The sudden, shocking increase in the price of oil is a market failure that resembles the damaging excesses of the dot-com bubble, Enron scandal and housing meltdown. ...more

June 2, 2008

Scrutinize Tax Sales The article about the tax certificate auction ("Officials Prepare To Sale Tax Certificates," May 26) was informative but missed the most important point. ...more

June 1, 2008

Between mouthfuls of shrimp and filet mignon, Sen. Bill Nelson managed to spit out responses to many diverse questions Thursday. ...more

May 30, 2008

SAYS AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL HELP DICTATE PACE OF WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ ...more

May 29, 2008

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson is calling on Congress and the Bush administration to investigate skyrocketing fuel prices. Good for him. Although we are not sure if anything will come of it, give Bronson credit for at least trying to do something. "We're being taken for a ride, and the evidence is everywhere, from the escalating prices we pay to fill up our vehicles with gasoline to the purchase of virtually all consumer goods," Bronson said Friday. "It is almost impossible to conceive of a product that is not dependent on oil in either its production or transportation to the stores in which it is sold." ...more

May 24, 2008

President Bush, acknowledging the economic "tough times" for many Americans, said Monday that he remains opposed to any homeowner rescue legislation that would be a bailout for lenders. ...more

May 20, 2008

Has Highlands County's economic woes hit bottom and started slowly creeping up? Do we even dare say such things out loud in fear that there will be some kind of jinx? It's hard to say on both counts, but a few smart people believe we might have hit bottom and that we have no where to go but up. We certainly hope that's true. A lot of houses are on the market these days and it seems like in the last month or so, some of them are being sold. That probably has to do with prices falling enough that buyers don't want to miss a good thing, but it's still a good sign. The first sign of an improving economy will be some of those "For Sale" signs being topped off with "Sold" signs. ...more

May 19, 2008

According to a new poll by Public Agenda and Foreign Affairs, six out of 10 Americans think reducing energy dependence will help national security "a great deal." They worry about global warming, too. But most of all they care about putting cheaper gasoline in their cars. ...more

May 12, 2008

The House on Thursday passed a massive homeowner rescue plan to provide cheaper, government-backed mortgages to half a million debt-ridden borrowers and bolster an economy crippled by the housing crisis. ...more

May 9, 2008

President Bush and Congress are clashing over how to address the housing crisis, clouding the prospects of an election-year rescue package. ...more

May 8, 2008