The Way I See ItBy cj pollickSUPER BOWL XLIII – This Sunday Tampa Bay will be the venue for the game featuring the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals and the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Kick-off time is 6 p.m. (EST). Over 100 million fans will view the game. IRB Meanders On - Never afraid of controversy, the City of Indian Rocks Beach has positioned itself in its lawsuit against the former City Manager (Grieshaber) that will likely cost more of IRB's taxpayer funds even with a win. The amount of money under controversy is $15,000. Mediation resulted in an impasse and left the attorneys with a likely lawsuit scenario. Thus, and as usual, the attorneys will possibly cost more than the amount being litigated. With upcoming elections at IRB it makes one wonder if this "managerial" topic might be discussed by the candidates. Dr. Martin Luther King Predicted It - It was over 40 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King said he believed civil rights had moved forward and "we may be able to get a Negro president in 40 years." It took 44 years. Has civil rights progressed far enough to be a non-issue in the world of US politics? Possibly yes, but credit must be given to Dr. King for his ability to predict the way Americans would treat people of all colors in future years. Much of President Obama's success is due to people like Dr. King and all the many people of all colors who supported equal rights for all people. America may now proclaim that it is color blind. Obama Says I’ll Get What I Want - Republicans in Washington are quickly learning that Barack Obama believes business in Washington is either his way or the highway. For example, when Obama had a difference of opinion with Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Cantor was told by Obama, that the President’s plan would be pushed through because “I won.” Further, Obama continued to say, “We just have a difference here and, I’m President.” Discussion about the President’s fiscal stimulus plan included many items that also concerned Democrats, such as Ted Kennedy, when it came to a $3,000 tax credit to hire new employees. More than one Senator asked, “Why would an employer be excited about a tax credit that could cost him money?” Nevertheless, as the President begins to become more specific about his plan to “rescue” America, not everyone in Washington agrees with his ideas. On the other hand, Barack Obama is correct, he did win and now must make decisions that will be unpopular with many voters. Rush Limbaugh Vs. Barack Obama? - Even though conventional wisdom of a president is to avoid debating with talk-show hosts, President Obama has opted to “debate” with radio personality (970 AM) Rush Limbaugh. It appears that Rush has stated that Obama’s financial plans would take America into a deeper recession and that true Republicans in office should not support such a plan. Obama, on the other hand, has warned Republicans to not listen to Limbaugh and join his fiscal “bail-out” plans. Rush Limbaugh vs. Barack Oama. The Way I See It, Rush Limbaugh would have given Barack Obama a better race than John McCain. Limbaugh, nevertheless, is not alone in questioning our government bail-out plans – there are Democrats and Republicans who question taking America into further debt. (Soon to over $10 trillion.) Joe Biden's Wife Spilled The Truth - Even though Barack Obama supporters and the liberal media will not make much of a comment made by Joe Biden's wife when speaking to Oprah Winfrey last week, the fact of the matter is that Biden's comment was ... newsworthy. The comment? Biden's wife said that Joe was offered either the position of Secretary of State or Vice President, his choice. Of course, Joe Biden accepted the office of Vice President and that left Hillary Clinton as second in line for the position of Secretary of State. Yes, and according to Biden, Hillary was not the first person offered the Secretary of State job, it was Joe Biden's if he wanted it. When Oprah heard those words she must have wondered what the heck Biden's wife was thinking about to say such a private thing on public television. The Stock Market Went South As Barack Obama Was Sworn Into Office - How did the business world react to the swearing-in of Obama as President? The stock market declined in value. Why? Obama did not say anything about his specific plans to fix the American economy during his inauguration speech. Thus, it is likely that the declining US stock market will continue its downward spiral to record lows. How will Obama fix the nation's economy? Obama stated he will create more government jobs and provide another stimulus (government check) package to taxpayers, other than those two items not much else is known about Obama’s plan to move America out of a deep recession. English The Language Of Government In Nashville - Citizens of Nashville, Tennessee voted to make English the mandatory language for all government business. The mayor of Nashville did not support the English-only measure saying it could cost Nashville millions in federal funds. Of course, it makes you wonder why our federal government does not support English-only for all US government business, after all, English is the language of America. Voters across America should be free to vote for English-only as the business language of their cities and have full, not adversarial, US government support. Will liberal groups such as the ACLU challenge the law in Nashville? Probably, yes. However, Americans overwhelmingly have supported English-only in local city governments. Our local Tampa Bay governments? No, we have expensive bi-lingual telephone systems and additional expenses for government bi-lingual staff members dedicated to languages other than English. Wyoming May Vote To Ban Gay Marriage - Wyoming may vote for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage by legally defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Wyoming citizens desire to make it clear that any marriage in Wyoming must be between a man and a woman, regardless of what marriage definitions other states may have granted to gay couples. My favorite part of the game is the opportunity to play. - Mike Singletary |