The Way I See ItBy cj pollick330/35 - There are 35 days remaining in 2009; we have used/abused 330 days of 2009. Next Tuesday is December 1st and many of us are amazed at how fast the years are passing. Retail stores have begun to showcase Christmas "sales" and holiday music permeates the air in Tampa Bay Malls. - 2009 is coming to a close. Have A Safe And Happy Thanksgiving - This is the time of year when we traditionally pause and give thanks for our many blessings. This tradition goes back to the founding of our country by people who were persecuted due to their religious beliefs in Europe. Today, we also give thanks to be living in a free nation where words like freedom and liberty have meaning. More importantly, we give special thanks to our nation's military troops serving in foreign lands to help protect our freedom. Yes, we live in the land of the free because of the brave - and, we give thanks to each any every soldier serving our great country. Have a safe Thanksgiving. Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Morning - The 5K Wingding run begins at 7 a.m. and the 5K Fun Run at 7:30 a.m. The one-mile Gobbler begins at 8:30 a.m. and the 10K Turkey Trot at 8:45 a.m. A great way to start your day with thousands of others! Try the Turkey Trot at Jack White Stadium (Clearwater High School.) Festival Of Trees At Countryside Mall - This popular annual Clearwater event is being held at Westfield Mall during store hours. It began Monday and will continue until Sunday, November 29th. It is the 25th Silver Anniversary of the Festival of Trees. Glenn Beck Attracting Huge Crowds - Over 25,000 people turned out to hear Glenn Beck last Saturday in The Villages just south of Ocala. Sand Key Civic Association Election - It looks like there is some dissension within the Sand Key Civic Association. Some officials support succeeding from the City of Clearwater, other people do not support such an idea. The result? SKCA officials with opponents. The issue? To succeed or not. Allegiant Air - If you have not tried Allegiant Airlines out of St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, perhaps you should. Airline prices are most competitive and, for those of us in Pinellas County it offers a convenient alternative to Tampa International Airport. Allegiant Air - a low-cost alternative when flying to numerous US destinations. How Long Can Social Security Last? - MSN Money had an interesting article regarding how long Social Security payments to beneficiaries might last. The news was not good. One of the statements went as follows: "At the current rate, the Social Security system could be operating in the red in just a few years and exhaust its trust fund by 2037. Reform seems more difficult than ever." One of the most serious issues raised in the article was the decreasing amount of payroll taxes being collected by the government due to our nation's economy. In 2016 it is predicted that the Social Security system will pay out more in payments than it will be able to collect in payroll taxes (receipts.) Further, it is likely that the system might only pay 3/4ths of expected benefits through 2083. Not a good picture for those people planning to retire in the near future or for working people expecting to collect from Social Security in the future. Who is talking about securing the Social Security system after 2016? Not many politicians. This important government benefit for one reason or another has taken the backseat to other political issues (such as national healthcare and bailouts of failing corporations.) How might retirees and baby-boomers react to this Social Security issue in the 2010 election year? They surely would not support candidates that vote for more federal spending on items that could add to the federal deficit, would they? All Of This Makes You Wonder - The government says it has a spending plan; in fact, it plans to spend more money in 2010 than in 2009. Here are results of our government spending plans:
The good news? President Obama says he will spend more taxpayer funds in 2010. The bad news? US taxpayers will be asked to pay for this growing federal deficit for generations. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. - George Carlin |