Hear That Lonesome Whistle

September 25, 2020

Who decided that the sound of a train whistle should be described as “lonesome?” I’ve been on a number of trains and in several stations, and there are plenty of people around. Yet the word “lonesome” has long been associated with train whistles. Maybe it was because Jimmie Rodgers recorded “Waitin’ for a Train” and […]

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In the Name of Progress

September 18, 2020

Whenever someone talks about the “good old days,” there is the inevitable question, “good for whom?” America is not perfect, and never was. That’s why they call self-government by ordinary people “the American Experiment.” Every generation tries to come closer to the ideals of the founders, to leave America better for the next generation. Some […]

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What This Country Really Needs

September 11, 2020

Thomas Marshall is one of only nine U.S. Vice President to serve two full terms, though history has nearly forgotten him. He was popular at the time (1913-1921), partly because his speeches were so entertaining. A talented story and joke teller, and a constant wisecracker, he was probably America’s funniest V.P. He described the Senate […]

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A More Principled Approach

September 11, 2020

A popular columnist recently wrote about the need to take “a more principled approach to environmental issues.” I wondered exactly what that means, but soon found that Googling the term “environmental principles” produces dozens of definitions, no two alike, and not even a universal agreement that there are such things. One noted “environmental theory” expert […]

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See You In Court (Again)

August 29, 2020

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Recent reports about the extraordinary number of lawsuits against the Trump Administration verify exactly what some of us predicted. After the 2016 election, it seemed clear that opponents of major policy changes would take their battle to court. That’s because one Party […]

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Lawsuits That Glow in the Dark

August 21, 2020

The Administration recently released a report called “Restoring America’s Competitive Nuclear Advantage,” compiled after an eight-month review by the White House Nuclear Fuel Working Group. That was composed of all the federal agencies involved in nuclear power, nuclear defense, and public lands. It proposes a $150 million strategic uranium reserve (like the petroleum reserve) and revitalizing […]

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The No Action Alternative

August 14, 2020

Former Colorado Senator Gary Hart attracted attention in the 1980s with a proposal to cut America’s defense budget in half. That was not unusual in the post-Vietnam era, but what made Hart stand out (enough to become front-runner for President in 1988) was his insistence that such a plan would strengthen, not weaken, America’s defense. […]

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Choosing the High Ground

August 7, 2020

Stephen Sturgeon, a Utah State University historian, wrote a legislative biography of Western Slope congressman Wayne Aspinall, called “The Politics of Western Water.” He laments that Colorado controls less than half of its water, because of legal requirements. “Colorado has lost nearly every court battle it has fought to keep exclusive control of its water […]

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Imagine Returning to Normalcy

July 24, 2020

Activists from Colorado’s “keep it in the ground” movement – a group opposing all production of all natural resources – are suggesting that “stay at home” orders provide the perfect opportunity to “imagine our world” after the coronavirus pandemic ends. They reason that people have now learned to drive less, travel less, and use public […]

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Getting More From Less

July 17, 2020

One of the easiest ways to explain complex issues is with a good chart. A picture is worth a thousand words. Most people can readily understand the distribution of resources, or financial expenditures, or sources of energy, or a hundred other issues, by looking at a colorful pie chart. A third of something is for […]

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