These are classic discussions published back in July 2007
Unhealthy Public Lands
Christopher Smart has a good article on cheat grass in the Tribune.
Cat Kills Patients
As if there were any doubt about the media’s bias toward cats, we read this from the Deseret News:
Two or three days before the resident dies, Max will start sleeping at the foot of the sick person’s bed and leave only to eat or visit his litter box.
I guarantee you, if — instead of a cat — Max were a construction worker, people would be asking questions.
Editorial Rewrite
Yesterday I commented on this editorial. Here is my rewrite. I don’t think I missed a bit of the message or the substance.
Don’t you hate rich people? They think they’re all that. Greedy pigs. We should take some of that money from them and spread it around. Ya, right, like Bushitler and the other Republicans would ever go for that. Halliburton.
American Government 101 – a Review
As we are instructed in our government classes, the federal government is a government of limited, specifically enumerated powers. While the states have plenary authority to address a broad array of issues, the people and the states established the federal government and specified a limited number of things it can do.
As students of the Constitution know, the job of the federal government is to regulate immigration, coin money, raise and support armies, define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and make rules for the government and regulation of the national basketball association.
[Insert Adjective] People Are Subhuman
Like most Americans, I am a taker. I receive more in government services than I pay in taxes. Far more.
I work hard at a really great job. And I grumble when I pay my taxes. But the amount I pay – like most Americans – comes nowhere near paying for the government services I receive. So, who pays my way? Who pays the way for most Americans? Rich people.
So, I’ve never understood the bit about the rich don’t pay taxes. They do. They pay lots of taxes, and people like me benefit as a result.
To those of you who pay to educate my kids, pave my streets, police my neighborhood, take care of my waste, feed and medicate members of my community, fight my enemies, judge our disputes and so much more – thank you. Those folks are performing great work, and I’m happy there are revenues to pay them. Hopefully things will go well for me and someday I’ll... (read more)
Public Input and Public Policy
Getting nuanced public input on complex policy issues is difficult. The Internet could facilitate such input, but I don’t think it’s there yet. Effective models need to be created to involve people in the decision-making process in a more comprehensive way.
Is anyone aware of good models that exist to significantly involve the public in legislative decision making? For example, I’m looking for something (online or offline) where citizens are actively involved in defining pressing issues, delineating the variables and options concerning those issues, and putting together proposed solutions that could attract a majority of votes by decision makers. (I’m thinking these models might exist in smaller decision-making bodies, like towns, service organizations or homeowners associations).
In particular, I ask this in the aftermath of Congress’s dismal failure on immigration. I think the feds missed the relevant issues, the possible solutions and, of course, the comprehensive package. When their pre-baked solution got to the people, the people rejected it. The same might... (read more)
Giuliani and Federalism
This LA Times article discusses Rudy Giuliani’s pitch to allow states to resolve many divisive issues, instead of the feds. On the one hand, that would be great. Power is supposed to be divided between the states and the federal government, with states handling most issues and the feds handling a few specified issues (like immigration and national defense). If allowed to operate, federalism fosters laboratories of democracy, where states can take different approaches and, by so doing, figure out best practices. Especially in a mobile, highly-networked age, federalism yields tremendous benefits. The trend, however, is for the federal government to involve itself in any and all issues and to diminish the autonomy of states.
On the other hand, a blanket “federalism” answer is something of a dodge, if it doesn’t discuss the effect of the “full faith and credit” clause, which would require states to recognize legal actions in other states, such as gay marriages. Perhaps Rudy does that; I... (read more)
Flip Flop Fred