President Barack Obama says chronic unemployment isn't merely academic and is "a struggle that cuts deep and touches people across the nation." ...more

December 3, 2009

The American Bankers Association meetings in Chicago during late October drew a surprising variety of protesters. These ranged from unions to civic groups, political activists and even a person in a Downsized Man superhero costume. With the ABA in focus, I add my perspective and that of many other millions of American savers who decry the historically abysmal interest rates paid on savings. As banks grow healthier, the return on my savings just gets more anemic. ...more

November 28, 2009

Mildred Ballard, a retiree from Sun City Center, got a measure of assurance Monday that the drywall in her home is causing her thermostat to go haywire and the temperature to swing wildly. ...more

November 24, 2009

Facing fierce resistance, the Obama administration today backed off a plan to ban sales of raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico during warm weather. ...more

November 14, 2009

Letters to the editor from Nov. 14 editions. ...more

November 14, 2009

Lenders are owners In your cover article on pending foreclosed properties Nov. 4, the manager of Hillsborough County Code Enforcement was quoted: "The lender doesn't own the property, so we can't legally make them maintain it." Excuse me? ...more

November 6, 2009

Our troops and their generals have to contend with our president and many in Congress who have deliberately diverted billions of dollars from the defense budget. Critical funds for our defense have been siphoned off for President Obama's government stimulus packages, bailout programs and many pork-barrel projects. ...more

November 4, 2009

Regarding your recent article, "Nobody's Problem," like Mr. Turberville's, our neighborhood -- just a few blocks away -- is at the start of the same kind of vacant home mess. Great neighbors were more or less forced out of their meticulously-tended home due to the financial debacle of a number of banks. Sadly, this small showplace now looks exactly like nobody cares because it has joined the ranks of "Nobody's Problem." This is a very false, though catchy name. This is everybody's problem. When the undesirables pass by these homes, it is an open invitation to vandalism at the least. ...more

October 28, 2009

For a truly spooky Halloween costume, dress up as a nosy reporter. Scares the dickens out of some folks. ...more

October 24, 2009

Shockingly poor financial management at General Motors and Chrysler weakened their case for a federal bailout, but officials feared letting them collapse, the former head of a government auto task force said Wednesday. ...more

October 21, 2009