By
Richard Arena
Serious students of the Constitution know that the federal government is operating well beyond the bounds of the powers the states delegated to it. Those who defend this extra-constitutional power expansion argue that the Founders could not have envisioned the complexities and advanced technologies of the 21st century and therefore the need for corresponding additional federal powers.
In fact the Framers did anticipate the need to modify … Read more...
(unedited version here)
The 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact continues on its way toward Congressional consideration. President Obama and the 11 other heads of state will formally sign the agreement in New Zealand on February 4, paving the way for Obama to send the agreement to Congress. Once he does, Congress has 90 days to make its “yes or no” choice.
Whatever the agreement’s impact on the American … Read more...
By
Tom Barksdale
In October, the United States and 10 other Pacific rim countries, after five years of secret negotiations, reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest free-trade agreement ever concluded. President Obama must wait 90 days after the formal announcement of the final TPP agreement before signing the pact and sending it to Congress; that could happen by Feb. 4. Lawmakers would then work with the administration … Read more...
By
Mary Kay Bacallao, Ed. D.
The U.S. Senate Education Committee met with House members and approved a compromise version of the Every Student Succeeds Act last week. They plan a full vote on the bill shortly after Thanksgiving. The “Sense of Congress” as expressed in the House version, flies in the face of the 10th Amendment. Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution lists the enumerated powers of … Read more...
By
Dr. Mary Kay Bacallao
E Pluribus Unum, on U.S. coins is Latin for “out of many, one.” Part of America’s national identity has been connected to the use of one language. Immigrants from many lands and language groups have assimilated into the United States. Learning English has been a large part of that process. New education legislation, passed in 2015, requires schools to test certain students in other languages, … Read more...
Jewish Political Perspective
By
Larry Laibson
Introduction
In Part I of this paper, I outlined the historical Jewish political perspective which is unique to America. Jews have consistently been Democratic with the largest majority of any group overall (Blacks are the largest Democratic voting bloc in recent elections after switching over from the Republican Party many years ago). This is an interesting phenomenon as Jews in other countries are more … Read more...
By
Larry Laibson
Introduction
Historically, Jews have been Liberal and in the U.S. associated with the Democrat Party. Other than Blacks, Jews historically have lopsidedly voted Democratic. Why? What is the Jewish political perspective? Is it changing? How has the U.S. Israel relationship, especially under President Obama and the current Iran Nuclear Deal, affected the Jewish voter? Are the Demographics changing for the 2016 Elections?
I am a Conservative Jew. … Read more...
By
Richard Arena
Three years ago Metro-Atlanta voters roundly rejected a one percent (1%) transportation tax when the public learned that the proposed T-SPLOST was not a remedy for Atlanta’s chronic traffic congestion as promoted but actually a taxpayer funded stimulus for developers who planned to transform Metro-Atlanta from a predominantly suburban landscape into a high-density, high-rise environment concentrated along MARTA rail lines.
While Metro voters roundly rejected urbanization, still … Read more...
by Richard J. Arena
Two shocking rulings handed down by the Supreme Court this week – one, King V. Burwell, rewriting the precise language of the Affordable Health Care Act, the other, Obergefell V. Hodges, assuming federal authority to define marriage, illuminate a central flaw in the American system of government – as it now exists. That flaw is the lack of a realistic institutional check on unconstitutional federal activities.… Read more...
By
Randy Evans
No doubt, Gov. Nathan Deal has already made a lasting impact on Georgia’s courts. Just into his second term, he has appointed almost 60 judges to the State (18) and Superior (34) courts, as well as the Georgia Tax Tribunal (2), the Georgia Court of Appeals (4) and the Georgia Supreme Court (1).
While legislators and the governor pass laws, courts interpret them. And, how they interpret … Read more...
By
Paul L. Nally
Not To ask what price our Liberty, but what price inattention to it.
Mrs. Katharine Johnston’s death should never have happened. Then the Habersham child and now David Hooks.
As a former Police Chief and Judge, I have found it useful to look to the past for guidance and understanding. In 1604 Lord Coke ruled that (paraphrasing) a man’s home is his castle, and if the … Read more...
by Larry Laibson
The general public is significantly confused on the complex “alphabet soup” trade proposals being talked about in Congress and the Media. Something as important as this 11 Nation deal that encompasses a broad spectrum of areas, including but not limited to “Trade, should be transparent at least on its overall scope and general objectives. The absence of this transparency, especially with the many time spoken goals of … Read more...