When federal, state and Pasco County officials started talking about using public money to counteract the collapse of the housing market and the related mortgage foreclosure problem, we wondered whether this would just delay the inevitable. The housing boom, whatever its cause, got too many people into mortgage debt they had no hope of repaying, especially once the inflated value of their houses collapsed. No amount of temporary foreclosure forbearance was going to change that unfortunate reality. According to the lead article in the Jan. 2 edition of The New York Times, our concerns were justified. ...more

January 6, 2010

The New Year brings a new U.S. Census, which means that tens of thousands of census workers will pour into neighborhoods across the country. ...more

December 28, 2009

Fearing that millions of illegal immigrants may not be counted in the 2010 census, Latino leaders are mobilizing a nationwide drive to urge Hispanics to participate in it. The effort includes an intense push this week in evangelical Christian churches. ...more

December 26, 2009

The two chief executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could get paid as much as $6 million for 2009, despite the companies' dismal performances this year, which cost taxpayers more than $100 billion. ...more

December 25, 2009

Homeowners with tainted drywall may soon get some assistance, especially if they have an FHA-insured mortgage and are behind on their payments. ...more

December 23, 2009

Recently, I noticed while driving through the neighboring towns of South Bay, Lake Placid, Lake Wales and Avon Park, that they have expanded their landscaping. The addition of sabal palms sets off the feeling of Florida and our native flora and trees. This is of great value to those coming south during the ice and snow from their summer homes in the north. It has also been researched and found that landscaping improves the attitude of drivers and reduces road rage. Having done some slight research, it didn't take long to discover that the town of Lake Placid has been working with federal money, private donations and various grants to give such a pleasing view of their landscaping along U.S. 27 and Interlake Boulevard. ...more

December 22, 2009

The federal government says it's close to unveiling a plan to help homeowners with tainted drywall from China. But a proposal on the table would tap money that's typically set aside for low income communities. ...more

December 18, 2009

You've probably sat in the bleachers before, the nosebleed section, where you're barely aware of what's going on. That's OK for sporting events, but it costs you dearly in Florida politics, where special interests call the shots. ...more

December 16, 2009

An injection of federal stimulus money could reverse some of the cuts Pasco County made this fall to its firefighting force in response to falling tax revenue. ...more

December 12, 2009

The federal government says it's close to unveiling a plan to help homeowners stuck with tainted drywall from China. But a proposal on the table would tap money that's typically set aside for low-income communities. ...more

December 12, 2009