Articles Posted by Ralph E. Stone
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Obama: The Environmental President?
Already his critics are attempting to paint the BP oil spill as his Hurricane Katrina. Obama should take the initiative and use the oil spill as an opportunity to be the environmental president. I do applaud him for suspending consideration of applications for exploratory drilling for oil in the Arctic until 2011 and extending a moratorium on permits to drill new deepwater wells for six months.
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Time to Repeal California’s Open-Carry Gun Law
Earlier this year, Bay Area gun advocates staged frequent open-carry “meet-ups” at Starbucks coffee shops and other restaurants. People showed up at pre-determined places wearing their unloaded sidearms and hung out, drinking coffee or talking. Many members of the public, alarmed at the sight of people openly carrying a handgun, called the police. When the police arrived, they were only allowed to verify that the handguns were unloaded and, if it was, there were no charges.
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Remembering Rachel Corrie
At the time, I commended the Jewish Film Festival for showing the film. Unfortunately, some within the Jewish community see a “new anti-Semitism” when criticism of Israel is depicted in films like “Rachel.” I like to think that “Rachel” sparked a healthy debate within the Jewish Community about the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The mostly Jewish audience at the documentary enthusiastically welcomed the film.
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Time for Immediate Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy
By Ralph E. Stone May 28, 2010 I applaud yesterday’s vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that allows homosexuals to serve in the military on…
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Can California Afford an $11.1 Billion Water Bond?
California now has the lowest credit rating of any state in the nation, just above junk bond status. One major problem is the rise in California’s debt-service ratio (DSR). That is, the ratio of annual general fund debt–service costs to annual general fund revenues and transfers. This is often used as one indicator of the state’s debt burden. The higher it is and more rapidly it rises, the more closely bond raters, financial analysts and investors tend to look at the state’s debt practices, and the more debt–service expenses limit the use of revenues for other programs. According to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, debt servicing is projected to comprise 9 percent of general fund revenues by the end of 2014-15.
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New Orleans Five Years After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
By Ralph E. Stone April 24, 2010 My wife and I just returned from a visit to New Orleans. While there, we toured some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005,…
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Rwanda Genocide: A Simplified Account
The Belgiums favored the Tutsis, giving them the important positions. Predictably, this caused much resentment among the Hutus and the seeds of hate were sown.
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