Monthly Archives: March 2010

Critics called it “a cruel hoax and a delusion,” a socialist program that would compete with private insurers and kill jobs. If it passes, Americans will feel “the lash of the dictator,” and “end the progress of a great country.” One New York Repubican Representative said, “Never in the history of the world has any measure been brought here so insidiously designed as to prevent business recovery, to enslave workers.” We were told that to cooperate with it would be “complicity in evil.” Continue reading →

I wonder about someone like Susan Gills, whose letter appeared in the Friday, March 26th Daily Camera. She writes that she has protested at Dr. Warren Hern’s clinic since 2008. What personal motivations, what past experiences in her own life might lead a person like her to do something so intrusive? Continue reading →

I’m ecstatic about the recent passing of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Our future as a nation and in the world relies upon a population of educated people with specialized skills. The smarter we make our country, the stronger we will be. Continue reading →

There is no greater investment in the future of America then a college education. We must support all students that want to go to college with affordable grants and loans that will increase access to better schools and limit heavy debt loads on parents. I praise the President and Congress for passing this latest legislation that will include 1) reform of the Pell Grant program to provide additional and higher grants to students, 2) ending costly govt subsidies to financial institutions, and 3) capping repayment amounts to 10% of a graduate’s income – all while reducing the federal deficit. With these newest reforms, the administration is confirming its commitment to education of our children and investing in the future of America. Continue reading →

I supported the student loan reform and am glad that the bill was signed into law. This bill will provide many families of students assistance with the financial aid many require in order to attempt completing a college education today. Escalating costs for education have made attendance at a four year institution nearly unaffordable especially when more than one child is in college at the same time. Continue reading →

Once again, the government is taking over what the private sector should be doing. This time it is student loans. The government will now be in total control of lending money for education in this country (except one bank in North Dakota that had to be exempted to buy a vote on health care). I don’t think this administration understands how finance works: Banks get money from depositors (who they pay interest to), and then loan it to borrowers (who pay a higher interest). The government HAS NO MONEY TO LEND! They only have taxpayers to take the money from, which they don’t have to pay back, or they BORROW from other countries, or they print it. None of these is a sustainable business model. There is no incentive to rein in costs, they don’t worry about profit, and they have no competition. Continue reading →

At a time when we are suffering budget and economic difficulties of crisis proportion, Athletic Director, Mike Bohn is worth his weight in gold. And that’s a lot of gold. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have direct access to his athleticism and coaching abilities, but it seems he has his priorities straight under current conditions. His communication skills, persuasive demeanor and genuine candidness are beyond reproach and in great demand at the University. Mike Bohn is an obvious asset to the University. Continue reading →

So now that the Democrats have managed to pass health care “reform” that the majority of the American public doesn’t want, what’s next? Since it is only the majority of democrats that wanted this, I guess you have to head for more democratic supported pet legislation such as “comprehensive immigration reform” (amnesty) and cap and trade, both supported by democrats but not by the majority of the American people. Continue reading →

I don’t remember looking forward to an installment in the Camera as I have following your piece(s) on the Scott Kimball case. Great work, fascinating, albeit totally tragic. Unbelievable scope of time and effort by so many. Kudos to you and all the staff who worked with you on this! Continue reading →

The behavior of the Republicans in the fight over health care has been deplorable, and continues to be so even now. Disagreeing on the substance of the bill is one thing, although they offered no constructive suggestions and showed no willingness to compromise to make the bill better. But the vituperative attitude with which they have conducted themselves is inexcusable. They have played with our legislative system, looking for inane “points of order” to stymie the process, submitting meaningless amendments to the reconciliation bill just to take up time, firing up their brick-throwing followers, and setting the worst possible example for our children, instead of working cooperatively to forge a better health care system for their constituents and the American people. Continue reading →

The violence against Democrats that voted for the Health Insurance Reform is deplorable. Why is it that when people had violent rotests against the Iraq war, it was called civil disobedience and when people have violent against health insurance reform, it is called vandalism? When the war protesters shouted vile names at Bush, it was freedom of speech and patriotic, but when the tea partiers shout at members of Congress, it is hate speech. Continue reading →

BVSD administration says they are trying to keep cuts away from the classroom as much as possible and they are increasing class size by an average of only one student. In reality, it doesn’t work that way since increasing class size is a result of cutting teachers. Consider the situation where A BVSD high school with a freshman class of 400 students needs 14 sections of a required subject (math, science, English) to accommodate 28 students per class. In a seven-period day, with two of these required classes per period, four teachers are needed, two teachers for periods 1-5 and two teachers for periods 6 and 7. Each teacher for periods 1-5 has a total of 144 students (a couple of classes will have more than 28 students) , and each teacher for periods 6 and 7 has 56 students. Now, if you cut one of the teachers teaching periods 6 and 7, those 56 students are re-assigned equally to the remaining three teachers throughout the remaining 12 sections. Continue reading →

This week the first “Race to the Top” federal education grants were announced, with $500,000 going to Tennessee and $100,000 going to Delaware. Colorado’s grant request was rejected. Teacher accountability through pay for performance and union acceptance of change were specifically noted as reasons why the awards went to those states. Colorado’s teachers unions, including those representing teachers in Boulder Valley School District, consistently oppose any form of accountability or measurement in their jobs, unlike the rest of the employed world. Until the teachers’ unions accept that they should be measured, rewarded for good results and penalized for bad results, Colorado will continue to have no chance of receiving Federal funding for innovative education improvement. Score 1 for teacher comfort and job security, 0 for the kids. Continue reading →

Last week, President Obama signed sweeping “health care” legislation that created a major rift over costs and other issues.
In 2009, we spent $2.5 trillion, or more than $8,000 per person, on medical care. That’s 17% of our GDP – more than any other country. And even these outrageous numbers don’t account for the economic toll of lost productivity, or the emotional toll of disease and death. Continue reading →

1975 was a seminal year in the fight for gay civil rights.
Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich came out as an openly gay man to the United States Air Force and fought for his right to serve his country in March of 1975.
Professional football running back David Kopay came out of the closet to crusade for honesty about sexual orientation in professional sports in December of 1975.
Boulder County Clerk Clela Rorex issued the first equality marriage licenses in the United States creating an international uproar in 1975.
How far have we come?
For those really serious about advancing the civil rights of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders, we have to stop shouting at our flat screens and start shouting in front of the churches, and schools and the political offices of those who oppose us. Nobody’s listening to your tweets anymore. Go out on the street and yell. Continue reading →

Catholic priests seem to have a problem of pedophilia within their ranks, and now even the Pope has been implicated in efforts to cover up the problem and protect the pedophiles from prosecution. One possible cause of the pedophile problem is sexual frustration stemming from the Church’s banning of marriage and normal sexual activity by its priests. But I think an equally important cause may be the tendency of young men who are already distressed by some aberrant nature of their sexual desires to join the priesthood as an escape from societal expectations and a cover for their lack of normal sexual behavior. Some may also seek, in a commitment to a priestly life, a “cure” for their aberration. Continue reading →

I am responding to the letter by Ward Anthony (Open Forum, March 27) and his attempt to define a human being. He seems to understand that humans go through developmental stages, but struggles defining exactly when a human being is fully human. Mr. Anthony claims a human fetus is “only potentially human.” The closest Mr. Anthony comes to defining a human as fully human is when he or she “becomes a fully independent human.” The term “fully independent” and how that defines one as human leaves a lot of room for interpretation. However, if we look at the facts of human development we can actually determine, without question, when a human is fully human. Continue reading →

The Boulder Planning Department and local developers are once again proposing to allow construction of industrial-scale apartments and condos on the south side of Canyon. Why there? Why so near to our historic neighborhoods? Continue reading →

The media has done a great job of giving attention to those few crazy Americans willing to break windows and threaten people and those who believe that no one has a right to live unless they can afford health care. However, I’d like to say that the 5 second blip, NBC News gave a woman from the Tea Party yesterday, was just to stir the waters. The woman proclaimed that more Americans are against Health Care Reform than for it. That is a blatant falsehood and giving voice to it only adds to the drama and insecurities. Continue reading →

The truth is that if mankind treated their so called best friend the way they claim, there would be little need for a Dumb Friends League let alone celebrating 100 years of its’ existence. Pets are treated in many cases like a consumer product that is purchased on impulse and thrown away to the Animal Shelter or abandoned in the mountains after the novelty wears off. Make an analogy to people who have children without considering: the economic or parental responsibilities and time commitments; the change in their life style; and the impact on others/neighbors. Yes, joyous thoughts with Fido can turn into a burden quickly. Continue reading →