Corruption at FBI threatens everyone

August 25, 2020

It is more than unfortunate that virtually everything seems to be colored by politics these days. It also may be hazardous to our freedoms. More and more, it is becoming apparent that a few powerful people in the government broke the law in spying on a candidate for president in 2016. Just for a moment, put aside the fact that candidate was Donald J. Trump. What happened to his campaign could just as easily be done to a Democrat instead of a Republican — or to a private citizen instead of a prominent politician. Last week, a former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty in ...

Deadly violence calls for investing in police

August 24, 2020

During the week that ended Aug. 16, more than 30 American children were killed or wounded in shootings across the United States, according to one gun violence archive. Among the most recent tragedies was one in Akron, Ohio. There, Mikayla Pickett, 8, was hit by a bullet fired by one of four people who began shooting at a home where a teenager was having a birthday party. The little girl was rushed to a hospital, where she died. We cannot recall a week this summer in which there was not at least one report of such violence. During the July 4 holiday weekend alone, six children were ...

Et Cetera …

August 22, 2020

‘Chaos’ or resistance? The state of Iowa is facing school reopening “chaos,” as reported by some in the media. The “chaos” is nothing more than fear and resistance to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ reopening plan by the state’s teachers union. Reynolds has set a high bar for schools moving from in-person learning to online instruction, depending on the number of local virus cases. She believes schools should be open — for the kids to learn and their parents to work. Opponents see looming disaster, which seems unlikely. If local virus cases do escalate, Iowa schools can ...

In virus era, resources must be used wisely

August 21, 2020

For many years, local public health agencies were viewed by many Americans as centers for anti-smoking campaigns, immunizations for children in low-income families, enforcers of restaurant cleanliness rules and similar activities. Suddenly last winter, all that changed. Now and probably for many years to come, the term “public health” will be tied solidly to killer epidemics such as COVID-19. Effective local public health agencies have become a matter of life and death. Their longstanding complaints about inadequate funding are receiving new and more favorable attention. Since ...

Congress should pass measure to limit liability

August 20, 2020

Our society has long had a need for legal reform to limit lawsuits and the ridiculous awards of some juries. There is a fundamentally flawed mindset driving civil law, namely that everything is someone else’s fault. The resulting worries about liability drive up the price of everything, including basic products and services; government; and medical care. It’s not that real negligence does not exist and should not be subject to legal recourse. It is the scope and stupidity of some lawsuits that are allowed to flourish. In our society right now, an important piece of legislation ...

‘Legacy’ costs hurt Postal Service the most

August 19, 2020

President Donald Trump is being accused by some of withholding funds available to the U.S. Postal Service, allegedly in order to limit the agency’s ability to handle tens of millions of mailed-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election. If indeed anyone is failing to use resources available to the Postal Service, changes are in order. Billions of dollars in emergency funding linked to the coronavirus epidemic are available already. USPS officials should be using them. In addition, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has suggested another emergency appropriation of ...