Elections Blogger 2

Obama crying wolf with so-called national disaster

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Was Washington, D.C., holding its breath in December 2012, hoping the hype about the Mayan Calendar prediction was true and there would be thus no need to address the fiscal cliff and sequestration?

Alas, the world did not come to an end, and one more imagined disaster that grabbed the imagination of the gullible, as did global cooling and, now, it appears, global warming, did not happen.

Good grief! Messed up cruise does not rise to level of national tragedy

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Good grief! You could not get away from the anguished and alarmist reporting about the Triumph, a luxury cruise ship that experienced mechanical and systems breakdowns as a result of a contained fire. The ship did not sink; it floated safely around in the Gulf of Mexico until tug boats could tow it into port.

Federal and state policy updates: Whether we like it or not, government decisions affect our ability to prosper

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mortgage interest deductions. Flood insurance. Short sale and foreclosure mortgage forgiveness. Property insurance. Commercial Business Taxes. Private property rights. New Federal banking rules. The upcoming Florida Legislative Session. Economic growth and opportunity. The housing market. Settlement payments for improperly foreclosed upon homeowners.

Disgust too mild a word for our 'leaders' in Washington with the Fiscal Cliff

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- What we witnessed in Washington, DC, over the past few weeks – both in the posturing, unseriousness and sheer disregard for the duties that our elected representatives, including both Congress and the White House, were voted by the American people to handle responsibly –was as despicable as anything I have ever witnessed in federal government.

Newtown massacre: Gun-free zones and other such measures ineffective in stopping mass murders

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- On Friday, Dec. 14, a terrible tragedy occurred. Twenty very young and innocent children were gunned down by a mad man in their Newtown, Conn., school classrooms. The lunatic also killed his mother, school staff and, when law enforcement showed up, himself. The unspeakable horror of the event, at school where parents should be able to assume that their young ones are safe and with the principal and other school staff losing their lives trying to shield the children from the murderer, has every parent, grandparent and any person with natural empathy in our nation deep in grief.

Election 2012: The good, the bad and the ugly

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- I admit to being one optimist who believed with little doubt that Election Day 2012 would result in a glorious result. My optimism was partially rewarded and partially crushed by the voters, those running campaigns, those counting votes and those reporting events (or not).

Florida Senate seat 8: Keep the power on or turn It off?

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Republican House member Dorothy Hukill and Volusia County Council Chairman Frank Bruno are and have been engaged in a mighty battle to represent District 8 in the Florida Senate. When the dust settles, the individual standing will represent most of Volusia County, a large part of Marion County and a sliver of Lake County.