Congress convenes its new two-year session in early January, and the Tampa Bay area's federal lawmakers agree that the ailing economy and Americans' dwindling access to health care are priorities. ...more

December 29, 2008 |

Congress convenes its new two-year session in early January, and Tampa Bay's federal lawmakers agree that the ailing economy and Americans' dwindling access to health care are priorities. ...more

December 22, 2008 |

I will never forget how I felt two weeks ago when I watched Barack Obama celebrating with more than a hundred thousand in Chicago, tens of millions across our nation, and millions more around the world. Now, Congress has to ensure that we live up to the possibility of that day, and the promise of this moment in history. ...more

November 23, 2008 |

Enough is enough! My 401K is losing value by the minute. My future is anything but secure despite planning and saving. Thousands of people in Highlands County have no health insurance or access to routine health care. The food pantries in our county are out of food and people are hungry. The financial markets all over the world are unstable. The stock market is a roller coaster. All of this in the last month of a presidential election campaign. ...more

October 14, 2008 |

Tiny diagonal lines squiggle across a computer screen, where 80-year-old Larry Martin sits at the ready. ...more

September 21, 2008 |

During an election year when access to health care is the second most important domestic issue cited by Americans, Sen. Mel Martinez, incredibly, voted against legislation that would ensure stability in the Medicare program for Florida's elderly and disabled patients. ...more

July 9, 2008 |

Two powerful health trade groups will begin airing dueling ads this week in their fight over Medicare, hoping to influence Congress as lawmakers face pressure to reverse scheduled cuts in doctor fees. ...more

July 2, 2008 |

Let's see if we can figure out who this man is and how he got there. ...more

June 18, 2008 |

My recent Venezuela column in The Tampa Tribune prompted a prominent response from a local Venezuelan activist who took exception to some points I made. Fair enough. On this subject, I'm not an expert on anything but my own first-hand impressions based on what I saw -- from health clinics to brazen street crime -- and to whom I spoke -- from Chavez acolytes to scornful opposition. ...more

May 22, 2008 |

A local political spokesperson said the reason there are so many people listed as independent voters these days is due to motor vehicle registrations, when people don't know what to put down for party affiliation. That's partially true, but there's something much bigger going on that neither major party seems to grasp. People are tired of the candidates they elect being so out of touch with their needs. During campaigns, these politicians seem all ears on the issues of the day. They talk about the problems, offer multiple-point plans on how to address then. Then, once elected, nothing is improved and special interests always hold much more sway than constituents. It's no wonder so many people are dropping party affiliations and becoming independents. ...more

January 10, 2008 |