Testing Grounds The latest industry being outsourced to India is clinical drug trials. And any number of tragic things can happen on the way to your medicine cabinet.
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
The two most important local races in Hillsborough County are distinguishing themselves for very different reasons.
Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson has been in over his head from the moment then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him. There is no need to rehash the incompetence, mismanagement, troubling financial dealings and contempt for openness and accountability that have marked Johnson's tenure.
What they all boil down to is more important: His flawed judgment has raised voter anxiety across party lines. The expected record turnout this election is a reminder of how important it is to have faith in the supervisor's competence and integrity.
In the countywide commission race, first-time candidate Kevin Beckner is mounting a tough challenge to Brian Blair, who spent his term demeaning gays and non-Christians and priming the pump for the development industry. Beckner's agenda is far superior. But he has run a nasty campaign for a candidate whose major theme is changing the tone on the board and raising its ethical bar. Beckner sent a piece of mail this week painting Blair as indifferent to domestic abuse. It came as a third-party group sent another piece of mail highlighting a 24-year-old domestic violence complaint an ex-girlfriend filed against Blair.
Beckner took the same low road in the primary, attacking a challenger for his decades-old criminal history. His willingness to take cheap shots is a bad start to a political career, and it won't improve the tone should Beckner win.
[Last modified: Nov 03, 2008 07:07 PM]
Comments on this article
by Tom
Nov 3, 2008 7:07 PM
Stay to the high road, please. The negativity is such a turn off. We already know Blair is a dolt. Don't be a typical politician.
by Gayle
Nov 2, 2008 3:13 PM
Beckner is squandering his reputation. What a shame. Can't his handlers reel him in?
by jane
Nov 2, 2008 3:05 PM
From what I see Becker is telling the truth. Both his opponents have extremely flawed backgrounds. Blair has a history of domestic violence and bad voting record to back it up. I want to know the truth about my candidates and it seems like blair had voted for developers over women, children. He is known for being devisive and hypocritical. I am voting kevin and want to thank him for opening my eyes to the real brian blair.
by Reality
Nov 2, 2008 2:16 PM
Bozo the Clown would be better than either Buddy "Twelve Cows" Johnson or Brian "Killer Bee" Blair in office. Johnson is totally clueless about actual and the appearance of incompetence and Blair's lack of a college degree is apparent when he speaks.
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