Separation of Powers: Still Alive and Well in NYC
I've been reading with great interest the recent news articles about Mayor Bill de Blasio's reported intervention to help get Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito elected as the next Speaker of the New...
View ArticleSalon.com Falsely Accuses Steve Martin of Posting a Racist Tweet,...
You might've missed this over the holidays, but Steve Martin -- The Steve Martin -- was caught up in a racism scandal involving Twitter, Salon.com and TMZ. The rest of the story is familiar and...
View ArticleFor a Fair Society
The left's eyes are glued to New York City where the Great New Hope for progressive people just took office. The fact that Mayor Bill de Blasio was elected by a wide margin, that the support in several...
View Article20 Things the Poor Really Do Every Day
Dave Ramsey probably wasn't expecting this much pushback when he shared a piece by Tim Corley contrasting the habits of the rich with those of the poor. In her response on CNN, Rachel Held Evans noted...
View ArticleWhat to Watch in Drug Policy in 2014
2013 was a landmark year in unraveling the disastrous war on drugs. We reached the tipping point on legalizing marijuana for adults. Attorney General Holder denounced the mandatory minimum sentences...
View ArticleBill de Blasio, the FDR of New York
As I suggested in my last column, there is a resurgent progressive populism in America, and the latest example is the election of Bill de Blasio as the man who will be the FDR mayor of New York. If...
View ArticleA Concrete Way to Remember and Honor Nelson Mandela
Last month, all across the world, people joined together to mourn former South African president and freedom fighter Nelson Mandela. There was a deep shared sense of loss at the passing of one of the...
View ArticleMake the 1 Percent Pay for the Iran War
Something wonderful happened in Washington in 2013 that can't be celebrated too much: the Pentagon spending lobby experienced a clear defeat in its efforts to prevent any real cuts to the Pentagon...
View ArticleIs the NSA's Bulk Telephony Metadata Program Constitutional?
In my last three posts, I described the NSA's bulk telephony meta-data program, examined its pros and cons, and explained the recommendations of the President's Review Group. In this post, I consider...
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President Obama's Health Care Wipeout
When most people think of Hawaii, they think of luaus, amazing beaches, and eruptions (the volcanic sort, not Van Halen, unfortunately). But Hawaii has recently sparked some other sentiments, as...
View ArticleMayor de Blasio's Son Schools NYC
Welcome to 2014, NYC! In less than 72 hours the Big Apple anointed a new mayor, was schooled in Greek mythology by #Hercules, and received a seemingly funny reminder that new-found "celeb" status...
View ArticleRepublican Deaf Ears
Much of the country kicked off the New Year with heavy snowstorms followed by a blast of frigid cold temperatures. But for 1.3 million Americans, whose unemployment checks have been cut off, this may...
View ArticleOur Climate Hangover: 5 Reasons to End America's Fossil Fuel Fiesta in 2014
It was a heck of a party. For America's oil and gas industry, 2013 was another festive year of incredible financial gains and expanding opportunities. Even as petroleum companies raked in up to...
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Mohammed of Hackensack vs. the ACA Website
"I have no problem with folks saying, 'Obama cares.' I do care. If the other side wants to be the folks that don't care, that's fine with me." --President Barack Obama, responding to the Republicans'...
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Congress Should Restore Federal Jobless Benefits
Congress can redress a serious problem that it created last month by quickly enacting legislation, from Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dean Heller (R-NV), to provide a retroactive three-month extension...
View ArticleHow Congress Is Screwing Up the Economic Future of Young People
Before Christmas 2013, the House GOP refused to continue an extension of federal unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. House Democrats wanted an extension while GOP members rebuked the...
View ArticleWeeds of Destruction: The Moral Case for Marijuana Legalization
Though I won't be the first, I certainly don't want to be the last to congratulate the lawmakers in Colorado and Washington for finally coming to their senses and legalizing marijuana. Though their...
View ArticleHow Close Are We to Legalizing Weed in New York?
As Colorado embarks on a pioneering venture to fully legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis, other U.S. states look on to assess whether a similar approach could be effective in their own constituencies....
View ArticleNew Year's Resolution
Intro look at why 2014 is so important and how the enemies of climate science are real and not giving up. We can't fight them dollar for dollar, but we have voters on our side. Resolving to Combat $1...
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