TOP OF THE WEEK – (With only five weeks of televised and printed lies left)

Here are 12 letters that are no longer needed or need to be severely modified – not to mention their being downright harmful to Floridians and Americans in general. The letters are EPAIRSNSCPSC. The 12 letters are four acronyms in order – the EPA which had noble beginnings but now is more of an instrument for the federal government to shake down businesses than anything else – particularly small business that don’t have the finances or time to fight back. Next you have the IRS which is just a train wreck. Someday we’ll actually get true tax reform and simplification but will it be in our lifetimes? The next, NSC – National Safety Council see the EPA above. It, too, had noble beginnings but now is just an instrument to pick the pockets of drivers who have the misfortune to get sent there by the court system. Lastly, perhaps the biggest joke of all –the PSC, Public Service Commission which is nothing but a lap dog for the utility industry. All four could go away tomorrow and America and Florida would be a better place.

Around the Bay –

1. One tends to look with cynicism at the large number of judges who once on the bench seldom have opposition for a new term. That is until you get a look at how they run their courtrooms. Such was the case recently with unopposed incumbent Jack St. Arnold who runs an efficient and extremely fair courtroom. May all our judges be so competent.

2. You’ve got to love Pasco school superintendent Kurt Browning. When he perceives a need, he dives in – sometimes getting his head handed to him as with the idea to eliminate valedictorians in favor of traditional college recognitions of excellence. More recently, he agreed with a teacher’s email that maybe they deserved a better chair for their classrooms than the $82 plastic variety and acted on it immediately.

3. The fallout from the Commissioner Curtis Holmes iPad fiasco includes a proposal that moving forward a sitting commissioner in Largo suffer the same consequences as a city employee for such an indiscretion – termination. Wow, holding a governing body to the same standards as the employees they govern – what a concept!

4. Bay area readers just learned of the passing of one of the area’s broadcast legends – Marshall Cleaver at age 91. Cleaver hosted the Open Mike talk program from 10 to midnight on WLCY radio to the dismay of the station’s teen listeners who in the sixties had nowhere else to go for rock and roll except the distant signals of WLS, WLAC or KAAY. Marshall later was one of the original anchors at Channel 10 (then WLCY-TV).

5. What does Clearwater know that St. Pete doesn’t or vice versa? St. Pete is dumping the controversial red light cameras while Clearwater is talking about adding more despite no real hard data that says they have been effective.

The Diamond, the Media and Other Stuff –

6. Funny how the brouhaha over the Redskins’ name has faded into the background as real issues crop up in the NFL.

7. Our Raves and Rants focus group (comprised of three, old cranky people) notes that Apple has released its Apple 6 or whatever phone at the price of just $649 which is more than three times what they have paid for all the mobile phones they’ve ever owned. Granted their phones are quite deficient – all they do is allow members of the group to reach people on the phone while they are away from home. (Margin of error - $649)

8. The new TV season will be phasing in over the next few weeks. What will be this season’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine – a little heralded series that captures both the public and critics? One gem has already aired – Ken Burn’s The Roosevelt’s – An Intimate Portrait. If you missed this series, pick it up on the rebroadcasts on PBS.

9. September marks the 60^th wedding anniversary of comedic duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Both are among the early alumni of Second City – not to mention the parents of Ben and Amy Stiller. Serenity now!

10. The firing of Braves GM Frank Wren this past week had some definite Florida connections. Wren, a graduate of Northeast High, sealed his fate with two terrible signings involving players from Florida’s MLB teams. First, Dan Uggla acquired from the then Florida Marlins was a $60 million bust and released earlier this year. A bigger disappointment was BJ Upton, the former Tampa Bay Ray, who is still owed $45 million despite hitting .197 over his two years with the Braves while earning $30 million.

IN CLOSING:

Beware the hold harmless clause of the medical pot amendment. Legal scholars say that is an open invitation for a less than ethical medical practitioner (see pill mill operator) to legally open a medical pot stand on Clearwater Beach – something that would no doubt enhance its image as a family beach.