Financial Emergency On Back Of Taxpayers I have an urgent financial emergency. Is the patient still breathing? Yes, but it's very shallow. Does the patient still have a heartbeat? Yes, but it's very weak. What about the color of the lips? They're blue. Where do you live? On Main Street, America? Please send help quick. OK, just one more question: are you a liberal or conservative? Oh God, please spare me (click). ...more

September 21, 2008

The Longleaf community recently received two "green" development awards and a new conservation-based certification. These honors came on the heels of the Florida Green Building Coalition's designation of Longleaf as the county's first overall "green community" earlier this summer. ...more

September 17, 2008

In this season of political polarization, it is rare to find a massive issue on which we all agree. But thar' she blows! From sea to shining sea and across the political spectrum, Americans love whales. Polls conducted over the past decade consistently show overwhelming majorities of Republicans, Democrats and Independents want these magnificent creatures protected for future generations; voters of all persuasions and subgroups - from rural, conservative GOP-types, to urban, liberal Democrats - want our government to take action to end resurgent commercial whaling by Japan, Iceland and Norway. ...more

September 15, 2008

If you've been following this column for a while, you're no stranger to my feelings on wills. In a nutshell, if you're an adult with a family or assets that you care about, you should have one. In particular, if you have children and have yet to start a will, you're doing your family a major disservice. But what about a legacy plan? ...more

September 14, 2008

The nearly 3,000 people who died when hijackers commandeered four passenger jets on Sept. 11, 2001, were remembered Thursday, as President Bush dedicated the first national memorial to the victims and the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates joined in a moment of silence. ...more

September 12, 2008

People are better off if they take responsibility for their lives, finances and futures, without the expectation of a government handout. That's what President Bush espoused four years ago when he called for the creation of an "Ownership Society" that gives people more choice, more control and more ownership of government benefits such as education and Social Security. ...more

September 4, 2008

A new museum featuring a replica of a World War I battle trench, two full-size World War II torpedoes, a Sherman tank and a U.S. field hospital aims to bring visitors as close to history as possible. ...more

August 17, 2008

When we think of what kind of country we wish to leave our children and grandchildren, we probably would rather not hand down a nation bereft of its natural wonders with its once-abundant resources depleted, gone forever. We need places such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, the Arctic Refuge and the Grand Canyon, just as they are, for future generations of Americans to marvel at, as we have had the good fortune to do. ...more

August 17, 2008

A new museum featuring a replica of a World War I battle trench, two full-size World War II torpedoes, a Sherman tank and a U.S. field hospital aims to bring visitors as close to history as possible. ...more

August 16, 2008

They tried casinos on the Crow Indian reservation. The one designed to bring in the biggest crowds, Res-a-Vegas, went bust within a year and is now a fireworks stand. ...more

July 24, 2008