Before I get into the ugliest — and stupidest (which is saying a lot) — gubernatorial race in our state’s butt-ugly political history (especially recent political history), I wanted to give a little space to help promote a wonderful, major event in our area.
This year’s American Cancer Society (ACS) Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) of Pasco Walk (a noncompetitive 5K, or 3.1-mile, stroll between the Shops at Wiregrass mall and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel) isn’t being held until the day after most of you have received this issue in your mailbox — Saturday, October 25, 8 a.m. But, at our press time, the 2014 “MSABC of Pasco” on October 25 already included an incredible 161 teams, nearly 1,150 participants and (here’s the best part) had raised nearly $55,000! Not too shabby for a community that already raised $50,000 on May 9 for the ACS’ other biggest annual local fund-raising event, the Wiregrass/Wesley Chapel Relay for Life, held at Wiregrass Ranch High.
It’s therefore easy to understand why my fellow Wesley Chapel (Noon) Rotary Club members and ACS community reps Jannah McDonald and Robyn Liska were on hand to accept the honors at this year’s Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce “Excellence in Business” awards ceremony on September 18 (as we reported last issue), when ACS was named “Civic Association of the Year.”
The good news is that you can still participate in this year’s Making Strides event.
All you have to do is wake up tomorrow morning, throw on a pair of “kicks” and a pink shirt (although I believe they’ll be on sale at the event, too) and bring a few dollars with you to take your morning constitutional with more than a thousand of your closest friends for a wonderful cause. “Large & Small, Let’s Save Them All!”
Thanks to all of the 2014 “Making Strides of Pasco” event sponsors and to all of the teams and individuals on those teams for already making our local Making Strides event the ti…um, I mean, the ta-tas! Lol.
Pink Premier Sponsor Hyundai, Chevrolet & Mazda of Wesley Chapel; Gold Sponsors The Parilo Boys/Dane Parilo, The Shops at Wiregrass & Janice L. DeLucenay; Silver Sponsors Bay Care Breast Centers, Florida Cancer Affiliates, the Florida Medical Clinic Foundation of Caring, Parks Motor Group, Tower Radiology & the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon; and Bronze Sponsors Florida Cancer Specialists & Moffitt Cancer Center; and Media Sponsors ABC Action News, the Tampa Bay Times & 105.5 WDUV-FM.
d. None Of The Above?
As someone who has been able to make a living here on the west coast of Florida for more than 20 years, I’ve usually gotten at least a little offended by those who see our Sunshine State as little more than the land of confused old people and wrong-way drivers.
Or, at least I used to get offended. Today, after months of being pounded by incessant “Charlie did/didn’t do this” and “Rick did/didn’t do that” muckraking ads, I’m sort of ready to throw in the towel.
The bottom line, to be totally honest, is that I believe that neither of these two clowns should be leading our state over the next four years. “Fangate?” “Medicare Fraud?” “Jobs Created/Lost?” These are the best and brightest people we have to run our state?
To start off with, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, I just don’t see how anyone can vote for former Gov. Charlie Crist. The guy has never served more than one term in any major political office, can’t decide which party he belongs to and ultimately, he was the guy sitting in the chair in Tallahassee when the state economy went into the crapper in 2008-10, and our unemployment levels were somehow a national embarrassment (at a time when everyone’s unemployment figures were unimpressive, at best). Why would I want him to have a second chance to lead our state for four years before declaring himself eligible to run for the U.S. House or Senate seat he really wants? I mean, really, Charlie, are you ever actually running for anything or merely running from the fact that you care more about yourself than you do the people of this state?
I did go to meet Gov. Scott when he made a recent appearance at Benedetto’s Italian Restaurant on S.R. 54 in Land O’Lakes. Despite the fact I simply couldn’t bring myself to vote for or endorse him in 2010, I don’t think he’s done a bad job overall, other than the fact that he singlehandedly turned down billions for high-speed rail, after the people of the state of Florida voted that they wanted it. Call me crazy if I don’t want the guy who headed up the company that debunked the Medicare system for billions making moral or monetary decisions for me or my state.
But, instead of primarily pounding Gov. Crist for his ever-shifting political party and positions, Gov. Scott keeps harping on how he “created” hundreds of thousands of jobs while Gov. Crist lost a similar number during his four years in office. Well, his math is not only fuzzy, he’s taking credit for the change in the national economy over the last two years in particular, as though he was the sole reason more people have been working under his “watch” than under Charlie’s. Ugh.
And, if the Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie isn’t even allowed to participate in this year’s gubernatorial debates, why waste a vote on him, even if you like him? Is “no vote” a bigger waste than voting for a candidate who can’t win? I’ll definitely still be voting on Tuesday, November 4, but sadly, mark me down for “None of the Above” in the race for our state’s highest office.
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