Politics Information
Easter - America Needs a Good Story
Americans are waiting and hoping. We're hoping for something and we aren't exactly for sure what we are hoping for. Internally it's always the hopes of something better around the corner.
Alaskan Energy Development: Pro Consumer, Pro Taxpayer, Pro Prosperity
President Trump's tax reform included a bonus for consumers, taxpayers, and Alaska: opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to energy development. Such action reverses a four-decade, Carter-to-Obama animus against developing what the federal government has estimated could be one of the largest oil fields in U.S. history.
Constitutional Democracy Doesn't Debase, It Dignifies
It didn't take long after Mitt Romney announced his U.S. Senate bid for new digs at his personality to surface. As one critique goes, Romney is mismatched to America because it doesn't dole out titles of nobility for excellent character like some Old World aristocracy.
President Trump Calls for Armed Teachers: Ohio Has Been Doing It for 5 Years
President Trump said his administration is considering the idea of arming and training teachers to help secure our schools. However, Ohio has been doing this for 5 years.
US Faces Fiscal Armageddon, and We Propose a One-Half of One Percent Solution
"The U.S. economy made a spectacular comeback in 2017. But the country still faces the prospect of fiscal Armageddon if we don't cut spending and check the out-of-control National Debt," says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].
Guns, Opioids, Alcohol, Bad Judgment and Balance
Every person in America should have the privilege of driving a car if they meet the qualifications. Requirements involve passing written and driving tests and passing a vision test. Enough incidents of driving violations or driving impaired can certainly curtail and even eliminate our privilege to drive an automobile.
Alaskan Energy Development: Pro Consumer, Pro Taxpayer, Pro Prosperity
President Trump's tax reform included a bonus for consumers, taxpayers, and Alaska: opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to energy development. Such action reverses a four-decade, Carter-to-Obama animus against developing what the federal government has estimated could be one of the largest oil fields in U.S. history.
The Gun Community IS Doing Something About Violence
The tragic mass murder at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida has once again stoked the firey debate about gun control in the U.S. And once again many are calling for more gun laws and more restrictions on gun ownership. More extreme voices are even calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment.
Limiting the Coming War
Early 19th century Prussian general and philosopher Carl von Clausewitz identified "Der Schlag," or "the punch," as the vital opening gambit in war. Success depends on military superiority combined with surprise and velocity to assure immediate, overwhelming, and decisive dominance.
Another Budget Deal Bites the Dust
Back in September I wrote about our "ethically challenged" democratic system. I said, "We are caught in a downward, self-destructive [debt] spiral."
Trump's Monthly Box of Food for Our Poor
Back in the seventies my dad brought some delicious cheese home from our local town. "They were giving this cheese out in front of the courthouse so I picked some up" he said. The cheese was all part of the so called fight against poverty. My dad was a hard-working coal mining man so we had food to eat.
Senate's Part D Budget Deal Is No Victory for Seniors
Earlier this month, the Senate announced its two-year budget deal. It contains a healthcare provision that many are touting as a victory for American seniors. The reform aims to close the so-called "donut hole" coverage gap in the Medicare Part D drug benefit by shifting more of the program's costs to drug companies.
President Trump Plans To Make Drugs Affordable Again
During his State of the Union address, President Trump pledged to drive down drug prices.
Hate and Humility in the Social Media
I was a late adopter of Facebook. I had a nagging fear that no one would befriend me, and that my Facebook experience would become a monologue. Of course that was irrational. I currently have 257 friends, representing my connections during the various decades of my life.
Hating Tom Brady? Who Will Be Able To Argue?
Millions of Americans will be glued to the television Sunday to watch the 52nd Super Bowl. Millions of Americans will not be watching for various reasons. Some are not interested in football. Some will have something else better to do. Others are sick and tired of the National Football League. Others are disappointed in multi-million dollar players kneeling during the National Anthem.
Should U.S. Energy Independence Be Based Only on Renewable Energy?
Last March President Donald Trump issued an executive order "promoting energy independence and economic growth." While he specifically included "renewable sources," he clearly intended to unleash the nation's massive fossil fuel resources, which is the only conceivable way to achieve energy independence —at least for the foreseeable future.
The Flu Bug - Don't Touch Porn Stars, Celebrities or Politicians
Where have people's hands been? When you shake hands with someone at church, the grocery store or a restaurant what kind of germs are they carrying?
The Latest Anti-Drug Industry Media Firestorm: Unscientific, Dishonest, and Dangerous
Have drug companies been lying about their development costs to justify high prices?
Rejecting the Cloudy Logic of EPA Ozone Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency just missed a court-ordered deadline to announce which regions of the country are complying with an Obama-era ozone rule. The agency says it needs more time to make that determination.
The Future of Transportation Isn't Just Self-Driving Cars. It's Public Transit.
Fiat Chrysler and BMW just announced plans to jointly develop self-driving cars. The move puts the automakers in competition with Google, Apple, and other car manufacturers that are also working on driverless vehicles. The question is when, not if, this is going to be commonplace.
California Law Would Allow the State to Control Free Speech
The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] sought last week to focus attention on a pending Supreme Court case that poses a new threat to our Constitutional right of free speech.
The Hypocrisy of Political Correctness
A professor at NYU was shunned by his colleagues because of "the content and structure of his thinking." That's right, the "thought police" were after him. They didn't like the fact that he was using social media to expose the hypocrisy of political correctness on campus.
Keep Big Government Out of Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiations
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a report urging Congress to allow federal bureaucrats to negotiate Medicare drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies. Currently, private insurance companies conduct these negotiations.
The Big Button
In 1964, when I was a college freshman, all healthy male students without prior military service were required to take two years of a basic Air Force Reserve Officer Training Course (AFROTC). The Stanley Kubrick movie. Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, was new. This child of the 1960s now in his 70s has two satirical movies committed to memory: Dr. Strangelove and Animal House.
The Political Intrigue of 1968—Fifty Years and Counting
My political interests were sparked at age 11, half a century ago, during one of the most interesting campaign seasons in recent American history. In my home we had neither a newspaper nor a news magazine. Our television reception was unreliable. Yet the stories were compelling. The favorite part of my day occurred when my bus arrived at school. I had 10 minutes to rush to the library and read the morning's editorials. Who knew I would be writing op-ed pieces as a hobby 50 years later?
What President Trump Must Do
President Trump and Congress must end the pharmaceutical robbing of America. Every day Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Roche, Novartis, Merck, Sanofi and others are driving America's indebtedness toward another trillion dollars in drug money debt.
To Curb Climate Change, Cities Need the Right Design
Over 300 mayors recently promised to uphold the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. This pledge proves that cities are leading America's fight against climate change.
Hurting Our Young Americans' Futures
Millions of Americans in states like California, Illinois and Kentucky are already in peril because of the horrendous government mismanagement of teacher's and state worker's retirement money.
Proposed Legislation will Fuel the Opioid Epidemic in the U.S.
Consumers better think twice before clicking "purchase" on an internet pharmacy's site.
Taking Back Renewable Energy's Taxpayer-Funded Honeypot
The renewable energy industry exists because of government mandates and taxpayer subsidies.
Interior Department Moves to Save Ohio from Obama-Era Emissions Regulation
Last Fall, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke began formally unraveling an Obama-era regulation that would raise the cost of drilling for energy on federal lands.
Energy Lessons from the Recent Hurricanes
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma killed dozens of Americans and caused tens of billions of dollars in property damage. But there's one silver lining. The storms taught us three invaluable lessons about the U.S. energy market.
Opinion: A chance to nurture the spirit of democracy in Iran
The ruling mullahs of Iran may be able to silence anti-government protestors but they cannot win their hearts and minds. The people want an Iranian Republic, not an Islamic Republic. And you can make book on the fact that the latest unrest that rocked that nation over the New Year's weekend will continue, notwithstanding the brutality of the country's security forces.
A Merit-based Immigration System Would Help Americans -- and Skilled Foreigners
Don't expect a bigger paycheck anytime soon. Fed Chair Janet Yellen recently admitted there might be far more "slack" in the labor market than she and her colleagues realized, meaning that employers can attract all the workers they need without raising wages.
The Energy Industry is Stepping up in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey struck the heart of America's energy sector. Greater Houston is home to dozens of refineries, pipelines, and petrochemical plants.
Clearance Backlog Threatens National Security
Right now, more than 500,000 federal employees and government contractors are awaiting security clearances.
Remembering Fidel Castro's Death
This past week marked the anniversary of the death of Fidel Castro, our hemisphere's worst dictator for a half century. When we remember Castro's death, we should remember him for just that: death.
Free Speech is a Right Guaranteed by the Constitution
America's schools foster intolerance. They've become places where students are taught not to seek out the truth or the thoughts and opinions of others who disagree with them.
Just What the Doctor Ordered
While the Republican Congress remains paralyzed over how to repeal and replace Obamacare, recent activity among two of the healthcare industry's largest players could signal a new approach to delivering access to affordable healthcare. CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy chain, recently announced that it is acquiring Aetna, one of the nation's largest insurers, for a reported $69 billion.
Democrats Dig for Russians and Uncover Environmentalists
Democrats and the media have been on a yearlong deep dig into Russian involvement into U.S. elections. But when you dig a hole you sometimes run across things you wish had remained buried—like the dirt pointing to Russian ties to the U.S. environmental movement.
