Watching Republican candidates debate taxes and creationism on TV reminds me of original Star Trek episodes featuring those low-tech aliens that nevertheless managed to speak English every time.
Commentary
Herman Cain’s Mark Block Smokes Up a Foggy Campaign
Herman Cain’s latest campaign ad, featuring Mark Block, his campaign manager, lustily smoking a cigarette, is a great send-up of the self-righteous culture of hyper-health.
What I Learned Occupying Wall Street and DC
The unemployed, the foreclosed, and the sick-of-it-all are coming together to discuss the world that we want to see and how to get there, says Lacy MacAuley, an activist, in an attempt to define the movement’s purpose.
Beyond Qaddafi’s Good Riddance
Chest-thumping illusions aside, there wasn’t much difference between the killing of Qaddafi and the killing of bin Laden, and America’s coddling of other Arab dictators carries on.
School Uniforms as Contrived Regulation: 10 Answers to the Flagler School Board
School uniform FAQ: Nancy Nally, a local parent and writer, lays out 10 reasons why the Flagler County School Board should not adopt school uniforms. The board is discussing the matter later this afternoon.
What About Paul? The Blackballing of a Candidate.
Just as Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich were blackballed by media early in their Democratic runs, Ron Paul, a libertarian running as a Republican, is being blacked out even as he’s climbed to fourth in the presidential field, William Collins argues.
The 99% Answer the 53%
In what has turned into one of the most virally circulated pieces of the year, Max Udargo explains the Occupy Wall Street movement to a conservative critic who calls himself part of the 53 percent.
Coming To: A Woman Re-Imagined
And the Making of a First Novel
Caren Umbarger, the artistic director of the Flagler Youth Orchestra, describes how she came to write Coming To, her first novel, which would resonate with “anyone who has struggled out of oppression to make a better life for themselves.”
Tasers and the Flagler County School Board: Feeble Surrender to an Instrument of Torture
The re-introduction of Tasers on campus is disturbing on many levels, not least because the Flagler school board had no evidence they were needed. Nor did it consider the barbaric implications of Tasers in school settings.
In Praise of Steve Jobs
Lionel Rolfe, the writer and journalist, chronicles Steve Jobs’s influence on capitalism, cybernetics, typography, Rolfe’s own work and, to some extent, his life.
Of Course It’s Class Warfare. And the Rich Are Winning in a Rout.
Republicans are accusing President Obama of waging class warfare, which, Donald Kaul argues, is a little like the Japanese complaining about the time Pearl Harbor attacked them in 1941.
The Lusty Joys of Book-Banning
Parents who run their homes like North Korea aside, it is literally impossible to ban a book in America anymore. An excerpt from Pierre Tristam’s Banned Book Week address on Sept. 26 to the Friends of the Library in Palm Coast.
Republican Candidates’ Women Problems
Although none of the GOP presidential candidates dares utter the W word — unless it’s part of the phrase “our men and women in uniform” — it’s pretty easy to see what their views are on issues concerning the sex that comprises a majority of voters, argues Martha Burk.
Between “Laramie” and “Spelling Bee,” All Flagler’s a Stage
John Sbordone’s production of “The Laramie Project” and the Flagler Playhouse’s “Spelling Bee” musical are enough to briefly spoil serious and less than theater lovers this weekend. Take advantage.
Georgia’s Killing of Troy Davis: A State-Sponsored Miscarriage of Justice
Troy Davis’s execution at 7 p.m. Wednesday is an extreme example of why the death penalty system is broken, barbaric, and should be abolished.
Palestinian Statehood: Deserved, Overdue, Inevitable
The Obama administration’s attempts to block Palestinian statehood at the United Nations scorn American ideals and pander to Israel’s insistence on denying Palestinians’ right to exist. The outcome will be ruinous.
Malaise from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama: Recalling the “Crisis of Confidence” Speech
Jimmy Carter’s malaise speech is revisited in the more positive context in which it was initially received, when the nation faced an energy and self-confidence crisis. Barack Obama is not in Carter territory yet.
Seawall and “Renourishment” Alternative: Saving the Beach Without Losing a Town’s Soul
Speaking on behalf of SaveFlaglersBeach.com, Terry Potter argues for an alternative to seawalls, dredging and revetments in Flagler Beach and invites the public to the organization’s seminar on the matter on Sept. 15.
Since 9/11: A Reckoning
Moving tributes and grief aside, one lesson of the last 10 years is that we have yet to learn the lesson of the last 10 years: we are not only on a spiral downward. We are feeding the spiral, collectively and consciously. We should all be mourners, and not just for 9/11’s victims.
Back from the Dead, Carver Gym Is Rededicated By Those Who Nearly Killed It
Flagler’s governments gathered at South Bunnell’s Carver Gym Saturday to celebrate the rebirth of what, just 15 months ago, looked to be the end for the community center. Some of the applause was deserved, much of it was self-serving.
Obama’s Job Gig: Pin-Up to GOP Voodoo
What jobs program? Obama’s surrender to stimulus by tax cuts is another concession to bully superstitions. Obama has lost credibility. He’s lost respect. He’s losing the nation right along with him.
Light Up Palm Coast: Petitioning the City Council to Put Safety Before Beautification
In the wake of 15-year-old Kirt Smith’s death while biking on Seminole Woods, Dede Siebenaler argues that the Palm Coast City Council has focused too much on beautifying streets instead of lighting them up.
Moving to Palm Coast, a Parent Asks: What Schools and Sections Are Best for My Kids?
Kristen Jordan is moving from Gainesville to Palm Coast with her 5th grade daughter and 4th grade son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. She asks readers to guide her in her next-most important decisions: what schools and neighborhoods to choose.
Campaign Notes: Defacing Moorman, Excluding Ericksen, Unseating Kim Weeks
Palm Coast City Councilman Holsey Moorman reacts to his vandalized sign, Democrats explain why they invited Jon Netts and not Charlie Ericksen, and the complete list of candidates thinking (or not) of challenging Kimberle Weeks, the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections.
What Barack Obama Can Learn From Rick Scott
With Rick Scott’s poll numbers in the 20s, the governor went for a cosmetology make-over. Barack Obama could do the same, in reverse: he needs to be liked less and to govern more.
Maybe They Should Bid Out the Contract
Palm Coast alone didn’t have a tough week with sanitation matters: A sanitation truck went through the wall of a third-floor depot in New York Wednesday in an involuntary homage to Magritte.
When Income Was Taxed at 94%: How FDR Tackled Debt and Reckless Republicans
The last time the nation faced war debts Franklin Roosevelt didn’t hesitate to raise taxes and show up Republicans who stood in the way of fiscal responsibility, argues Sam Pizzigati.
Philip Levine’s Poetry, Longing for Herbert Hoover: The Live Wire
Celebrating Philip Levine, Poet Laureate, Herbert Hoover sounds good again, and more.
I Love Waste Pro. But.
To my 7-year-old son, Waste Pro’s twice-weekly pickups are a sacred, joyful ritual made more so by Waste Pro’s thoughtful workers. That doesn’t mean Palm Coast should shirk its responsibilities to residents when it comes to bidding out a new garbage contract.
Florida’s Nuclear Energy Scamming: It’s Not Rickover’s Atomic Power Program Anymore
Customers should not have to pay decades ahead of time for Florida Power & Light’s and Progress Energy’s future nuclear power plans, especially when they may not be built, argues Darrell Smith.
Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin and Tea Parties: The Gipper’s NAACP Warning to Extremists
“You are the ones who are out of step with our society,” Ronald Reagan said of extremists in a 1981 speech to the NAACP, a speech that resonates in tea party America today, Zach Roberts argues.
The Greater Threat: Christian Extremism From Timothy McVeigh to Anders Breivik
Those two men—two right-wing reactionaries, terrorists, anti-government white supremacists, Christians—have plenty in common with the fundamentalist politicians and ideologues among us who pretend to have nothing to do with the demons they inspire.
Why Attending Local Government Meetings Has Nothing To Do With Being Involved
No one was in the audience when school administrators making $97,000 a year made their pitch for raises. Don’t blame the public for not being there. It’s not the public’s fault, and there are far better ways to be involved.
To Save Tax Dollars, Consolidate Palm Coast and County Fire Departments Into One
In a year of cutbacks and falling revenue, the presidents of the Palm Coast and Flagler County firefighter unions are proposing to consolidate the two fire departments into one as a way to save taxpayer money and become more efficient.
Debt Ceiling Fallacies: How to Pay Down The Deficit Without Really Trying
The debt limit debate could have some catastrophic consequences for the economy, writes Kyle Russell, but politicians aren’t telling the whole story, and the fix isn’t nearly as bad as it may sound.
President Concession: Obama’s Conviction Deficit
If Barack Obama fears alienating potential voters, argues Donald Kaul, he should consider this: People like leaders who aren’t walking around with whipped cream on their faces all the time.
Introducing Google+: Why Facebook’s Monopoly and Twitter’s Heyday May Be Over
Kyle Russell walks you through Google’s latest Big Thing, how it beats Facebook, and why it may put Twitter and LinkedIn out of business. Your invitation is in Gmail.
When the New York Philharmonic Played the Star Spangled Banner in North Korea
In February 2008, the New York Philharmonic was invited to play in the North Korean capital. It was a remarkable concert. The rendition of the American national Anthem was one of its most moving moments.
When Casey Anthony Pre-Empts Wimbledon
Anthony’s isn’t murder-trial coverage. It’s voyeurism on a bimbo scale. If Anthony had been middle aged, crinkled, overweight, if she’d not been white, this level of media fixation would have been unthinkable.
Unveiling “Flagler Beach First!”: A Common Market for an Uncommon Island City
The idea of Flagler Beach First!, its founders say, is to enable Flagler Beach businesses to promote each other and educate residents and visitors about the importance of buying products and services from Flagler Beach businesses.
FlaglerLive Idle As We Switch To a More Powerful Server. Meanwhile, Please Help.
In a letter to readers, FlaglerLive.com Board Chairman Merrill Shapiro says the switch is compelled by growing volumes of readers. He asks you to pledge regular financial contributions to FlaglerLive to ensure the kind of reporting you’ve come to depend on.
When Florida, Like New York State, Joins the Ranks of the Civilized on Gay Marriage
New York State is celebrating the legalization of gay marriage. We should celebrate along. Where can such baseless assertions as marriage being the “legal union of only one man and one woman” have so much as a throb of credibility other than in the harebrained fictions of scriptures?
Florida’s Betrayal of College Students: Sticking It to the Young, Pandering to the Old
Between Florida public universities’ tuition increasing almost 140 percent in 10 years and Bright Futures scholarship losing half their value, the state is betraying its future while pandering to older, more selfish voters.
A Dissent on Canceling July 4 Fireworks: When Palm Coast Dictates to Flagler Beach
Canceling the fireworks in Town Center was justified, canceling them in Flagler Beach was not, argues Jeremy Mahoney, who sees the decision as another way of making Flagler Beach subservient to Palm Coast.
20% Down Mortgage Requirement Would End Middle Class Home-Ownership As We Know It
If a proposed Qualified Residential Mortgage Rule (QRM) of 20% down and spending less than 28% of monthly gross income on the mortgage takes effect, Marc Morial of the National Urban League argues, middle class home ownership will be a thing of the past.
“I Saw The Fires As I Was Flying In.” Rick Scott’s Embarrassing Lay-Over in Flagler
Rick Scott spent four and a half hours today hobnobbing with businessmen and chamber of commerce pals in Orlando, but couldn’t spare a moment for firemen on the line during his lightning visit to Flagler County.
When Congress Is a Child Predator: Head Start Targeted for $1 Billion in Cuts
Head Start has given 20 million Americans a positive start in life since 1964. Marian Wright Edelman argues that continued success is in jeopardy as Republicans aim to decimate the program in the name of budget cuts.
How Flagler County Is Controlling The Public’s Right To Know The Latest On the Fires
On County Administrator Craig Coffey’s orders, the 9:30 a.m. daily “stakeholder’s meeting” on the fires, which includes all agencies and governments involved, politicians, and even members of the public, is closed to media.
Firefighter Hero-Worship and Floridians’ Hypocrisy: When Public Employees Save Lives
Flagler County and Florida residents are falling in heaps with praise for the same public and union employees they and the lawmakers they elected just finished bashing, insulting, demeaning and robbing. The disconnect is sickening.
Saving Medicare Without Destroying It
Medicare’s demise is overblown. Modest fixes, eliminations of tax favors and a small rise in the Medicare tax can preserve America’s best and fairest government-run single-payer insurance system.