TOP OF THE WEEK:

There’s the old belief that just about anybody can do a better job of running a hotel, managing a big league baseball team or patterning traffic than the person currently doing it. But nowhere is this mindset more prevalent than in public (or private) education. Forget the fact that teachers, administrators and superintendents have spent years of study and work honing their skills in the area of education. Well-meaning (mostly) parents and school board members always know what course of action is better for our kids. The recent fiasco in Hillsborough County makes you wonder whether we even need school boards. Do they, indeed, do more harm than good? In Hillsborough County, the 1.1 million dollar answer is obvious.

AROUND THE BAY:

1. In a related note, the understatement of the still young year was a headline in “Florida’s Best Newspaper” – Elia drama may scare off others. Gee, do you think so?

2. The Pinellas County Commission is talking about raising the minimum wage of their employees to 12.50 an hour. As taxpayers, guess we’re okay with that. Very troubling though, is a corollary proposal to ask their vendors to establish a similar minimum. And just how many of this seven person body has ever had to make a weekly payroll?

3. Speaking of business, in the bay area DBA no longer only defines “Doing Business As”; it also will denote Doctor of Business Administration a degree program now offered by USF. There are only a dozen or so such programs in the country – another feather in the cap of the Tampa university.

4. Congratulations to Clearwater’s St. Cecelia Interparochial School on becoming the county’s and the St. Petersburg Diocese’s newest International Baccalaureate (IB) school.

5. You’ve really lived in Pinellas County a long time if you remember when there was a Publix on Main Street in downtown Dunedin.

THE DIAMOND, THE MEDIA & OTHER STUFF:

6. CNN shined in their coverage of the Paris tragedy. Fox News seemed confused most of the time and MSNBC was, well, MSNBC.

7. This item appeared in the January 4 issue of Rants and Raves: As we frequently do, we “borrow” a classic from the local 5:05 newsletter regarding the passing of the founder of Topps baseball cards: “Sy Berger, the designer of the modern baseball card, has died. He will be laid to rest in a shoe box somewhere in an attic”. More than one person has suggested to us that there should an addendum to the piece – “And after five years, your mother throws the shoe box away”.

8. It has been reported that in A-Rod’s pre-season workouts, he’s being assisted by (wait for it) . . . Barry Bonds. What could possibly go wrong with that scenario?

9. Was there anyone who might not have played for your favorite team whom you respected more than Ernie Banks? They are “playing two” in baseball heaven this week.

10. Our crack sports prognosticator, Achmed Walled (pronounced wall-ED) likes Seattle over New England in the Super Bowl.

IN CLOSING:

Over the years, old technology fades away as something newer and better comes long – think cassette tape player and IPod or mimeograph and Xerox. Now some bright guys have come up with a more efficient way to move individuals and small groups from one place to another such as Lyft and Uber. Boy, are the transportation regulatory agencies in Tampa and elsewhere upset. They claim public safety, consumer protection and all matter of things are being compromised. Is it that or certain palms which are not being greased like they have been by taxi companies over the decades in Hillsborough and other environs? If you’re betting, bet on Lyft and Uber to ultimately prevail.