Drug decriminalization pays off in Portugal; Will the US take note?

So, what REALLY happens when you decriminalize drugs? Junkies on every street corner? A surge in drug-related crime? Eight years later, Portugal offers compelling evidence that the US' beloved War on Drugs is a gargantuan misstep: read more

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Lame Duck Session: Earmarks, Tax Cuts & More…Greasy Pork…or Red Herrings?

By Shelli Dawdy During this seemingly endless lame duck session of Congress, there have been several pieces of onerous legislation discussed, debated, and commented on. Recognizing the likelihood of a historical drubbing on Election Day,  Democrats withheld action on key legislation, clearly planning an effort to pass their wish list before losing their current level [...]

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A Christmas Treat: Impressive Hi-Tech Take on Carols

It’s Christmas week, and we’re overdue in setting the mood. Let’s kick it off with this very cool rendition of carols, all played on Apple iPads and iPhones. If you’re an owner / user of these gadgets, it’s very impressive to see, if not, it’s likely amazing. All of the instruments used were available through [...]

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Ironic: Wikileaks’ Assange Complains About Leaks of HIS Information

Wikileaks’ Julian Assange is exemplifying the meaning of the word irony lately. While on the one hand asserting the right to leak information about anything and everything, Assange himself has requested certain information about himself be kept private and, through his attorneys, expressed outrage about…leaks. In a story in The Australian, an Assange attorney was [...]

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NE Public Employee Pay, Benefits: Even the Journal Star Sees Need for Reform

By Shelli Dawdy GiN is frequently at odds with the Lincoln Journal Star’s editorial board, but for once we agree. Nebraska’s municipalities, counties, and the State simply cannot afford the status quo regarding how public employees’ salaries and benefits are determined. In an editorial published December 16, Lincoln Journal Star cited the recent raises granted [...]

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Independence

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature an...

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Rebalancing the State – Federal Equation with State Repeal Amendment

It’s becoming clearer and clearer that the 17th Amendment‘s passage in 1913 in conjunction with other changes, tipped the scale of power too heavily in the direction of Federal government. States lost much of their influence on Congress, since prior to that, Legislatures elected representatives to the United States Senate. The people were both represented [...]

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