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Opinion

  • A South Marion Citizen editorial 01...

    There was a news item circulating last week that threw a bit of fear into many folks, until they realized how far-fetched it seemed to be.

    Former Congressman Alan Grayson, the Democrat from Orlando whose district included part of Marion County, was targeted by Republican strategists as one of the key people to get rid of.

    It worked. He was dumped in favor of Republican Daniel Webster, one of the many elections that helped the GOP take control of the House.

  • Remembering a former New York Yankee

    With all the nasty stuff we read about sports participants, it’s nice to recall one famous athlete who was a decent guy.

    In the mid 1960s, I was named basketball coach of the 7th-8th grade team at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Tenafly, N.J. I was fairly young at the time, in my early 20s, but I had graduated from a good basketball school, Bergen Catholic, and had a good hoops background from spending time on the bench as the team manager with two great coaches.

  • The New Year

    As 2010 fades into oblivion, we look forward to 2011 with anticipation.

    Will this be the year the economy turns around?

    Will this be the year we can declare victories over fear, intimidation and terrorism?

    Will this be the year that the federal government begins to understand that people want less government, not more, in their lives?

    Will this be the year that Marion County officials will realize that the people are tired of unplanned growth and overcrowded roads?

  • Twas the weak before Christmas

    T’was the week before Christmas in the well of the House; not a speaker was spouting, not even a grouch. Their stockings were hung at the Treasury with care, in hope St. Bernanke soon would be there.

    House members were anxious to be home in their beds, with sweet dreams of pensions filling their heads.

    The speaker and leader were trading their caps, but they weren’t quite yet ready for a truce and a nap. Then out on the Mall there arose a great clatter, and they sprang from their places to see what was the matter.

  • Welcome to our new web presence

    When you get to my age, change doesn’t come easily. I’m actually proud of myself for keeping up with computers and how to use them, especially at the newspaper.

    So when it was announced quite some time ago that we would be changing the look of our website and the method for getting things posted, I was a little skeptical.

    As the process went on, one thing did become obvious. It would take cooperation from the readers to make it work.

  • Patriotism evident at parade

    Some of the loudest cheers of the day at the Christmas parade on Silver Springs Boulevard last Saturday came when the military units went by.
    That included the JROTC groups from West Port and Forest High schools, who marched in precision and received rousing cheers as they went by.
    Patriotism is still very much in vogue in Marion County.
    A lot of people put a lot of effort into this parade so that the thousands of people who lined the route could enjoy the marchers, bands and brightly-lit floats.

  • Flock voted out these lame ducks

    Sometimes in politics, things happen that only a Consitutional amendment will solve.
    That's the case with what's been going on in Congress the past couple of weeks.
    It's called a lame duck session.
    A little history here: According to Wikipedia, the phrase was coined in the 18th Century at the London Stock Exchange to refer to brokers who couldn't pay their debts. It alludes to a wounded duck who can't keep up with his flock, and therefore is more easily subject to predators.

  • Time for a new interchange

    Sitting at the traffic light at State Road 200 and Interstate 75 the other day, I began to let my mind wander to the chance that maybe someday traffic would be eased a little.

    Then came the story that the County Commission wants to expand plans at 95th Street to create a full interchange, with an existing road to the west past Liberty Middle and Hammett Bowen schools, and a new road to the east toward Shady Road, or Southwest 27th Avenue extended.

    I mentally cheered, but I knew there would be an immediate outcry. I wasn’t disappointed.

  • Cutting the volume on TV commercials

    Every once in a while Congress does something that pleases many consumers. Admittedly, it’s rare, but when it happens, it’s worth mentioning.

    How many times have you been sitting in front of your television watching a nice, calm program, and a commercial comes on that blasts you out of your seat and you scramble to find the remote? We also have to wonder how many people miss part of a TV show because they doze off, only to be awakened by the loud voice of a commercial.

  • The American Dream?

    I lived the American Dream where, after leaving school, jobs were available for anyone who wanted to work. Regardless of your educational background you could find a job to fit your taste and needs.

    Back in the 1950s there were high schools that taught auto mechanics, wood working or carpentry, type setting and printing, machine shop and sports for the guys. The girls had bookkeeping, typing, cooking, music and cheerleading for their interests. I don’t mean to sound sexist but that was the educational system back in the 1950s.

  • Don't type it into your...

    Back when computers started to come in at newspapers, about 30 years ago or so, journalists were taught from the beginning, “Don’t type anything into the computer that you don’t want to see in print.”

    Even the most innocent jokes would have a way of accidentally finding their way into the newspaper, much to the embarrassment of the writer and the publication. Quite often, there were apologies issued to the public, and reprimands to the writers.

  • We the sheep

    I’ve always believed that the privilege of voting is the ultimate tool that “we the people” have to control our destiny in this country. I’ve recently been forced to take another look at that premise. It might be true that an uninformed vote is worse than not voting at all.

  • Say yes, and a kiss is just a kiss...

    Some words are harder to say than others. It doesn’t matter how short the word is either. Two letter words are pretty short and to the point.

    So if the word is short, to the point and there is no tricky pronunciation rule to trip up the tongue why is saying the word “no” so hard.

    The word “yes” is a bigger word. Yet the word “yes” seems to come out of one’s mouth without much ado.

  • No pat downs or scanners for me

    And you wonder why I don’t fly.

    I can’t remember how many times I have led off a column with that phrase.

  • Korea, the forgotten war

    It’s become apparent that Korea is “The Forgotten War.” The other day on TV I heard the commentator lament that World War I and World War II were fought and had the values of a more resilient and understandable people. With that I agree. But, if one will recall, many of the “Warriors” who fought in World War II were also called up to fight in the Korean War. There were two who were called up who served in the print shop. By the way their jobs were not waiting for them after the war.

  • Giving thanks

    Thank goodness.

    How many times in our lives do we say something like that, but we really don’t grasp the significance of what we are saying. We are being thankful for something or another that has happened, or not happened, or started, or ended.

    But the word “thanks” should have a much deeper meaning, and it should be especially noted at this time of year as we mark the annual Thanksgiving weekend.

  • Chaplain to send cards

    The post chaplain from VFW Post 4781 (Angela S. Santos Post) is looking to send personal Christmas/holiday cards to all Ocala active/Reserve duty service members serving overseas for the holidays.

    They need not be current VFW members, but must be currently serving overseas. Active of Reserve status is OK.

    I am going to send them a card from the VFW Post Chaplain to let them know that we have not forgotten them during the holidays.

    This will be at no cost to the VFW (the post chaplain is doing this on his own.)

  • About the election

    Republicans realized a major victory on Nov. 2. Far-left Liberals - rather than admitting their past errors and expressing a desire to work with the Republicans too correct them - opted to justify their loss with statements like these (these are actual far-left quotes): “American voters are fickle and dumb.” This sentiment once applied only to Republicans. Then too Republicans and Tea Partyers.

  • Agenda for cutting spending

    Dear Congressmen:

    This is a citizens’ agenda for cutting spending.

    Social Security, and Medicare are last on the list.

    Our cut and eliminate list:

    1. IRS: gone. Replaced with Fair Tax.

    2. U.N.: Revoke our membership, and eliminate all agencies that implement U.N. regulations in the U.S. This will rid us of sustainable development, Agenda 21, and a lot of other globalization schemes.

    3. Education Department: Gone. Education: Back to the states where it belongs.

  • Veterans and schools: the right...

    Last week at Veterans Memorial Park in Ocala, on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, there was a ceremony to honor those who have served our country.

    It was a proud moment for Marion County. The park was packed with a crowd estimated at about 3,000 people, much larger than most any event ever at the park, and except for the Christmas parade, big football games and Silver Springs concerts, possibly the largest gathering anywhere in the county.

    Of course, part of the crowd was a captive audience with a multitude of school children in attendance.