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…
Blog
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…
REPEAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE – RESTORING CONFIDENCE, FREEDOM, AND CHOICE
[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] The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which just passed the Senate and the House and was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump earlier today,…
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION 2017 – REPUBLICAN WOMEN OF DANE COUNTY
On Friday, December 1, 2017, the Republican Women of Dane County enjoyed an exclusive private tour of the Wisconsin Executive Residence, better known as the Governor’s Mansion. The mansion is located in the Village of Maple Bluff. Our Governor, Scott Walker, is the 14th Governor to reside here. The mansion was originally designed by an…
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF DANE COUNTY – WE OVERCOME CHALLENGES SO THAT WISCONSIN, AND AMERICA, CAN SUCCEED
“Oh, I am sorry to hear that” – said a gentleman to me, jokingly, with a smile on his face. We had just met at a political event, and were getting to know each other. He made the comment when he found out that I am a Republican from Madison, Dane County. Anyone living in…
PERSUASION – IN THE ACADEMIC, POLITICAL AND PERSONAL LIFE
Plato’s Republic begins with Polemarchus, along with a group of people, stopping Socrates and Glaucon from departing the city. Upon realizing that Socrates is inclined to leave, Polemarchus highlights the size of his group and says, “…prove yourselves the stronger party, or else stay where you are.” Socrates suggests, “…there is still an alternative: suppose…
REPUBLICAN WOMEN OF WISCONSIN – ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM AND HARD WORK
Republican women in Wisconsin play a key role in promoting conservatives values and providing support to the strong, principled political leaders in our state. The Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women (WFRW) is the statewide organization, while numerous county groups operate all over the state. These groups are engaged in grassroots organizing, fostering discussions on issues…
OUR REACTION TO VICTORY: “WORK HARDER”
There are two possible reactions to victory. The first one is when a person or group feels that the mission has been accomplished, and therefore chooses to relax and enjoy the win. The second kind would be when a person or group is further energized by victory, and is motivated to work even harder. The…
THANKING FIRST RESPONDERS, EVERY DAY
America’s law enforcement officers and other first responders are our assets. The tremendous service they provide and the sacrifices they make are hard to explain in words. They put themselves in harm’s way, to save the lives of others. These brave men and women should be supported and celebrated. As someone who was born and…
WE MUST PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE RACE FOR WISCONSIN’S SUPREME COURT SEAT
In 2018, something very important will take place in Wisconsin. Yes, there will be an election for a U.S. Senate seat, and there will be a gubernatorial election. Furthermore, there will also be contests for seats in the state legislature. And, the eight House of Representatives seats in Wisconsin will be up for re-election too….
IMMIGRATION: VIEWS OF A LEGAL IMMIGRANT, NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN, AND REPUBLICAN
[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] Immigration is one of the biggest political topics in present-day America, with lots of differences in opinions among people. These differences lead to intellectual discourse, classroom…
OLD AGE: GAINING WISDOM AND LOSING INDEPENDENCE
Old age is a realization that Nature has bestowed a person with a long life. Yet, the issues surrounding old age are hardly ever easy to deal with, for both the people and their family, friends, and caregivers. The difficulties are not always due to old age itself, but the challenges of old age are…
UNNECESSARY: NEW VEHICLE “IDLING” ORDINANCE IN MADISON, WI
A recently-passed ordinance in the City of Madison limits the length of time that drivers can keep a vehicle’s engine running while it is parked on public and private property, with exceptions. The limit is set at five minutes. The “driving factors” for this ordinance, as stated in the article, are the environmental and health impacts from car exhaust. While I understand the desire of local elected officials to create a healthier environment by reducing emissions, I believe that the passage of such ordinance will not bring about any significant benefit and would create unnecessary enforcement burdens on public officials.