Opinion
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‘The Solution’ to Public Education Woes
Opinion -I recently received a letter from the former superintendent of a public school system in Illinois. -
Replacing Dwarfs with Giants
Opinion -Balzac called the bureaucracy "a gigantic force driven by dwarfs." In our generation, his definition aptly describes public education in America. Don't get me wrong. -
Time for a New Look at Recycling
Opinion -Recycling is popular. Across the country, Americans willingly separate their trash into "regular" and "recyclable" containers. New York City alone collects over 2,000 tons of recyclables per day. But there's a catch. -
Hard Choices: Environmentalists and the Forests
Opinion -More than twenty years ago, I was one of a dozen or so activists who founded Greenpeace in the basement of the Unitarian Church in Vancouver. The Vietnam war was raging and nuclear holocaust seemed closer every day. -
Disestablish the Green Cathedrals
Opinion -Could the recent Republican landslide lead to major reform of environmental policy? Will we see a dismantling of bureaucratically controlled ecological central planning in favor of local initiative and private environmental stewardship? -
Revitalizing Public Education in Illinois
Opinion -There is no more important issue today than the education of our children. -
Educational Choice: It Really Works in Vermont
Opinion -Since 1869, Vermont has had an educational choice system for students from towns that do not maintain their own public schools or belong to union school districts. -
Do the Arts Need the NEA?
Opinion -The National Endowment for the Arts is fighting for its life, as newly empowered Republicans in Washington have targeted the NEA for extinction. Many artists are angry about this possibility and believe that only ignorance or malevolence can explain it. -
Do the Arts Need the NEA?
Opinion -The National Endowment for the Arts is fighting for its life, as newly empowered Republicans in Washington have targeted the NEA for extinction. Many artists are angry about this possibility and believe that only ignorance or malevolence can explain it. -
Bad Economics Kills 68 on Flight 4184
Opinion -On October 31, 1994, in a muddy northern Indiana soybean field, American Eagle Flight 4184 from Indianapolis to Chicago went down, killing all 68 passengers. -
Angels of Mercy
Opinion -It was Halloween. Children were already at the door collecting candy. Then we heard the news that American Eagle flight 4184 had just plowed into a Northern Indiana cornfield. -
Disposing of the Medical Waste Problem
Opinion -No terrorist could have devised a better plan to jeopardize biomedical research and deny modern medical treatments to Americans who desperately need them. -
New Lessons for Health Care Reformers
Opinion -Government-run health care stood trial twice in 1994, once in Washington D.C. and again in California. It was a two-time loser. Health care in America must be reformed. There is ample evidence of waste and fraud in the current system. -
Health Care Reform: Lessons from Missouri
Opinion -Contrary to the official "spin" coming out of Jefferson City, Missouri, special interest groups, lobbyists, and big bucks did not cause the legislative defeat of that state's far-reaching health care reform proposal. -
Finding Alternatives to Higher Taxes
Opinion -Illinois taxpayers are about to encounter a well-orchestrated campaign for a major permanent tax increase in 1995. -
New Hope for Regulatory Reform
Opinion -When Congress repealed the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit law in December 1995, the safety experts at the U.S. Department of Transportation predicted that up to 6,400 more people would die every year. -
The Hysteria over Dioxin
Opinion -The popular press has given extensive coverage to the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on dioxin. -
Competition for Wall Street Means Economic Growth for Main Street
Opinion -New electronic systems for trading stocks could end the financial abuse suffered by investors when buying and selling small, over-the-counter (OTC) stocks. Such systems can spur economic growth, benefiting investors, business firms, and employees. -
Prince William Sound: Getting the Story Right
Opinion -The 1989 oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound was a terrible accident. It should never happen again. The damage awards now coming out of Alaska jury rooms will encourage oil companies to make sure it doesn't. -
Guaranteeing Health Benefits Is No Cure
Opinion -Health care reformers want to make sure that every American has basic medical care. Most reform bills in Congress thus include a "minimum benefits package. -
The Folly of Employer-Based Health Insurance
Opinion -While debating whether to force employers to provide health insurance to their employees, Congress should take the opportunity to re-evaluate the notion of employer-based health insurance. -
Health Care Rights and Responsibilities
Opinion -Most politicians in Washington and many citizens believe "universal coverage" is a proper goal of health care reform. -
Michigan’s Teacher Bargaining Law: A Model for Illinois
Opinion -All across America, parents and local school boards are wrestling with a growing problem--the political and economic clout of teacher unions. One state--Michigan- -has finally done something about it. -
The ’94 Crime Bill: Shooting Hoops in the Dark
Opinion -The crime bill currently being debated in Congress, if passed, will go down in history as one of the most colossal failures ever to come from Capitol Hill. The bill is chock-full of political pork, repeats old mistakes, and will not prevent crime.