It's a sad day in my neighborhood. After a lengthy undercover operation, several government officials were arrested and charged with corruption. These officials include a former city commissioner, and the SITTING county school board member, in whose area I reside.

This is the one that shocks me the most. While I've never been particularly fond of her, I have worked with her since I've come to Florida. Last year, another dear friend ran against her and, though I campaigned vigorously for him, he lost. She's been our school board member since 2000 and had much more support and money.

Her house of cards started to unravel last month, when she failed to submit a required financial disclosure statement with the Florida Commision on Ethics Last week, she announced that she was taking a medical leave, but whispers of a pending federal indictment swirled. Then, this morning, she was arrested at her home. She's been charged with bribery, extortion, and wire fraud.

How can we expect of our youth, what we don't expect of ourselves? I'm speechless at this...

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I don't watch award shows. But I have heard all about the one that aired last night. I wasn't surprised at the behavior that others found so appalling. This isn't the first time that the offender has acted in such a way.

Wasn't he the same guy that got hijacked a telethon to say that "George Bush didn't care about Black people?" And speaking of that incident--why was it okay for him to disrespect a sitting POTUS, but not okay for Joe Wilson? Why weren't folks up in arms about that? It's not always about the message, but sometimes more about how the message is presented...

We really need to demand respect for ALL people. We really need to be careful who we idolize. We really need to require more of celebrities. They are out of control.

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So, we've bailed out the banking industry, we've invested millions into the auto industry--including cash for clunkers, we're helping homeowners. But why is it that in the world's most powerful country, our education system is far inferior to our European and Asian counterparts?

When are we going to dump some cash into educating our youth? Why can't our kids compete in the areas of math and science? Why are public school budgets being slashed to bare bones all across the country? Why aren't we holding our elected officials accountable for these decisions?

What message does it send to the students--are cars and banks more important than them? Are they truly our most precious resource? Do we have "jacked up" priorities?

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Two recent stories in the news have disturbed me greatly. The first was an ABC News Report about the shoddy luggage practices of Continental Airlines. It seems that all the safeguards that were put into play at airports give travelers a false sense of security. While we jump through all the hoops before we check our luggage, the real threats are once the bags are in the custody of the airline. It's there that dishonest employees are rifling through passenger belongings and pilfering valuables. The other story was splashed across the front page of yesterday's Washington Post. It exposed the disgusting way that the remains of deceased persons, including decorated veterans, are stored while waiting for burial.

These breaches go beyond bad customer service--I believe that they are criminal. In both cases, John Q Public does exactly what he's supposed to--like using TSA travel locks or arranging for a dignified burial of a loved one through a reputable funeral home--and, through no fault of his own, the whole thing disintegrates.

What do we do when companies fail us? How do we fight back? And most importantly, when these stories are finally brought to light, why do our public officials and regulatory agencies back away from them? What is this about?

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