The Cost of War, Part 2

A recent question for my radio spot was: “According to one estimate, nearly 40 percent of the 700,000 troops involved in the first Gulf War now qualify for disability. Do you feel enough is being done to accommodate the much…

The Cost of War, Part 1

Recently I was asked for a radio spot the following question: Given the concern about federal spending in budgets, bailouts and economic stimulus, should we also be concerned that the estimated cost of the Iraq War will end up being…

California Legislature, Part 2

Should California have a part-time rather than full-time legislature in an effort to reshape politics in Sacramento?

No. that is not the problem. The problem is that we have a bunch of legislators who are either short-timers or newbies. The first…

California Legislature, Part I

One explanation given for the trouble they’ve had getting work done in Sacramento is that state legislators don’t know what they’re doing. Should term limits be abolished in order to have more experienced representation?

Term limits are one third of the…

Why Big Drug Companies Are Sitting Pretty

I don’t get it — why is there not more open criticism of big drug companies as part of the health care debate? They’ve offered up to $150 billion in lower drug costs and to give Medicare a “discount” but…

Let’s Call This ‘The Year of Living Intelligently’

Commentary

Is this the year “twenty-ten” or “two-thousand-ten”?

Is the emergency number “nine-eleven” or “nine-one-one?” If you are dealing with a kid, it better be 9-1-1. There have been cases where small children have been unable to call because they could not…

Father and Son Tour Oregon’s Wine Country

My son Ben and I had been trying for several years to do a boys weekend out without success.  He has a busy IT business, and I have a law practice.  Finally, instead of trying to find an event that…

Birther Bullroar and Other Stupidity

I am continually amazed and dumbfounded at the willingness of some people to insist in clinging to ridiculous non-issues instead of trying to engage in a real discussion of what is going on in this country.

At the head of this…

On Outsourcing Redding Services

Commentary

Should the city of Redding move forward with privatizing many or most civic functions except for police and fire?  I think this is one of those sounds-good ideas that will not stand up to specific scrutiny.

The idea, as I understand it,…

Rebuilding Downtown - One MarketFest at a Time

It’s over now; one more year of MarketFest has come and gone.

It seems just a moment ago that I was standing in the center of Library Park in downtown Redding for the first show of the new MarketFest season, surrounded…