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Opinion

  • Was the Wall Street bailout...

    In the first 10 days of September 2008, one of the worst crises in American history broke into public view. We saw several of the oldest and largest financial institutions in the world wiped out.

    The government stepped in and rescued the largest insurance company in the world (AIG) and two quasi-public corporations, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that invest in about half the mortgages in the U.S., were bailed out with $200 billion. The stock market lost more than 40 percent of its value but, thanks to vigorous steps to combat it, the loss has been abated.

  •
    Stang

    “Hello, Florida Agriculture Department? What

    are the squiggly-looking things on my oranges?”

     

  • Welcome President Obama, goodbye...

    If we all believe a lie, does the truth exist? This is a Zen metaphor for how Bush 43 set us up; the ultimate con. Get ready, folks, you’ve barely been exposed as yet. Right now, we are at an early conditioning phase. What should we know? That’s easy.

    Did you listen to his remake of history in the last few days of his failed presidency? He sees himself as being unappreciated as (elder statesman) he refers to himself as the liberator, the man who saved us from terrorism. He tells us of his biggest disappointment – the jumbled research findings of the CIA.

  • An extraordinary event in...

    With an estimated 1 million people surrounding the National Mall on Jan. 20, it may have been the largest crowd to ever attend a presidential inauguration. Some accounts say there were people as far as the eye could see. And PBS reported that more than 2 million people came to Washington, D.C. to attend some part of the historic event.

  • Best of luck, Mr. President

    Every true American will wish our incoming president success in his efforts to preserve, protect, and defend the nation and its liberty. In these troubled times our good wishes may be the only honeymoon card he’ll get.

    Mr. Obama cracked the whip on his own party as soon as the electoral votes were counted, telling Congress he wanted a stimulus package for the economy on his desk as soon as his buns hit the chair in the Oval Office. Congress is moseying along at political warped speed.

  • Dr. King’s march for...

    On Monday, Jan. 19, Marion County residents are invited to walk in the annual march honoring Martin Luther King Jr. The younger ones in the crowd won’t remember the turbulent times of the Civil Rights movement in the United States.

    They are too young to remember the arrest of Rosa Parks or to personally hear the speeches of Martin Luther King. They know only of the struggle for equal rights through the pages of history books and through stories told by their elders.

  • Make Dr. King’s birthday...

    The MLK Jr. Commemorative Commission of Marion County will conclude a weeklong celebration of the birthday of one of the greatest figures of the 20th century with a call to service at “Day at the Park” on Monday, Jan. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. complex.

  • letters

    A new stimulus package,

    and a $1 trillion in debt

    As the top consumers of the world’s products, we, the American shoppers, have become the most studied animals on the planet. Product manufacturers and their retail sales agents have us sorted and classified by sex, age, education, religion, race, housing, income and many other traits. They use all types of data in their computer models to predict what we want, when we want it and how much we will pay for it.

  • How much more of the bailout can we...

    Are you ready for some “blockbuster” or “unbelievable” news regarding more loans being made - and we’re not talking about the $700 plus billion White House-approved package that the Treasury Department is rapidly going through?  Plus, now, they are even asking for more.

  • Some gifts are given all through...

    It’s Christmastime and the cultural mix that has become America is caught up in a celebration of life and hope. Not everyone participates – but most do – even those who aren’t very religious. We think of others and what may make them happy – whether it is a special present or the simple gift of food to those who don’t have much.

  • The rear view of our crystal ball

    Winston Churchill observed that a fanatic is someone who cannot change his mind and will not change the subject. Talk radio has a number of that peculiar species.

    With Sir Winston’s wisdom in mind, we thought to look back over our own opinions and prognostications about the presidential campaign and its intense focus on change.

  • Marion County celebrates Dr. King...

    The Marion County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission will present the 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration. Marion County Public Information Officer Judge Cochran has been invited to act as spokesperson for the celebration.

    Prayer Breakfast/Legacy Pioneers Recognition: 9 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Edward Croskey Center, 1410 N.W. 4th St. Tickets are $10. Call 351-0824.

    Ecumenical Service: 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 18, at First Assembly of God, 1827 N.E. 14th St. Call 732-0097.

  • Good and bad things come to an end

    In the early years after World War II, most folks were occupied with getting a job, buying a car, getting married, buying a second car, making babies, getting a bigger car, buying a house, mowing grass, and dreaming about a bigger house – with two bathrooms.

  • “It is blended coffee ...

    yesterday’s and today’s!”

     

  • Lawmakers are in session, keep a...

    Florida legislators have a tough job ahead of them, dealing with the newest budget crisis and the projected $2 billion shortfall in revenue. They are meeting in a two-week special session to decide just how to deal with shrinking state coffers.

    The housing market slump is one of the many reasons there’s a shortfall but a significant one, with home construction being one of the state’s largest industries. When buying a house, homeowners buy documentary stamps in proportion to the purchase price of the home.

  • Is religious speech "second...

    For 88 years, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its allies have fought for legal rulings that censor America’s Christian history and heritage to overturn our traditional values. Now it has taken this intolerant campaign to the next level by increasingly demanding jail for Christians who won’t comply.

    In Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, a private individual prayed before a school event and the ACLU issued a startling threat. “Their refusal to comply, (the censorship of religious speech) should and must result in their removal from society.”

  • Will there be peace in Gaza before...

    Our ally Israel is dependent on American aid. What if we threatened them with the cancellation of aid if they don’t do what we want? Is that a possibility? Would they withdraw from Gaza and work toward a peace agreement?

    Will Israel then, after not being chastised for its highly suspect excuse to attack the Palestinians in Gaza become the stalking horse that makes it possible for America to come to her aid? Will Israel become the vehicle for another war – a war with a country four or five times larger than an Iraq that we cannot manage?

  • And now for the rest of the story

    If we made any resolutions last year we don’t remember them. Aging has its prerogatives – a convenient memory being one of them.

    What should we do first this year? Grandma said in the old country it was against the law to read yesterday’s newspapers. So first thing we’ve got to do is sort through our clipping files and send old news to the recycler.

  • Come on, folks,

    buy American

    Now that two of the three American automobile corporations have been given some billions of our faithful taxpayers’ dollars, isn’t it about time we instituted a buy American campaign for American made automobiles? The bailout will do nothing for our auto industries unless we, the people, start buying their products.

    Thinking back, the good old days were when we had loyal Americans buying American products. Now we have every country in the world copying our cars and our people buying them.

  • Will real estate come out of the...

    Millions of homeowners and commercial property owners are asking when will real estate make its comeback? The evidence points to another disappointing year in 2009. Speculative real estate investing purchases and lax lending standards by many banks and mortgage companies led to a runaway real estate market that came crashing down when buyers were unable to afford their mortgages.