Recently The Weekly Standard ran an article by Ike Brannon and Benjamin Gitis suggesting that the mortgage deduction was no longer so important as it had been in the past, and recommending instead a program in Wisconsin called WHEDA, which stands […]
Howard Ahmanson
9/11, Ten Years Later
When the 9/11 attacks happened, ten years ago, we knew that we didn’t like it. But we in the Western World were forced to think about the delicate question of, if we were against this, what were we for? Were […]
‘Smart Growth’ or Housing Opportunity
John Crawford, of Sierra Madre, misunderstands the proper purpose of SB 375. Yes, it is a form of social engineering, but so are the existing policies in those towns forbidding high density housing. Yes, it is mistaken if it is trying […]
Civilian Conservation Corps
This story about troubled teens being exposed to nature reminds me that while there was a lot to dislike about Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal, the Civilian Conservation Corps got lots of young people out into the natural world doing […]
Earned Success
Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute and public conservative spokesman, has been writing and speaking recently about happiness. He spoke at the recent Christian Community Development Conference, and declared that money does not necessarily bring happiness except that […]
Herman Cain and a New Party
DeWayne Wickham comments on Herman Cain’s campaign. Supposedly he does not understand that historically black people, conservative on some issues, have tended to view the federal government as their protector and to distrust state and local governments; and, knowing history, […]
Spinning the War of 1812
Canadian Blitzkrieg captures Detroit and Chicago! Toronto and Buffalo left in ruins! British intervene on Canadian side and capture Washington D.C.! Sounds like some kind of a fantasy novel, doesn’t it! Well, it actually happened. It was the War of […]
Why Non-Suburbanites Distrust Suburbanites
I’ve had the great Arcade Fire album, The Suburbs, on in my car recently, and have been inspired by it to a few thoughts. Most people, especially people with children, aspire to a real house and not a condominium or an […]
The Two Income Trap
We have referred to Ms. Warren and Ms. Tyagi”s book, The Two Income Trap, rather often in these pages. When Obama wanted to appoint her consumer czar, she was attacked. Here is Christopher Caldwell, of the neocon magazine The Weekly […]
How To Talk About Abortion in California: Accentuate The Positive
I think it’s OK to be pro-life in California politics. I am not planning to run for office. The notorious Oscar Wilde is rumored to have said, “The problem with socialism is that it will take up too many evenings;” […]