Freedom Newspapers In the days of fear and paranoia after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the United States Congress acted swiftly to show the American public that lawmakers were doing something about the terrorist threat. Unfortunately, the USA PATRIOT Act was ill-considered — many members of Congress didn’t even read the bill before voting […]
Congress should end veterans’ disability tax
October 1, 2003
Freedom Newspapers Congress may be close to correcting an unfair policy that reduces the retirement pay of disabled military veterans by the amount they receive in service disability payments. If those published reports are true, that would be good news for retired veterans who devoted and risked their lives to preserve and protect our freedoms […]
‘Controlling’ mandates unconstitutional
October 1, 2003
Walter Williams We all can agree that having money to pay our mortgage or rent on time is very important. Since some people are spendthrifts and don’t manage their money well, what about a congressional mandate whereby mortgage or rent money is deducted from our paychecks each month and sent directly to our mortgage holder […]
Caring for needy society’s duty, not government
September 24, 2003
Freedom Newspapers Each of the three major religions in this country, and no doubt many of the lesser-known religions, have within their doctrines a command for man to care for the poor and less fortunate among us. Historically, houses of worship also have been places where those in need could go for solace. However, in […]
America losing more liberties to terrorism
September 16, 2003
Freedom Newspapers America needs to continue fighting terrorism without endangering our essential liberties. Unfortunately, President Bush is pressing for even greater police powers than those granted in the USA Patriot Act passed in haste after the 9-11 attacks in 2001. In a speech Sept. 10 before the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., the president called […]
Local 9/11 memorials set at ENMU, Clovis, Cannon
September 8, 2003
Freedom Newspapers Students and faculty at Eastern New Mexico University will gather at noon Thursday for a 20-minute ceremony to honor the heroes and victims of Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial service, a product of the Multicultural Affairs Office, will be held at the ENMU campus fountain. This is the second annual 9/11 memorial ceremony […]
Tax reform could stimulate economy
September 7, 2003
A new report on poor taxpayer service at the IRS sheds the same old light on the same old problem: The tax code is so complicated even the experts can’t seem to figure it out. Remember a few years ago when the heads of the tax collection bureaucracy tried to convince us of a new […]
Deja vu disaster in Medicare drug benefit awaits
August 12, 2003
Senior citizens who eagerly await a Medicare prescription drug benefit might want to be careful what they wish for, if history is any guide. The political positioning over a Medicare drug entitlement has reminded longtime Capitol Hill watchers of a similar scenario from June 1988 when Washington enacted the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act that turned […]
Medicare not good enough for Congressmen
July 20, 2003
In a glaring example of Congressional hypocrisy, federal lawmakers are working to ensure that when they retire they won’t have to live under the Medicare drug reforms they’re attempting to enact for mere commoners. The House recently passed legislation to guarantee that federal retirees — future retired members of Congress included — receive comparable health […]
Editorial: Visitor’s center classic case of mismanagement
July 15, 2003
A new Visitor Center at the U.S. Capitol — under construction and scheduled for completion in late 2005 — is already telling a more accurate story of Congress than planners had hoped. The underground 580,000-square-foot facility, located on the east side of the Capitol, and intended to share the history of Congress, is symbolizing the […]
Shoe on the other foot not comfortable
May 22, 2003
Steve Chapman Back in 1993, a Democrat was in the White House, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, and liberal thinkers had an idea to make it easier to get what they wanted. They proposed to abolish the Senate filibuster — which allows a minority of senators to block action by the whole body. One […]
Self-esteem almost antithetical to honesty
May 21, 2003
By Walter Williams How many times have we applauded those who “made a difference in the lives of others” and been admonished to do the same? On the face of it, that has to be one of the more mindless generalities of our modern era. After all, didn’t Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and Castro also […]
Media monoplies no longer a threat
May 20, 2003
The liberty to produce and distribute information is essential to a free society. That’s why we favor reducing the regulations that govern the telecommunications industry, including the relaxation of rules limiting media ownership that the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote on June 2. “The FCC is considering allowing a single company to own […]
