I Have A Bridge You Might Be Interested In

It used to be only suckers that thought they could buy public infrastructure like the Brooklyn Bridge. Not so anymore. According to this article in Business Week, private financial giants like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and The Carlysle Group are buying up public infrastructure in unprecedented numbers.
In the past year, banks and private investment firms [...]

Developer Destroys Kokanee Beds

What makes this story so important is its banality. The pattern described in this A.P. article is “business and usual.” Arrogant developers like Bob Holland destroy the environment whenever they feel like it and pay a pathetically small fine when caught. Meanwhile, species like Konanee salmon die a “death by a thousand cuts.”
COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho [...]

Student Researchers at Albertson College

Albertson College MAT Intern, Allison Brooks
I decided to take a break from all the depressing national news and report on something positive today. The Idaho Stateman had an article this morning about a student research conference at Albertson College in Caldwell. The original research presented by these students was inspiring.
According to the article by Statesman [...]

Buying the War in Iraq- Bill Moyers is Back

When Knight Ridder (the newspaper chain that owned the Idaho Statesman) was swallowed by McClatchy, most people didn’t realize what they had lost. Now, thanks to Bill Moyers, who has returned to PBS with Bill Moyers Journal, we can begin to understand how Knight Ridder news service differed from most of the rest of the [...]

John McCain Misspeaks

By this time, almost everyone has seen this video of John McCain. Moveon.org is even using it in a political ad. Why then, am I posting it here? Not because I think posting it will convince anyone that McCain is too intemperate to be President.
No, as reprehensible as the “bomb, bomb [...]

Earth Day and the Enemy

I have always loved this “Pogo” cartoon by Walt Kelly. If fact, I have a signed and framed 3′ by 2′ poster hanging in my office. As today is Earth Day 37, I have been thinking about whether the enemy is, in fact, us.
I don’t think so. I think the enemy consists of those giant [...]

Reading First Scandal Under the Radar

Bush and Ed. Sec. Spellings kiss
The Bush Administration scandals are so extensive and are erupting so fast it is impossible to keep up with them. In today’s New York Times, columnist Frank Rich points out the problem,
Washington is still having trouble confronting the big picture of the Bush White House. Its dense web of deceit [...]

Idaho Delegation is Last in Influence

According to a survey by Congress.Org, Idaho’s Congressional delegation ranks last in political power. Craig, Crapo, Simpson and Sali were ranked last based upon tenure, committee assignments, indirect influence and legislation passed. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, describes the Idaho delegation as a “poverty zone.”
“To their credit, they believe [...]

Bush Unscripted

Anytime Bush is allowed to speak in public, we are given a chance to hear his “Deep Thoughts.” Here are a few from Thursday’s “talk on terrorism” in Ohio.
“Politics comes and goes, but your principles don’t. And everybody wants to be loved – not everybody. … You never heard anybody say, ‘I want to be [...]

Teachers and Principals Differ on Opinions about Student Achievement

According to a study recently released and discussed in the current issue of Education Week, teachers have quite different perspectives about their students compared with school administrators. The study of 4,700 teachers and 267 principals and assistant principals in 12 school districts was conducted by the Council of Urban Boards of Education.
The most interesting finding [...]