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John N. Mitchell

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John N. Mitchell

"Mitchell devised a type of revenue bond called a "moral obligation bond" while serving as bond counsel to New York’s governor Nelson Rockefeller in the 1960s. In an effort to get around the voter approval process for increasing state and municipal borrower limits, Mitchell attached language to the offerings that was able to communicate the state's intent to meet the bond payments while not placing it under a legal obligation to do so. Mitchell did not dispute when asked in an interview if the intent of such language was to create a "form of political elitism that bypasses the voter's right to a referendum or an initiative."

State legislators take steps to criminalize protests

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State legislators take steps to criminalize protests

I am bothered by protesters who engage in criminal acts to get their message across -- and jeopardize the public safety. There are plenty of public sidewalks and common areas where people can protest during ordinary business hours and during the daytime without trashing the land, causing car crashes, burning and looting buildings.

I have no problem with ordinary rallies and protests. And if people want to camp in the back country or a developed campground, that's fine too -- they just need to follow the rules, get the necessary permits, and so forth. Just because you are protesting, doesn't mean your exempt from all the other ordinary rules.

Don’t Shutdown Highways

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It’s obvious that tougher federal criminal penalities are needed against those who would intentionally shut down an interstate highway, railroad, or airport. The fact is illegal blockades of high-speed roads, railroads, and airports are dangerous both to motorists and blockaders, not to mention first responders and those who drive truck for a living.

Nobody doesn’t think people shouldn’t be allowed to protest. There are many public places that are available for protests, without putting human life at risk. Those places may not be as dramatic or get the news coverage sought out by protesters, but they protect the public safety.

I’m all for people getting out and expressing their views. Like most people, I have a problem with some of our president’s choices. But don’t cause innocent moms and dads who are just trying to get home to their children to be held up unnecessarily, don’t cause crashes, don’t block truckers just trying to feed their families, and don’t keep firefighters from getting to fires.

It’s just common decency.