Tidbits from near and far

Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore preaches reform on campaign funds or soft money from filthy rich and special interest donors. But after his acceptance speech, he went right next door to join big time donors or the very people he’s supposed to be fighting against. Ooops! Mr. Squeaky Clean must be speaking from both sides of his mouth.
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The post-convention surge in “Al Gore the Bore’s” poll rating would eventually be toppled by GOP Presidential candidate George W. Bush. Gore’s leadership qualities are suspect and hasn’t quite exited the shadows of his more charismatic boss, Billy Goat Clinton.
He tried to define himself only to be shot down when his credibility came into question. Remember the fundraising event with a Buddhist group?
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Gore the Bore is bad news for these isles. He’s part of the Clinton cabal that wanted to impose complete compromise of the Covenant Agreement which guaranteed self-government.

What I’ve said recently that it is in fact US labor unions` agenda finally showed its ugly fangs. In election year 1995, the AFL-CIO spent some $35 million helping democrats get elected. By Federal Election Commission standard, what’s known as “coordination” between organized labor and democrats would have been illegal.

But a federal court ruled that such coordination was permissible. Organized labor, however, has lost a lot of its members after the latter discovered that it (labor unions’ bosses) weren’t spending for their rights but dishing their contributions (membership) to political causes.
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It’s good tidings to hear Japanese economists declare that the Land of the Rising Sun has finally turned the corner in its economic recovery. It’ll take, however, several years before all the kinks are worked out mending the old and new economy.

The greater questions is: When would these isles benefit from the ripple effects of such recovery? For now, we can put our great sense of optimism under “guarded condition”.
Reason? Most Japanese consumers are still reluctant to spend and not until all the cows come home, so to speak.

In the meantime, I get stomach butterflies each time news appears on the AP regional listing of stories about volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in nearby Japan. One major temblor is sufficient to put tourism revival at this to semi-permanent hold for at least ten years.

The Marianas Visitors Authority needs to formulate an alternative plan in the event that our major market goes tumbling into the sea of a super disaster. I pray and hope that it doesn’t happen but, we need to plan while time is in our hands!
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There were four tropical storms in the area–north, northeast, northwest and southeast–here last week. Hope it isn’t an omen of a stormy political war among gubernatorial candidates next year.

While at it (storm), an irate taxpayer quizzed: When does the government begin incurring expenses for its storm crew for food, hazard pay, night differentials? Tropical alert, tropical storm 3, 2, 2; Typhoon Condition 3, 2, 1?

Said he: “If they can’t even pay tax returns on time, why are we being forced to feed and pay public employees for sleeping during non-typhoon condition?” Eh, da bugga he make for da dine for sense, yeah?