Editorial

Legislators reduced some corporate welfare spending By JAMES M. HOHMAN While there were important laws passed in the statehouse in 2019, what didn’t get passed was just as noteworthy. There was no large tax increase, despite it being governor’s highest priority. There was less road funding in the budget, despite a consensus between legislators and the governor that that the state ought to spend more on road repairs. The year 2019 was light on business subsidies, and our business subsidy scorecard — which records legislators’ votes … [Read more...] about Michigan on pace for smallest increase in business subsidies in years

Donald Trump isn’t George W. Bush. That should be obvious to everyone by now, but his critics and even some of his supporters immediately acted as if it were 2003 on the cusp of the Iraq War when Trump took out Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. Suddenly, the neocons had cachet again (Vox warned that “the Iraq War hawks are back”), and we were about to launch yet another endless war. Trump’s decision to kill Soleimani, New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote, repeating a common refrain, “has brought the United States … [Read more...] about Neither neocon nor isolationist

By LEE H. HAMILTON You no doubt remember the old line attributed to Ben Franklin when he was asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had created: “A republic, if you can keep it!” Well, I’ve noticed an interesting thing in recent years: it’s got bi-partisan appeal. Last fall, for instance, within a few weeks of each other House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used it when she announced the impeachment inquiry and Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s first Court appointee, published a book using the line … [Read more...] about Fixing the system is up to all of us

Pardon my sharing a personal preference, but I don’t give a rat’s patootie about the opinions of some showbiz notables because, notwithstanding their star power, they usually don’t really know what they’re talking about. Once, I was covering a political story and a prominent actress who happened to be nearby decided that she would love to express her opinion, ON TV, and expected me to jump at the chance because she was a celeb. So she sent some lackey over to request that I put her on right away. When I politely declined, he … [Read more...] about Newsbiz and showbiz

One danger Iran presents to the world is ideological, but the greatest threat it poses is nuclear. If Iran, a regime with ties to terrorism, were to develop weapons of mass destruction, then global security would be imperiled. The United States recognizes the risks. That’s why President Donald Trump is using sanctions to compel Iran to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear agreement. He saw the deal as too weak and too narrow. So how about America’s European allies who also were signatories: Where do they stand on strengthening the accord? … [Read more...] about Europe puts the squeeze on Iran — finally

Never before has a boon to public health been met with such hysteria and ingratitude. Vaping is almost all upside in comparison with traditional smoking, a wanton destroyer of health and lives, and yet the nation is in the grips of a panic about e-cigarettes. In a rarity for the Trump era, the anti-vaping sentiment jumps traditional geographic and political bounds, running from the Oval Office to San Francisco, from President Donald Trump to his most fervent enemies. Trump has announced a proposed Food and Drug Administration … [Read more...] about The absurd crusade against vaping

OK, zoomers: Here is your trigger warning. What was the name of Roy Rogers’ horse? The answer is Trigger. You were warned. For those who are wondering who in tarnation is Roy Rogers, he called himself the “King of the Cowboys” and was one of the big stars of Western shoot-’em-up movies. Those films really contributed to the cultural mindset that has made us such a gun-totin’ country today, which results in one assault weapon massacre after another. If you’re wondering who zoomers are, they make up Generation Z, and have barely … [Read more...] about OK, zoomers

On Sunday, the kind of news no one wants to see slid across the landscape. There was a shooting at a church in White Settlement outside of Fort Worth, and there were casualties. But as we delved into the details, we will admit feeling first a sense of relief that the loss of life was not larger — two innocent lives were lost along with the assailant — and then a sense of gratitude. Our gratitude, which was also felt by Gov. Greg Abbott, comes from the knowledge that this mass shooter would have likely incurred a lot more mayhem … [Read more...] about A church shooting near Fort Worth ends because good guys with guns fought back

President Donald Trump’s impeachment letter to Nancy Pelosi is nothing if not sincere. The missive establishes, if there were any doubt, that Trump hates impeachment with a passion, and he expresses his contempt in his own inimitable voice — scornful, hyperbolic, colloquial, on brand (Russia Witch Hunt, Do Nothing Democrats, etc.) and, above all, aggrieved. We’ve never had a president in the modern era who has actively cultivated an image of victimhood, a posture that once would have been considered whiny and weak, but that … [Read more...] about The victim president

I don’t know if they take attendance in schools anymore. Maybe surveillance cameras, facial recognition and all the other high-tech intrusions make it unnecessary, but back in the day, the teacher would always start out with the roll call. You were expected to announce “here” when your name was called. But there was always one guy who would say “present,” just to be different. There is also one in the House of Representatives. Actually, Tulsi Gabbard is not a guy at all; she’s a congresswoman, an alleged Democrat from Hawaii. When … [Read more...] about The role call