Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. An illegal act by an officeholder constitutes political corruption only if the act is directly related to their official duties. ...more

March 4, 2009

If you have a bag of pot in your pocket, it's not a good idea to pick a fight with a cop, or to offer a bribe on an installment plan after you've been arrested. ...more

February 8, 2009

Up until 2009, Lake Placid has enjoyed clean, unpolluted air as there are no smokestack industries that I am aware of. This has attracted senior mobile home parks as well as senior assisted living facilities to the area. But now the Highlands County Commissioners have decided to change that by giving permission for an ethanol producing plant to locate near U.S. 27 and S.R. 70 just south of Lake Placid (about six and a half miles.) This is one of the worst polluting industries in the country. Even if they agree to install some anti-pollution measures, as everyone knows it would be cheaper for them to pay fines and-or bribe authorities than it would be to install very expensive, adequate anti-pollution equipment. ...more

January 3, 2009

When it comes to governing this violent, fractious land, everything, it seems, has its price. ...more

January 2, 2009

A bribe often works to get someone to do what someone else wants. ...more

July 24, 2008

No parks, no palm trees. Just cotton fields. That, according to Diana Goodwin, was how the Dunedin Marina looked in its early days. Goodwin imparts such snippets of local history during her hourlong walking tour through the marina and downtown Dunedin. ...more

February 23, 2008

Today is a key date in Hillsborough County's history, though not one that merits celebration. Twenty-five years ago three Hillsborough County commissioners, charged with taking bribes from developers, were led from the courthouse in handcuffs. ...more

January 31, 2008