IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT

I see it coming! they are going to “fix” South Roosevelt Boulevard. A fixing not required.

South Roosevelt Boulevard works well. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! the recommended move from 4 lanes to 2 is not needed. The wide sidewalk running along the beach is more than sufficient for walkers, bikers, etc.

I walked the walk for years. almost every day. different hours. Never had a problem regarding too many people.

What is involved here is change for the sake of change. The lets do something mentality where nothing need be done.

I fear the decision has already been made. I am aware there are public hearings ahead, etc. the players at the Florida Department of Transportation want it. Certain City officials want it.

The terms being bandied around sound of something new and magnanimous. Like corridor study, repurposing, optimal configuration, and future reconstruction.

It has been reported that South Roosevelt being redone is the final improvement recommended by the Project Development and Environmental Study.

I did not even know a change was contemplated till a couple of months ago. This Project development thing makes me suspect it has been out there for years.

It is time for the City Commission to stand up and do the right thing. Instead of succumbing. Commissioner Kaufman has already indicated the reconstruction sounds good. Time for him to move over on the side of the people. Most of decisions thus far not the best.

My first stop last night was Office Max. I need earphones for the computer. Many earphones. Blew my mind. Too complicated. the sales person was no help. she knew less than me.

I bought nothing. called Sloan and told her to buy the right one.

Why the earphones?

I soon will be doing another show. Yes, one on top of what I do already.

It will be a streaming in effect on You Tube. Several times a day. Roughly 30-60 seconds. One topic/issue. As the day progresses and I see something worth mentioning, I will sit down and get it out. Easy. No big deal.

I will be doing the show from my desk in my bedroom. You will be able to see and hear me. The shows will be archived so you can go on at any time and catch up.

Once set up, you will be able to find me by Louis Petrone. Key West Lou did not work because I am already archiving my tuesday night podcast show on You Tube under the Key West Lou designation.

The show’s actual title is Louis Petrone Says…..

I will let you know soon the actual date the show will commence.

I may even wear a baseball cap on occasion.

Stopped at Duval Square to view Larry Blackburn’s photo exhibit. Spectacular!

Larry also has a hat and Ecuadorian store at 510 Fleming. Interesting items available.

Finally, Berlin’s. Dinner at the bar. No Bria. She was in a wedding. The food continues to be great. I enjoyed lobster and mushroom risotto.

A group came in. Ordered drinks. One of the men asked for…..Diet. The bartender looked at him. The patron responded to the blank look…..This is how I work out. Diet! Meaning diet soda, of course.

Great diet!

Christmas Parade tonight. The best! I will watch at Don’s Place and at the County Office Building. First with friends and then to join the grandkids.

Syracuse/North Florida at 4 today. No comment, other than I suspect Syracuse will win. Not sure these days.

Enjoy your day!

 

NO BLOG TALK RADIO SHOW LAST NIGHT

Occasionally, the best laid plans of mice and men go astray.

It did for me last night.

Tuesday night is my blog talk radio show. Final preparation and fine tuning in the afternoon.

Nine came and I could not connect with Blog Talk Radio. Something wrong at their end. Frustrating.

Material put together for the show cannot necessarily be used next week. Generally stale.

I wish to briefly share two items from the show with you this morning. They were topics #s 1 and 2.

The first had to do with airport screening. Those wonderful people who prod us, check our bags, etc. at security in airports can make some extra money. The Drug Enforcement Agency pays a finder’s fee/commission to them if they discover large sums of money carried by a traveler.

An incentive for abuse here.

This is not TSA performing security duties. It is fishing on behalf of another federal agency. Not what TSA was established for.

The Inspector General of the Justice Department recently issued a report critical of the activity. What will come of it, I do not know.

Every nation seems to owe China money. The United States, $1.7 trillion.

Ecuador owed China $7 billion. China said pay up. Ecuador said we do not have it. China said ok, then give us 3 million acres of the Amazon Rainforest. An even swap. Why? The rainforest has a huge untapped oil reserve.

Assume China calls in the U.S. debt. We could not come up with $1.7 trillion. Would China take the Grand Canyon? The Empire State Building? Even better, all of Manhattan?

I had a 5 o’clock meeting yesterday downtown. Not the time to travel. The return trip to Key Haven horrendous.

Traffic backed up from Grinnell for the Palm St. bridge and the Boulevard. I went over White hoping to have an easier time on Truman. Traffic backed up to the Truman/White intersection.

Too many cars. Too many people.

The powers to be created the situation. Let them now come up with a cure. I doubt they can. Somebody must in the next few years.

Larry Smith is doing it again!

The Larry Smith Quartet will perform sunday night at 8 at The Studios of Key West. A major performance!

A jam session consisting of Larry’s original compositions.

Appearing also will be Dan Brubeck. Dan is the son of Key West icon Dave Brubeck. Dan is an accomplished musician in his own right. His drumming talent recognized world wide.

An event! Don’t miss it!

Enjoy your day!

MS13

I wish to return briefly to the Milan train attack of 48 hours ago. The one where the conductor almost had his arm totally severed with a machete. Police reports yesterday suggested the people involved were from Central America. Did not make sense to me. I thought it was connected to Italy’s immigrant problem

It has been established not to be immigrant caused. The two assailants were from Central America. One from Ecuador and the other San Salvador. Both 20 years old.

They are part of a gang. An international gang known as MS13. Short for Mara Salvatrucka. A transnational gang.

MS13 got its start in the l980s in Central America. Immigrated to other parts of the world, including the U.S. Originally in Los Angeles. Today other parts of the U.S. Places like Washington. DC, Fairfax and Prince George Counties, Maryland, Long Island, Boston, Houston and Charlotte.

It is estimated MS13’s numbers are 8,000-10,000 in the U.S. Thirty thousand to 50,000 world wide.

The group is described as merciless. They distinguish themselves with violence, revenge and cruel retribution. Their cause is partially financed by child prostitution. They have a prostitution ring composed of runaway young girls. They search them out for the purpose.

MS13 sounds like a small time ISIS. Equally violent. The distinction between the two is that MS13 has not grown as swiftly as ISIS. MS13 is not connected to ISIS nor was it to Al-Qaeda.

I make mention of MS13 because I had never heard of it till yesterday. Even though it has been a problem in several parts of the U.S. over the years. I doubt many of you have heard of MS13. Why have we not? Is it another example of the media being selective in not sharing MS13 activity with us?

I wrote by day yesterday. Last night, I stopped at the Galleon’s Sunset
Tiki Bar for a drink. Tourists galore. Then to Pepe’s bar for dinner. I like Pepe’s. I especially like Pepe’s food. Good healthy stick to your bones food.

Big party tonight! In the hundreds. The bocce league’s party. All 56 teams attending. Always a good time. The party is at the new Waterfront Restaurant. The building where the Waterfront Market was located for years. This will be my first time there. I am anxious to see the layout and taste the food.

I woke with a bang this morning! The kind from the sky. With it came a bolt of lightning. Lit up my bedroom. Announced a rainy day ahead.

I was so engrossed with my writing yesterday that I forgot my noon manicure appointment with Tammy. Rescheduled for today at noon.

Enjoy your day!.

PORTUGAL THE BLUEPRINT

Many in the United States have become giddy with the success being achieved in the legalization of marijuana. They should not be. The United States is not a leader in bringing good judgment to the subject.

 

The United States is light years behind when it comes to a better handling of the drug situation. Unquestionably, one of crisis…

 

Realization has hit home that marijuana use in the United States has not been eliminated by the harsh penalties and jail sentences of the past 40 years. There had to be a better way. Legalization.

 

One of the benefits would be less incarceration. Meaning fewer jailed for pot use. Resulting in less enforcement and jail personnel required. A big time dollar savings. Keep in mind it costs $85 thousand a year to maintain one person in prison.

 

Why is the United States behind? We are still in the throes of legalizing/decriminalizing marijuana use. The far right, conservatives and many religious groups are opposed. They view decriminalization as doing the Devil’s work.

 

A nation has succeeded by legalizing all drug use. The program an outstanding success. Other countries are considering doing the same based on that country’s success.

 

The nation is Portugal.

 

Portugal decided its war on drugs was a failure. Drug use was in a crisis mode. Hard punitive punishment was not working.

 

Portugal legalized drug use in 2001. All drugs. Including heroin and cocaine. Passed a law to the effect. Dropped drug use from a crime with the possibility of prison. Made drug use an administrative matter, if the amount possessed was less than a 10 day supply.

 

Treatment was provided. Incarceration not. Drug control moved from the Justice Department to the Ministry of Health.

 

It is now fourteen years later. Portugal’s program a success. Drug use has not been eliminated. However, it is controlled. Benefits have been realized.

 

Initially, drug use increased. Then gradually declined. Drug use among adults (16-64) is dramatically down. Continued drug use by adults is also down. Forty five percent to 28 percent.

 

Drug induced deaths have decreased dramatically. Seventy eight percent to 18 percent. The HIV infection rate has dropped significantly. From 42 percent to 4 percent. Teenage drug use is down.

 

The decrease in imprisonments dropped beyond initial thought. Jails are closing because drug crime no longer exists. Imagine, not enough crime breakers to fill the jails!

 

One negative occurrence. The number of people receiving addiction treatment has increased. The cost negligible when compared to the cost of jailing those people, however.

 

Portugal’s approach was considered unusual. Portugal realized from the beginning that total eradication was impossible. The thought was to control drug use.

 

Portugal has become the blueprint for other nations.

 

Ecuador is seriously interested. In Ecuador’s new Constitution of 2008, it was specifically stated that drug consumption was not a crime.

 

Recently, a bill was introduced in its legislative body to supplement  and give effect to the Constitution’s language. The bill would view drug consumption as a health concern and not a crime. It is anticipated the bill will become law this year without any problem.

 

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa and the United States government are not the best of friends. Ecuador at one point gave WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asylum. Regarding the drug problem, President Correa booted the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration out of Ecuador.

 

Ireland is next in line. It is giving serious consideration to following Portugal’s path. So too, Great Britain.

 

Portugal, Ecuador, Ireland and Great Britain have seen the light. Prison for drug involvement has proven absurd. It has not and does not work. I read somewhere recently that if the United States’ war on drugs were a business, it would have been out of business long ago. Businesses do not survive without success..

 

The United States should start taking a hard look at Portugal’s success. Decriminalizing marijuana is a step too little. Of the multitude of Republicans seeking the Presidential nomination, I doubt any would support such an approach. Except perhaps Rand Paul.

 

The religious right, conservative America, the Council of Catholic Bishops, Fox, etc., would rally against all out decriminalization of drug use.

 

It never ceases to amaze me. The United States at one time was in the forefront for change. Good change. Not change merely for the sake of change.

 

Today’s politics prevent the United States from being such a leader. The United States has not lead in a long time. I fear it will be an even longer time before we are in a world wide leadership position.