Monthly Archives: February 2012

Overreacting In Tornado Alley

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

Have you noticed?  Government tends to become overprotective when public safety is the issue. I am all for reasonable efforts but there is an ongoing campaign in Joplin Missouri now that is over the top and misguided, in my opinion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, government regulation, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tornado Accounting

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

By now I think just about every news junkie in the United States associates Joplin Missouri with tornadoes. Our local newspaper, the Joplin Globe, has finally published a roundup of something I’ve been waiting for ever since our town was … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Next Step?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

Conservatives, in harness with the Catholic Church, say they are still outraged over the ACA requiring that insurance companies provide access to contraception at no additional cost to customers of insurance companies. They believe that the Obama administration has violated … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Life Begins At . . . ?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

The recent dust-up between the Susan G. Komen charity foundation and Planned Parenthood coupled with the newly-introduced contraception provisions of the Affordable Care Act, have provided right-wing conservatives with a red-meat issue of the kind they’ve been seeking, never mind … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Confessions of an Amateur Tax-preparer

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

Not long after I retired from my civilian job I was looking for a pastime activity that would keep my brain active and I decided to try being a volunteer tax preparer with the organization, VITA. It has always seemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Taxes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Creep

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Jim Wheeler

As a retired military officer I note with both interest and alarm that our armed forces are becoming ever more top-heavy and expensive. A USA Today front-page article says that pension benefits are now so lavish that some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Armed Forces, Government size, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments