Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Dec. 27, 2011, Los Angeles Times. Next month the Supreme Court will consider a controversy over congressional redistricting in Texas that will highlight the importance of a crucial part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act: Section 5, which requires states and localities with a history of voting discrimination […]
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By Daniel Borenstein, San Jose Mercury News When it comes to public-employee pensions in California, what goes up usually can’t come down. At least that’s the prevailing legal theory, severely restricting reform options across the state. As the state pension squeeze intensifies, we soon could see those limits tested. Pensions typically are based on the […]
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By Anna G. Eshoo The Constitution gave birth to the world’s greatest democracy and stands as our country’s timeless statement of our fundamental laws, beliefs and ideals. It requires an oath of office for those selected as guardians of our principles. At the opening of each new Congress, we “solemnly swear … to support and […]
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Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Dec. 23, 2011, Reno Gazette-Journal. If we learned anything from the Great Recession, it’s that gambling can’t save anyone’s budget from the effects of a severe economic downturn. Nevada is the poster child for what happens when state government is too reliant on the gaming industry to keep […]
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By Harold Singer Recent news articles and guest opinions have raised questions about the science behind the Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and the decision to implement it in a recently adopted stormwater discharge permit. While some may take exception to how science is used in policy and regulatory decisions, it is important […]
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By Joshua S. Goldstein “Peace on Earth.” It is each year’s Christmas wish and indeed the great wish of the world’s religions across history.Of course, any realist or cynic can tell you that this wish is an empty hope that will never come true. Oddly, the idealists who march in the streets for peace seem […]
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Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Dec. 15, 2011, Los Angeles Times. The fight in Congress over whether to extend the temporary payroll tax cut has focused in part on the unrelated issues that House Republicans have tied to the measure — most notably the proposed Keystone XL pipeline — and in part on […]
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Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Dec. 21, 2011, Reno Gazette-Journal. Many Nevadans may not care about the specific contents of the more than 100 emails that former Gov. Jim Gibbons tried to keep secret, but the principle set forth by the Nevada Supreme Court in last week’s decision on the controversy is critical […]
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By Robert Reich Wall Street is its own worst enemy. It should have welcomed new financial regulation as a means of restoring public trust. Instead, it’s busily shredding new regulations and making the public more distrustful than ever. The Street’s biggest lobbying groups have just filed a lawsuit against the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, seeking […]
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By Garry Bowen Although this column could easily be my swan song, given the dearth of opportunity here for anyone beyond a South Shore job description, as a long-time local I am hardier than that, especially in a hometown which desperately needs to upgrade their entry into the 21st century, if they ever hope to […]
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