Don Jones: ‘A Miracle on the Hudson’
Before you hear the story of Flight 1549, you should know that the man we are to discuss is a 25-year member of Rotary. As you probably know, the Rotary Club is the world’s first service organization founded in 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney. The first club was organized in Chicago, and today [...]
Crist Signs Bill to Ban Local Governments from Urging Votes on Ballot Issues
Local governments or people acting on their behalf will now be banned from spending public money on political ads advocating a vote for or against issues on the ballot. Gov. Charlie Crist signed legislation (SB 216) on Wednesday outlawing such “electioneering” communications using local tax dollars. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, [...]
Battle Lines Form Around Haridopolos Tax Proposal
Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic and the next Florida Senate president, will bring back in 2010 a proposed constitutional amendment to tie the growth of state and local government to the rates of population and inflation. Opponents of the measure, a variation on Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, are already preparing. “It is a [...]
The Anti-Reagan
Despite his boldness, Barack Obama seems as fated to fail as were Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter. And for the same reason: a belief in his own righteousness and moral superiority, and a belief that his ideals and his persona count mightily in the modern world. Wilson declaimed about America’s fight to “make the world [...]
Change is Coming to Health Care
Want to know about ObamaCare? Go on line to Organizing for America. It’s the Democrat Party’s website to leverage the internet contacts they gained during the election. I signed up to see what was going on. Several weeks ago I received an e-mail asking me to share my most compelling health care horror story. The [...]
Mickelson’s Return to Golf a ‘Mental Break’
Phil Mickelson, who always has used golf to block out life’s problems, returns to the PGA Tour today at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, playing for the first time since his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer last month. “I’m looking forward to having a four- or five-hour mental break where I force [...]
Congress Feels Personal Impact of Downturn
The richest members of the House of Representatives were not immune from last year’s economic meltdown, financial disclosure forms released Wednesday indicate. The near-collapse of insurance giant American International Group hurt the fortunes of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, her report shows. Her husband, developer Paul Pelosi, lost between $100,000 and $1 million when he sold [...]
Have a Berry Happy Fourth of July!
Berry season is one of the most exciting times of year for me. I love to walk through farmers’ markets right now and see all of the plump, wonderfully perfumed, gemlike varieties. At the fronts of their stalls, most growers have sample baskets to lure passersby, and of course I try them all before selecting [...]
UNF’s Basketball Program Lands a Slam Dunk
The University of North Florida men’s basketball program has been given a kick to the bee-hind. In mid-March, UNF’s newly-appointed Athletic Director (AD) Lee Moon fired men’s head coach Matt Kilcullen who had coached ten seasons at UNF. During his tenure, Kilcullen was 98-186. Last season, the team finished 8-22 while placing second to last [...]
New Index Points to Economic Recovery
The recession likely will end in September and be followed by a mild recovery, according to the new USA TODAY/IHS Global Insight economic outlook index. But despite Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s recent talk of the economy’s “green shoots,” few are confident prosperity is near. And the Fed’s “beige book” report released Wednesday, a look [...]
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