollars of taxpayer funds were being given to bail-out corporations. If this is the new deal, then we are in big trouble. US banks have posted some financial gains while at the same time saying things will get worse with bad debts and bad investments. AIG is selling some profitable subsidiaries for a billion or two while AIG's debt to US taxpayers is in over $100 billion. It looks like taxpayers may lose on the AIG deal. Of course, who received some of AIG's taxpayer bailout money? Foreign banks and foreign financial companies. (Why are we bailing them out many citizens asked their legislators?) Taxpayers have protested – US taxpayers have said enough is enough. Tea Party protests were held across America on April 15th to protest the manner in which Obama is spending money. Yet, many of these tax protests did not gain media favor and received little news. More than one liberal source criticized the protestors as being "right wing." Not true, the protesters were bi-partisan Americans sending a message to politicians to quit wasting tax money. The tax and spend message was for Democrats and Republicans Tea Parties A Huge Success - Even though large media companies avoided coverage of the April 15th "Tea Parties" held across America, the grass-roots group of anti-tax, anti-stimulus, anti-government waste citizens was indeed a resounding success and sent a message to all politicians that taxpaying Americans are fed-up with the manner in which politicians have been taxing and wasting government funds. Their message was clear: "We will vote you out if you support more taxes and government waste." How large can this independent "Tea Party" grow before the next round of important elections? "We will be a voice in the next election!" responded one Clearwater area protestor. Another young USF student said, "I'm going to encourage new candidates to run for local offices, city, county and state to support the ideas of the Tea Party." Over 85% of an AOL online poll gave the "Tea Party" a thumbs-up. Sixty percent (60%) stated that the GOP would benefit from activities of the Tea Party, 28% said they would not. More Tea Parties? Yes, and they will grow in numbers. The "Tea Parties" are supported by taxpayers who do not favor Democrats or Republicans in office. In fact, in many Tea Parties held across America both major political parties were carefully avoided. Impact Of Illegal Immigration - Due to our US government's lack of border enforcement, illegal immigrant children now account for one in every fifteen students from grades K-12th. Who supports this public educational expense? American taxpayers. Illegal immigrants are now moving from California to places such as North Carolina and Georgia in record numbers. California has about 3 million illegal immigrants, double the number of 1990. Texas, Florida, New York and New Jersey follow as the next highest states with illegal population. Yet, in places such as Florida, not much has been done to enforce illegal immigration laws. Illegal immigrants are having record numbers of children in the US; yet, one-third of those children born in the US will live in poverty. About 20% of construction jobs in the US are held by illegal workers, up from 10% in 2003. Sixty percent of illegal immigrants in the US come from Mexico. Enforcement by President Obama and the Democrat-led Congress? None, the American border is as "open" as it was under Bush. Victory – It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it. - DOUGLAS MACARTHUR |