I've waited patiently for some sign of remorse from the Clinton Administration, or even some outpouring of outrage by the American people about the raid in Miami Easter weekend. Seeing neither, I would like to apologize to Elian Gonzales. I have no particular standing to do so, but the president won't, and someone should.
The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, a part of our Bill of Rights, guarantees "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures…." Could there be a more violent violation of this right than to have government commandos armed with submachine guns, forcibly abduct you into the night? While your case is pending in a Federal Court, and you are neither a violent nor criminal person, but a six year old child?
If a picture's worth a thousand words, we got it following the appalling conclusion to the Elian Gonzales story: the picture of the INS agent in full battle gear pointing an assault rifle at the terrified six-year-old.
A decade ago, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics backed something called "fuzzy math." Its purpose was for kids to understand what they were doing, rather than to get the right answer. Now, though, they've changed their mind: they're for accuracy. They've even recommended — gasp — memorizing math tables.
Guess who's doing more for the quality of the environment, the EPA or modern technology?
If you wonder how the experiment of the unisex military is going, check out "A Kinder, Gentler Military," by Stephanie Gutman.
"Volatile" is a mild adjective to apply to the stock market lately. The Dow is way up; the Dow is way down. The NASDAQ is way down; the NASDAQ is way up. So does that throw cold water on the idea of letting people put part of their Social Security payroll tax into personal retirement accounts to be invested?
Bi-lingual education is an acknowledged failure. But for those who refuse to give up on it, I have a model for them to turn to.
Two tax notes, in case you missed them. Six years after the republicans took over the house, the tax bite continues to rise. In its annual report, Americans for tax reform tells us tax freedom day comes later again; the average American now works until may 3rd to pay his taxes, and only after that begins working for himself. Since 1992, the year Bill Clinton was elected, the date has moved from April 20th. So despite the rollicking prosperity of the '90s, you're still paying more taxes. Tax cut anybody?
A remarkably candid report from the United Nations development program has admitted what many people have known for a long time: that poverty is often the result of bad central government. And good local government is the best way to fight poverty.
A new report from the General Accounting Office shows how money meant for Medicaid gets wasted by incompetence and what almost smacks of fraud.
Since I've remarked more than once about the awful straits the Canadian Socialized Health Care System has found itself in, I feel I ought to report a bit of good news.
Conservatives are demanding the government cut the gasoline tax. Liberals say we can't afford to cut the tax because Washington needs the money, and besides, the only way to cure Americans of their evil addiction to cars is to raise gas prices, not lower them.
Ronald Reagan used to say that "government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
Ahh, tax day! Our government makes paying taxes so complicated more than half of us simply give up and pay someone else to figure them out.
One of the most ill-advised, scientifically dubious, politically driven environmental moves of recent years may be headed for the ash bin of history. California may be backing down on its early-'90s initiative to require sales of battery-powered electric cars in the state. California has a mandate requiring that the equivalent of 10 percent of cars and light trucks sold in the state, as of 2003 emit no pollution. That would total 22,000 battery-powered vehicles each year.
It's the classic liberal reaction: the United States should do good by attacking child labor in other countries, where child labor is often the difference between a family's eating and starving.
I have good news and bad news. The good news: the nation's economy grew at an unbelievable 7.3 percent in the last quarter of '99. The bad news: the boom has pushed Social Security's bankruptcy date back three years, to 2037.
The Dover Elementary School in Richardson, Texas, a Dallas suburb, presents its teachers with a different type of challenge from most schools. For almost half of Dover's 450 students, English is not the first language. That's not so unusual any longer in many parts of the United States. What is unusual is that they speak 27 different first languages.
Great news! Medical savings accounts are finally flourishing!
There's a saying that no good deed goes unpunished. Florida Governor Jeb Bush has found it's true.
I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis. Great news! Tax cuts are here!
Just not for you.
A recent U.S. conference of mayors report shows how perverse our environmental enforcement has become.
An associated press story recently posed the question whether drug companies favor pets over people. The question arose when some pet owners noticed prescription drugs used for both humans and animals were cheaper when bought from their vet rather than their pharmacist.
My hat's off to the French Communist party.