With land prices tanking, environmentalists say now is the time to pounce on a depressed real estate market to preserve thousands more acres for wildlife, water protection and quality of life. ...more

October 18, 2008

For Citymeals-on-Wheels, a nonprofit group that delivers food to homebound New Yorkers, the Wall Street crisis already means 100,000 fewer meals will be delivered to people who need them. ...more

October 6, 2008

One thing is true about residents of Tampa Bay - we love our area. New York City might be bigger, Los Angeles is more exciting and Ronda Storms might be viewed as a conformist in Washington, D.C., but most of us would not give up one Gasparilla bead to live in those cities. ...more

September 21, 2008

The chairman of the Spring Hill Fire Rescue board liked mostly everything he saw Wednesday when he looked over the line items of the proposed budget. ...more

September 12, 2008

Almost every day, we hear about more budget cuts and price increases. The county is freaking out because the river of money has become a trickling stream. They are like kids who can't save their Christmas or birthday money. Then when they need it, it's not there and they cry. ...more

September 12, 2008

You know this country is in the midst of a housing crisis. It's been the headliner on the six o'clock news and the front-page story in all the papers, for months. ...more

September 7, 2008

Am I the only one who doesn't get Jim Gries' problem with Social Security? He doesn't seem to like the Trust Fund system, but his speeding car and duck waddle metaphors make his point a little hard to follow. ...more

August 26, 2008

I'm afraid that I will have to decline Jim Gries' generous offer to sit in his rocking chair and explain Social Security to his 3-year-old granddaughter. And I'm amused that Mr. Gries does not consider it "fear-mongering" to call the Social Security system a "weapon of monetary destruction (WMD)." Actually, although he says that his earlier letter was a recital of fact, there is nothing in any of his letters that backs up his hysterical attack on the Social Security system. ...more

August 15, 2008

The budget may be tight, but the City Council on Monday reiterated a pressing need to start saving money for more capital projects ranging from sidewalks to water and sewer infrastructure. ...more

August 13, 2008

I'd like to offer my suggestion on one way to help cover the budget shortfall for schools in Hillsborough County. How about laying off a couple of school board members? The savings on the $40,000 salary from each would free up enough money for hiring at least a couple of new classroom teachers. ...more

August 7, 2008