Established in 2014 and published every Sunday, Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of local and national news, politics, sports and historical notes from a politically incorrect viewpoint.

First thing on our mind:

Never underestimate the value of a good waiter or waitress.

Leading off: America’s drug problem

While our nation continues to grapple with illegal drugs, an issue just as large, maybe larger, is the cost of very legal prescription drugs. There are so many factors involved with the cost of drugs - doctors, pharmaceutical companies, druggists as well as something that few of us have ever heard of – PBMs, pharmaceutical benefit managers, a kind of middleman who have a great deal to do with what you and your insurance company pay for prescription drugs. You would think in our competitive society, drugs should be fairly close in price wherever you obtain them. Smaller pharmacies are at a disadvantage to the CVS’s and Walgreen’s of the world which is why you don’t see Greenwood, Skycrest and D’Anna pharmacies anymore. It’s much worse in rural areas. And it’s time for our legislative bodies to step up and level the playing field as our population continues to age.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes:

Remember the name Jose Munoz. He is Hyundai’s North American CEO, who says, despite Trump’s rollback of EV subsidies and lack of consumer enthusiasm, that EVs are still the wave of the future. Bets on his corporate longevity?

Related - Joe Biden’s extreme energy policy has claimed another victim – the U.S. Postal Service. Determined to make the USPS fleet electric, the Biden administration let a contract for 3000 vehicles. With deadline for delivery passed, the USPS has received 93 vehicles.

Delta Airlines is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Delta recently was acknowledged as having the most on-time flights in 2024.

Macys has announced the closing of 65 stores this year, including its landmark store on East Market Street in Philadelphia. It appears Westshore Plaza and one other Florida west coast Macys will be also impacted by the closings

Restaurant news from the 5:05 Newsletter: In a nationwide poll, Americans named Taco Bell our best Mexican restaurant for 2024. This is exactly why we have the Electoral College. 

This week in 1919 (Jan. 16) Nebraska becomes the 36^th state to approve the 18^th amendment to the Constitution, ratifying prohibition.

Sports, media and other notes:

So now it appears the Rays want the Trop repaired for the 2026 season. It could happen, but insiders say the Rays might have to spend as much as the first month of the season on the road.

The late Emmett Lowery, coach, educator and Clearwater resident, has to be smiling as the Tennessee Volunteers which he coached for 12 years topped the AP 25 basketball poll. But then came the hiccup against the Gators.

Watching the week 18 NFL games, it occurred to us that Otto Graham, Bobby Layne or Bart Starr never sat out a regular season-ending game.

Jerod Mayo and Antonia Pierce got just one season each in New England and Las Vegas. Meanwhile Pete, Carroll’s name is in play for a couple head coaching jobs.

Peter Yarrow, a member of the great 60s and 70s group, Peter Paul and Mary, died last week at age 86. In addition to being one of the three harmonious voices, he wrote two of the trio’s biggest hits, Puff the Magic Dragon and Day is Done as well as Mary MacGregor’s #1Torn Between Two Lovers. Paul Stookey is now the sole surviving member of the group.

With the buzz over the movie Conclave, we decided to read the Robert Harris novel – our first piece of fiction in at least five years. It turned out to be one of those “can’t put it down” novels loaded with twists and turns along with an inside look at the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

Our friend TL shared this with us. If the planets of the solar system were fruits and vegetables, giant Saturn would be a watermelon, Earth a strawberry and tiny Mercury a pea.

You’ve lived in the bay area long time if you remember the Eckerd, Phar-Mor or Rite Aid drug chains.

We wish a happy 88^th birthday to Shirley Bassey, the British singer who sang more James Bond themes (three) than any other artist.

Oh yes, just one month until pitchers and catchers report.

One last thing: Five for the Hall

The Hall of Fame voting concludes in less than two weeks and we always try to help out the voting members with their ballots. There are five players on this year’s ballot who deserve enshrinement. Three are first time nominees, but their resumes are exquisite. Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariner’s hit machine, workhorse lefty C.C. Sabathia and another Mariner, pitcher Felix Hernandez, should be shoe-ins. Two holdovers that didn’t miss by much last year should make it this time – the game’s best left handed reliever Billy Wagner and its best center fielder (according to Willie Mays) Andrew Jones.

UP NEXT: Trump’s first task; 100^th birthday; FEMA

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