My Good Friends, the Candidates

I have acquired a number of new friends that I enjoy communicating with during this election campaign.

They know me so well they call me by my first name.  They are always, “a few hours to go for so sort of campaign funding date”,  inviting me to dinner with Barack Obama [I guess along with 1 million other people who he knows by their first name] if only I gave $5 or $10, sending an invitation to join the candidate and some important public figure for a cocktail or similar event, “join us at a historic! event”, saving the republic from the corruption of another candidate, “you can trust me to fight for you, etc.

I lament that these new friends will be gone until the next election cycle when they return or they pass on their email lists to a new candidate.  They will have quickly forgotten their promises of openness, fairness, ethics, honesty, participation, communication, historic, new future, fiscal soundness, low taxes, a strong budget, fairness for all, save me from socialism, sending back the undocumented workers, etc.

Where’s the Leadership in Coral Gables

Coral Gables needs a new leadership of citizens and organizations who are ready to identify a new agenda for the city, not only for the narrow services of the city government (spending, taxes and regulation), but to lead the city in its transformation into a dynamic center of regional growth emerging from the Great Recession, attracting new businesses and activities (while sustaining our traditional businesses).

Evidently, Coral Gables is already an important business center, but its future depends on recruiting new businesses, not only protecting and sustaining what we have.  The city is built on a fragile economic underpinning, too dependent on a traditional, sluggish retail trade, commercial and residential real estate sales and construction, and administrative, accounting, legal, engineering and commercial services, most of which will grow slowly in the years ahead.

Who will come forward with ideas for a better future for the city to keep it growing and prospering.

We are still will looking for that leadership.

Thanks to Donna Shalala (I Believe)

This progress is due to great focussed and disciplined university leadership.

Move over, Gators. The University of Miami is now the top college in the state of Florida, according to U.S. News & World Report magazine — a first-ever accomplishment for the Coral Gables school.

via Miami Hurricanes, Florida Gators get new ranking to argue about – Education – MiamiHerald.com.