So, how well will health reform work after it passes? There's a part of me that can't believe I'm asking that question. After all, serious health reform has long seemed like an impossible dream. And it could yet go all wrong. ...more

October 27, 2009

In a move that angered some conservatives but could please minority supporters, Gov. Charlie Crist has named Circuit Judge James Perry of Sanford to the Florida Supreme Court. ...more

March 11, 2009

John B. Mooney of Hudson says President Barack Obama's critics should come up with alternatives to his policy, not just complain. ...more

March 11, 2009

The Senate has put off until next week a final vote on a $410 billion catchall spending bill. ...more

March 5, 2009

How ironic that Gabriel Read takes Republicans and conservatives to task for having the audacity to criticize President Obama. ...more

March 5, 2009

The mention of her upcoming 70th birthday seems to give Lily Tomlin a mild shock. ...more

February 12, 2009

The minimum wage in Florida rose 42 cents to $7.21 per hour recently, igniting a debate over whether the increased pay will help workers or whether it will hurt the economy because small businesses simply can't afford to pay it. ...more

January 31, 2009

I read with interest the letter titled simply "Conservatives" printed on Jan. 20 in Highlands Today. Frankly, Roger, reading your letter was a bit confusing. I could not determine whether you intended to drop a bomb on all conservatives, or whether you were mainly critical of such people as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, etc. ...more

January 23, 2009

This letter is to Abie, the person who was disgusted with conservatives. I understand the frustration. Conservatives were extremely slow to realize that the Bush Administration was bad for America. In November, the majority finally opened their eyes, but why did it take so long? Because the GOP's leader Karl Rove knew he could "manipulate" conservatives with a constant stream of "fear" about gays, terrorists, immigration, environmentalists, Roe-Wade, religion and taxes. These extremists knew they could create enough smoke to keep the average conservative distracted from what was really going on in Washington. Conservatives failed to see the dismantling of the Bill of Rights, the industrial war machine's take over of our military and the almost daily immoral or illegal activities of their own party members. Yet, about 11 percent of the conservatives are still so extreme in their views that they never will see the truth. So Abie, don't fear the conservative, fear the extreme 11 percent who say "my party right or wrong." They are not good for America. Let's hope that the future proves "we the people" have learned our lesson. ...more

January 20, 2009

One day after the nation's unemployment rate jumped to a 16-year high, President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday again raised the estimate of how many jobs would result from his economic recovery plan, saying it would create or save 3 million to 4 million jobs, nearly 90 percent in the private sector, by the end of 2010. ...more

January 11, 2009