The Way I See ItBy cj pollickClearwater Decides to Solicit Sheriff's Proposal - The realities of Clearwater's 2011 budget crisis has caused the city council (by a unanimous vote) to seek a proposal from Sheriff Jim Coats for policing in the city. If Coats' proposal comes anywhere near the $12 - $14 million yearly savings he estimated last year, the city's 2011 budget problem could be solved with a single decision. Tiger Will Play Tournament Golf Soon - The continuing saga of the Tiger Wood's story will reach its pinnacle in a few weeks; Tiger is likely to return to competitive golf at The Masters Tournament (the end of March.) How will Tiger handle the heckling of some fans and probing of some sports reporters? Time will tell, but Tiger is reportedly receiving professional help from people that are trained in handling tough media issues. Bottom line? Tiger needs to golf again and professional golf needs Tiger Woods. Professional golf is not the same without Tiger Woods and recent declining revenues of the PGA reflects the departure of Tiger's presence. Will advertisers return to Woods? Yes, professional golf is a business. Will fans return to Woods as in the "old" days? No, some fans will be lost to some other young golfers. In a MSN online poll, readers were asked if they would root for Tiger on his return to golf? 60% said yes, and 40% said no. Expect to see Tiger playing golf within weeks. Tennis Charity Event - Playing in front of a large crowd of tennis fans last Sunday, four of tennis' all-time greats showcased their incredible talents. The tennis event raised money to help those in need in Haiti, about a million dollars was raised for the Red Cross "Haiti Fund." On one side Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi played against Roger Federer and Pete Sampras. Tennis great Rod Laver was introduced to perform the coin toss. What a match. Agassi still could hit returns with the best of today's players and Pete Sampras still has a great serve. Even though it was obvious that the two "elder" statesmen of tennis had "lost a step," both Federer and Nadal knew they could not play relaxed or the point would be lost. Agassi talked trash throughout the entire match...until Federer asked why Agassi was wearing long pants, "Show those legs," said Federer. "They are too white," replied Agassi, "I haven't been in the sun." All in all a fun tennis match that raised money for the people of Haiti. Who won? Sampras and Federer. Ever Hear Of These Folks - The wealthiest man in the world is not Bill Gates ($53 billion) or Warren Buffett ($47 billion), but Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico ($53.5 billion.) However, have you ever heard of these billionaires: Jorge P. Lemann ($11.5 billion), Hiroshi Yamauchi ($4.2 billion), James Leprino ($2.5 billion), David Murdock ($2.5 billion), Murat Ulker ($2.1 billion)? Probably not, but they are billionaires that run large businesses such as Doles Food, Inbev, Nintendo, food companies, banks, etc. It is reported that there are over 1,000 billionaires around the world. What is perhaps more amazing is the fact that they change their net financial status each year by numbers that are staggering. For example, Helu gained several billion in net worth in the last year alone, same for Gates and Buffett. Imagine if your personal net worth changed by several billion in just one year. That is the difference between Helu, Gates and Buffett's fortunes and the next layer of billionaires with a mere one or two billion in net worth. Suffice to say that there is money…and then there is real money. Health Care Bill Will Be Approved, Says Pelosi - Always with a ready smile for the cameras, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the House will have enough Democrat votes to push the controversial Health Care Bill for a vote by the end of next week. President Obama stated he would sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk. "Let's get it done," replied the President to fellow Democrats in Congress. However, and with declining popularity numbers, over 60% of Americans do not favor passing the Health Care Bill in its present form (which includes abortion funding, exemptions for Nebraska taxpayers, etc.) Speaker Nancy Pelosi is confident. With 25 Democratic elected officials up for election in districts that were won by GOP presidents the last three elections, the number of questionable Democratic representative votes remain an issue for Pelosi. Of course, one can only imagine the special deals being discussed by Pelosi with those elected officials. Can Pelosi deliver the Health Care Bill next week? Time will tell, but at this time she says that she has the votes. "Success - The secret of success is constancy to purpose." -Benjamin Disraeli |