Sherwin just reminded me of the insane bet that I made at the beginning of the football season, which I made right after I chose Tatum Bell in my fantasy football league (my final record, a pitiful 1 and 12, although I think I did beat Sherwin in the final playoff game). The bet was $20 to any taker who thought Cadillac Williams would gain more than 500 yards during his rookie season. With Cadillac Williams gaining over a 1,000…
If 32 murders this year in St. Pete wasn’t bad enough, the city also reported 49 hate crime incidents, most of any Florida city and the majority of Pinellas’ 63 reported cases, according to a study released today by Attorney General Charlie Crist. Not such a great day in St. Petersburg, is it Mr. Mayor? In the city’s defense, Police Chief Chuck Harmon cut short his holiday vacation to hold a news conference about the numbers. The figures were an…
There are two very insighful, almost jaw-dropping surveys making their way around the web. The first survey by the University of Chicago shows that personal misery among Americans is at its highest levels since the early 1990s, with people saddled with woes over healthcare, unemployment, paying bills and romance. A second, seperate survey indicates that U.S. Consumer Confidence is back to its pre-Katrina levels, indicating that Americans are likely to spend (and consume) more. I think one survey is feeding…
Seven days are all that are left before I turn 30. Because my birthday falls on January 4th, it faces the danger of being lost in the holiday shuffle. I, of course, do my absolute best to make sure this does not happen. See, I believe in the specialness of someone’s birthday and have always done my best to make my family and friends’ birthdays not just another day. Of course, this is done quid pro quo, with me keeping…
Secretive fund-raising committees controlled by state legislators and fueled with money from business and special interests are being scrutinized as a likely legal payment method for buying legislators’ lunches and a whole lot more. I don’t even know if I want to comment on this issue other than to say, “Of course.” The gift-ban, however noble, is nothing more than window dressing.
A longtime South Broward lawmaker who represents private clients seeking government approvals says his legal degree precludes him from having to register as a lobbyist. Yet, none of the counties nor municipal lobbying ordinances exempt attorneys from rules that require lobbyists to disclose their clients, and even to sign a log when they meet with an elected official or staff member. Steven Geller’s lawyer/lobbyist work also raises questions about whether the longtime legislator and incoming Democratic Senate leader should represent…
The moment I read his essay in the latest issue of The Journal of the James Madison Institute, I knew state Rep. Adam Hasner was going to take a lot of flak for his suggestion that a constitutional amendment be passed that would force school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their operating budgets on classroom expenses such as teachers, computers and student supplies. The Times takes its first shot of what surely will be a series of…
