If I offered you a thousand dollars not to steal my car, would you be any less likely to steal it? What if I offered you a million? If you’re like most people, you would answer that you weren’t planning to steal it anyway. You’re not a thief so the discussion is pointless. Although if I were serious, you might take the money anyway.
Walcher: Paying for what ought to be free Read More »
Police have an unflattering nickname, “Permit Patty,” for someone who calls police over frivolous complaints. It originated when a woman called the police on a little girl selling lemonade at a streetside stand – as generations of kids have done – without a permit. It illustrates a commonsense truth, namely that not everything in life should require a permit, and not every infraction is a matter for the police.
Walcher: How many border guards do we need? Read More »
In planning the nation’s 1976 bicentennial celebration, Congress made one of its dumbest-ever boondoggle decisions. Recognizing the near death of railroad passenger service since the 1950’s, Congress decided to spend millions turning the aging and crumbling Union Station into the National Visitor Center. But they missed the obvious red flag – the millions of visitors to the nation’s capital during 1976 would not be coming by train.
Walcher: Let’s use what we already have Read More »
My friend Amos Eno, one of the country’s leading conservation experts, spent a decade running the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and more recently the Land Conservation Assistance Network.
Walcher: Throw off climate suffocation and ‘shovel, baby, shovel’ Read More »
A lot of jokes about Elon Musk are making the rounds, in light of his new role in identifying government waste, fraud and abuse.
Walcher: Is government going to the DOGE? Read More »
Alaska comprises nearly 20 percent of the entire U.S. at more than 665,000 square-miles, and is the richest state in natural resources.
Walcher: The unproud Western legacy of Jimmy Carter Read More »
In the 1950 movie version of Grimm’s Fairy Tale, the cruel stepmother scolds Cinderella, “You clumsy little fool – clean that up!” But, of course, it was the stepmother, not Cinderella, who made the mess.
Walcher: Federal agencies should look in the mirror Read More »
An early lesson I learned as a young staffer for the late Sen. Bill Armstrong was the importance of careful consideration. He disliked being rushed into hasty decisions and developed a standard response to any demand for immediate action.
Walcher: Time is on Colorado’s side – no need to rush Read More »
Several years ago, Utah filed a suit insisting that the federal government turn over to the state 12,000 roads that cross federal lands within Utah. Few officials noticed, as disputes over who controls public roads on federal lands are nothing new. But the federal judge hearing this case just sent shock waves through Washington with an 80-page ruling containing an analysis worthy of the highest court, refusing to dismiss the case, and excoriating the government for trying to thwart the clear intent of the law.
Walcher: Who decides what’s a public road? Read More »
The “doctrine of unstable alliances” in George Washington’s “Farewell Address” underpinned U.S. foreign policy for decades and is still considered wise, though mostly ignored.
