The Way I See ItBy cj pollickLocal Election Results - On Tuesday the following people won election to city government offices:
Belleair: Patricia Irwin and Tom Shelly. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to citizens who ran for office and the 18.99% of eligible voters that actually voted on Tuesday. Wow, I really thought folks were upset enough to at least vote! The good news was that it did not rain on Tuesday. The bad news was the amount of taxpayer money wasted on voting machines that replaced the (new) electronic voting machines Florida just had to purchase to ensure better voting results. Yes, it is looking more and more like the voting methodology used twenty years ago. Voter fraud? Hmm, perhaps our government should be examining special "voter enrollment" groups that are under government scrutiny, such as ACORN (that recently had name changes.) It is not the voting machine that is corrupt... Pinellas County Rumors Abound - When you hear comments (rumors) about local elected officials not interested in running for re-election for their office, you tend to infer that those comments probably mean the elected official is looking at another office (not the one they currently occupy.) However, when the rumor, usually started by someone within the official's camp, is about an official retiring from elected office, then perhaps a public release may soon follow. So goes one rumor about a certain county commissioner. Funny thing about rumors, most of them are not true. Thus, the rumor/comment made about a certain elected official retiring from elected office, when age or job performance is not an issue, is difficult to believe. Unless, however, the official is just tired of the job and wants to enjoy life outside of the public arena, which is clearly understandable given today's economic pressures. Perhaps the most humorous part of hearing some of these rumors is the names of other elected officials (still in office) that are mentioned as interested in running for the "rumored" to be vacant public office. It makes you wonder if anyone is pleased with the office they currently hold! Daylight Saving Time - Begins at 2:00 a.m. on March 14th. Time to add another hour of daylight to your day. It is Spring Break - The calendar says it is Spring Break, but does it feel like Spring Break? Of course, we could blame the weather, blame the economy, blame the lack of tourism promotion for Pinellas County, blame...well, blame everything. The fact of the matter is that we are noticing fewer people on Clearwater Beach due to any of the above-mentioned reasons. If the weather does not cooperate soon, this could become one of the worst Spring Break seasons on record. The good news? Warm weather is on the way, kingfish too. The bad news? Unemployment figures are still high. Joe Biden to the Rescue - VP Joe Biden is traveling to the Middle East for five days. His goal, it must be inferred, is to drum-up support for America that has not been developed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Some folks are naming this middle-east trip "Joe to the rescue." Of course, our nation's security problems in that section of the world could not be worse. The war in Iraq continues, Iran is developing nuclear weapons and would love to take- over Iraq, Iran wants to annihilate Israel, Egypt has distanced herself from America, Saudi Arabia has problems, Lebanon has political and financial problems and Israel is wondering if she must stand alone against radical terrorism in the region. Yes, Joe is heading to the rescue. Do you feel better? Rep. Eric Massa Claims "Conspiracy" - When Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) resigned from his elected office in New York, he claimed Democrat leaders forced him out due to his vote against the Healthcare Bill. Massa alleged he was confronted in the Congressional gym by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who stated that Massa must vote for the Healthcare Bill. Massa continued, "Emanuel would sell his mother for a vote." How did Rep. Massa convey his message to New York citizens? He explained his resignation on WKPQ (105.3 FM) as a plan by leading Democrats to get rid of him and replace him with someone who would vote for the Healthcare Bill. Comments that leading Democrats say are simply outrageous and not true. Rep. Massa had been questioned about his "unwelcomed" comments and touching of one of his staff members at a party that resulted in a complaint and subsequently led to his recent resignation. Bad blood between Massa and his party? Yes, and the comments being made by Massa on national television reflect some of the tension between Washington politicians. Can Massa's comments be trusted? Probably not in their entirety, but Massa's comments have added more controversy to the Healthcare Bill being pushed through Congress. Sinking in Debt - If California citizens have spent their way into huge debt, is it fair that citizens in other states must help to "bail" them out? If California and some other states have allowed cost of living pay increases, "Cadillac" benefit plans and defined benefit pension plans to be instituted for government employees, should our federal government help to "bail" the state out of this giveaway debt? Of course, if you were a regular citizen in California perhaps it is time to relocate to Arizona or Nevada. (Which is what some citizens in California are doing.) Yes, folks are tired of high taxes and government entitlements that ordinary citizens must pay for in states such as California. Who should be blamed? The state legislature. For example, in California the governor had asked for less government spending on government pension plans, etc. The result? The liberal legislature refused. Thus, so goes the growing debt in California. Does this sound a lot like our federal government? Sinking in debt, printing more money, and owing billions to China and Japan. All of this makes you wonder who might end-up paying for the government IOU's. "Laugh while you can. Everything has its time." - Voltaire |