These past few days watching the news programs covering the events up in Washington, D.C., I heard something that should scare everyone. ...more

March 28, 2009

These are lean times for government in Florida. Government revenue continues to plunge as the recession and real estate bust drag on with no end in sight. So there is a premium these days on getting value for our public dollars. With that in mind, it was interesting to see a list of the salaries of ranking public officials on the Suncoast The Tampa Tribune has compiled. ...more

February 25, 2009

These are tough times; about to get tougher. I drove out of town the other day with my old friend and former Tribune history writer Leland Hawes. We were going to a memorial service for Steve Raymond. We had both known him as an editor and friend at the Trib. Raymond was one of the last survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March at the beginning of World War II, and we were going to his memorial service at the Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell. ...more

September 26, 2008

These 4- and 5-year-olds at TodayCare Children's Care at Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey put their pedals to the mettle at the fifth annual trike-a-thon on Wednesday. Donations were collected at the event to benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Donations will be accepted through September. ...more

September 18, 2008

These are distasteful times for anyone who shares the responsibility for reconciling the bottom line. With the well-established exception of folks who ship their wares through the Strait of Hormuz, budgets are in the, well, tank. The proverbial wolf, brandishing a gas can and a bill for corn-diverting ethanol subsidies, bangs at every door. ...more

July 18, 2008

These are painful times for local governments. State-mandated spending restrictions and a voter-approved amendment limiting property taxes are forcing budget cuts and a reordering of priorities. ...more

June 1, 2008

These are anxious times in the news industry because the Internet and digital technology have transformed the way people access news and information. Young people, especially, tell us they reach for their laptops first thing in the morning, not the printed page. ...more

September 30, 2007