Columnists

THE PUBLIC EYE:The Biden Infrastructure Plan

Bob Burnett
Saturday April 10, 2021 - 01:49:00 PM

On March 31st, President Joe Biden introduced his infrastructure plan, "The American Jobs Plan" (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/ ) It's an omnibus $2 trillion plan to repair the major holes in America's infrastructure, and to create jobs. -more-


ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Safety Mechanisms

Jack Bragen
Saturday April 10, 2021 - 01:22:00 PM

The term "safety mechanism" when referring to mentally ill people can be applied in numerous respects. One of them was relevant to me when I had several relapses of psychosis (that were usually six years apart). I had a mechanism that would prevent me from doing physical harm. This was a special faculty that continued to work even when my brain was predominantly doing the wrong thing. -more-


ECLECTIC RANT:President Biden’s American Jobs Plan in a Nutshell

Ralph E. Stone
Sunday April 11, 2021 - 08:48:00 PM

President Joe Biden unveiled his more than $2.25 trillion American Jobs Plan (Plan), which would inject money into roads, bridges, airports, broadband, electric vehicles, housing and job training over ten years while hiking the corporate tax rate to 28% after Republicans had cut it to 21% from 35% as part of their 2017 tax law. -more-


Smithereens: Reflections on Bits & Pieces--
Can We Call This Scandal Gaetz-gate?

Gar Smith
Sunday April 11, 2021 - 08:56:00 PM

On March 29, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz admitted to Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he was facing federal charges for underage-dating—aka, "trafficking a child." But as squeamish as the revelations are, Gaetz' critics may be overreaching in their condemnation. While the "age of consent" in Florida is 18, a 17-year-old is not a child. (Florida actually has a "Romeo and Juliette Law" that allows 16-year-olds to "have sex with someone no older than 23 years." That won't help Gaetz: he's 38.) -more-