Archive for the ‘published’ Category

Flood protection: If it’s not your business, it’s none of your business

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

From the Daily Camera: The idea [from City of Boulder officials] is that a new set of codes would apply to new construction and substantial remodels of buildings that are designated as "critical facilities." Under the city's definition, those buildings include hospitals, sewage treatment plants, gas ...

Flawed voting system creates Maes & Tancredo conflict

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

Colorado's 2010 gubernatorial race reveals a major flaw in our plurality-based elections: vote splitting. It's well-known that Dan Maes and Tom Tancredo will split the Republican vote. This makes it much easier for Democrat John Hickenlooper to win compared to if one candidate withdrew. In an ...

“Campus gun ban at CU Boulder ignores reality”

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

That's the headline the Denver Post used for my article about the University of Colorado's gun ban, which prohibits concealed-carry permit holders from being armed on campus. It begins: Imagine this news headline: "School shooter apologizes — not for killing — but for violating CU campus gun ban." Preposterous, right? ...

City of Boulder should consider outsourcing, privatizing services

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Background from the Daily Camera: Boulder City Manager Jane Brautigam has been working this year to move to a "priority-based" budget, in which the things most important to the community are first in line for funding. My response, published in the Camera: The Boulder City Council should consider saving money ...

End Boulder’s unnatural monopoly in electricity & natural gas service

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Governments should not grant monopolies, but the Boulder City Council would by renewing Xcel's franchise. Xcel would remain "the community’s sole provider for electrical and natural gas service," says the City's website. Xcel should do business without government protection from competition.  Competitors should be free to ...

CU campus concealed-carry & right to self-defense

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Banning seat belts in cars would be immoral. Banning guns deserves equal condemnation.  Self-defense is a fundamental human right - not granted by governments, but recognized by just law. Gun bans deny peaceful people an effective means of self-defense against violent criminals, who ignore gun bans. ...

To lower college costs, eliminate tax-funded tuition subsidies

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Last week Governor Ritter signed a bill that allows Colorado's tax-funded universities to raise their tuition.  In response, "some Colorado students will see increased financial aid to offset the higher tuition, " InDenverTimes reports. Surely some parents are rightly concerned with fast-rising tuition costs.  But Capping college tuition would ...

Do today’s college students lack empathy?

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Psychologists at the University of Michigan presented research on college students' capacity to feel empathy over the past thirty years. It's gotten significant amount of press coverage, e.g., for example,  in the USA Today, and PhysOrg, just to name two.  Ross Douhat has a good post on the subject at ...

Arizona immigration law: enforcing unjust laws are unjust

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

U.S. immigration policies are unjust, and Arizona's attempt to enforce these policies perpetuates the injustice.  Immigration restrictions prevent peaceful and ambitious individuals and families from seeking a better life. Restrictions violate the rights of employers to hire who they please, whether they are from Colorado, India, ...

Questioning your “compassionate” politics

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

My first article/post for the Huffington Post appeared today. It begins: "You oppose Medicaid and government-run schools? You're heartless and lack compassion."  If you have ever made this accusation, even tacitly, I invite you to reconsider the government policies you support. Why does being compassionate mean supporting government-run ...