The coronavirus pandemic has brought The Walking Dead to a halt on its path. This is just another example of the widespread impact of the pandemic in people’s lives. The highly popular television series is broadcasted on AMC on Sunday evening. For many years now, The Walking Dead, a series based on a post-apocalyptic world,…
Author: Tawsif Anam
WILL CASES OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS INCREASE IF LOCKDOWN IS LIFTED?
As governors of various states are extending the stay-at-home orders, protests are starting to brew because people are frustrated with not being able to lead normal lives. At the center of all this is the question of whether or not cases of COVID-19 infections would increase if lockdown is lifted. Federal guidelines recommended social distancing,…
DOES DENNIS QUAID, IN SUPPORTING TRUMP, REPRESENT HOLLYWOOD VOICES?
Dennis Quaid recently praised President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, during an interview with The Daily Beast. In particular, the actor expressed that the Republican president is doing a good job trying to bring the American states together in the fight against this deadly virus, while also managing the economy during this crisis….
WHAT DID GOV. ANDREW CUOMO JUST SAY ABOUT 2020?
The hashtag #CuomoForPresident has been spreading among liberals on Twitter, as Democrats desperately look for an alternative to Joe Biden, after Biden’s gaffe-filled campaign and awkward television interviews reduced the support he has within his party. Joe Biden has been in Washington for decades. He served in Congress and also as vice president for eight…
TAKE EXEMPLARY ACTION AGAINST PRICE-GOUGERS
Many attorneys general from across America are demanding action on price gouging. Given the nature of the consumer market, and the volume of business that take places online, companies such as Amazon and Facebook must step up and ensure that they prevent sellers from unfairly inflating prices amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Americans are not only…
A “SEA WALL” IN NEW YORK? NOT FEASIBLE.
The proposal to build a six-mile-long “sea wall” in New York, costing $119 billion and requiring 25 years for construction, is not feasible. Scientists study the history of the Earth, analyze geological and atmospheric changes, and try to predict weather patterns. Even with current technology, we have seen that weather forecasts are often wrong. That…
ARE FLYING CARS THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION?
The concept of a flying car that Hyundai is developing with Uber, was introduced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, this month. This raises the question about the future of transportation. At a time when American communities need transportation funding to fix crumbling roads, due to exposure to snow, ice, salt, extreme heat, etc., the…
TWO WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
In the United States of America, cost of health care is rising, and utilization of health care services is increasing. This means that our health care system must be efficient and effective in responding to the needs of the population. Here are two ways that our health care system can better serve the people of…
WISCONSIN’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOULD BECOME MORE CONSERVATIVE
The electorate is changing – children grow up, foreign-born individuals become naturalized citizens, many develop passion for politics, people move in and out of cities and state, etc. Wisconsin’s second congressional district leans towards Democrats. However, the support for conservatives could gradually grow. Dane, the largest county in the district, has major employers and entrepreneurial…
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED STATEHOOD
Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other Democrats, are advocating to make the District of Columbia a state. Current proposal calls for the election of two U.S. senators and one House representative from Washington D.C. I believe the District of Columbia should not be granted statehood. The District of Columbia is not a state,…
ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE NOT FIT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT USE
Innovation is excellent, it is what keeps the world moving forward. But sometimes, traditional ways of doing things are preferred. That is my conclusion after reading a news article about an electric vehicle for police that ran out of charge during a chase in northern California. There are benefits to using gasoline over electricity. First,…
LET’S NOT TEAR UP OUR ECONOMICS TEXTBOOKS
Robert J. Samuelson’s article – “It’s time we tear up our economics textbooks and start over” – has a provocative title, but the concluding remark that “textbooks must be up to date” is reasonable. Having read Gregory Mankiw’s (and other economists’) publications, I understand that laws and theories in textbooks must be accompanied by real-life…
WISCONSIN NEEDS BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM TRANSPORTATION FUNDING PLANS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN SPENDING
In his letter, published on June 5, 2019, Mr. David Lendved of Lodi referenced a letter I had written last month. He disagreed with me after I argued that the state gas tax should not be increased. He concluded that borrowing funds for transportation projects is unsustainable and placed blame on Republicans. My letter did…
PROTECT THE SENIORS, PROTECT THE UNBORN
We must protect the unborn, as we show our commitment to not just children, but also the seniors. The willingness to protect unborn children goes well beyond the political debate of pro-abortion vs. pro-life. It is about recognizing that human lives are precious. On the spectrum of life – the unborn are on one end,…
FEW REASONS WHY STATE GAS TAX SHOULD NOT BE RAISED
With potholes, and uneven and buckled surfaces, Wisconsin’s roads are in need of repair. According to a recent study, Wisconsin is in the list of ten states with the worst roads in America.[i] Governor Tony Evers has proposed increasing the gas tax by 8 cents per gallon to raise revenue for transportation projects. As a…
CONSERVATIVES ARE READY TO WIN IN 2020
After attending Republican Party’s state convention in Oshkosh in May 2019, I believe that conservatives in Wisconsin are energized, heading towards 2020, in spite of major loss in statewide races in 2018. Conservatives from around the state attended the convention with hope and determination. Over the last few months, many expressed frustration with the outcomes…
EFFORTS TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD HELP HIM GET RE-ELECTED
Various Democrat elected officials have called for President Donald J. Trump’s impeachment, since he first took office. Most recently, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan from Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district called for impeachment inquiry into President Trump.[i] The nation was shocked when Republican congressman Justin Amash from Michigan also called for the president’s impeachment.[ii] While such calls…
ON MOTHER’S DAY, A TRIBUTE TO MY GRANDMOTHER
If birth and death are the start and end, respectively, of earthly life, then every day is Mother’s Day. Many are blessed to be nurtured and cared for by the mother as they grow up, some are not. Many are blessed to recognize and honor the love they receivefrom the mother, while some are forgetful…
REPUBLICAN PARTY CAUCUSES AND LINCOLN DAY EVENTS – MY THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATION
Two states, eleven counties – both urban and rural – and a strange mix of frustration and enthusiasm. I saw anxious eyes, witnessed expression of joy, and heard words of determination at various Lincoln Day events and Republican Party caucuses in 2019. There are many challenges ahead for conservatives, but the grassroots energy is growing….
REMEMBERING STEVEN HERMANSON
It was a weekend. My mother and I just finished our meal at Pointer Cafe in Mineral Point. For those who may not know – it is a small city in Iowa County, in southwest Wisconsin. We were on our way back from Shullsburg, further south in Lafayette County, after an eventful morning. Restaurants and…
TAX PER MILE – MORE GOVERNMENT, LESS FREEDOM
In Illinois, a state legislator has proposed imposing tax on the number of miles a person drives, clearly showing that efforts to increase government intervention in the lives of people are probably not going to come to an end anytime soon. Government controls nearly all aspects of a person’s life – from healthcare to agriculture,…
PHYSICIAN BURNOUT: A PROBLEM THAT WE MUST ADDRESS, NOW
Not too long ago, a physician left his job at a large health system. It was a loss for the medical community, because of how excellent a doctor he is. He travelled out of state for a few months, only to come back to his home state and restart clinical practice in a different city….
AN AGING POPULATION AND THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CAREGIVING
We see them everywhere – at restaurants, gas stations, post offices, on the road driving vehicles, at the park, at malls, golf courses, and so on. They are those who belong to the Silent Generation (people born in the years 1925-42) and the early wave of the Baby Boomers (the Baby Boomer generation was born…
CHOOSING BETWEEN FREEDOM AND DEPENDENCY
On November 6, 2018, Wisconsinites need to make a choice between freedom and dependency. The decision must be a rational one. Each voter needs to ask him/herself: What is it that I want? More money in my pocket, or more power in the hands of the government? More opportunities in the market, or seeing businesses leave…
BOTSWANA: HOW INSTITUTIONS KEPT THE RESOURCE CURSE AWAY
Written in 2010. ABSTRACT The natural resource curse has plagued many countries. Scholars have studied the mechanisms through which the discovery of natural resources causes a country to end up facing civil and political strife, and devastating economic consequences. Botswana, a diamond-rich sub-Saharan country that gained its independence from the British in 1966, has successfully…
NEW MOVIE – “FIRST MAN” – OMITS SHOWING AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS PLANTING FLAG ON THE MOON IN 1969
There is a new movie, set to be released in October 2018. It is called “First Man” – a movie about the 1969 Moon landing by American astronauts – the first men in recorded history to land on the Moon. What a tremendous American accomplishment that was! Based on what I read about the movie,…
KILLING OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS – REIGNITING THE CALL FOR BORDER SECURITY
[Views expressed here are my own, and have not been endorsed by any political party, elected official, candidate for elected office, or any local, state or federal government agency] Mollie Tibbetts, an American girl, was killed, allegedly by an illegal alien. The news has sparked outrage nationwide, as people demand a secure border that would…
VISA OVERSTAY: THE PROBLEM CONTINUES
The problem of illegal immigration is bigger than the issue of unauthorized entry of people, through the southern border, into the United States. There are also those who enter the United States legally, after obtaining visas, and do not leave the country after their visas expire. They continue to remain in the United States, illegally….
ABOLIST ICE? – VIEWS OF A LEGAL IMMIGRANT
Some political figures are calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – a federal agency – to be abolished. As Americans, it is important for us to understand what ICE is, and what kind of work ICE agents do. According to ICE, the agency enforces more than 400 federal statutes, and focuses on immigration enforcement,…
THE MIDTERMS WILL NOT BE REFERENDUM ON TRUMP
Political commentator Juan Williams made the following claim on May 28, 2018, in an article published in The Hill: “Midterms will be referendum on Trump.” (Note 1) I disagree. An election is about candidates whose names appear on the ballot. In November 2018, Donald J. Trump will not be on the ballot. Therefore, this election…
RIGHT TO TRY: GIVING HOPE TO THE TERMINALLY ILL
The Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 (called the “Right to Try Act” in short) after being unanimously approved by the United State Senate in August 2017, was passed by the House of Representatives on May 22, 2018. The bill now awaits President Donald. J. Trump’s…
IS WISCONSIN’S NATIONAL INFLUENCE WANING? THE ANSWER IS “NO”.
My response to Craig Gilbert’s claim: “As Ryan leaves, Wisconsin’s national influence wanes”. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/blogs/wisconsin-voter/2018/04/13/ryan-leaves-cheesehead-revolution-all-but-over/515905002/ Last month, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article claimed: “As Ryan leaves, Wisconsin’s national influence wanes”. The writer goes on to explain the rationale for such a headline, highlighting the departure of Reince Priebus from the post of the Chief of Staff…
DEPLOYMENT OF NATIONAL GUARD AT U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER – A BOLD STEP TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
The United States of America is facing a severe crisis – foreign nationals are unlawfully entering the country through our southern border with Mexico, and have been for many years, and are violating our country’s sovereignty. Over the last few years, this problem has been widely discussed in the political arena, and covered a lot by the…
THE SEVERE PROBLEM OF VISA OVERSTAY
The issue of legal vs. illegal immigration has been at the forefront of political discussion since before the 2016 election. Following the 2016 election, executive action, activities in Congress, and rallies and protests on this matter, have kept the issue of immigration at the center of attention. The focus has largely been on the massive…
MY REACTION TO RECENT NEWS ABOUT CALIFORNIA
There’s something seriously wrong with California. Nature has bestowed upon California the finest gifts – beautiful land formation, greenery, pleasant climate, and the list goes on. And yet, it is a perfect example of how bad governance can turn a beautiful state into a total mess. This week, a U.S. News report ranked California as…
COMPARING AMERICA TO AUSTRALIA WITH REGARD TO GUN RIGHTS? NOT A GOOD IDEA.
The opponents of our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms often bring up Australia as a role model for banning guns. They propose that America should follow Australia’s footsteps in taking away firearms from its citizens. First, I want to say: America is not Australia, and Australia is not America. Both are…
ELDER ABUSE: A GROWING CRISIS
America has an aging population. But the demographic shift is not unique to our country. In fact, the world’s population of seniors is growing rapidly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 617 million people around the world (or 8.5 of the population worldwide) are aged 65 and over.[1] The number of seniors is projected to…
VOTER ID REQUIREMENT: ESSENTIAL IN PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY
We are blessed to be citizens of a country where we can go to the polls and cast our vote to elect our representatives – from the local, state, to federal levels. Whether we are choosing a mayor or a village board member, a governor or a state assemblyman, a congressman or the president, or…
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA FOR RECREATIONAL USE IS HARMFUL FOR AMERICANS
The legalization of the sale and consumption of marijuana for recreational purposes in California is detrimental to the health and well-being of Americans. California is the sixth U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana (known as “pot”) for consumers aged 21 years or older, as of January 1, 2018. These adults can possess up to an…
SPACE EXPLORATION – A PRIORITY FOR AMERICA
“The sky is the limit” – the words are used in everyday life, in the figurative sense, and refer to endless possibilities. The words are literally true, regarding space exploration. For centuries, great minds have sought to understand the nature and movement of celestial bodies in space, and their connection to life on Earth. Scholars…