Never Waste a Good Crisis

April 22, 2021
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Every politician now knows the famous advice of then-Congressman Rahm Emanuel: “Never allow a good crisis go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do the things you once thought were impossible.” It may be a sad commentary on the state of modern politics, but tactically shrewd. In fact, it works for both sides, whether the […]

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Return of the Living Dead

April 16, 2021

A 1985 comedy/horror film called “Return of the Living Dead” became a cult classic, redefining zombies as brain-eating creatures who can run and talk, survive bullets, and terrorize the city of Louisville. That is, until they encounter a group of punk teenagers – always the heroes of such films. The movie was called a “mordant punk […]

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Who Could Do a Better Job?

April 9, 2021
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A headline in last month’s Evergreen Magazine asked, “Could FEMA do a better job with our wildfire pandemic?” The article traced the history of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the catastrophic wildfires of recent years, and the mismanagement that causes them, asking whether a different federal agency might do a better job. I was reminded […]

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Why Must We Keep Talking About This?

April 2, 2021
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“Why does she keep bringing that up?” “Why won’t he just let it go?” Studies show those are among the most common questions people ask therapists. Therapists respond with impressive words that cost several hundred dollars an hour. I am no doctor, but the simple answer is: because you haven’t fixed the problem yet. I […]

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Picking Losers, and More Losers

March 26, 2021

With another federal oil and gas drilling moratorium looming, fewer pundits are accusing the government of picking winners and losers – because it’s difficult to see any winners. It seems more like the old grade school trick of “heads I win, tails you lose.” The larger question should be, how in the world did the […]

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Hopping Mad About Kangaroos

March 19, 2021

In Australia, hunters kill kangaroos for their hides, which are used to make athletic shoes, especially soccer shoes. At least two American congressmen are hopping mad about it, and aim to put a stop to it. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced a bill called the Kangaroo Protection Act, which would ban […]

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Should I Stay or Should I Go?

March 13, 2021

In the 1980s, when the Clash sang “Should I stay or should I go,” its lyrics include the no-win scenario, “If I go there will be trouble, An’ if I stay it will be double.” That damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t dilemma is a perfect description of the current debate about the headquarters of the U.S. Bureau of […]

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A New Sheriff (and Posse) in Town

March 5, 2021

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held confirmation hearings this week on President Biden’s Interior Secretary nominee, Rep. Deb Haaland. The Committee had already approved the nomination of Jennifer Granholm to be Secretary of Energy, and the Environment and Public Works Committee already approved the EPA Administrator nominee, Michael Regan. Those hearings were civil, […]

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With the Stroke of a Pen

February 26, 2021

After several years of frustration with Congress, President Obama famously said, “We’re not just going to be waiting for legislation. I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone, and I can use that pen to sign executive orders… that move the ball forward.” Much has been written about the use of executive orders by […]

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Saving Places That Don’t Need Saving

February 19, 2021

When Congress created the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it had several clear purposes. Part of the role of national forests was to provide timber and other forest products the country needed, and part of it was to ensure a steady flow of clean water from healthy forests. But the main purpose was to preserve […]

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