By Les Dunaway
The economy will be THE underlying issue in politics for the foreseeable future. America has, finally, woken-up to the fact that spending money we don’t have must stop. Now the conversation is turning to how do we dig out of the hole the tax & spenders have gotten us into. To answer that question, we must look at what’s likely and/or possible for the next 20 years. … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
Graduation, whether it be from high school, from a technical college or university is always a family event worth celebrating – especially for the graduate. It is an accomplishment worth celebrating. And my family is no different – we will be celebrating the graduation of two grandchildren, grandson Cody Barnett from high school in Gainesville Georgia and granddaughter Erin Shaw from Brigham Young University in … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
On May 16, 2011, the Georgia Supreme Court by a 4-3 margin struck down
as unconstitutional the law that allows a state commission to supplement
local schools with charter schools. For students in charter schools –
like the Ivy Prep School, an all girls school that ‘provides rigorous,
college preparatory program for young women’ (68% African-American and
40% from low income families), the court’s decision dampens … Read more...
By Donald S. Conkey
Was the killing of Osama bin Laden a coup or was it a diversion. Perhaps it was both! It was a coup from the standpoint of him being on a presidential “hit list” for over ten years, but it was also a diversion to divert attention away from the ten years America has been spending itself into near bankruptcy. The question now, after the CIA found … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
On May 7, 2011, first lady Michelle Obama, echoing President Barack
Obama, addressed the success of the United States military in killing
Osama bin Laden. She made her remarks in Iowa, the first state to
decide in the 2012 election cycle. The last time she was in Iowa was to
campaign in the 2008 presidential election.
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
On May 6, 1999 the Tribune published my first Mother’s Day tribute to my mother. Ironically the day it was published was the day Mother was buried in the family cemetery in Huron County, Michigan.
That was a difficult day. But sooner or later most of us figure it out that mankind came into mortality for a grand purpose: to be tested and tried and … Read more...
By John Douglas
All of us can remember what are called “gotcha moments,” moments in time when something important happened and we can recall years later where we were when we first heard the news. Such was the attack on Pearl Harbor for our older citizens, the assassination of President Kennedy for my generation and the attacks of 9/11/01 for most of us. This past week we added another gotcha … Read more...
By John Douglas
Until now, historians generally consider our 15th President, James Buchanan to have been the worst President in American history. While in office from 1857-1861, he sat by and did nothing to halt the oncoming War Between the States and the sectional crisis that was tearing the nation apart. Fortunately for America, Buchanan chose not to run for reelection and went home, making way for Abraham Lincoln.
That … Read more...
By Les Dunaway
Well, this has been an interesting week and not all bad. The world got to see Ben Bernanke admit, live and in color, that his Fed can’t do much about unemployment and then tell us the inflation that’s hurting every American family “won’t last long”. It would have been interesting to understand the logic that led him to that conclusion.
Larry Kudlow “Gold Slams Bernanke” … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
The answer to this question depends, I suppose, on the issue causing a public uproar. History reminds us that ‘public uproars’ have been around for a long time. Some have led to peaceful change while others have led to wars and blood baths for millions of people.
Public uproars are a part of governing. America’s Revolutionary and Civil Wars were public uproars. The Tea Party … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
A little over 50 years ago, at age 33, my life changed forever when I entered the waters of baptism and covenanted with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and become one of his disciples.
Baptisms, regardless of one’s personal faith, are considered to be a time for family celebrations – a time to rejoice. But my baptism created just the opposite – it created … Read more...
By Les Dunaway
We’ve heard lots about America’s debt in the past weeks – unless you watch the 6 o’clock news, then all you’ve heard about is shootings and wrecks. Some commentators would have you believe that debt is bad. No, debt is not bad. Debt is a business tool. Arguably, the most important business tool. Look around, every thing you see – buildings, roads, hospitals, …. were built … Read more...