While it may be comforting to know that our elected officials in Tallahassee are very concerned regarding the morality of its citizens in regard to gambling, I am at a loss to understand the following: Isn't the Florida Lottery gambling? It is the most easily accessible of all. Every store and gas station, etc. sells them and boy do they sell them! Where is the outrage regarding this? If you seek other forms of gambling most of us have to travel by bus, boat, plane or train out of the state or beyond the three mile limit. Now I certainly have nothing against the Florida Lottery but if the Seminole Casino in Tampa can benefit our state with millions of dollars of needed revenue, why lose it to other states? Of course, we all know that gambling can be abused just like overeating, drinking and buying things we cannot afford, etc. But some things are just plain fun and enjoyed by many, so I say let it be. Also, as you know the Powerball was just introduced to the lottery; I heard no objections to that. ...more

January 10, 2009

Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom is a disgrace. At a time when the Legislature is working to burden local and county government with further unfunded mandates, evidence surfaces that the speaker cooked up a $122.5-million spending spree for his hometown community college. ...more

January 4, 2009

There are thousands of places the state can save money this tight budget year, and reducing aid to public libraries may have to be among them. ...more

December 24, 2008

With former Alaska senator Ted Stevens out of office and fighting to stay out of prison, Congress has the opportunity to end an outrageous expenditure that wastes tax dollars while defiling the largest rainforest in North America. ...more

December 13, 2008

Remember Eric With A Smile Thank you to our family and friends for your love and support during this difficult time. To all of you who touched us in so many ways from prayers to food to just a simple "hug" or "I am there for you." Please continue to pray for us in the coming days and months, as we deal with our loss. ...more

December 4, 2008

Stabins Childish It is an embarrassment and an outrage to read of Jeff Stabins' "thank you" to Linda Hayward. I cannot believe he is so idiotic and childish to have sent her this. ...more

November 22, 2008

Talk about kicking investors when they're down. A required year-end practice by mutual funds is about to whack many people with capital gains taxes when funds already have declined by as much as 40 percent this year. ...more

November 16, 2008

Iraq's government has an unusual money problem as much of the world grapples with a credit crunch - it can't spend its oil riches fast enough. ...more

October 25, 2008

I have never seen the dirty, desperate smear campaign that McCain-Palin are running. McCain says he would freeze spending for a year; let me translate that for you. It applies to Social Security for one thing. He has been itching to get his hands on our Social Security for years. He plans to cut our benefits, cut the cost of living, raise the retirement age, privatize accounts again and invest it in Wall Street, in spite of what's happening now. This is a page out of his pal Bush's playbook. While he's doing that he will be giving a tax break to his CEO buddies. This is a very wealthy man who relates to other wealthy people. ...more

October 16, 2008

A Texas jury acquitted a man accused of killing a boy who broke into his home looking for a snack - a case that sparked outrage in this border city, where many thought the man should not have even been charged. ...more

September 28, 2008