Speak Out 3/11/16

Measuring up

According to an article in the Atlantic Monthly, there are 11 signs that tell or will tell us if communities like Cape Girardea will or are succeeding. I'll leave it to you to decide if we're measuring up. Divisive national politics are a distant concern, easiness of picking out who makes the community go, real public-private partnerships, people are familiar with the story of our community, there is a viable downtown area, nearness to a research university, having and caring about a community college, unusual schools, willing to experiment, openness to attracting a diverse population, big plans for the future, and, perhaps the most reliable indicator, having craft breweries. I report. You decide.

Broken hearted

Because of the current vulgar tone of the Republican presidential presidential race, there is little doubt in my mind that a metaphorical if not literal broken heart caused the death of Nancy Reagan.

Best candidates?

Just when I thought our country's highest office could sink no lower, the two main political parties submit their best two candidates: a career, corrupt politician whose only appreciable accomplishment is longevity in spite of continuous scandal, and a failed businessman whose only appreciable quality is the lack of establishment support.

Broken promises

Does anyone even notice or care that these candidates cannot do the stuff they promise? For example, no candidate can repeal Obamacare. This was an act of Congress, so executive action can't repeal it.

Noranda buyout

The leveraged buyout and relatively quick sale of Noranda (effectively destroying it) by a Wall Street-based private-equity firm was accurately addressed in a recent letter to the editor. However, the disconnect comes from expressions of horror by those who at the same time harshly object to reasonable regulations reigning in runaway, unfettered capitalism.

Research needed

Who in the world is telling people to think that Ronald Reagan lowered the deficit? That certainly shows a very distorted view of history. I can understand showing enthusiasm for a politician, but this kind of fabrication has no place in a serious discussion. A smidgen of research before posting would be helpful.

None of the above

Ever since I was 21 I have voted, but this year is a bust. I started out voting for the best person for the job then had to vote for the lesser of two evils. This election cycle there is neither the best person for the job or the lesser of two evils, so I am going to write in 'none of the above.' I will still vote because that is my duty as a citizen, but I can also complain about the person elected. If you don't vote you can't complain.

Soundbite legislation

For a long time I just accepted that bills that were just "out there" and stand no chance to legal reasoning were brought forth by state politicians from a county in the southwest part of the state. Apparently with the thought that we should tax illegal drugs, and more so that someone would willingly pay a tax, it's clear the virus has spread to the once sane eastern part of the state. Noble in intentions but daft of substance. The soundbite legislation is all they are looking for.

Political correctness

The TEDx event which you lauded in today's editorial, like most similar events, is little more than simple appeasement and political correctness rather than a factual discussion of hard data. The discussion of genetics was a joke, totally disregarding contemporary research.