The Oracle Speaks?

At 2:50 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones industrials were down 318 points, or 4.1%, to 7,458. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was off 34 points, or 4.2%, to 782, and the Nasdaq Composite Index had slumped 55 points, or 3.6%, to 1,490. Remind us again, o wise one, how no matter what happens to the rest of the world, we here in Miami Springs will be immune to those problems and they will have NO effect on us! Explain to us how we can overpay and disappear hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on each and every construction project we undertake by paying TRIPLE the costs, and more, and it will have NO EFFECT... on the Mayor, Council or City officials! The residents, yes those residents actually pay the City's bills, will be unhappy with the increases in taxes and fees, that is true, but that is so negative! Lets focus on the HAPPY contractors who will make a LOT of money from all the change orders and cost overruns! Those who write open letters to the public in the Gazette or cheelead a new gym project without telling us they stand to make a LOT of money from the project, are masters at positive thinking. They are POSITIVE they will make a LOT of money from these projects, and they really dont care that it is an abuse the public trust. Dr. Mel P. Johnson

immunity granted

*Ann Taylor* closing 117 stores nationwide A company spokeswoman said the company hasn't revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next month *Eddie Bauer to close more stores*Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.*Cache closing stores* Women's retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.*Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines* closing 150 stores nationwide The owner of retailers Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines Plus Sizes will close about 150 nderperforming stores this year. The company hasn't provided a list of specific store closures and can't say when it will offer that info, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said today.*Gap Inc. closing 85 stores*In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic. The company said the closures - all planned for fiscal 2008 - will be weighted toward the Gap brand.*Foot Locker *to close 140 stores. In the company press release and during its conference call with analysts today, it did not specify where the future store closures - all
planned in fiscal 2008 - will be. The company could not be immediately reached for comment
*Wickes* is going out of business.Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores. Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month. *Goodbye Levitz / BOMBAY - closed already* The furniture retailer, which is going out of business. Levitz first announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s, the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the furniture industry. The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown of Bombay. *Zales, Piercing Pagoda closing stores* Alright you naysayers, with all your Unhappy Talk, see what you have caused? I am Happy to report that the City of Miami Springs has done NO belt tightening, cut NO jobs or budget,yet raised all their fees and taxes significantly to pay for all the new debt, and has actually tried to add a couple of extra employees during this "correction". Just because everyone else on the planet is laying off, closing stores,and tightening their belts doesnt mean we have to follow their lead! We are immune! See what Happy Talk will do for you? I feel better already.