Around Here By Leo Coughlin Nobody asked me, but - . . . As illustrated by the Paris Hilton case, the spurning of the law by the U.S. government, the politicization of the U.S. Supreme Court, the abrogation of its Charter by the Largo City Commission (as well as other rich examples), we are in an era of total corruption. Trust no one, my friends. . . . One of the extremely amusing by-plays in local doings is the case of the "invisible presence" at Indian Rocks Beach commission meetings. The name comes up all the time, but the visage is not seen - it really bugs some people. . . . Clayton Wilcox, the School Superintendent, a good man if there ever was one, found out recently what it is like to deal with Clearwater's city manager. . . . Some folks think one elected poohbah (whose middle name is "Micromanage") ought to just simply hire out as a city manager and satisfy his obviously deepest desires. . . . Our clever friend observes - "Paris Hilton said she is giving up her dumb act and said that she is not the ditzy character she plays in public. She also said that while in jail she found God, but was baffled as to why God was in jail, too." . . . Another breakthrough by the guys in the funny hats - the Vatican has come out for safe driving, and against swearing and cussing and prostitution. Moves that surely will make the world a better place in which to live. Those boys are right on top of things. . . . Iraqis are leaving their country as fast as illegal aliens (who think they have the same rights as Americans) are streaming into our country from the south. Is there a law against this? Yes. But our government enforces only the laws it chooses to, not all laws, and our legislators sit around figuring out how to break existing law and demonstrably become lawbreakers themselves. . . . Fred Thompson, the classic Tennesseean, is the most overrated character on the political scene since the pitiable Colin Powell and we know what he turned out to be. Thompson is a so-so actor, erstwhile senator (who did nothing) and made his bones with the Watergate Senate committee as the minority counsel when he was a kid. . . . Whoever thought that Sarasota leaders were about to make their city dysfunctional was really dreaming. No way, no sirreee. They may be kind hearted there but the city officials are no fools. Not a dry eye we understand in the precincts of the propagandizing Big Paper. (Har har dee har har.) . . . In some places, police have erected road blocks to check on seat belt violations - this is a blatant example of violating the Fourth Amendment (illegal search and seizure). . . . One thing that rankles me is the use of "issues" when the speaker should be properly using the word "problems." The two words are not synonymous and are the result of the psychobabblebunco that has infected our society. . . . As I understand it, we have to fight Al Qaeda in Iraq because Al Qaeda pushed into Iraq because American troops were there, more of our soldiers have to die and get maimed because others who went before them did, and Osama bin Laden hasn't been found because he's hiding. I must have it right, that's exactly what the president (he's the guy whose arms are outspread, welcoming illegal aliens - "bienvenido!" - into our country) said. . . . The word is that the cardinal in Boston has invited Pope Benedict 16 for a visit. What a great opportunity to arrest the man and charge him with harboring a criminal, namely Bernard Law, who aided and abetted the homosexual rape of children when he was the archbishop of that dump called Boston. . . . If we had a draft in this country, the business in Iraq would have been over long ago. Young men would have been fleeing to Canada and the college campuses would be coming apart. When a draft is in place, war becomes a popular political issue ("we ain't gonna go!). Do you understand now why there is no draft? . . . Demolition of Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater also demolishes the site of a lot of wonderful memories. A jewel of a little ball park with a wonderfully manicured field. (I once heard a visiting Red Sox player says of the field - "It is as good as the big leagues.") Some very great ball players trod that field. Return to Home Page Return to Current Edition Contact us