Columns

Individuals, small business-owners and corporate professionals are aware of the crushing burden represented by our outdated federal tax code, unchanged since 1986.

The quixotic American pursuit of Middle East peace is a perennial. It invariably fails, yet every administration feels compelled to give it a try. The Trump administration is no different.

The Florida State College System (FCS) had Gov. Rick Scott's back in 2012 when he challenged all 24 institutions to offer a four-year, $10,000-degree program.

George Sheldon must have a lot of friends in Florida. Certainly somebody should ask the folks at Our Kids Miami-Dade/Monroe -- the ones who offered Sheldon their top job at $210,000 a year without much of a search for anybody else -- why they didn't aim a little higher? 

“I like working for Uncle Sam. Lets me know just who I am.”---By Bob Dvorchak

Whatever you say about Gov. Rick Scott, he can juggle and chew gum at the same time. 

Last week, Gov. Rick Scott announced record-breaking tourism numbers in the Sunshine State. It may be the last time for a while. Ignoring extensive research, case studies and pleas from travel industry constituents across the state, the Florida Legislature slashed funding for Visit Florida by a crippling 67 percent -- recklessly jeopardizing the tourism industry’s leading role as a generator of jobs and government revenues.

In 1984, the movie “Red Dawn” depicted a Russian invasion of the U.S. Tensions were high during the Cold War. The Defense Intelligence Agency’s annual publication "Soviet Military Power" depicted the awesome threat posed by the Evil Empire’s superpower status. However, as I recall, the “mainstream” media was more worried about the threat of American weapons. The Nuclear Freeze movement was popular.

Dear Editor: The Florida Keys and Key West have two "favorite sons," Jimmy Buffet and Mel Fisher.  Insult either one and you will not find much public support. Yet, that is exactly what the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) did right out of the starting gate 26 years ago when they attacked Mel Fisher.  

The National Ocean Service is narrowing the field of new leadership at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) nearly a year after an investigation of "waste, fraud and a hostile work environment" at the Sanctuary concluded that -- yes -- changes have to be made there.

So the pope, the president, a Muslim and a Jew walk into a bar ...

Recently, at a Broward Democratic Progressive Caucus event, newly minted Florida Democratic Party President Sally Boynton Brown declared that poor people didn't care about issues and voted based on emotions. According to the Miami New Times, she also declared that the best Democrats should hope for in Florida is a purple state.

It wasn't their intention, but Florida Supreme Court justices' Gretna decision sure started the engine on the Legislature's 2018 gravy train. 

The pleasant surprise of the First 100 Days is over. The action was hectic, heated, often confused, but well within the bounds of normalcy. Policy (e.g., health care) was being hashed out, a Supreme Court nominee confirmed, foreign policy challenges (e.g. North Korea) addressed.