Environmental protection via the free market

In the winter issue of Green Living Journal, Fritjof Capra’s essay, “Connecting the dots on food, health and the environment,” called for us to teach our children, business leaders and elected officials to keep in mind “systemic thinking” when it comes to the environment and our efforts to protect it. With that particular sentiment [...]

How are our students ‘underserved’ by schools?

An essay by Rick Dalton, CEO of the non-profit organization College for Every Student (CFES), outlines his organization’s approach to improving the educational progress of low-income children. The suggestions Mr. Dalton offers in his essay – which are echoed in more detail on the organization’s website – all make sense, and are, in effect, the [...]

Vermont judge order reflects ignorance of homelessness

It’s not unusual for legislators or judges to make decisions, pass laws, or issue orders that cause significant damage to society. The unfortunate tendency of these folks, once they attain such office, is to think of themselves as superior to the benighted masses they are supposed to represent and serve, and to impose their “wisdom” [...]

A public-policy first: requiring a program to actually work

Those who advocate that criminals be “rehabilitated” rather than punished have, since the beginning of their grand social experiment, ignored the fact that neither they – nor anyone else on Earth – knows how to successfully “rehabilitate” criminals. After tens of billions of taxpayer dollars spent on such efforts, without knowing whether they stood a [...]

Government regulations worsen homelessness

On a huge number of issues, our state and federal government actually exacerbate existing problems, or even create problems where none existed previously. One egregious example is that of homelessness, an issue that comes up every time the weather turns cold. In fact, in Rutland recently, there was a candle-light vigil held to raise awareness [...]

Obama’s ‘Stimulus’ plan has been tried – and it failed

As the incoming Obama administration watches its job get tougher with each day, it’s working hard to come up with a plan that convinces everyone the new president means business. Unfortunately, a new president with something to prove is the last thing the economy needs, and Obama’s proposal to dump a trillion dollars into the [...]

“If it saves even one child…”

It is my contention that our politicians’ choices routinely result in the needless deaths of citizens, children included. How? Read on… I promise, it’s painless.
Nobody wants to answer the question, “How much is the life of a child worth?” because any answer other than “Priceless” is cold-hearted and inhuman. For a parent who has lost [...]