"With all due respect." When, quite candidly, was the last time that phrase ever preceded anything remotely respectful? It's a rhetorical staple on political talk shows - and a predictable press conference preface to a skewering query. ...more

November 11, 2009

Political Self-Interests The recent political witch hunt at the Tampa Sports Authority resulted in a good, competent man resigning from the agency he led for 12 years and served for 24. Henry Saavedra had no option but to resign, but the process by which he was forced out should leave all of us asking why and how. ...more

March 20, 2009

Protectionism, if it becomes a widespread practice, will do further damage to the already tumultuous financial markets and none the better for a short-term recovery to a healthy global economy. ...more

February 20, 2009

Florida's speaker of the House, Ray Sansom, has bowed out of the cushy, $110,000-a-year job he was offered after steering millions of dollars to a Panhandle college. ...more

January 6, 2009

Some years back the very idea of transplanting a human heart seemed like science fiction. ...more

November 21, 2008

Randy Goggin of New Port Richey says passage of Proposition 2 puts drive by homosexuals to transform marriage is on hold. ...more

November 19, 2008

Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman's proposal to rename the Moral Courage Award after the late Ralph Hughes is now reality. Norman's had, as we know, worse ideas, but this one is bad. Unless political agenda is somehow synonymous with moral courage. ...more

September 24, 2008

Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman's proposal to rename the Moral Courage Award after the late Ralph Hughes is now reality. Norman's had, as we know, worse ideas, but this one is bad. Unless political agenda is somehow synonymous with moral courage. If there had to be any kind of name change, then it would have been more appropriate to have called it the Gadfly Award, which often applies, or maybe the Self-Interest Award, which also has applied in the past. Or simply an Attaboy Award for those who merely do their job, but do it well enough. ...more

September 22, 2008

Following the crisis on Wall Street and criticism of his contention that the economy is fundamentally strong, John McCain injected a new economic populism into his campaign in a brief speech Tuesday in Tampa. ...more

September 17, 2008

Research the origins of the proposed new department facilities. You will find that the county commissioners suggested that all government departments bring forth their projected needs for the future and submit expansion possibilities. You will find Susan Benton complied with that request with energy and foresight. Unlike other department heads that will also need expansion for their departments, but haven't taken the time (i.e. extra work,) or used imagination to submit a plan, she did as requested. ...more

September 12, 2008