The Way I See ItBy cj pollickBelleair Beach Causeway Project - If you are one of the many people that have been following construction of the new Belleair Beach Causeway Bridge, you know that it is only a matter of weeks before the new highrise bridge will be open to traffic. It will most assuredly add an amazing view of the picturesque Belleair Beach skyline. Belleair – The city of Belleair has chosen Largo to provide fire services. How will this impact Belleair Bluffs? Time will tell. Rescued Captain Says “Give Us Guns” - Rescued merchant marine Captain Phillips knows first-hand what it is like to fight pirates without guns. After his rescue from the pirates by the US Navy (Seals) he stated that cargo ships passing the waters off Somalia should have guns on board to ward-off potential pirates. Captain Phillips has a point. Consider these facts for a moment:
1. There have been 111 acts of piracy off Somalia in 2008. Only one country has stated they would start to provide soldiers on ships to ward-off pirates -- Belgium. Ship owners who request those services would pay Belgium the cost of providing those armed soldiers. Is Captain Philips correct when saying these ships should be allowed to carry guns to protect themselves from pirates? Obama Follows Bush's Lead On Illegal Immigration - ICE officials reported that 135 employers and 968 illegal workers were brought to justice regarding the employment of illegal workers in 2008. The goal of US government officials under the Bush Administration was/is to enforce illegal worker activities in the US by confronting employers who knowingly hire and exploit illegal workers. Go after the employers, said Bush officials. President Obama is following the lead of former President Bush in the manner in which the government will handle illegal immigration and worker issues, go after the employers. However, this is not what Obama promised during his campaign for the presidency. Will there be strict enforcement of current US laws related to illegal immigration in America? No, Obama will do much the same as Bush. Former Speaker Marco Rubio Will Run For Senate Seat - Former Florida Speaker of the House Marco Rubio announced that he will run for the US Senate seat currently held by Mel Martinez. Rubio is a conservative Republican who stated he is against big government, high taxes and government waste. As a previous city commissioner from West Miami, Rubio has experience in dealing with issues related to local governments in Florida; further, Rubio served as a Florida House member from 2000 to 2008 (House Speaker in 2007-2008.) This announcement may cause fellow GOP member Gov. Charlie Crist to review his thoughts of running for the same US Senate seat. Rubio is a popular Florida Republican who is expected to run a grass-roots campaign against many of the wasteful spending habits of Washington politicians. This announcement had been expected by political consultants for several weeks. Would Sink oppose Rubio? With many Floridians supporting Gov. Charlie Crist to remain as Florida's governor for another term of office, the next political move might involve Florida's CFO Alex Sink. Remember Rep. John Murtha (D-PA.)? - There was a time when the Democrat faithful supported Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania as an outspoken critic of President Bush and the war in Iraq. Murtha tried to come across on television as a politician of conviction and high ethics. After all, the media implied, he was once a military man. Unfortunately for Murtha, he only had one meaningful issue: the war in Iraq, which he criticized. New information has come out regarding how Rep. Murtha has handled his powerful position on Appropriations Committees and other powerful Washington committees to aid family members. For example, Murtha helped to direct many millions of government tax dollars to fund his "constituency" in Pennsylvania, in particular Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where the airport is now named after... John Murtha. His brother "Kit" is a well-paid Washington lobbyist with a particularly large firm that knows how to use the Murtha name to get things done for client companies. And, of course, there is the younger son of "Kit" who owns a small company that has received government contracts for defense work. One of those contracts pays the younger Murtha’s company about $1.4 million per year. What kind of work does this company do for the US Government? Murtha did not explain, except that to say he was highly specialized in that line of work. More of the same old politics in Washington where government tax dollars are funneled to family members of elected officials? Not according to Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), whose family members are getting rich due to the Murtha connection. To many Americans, the Democrat Party message in 2008 (of bringing change to Washington) has only meant redirecting where US tax dollars would be spent to help friends of elected officials. Democrats/Republicans – they act the same in Washington. Liberty - Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. - George Bernard Shaw. |