Congress fools with light bulbs

What is it about Washington, D.C., that turns the brains of otherwise intelligent people into mashed potatoes?

Americans say we want our energy to be cleaner, more affordable and less reliant on foreign sources. Even if those desires are incompatible, Congress is in the business of making promises, not making people face tough choices.

So what great things did Congress and the president do in the new energy bill?

First, they mandated that we throw out our trusty incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact florescent light bulbs that are goofy-looking, impractical and toxic. (more…)

MUST READS: Passing the buck to our children

Saving Our Future Requires Tough Choices Today
David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States

The eye-opening, unvarnished truth about the fiscal condition of the United States government, directly from the Governmental Accountability Office.  (PDF file)

U.S. Comptroller says Medicare program endangers fiscal stability
CBS News

"What’s going on right now is we’re spending more money than we make…we’re charging it to credit card…and expecting our grandchildren to pay for it. And that’s absolutely outrageous," says David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States.

‘Change’ for our children
By Robert Samuelson

The big lie of campaign 2008 — so far — is that the presidential candidates, Democratic and Republican, will take care of our children. Instead, candidates make more promises to make goverment ‘do more’ — ignoring the fiscal train wreck that will saddle today’s children with either an unbearable tax burden or no social safety net whatsover.

Groff’s leadership can be more than symbolic

When the Colorado General Assembly reconvened Wednesday, great fanfare accompanied the election of Sen. Peter Groff as the first African-American Senate president in Colorado. However, Groff’s leadership has the potential to construct a legacy that is more than symbolic.

For three years, Groff and I served together in the Colorado Senate. We stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but his integrity, his well-considered principles and his unapologetic advocacy of those principles set him apart from even many of the most respected legislators. (more…)