A weekly look at the Tampa Bay area and national politics from a conservative viewpoint – plus a helping of sports and lifestyle items. Warning: not everything printed here should be taken at face value.

A bill that makes too much sense

The Florida legislature opens this week and among the bills the session will consider is one long, long overdue – making texting while driving a primary offense. You, no doubt, can count the number of times each week that you were nearly side-swiped or worse by a distracted driver. The bill would also focus on other distractions like putting on makeup and other things best left for home or the office (in the case of texting) rather than behind the wheel of a vehicle weighing several thousand pounds. There are several studies that show that texting and phoning behind the wheel is every bit as hazardous as drinking while driving. This is one where you need to reach out to your local legislator to see it gets passed and not watered down.

Great Tampa Bay, politics and stuff:

1. AmSouth, Bank of Clearwater, Barnett, Citizens Bank and City National Bank are just five names we can enumerate of defunct bay area banks going A through C. We’ll probably be able to add B B & T to the list by year’s end as they merge with SunTrust.

2. Hot mess is the only way to describe the recent events at the St. Pete Housing Authority. It makes you only appreciate more the splendid job the late Deborah Vincent did over the years at the Clearwater Housing Authority.

3. So, did anybody jump into the Democratic Presidential sweepstakes last week that we may have missed?

4. Quote of the week from Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, on the Trump administration’s crack down on government funding of abortions: “This is a major step toward the ultimate goal of ending taxpayers' forced partnership with the abortion industry.”

5. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you shopped at the very upscale John Baldwin clothing store.

Sports, the media and other stuff:

6. There are smiles in a lot of front offices over the Bryce Harper signing. Fully 80 per cent of major league teams weren’t going to play in the Harper Bizarre sweepstakes and they are happy with the enormous amount the Phils paid which can only limit the “Fightins” in future endeavors. Even the Phils do not have an unlimited supply of cash.

7. Who would have guessed the Lakers, upon adding LeBron James, would miss the playoffs? But it’s looking more and more like an early end of the season for the boys from L.A.

8. You’re missing something good if you have Sirius/XM and don’t occasionally enjoy the oasis that is Spa on the satellite channel.

9. We think we’re finally getting the lexicon of the polti-fact stuff. When a liberal speaks, the meter can be anywhere from “Half True” to “True”. A conservative peaks at Half True with something like “the sun is up.” But it’s all downhill from there.

10. Remember when you could just look at your daily planner to see an appointment? Now you have to sync your notebook with your phone and check and sync with your wife’s electronic devices as well before you dare make an appointment.

A great business, an even nicer family:

You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you remember Clearwater Lumber, Hamerick Lumber and Pinellas Lumber companies. Now about the only independent yard left is Nall Lumber being run by the third generation of that long time Clearwater family.

This item appeared in the January 14, 2018 TBRR. Now the Nall family has closed their business after a 100-year-run. We have been so privileged to know Carroll, Jr, son of the founder, and his son Andy who ran the yard in later years with his Dad. It was a place you could go with small or large projects and get good advice, good products and even a recommendation of someone to do the project if it was beyond your abilities. Nall Lumber will be missed.

Up Next: TBRR turns 5; the arts get pricier; Manny & Bryce reflection

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