Daily News Columnists

Looking at the faces of two young men who were among the purveyors of death at Mumbai, India’s Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, Chhattrapati Shivaji Terminus station and Leopold’s restaurant makes Westerners recoil, and not just in horror. We also question how anyone could be so insensitive to the value of human life. Full story »

OK Jeff, you asked for it. Editorial Page Editor Jeff Lytle has invited comments regarding the Naples Daily News letters to the editor feature. So now that we’ve heard your suggestions to us, here are mine to you, the prospective letter writer. Full story »

Over the next few weeks, lawmakers may be making some very difficult financial decisions as they come to grips with Florida’s budget black hole. While leaders said last month the state could hold out until lawmakers return, a dreary budget estimate has prompted some to reconsider whether the state can pay its bills without coming back to tap reserves and cut spending. Full story »

There is an old Russian fable, with different versions in other countries, about two poor peasants, Ivan and Boris. The only difference between them was that Boris had a goat and Ivan didn’t. One day, Ivan came upon a strange-looking lamp and, when he rubbed it, a genie appeared. She told Ivan that she could grant him just one wish, but it could be anything in the world. Full story »

Q. What is the change in the state law that requires each owner to have insurance on our property? Full story »

If you are interested in how journalism is changing, what the future holds for newspapers and what it all might mean to the First Amendment and our democracy, then mark Dec. 8 on your calendar. Full story »

So there you have it. The results of our readers’ survey seeking out opinions on the way we present opinions is highly opinionated.
That ought to tell us that our readers care passionately not only about the national and local political landscape; they care passionately about having the opportunity to express how and what they think, and they look to our letters columns and pages as daily town-hall meetings.
Editing all of that is both a responsibility and a privilege. The trick is knowing when to keep hands on or off. Full story »

I have a number of friends who don’t believe that global warming is real. They suspect it’s all a plot by Third World collectivist nations to cripple our economy. Global warming has lots of doubters. For example, in a commencement address a couple of years ago, the late author Michael Crichton remarked that if weather forecasts can’t be depended on for accurate predictions a few days ahead, why should we take seriously alarms about a global warming that won’t fully manifest itself until decades or even centuries from now? Full story »

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City Manager Steve Thompson shares updates in Marco government including changes in city budget processes, changes in the government TV channel, promotion of a city employee and ongoing updates on city projects. Full story »

Apologize and do it now, Barack Obama, John McCain and all you members of Congress who ranted about Big Oil’s price-gouging and the way futures-market speculators were abusing the wallets of consumers at the gas pump. Those prices have come down to the lowest level in almost four years, something like $2 a gallon on the average, and you know why — slackening demand caused chiefly by a worldwide economic downturn. Full story »

Don Farmer's column for Friday, Nov. 28, 2009 Full story »

As was reported in the Naples Daily News, on Nov. 14 a small plane crashed into the woods. It had taken off from the runway in the Wing South Airpark, a private airpark on Skyway Drive, off of Rattlesnake Hammock Road. According to the article, this is the third small airplane crash in Collier County this year. My questions are: Who owns and operates this airpark? Full story »

Today we are piecing together two seemingly unrelated news stories that ran on successive days — because they will lead us to a solution for finally getting to the bottom of the financial crisis that has crippled our nation and the world. The first story appeared on Nov, 11. Just one day after the federal government announced its restructuring of the bailout of insurance carrier AIG (American International Group Inc.), bringing our total rescue effort of the insurance and financial services giant to $150 billion, ABC News’ crack investigative correspondent Brian Ross reported that executives of AIG held yet another executive retreat at yet another luxury resort. Full story »

Get ready to pay a little more for some things and expect a little less from others. That could be the catch phrase for the state Capitol last week as two new lawmakers were sworn in to new jobs. Full story »