Serious stuff that has been published in Colorado newspapers
To Heal is not to Heel, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/28/21
A true Chrismas Miracle, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/25/20
Boulder County buzz kill on short term rentals, Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/17/20
Find a way to make schools work, Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/17/20
Staying at Home wasn't Safer, Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/31/20
Governor Polis gets it right, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/23/20
Squash the sombrero but not too much, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 3/30/20
Does Boulder choose grievance over harmony?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/25/19
Boulder at the Crossroads, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 10/30/19
Get back to the knitting, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 7/27/19
Keep Hick at the table, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/21/19
Popular vote agreement is gutless and lazy, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 2/1/19.
C'mon millennials, or you'll miss the best part, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/24/18.
Roads and buses aren't free, ya' know, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/29/18
Two worries about a Governor Polis, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/15/18
Coloring lessons, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/24/18
Forget Boulder, we are the world, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/19/18
Don't just blame Facebook, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/10/18
CU is getting it right, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 2/22/18
Quit squawking and legalize marijuana, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/8/18
Democrats' class act, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/7/17
Be a Buddhist, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/23/17
A Whopper and a fantasy about Muni, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/18/17. Stories we are told about Boulder's plans to take over our electrical production and distribution have gone beyond good storytelling and well into fantasy and news that is about as fake as it comes.
A Tale of two Democrats, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 9/25/17/. Skip what politicians say and watch what they do if you want to know their real intentions. We got a good look at the differences between two Colorado Democrat, Michael Bennett and Jared Polis, by watching how they behaved at a critical moment when bipartisanship was needed.
Google the hard stuff, too, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 8/14/17. Google can't seem to win trying to help women into their workforce and everyone is talking about it. But, nobody seems to want to talk about why women aren't thriving like men in America's technology workforce.
Fireworks and Immigration, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 7/16/17. An already eventful Fourth of July turned into a great reminder of how important immigrants have been throughout our history, all during a great fireworks display.
Cheer up, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/22/17. Boulder is a great place and just seems to keep getting better. But, it seems that local and national issues have turned us into a town full of grumpy people. Time to take stock.
Pillaging Millenials, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/11/17. We baby boomers have been running scams on Millenials for some time now to get them to transfer some of their scarce wealth into our retirement plans. Obamacare was part of this and the new health care act coming out of the US Congress may stop this intergenerational theft.
Take the deal, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/4/17. The never ending saga of a Boulder takeover of the electrical system can end now and in a way where everyone wins. But that can only happen if the City takes the opportunity before them.
He's from where?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, February 2017. Wait a minute... the guy who just got nominated by President Trump to be our new conservative Supreme Court Justice came from where? Boulder, Colorado? The People's Republic? Really?
Laws of Nature, meet Boulder Housing affordability, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, February 2017. All of the planning and hoping in the world is not going to stop Boulder housing from following two laws of human nature that define marketplaces everywhere, the laws of supply and demand..
Hear what the deplorables have to say, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, December 2016. Turns out that the deciding vote in this election may have come from those whom Hillary Clinton chose to call the "deplorables." Maybe the rest of us ought to stop villifying them and start listening to what they have to say.
Kicking and screaming all the way to Thanksgiving, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/24/16. Donald Trump is going to be our President? Boy, we didn't see that coming! But, apoplexy is not a useful form of political discourse, so we need to move on sooner or later. How about Thanksgiving?
Colorado Care starts the conversation, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/26/16. The ballot amendment for universal health care in Colorado is bound to fail, but it still has great value in getting a conversation going in what we really want our health care system to look like.
Maybe Just listening isn't enough, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/5/16. Our local government spends a lot of time listening to us but it doesn't seem to have much effect on what they end up doing.
Boulder County's failing brain trust, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 8/30/16. With the genuinely lame ideas coming out of BOulder County government these days, it's time to ask ourselves if we can do better.
Boulder's legacy – How to build active lifestyles, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, August 2016. We do a lot of things well in this town, but encouraging all of us to live actively is certainly one of them.
Nature is not that fragile, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, June 2016. Good heavens. You'd think that anywhere a human even looked at hurt nature. It doesn't have to be that way and, in reality, it usually isn't.
Free-range bathrooms, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, May 2016. The US Government just mandated that sex doesn't matter in picking your bathroom any more, so I'm going for the one with the short line. But, I have my standards...
Stop this Nablus nonsense, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, April 2016. Boulder really doesn't have anything better to do than to consider getting in the middle of the Arab-Isreali conflict?
Donald Trump can win the presidency, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, March 2016. No one believes it possible, but this Presidential race is getting scary all of a sudden.
What's wrong with you guys?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 2/10/16. The Language Police showed up in town and tried to take away one of my favorite terms of endearment, "you guys." They need to quit that.
America's Political Earthquake, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 1/19/16. What is going on with the American presidential campaign. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump might be our choices this November? While that prospect might seem scary, maybe what it's telling us about what Americans expect from political candidates is good news after all.
City Council should take its own advice, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 12/3/15. After the recent local election, City Council members are asking the media to start showing, "more love than anger." But, right out of the box, they put forth a proposal bound to generate conflict on an issue that will affect nothing. Maybe what they need are some ideas on baby steps they could take to make us feel the love.
Boulder's progressive crisis, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 11/4/15. Oh oh. Lots of fussing amongst Boulder progressives as we enter into an existential crisis.
You say you want a revolution, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 10/21/15. Boulder citizens are mad as hell and they aren't going to take it anymore, or so it seems.
Just throw away the boys, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/14/15. Congressman Jared Polis tips his hand and lets everyone know know just how unimportant he thinks it is when colleges kick out innocent boys.
Summer silly season and back to school, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 8/27/15. What a great summer of political silliness we've had! Donald Trump, Right-sizing, the crazy Greeks, Hillary and the email servers...
The more things change..., published in the Boulder Daily Camera, July 2015. Boulder wants to be a leader in the world but, at the same time, we like things just the way they are and want to change nothing. We are conflicted...
Will right-sizing work? published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/18/15. Big new idea in Boulder about how to get more people on their bikes by making car lanes smaller. Sounds interesting, but scary. Will it work?
Prudes and old fogies, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/1/15. Oh no! Somebody dropped a few f-bombs and got a young crowd interested in Boulder politics, and the Baby Boomers turned into prudes and old fogies.
Buy some art, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 4/21/15. We are an affluent town of people with fine taste, or so we think. If that's the case, where is all the public art?
Wrong answer for higher education, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 3/2/15. Free tuition at community colleges? Is that really the best idea this President has for solving real problems in American higher education?
Muni's Environmental Cost, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 1/20/15. The time and energy being spent by the city of Boulder to take over the electrical system has ended up with more adverse environmental impacts than will ever be realized from the city's fantasies.
Boulder's Rolling Stone, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/10/14. Rolling Stone magazine got in a pickle by publishing an unsubstantiated and, in the end, false "expose" of sexual harassment on college campuses. Here in Boulder, we have a Philosophy Department at CU that is being treated unfairly for the same reasons.
Boulder's new election system has risks, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 11/20/14. Wow. All mail voting and only signatures to prove that the votes weren't fraudulent. Tenuous, but it could be good if it worked right. I did some investigative journalism and got a job verifying signatures, and here's what I found.
Colorado lessons for American politics, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 10/26/14. Goofy politics is still on full display in Colorado, and we are teaching things to the rest of the country.
Look before you vote, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/28/14. Really, people, do we really just vote for the political party and not the person? How could this ever have become true and how can it be true today? We all need to look harder.
Don't let Council take control of electricity in secret, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 8/24/14. Boulder City Council is asking citizens to allow them to meet in secret only for the purposes of taking over the electrical system. Isn't this the sort of issue we all want to understand?
Get out there and support those athletes, Boulder. Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, August 3, 2014. While we are sitting in our chairs and comfortably reading the newspaper this morning, many of our fellow citizens are out there proving that we still have no idea what the limits of human endurance really are.
Give us some credit for America's racial enlightenment, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/1/14. Americans once again find themselves being told how racist we still are. Sure, we will always differently at people who are different from us and those we know, but is there anybody out there who still remembers the harsh face of racism and what that looks like? We've come a long way, and we should recognize that, too.
We can fix the partisan divide in Colorado, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/29/14. With political parties, we are bound to get partisanship. But, there are better ways to stop partisan politics from taking over Colorado's government.
Rethinking strategy in the battle against climate change, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 5/4/14. The ideas for climate change that have been pushed by many environmentalists are not working. How about trying something different?
Time to get a job, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 3/24/14. Yep. Party's over. I used to hire you guys, and I still have some thoughts on what it takes to get a job.
Shine the light on CU's Office of Discrimination and Harassment, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 2/23/14. Any appearance of legal due-process for college students accused of sexual harassment or assault has gone completely out the window. And, it's all done in secret. These can only lead us to bad places.
War on sex or colleges just gone crazy?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 1/12/14. Every now and then, Universities do some pretty amusing things, and the way Philosophy professor Patti Adler got cooked for teaching a course that made students uncomfortable is a beauty. Unless you're Dr. Adler, of course.
Peace on Earth and in our time, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/22/13. Perhaps the most enduring and hopeful phrase uttered every year during the holiday season was first uttered in Luke 2:14 and, more recently, by Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" - peace on earth and goodwill toward men. It always sounds good when you hear it, but how are we doing? Have centuries of hoping and praying for peace on earth and good will toward men made any difference? Is the world more peaceful and full of good will?
Independents need to get in the game, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/1/13. Political independents across America think they are taking the high ground by not affiliating with a political party. They're not. All they're doing is abandoning the political parties and leaving them in the hands of the extremists. Thanks a lot, guys.
Diversify Boulder City Council, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/20/13. Boulder government has been dominated for decades by a single activist interest group, PLAN-Boulder. While that relationship has led to many good things, it has also seriously limited the diversity of thinking by local leaders. Time for a change, Boulder voters.
Down to Earth, if just for a moment, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 9/29/13. The recent flooding in Boulder was tragic in many, many ways. But, one good thing that it did is that, just for a few days, it made us all set aside our grand ideas and causes as we focused on what matters at home.
Boulder County doesn't do roads? published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 8/25/13. Boulder County Commissioners have, with a straight face, told County residents that, in subdivisions, they only do road maintenance, not include road rehabilitation. After we were all done snickering, we asked what that meant and it turns out that it means that the County has no plans to maintain our roads and that the promises they had made in the past were all lies.
The Two agendas against fracking, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 7/28/13. Thanks to fracking technology, Denver is becoming a major oil and gas center in the world. At the same time, Boulder has become the center for opposition to fracking. After a few years of debate and discussion, it's become clear that there are two agendas against fracking that are fundamentally different, though not mutually exclusive.
Ironman Boulder!, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 6/23/13. Our understanding of the limits of human endurance got moved 35 years ago when an argument in Hawaii about who was more fit - swimmers, runners, or bicyclists - turned into a the first Ironman race. On February 18, 1978, fifteen athletes swam 2.4 miles in the ocean, rode 112 miles on the bike, and, for good measure, ran a marathon. Boulder is full of Ironman champions and world-class triathletes, and we are about to get our own Ironman race. But, what is magical about the race is not just what the super athletes do, but the wide range of people who take it as a personal challenge.
Presidential foibles and déjà vu all over again, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 5/19/13. I woke up one day haunted by the thought that I had been here before and that all the scandals plaguing President Obama had happened sometime before. Then it hit me...
Finding America at the Boston Marathon, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 4/21/13. My son, Colin, runs pretty far pretty fast, and this year that got my family a trip to Boston to watch him and many others run the Boston Marathon. It was an extraordinary trip in many ways but, in the end, it offered a remarkable view into the heart and soul of the American spirit.
Share the municipalization models with everyone, please, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 3/24,13. The City of Boulder built a bunch of big models to study whether they should municipalize their electrical supply system. The models gave the City the answers they were looking for, but now the City refuses to allow Xcel to look at them for no good reason. In so doing, the City is calling into question their motives and depriving themselves of an opportunity to make a more informed decision.
Middle class living in Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 2/24/13. While Boulder knows how to provide housing for the rich and poor, the middle class have trouble finding a place to live. Boulder hired a consultant to help these poor souls and he gave us the bad news - Boulder is a really nice place, everybody knows it, and they are willing to pay to live there. What do we do?...
Changing winds in higher education, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 1/27/13. Higher education has never been more important to our children and nation's futures, but we are struggling to make it work. Higher education demographics, cost, and technology have created an environment that is rich with opportunity and changes to the higher education world are coming.
New Year's resolutions for our local government, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/2/13. While it's sort of cheating to make resolutions for others, government is "by the people and for the people," so maybe it's okay to give our local government some things to work on.
Fighting the phantom Walmart, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/2/12. Rumors are going round that Walmart may be coming to Boulder and messing with our Karma. Doesn't seem right, does it?
Dancing with Democrats, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 10/28/12. So, my wife-the-Democrat and I are in San Francisco for the election. What's a good conservative to do in the heart of liberal America? Dance with the Democrats, of course.
Colorado conservatives should lead the fight for Amendment 64, published in the Denver Post Idea Log, 10/24/12. Colorado has the opportunity to become the first state to legalize marijuana and Conservatives should be rightfully leading the fight to make this happen. As believers in limited government and individual responsibility, it's a natural fit.
County to country, GOP seeking center, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 9/23/12. Everybody talks about how polarized politics has become, but there are also some signs that Republican candidates, from local to national levels, are moving to the political center. No where is that more needed than in Boulder where we are suffering under the weight of several decades of one-party rule.
Okay voters, time to get to work, published in the Longmont Times-Call on 8/20/12. Like his policies or not, the selection of Paul Ryan as a Vice-Presidential candidate will do one thing that everyone should appreciate - it will make this election a serious debate about the future of America.
Which political party has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 8/19/12. A funny thing happened along the road to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While the Democrats may be winning the war of words, the Republicans are the party whose policies are actually going to reduce greenhouse gases. If you believe that actions speak louder than words, give the Republicans the credit they deserve.
Our President does not understand American businesses, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 7/15/12. In 2008, most of us expected that our new President would surround himself with a few smart business people, learn how private enterprise works, and then work with the business community to figure out how to encourage private investment and hiring. Instead, President Obama seems intent on staying uniformed about how American businesses work. The result has been a series of policies, laws, and Presidential leadership that is actively discouraging American business activity.
Do your civic duty and argue with a friend, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 7/1/12. America has been built on the back of arguments that we've been having since our nation was born, and we are a better place for it. Some of these arguments are pervasive and part of America's DNA. So, pack in your congeniality from time to time and have that political debate with a friend. This year more than most, we need it. Click here for a list of the Thirteen American Arguments.
Lose the plastic bags, already, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/27/12. Plastic bags are convenient, but they are can also be pretty darned annoying. In balance, I say we get rid of them.
No greater ASSET in Colorado than educated workforce, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/22/12. Giving young undocumented immigrants access to a better education is in Colorado's best interests. If they went to high school in our state, there is also a strong moral case for helping them out.
Democrats sailing too close to the wind? published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/1/12. When the wind shifts and you have to sail into it, sailors know to be careful. The Democratic party has changed tacks on women's reproductive rights in response to the changes in Republican positions on the issue, and they may have done themselves more harm than good.
Democrats latest attempt at dividing American published in the Longmont Times Call, 3/23/12. The Republican Party has finally come to see that Americans strongly support women's reproductive rights. However, that might bite into the edge that Democrats have come to count on with women voters, so they are cooking up ways to keep their edge and, in the process, attempting to create divisions in American society.
Boulder Power's budding green debt, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 2/26/12. When the City of Boulder decided to go for municipalizing their electric supply, they walked away from a deal that would have had near-term favorable environmental effects. The longer it takes to get things in place, the more environmental ground they need to make up so that municipalization was an environmentally wise decision.
Obama votes 'present' on pipeline, published in the Longmont Times Call, 2/15/12. Our President has ducked his responsibility to make what is, to him, a tough call on the Keystone Pipeline that will bring Canadian oil to U.S. markets. On critical decisions like this one, the President needs to do his job.Real Republicans will support legalizing marijuana, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/22/11. The title pretty much says it all - this column makes a case for legalizing marijuana using traditional conservative arguments.
Ben Pearlman should finish the job he was elected to do, published in the Longmont Times Call, 12/15/11. A Boulder County Commissioner is stepping down in the middle of his term to compete for a better paying and more permanent job with the County, and this is just plain wrong.
Churches are great places to confront social issues, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/11/11. My church in Boulder took on the divisive social issue of whether to publicly bless lifelong monogamous gay unions and did in what I believe to be an extremely enlightened way. This example of how religion can serve society runs contrary to many people's beliefs about what goes on inside of the walls of a church.
Support the Boulder Multisport Training and Sports Science Center, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/13/11. Boulder had a great opportunity to become the best place in the world for swimming, biking, running, and climbing training and scientific research. But, a broken city and county government are about to kill it through inept bureaucracy. Local government needs to sort this out and not blow a once in a generation opportunity.
Pay College Athletes, published in the Daily Camera October 16, 2011. Why are we perpetuating a system where college athletes, the stars of the show, are expected to work for room and board while Universities make a fortune on their labors?
Economic Prosperity Reduces Poverty, Wealth Redistribution Doesn't, published in the Daily Camera, October 2, 2011. Poverty rates are going up, and we should all agree that it is in everyone's best interests to help the poor. But, what's the best way to do it?
Businesses are People, too?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, August 7, 2011. The Boulder City Council is considering putting on the ballot in November a resolution that supports a U.S. Constitutional amendment that would eliminate any constitutional protections for corporations, as well as explicitly stating that campaign donations do not constitute political free speech. This would be in direct response to the 2010 Supreme Court Citizen's United vs. FEC decision that allows corporations and unions to spend freely on politics. This column supports the Supreme Court's decision and argues that businesses deserve the same rights as any other organization with respect to political speech and spending.
Good and Bad News for Boulder Power, Inc., published in the Boulder Daily Camera, July 3, 2011. The City of Boulder wants to take over the electrical utilities within the city from Xcel energy, the company that currently provides them. In July, the City released a series of documents that outline who they propose to do this and why it would be a good idea. This column reviews the plans put together by the City of Boulder as well as the alternative plan put forth by Xcel Energy to provide renewable energy to Boulder.
We Need to Finish this Conversation, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, June 12, 2011. This column makes the case that we really do need to address the budget and deficit of the United States government right now, not later.
Sometimes living in Boulder is hard work, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, May 28, 2011. This column talks about how Boulder provides an environment that encourages a fit lifestyle and how, for some of us, this is hard work. It makes the point by exploring how my 30 years in Boulder has seen the steady evolution of the fitness community and how it has affected me an my family personally.
Boulder Power, Inc., published in the Boulder Daily Camera, May 14, 2011. Boulder is thinking of taking over the electrical supply and distribution system from the Xcel Energy company. This column lays out a set of criteria by which the City should be judged as they put together their plans and present them to the public.
Competition in Colorado politics, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, April 30, 2011, This column advocates that, as Colorado redraws congressional districts, one of the primary criteria should be that there is real competition in the districts, not just the usual gerrymandering nonsense.
California is yesterday, Colorado is tomorrow, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/23/11. This column makes the case that Colorado is, maybe, just maybe, the place that innovation in thinking lifestyles is taking place. It also argues that California, that used to have that role, is pretty much washed up.How government policy affects entrepreneurs, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/26/10. This in-your-face column tells my story of how government tax policy destroyed any financial motivation for me to start a new business. When it was published, it started a lot of back-and-forth shouting in the newspaper and their on-line blog.
How government policy affects entrepreneurs, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/26/10. This in-your-face column tells my story of how government tax policy destroyed any financial motivation for me to start a new business. When it was published, it started a lot of back-and-forth shouting in the newspaper and their on-line blog.
Common Ground on Abortion, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 6/9/09. This column suggests that abortion opponents accept a woman's right to abortion but that, in return, abortion advocates should recognize that the way that abortion was legalized - through judicial overreach - is a bad way to develop complex social policy.All politics are local, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/9/08. This column makes the case that one-party rule is not in the City or County of Boulder's best interests.
All politics are local, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/9/08. This column makes the case that one-party rule is not in the City or County of Boulder's best interests.
A true Chrismas Miracle, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/25/20
Boulder County buzz kill on short term rentals, Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/17/20
Find a way to make schools work, Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/17/20
Staying at Home wasn't Safer, Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/31/20
Governor Polis gets it right, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/23/20
Squash the sombrero but not too much, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 3/30/20
Does Boulder choose grievance over harmony?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/25/19
Boulder at the Crossroads, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 10/30/19
Get back to the knitting, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 7/27/19
Keep Hick at the table, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/21/19
Popular vote agreement is gutless and lazy, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 2/1/19.
C'mon millennials, or you'll miss the best part, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/24/18.
Roads and buses aren't free, ya' know, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/29/18
Two worries about a Governor Polis, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/15/18
Coloring lessons, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/24/18
Forget Boulder, we are the world, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/19/18
Don't just blame Facebook, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/10/18
CU is getting it right, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 2/22/18
Quit squawking and legalize marijuana, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/8/18
Democrats' class act, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/7/17
Be a Buddhist, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/23/17
A Whopper and a fantasy about Muni, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/18/17. Stories we are told about Boulder's plans to take over our electrical production and distribution have gone beyond good storytelling and well into fantasy and news that is about as fake as it comes.
A Tale of two Democrats, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 9/25/17/. Skip what politicians say and watch what they do if you want to know their real intentions. We got a good look at the differences between two Colorado Democrat, Michael Bennett and Jared Polis, by watching how they behaved at a critical moment when bipartisanship was needed.
Google the hard stuff, too, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 8/14/17. Google can't seem to win trying to help women into their workforce and everyone is talking about it. But, nobody seems to want to talk about why women aren't thriving like men in America's technology workforce.
Fireworks and Immigration, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 7/16/17. An already eventful Fourth of July turned into a great reminder of how important immigrants have been throughout our history, all during a great fireworks display.
Cheer up, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/22/17. Boulder is a great place and just seems to keep getting better. But, it seems that local and national issues have turned us into a town full of grumpy people. Time to take stock.
Pillaging Millenials, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/11/17. We baby boomers have been running scams on Millenials for some time now to get them to transfer some of their scarce wealth into our retirement plans. Obamacare was part of this and the new health care act coming out of the US Congress may stop this intergenerational theft.
Take the deal, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/4/17. The never ending saga of a Boulder takeover of the electrical system can end now and in a way where everyone wins. But that can only happen if the City takes the opportunity before them.
He's from where?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, February 2017. Wait a minute... the guy who just got nominated by President Trump to be our new conservative Supreme Court Justice came from where? Boulder, Colorado? The People's Republic? Really?
Laws of Nature, meet Boulder Housing affordability, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, February 2017. All of the planning and hoping in the world is not going to stop Boulder housing from following two laws of human nature that define marketplaces everywhere, the laws of supply and demand..
Hear what the deplorables have to say, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, December 2016. Turns out that the deciding vote in this election may have come from those whom Hillary Clinton chose to call the "deplorables." Maybe the rest of us ought to stop villifying them and start listening to what they have to say.
Kicking and screaming all the way to Thanksgiving, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/24/16. Donald Trump is going to be our President? Boy, we didn't see that coming! But, apoplexy is not a useful form of political discourse, so we need to move on sooner or later. How about Thanksgiving?
Colorado Care starts the conversation, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/26/16. The ballot amendment for universal health care in Colorado is bound to fail, but it still has great value in getting a conversation going in what we really want our health care system to look like.
Maybe Just listening isn't enough, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/5/16. Our local government spends a lot of time listening to us but it doesn't seem to have much effect on what they end up doing.
Boulder County's failing brain trust, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 8/30/16. With the genuinely lame ideas coming out of BOulder County government these days, it's time to ask ourselves if we can do better.
Boulder's legacy – How to build active lifestyles, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, August 2016. We do a lot of things well in this town, but encouraging all of us to live actively is certainly one of them.
Nature is not that fragile, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, June 2016. Good heavens. You'd think that anywhere a human even looked at hurt nature. It doesn't have to be that way and, in reality, it usually isn't.
Free-range bathrooms, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, May 2016. The US Government just mandated that sex doesn't matter in picking your bathroom any more, so I'm going for the one with the short line. But, I have my standards...
Stop this Nablus nonsense, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, April 2016. Boulder really doesn't have anything better to do than to consider getting in the middle of the Arab-Isreali conflict?
Donald Trump can win the presidency, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, March 2016. No one believes it possible, but this Presidential race is getting scary all of a sudden.
What's wrong with you guys?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 2/10/16. The Language Police showed up in town and tried to take away one of my favorite terms of endearment, "you guys." They need to quit that.
America's Political Earthquake, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 1/19/16. What is going on with the American presidential campaign. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump might be our choices this November? While that prospect might seem scary, maybe what it's telling us about what Americans expect from political candidates is good news after all.
City Council should take its own advice, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 12/3/15. After the recent local election, City Council members are asking the media to start showing, "more love than anger." But, right out of the box, they put forth a proposal bound to generate conflict on an issue that will affect nothing. Maybe what they need are some ideas on baby steps they could take to make us feel the love.
Boulder's progressive crisis, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 11/4/15. Oh oh. Lots of fussing amongst Boulder progressives as we enter into an existential crisis.
You say you want a revolution, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 10/21/15. Boulder citizens are mad as hell and they aren't going to take it anymore, or so it seems.
Just throw away the boys, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/14/15. Congressman Jared Polis tips his hand and lets everyone know know just how unimportant he thinks it is when colleges kick out innocent boys.
Summer silly season and back to school, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 8/27/15. What a great summer of political silliness we've had! Donald Trump, Right-sizing, the crazy Greeks, Hillary and the email servers...
The more things change..., published in the Boulder Daily Camera, July 2015. Boulder wants to be a leader in the world but, at the same time, we like things just the way they are and want to change nothing. We are conflicted...
Will right-sizing work? published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/18/15. Big new idea in Boulder about how to get more people on their bikes by making car lanes smaller. Sounds interesting, but scary. Will it work?
Prudes and old fogies, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/1/15. Oh no! Somebody dropped a few f-bombs and got a young crowd interested in Boulder politics, and the Baby Boomers turned into prudes and old fogies.
Buy some art, Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 4/21/15. We are an affluent town of people with fine taste, or so we think. If that's the case, where is all the public art?
Wrong answer for higher education, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 3/2/15. Free tuition at community colleges? Is that really the best idea this President has for solving real problems in American higher education?
Muni's Environmental Cost, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 1/20/15. The time and energy being spent by the city of Boulder to take over the electrical system has ended up with more adverse environmental impacts than will ever be realized from the city's fantasies.
Boulder's Rolling Stone, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 12/10/14. Rolling Stone magazine got in a pickle by publishing an unsubstantiated and, in the end, false "expose" of sexual harassment on college campuses. Here in Boulder, we have a Philosophy Department at CU that is being treated unfairly for the same reasons.
Boulder's new election system has risks, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 11/20/14. Wow. All mail voting and only signatures to prove that the votes weren't fraudulent. Tenuous, but it could be good if it worked right. I did some investigative journalism and got a job verifying signatures, and here's what I found.
Colorado lessons for American politics, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 10/26/14. Goofy politics is still on full display in Colorado, and we are teaching things to the rest of the country.
Look before you vote, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/28/14. Really, people, do we really just vote for the political party and not the person? How could this ever have become true and how can it be true today? We all need to look harder.
Don't let Council take control of electricity in secret, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 8/24/14. Boulder City Council is asking citizens to allow them to meet in secret only for the purposes of taking over the electrical system. Isn't this the sort of issue we all want to understand?
Get out there and support those athletes, Boulder. Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, August 3, 2014. While we are sitting in our chairs and comfortably reading the newspaper this morning, many of our fellow citizens are out there proving that we still have no idea what the limits of human endurance really are.
Give us some credit for America's racial enlightenment, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/1/14. Americans once again find themselves being told how racist we still are. Sure, we will always differently at people who are different from us and those we know, but is there anybody out there who still remembers the harsh face of racism and what that looks like? We've come a long way, and we should recognize that, too.
We can fix the partisan divide in Colorado, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 6/29/14. With political parties, we are bound to get partisanship. But, there are better ways to stop partisan politics from taking over Colorado's government.
Rethinking strategy in the battle against climate change, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 5/4/14. The ideas for climate change that have been pushed by many environmentalists are not working. How about trying something different?
Time to get a job, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 3/24/14. Yep. Party's over. I used to hire you guys, and I still have some thoughts on what it takes to get a job.
Shine the light on CU's Office of Discrimination and Harassment, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 2/23/14. Any appearance of legal due-process for college students accused of sexual harassment or assault has gone completely out the window. And, it's all done in secret. These can only lead us to bad places.
War on sex or colleges just gone crazy?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 1/12/14. Every now and then, Universities do some pretty amusing things, and the way Philosophy professor Patti Adler got cooked for teaching a course that made students uncomfortable is a beauty. Unless you're Dr. Adler, of course.
Peace on Earth and in our time, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/22/13. Perhaps the most enduring and hopeful phrase uttered every year during the holiday season was first uttered in Luke 2:14 and, more recently, by Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" - peace on earth and goodwill toward men. It always sounds good when you hear it, but how are we doing? Have centuries of hoping and praying for peace on earth and good will toward men made any difference? Is the world more peaceful and full of good will?
Independents need to get in the game, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/1/13. Political independents across America think they are taking the high ground by not affiliating with a political party. They're not. All they're doing is abandoning the political parties and leaving them in the hands of the extremists. Thanks a lot, guys.
Diversify Boulder City Council, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/20/13. Boulder government has been dominated for decades by a single activist interest group, PLAN-Boulder. While that relationship has led to many good things, it has also seriously limited the diversity of thinking by local leaders. Time for a change, Boulder voters.
Down to Earth, if just for a moment, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 9/29/13. The recent flooding in Boulder was tragic in many, many ways. But, one good thing that it did is that, just for a few days, it made us all set aside our grand ideas and causes as we focused on what matters at home.
Boulder County doesn't do roads? published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 8/25/13. Boulder County Commissioners have, with a straight face, told County residents that, in subdivisions, they only do road maintenance, not include road rehabilitation. After we were all done snickering, we asked what that meant and it turns out that it means that the County has no plans to maintain our roads and that the promises they had made in the past were all lies.
The Two agendas against fracking, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 7/28/13. Thanks to fracking technology, Denver is becoming a major oil and gas center in the world. At the same time, Boulder has become the center for opposition to fracking. After a few years of debate and discussion, it's become clear that there are two agendas against fracking that are fundamentally different, though not mutually exclusive.
Ironman Boulder!, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 6/23/13. Our understanding of the limits of human endurance got moved 35 years ago when an argument in Hawaii about who was more fit - swimmers, runners, or bicyclists - turned into a the first Ironman race. On February 18, 1978, fifteen athletes swam 2.4 miles in the ocean, rode 112 miles on the bike, and, for good measure, ran a marathon. Boulder is full of Ironman champions and world-class triathletes, and we are about to get our own Ironman race. But, what is magical about the race is not just what the super athletes do, but the wide range of people who take it as a personal challenge.
Presidential foibles and déjà vu all over again, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 5/19/13. I woke up one day haunted by the thought that I had been here before and that all the scandals plaguing President Obama had happened sometime before. Then it hit me...
Finding America at the Boston Marathon, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 4/21/13. My son, Colin, runs pretty far pretty fast, and this year that got my family a trip to Boston to watch him and many others run the Boston Marathon. It was an extraordinary trip in many ways but, in the end, it offered a remarkable view into the heart and soul of the American spirit.
Share the municipalization models with everyone, please, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 3/24,13. The City of Boulder built a bunch of big models to study whether they should municipalize their electrical supply system. The models gave the City the answers they were looking for, but now the City refuses to allow Xcel to look at them for no good reason. In so doing, the City is calling into question their motives and depriving themselves of an opportunity to make a more informed decision.
Middle class living in Boulder, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 2/24/13. While Boulder knows how to provide housing for the rich and poor, the middle class have trouble finding a place to live. Boulder hired a consultant to help these poor souls and he gave us the bad news - Boulder is a really nice place, everybody knows it, and they are willing to pay to live there. What do we do?...
Changing winds in higher education, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 1/27/13. Higher education has never been more important to our children and nation's futures, but we are struggling to make it work. Higher education demographics, cost, and technology have created an environment that is rich with opportunity and changes to the higher education world are coming.
New Year's resolutions for our local government, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/2/13. While it's sort of cheating to make resolutions for others, government is "by the people and for the people," so maybe it's okay to give our local government some things to work on.
Fighting the phantom Walmart, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/2/12. Rumors are going round that Walmart may be coming to Boulder and messing with our Karma. Doesn't seem right, does it?
Dancing with Democrats, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 10/28/12. So, my wife-the-Democrat and I are in San Francisco for the election. What's a good conservative to do in the heart of liberal America? Dance with the Democrats, of course.
Colorado conservatives should lead the fight for Amendment 64, published in the Denver Post Idea Log, 10/24/12. Colorado has the opportunity to become the first state to legalize marijuana and Conservatives should be rightfully leading the fight to make this happen. As believers in limited government and individual responsibility, it's a natural fit.
County to country, GOP seeking center, published in the Boulder Daily Camera on 9/23/12. Everybody talks about how polarized politics has become, but there are also some signs that Republican candidates, from local to national levels, are moving to the political center. No where is that more needed than in Boulder where we are suffering under the weight of several decades of one-party rule.
Okay voters, time to get to work, published in the Longmont Times-Call on 8/20/12. Like his policies or not, the selection of Paul Ryan as a Vice-Presidential candidate will do one thing that everyone should appreciate - it will make this election a serious debate about the future of America.
Which political party has done more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 8/19/12. A funny thing happened along the road to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While the Democrats may be winning the war of words, the Republicans are the party whose policies are actually going to reduce greenhouse gases. If you believe that actions speak louder than words, give the Republicans the credit they deserve.
Our President does not understand American businesses, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 7/15/12. In 2008, most of us expected that our new President would surround himself with a few smart business people, learn how private enterprise works, and then work with the business community to figure out how to encourage private investment and hiring. Instead, President Obama seems intent on staying uniformed about how American businesses work. The result has been a series of policies, laws, and Presidential leadership that is actively discouraging American business activity.
Do your civic duty and argue with a friend, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 7/1/12. America has been built on the back of arguments that we've been having since our nation was born, and we are a better place for it. Some of these arguments are pervasive and part of America's DNA. So, pack in your congeniality from time to time and have that political debate with a friend. This year more than most, we need it. Click here for a list of the Thirteen American Arguments.
Lose the plastic bags, already, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 5/27/12. Plastic bags are convenient, but they are can also be pretty darned annoying. In balance, I say we get rid of them.
No greater ASSET in Colorado than educated workforce, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/22/12. Giving young undocumented immigrants access to a better education is in Colorado's best interests. If they went to high school in our state, there is also a strong moral case for helping them out.
Democrats sailing too close to the wind? published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 4/1/12. When the wind shifts and you have to sail into it, sailors know to be careful. The Democratic party has changed tacks on women's reproductive rights in response to the changes in Republican positions on the issue, and they may have done themselves more harm than good.
Democrats latest attempt at dividing American published in the Longmont Times Call, 3/23/12. The Republican Party has finally come to see that Americans strongly support women's reproductive rights. However, that might bite into the edge that Democrats have come to count on with women voters, so they are cooking up ways to keep their edge and, in the process, attempting to create divisions in American society.
Boulder Power's budding green debt, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 2/26/12. When the City of Boulder decided to go for municipalizing their electric supply, they walked away from a deal that would have had near-term favorable environmental effects. The longer it takes to get things in place, the more environmental ground they need to make up so that municipalization was an environmentally wise decision.
Obama votes 'present' on pipeline, published in the Longmont Times Call, 2/15/12. Our President has ducked his responsibility to make what is, to him, a tough call on the Keystone Pipeline that will bring Canadian oil to U.S. markets. On critical decisions like this one, the President needs to do his job.Real Republicans will support legalizing marijuana, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/22/11. The title pretty much says it all - this column makes a case for legalizing marijuana using traditional conservative arguments.
Ben Pearlman should finish the job he was elected to do, published in the Longmont Times Call, 12/15/11. A Boulder County Commissioner is stepping down in the middle of his term to compete for a better paying and more permanent job with the County, and this is just plain wrong.
Churches are great places to confront social issues, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 12/11/11. My church in Boulder took on the divisive social issue of whether to publicly bless lifelong monogamous gay unions and did in what I believe to be an extremely enlightened way. This example of how religion can serve society runs contrary to many people's beliefs about what goes on inside of the walls of a church.
Support the Boulder Multisport Training and Sports Science Center, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 11/13/11. Boulder had a great opportunity to become the best place in the world for swimming, biking, running, and climbing training and scientific research. But, a broken city and county government are about to kill it through inept bureaucracy. Local government needs to sort this out and not blow a once in a generation opportunity.
Pay College Athletes, published in the Daily Camera October 16, 2011. Why are we perpetuating a system where college athletes, the stars of the show, are expected to work for room and board while Universities make a fortune on their labors?
Economic Prosperity Reduces Poverty, Wealth Redistribution Doesn't, published in the Daily Camera, October 2, 2011. Poverty rates are going up, and we should all agree that it is in everyone's best interests to help the poor. But, what's the best way to do it?
Businesses are People, too?, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, August 7, 2011. The Boulder City Council is considering putting on the ballot in November a resolution that supports a U.S. Constitutional amendment that would eliminate any constitutional protections for corporations, as well as explicitly stating that campaign donations do not constitute political free speech. This would be in direct response to the 2010 Supreme Court Citizen's United vs. FEC decision that allows corporations and unions to spend freely on politics. This column supports the Supreme Court's decision and argues that businesses deserve the same rights as any other organization with respect to political speech and spending.
Good and Bad News for Boulder Power, Inc., published in the Boulder Daily Camera, July 3, 2011. The City of Boulder wants to take over the electrical utilities within the city from Xcel energy, the company that currently provides them. In July, the City released a series of documents that outline who they propose to do this and why it would be a good idea. This column reviews the plans put together by the City of Boulder as well as the alternative plan put forth by Xcel Energy to provide renewable energy to Boulder.
We Need to Finish this Conversation, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, June 12, 2011. This column makes the case that we really do need to address the budget and deficit of the United States government right now, not later.
Sometimes living in Boulder is hard work, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, May 28, 2011. This column talks about how Boulder provides an environment that encourages a fit lifestyle and how, for some of us, this is hard work. It makes the point by exploring how my 30 years in Boulder has seen the steady evolution of the fitness community and how it has affected me an my family personally.
Boulder Power, Inc., published in the Boulder Daily Camera, May 14, 2011. Boulder is thinking of taking over the electrical supply and distribution system from the Xcel Energy company. This column lays out a set of criteria by which the City should be judged as they put together their plans and present them to the public.
Competition in Colorado politics, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, April 30, 2011, This column advocates that, as Colorado redraws congressional districts, one of the primary criteria should be that there is real competition in the districts, not just the usual gerrymandering nonsense.
California is yesterday, Colorado is tomorrow, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 1/23/11. This column makes the case that Colorado is, maybe, just maybe, the place that innovation in thinking lifestyles is taking place. It also argues that California, that used to have that role, is pretty much washed up.How government policy affects entrepreneurs, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/26/10. This in-your-face column tells my story of how government tax policy destroyed any financial motivation for me to start a new business. When it was published, it started a lot of back-and-forth shouting in the newspaper and their on-line blog.
How government policy affects entrepreneurs, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 10/26/10. This in-your-face column tells my story of how government tax policy destroyed any financial motivation for me to start a new business. When it was published, it started a lot of back-and-forth shouting in the newspaper and their on-line blog.
Common Ground on Abortion, published in the Boulder Daily Camera, 6/9/09. This column suggests that abortion opponents accept a woman's right to abortion but that, in return, abortion advocates should recognize that the way that abortion was legalized - through judicial overreach - is a bad way to develop complex social policy.All politics are local, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/9/08. This column makes the case that one-party rule is not in the City or County of Boulder's best interests.
All politics are local, published in the Boulder Daily Camera 9/9/08. This column makes the case that one-party rule is not in the City or County of Boulder's best interests.
