Like the grim joke that was its predecessor, the League of Nations, the United Nations was supposed to be a decisive mechanism to keep the peace. It has failed dismally. Perhaps the most serious non-nuclear crisis in the world today is the civil war gripping Yemen. During the past several ...
I have been on the economic development board since 2007. Much has progressed and changed since then but two things that have remained constant are talk at the board level about a general misunderstanding of what economic development consists of and about how that leads to a constant battle ...
Veteran FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok has been pulled out of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged Russian meddling in our election, it was revealed during the weekend. Strzok reportedly was involved in an exchange of text messages that showed bias against ...
Many members of Congress who have opposed tax relief as approved by both houses of Congress insist their concern is increasing the national debt. How reassuring that lawmakers are worried about that — finally. It is estimated that during the next decade, the tax cuts will increase the ...
I once had someone cut me off mid-sentence and tell me I sounded like a commercial for Alpena. Considering that it is my job to sell the community to attract overnight visitors, I wasn’t offended by the comment. Talking about the positive things happening and the great resources we enjoy as ...
Conservative speaker Lucian Wintrich clearly should not have done what he did when protesters disrupted a speech he was trying to present Tuesday night at the University of Connecticut. To judge by a video showing the altercation, police were right to charge Wintrich with breach of the ...
Finally, he's in. After the longest cat and mouse game with the media over whether he would run for governor, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley ended the game by announcing he is and in one of his first comments on the campaign trail he proudly announced, "I hate politics!" Come again. A guy who ...
We suppose the agreement announced this week between Michigan officials and Enbridge regarding oil transportation through Line 5 in the Straits is a step in the right direction. If that’s true, however, consider it a baby step. In our estimation a lot more needs done by Enbridge to assure ...
The basic function of government has always been to collect taxes and then use that money to provide protection and services to us. That is why it is important to keep track of who pays the taxes and who gets the services. The Republican Congress is in the process of trying to pass a ...
Usually every four years in Michigan it is a governor’s race that drives voter turnout to the polls in November. While that certainly should hold true again next year, there might be another reason that is just as much on voters’ minds — in fact there could be as many as eight of them ...
With each new revelation of sexual misconduct by a powerful man, I ask myself, “When will this end?” How is it that so many men have behaved piggishly — illegally — and the women they abused remained silent for fear that the humiliation they endured would only be worse if they came ...
Come Heller high water … Matt Lauer? Garrison Keillor? Jeez, who's next — Tom Hanks? Tom Brokaw? Bernie Sanders? Homer Simpson? Mr. Rogers? Prince Harry? Bill Nye the Science Guy? Capt. Kangaroo? Santa Claus? I mean, come on, aren't we at the point where it would be more efficient to ...
Wait a minute! Christmas decorations may already be going up, and we’ve heard Christmas music in stores for weeks now — and all this even though Christmas is still a little over three weeks away — but c’mon, isn’t ‘Happy New Year’ really jumping the gun? Well, maybe the word ...
Welcome Col. John Miner to Alpena. Miner became the 12th commander at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center Tuesday, a role that puts him “front and center” with not only the military personnel that he works with, but also Northeast Michigan residents. Make no mistake, the Alpena ...
When is enough enough? Again Lansing lawmakers set their sights on eliminating or reducing the retirement benefits that the police and fire unions have bargained for in good faith. It appears now, they want those of us who have been part of the program for years, adjusted our budgets, ...
I was annoyed by the headlines on the Nov. 17 sports page, “Hurons humbled in semifinals.” No way were our players humbled, both teams played their hears out and the better team won. We in Rogers City are very proud of our girls, they gave their best, they were not humbled. There is ...
To me, one of the most important things a citizen can do is take jury duty. Yes it is a sacrifice, but jury duty is one of the last checks against tyranny outside voting. Under our common law tradition, and even was enunciated by Samuel Adams that not only can you judge the facts of the laws, ...
It would be bad enough had the North Korean missile launch this week been just another case of dictator Kim Jong-un rattling his saber for domestic political reasons or merely because he enjoys frightening and angering people. But the vast majority of military rockets used in test firings ...
I received an email in regards to the Slow Moving Vehicle placard. The email referenced how it is illegal for people to use the slow moving vehicle sign as driveway markers or any other use other than on a slow moving vehicle. The citizen continued in the email about how the “use of this ...
On Monday, did your children or grandchildren get to tell a virtual Santa Claus what they want for Christmas? Did you try to guess how the magician you watched on your smartphone made the rabbit disappear? And, how about that ice skating app? Pardon our sarcasm, please. It is aimed, if you ...