The Way I See ItBy cj pollickTourists Arrive -There are noticeably more tourists visiting Clearwater Beach. Parking lots are full (what else is new), restaurants are full and hotels are full-all signs of a better tourist season. Imagine the growth of Clearwater Beach tourism when one or two of the new modern hotels are completed! Of course, the recent closing of Outback Steakhouse on north Clearwater Beach is a negative, but folks who had visited that location believe that many of their problems dealt with staff and not Outback per se. A new restaurant in that Pelican Walk location? Sand Key Citizens Speak -When a few hundred Sand Key citizens attend a city meeting to suggest "neighborly" development changes, Clearwater city officials should listen. However, when the Clearwater Community Development Board voted on whether to approve new zoning for a certain Sand Key location, the vote was 3-3 and carried to another day. If citizens on Sand Key have input in this important city zoning matter, then a meeting of representatives from both sides of the zoning issue should meet to peacefully suggest an agreeable solution. A solution good for re-development and good for the Sand Key neighborhood. Will this happen? Folks on Sand Key hope for a reasonable solution. It Will Get Worse - Remember the time when savings and loan lending associations went out of business and the federal government intervened to "bail" them out? If you remember those tumultuous days, then you may also remember the large number of lawsuits that followed the S&L downfall, 559 lawsuits. The current sub-prime lending fiasco may soon surpass the number of lawsuits filed under the S&L mess. It was reported that there were 278 sub-prime lawsuits filed in 2007 against sub-prime mortgage lenders and the number continues to grow. Worse. The federal government is now beginning to investigate Wall Street lenders and their lending practices to people who borrowed money at sub-prime rates. The loan/default problem is especially bad, according to recent reports, in places such as Cleveland, Baltimore and other big cities. In fact, state attorneys in those places are suing the lenders, and also naming management regarding allegations of fraud, etc. Worse than the S&L mess? Only if the federal government offers a bail-out package to salvage the lenders. Imagine the many states confronted with hurricane insurance issues that are still fighting to obtain a federal hurricane fund and the folks in Washington are considering a bail-out plan for the financial mortgage industry! Roger Clemens And Credibility - Not many people believe the story Roger Clemens is telling to the U.S. Congress and national media. In fact, whoever listened to the private (turned public) tape-recording between Clemens and his one-time trainer (who admitted to giving Clemens steroids) probably walked away disbelieving Clemens. Roger Clemens will likely become the next Barry Bonds of major league baseball investigations. Unlike Andy Pettitte who admitted taking steroids while he was injured, and apologized to everyone for his lack of good judgment, Roger Clemens has steadfastly denied his involvement with steroids. No steroid use, says Clemens. While Andy Pettitte is being welcomed back into baseball for admitting his lapse in judgment, Clemens is in hot water and getting deeper into trouble due to his denials. When Pettitte stated that Clemens admitted to him of steroid use, he became just another person who stated that Clemens used steroids. However, if Clemens had just admitted trying steroids, much like Pettitte, he might have been able to overcome the current problems he has with the public and baseball. Clemens' lawyer says he is being unfairly treated and will be cleared of any wrongdoing. For Clemens' sake we hope that is true. Hall Of Fame voters will not treat Clemens much different than Bonds or Sosa or Maguire - - and that means possible no Hall Of Fame for those fellows. Fidel Castro Anoints His Brother - The supreme dictator of Cuba, Fidel Castro, has anointed his brother Raul as the new supreme leader of Cuba. Fifty-nine years of hands-on leadership in Cuba is enough, says Fidel Castro. Castro's legacy? A nation that has struggled since the 1950's. Can brother Raul help to change the direction of Cuba and its relationship with the U.S.? Many Cuban-Americans hope Raul does not follow hard-line policies of Fidel and "opens" dialog with the U.S. If Castro allows his brother to lead Cuba without his interference, then there is hope for change. Imagine open borders and business trading with our neighbors in Cuba? Friendly change would be a great for new U.S./Cuban relationships. The economic potential for U.S. businesses during this hard business cycle would indeed be a positive - - same for the people in Cuba. Democrats Get Negative With Each Other - The Democrat presidential primary is getting ugly. Negative comments and ads by the Clinton campaign against fellow Democrat opponent Sen. Obama has grown over the last week. Some political pundits say these negative comments are last-ditch efforts by the Clinton campaign to discredit Sen. Obama while the Obama campaign is gaining momentum. Will negative ads and comments work? The Obama campaign say the negative statements pointed at Sen. Obama are merely desperate comments from a desperate opponent. They won't work, says Obama as he continues his campaign. On the other hand, GOP Sen. John McCain continues to solidify his GOP support hoping to attract more conservative voters than Gov. Mike Huckabee, who, at this time, can't win the GOP nomination and would likely not become a VP choice of McCain's. Within a week or so we might know the final two candidates. McCain vs. Obama? On Tuesday, Wisconsin Democrats voted to support Obama over Hillary Clinton. That made 10 states in a row where Democrats voted for Obama over Clinton. If Obama wins either Ohio or Texas, he would clearly become the Democrat candidate for president.
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