The disasters in Burma and New Orleans should serve as examples of the continued destruction of coastal areas in Hillsborough and Pinellas for purposes of development. Replacing hurricane-abating mangroves with mansions seems excessively foolhardy here in the Sunshine State. ...more

May 8, 2008

I'm sure by now everybody has seen the beating of the Polk County teenage girl on TV or read about it in the newspaper. What is underlying this matter is the blatant disrespect and lack of consequences these and other young people have today in this society. It has to start with the parents and is shared with the school system right up to and including the liberal justice system. ...more

April 10, 2008

It is beyond my comprehension that members of Congress, ostensibly elected by the people to "do the people's business" appear to have little to do but conduct probes into whether certain baseball players did or did not lie about past drug usage. ...more

February 20, 2008

Although 401(k) and other employer-sponsored retirement accounts are for long-term saving, many of the plans allow early withdrawals under special circumstances. But under tax laws, there can be consequences if people withdraw from their accounts before age 59 1/2 : ...more

February 20, 2008

Dear Abby: My husband and I have been going round and round about nursing homes. My father's illness and memory loss have brought us face to face with the issue. This dilemma is not for those families who can afford to pay for someone to care for a patient in his or her own home. Nor does it apply to those who can afford an assisted-living facility. ...more

January 20, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Lindsay Lohan is about to see dead people. The 21-year-old actress will soon be working at a morgue as part of her punishment for misdemeanor drunken driving, her attorney, Blair Berk, told a judge Thursday. ...more

January 18, 2008

You still haven't signed the Florida Hometown Democracy petition? If you are a Florida voter, and you haven't signed it yet, please do so today and mail it in. Time is running out for us to make the 2008 ballot. ...more

January 9, 2008

A poorly structured online course, a lack of attention and sloppy oversight of "one rogue tutor" combined to "contaminate" a class in which as many as 50 student-athletes may be penalized for cheating, Florida State University President T.K. Wetherell said today. ...more

December 21, 2007

Bad Choices Have Bad Consequences At the risk of being called an apologist for Domenick Maglio, I must again defend his principles for raising children. ...more

December 20, 2007

Regarding "2 Inspectors Under Inquiry Quit" (front page, Dec. 18): The two fire inspectors under inquiry are being rewarded for their misdeeds. By resigning, and the city accepting their resignation, they will receive their pensions and accrued sick and vacation time. Their actions are nothing less than criminal and could have resulted in the loss of lives, the life of someone's son or daughter, husband, mother etc. ...more

December 19, 2007