My 2009 Concerns - February 2009

With 2009 still in its infancy, it is amazing how many things are already concerning me this year about my country, state, and town.

Of course, my lead concern is whether American voters really understood who and what they voted for last November. Were they so tired of President Bush that they turned over our federal government to the most liberal people to lead it in my lifetime? From the man in the White House to his cabinet and key administration figures, our country is now being led by a bunch of whiny, envirowacko, pacifists who truly believe Uncle Sam needs to dictate how we live our lives.

But the American people voted and I have to accept the new order in Washington – at least for the next four years. Given the amount of corruption and ethical lapses already surrounding the administration members brought to Washington by Obama, it will certainly be an interesting couple of years. I just hope our democracy and capitalist society can survive the tsunami of leftist change coming its way.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist concerns me because he has proven himself to be a smooth talking empty suit in his first years in office. His promised major drops in insurance and property taxes did not occur. His billion dollar bailout of a major Florida sugar company in the name of restoring the Everglades and his botched negotiations with the Seminoles over casino-class gambling will hit the state’s bottom line for years to come. Maybe he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, instead of another term as Governor, which will let an individual with a better understanding of reality move into the Governor’s House in Tallahassee. Since Jeb doesn’t want to run for that Senate seat, maybe he can run again to be our Governor and rescue our state from mediocrity.

The Town of Davie, in which I live, also has a concerning future. The March election will not simply be a vote for Mayor. It will be a straw vote for or against The Commons regional shopping mall planned for West Davie since both candidates have opposite opinions of that project and the winner will probably cast the deciding vote when it comes back to the Town Council for final approval in the coming months. And such a spotlight on a single issue will unfortunately overshadow many other equally important topics such as which candidate will better control the growing pension and healthcare costs of Town employees and keeping tax rates as low as possible.

I have not decided for whom I will vote in the Davie Mayoral race and I plan to carefully weigh all of the issues before I cast my vote. Since I personally know, like, and respect both candidates, I might just vote for Sarah Palin as a write-in candidate instead! A few winks from her and I am sure she could accomplish anything in my town including finally getting a fire station built to serve the Shenandoah area of West Davie near where I live.