It doesn't take a rocket scientist or an economist to figure out that our hubris filled president is going to ask for billions more in spending tonight. You'd think by now he'd of figured out that we can't spend ourselves into job creation any more than we can spend ourselves out of a recession! There's no doubt in my mind that he's come up with another rob Peter to pay Paul scenario that will be less of a job creator than the near trillion dollar stimulus plan that was hobbled together a few months after he took office.
It's not complicated Mr. President. We are in a worldwide economic recession like we've never seen in history. Your liberal ideology and labor union loving mindset will not create jobs. Your massive slashing of the defense budget will not create jobs. The American Jobs Act you are going to share with us tonight will in no way pull this economy back from the brink. A jobs bill that calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending, no matter how you slice it up, will not right our fettered path. Desperate times call for bold, decisive, confidence building measures. This is a concept you are most certainly not familiar with Mr. Obama, but you should surround yourself with those who are.
Tonight, you should offer to all but eliminate cumbersome payroll taxes over the next 12 to 24 months. You should put a freeze on capital gains taxes over the next two years. You should encourage confidence in business owners of all sizes by instituting a moratorium on the time frame companies are allowed to write off capital expenditures, decreasing this from many years to a few years. Furthermore you should lower the corporate tax rate to at least 20% and immediately initiate a bridge building effort to bring America's greatest companies corporate headquarters back home. We should be ashamed that many of them would rather be based out of a p.o. box in Ireland rather than America due to our overly excessive corporate tax rate. You must move to do away with job crushing regulations, many of which you initiated, that are stymying business growth to the brink of disaster. Last but not least Mr. President, you should also announce an across the board spending freeze for the next 36 to 48 months that applies to the federal government. It won't balance the budget, but it's a start. Every quarter we should re-evaluate these initiatives and make adjustment where needed.
Albert Einstein defined insanity by doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Again, I submit to you that we cannot spend our way into job creation any more than we can spend our way out of the dire economic straights we're in. We must, you must put special interest groups aside. You can in no way in good consciousness continue for example, to put the interests of labor unions above the greater good of We the People of the United States of America. These types of favoritism and cronyism must stop. We do not have the luxury, you do not have the luxury of continuing to play the blame game. We are all on the same boat, many of us hurting, starving for change and real, genuine leadership. Maybe, just maybe you haver it within you to bring us back from the brink. My heart tells me that you will go down by far, as the worst president in history. As I've said many times, you are without question the biggest marketing fraud perpetrated on the American people in Presidential campaign history. I doubt very seriously I will hearing any rhetoric from you tonight that changes my mind.
Good luck tonight Mr. President. Your gonna need it!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
AT&T, T-Mobile Merger BAD for Consumers
The proposed AT&T, T-Mobile merger simply put, is bad for consumers.
My first initial thoughts about AT&T acquiring T-Mobile brings back vivid monopoly memories of the 1980's. Before deregulation, for many of us AT&T (formerly Southwestern Bell) was the only residential phone service game in town. If your mind ever erred with regard to that fact, their arrogant and many times rude customer service representatives would be more than happy to remind you.
At the end of last year we were once again seeing a less friendly, less customer oriented AT&T. Not only have they dropped in recent customer surveys, but we've seen glimpses of them becoming more controlling in regards to how they deal with customers. For example, AT&T was one of the first wireless providers to decide to do away with unlimited data plans. To make things worse, for those of us that have grandfathered unlimited data plans and use too much data, well, they've got a solution for that too. If Ma Bell doesn't like the amount of data your consuming, they reserve the right to "Throttle" the speed in which your mobile device uses data. In other words, even though your paying for unlimited data, use to much and we'll force you to use less. Can you imagine how emboldened AT&T will become should they be allowed to acquire T-Mobile? I can, and there's just nothing positive about it.
Wireless providers including Verizon and Metro PCS seem to be somewhat neutral on the merger, while Sprint is firmly against it. Verizon and Metro are clearly under the assumption that should the merger be approved they will both benefit from AT&T having to divest itself of assets these two will surely want to acquire to better their own networks. The problem is that this doesn't necessarily benefit us. As far as I'm concerned the increased use of multi-band phones and roaming agreements between T-Mobile and AT&T would benefit consumers much more than a full blown merger.
AT&T has proven by their past actions that when there is less competition, they are more likely to try and put the screws to their customers. This is a commonsensical fact. In this case fewer carriers is not better. In the technological age we live in, mobile phone technology is changing at an ever increasing pace. AT&T and T-Mobile are the only GSM carries in the United States. Since GSM is the standard for worldwide mobile phone communication technology, I shudder to think what will happen if AT&T becomes the only provider here in the U.S. T-Mobile serves a great purpose in as much it helps keep both AT&T and Verizon in check when it comes to pricing structure. With the merger yet to go through, both Verizon and AT&T are already modifying their data plans to create potentially explosive costs. You can bet your last dollar that more will indeed become less bang for the buck for the consumer should this merger be approved.
My first initial thoughts about AT&T acquiring T-Mobile brings back vivid monopoly memories of the 1980's. Before deregulation, for many of us AT&T (formerly Southwestern Bell) was the only residential phone service game in town. If your mind ever erred with regard to that fact, their arrogant and many times rude customer service representatives would be more than happy to remind you.
At the end of last year we were once again seeing a less friendly, less customer oriented AT&T. Not only have they dropped in recent customer surveys, but we've seen glimpses of them becoming more controlling in regards to how they deal with customers. For example, AT&T was one of the first wireless providers to decide to do away with unlimited data plans. To make things worse, for those of us that have grandfathered unlimited data plans and use too much data, well, they've got a solution for that too. If Ma Bell doesn't like the amount of data your consuming, they reserve the right to "Throttle" the speed in which your mobile device uses data. In other words, even though your paying for unlimited data, use to much and we'll force you to use less. Can you imagine how emboldened AT&T will become should they be allowed to acquire T-Mobile? I can, and there's just nothing positive about it.
Wireless providers including Verizon and Metro PCS seem to be somewhat neutral on the merger, while Sprint is firmly against it. Verizon and Metro are clearly under the assumption that should the merger be approved they will both benefit from AT&T having to divest itself of assets these two will surely want to acquire to better their own networks. The problem is that this doesn't necessarily benefit us. As far as I'm concerned the increased use of multi-band phones and roaming agreements between T-Mobile and AT&T would benefit consumers much more than a full blown merger.
AT&T has proven by their past actions that when there is less competition, they are more likely to try and put the screws to their customers. This is a commonsensical fact. In this case fewer carriers is not better. In the technological age we live in, mobile phone technology is changing at an ever increasing pace. AT&T and T-Mobile are the only GSM carries in the United States. Since GSM is the standard for worldwide mobile phone communication technology, I shudder to think what will happen if AT&T becomes the only provider here in the U.S. T-Mobile serves a great purpose in as much it helps keep both AT&T and Verizon in check when it comes to pricing structure. With the merger yet to go through, both Verizon and AT&T are already modifying their data plans to create potentially explosive costs. You can bet your last dollar that more will indeed become less bang for the buck for the consumer should this merger be approved.
You may click here to be redirected to the FCC's comment board to weigh in with your opinion. Comment numbers 11-65.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Not my Father's Congress
For 12 years my late father served as an impassioned, loyal public servant as a member of The United States House of Representatives. He did so purely for the love of country and the constituents he had the chance to represent. Although not in ideological agreement with many of those he served with, Marvin Leath was able to forge relationships that transcended party affiliations. Leath's Law of Loyalty was based on finding common ground, rising above purely political differences to serve the greater good. He did this by developing political relationships that were not defined by campaign contributions from special interests or careless demagoguery from political opposition. There was no other possible way a small town conservative banker from Waco, Texas could have had the personal relationships he had with the likes of Chuck Schumer, Barney Frank, Charlie Rangel, Ron Dellums, Barbara Boxer, just to name a few. In his day, in his time, his philosophy was life is nothing but relationships. In fact, when he retired, political scholar Norman Ornstein called him,"A Bridge Between the Parties." He's the only politician in history I know of that retired with a 96% approval rating and name recognition of 98%. That's a fact.
The Congressman once said,"Well, relationships--I learned--I think I was about six years old that relationships--human relationships are what makes the world go round. It's not that youto get to know somebody or be nice to somebody just so you can get something out of them. It's just that if I don't know you or you don't know me, neither one of us can influence each other about anything, because we don't have the respect or the trust or the understanding." Further more he said,"I've spent my entire life making relationships, which means that if you've got those kind of relationships, your fortunate enough that you can pick up the telephone and do more in five minutes than some people can in six months because they dont 'have the relationships. They don't--and not only do people have to know you, they have to trust you."(From the Oral Memoirs of James Marvin Leath, Baylor Institute of Oral History, 2001)
Where has my father's vision for America gone I often wonder? Sure, I speak of him often, but that aside to this day he's the best, most effective politician I've ever known. Sadly, our governing bodies have seemingly turned into entities that care more about the fight than they do about what's best for our country. They rely more on high priced consultants to create their views rather than the people that elected them. Political talking points, often filled with half truths and innuendo have taken the place of remembering why they were elected in the first place. Walking the middle and political correctness have taken the place of creating policy based on what's just and right. As dad used to say, there's not one degree of political risk in being honest with those you serve. Well, today there's a lot of dishonesty and heck of a lot of political liability that goes along with it. There's no working together, no real bipartisanship. Today America has a government none of us should be too proud of. The road we're headed down cannot be navigated by the tools we're using. Today members of opposite parties are simply unable despite their disagreements, able to agree on how to govern. The ways in which our elected representatives are choosing to navigate our government is not working. Without change it is doomed to fail and that my friends benefits none of us.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Life's Beautiful Moments...
As many of you know I was in Washington, D.C. this past weekend for my 25th high school reunion. On Saturday afternoon I made my way down to Washington Harbor to meet one of my very best friends, Erik Todd Dellums. As I was walking along the waterfront I noticed a beautiful boat with many people having an incredible time. These folks all just happened to be African American.-As I walked by for the second time I decided to say hello and comment on mow much fun they were clearly having.-I said,"Hey, you guys look like your having an incredible time! Don't you need a token white boy on the boat just to even things out?!-They all seemed stunned for a second, but quickly said something to the effect of,"Get your butt on the boat!!-For the next 5 hours I had one of the best times of my life with a group of people I'd never crossed paths with before.-Now, I have just short of a dozen new friends.-The point of this story is simple: No matter how much politicians and special interests may try to divide us, good people will always find good people.-This diverse group welcomed me into a private birthday party for one of their close friends and treated me like they'd known me for a lifetime.-What an incredible moment in time I will not soon forget.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Unbridled Arrogance
The Republican Party has at its feet, one of the biggest opportunities before them in modern day political history. In spite of themselves and numerous out of touch party leaders, and because of a Democratic party in absolute disarray, the Republican party is poised for a landslide come November.
The apathy, and I think, genuine disgust at status quo politics has the potential to hurt any politician this election cycle with a (D) in front of his name. It will make no difference how much pork you've brought home to your state or district, or how many hands you shake, or babies you kiss, you might as well start packing your bags and looking for that cushy lobbyist job, because come November, your gonna to be out of a job.
You see, in 2008 the American people voted for hope and change, or at least that's what they thought they were voting for. In 2010 they've come to realize they were conned.-The biggest marketing fraud in American presidential election history was perpetrated upon them when many voted for Barack Obama. Now, the jig is up. Say what you will, say what you want, but the facts are very clear. In spite of what he said, Obama has been nothing but a divider, not a uniter. He has allowed Nancy Pelosi and her weak hearted minions to rape and pillage the economic livelihood of Americans.- This man's solution to everything is to spend more money. More good money after bad. Behind every act this president and congress have taken has been an ulterior motive based on arrogance, self centeredness, and 100% pure unadulterated partisanship. In short, one failed plan after another. To date, I've heard of only one democratic member that has the political balls to ask Pelosi to step down. This is the weakest group of individuals I've seen serving in the House of Representative in my lifetime. My father, the late Congressman Marvin Leath is most certainly rolling over in his grave.-To not vote this woman down as speaker is unconscionable. She is the cancer at the core of what's wrong with our political system.
I do not speak these words loosely or callously, with biased disdain for the Democratic party. I speak these words to any member of congress or elected official who refuses to stand up and do what's right for America. We've been cooking the books in this nation for far too long. Now, the time has come to right our ship that is America. She's taking on massive amounts of water and without change of epic proportion, she will surely sink. We can no longer mortgage future generations with massive debt and uncontrollable spending. We can no longer be the worlds policeman and never ending bank account that keeps on giving without anything in return.
Change never comes easy. It takes a strong individual to not become consumed with the unrelenting arrogance and inside the beltway mentality present in so many politicians today. It takes a deep, passionate love for this nation that cannot be embraced or understood by many of today's elected officials. After all, that is why we call it "Public Service". We must elect individuals that are willing to serve and do not have the desire to be career politicians, but politicians who are willing to contribute to sound fiscal and social policy.- Leaders that are not bound by the strings of special interest, and above all are unwilling to compromise when it comes to the values set fourth by the founders and spelled out in the constitution.
The political game playing must be over. Our politicians can no longer play Russian roulette with the livelihoods of the American people. Not being 100% truthful is no longer an option.-Reciting nothing but your parties talking points is no longer an option.-If you don't have the intelligence on your own, to create an inkling of prophetic vision for where this nation needs to go, find a new job, because the American people are poised to terminate you from this one very soon.
The apathy, and I think, genuine disgust at status quo politics has the potential to hurt any politician this election cycle with a (D) in front of his name. It will make no difference how much pork you've brought home to your state or district, or how many hands you shake, or babies you kiss, you might as well start packing your bags and looking for that cushy lobbyist job, because come November, your gonna to be out of a job.
You see, in 2008 the American people voted for hope and change, or at least that's what they thought they were voting for. In 2010 they've come to realize they were conned.-The biggest marketing fraud in American presidential election history was perpetrated upon them when many voted for Barack Obama. Now, the jig is up. Say what you will, say what you want, but the facts are very clear. In spite of what he said, Obama has been nothing but a divider, not a uniter. He has allowed Nancy Pelosi and her weak hearted minions to rape and pillage the economic livelihood of Americans.- This man's solution to everything is to spend more money. More good money after bad. Behind every act this president and congress have taken has been an ulterior motive based on arrogance, self centeredness, and 100% pure unadulterated partisanship. In short, one failed plan after another. To date, I've heard of only one democratic member that has the political balls to ask Pelosi to step down. This is the weakest group of individuals I've seen serving in the House of Representative in my lifetime. My father, the late Congressman Marvin Leath is most certainly rolling over in his grave.-To not vote this woman down as speaker is unconscionable. She is the cancer at the core of what's wrong with our political system.
I do not speak these words loosely or callously, with biased disdain for the Democratic party. I speak these words to any member of congress or elected official who refuses to stand up and do what's right for America. We've been cooking the books in this nation for far too long. Now, the time has come to right our ship that is America. She's taking on massive amounts of water and without change of epic proportion, she will surely sink. We can no longer mortgage future generations with massive debt and uncontrollable spending. We can no longer be the worlds policeman and never ending bank account that keeps on giving without anything in return.
Change never comes easy. It takes a strong individual to not become consumed with the unrelenting arrogance and inside the beltway mentality present in so many politicians today. It takes a deep, passionate love for this nation that cannot be embraced or understood by many of today's elected officials. After all, that is why we call it "Public Service". We must elect individuals that are willing to serve and do not have the desire to be career politicians, but politicians who are willing to contribute to sound fiscal and social policy.- Leaders that are not bound by the strings of special interest, and above all are unwilling to compromise when it comes to the values set fourth by the founders and spelled out in the constitution.
The political game playing must be over. Our politicians can no longer play Russian roulette with the livelihoods of the American people. Not being 100% truthful is no longer an option.-Reciting nothing but your parties talking points is no longer an option.-If you don't have the intelligence on your own, to create an inkling of prophetic vision for where this nation needs to go, find a new job, because the American people are poised to terminate you from this one very soon.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Blackberry Torch Burns Weak
I should have realized early on that if AT&T had something to do with with the development of the Blackberry Torch (9800) it was destined to be fatally flawed.-The folks at AT&T you see, could screw up a one car funeral.-I spent 28 days with the new Blackberry and although there were moments of brilliance, for the most part the phone bombs, big!
Rumor has it the Torch was in development for three years, which impacts the fact that the phone is so bad, much, much more. It's been no secret that OS 6 has been in development for several years. Since that's the case, why would RIM release it with more bugs than the first generation iPhone?!-This phone had the potential to be great, but instead it's guaranteed to frustrate you more and more with each passing day. Not fixed are the persistent tower switching issues that started with the introduction of the 3G Bold. This was the first incredibly annoying problem that caused me to switch phone loyalties in the first place. In layman's terms the phone can't make up its mind whether it wants to grab hold of a 3G cell or an EDGE cell, thus causing dropped calls for the consumer.-The iPhone at one point had this problem, but was fixed with one brief software update.-No such luck with the Torch.-Several years later and this simple problem of telling the phone which type of tower to prefer is still not fixed.-What a load of crap!
With each passing day the phone seemed to become slower and slower, with more faults being revealed. Every time I took the phone out of standby it would take as long as five seconds for me to be able to navigate to where I wanted to go. It was as if the phone locked up. I began to find myself powering the phone off and on more often, and even taking the battery out to try and fix the problem. To no avail, my hopes of once again becoming a loyal Blackberry user were not meant to be. I'm appalled and offended that RIM and AT&T would think for a second that this phone, with all it's giant flaws and imperfections, would fool anybody! Common sense would dictate that if the software your using is so archaic that it's not capable of evolving to where it needs be in the future you might consider finding a new software platform to operate your phone.-Android comes to mind.-It's not quite there yet, but in a year or so it will be.
The last issue I'm going to discuss, the one that really burns me up, is the fact that RIM, knowing they were coming out with a major software upgrade, apparently did not expeditiously enough make it available to developers. One of my favorite applications for a number of years is Viigo.-Viigo is a great, customizable app for keeping up with news. For those of you that don't know, RIM bought Viigo earlier this year and in spite of that had no Viigo app ready for their new OS.-I think that says it all! It's no secret RIM is a small company, but I think it's long overdue for them to step up hiring if they intend to be a player in the big money smart phone business.
Foe now, don't buy a Torch. If you do, I can almost guarantee, you too will be returning it.
Rumor has it the Torch was in development for three years, which impacts the fact that the phone is so bad, much, much more. It's been no secret that OS 6 has been in development for several years. Since that's the case, why would RIM release it with more bugs than the first generation iPhone?!-This phone had the potential to be great, but instead it's guaranteed to frustrate you more and more with each passing day. Not fixed are the persistent tower switching issues that started with the introduction of the 3G Bold. This was the first incredibly annoying problem that caused me to switch phone loyalties in the first place. In layman's terms the phone can't make up its mind whether it wants to grab hold of a 3G cell or an EDGE cell, thus causing dropped calls for the consumer.-The iPhone at one point had this problem, but was fixed with one brief software update.-No such luck with the Torch.-Several years later and this simple problem of telling the phone which type of tower to prefer is still not fixed.-What a load of crap!
With each passing day the phone seemed to become slower and slower, with more faults being revealed. Every time I took the phone out of standby it would take as long as five seconds for me to be able to navigate to where I wanted to go. It was as if the phone locked up. I began to find myself powering the phone off and on more often, and even taking the battery out to try and fix the problem. To no avail, my hopes of once again becoming a loyal Blackberry user were not meant to be. I'm appalled and offended that RIM and AT&T would think for a second that this phone, with all it's giant flaws and imperfections, would fool anybody! Common sense would dictate that if the software your using is so archaic that it's not capable of evolving to where it needs be in the future you might consider finding a new software platform to operate your phone.-Android comes to mind.-It's not quite there yet, but in a year or so it will be.
The last issue I'm going to discuss, the one that really burns me up, is the fact that RIM, knowing they were coming out with a major software upgrade, apparently did not expeditiously enough make it available to developers. One of my favorite applications for a number of years is Viigo.-Viigo is a great, customizable app for keeping up with news. For those of you that don't know, RIM bought Viigo earlier this year and in spite of that had no Viigo app ready for their new OS.-I think that says it all! It's no secret RIM is a small company, but I think it's long overdue for them to step up hiring if they intend to be a player in the big money smart phone business.
Foe now, don't buy a Torch. If you do, I can almost guarantee, you too will be returning it.
Monday, August 23, 2010
My Roatan
Roatan Honduras is without a doubt one of the most beautiful, unrefined travel destinations God ever created. Located in the Western Caribbean, a mere 30 miles off the coast of mainland Honduras and a short two hour and twenty minute flight from Houston, Roatan's future is undoubtedly bright.-My 25th trip to Roatan has been no less special than my first. The friendships I've forged over the last four years are stronger than ever and the island I've grown to love has proved to be quite resilient in spite of last years political drama. Keep in mind when visiting Roatan that most of the activity on the island takes place geographically center, west. The east side although incredibly beautiful, is for the most part, undeveloped. West Bay and West End are the most notable areas on the island and the two areas that offer the most lodging and dining choices. There are however, several gems out east.Getting There
My only choice for direct travel to Roatan is Continental Airlines. Continental was one of the first airlines to believe in the future of Roatan and the first major U.S. based airline to fly non-stop there. I've flown other airlines and taken other routes, but I always come back to my friends at Continental. Not only are their planes the newest but their entire staff understands the true meaning of customer service. You may also reach Roatan via Delta Airlines out of Atlanta or New York and American via Miami. You may also fly Continental via San Pedro Sula, Honduras. There you connect to a usually non-air conditioned twin engine puddle jumper and Roatan will be the second stop. The tickets are substantially cheaper, but for some it will be a real nail biter.
Where to Stay
Compared to the ease of my air travel decision, lodging takes a bit more thought. With no American flagships yet to take up residence on the island, cost and quality are all over the map. For the die hard diver there's Anthony's Key, or Fantasy Island and for the luxury traveler theirs Infinity Bay. Anthony's Key is one of the oldest resort on the island and is geared towards the die hard diver. Fantasy Island, also one of the oldest resorts on the island is in much need of a facelift, but die hard divers love it. Infinity Bay on the other hand, is the finest, newest resort destination that lies on the
gorgeous West Bay Beach. With full size kitchens and all the amenities, these condos offer all the comforts of home. Now offering a 50% room discount for a limited time, Infinity Bay is an easy choice. The condos at Infinity are also for sale, but act quickly, there are less than two dozen left! (Contact my good friend Tommy Bauer for info! roatantom@yahoo.com) -Also on West Bay Beach, BananaramaDive. I've stayed there well over a dozen times and for the diver or non-diver there are activities for all ages. They are a Padi Five Star Dive Center.-Also on West Bay Beach, Foster's West Bay, another lodging spot I can recommend with confidence. -There are also numerous places to stay in West End. Here you'll find a more densely populated area with its unpaved roads, multiple dive outfits, and numerous bars and restaurants. If you decide the vibe in West End is more of what your looking for, you might want to check out both Casa Calico and Sueno del Mar Diving Resort. -I would suggest that you utilize the wealth of information and reviews at www.tripadvisor.com to further educate yourself and read reviews about lodging options on Roatan.Renting a Car
Should you decide to rent a car while on the island, Coral Rent a Car is my only choice. Ive tried almost all of them over the last four years and these guys definitively know how to take care of business. While most all of the rental agencies on the island put a pre-authorization hold that may be up to 5 times of your total estimated rental charges. Coral typically only takes up $500 of your credit line. This type of customer service comes in extremely handy when your trying to travel on a budget. Coral is extremely conscientious of your vacation schedule and offers both pickup and delivery service to your desired location. Local: 8800.8801 or 9643.8178
Eats and Drinks
Dining choices on the island are many, and you will find multiple restaurants that have similar menus. Vintage Pearl, tucked away in the center of West Bay Beach is the only true fine dining restaurant on the island. Offering a prix fixed menu that includes three courses, averaging between $35 to $40 depending on your entree, Vintage Pearl is a must try dining experience. This little restaurant offers discip
lined cooking not often seen in such a laid back paradise.-Recently bringing in a new chef, the food at Infinity Bay is better than ever. For those of you without a rental car, Mangiamo Market and Deli, a short walk from West Bay Beach, serves up some of the best deli sandwiches you'll ever have and cooks breakfast sure to please the pickiest eater.-The Blue Marlin in West End is a clean but rustic, open air, on the water dining experience that I also highly recommend. You can enjoy freshly caught twin lobster tails for $29, or the very tasty chicken fried rice for $19. The conch balls are must have appetizer. Foster's West End is another one of my favorite places to dine. With a fresh facelift and new management, Foster's offers great food and beautiful ocean views that will make your meal all the better. The pulled pork sandwich is a must. Also in West End, The Dive Bar and Grill. They may very well serve the best calamari I've ever had.-Tong's Thai in West End offers up some of the finest Thai food you'll have anywhere. The menu is a bit pricey by island standards, but the food makes up for it.-One of my all time favorite places in West End is Sundowners. It's one of the best bars in the world for catching a good sunset. Aaron also serves up some good eats. -Travel on the main road east to French Harbor and you can have the pleasure of dining at one of the newest most hidden gems on the island, The Deck Cafe. Don't let the humble atmosphere fool you, Gary Wanless serves up several items that would rival the best fine dining restaurants in the 
world. The Pumpkin Soup blew my taste buds out of the water and the home made veggie spring rolls were better than those of P.F. Changs in the states. You may also choose from several unique salads, seafood, tasty sandwiches and several stir fry items. The Deck Cafe has definitely made it into my top five ding establishments on the island. Also in French Harbor with a diverse menu and atmosphere is Gio's Restaurant. -While your on this side of the island make sure you travel a few minutes further east to Eldon's Supermarket. Those of us used to the large grocery stores in the states will feel quite at home here. Be sure to take advantage of the nice selection of imported cheeses, deli meets, wine and liquor selection while your there.-Should you make it this far east more than once on your trip, spend another 45 minutes making your way to Jonesville Bight. Here you'll find one of the most storied restaurants on the island. The Hole in the Wall, only accessible by boat is famous for their Friday and Sunday BBQ. For under $30 till its gone, all you can eat prime beef filet, lobster, shrimp, and all the trimmings.-For those of you that enjoy sushi, I highly suggest a brief fishing trip from West Bay Beach where your likely to catch a yellow fin or black fin tuna. An hour of fishing will cost you under $100.00.-Be sure and take your soy sauce on the boat with you, cause it doesn't get any fresher than that!Diving and Snorkeling
For the die hard divers here to take advantage of the world's second largest barrier reef system, you will not be disappointed. There are diving companies here for those of you who prefer diving with large groups and there are smaller more specialized outfits that offer a more personalized approach. Whatever dive vibe your looking for, your sure to find it on Roatan. I've dove with West End Divers in West End and BananaramaDive in West Bay. No complaints. I've also heard good things about Atlantic Sea Divers.-If your not the diving type, no worries, a few feet from West Bay Beach you'll find some of the best snorkeling in the world.Championship Golf
For t
he die hard golfer who'd like a course with never ending beauty, the Pete Dye designed, Black Pearl at Pristine Bay Resort not only offers one of a kind home sights, and top notch privacy, but a course that's sure to challenge the most skilled golfer. The master planned Pristine Bay sits on 405 pristine acres. The views will take your breath away. Under construction, a beautiful boutique five star hotel, and spa. With approximately 50 acres of forest area, Pristine Bay's eco-reserve is a sanctuary to natures most beautiful flora and fauna. As their website states, Pristine Bay really does captures the essence of Roatan. Chief Operations Officer Luis Toriello and his team have once again outdone themselves. Please feel free to contact me directly if you'd like more information on Pristine Bay.
Real Estate
Roatan has many
incredible options available when it comes to real estate investment. Whether your looking for raw land, condominiums, houses, or lots to build on, Roatan's real estate market has something for everyone. The real estate investment opportunities there are what first brought me to the island. With a 4% cap on capital gains and title insurance from American based companies, buying property here makes sense. Quite simply, you can't go wrong buying property on a beautiful island.-Do yourself a favor though and spend enough time on the island to get the information your going to need to make a wise purchase. Educating yourself leaves a lot less room for bad decision making.-Don't sign on with the first real estate agent you meet and make sure you use an attorney that more than one person deems reputable. In general, my experience has been that a reputable real estate companies on the island will be able to offer you all the services you'll need to handle your current and long term real estate needs. Those services will include helping you with incorporation if need be, paying your annual property taxes and even keeping and eye on your property if your an absentee owner. -Feel free to contact me directly and I'll be happy to let you know who I trusted when I bought my property.
Final Thoughts...
Roatan might not be for everyone. I say this because of the many high maintenance travelers I know that would expect a Grand Cayman type experience. In many ways The Bay Islands are in their infancy as far as development goes. There are no Kirk Freeports on Roatan.-No Rolex watches for sale and no deals on fine china. On Roatan you'll have to be satisfied with small, locally owned gift shops and independently owned restaurants. If your one of those people that can't sit still long enough to appreciate the incredible beauty that surrounds you, then Roatan might not be for you.-Although fast paced change is inevitable, for myself and those like minded, we hope the allure of the islands never changes. The vibe one gets almost immediately when visiting Roatan for the first time is one of raw, untouched, majestic beauty that projects a feeling of instant relaxation and tranquility. The Bay Islands in my opinion, have character that is unmatched as far as idyllic Caribbean destinations go. Make the decision to fly to Roatan. I'm betting like me, you'll return time and time again.
For t
he die hard golfer who'd like a course with never ending beauty, the Pete Dye designed, Black Pearl at Pristine Bay Resort not only offers one of a kind home sights, and top notch privacy, but a course that's sure to challenge the most skilled golfer. The master planned Pristine Bay sits on 405 pristine acres. The views will take your breath away. Under construction, a beautiful boutique five star hotel, and spa. With approximately 50 acres of forest area, Pristine Bay's eco-reserve is a sanctuary to natures most beautiful flora and fauna. As their website states, Pristine Bay really does captures the essence of Roatan. Chief Operations Officer Luis Toriello and his team have once again outdone themselves. Please feel free to contact me directly if you'd like more information on Pristine Bay.Real Estate
Roatan has many
incredible options available when it comes to real estate investment. Whether your looking for raw land, condominiums, houses, or lots to build on, Roatan's real estate market has something for everyone. The real estate investment opportunities there are what first brought me to the island. With a 4% cap on capital gains and title insurance from American based companies, buying property here makes sense. Quite simply, you can't go wrong buying property on a beautiful island.-Do yourself a favor though and spend enough time on the island to get the information your going to need to make a wise purchase. Educating yourself leaves a lot less room for bad decision making.-Don't sign on with the first real estate agent you meet and make sure you use an attorney that more than one person deems reputable. In general, my experience has been that a reputable real estate companies on the island will be able to offer you all the services you'll need to handle your current and long term real estate needs. Those services will include helping you with incorporation if need be, paying your annual property taxes and even keeping and eye on your property if your an absentee owner. -Feel free to contact me directly and I'll be happy to let you know who I trusted when I bought my property.Final Thoughts...
Roatan might not be for everyone. I say this because of the many high maintenance travelers I know that would expect a Grand Cayman type experience. In many ways The Bay Islands are in their infancy as far as development goes. There are no Kirk Freeports on Roatan.-No Rolex watches for sale and no deals on fine china. On Roatan you'll have to be satisfied with small, locally owned gift shops and independently owned restaurants. If your one of those people that can't sit still long enough to appreciate the incredible beauty that surrounds you, then Roatan might not be for you.-Although fast paced change is inevitable, for myself and those like minded, we hope the allure of the islands never changes. The vibe one gets almost immediately when visiting Roatan for the first time is one of raw, untouched, majestic beauty that projects a feeling of instant relaxation and tranquility. The Bay Islands in my opinion, have character that is unmatched as far as idyllic Caribbean destinations go. Make the decision to fly to Roatan. I'm betting like me, you'll return time and time again.
**I do not work for any of the businesses or Continental Airlines that I've talked about above, nor am I receiving any type of compensation.-My comments are based on my own personal experiences and will hopefully make your trip to Roatan more enjoyable.
All photos were taken by Thomas Leath
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