Tampa Taxi Shots

Tampa Police Trying To shut down Epoch Newspaper

I saw this scene at Kennedy and Westshore. It seems this Tampa cop does not like people selling newspapers. Tampa Florida has yet to be informed that Newspapers are protected by the constitution. You would have thought this was on the streets of Havana with Castro's thugs (Castor's thugs) shutting down freedom of expression and the press. I thought this cop was going to use his taser on these homeless guys. He should have used his pepper spray, right? Maybe he should just go out and right a speeding ticket.

After all, cops in Tampa are only hired to raise revenue for the city. Their time would be better served by just holding a telethon.

How embarrising for a city that is going to host a major political convention next year that they don't even know what peoples rights are. 

Liberty and freedom are important to most people. It is too bad that the Tampa police have never heard of  the Bill of Rights. I see them violating peoples rights all the time. This is nothing new. 

Bob Buckhorn and Chief Castor are not our dictators. I wish they would start behaving and representing the people of Tampa. 

Since  the City of Tampa has outlawed panhandling a newspaper was stated that will allow homeless folks to collect one dollar on every copy of Epoch they sell. It is legal and protected by the Constitution.

This is a drop point by the Army Navy store downtown where they can come and pick up their newspapers. This is how all newspapers are distributed. 

The sellers work hard. They have to ride a bike, or take a bus to the part of town where they work. And they work all day. It is not easy work. If a person was willing to do this, I am sure they would go to a real job if they had one to go to. That is the problem in this economy - There are no jobs.

I hope the publisher of Epoch will not take this sitting down. He needs to get his lawyer involved. This harrasment by the cops should not be tolerated.

Taxi Medallions Outperform Stocks, Oil and Gold In New York

Taxi medallions are now being traded on the stock exchange

A taxi medallion recently sold for over one million dollars in New York City. There is a reason for that and it underscores how the dynamics are so different in New York that to try and bring that to Tampa would be foolish, for the drivers. There is a year round demand for thousands of cabs in New York. Taxicabs are a vital part of the city's infrastructure. They are not in Tampa. Read this article from Bloomberg and you will see how investors will eventually own every damn medallion there is. The hack will still remain poor.

The surging price of New York’s taxi medallions and their promise of steady cash flows have sparked investor interest in the licenses and bolstered shares of a company that finances their purchase to a four-year high.

Investors are pooling funds to buy the six-inch-wide aluminum disks affixed to the hoods of cabs after two of them sold for a record $1 million each last month, said Andrew Murstein, president of Medallion Financial Corp. (TAXI) Shares of the New York-based firm have climbed 17 percent since the Oct. 19 sale, compared with a 6.4 percent gain for the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index.

“A lot of people have been loading up recently on medallions because they think it’s a safe asset,” Murstein said in an interview last month. The New York-based company owns about 300 medallions and plans to buy “several hundred more” in New York and other cities, he said. “These are little cash cows, constantly taking in fares and spitting out money to the owners.”

A regulated supply has helped taxi permits outgain equities, oil and gold for the past two decades. With New York City unemployment at about 9 percent for over a year, more drivers will fill shifts and pay garages to drive cabs, giving medallion owners a profit of about $2,500 a month, said Simon Greenbaum, a broker at NYC Medallion Brokers Inc. That’s about a 3 percent return for a $1 million medallion.

via www.bloomberg.com

The video states that taxi cabs are a vital part of the New York city infrastructure. Taxis are not that vital in the Tampa Bay area. They seem to be the transportation of last resort. The culture is very different down here. That is why having a medallion system in Tampa is madness. Eventually, the rich people will own them and have even more power over the little hack.

Occupy Tampa Movement Is Not Giving Up Under Police Harassment

Occupy Tampa Protesters before sunrise

Ronald Reagan once saw a hippie holding a sign that said "Make love, not war." Reagan said to Nancy that he did not believe that man was capable of either. He was no threat, and either are the Occupy Tampa protestors. 

I know harassment when I see it. I was driving by Curtis Hixon Park at six in the morning, on my way to the Howard Johnson's to drop off a fare. There were police lights in front of the park - where an hour earlier I saw protesters sleeping. They were not disturbing anyone. The police were now disturbing them.

They do this every morning. Lets just say they are an over paid wake up service. This is a shame.

I dropped my fare off and went right back and parked across the street and pulled my camera out. With all the humidity in the air, my lens fogged. Too bad. I go some great shots of the cops harassing the kids. Unfortunately, the images were too blurred to see anything.

After the cops finished their civic duty for the day, they left in a hurry. They know people have digital devices with them and they don't want any images going viral. Plus, it was a Saturday morning and that is when the cops like to set up speed traps to right cheap tickets to make their quota's. I wonder if these guys can actually earn their pay by having a shootout with a real criminal.

What Dennis told me was after the cops made them get rid of all their water and food Friday, they came back latter and said they could now have this stuff again. The cops are not following any city ordinances. They can't site any code violations. They are not civil rights lawyers. They are mealy people who are paid to screw with the public.

These kids will not be deterred. We have been dealt a bad hand, and they know it. These movements will not just go away. They were 'flyiing their signs' as soon as the cops left. It was cold; it was wet; I felt a little sorry for them. However, they are more determined then ever.

Occupy Tampa May Be Over With Police Clearing The Park

The police went to downtown this morning and cleared Curtis Hixon Park of the Occupy Tampa crowd (there was only a dozen of them). This movement may have taken hold if the people who showed up for the marches actually 'occupied Tampa.' I guess they had to get back to their jobs and continue to be exployeted by the corporete world.

This is what I saw last Sunday when I interviewed many of the crowd.

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I stopped by the Occupy Tampa movement downtown at Curtis Hixon Park. I wanted to talk to the demonstrators and find out some of their views. Where they a bunch of liberals hanging out in the park? Where they a bunch of unemployed college students who voted for Obama in 2008, and now, can’t find a job? Speaking of Obama, why do none of the signs across America not mention Obama? I wanted to find this out for myself.

Notice the red tape on the sidewalk

I found a parking space (Sunday the only day you can do that) and walked over. I met a group of people who had set up a make shift open air office and logistical center on the sidewalk in front of the park. The people seemed friendly and easy to talk to.

I noticed the amount of food, sandwiches, and bottle water they had. They said many people come by all day long and give them supplies. Without that, they would not be able to camp out. I asked them if they needed anything and blankets was something they could really use. The last few nights have been cold. That was not their primary concern, however. It was the Tampa police.

They told me they were clearly the victims of police intimidation tactics. The police were making up the rules as they went along. There were clearly maked boundries on the sidewalk where they must sleep. The protestors don’t like sleeping there because they are afraid a car might jump the curb at night and kill someone. They have had a beer bottle thrown at them which hit a girl. They want to be able to sleep further back on the grass, but for some reason, the cops won’t let them. Someone does not want them there.

Most of the people had an individual story of being under employed or out of work. Many had large student loan debt and were finding it hard to make payments on a seven dollar an hour job. They were frustrated with an economic system they felt was corrupt with the deck stacked for the privileged.

Nick with a hot coffee donated by the publc

I talked with this young man Nick, who after college found himself delivering pizzas. His belief was that the pizza company was raising the price of delivery (which cut into his tips) to cover the cost of insurance that Obamacare was requiring him to pay. Nick believed all companies would only pass the cost of doing business onto the customers, so nobody benefits. He clearly did not have good things to say about Obama. That surprised me. They 'End the Fed' signs they had are from the Ron Paul Alex Jones playbook.

some of the signs they are using

I asked him why none of the signs mentioned Obama. Another guy interrupted by saying the ‘illuminati’ runs people’s lives. Nick and others were Ron Paul supporters and he believed that was true nationwide. Obama has been marginalized by other forces, and is a non-player at this point. Interesting.

Nick, and others, are followers of Alex Jones and his website Prison Planet. This was not what I expected.

Occupy Tampa Takes Over Downtown Tampa Protesting Wall Street Greed

The protesters began to show up after the lunch hour. I thought they would be out all day; I thought they would be camping in Gaslight Park. I hear the police will not let them, so they have to leave and return the next day. No problem, this means they can drink in the bars all night.

Most of them seem to be coming from the University of Tampa. Could it be they are just young, bored and looking for a little excitement? They should be studying finance so they can become part of that 1% they are railing about.

Hippy protesters seen from the taxi downtown Tampa

I picked up a fair that wanted to go downtown Tampa and see the protesters. At the time we were there, we really had to look hard to see them. I think for this demonstration to work, they will have to really "Occupy" the downtown area but that would mean they cannot drink, screw and order pizza. Protesting comes with sacrifice.

The movement is new and perhaps it will work, with time. I am already making some money off of this event, so that is cool. I shot a video and put in up on Youtube. You can see it here.

Location of downtown Tampa surveillance cameras will be kept from the public

The city of Tampa will be hosting the 2012 Republican Convention that will nominate Gov. Rick Perry of Texas.

The city of Tampa is very concerned with security, but they are making certain assumptions about the guest. They believe that many of the people who will be expressing their constitutional rights to assemble will be criminals. That is why they are installing cameras in secret because they don't want anyone to know they are there.

This is an outrage and I have a license to drive a cab and I have the right to NOT have a fucking camera aimed at me. This totalitarian thinking cannot be allowed. I hope the people assemble in mass.

I know that if a riot breaks out, they will want to be able to identify the perpatrators. Of couse, we all want that. But you can't put cameras up to film people without thier consent. Sorry Republicans, this is the United States of America and I have certain rights. Even Alex Jones on his website Prison Planet picked this story up.

"Whether it's the Republicans or the Democrats, conventions are almost always a flashpoint for police and protestors. At the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis in 2008, some 800 protestors, reporters and bystanders were arrested.

Our local law enforcement is hoping for much less conflict when the GOP comes to Tampa next summer. Toward that end, Tampa police will be employing a ring of surveillance cameras to be installed around downtown and the convention center.

"There are going to be a lot of people in downtown and we don't have enough police officers to keep eyes everywhere, so we think the cameras will assist us in keeping people safe by giving us more eyes to view what's going on," said assistant Tampa Police Chief, Mark Hamlin."

via www.abcactionnews.com

The problem I have with this is they are hiding the cameras and they are assuming that there will be trouble. It is a political convention and you have police and secret service patrol. The real reason for these cameras in downtown Tampa is to use facial recognition to shake down innocent citizens. The people of Tampa should be outraged and no more tolerate this then the "traffic" cameras they use to raise revenue.

Selective Use Of Assassination Of Foreign Nationals And Enemy Combatants

Barack Obama has pulled off a masterful military strike. In fact, he has been selectively assassinating terrorist since he came into office. That comes as a surprise to many Americans who do not know that he has been killing terrorist since he took office. This is from a post I did on April 25, 2010:

"Barack Obama defeated a War Hero in John McCain in the 2008 election.  Obama said he would defend this country and be strong against terrorism and defend America.  He is doing that in a way most people do not even know about.  To bad his own party is so damn liberal that he can't even take the credit for it. President Obama in his first year in office has ordered more drone strikes in Pakistan then George Bush ever did. 

The Obama administration has taken the extraordinary step of authorizing the targeted killing of an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks on the United States to directly participating in them, intelligence and counter terrorism officials said Tuesday.

Mr. Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico and spent years in the United States as an imam, is in hiding inYemen. He has been the focus of intense scrutiny since he was linked to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., in November, and then to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Dec. 25.......NY Times

This selective use of drones to simply assassinate foreign nationals and enemy combatants to the United States is something Obama should be proud of.  The Neo-cons should love this guy, but he can't even blow his own horn.  

The liberal party he works for wants no part of this.  I do!

Way to go Prez.  Keep killing the bad guys and you will get my vote in re-election."

 

What Is The Breaking Point?

Here are the facts and it has nothing to do with George Bush: Oil is traded in dollars and tends to rise when the greenback falls and makes crude cheaper for investors holding foreign currency. Oil also climbed to $112 per barrel because of violence in Nigeria ahead of the national elections which could lead to a supply interruption. If crude prices keep rising, experts say, gas could go over $4 a gallon across the U.S by summer. I believe it will be here sooner. 

At what point will taxi drivers, who buy their own gas, not be able to operate the cabs? I think we are very close to that event. The only hope we have is that the cab companies will lower our lease (never happen) or the meter will be increased (the companies will then raise our leases). I see no hope. I can be homeless without working these many hours. For ten bucks I can buy a vest and fly a sign. At least I wont owe the taxi company or the gas station a dime.

I don't want to turn this into the "gas price" blog but this is about the only thing on my mind right now and I can see no real way out of this crisis. I am open to suggestions.

Gasoline Has Doubled Under Obama - I have Photographic Evidence

To The Left Of The Pump You Will See $1.87 A Gallon. This photo Was Taken The Morning Obama Was inaugurated. This is what I wrote that day on Tampa Taxi Shots Blog. I am glad to have a seven year archive to draw on.

"The price of gas is holding around $1.87 a gallon.  That is what I payed this morning in North Tampa.  As you know, cab drivers buy their own gas and that comes right out of our pocket.  Last year when the price hit about 4 bucs, it almost killed me.  Any higher, and the taxi industry may have come to a halt because the company would never match us on gas.  It got so bad, I even had to shut this blog down because I could no longer afford it.  I have this feeling that gas will be going up during the summer.  What do you think? "

They used to blame high gasoline on Bush. He is long gone. Now this Obama dude has no forsight or vision. The wars were supposed to be for oil and all that shit. Do I sound pissed? Yes! I am almost out of business because of this incompidnet asshole.

From Hope And Change To Shock And Awe: Obama's Bay Of Pigs

The purpose of the Libia bombing attack was to establish a no-fly zone and support a group of rebels lead by the Muslim Brotherhood. Comments by President Obama and other world leaders make me conclude a disaster is at hand. President Obama and the British Prime Minister have now stated that the objective is the ouster of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi.  Is it a coincidence that Libya is rich with oil? Obama lied, people have died. Did they not say that about George Bush?

No military objective is known and the future prospects are unclear as Obama says there will be no "boots on the ground."  We can only hope that this engagement does not become blown up and entangled like recent wars in the Middle East. I can see no reason to think otherwise. If Qaddafi and his supporters are fighting the rebels in close range combat, how can you send in missiles? This concept is not even tactically sound. You may have a "no-fly zone" but be unable to risk killing innocent people.

"While Obama’s action is being widely compared to the Bush-Cheney 2003 attack on Iraq, parallels to the April 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco are also strong. In that instance, a force of anti-Castro Cubans organized by the CIA was militarily defeated in an attempt to take over Cuba, resulting in calls from Allen Dulles to President Kennedy for air strikes and a ground invasion. Kennedy rejected those calls and fired the Dulles CIA leadership. Obama, faced by the military collapse of a CIA force in Libya, has ordered such bombing, opening a second phase of the present US debacle."   Inforwars.com

I have not seen any information that the CIA was supporting the rebels. I don't think Obama is that clever. That would be something Ronald Reagen would have done. This is a guy that promised us that he would not use American forces unless our vital interest were at stake. I did not know he would continue in following the Bush Doctrine.

Rose Ferlita Is a Conservative Republican..

Rose Felita is a conservative Republican, a fact not commonly known by many (Sue Carlton of the St. Pete Times knows this). Its not like Ferlita is trying to hide that knowledge. She puts it out publicly. The photo above is from her roadside billboard.  Her campaign is working and her support is widespread and cuts across many demographics. This seems to be because of a brilliant marketing campaign by her to appeal to many who are not aware of her status. 

What is odd is I have picked up many customers in my cab who are gay or liberal and support her because they think she supports these issues. One fare of mine, when informed, by me, that she was a Republican, wanted to go back to his house and remove the yard sign he had out front. How could people not know this? Its not like she was trying to hide this fact. 

Pam Iorio gave her support to Bob Buckhorn today because he is a Democrat. Rose does have the Tea Party behind her and seems to be at least 10 percentage points ahead of Buckhorn. Good. The voters have found their minds. Too bad many have not even looked at a roadside billboard.

United Cab Drivers Would Not Back Down During Strike

"We have yet to be heard. This dispatch system will change or we will revolt. When United Cab has not one dime in their safe in the morning, they will know what is up" - United Cab Driver on 12-16-10.

They comapnygave us a few days lease to make up for everything we lost during the first week of the new system.  They also gave us a commitment to fix the computer by bringing in IT personal from the corporate office. This is good. Progress has come out of this. 

All the drivers like driving for United Cab. We are now glad to move on and start making money. Season is coming up and the new computer dispatch should increase production by 30%. It is just to bad we had to make our point in this fashion. Little John and Bash have now quit over this matter. There are casualties in these things.

Rob Searcy Addresses The Striking United Cab Drivers

Rob Searcy is one tough customer. He is the nicest guy you would want to meet, but when it comes to business he is as tough as nails. He told the 'angry mob' that he would not deal with United Cab drivers as a group.  We are independent contractors and he would talk to us individually. He is flanked by Justin and Paul as he states his position to the the crowd in front on the News Channel 10 and 8 cameras.

Tim Fasano On Tampa ABC WTSP News

The United taxi drivers knew that I was good in front of cameras and wanted me to represent them to the various media that came to the taxi protest. I did my best. This was a serious matter about a real labor strike.  Rob Searcy (The new United Cab manager) said for everyone with an issue, to come in and see him in his office.  I did, and it was more than satisfactory. He gave me compensation and assurance.  Things were going to get much better, and the drivers are going to make more money.  Searcy solved my 'labor strike.'

 

My Letter To The St. Pete Times About The Taxi Commission

I am a fifteen year veteran United Cab driver from Tampa Florida who likes his job. What could be simpler, someone calls or hails a cab, they get in and you take them to their destination. The best part is you get paid for what is mostly a pleasant experience for the customer. However, this simplicity belies complications that lie beneath the surface. There are intense issues of competition, meter rates, flat rates, free taxis, permits, conditions of the cars themselves, the background of drivers, compensation using high tech, public safety, organization, and even the health and safety of the drivers.

All of these issues can be addressed and resolved with a strong central body known as the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. The groundswell to dismiss this entity would be a terrible mistake that would be detrimental to the community and visitors to Tampa, as well.

The HCPTC for years had set a limited number of permits for taxi operation. The limited number was sufficient to serve the public, and it allowed the drivers of United and Yellow to make a living, with some days off to be with their families. The major companies (United and Yellow) would shelf permits in the summer when it slowed down to meet the demand of the market.

Former commissioner, John Cox, expanded the baseline of permits, it had an undesirable affect of allowing small operators to begin who would eventually cut into the market and undermine the service the public was receiving. How? A company of only six cabs cannot serve the general public in a timely manner. Many customers found this out the hard way. They would then make other arrangements, and that would further erode the industry as a whole.

Meter rates are established by the HCPTC and all are inspected each year by the division of weights and measures out of Tallahassee. Regulating meter rates protects the public by not allowing flat rating which is always a ‘high ball’ and it rips off tourist. They only flat rate is to the airport and a map a is posted in every taxi showing the zone in influence. The HCPTC prints and post those maps which protect the public.

An unregulated free taxi service was recently started in Tampa which was mostly a glorified golf cart. It was unsafe, uninsurable, and a public safety hazard. The HCPTC did the right thing in shutting it down, and yellow put out a courtesy fleet of new cars with insurance and background qualified drivers.

To get a hack permit in Tampa, you must go through a background screening which includes mug shots, fingerprinting, and being run on the FBI computer. If the applicant has a warrant anywhere in the world it will show up. The public is protected because they are not being picked up by dangerous fugitives. The HCPTC is now regulating the use of credit card scan machines that would put us on a par with most major cities. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “they have them in New York.”

The commission also has requirements on the mechanical condition and cleanliness of taxis and requires that drivers dress appropriately. I am sure you would not want your wife being picked up my unshaven man in a tank top shirt and cut off jeans. The commission makes sure that does not happen by issuing fines for poor dress.

With the National Republican Convention coming to Tampa in 2012 we need order to ensure Tampa makes a good impression to the nation. Without a commission it would be wide open with all the quality drivers long gone because they could not make a living in this town.

They Still Blame This On George Bush

This image of a neon gas sign was taken the day the oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico was capped.  Then why has the price of gas gone up?  

I know, George Bush screwed everything up so bad not even a Harvard trained lawyer with a high IQ has a chance. I guess things are just a result of what Bush did, and nothing can be done. Someone needs to get this Bush guy back on the job since he is the one really in control..right?

I seems like a joke, right? Not really, I pick people up everyday in my cab who believe that Obama is powerless to do anything because of what Bush did.  I think the election a couple weeks ago shows how much that opinion is becoming a real minority. 

Cab drivers have to buy their own gas.  That comes right out of our pockets and nobody compensates us for us.  The non-tippers that clime in our cabs don't seem to care that we are going broke because of the price of gas. Wait until it gets over three bucks.  Get these bums out of there. 

I voted Today

I voted in the very important election today (Rick, Charlie and Mike).  I wanted my voice to matter.  Think about, if I am the only one that shows up....I decide it all!  Now that is a heady thought.  No chance of that happening.

The polls seemed to be very active throughout Tampa today.  it is raining (supposed to favor Republicans).  We will see around 7 tonight when the cable news networks make their first projections of the night based on exit poll results.  Dick Morris says the exit polls are very accurate.

The newscasters will give certain body language that will let you know what they know about the results.  Two years ago, it was all they could do to contain their glee that Obama was going to win.  Somehow tonight, I think they will curb their enthusiasm.  Block voting could hurt, however.

I don't see much of that.  The monolithic Black voting areas were empty today.  They don't seem to be to enthusiastic about the government being out of their lives and being left alone.

Rick Scott Is A Liar And A Criminal: He Should Be In Prison, Not The Governor Of Florida

Dick Morris says that Rick Scott should be in jail, not in the Florida Governors mansion.  Scott needs to leave the State of Florida or go to prison, I agree.  I can not logically see any option that puts him in the Governor mansion...A 8' by 12' cell would be more appropriate. 

 

Kathy Castor Needs To Go - She is Bad for Tampa

Kathy Castor is a committed socialist.  He mother is an 'aider and abettor of enemies to the United States.'  Their radical and unconscionable agenda is the wrong thing for Tampa, Florida and the Untied States. The last straw was the SCHIP that closed down the cigar industry in Tampa.

There is a clear choice in November - Mike Prendergast.  He is an American hero and a retired Army Colonial.  We need this guy.  Goodbye Castor.

On a personal note Kathy...how could you and your mother make a living out of condemning a system that has made your family rich?  If you had come up in my family, of hard work and NOBODY giving you a break, you would have a different understanding of life.  

We know this because you refuse to return opposition phone calls or debate any candidate.  You have a lack of personal courage Ms. Castor.  For that alone, you are unfit for office.

Go away Kathy Castor and get a real job.  Maybe you will learn something about life.  I don't think that will happen.  Your life of privelage keeps you going. 

Tampa needs someone who will represent them in Congress that will be focused on jobs and what is right for our area.  We do not need someone is simply trying to impress the President and score points with her party.  I wish that all Marco Rubio supporters will consider Mike Prendergast to replace Castor.  There is much at stake.  If we don't get rid of here now, she may be there for decades.  She caught a break when Jim Davis gave up the post to run for Governor.  Don't let a accident burden us for a generation.  Vote Mike Prendergast.

Who Is Barack Obama?

I POSTED THIS TWO YEARS BEFORE OBAMA WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN URBAN MYTH. HAS TIME CHANGED ANYTHING?

Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U.S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black Muslim from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white atheist from Wichita, Kansas.  Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii.  When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced.  His father returned to Kenya.

His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a radical Muslim From Indonesia.  When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia.  Obama attended a Muslim school in Jakarta.  He also spent two years in a Catholic School.  Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim.  He is quick to point out that "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic School."

Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best.  In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in Wahabi school in Jakarta.  Wahabism is the radical teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world.  Since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when seeking a major public office in the United States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background.

This information is found in a collection of emails that have been on the internet. THE URBEN MYTH IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN DEBUNKED! NOT TRUE. ASK HILLERY CLINTON.

Debbie Schelussel points out that : Barack Hussein Obama's alleged debunking of Islamic background raises even MORE questions. ****Looks like Hillary Clinton's camp agrees with me and has dug up more info that confirms my suspicions about Obama and his Muslim background, including his attendance at a Wahabbi (ie., extremist Sunni) Madrassa (Islamic religious academy). Hillary's camp says Obama is covering up his Muslim past. Why? ****

In his 2006 book, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE Obama elaborated on his early schooling by saying that he attend both Catholic and Muslim schools. Wait a minute. He admits that he went to Muslim schools.

During the five years that we would live with my Stepfather in Indonesia, I was sent first to a predominantly Catholic school, and then to a Muslim school.

He states that his mother was more concerned with him learning multiplication than the meaning of the MUEZZIN'S call to evening prayer. This is where he is banking on the naivety of liberals. THERE IS NO AMBIVALENCE ABOUND THE RELIGION OF PEACE. They have no tolerance for descent. Don't you get it folks. If you are  in their ilk, you must be like them. Have you ever seen the BORG!

And while Obama may not identify as a Muslim, that's not how the Arab and Muslim Streets see it. In Arab culture and under Islamic law, if your father is a Muslim, so are you. And once a Muslim, always a Muslim. You cannot go back. In Islamic eyes, Obama is certainly a Muslim. He may think he's a Christian, but they do not.

Then, there are the other items in his background. As best-selling author Scott Turow wrote in Salon, Obama went to a Muslim school for two years in Indonesia. His mother, Anna, married an Indonesian man (likely another Muslim, as Indonesia is Muslim-dominated and has the largest Islamic population in the world).

And Obama has a "born-again" affinity for the nation of his Muslim father, Kenya, and his Kenyan sister. (Although Kenya is largely Christian, it has a fast-growing Muslim population that has engaged in a good deal of religious violence and riots against Christians. And Kenyan courts will apply Sharia law, when the participants are Muslim.) Wrote Turow:

Obama's father died in a traffic accident in Nairobi in 1982, but while Obama was working in Chicago, he met his Kenyan sister, Auma, a linguist educated in Germany who was visiting the United States. When she returned to Kenya in 1986 to teach for a year at the University of Nairobi, Obama finally made the trip to his father's homeland he had long promised himself. There, he managed to fully embrace a heritage and a family he'd never fully known and come to terms with his father, whom he'd long regarded as an august foreign prince, but now realized was a human being burdened by his own illusions and vulnerabilities.

So, even if he identifies strongly as a Christian, and even if he despised the behavior of his father (as Obama said on Oprah); is a man who Muslims think is a Muslim, who feels some sort of psychological need to prove himself to his absent Muslim father, and who is now moving in the direction of his father's heritage, a man we want as President when we are fighting the war of our lives against Islam? Where will his loyalties be?

Is that even the man we'd want to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, if Hillary Clinton offers him the Vice Presidential candidacy on her ticket (which he certainly wouldn't turn down)?

NO WAY, JOSE . . . Or, is that, HUSSEIN?

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's presidential candicacy.

The Black Cat And Obamanomics

 I got a call to pick up a fare named’ Mark’ this morning, just before sunrise. Mark is one of those guys that you look forward to picking up; he is smart, witty, interesting and gay - literally. He lives on a street north of Tampa in an older neighborhood which ten years ago was pretty much urban scare tissue. Then, a phenomenon happened. Mark, and many like him, began to move into the area, and with their flare for decorating and remodeling, the area was soon being re-gentrified into a marvelous and quant place to live.

Mark has a cat (I love cats). It is solid black (reminds me of a cat I had long ago named Amos).  The cat is usually involved in some kind of antics when I show up. This morning, he was just sitting in the yard near the driveway looking at me as I pulled in. His pale blue eyes lit up like demon eyes as I entered the driveway, the one true pointer that I was indeed at the right place. For time immortal people have acquainted cats with strange bewitching abilities. I think it has more to do with their female characteristics. Face it; you have cat women, not cat man.

Cats don’t need you, they can do fine on their own, they feign attention when they want something, they treat you like a servant, they are aloof and always looking for the next bigger and better deal, they don’t respond to auditory commands, and seem to prefer that you are not around, but will give you just enough love to keep you wanting more. I find all of these qualities to be female in origin. Again, I love cats. 

Mark hops in and tells me where he is going. He works at the hospital now, and no longer cuts hair. As he puts it, even the recession has taken its toll on hair cuts. He needed a steady gig and had some nursing experience. The steady pay check is important to him right now. Times were much better three years ago, and I remember him back then. 

Mark had taken advantage of the easy financing that was available a few years ago.  He, at one point, had over five houses that he had mortgages on, and was fixing them up and flipping them. His plan worked for some time and he made a profit on every house he sold. I should have bought one of them. I walked into a mortgage company office back then to pick up a fare (I had five bucks in my pocket) and they wanted to give me an ARM. How cool is that? 

“Sorry,” I said. 

“I don’t like packing my stuff up and moving six months later“. 

Perhaps I could have found a way to hold onto the property. Who knows?

Anyway, Mark got caught short - way short. He was holding the bag (many bags) when the economy fell apart like a two dollar watch and his life went down the drain like liquid Plummer. He says he is alright about this, and he knows who to blame. There is a villain and this man did him in like a back ally mugger…George Bush.  

Mark is convinced that “W” ruined his life. Like many fares I pick up, who are embroiled in domestic issues, the blaming is immense. Humans simply wont live what Socrates called “the examined life,” Instead, opting for “a life of quite desperation” seems more functional…some more quite, some more functional than others. 

The fact that he was done in by his own poor decisions is a concept that is anathema to this man. Was it Bush that forced him to take out those mortgages? I don’t think so. I think many people did enough to do themselves in. Mark also holds onto the mantra I hear often…”It took eight years to mess things up; it will take another eight to un-mess them.”  Really?  Is that right?

We were told the current occupant of the White House is a genius. Keith Olberman claims Obama has the highest IQ ever recorded (next to his, I imagine). My question to all my fares that hold onto this concept is this:

What can a moron do in eight years that a genius can’t undo in five minutes?  I am just trying to follow your logic. Because now I am hearing from the “unexhausted” Obama supporters that it is going to take time for the economy to get better with natural market forces needed to play out. Hummmmmmm.

Was that not the Republican plan all along?  Seems the horse is being changed in midstream. 

To be fair Obama has done this:

1) Bailed out the Banks (he did not have too because only the account holders money is insured)

2) Bailed out Wall Street (he did not have too…what was it Marcus Aurelius said that if Gordon Gekko has what you want, you do business with him). Politics is indeed a practical profession.

3) Bailed out GM.  They are now making a profit and millions of jobs were saved. How cool is that?

I am not sure John McCain would have done any of this stuff.

A floor was put under the economy and total collapse was avoided. However, none of this was George Bush holding a gun to your head so YOU would perform irrationally. 

Notice how cats will never blame anyone for anything. They just go with the flow, adapt, hunt and move on. That is what I, you, and America need to do. It’s time to turn the page and right our own destiny without ever mentioning George Bush again. 

This Is My New Reality...Join The Club

This lady, who is a CFO for a Veterans group and is middle class, is over Obama. The question she ask Obama is what many of us wish we had the opportunity too "Is this my new reality."  She was referring to eating hot dogs and beans for dinner, and she believed her and her husband were beyond that stage in her life. Sadly, it is now becoming part of many peoples lives. Taxi cab drivers have been eating Winnie's and beans, potato's, pasta, rice, macaroni and chesse for a long time. In short, we have bean' over Obama for a long time. The economy is not working and we are living in grinding poverty. The only good thing about all of this is perhaps the American people will not be so gullible in the future. Perhaps, they will demand that the next President have some experience at something.

Kendrick Meek And That Tampa Taxi Shots Guy

 The Kendrick Meek tour bus was rolling into West Tampa the other day and I was right behind it in my taxi. He was in town for a campaign stop. Unlike his opponent, Meek has no money and is relying on a grass roots tactic. I think he could see me from the bus, and when he got off of it he said he was watching. He greeted me like I was his long lost friend. What charisma. 

The press was there and they must have thoguht it was a planed meeting. The crowd formed a circle and strobe lights and cameras were going off. While this photo was taken I asked him how the polls looked. He said "were' up 4." Both of us holding our smiles while we talked and the cameras went off. A guy could get used to this political stuff. 

Kendrick Meek has it all. He is young, smart, a Floridian (unlike his opponent Greene who has lived in Florida less then two years), and driven to whats right for poor people (me). 

Two reasons to vote for U.S. Congressman Meek. 1) Greene is dirty. He made ZIllions when the housing market collapsed, profiting from peoples pain. 2) Meek is the only one that can beat the tea bagger Marco Rubio. If you are a Democrat and Green wins the nomination, consider voting for Charlie Crist(I) in the general election in November. He is surly not a tea party member, and when you consider how he and Sen. Mike Fasano were both basically thrown out of the Republican party because they will not go along with the tea baggers, that is another reason not to vote Republican. 

The Tuesday primary will be crucial to the future of Florida considering the times we live in. We need a good turn out to keep the corruption out of office.

LandWarNet Is In Tampa

There is a massive Army trade show in Tampa this week called LandWarNet, and it is having a huge economic impact for the area. These are the kinds of events that will really put a few bucks in your pocket. This type of event has not been seen in Tampa in at least three years. I hope it is indicative of the recession coming to an end. knock on wood.

The military and defense contractors are at the Tampa Convention Center showing all their new high-tech gadgets to the brass, so they can use our ingenuity to kill the enemy before they kill us. A lot of computer guys, and hardware guys and everything electronic and james Bondish is for sell this week. The bad guys don't have a chance. It makes sense to have this in Tampa because the United States Central Command is located here at MacDill Airforce Base.

These people are also partying like animals at night, so we are busy round the clock. Talk about a stimulus plan.

...photo courtesy of US Army

Is Dontae Rashawn Morris A Runaway Slave?

The Florida Sentinel Bulletin thinks so. The Tampa black newspaper the Florida Sentinel Bulletin had an editorial today that hinted that Dontae Rashawn Morris may be a runaway slave. The article was by "The Sole-Man Speaks" and his logic was that every city in the south, including Tampa, has an area of town that most white folks never go into. In Florida it is called the Black Bottom. The best of the best, and the worst of the worst will risefrom these blighted neighborhoods. Unfortunately, it is usually the worst.

Dontae Rashawn Morris was raised in Jacksonville Florida in the worst black bottom there is. He is now suspected of killing two Tampa police officers. The Sentinel cited the incident in Polk County a few years ago when a black man killed a white police officer, and when he was arrested he was shot 68 times by the cops to the point that his body was not recognizable as a human being. That was wrong, but I think it had more to do with the rage of the police and the actions of the suspect himself. Somehow he was innocent in the Sentinels mind.

They say that black fathers are cautioning their sons not to be out at night because they may be killed by the Tampa Police. Fist of all, 70% of all black boys do not have fathers active in their lives, and the police are only looking for Dontae Rashawn Morris. Are you people still slaves? Is that what you really want to be? The last I checked the President of the Untied States and the Attorney General were black. They seem to be doing fine living in this racist country. Are we still living in "Mississippi Burning?"

The Sentinel writes:

"...Dontae Morris is Black. The officers he reputedly shot are white. Not that it matters, but somewhere down the craggy, putrid road of American History, it matters, dearly"

The only thing putrid is Mr. Morris. Clean up your own acts before you start blaming this on the Tampa Police you bastards.

"Our condolences go out to the slain officers' families. Our sadness embraces the accused assailants's mother and father. Our heart breaks to consider that we HAVE STILL NOT OVERCOME."

What they mean is that they have not overcome the white man. I hope it is a black police officer that greases this piece of human shit.

Watch Your Speed On Sundays

Check This OUT!

The Tampa police know that the only day of the week that you can speed on Dale Mabry is on Sunday. That is why they set up a speed trap north of Mlk Just south of Hillsborough. Now this poor guy just because he was up early Sunday will now have to hire Ty Trayner or pay the fine or go to school. In short, his life is inconvenienced because of the Tampa Police Department being involved in revenue generation for the city of Tampa


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OIL On Florida Beaches - Come Down And Enjoy

Oil is now destroying the coastline of Florida on Pensacola Beach. I am really glad that we have people in charge that can take care of this. Maybe they can rescue the dead sea turtle that you can see in this video. The oil is still spewing out of the hole on the Gulf Of Mexico Sea Floor with no end in sight. We are screwed. Hope and Change baby.

St Pete Pandhandlers Flood Into Tampa - Are They Begging, Or 'Flying A Sign?'

 St. Petersburg, in my opinion, has illegally outlawed free speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, in short, civil liberties by banning guys from standing on street corners 'flying a sign.' This is a great country we live in.  At least it used to be. St. Pete does not think so. There is, however, a real danger to doing this.  Let me explain.

In this great country a person with ambition and skill can rise as far as his dreams will take him. But what if his dreams are not to be an astronaut or a CEO or a doctor, or whatever people think you should be. Hell, what if he wants to be A TAXI DRIVER. What if he just wants to 'hang out' and drink beer with his buddies and go no further than that.  In this country that should be his God given right. Sadly, people don't think so. 

The problem with banning anything is that you move just a little closer to the banning of political expressing, and that is where the danger lies. That is why we uphold the rights of Larry Flint and Joe Redner.  That's right - porn is free expression.  If you ban it someone will come along and say they find a cable channel or a political party to be objectionable. Do we ban this stuff as well? 

Hell, we live in a country now where you can't even go into a bar and light up a smoke....WTF?

So when you see the guy on the side of the road and you give him a couple of bucks, you better believe it will go to fast food, a cheap motel, a quart bottle of beer (several) and a pack of cigs. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Obama Is Getting Worked By Tony Hayward 'Ja Blow Me Of BP

 "The Ocean is just a barrier to getting the oil we need. Kill the oceans. Get the oil" - Tony Hayward - CEO of British Petroleum

Everyone that lives on the Gulf Coast of the United States will have their lives changed in ways that we can only imagine now.  I live on the west coat of Florida and work in the tourist industry - I drive a taxi cab. Tourism is very important to me. People come down for our beaches, golf courses, and great defense (Bucs).  If the white sugar sand of the gulf becomes black sludge, kiss it goodbye. What is sad is that this could of been over by now if we had a President that had actually had a job before he took the highest office in the land. Did you hear him last night?  This guy can hardly speak without a teleprompter in front of him. REALITY IS WHAT YOU WILL SEE BELOW.

This is the Deep-water Horizon explosion.  This should have gotten somebodies attention. 

Within days giant sea turtles were washing ashore dead. Very sad.

Shrimp boat were out in the Gulf Of Mexico trying to bring in a catch.  They had no choice. This is shrimp season and their families are depending on them.

These dolphin are trying to find flipper and wondering why their home is now full of oil

The Gulf is on fire.  You would think that it would have got the attention of the President while he was in San Francisco at a fund raiser for Barbara Boxer. 

Former Obama voters and supporters are directing their rage at Tony Haward of BP.  It won't be long before their boy starts to get the blame. 

If this don't make you sad, what would?

This looks like something out of the ANDROMEDA STRAIN with these guys in hazardous material suits running up to the beach while Nero played his fiddle.

There are NO WORDS for this photo

More Andromeda Strain Guys along the Gulf beaches

On day 10 Obama met with "God" himself Bono of U2 in the White House. I guess this man has all the answers.  I would have been meeting with engineers and scientist...but what do I know?  I am just a taxi cab driver.            

Many ships are now dumping at sea to save cost.  I was out at one of our local beaches Sunday and the stink was beyond belief.  They say there is no oil here, but where did this shit come from?  What is happening to our world right under our eyes?  See this video I put on YouTube.

Charlie Crist Is Not Gay And Could Be The Right Man For The Job

 Florida Governor Charlie Crist seems to like women...at least their rear ends.  This photo was taken yesterday as Crist was in Miami checking out the oil spill from the Atlantic side.  Charlie, the oil is in the Gulf.  Anyway, this was a good photo opportunity for the Governor to show that he likes girls.  

If you are not from Florida, there have been rumors floating around for decades about the sexual orientation of Charlie Crist. There was even this photo that surfaced a few years ago that shows Charlie when he was a younger man at a gay party (he is the one in the sailor hat looking so Village People). 

I don't care.  Crist is the only politician that I have ever donated money to, and I would do it again.  This guy really knows how the game is played, and he is good for Florida. 

We have a real problem down in Florida and that is the BP oil spill that just keeps leaking tons of oil out of the bottom of the Gulf with no end in sight (not the end Gov Crist is looking at). The potential is that we will lose our way of life from something that could have been stopped early on in this disaster.  

It is to bad we have an amateur as President who has no clue about crisis management. Have Obama drive a cab for a week, and try to pay lease, and balance time with sleep, and try to make a little money for himself.  I don't think this guy has ever come close to doing anything like that. 

I just hope the new President in 2013 can get us out of this jam.  Hay, it just might be Charlie - the guy in the sailor hat!

 

 

Rob Green Does Not Suck...Sort Of

"...If Britain should survive for another thousand years...this will NOT be known as her finest hour"  "Never have so many Americans owed their World Cup life to so few (one!) - Churchill rolling over in his grave.

I only know American sports. And in our culture shit happens. You have 'go to' guys that you depend on. If they don't perform on any given night, so be it. When you are the manager of a football team and days before a World Cup match you don't know who your starting goalie will be, then there must be flaws in all your goalies.  The fact is that Rob Green was one of the best out of the Premiere league. So why the hesitation by the manager?  Green must be VERY good or he would not have been in the line up. I would not expect another incident. 

American football or soccer has come a long way. Way to go guys. Mr. Green - that was just the breaks of that game. Sorry, but we will take it. 

In our sports we have batters that strike out...kickers that miss easy goals...quarterbacks that miss wide open receivers...basketball players that miss easy shots...things happen. England may still win this tournament, but the world is on notice that the USA can dominate anything we want to. Sorry if that bothers you.