Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Chris Blattman’s Blog: “An open letter to Senator Chuck Grassley from an Iowan high school student”

Someone far younger than us has seen the false logic of the Republicans in resisting the selection of a Supreme Court Justice. “The argument many Republicans are making is that Barack Obama is a ‘lame duck’ president, and, because “the people have not spoken,” he should not be allowed to nominate a replacement for Justice […]

More to the Story on Killing the VHA

run75441: Ater I posted my article on the VA, it received a comment from Suzanne Gordon who writes on healthcare and has covered VA healthcare at her blog and also at American Prospect; Unfriendly Fire Fall 2015. Unfriendly Fire discusses the VHA coming under severe criticism from Libertarian ideologues and conservative right wing politicians even […]

7 Million at Risk from Man-made Quakes

Interesting Vox article on natural and manmade earthquakes my fellow Vet and cohort in writing Mark Jamison sent me. This year for the first time ever the USGS is including a map of areas in the US which may be prone to human-induced earthquakes” in addition to areas which are prone to natural earthquakes. “By […]

“Post Post Work Post”

As one of those manufacturing people who improve throughput, I often read Sandwichman who writes for “Econospeak BlogSpot I hope you enjoy his analysis of robots replacing humans and the resulting availability of time off. Wait a minute, does a post work society giving time off really take place? “Automation may mean a post-work society […]

“The Battle for VA Healthcare and Its Funding”

VA healthcare has its faults; but, it still is one of the more successful examples of publicly funded healthcare even while hampered by a lack of funding to provide more capacity in strategic places for new Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and aging Vietnam veterans like myself. Libertarian Pete Hegseth, a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq […]

MI Pushing the 85th Percentile “Again”

Michigan has had an issue fixing its roads and for the last two years the Republican controlled Legislature and the Republican Governor have not been able to decide or agree on what the solution might be. I believe what has been decided was an increase in gas taxes, some money from the imaginary general fund […]

Why the Refuge Protestors May Have Been Right

Protests have always been a part of America and this one at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge appears to be no different. Violence and the taking of life when it does not have to occur has also played a part in the protests. It was no different at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. In the past […]

US Federal Marshals Picking Up Student Loan Defaulters . . .

Alan Collinge of the Student Loan Justice Org sent me an email yesterday. Bad Stuff from Texas . . . Hey Bill! This is a scary story. They are arresting people en masse in Texas over student loan debt. I got on the Thom Hartmann show to talk about it: https://youtu.be/a1OBJGs2PeE There’s no direct tie-in […]

A Slippery Slope Indeed

Mark Jamison has been a guest columnist of the Smoky Mountain News on several occasions now arguing against the addition of the Koch sponsored Center for Free Enterprise. This is another well written expose of why this addition should not be allowed at Western Carolina University. I would point out the flip-flopping going on as […]