No Room for a Christian Worldview? (Townhall.com) October 10, 2011

Perhaps you missed the story of the honors student in Texas who was 

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 suspended for telling a friend in German class that he was a Christian and believed homosexuality was wrong.  Apparently it’s a topic the teacher liked to bring up and the student’s comment about his beliefs was—according to the teacher—not acceptable.

The winds of postmodernism and multiculturalism are blowing over traditional values in many places, and many fail to understand that, in the end, Christian values still have a valid place at the table. The First Amendment promises freedom of religion, not freedom from it. 

When lawyers became involved, the honors student from Texas was restored to school and his alleged wrongdoing erased.  But what a shame we have teachers and administrators who could get something so wrong in the first place.  In adding new rights for people, it’s neither necessary nor proper to take rights from others, including Christians.

To listen to the audio please click here:  http://townhall.com/talkradio/dailycommentary/624837

One Cent Solution (Townhall.com) September 19, 2011

When federal deficits get into the trillions of dollars, it’s difficult to get our minds around numbers with 12 zeroes.  So some smart people have broken it down to the level of the average family.

Imagine a family with an annual income of $50,000 that is actually spending $80,000 per year and has a credit card debt of $200,000.  Then you begin to get the idea.

And let’s be honest, despite all the hue and cry from Washington, the recent actions of Congress really only slowed the rate of increase and, by raising the debt ceiling, gave the family a new credit card to borrow more.

I like the commonsense approach of a bill introduced by Congressman Connie Mack and Senior Mike Enzi – the one percent solution.  Let’s cut every dollar the federal government spends by one penny every year for six years, and we’ll balance the budget by 2019.

One way or another, we desperately need a serious commitment to responsible federal spending.  And we need it now.

To listen to the audio please click on this link:  http://townhall.com/talkradio/dailycommentary/617921

A Welcome Addition (Townhall.com) August 26, 2011

With President Obama’s polling numbers dropping, and his support from 

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 independent voters eroding, he certainly looks beatable in 2012.  But the race is not simply a “yes” or “no” vote on Obama.  It will take a Republican with broad appeal to win. 

Perhaps Rick Perry is a Republican who can win. First, in a party with conservatives of many stripes—fiscal, social, Constitutional and religious—Perry appears to be conservative across the board.  As a governor, he has cut spending, kept taxes low and balanced the budget.

He seems to have a message with broader appeal as well—his state has grown jobs, which is the number one issue on the minds of voters.  He is well spoken, has charisma and, as one study says is required, even has good hair!

Rick Perry is a welcome addition to a large field that, to this point, many feel had lacked sufficiently conservative credentials and star quality.

Click here to listen to the audio:  http://townhall.com/talkradio/dailycommentary/610706

Rolling Back Excessive Public Pensions (Townhall.com) July 25, 2011

Cities and states that were already under water financially are beginning to 

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 drown in public pension obligations. Estimates range as high as $3 trillion in unfunded debt, with some cities paying as much as 70-80 percent of their budgets to pensions. 

Governors and legislators traded political support from public employee unions for overly generous pensions, and now those fringe benefits have become entitlements. 

Economically the tide has turned and in some states—such asWisconsin,Indiana,OhioandNew Jersey—the political tide has turned as well.

Finally, two recent court decisions inColoradoandMinnesotasay that it is legal to roll back certain pension benefits, denying the union argument that these pensions are now contracts that cannot be changed. It will take political courage and help from strong judges turn this mess around.

To listen to the audio:  http://townhall.com/talkradio/dailycommentary/600150

Public Employees by the Number (Townhall.com) July 22, 2011

Seemingly out of nowhere came the unbelievable expenses of public employee 

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 pensions. But there are some other numbers we should focus on, especially how many employees it takes to serve the public.

In San Jose, California, just to the south of me, there are 6,000 city employees—or one for every 158 residents.  But a smaller city just to the north, San Franciscohas five times more city employees—or one for every 27 residents.  The mayor of Detroit says he can’t drastically reduce his work force, but he has 1 employee per 55 city residents.

How about your city? Perhaps Mayors Dave Bing of Detroit or Ed Lee of San Francisco need to send delegations to Indianapolis, Forth Worth, Charlotte or any number of cities that have learned to operate leaner in these difficult times.

To listen to the audio link:  http://ht.salemweb.net/townhall/audio/mp3/793c21e6-1383-4200-9a50-487aba0377b6.mp3

The Changing Family (Townhall.com) July 15, 2011

Take a guess. What percentage ofCaliforniachildren would you say grow up in a

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 traditional household—with one male and one female parent married to each other? New data from the U.S. Census says the answer is just 23 percent of households. 

Instead is a host of new living arrangements:  single-parent households (up 20 percent since the last census), same-sex households (up 25 percent), unmarried opposite sex partners and so forth. 

But what does this mean for children? Shuttling back and forth between parents? Greater financial pressures?  Studies still show that kids born to unmarried parents or raised in single-parent households are more likely to be poor and more likely to commit crimes. 

Since these changes have taken place so recently, research does not yet have answers. But I fear that new freedoms and structures in families may not bode well for children.

To hear the audio click on this link:  http://townhall.com/talkradio/dailycommentary/597609

Superman, Citizen of the World (Townhall.com) July 5, 2011

Perhaps you missed Action Comics #900, but Superman has renounced his 

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 American citizenship, saying “truth, justice and the American way—it’s not enough anymore.”  Now he wants to be a “citizen of the world.”

But according to Hoover Fellow Bill Damon, this is a problem for American young people. American values and patriotism have given way to a vague sense of global citizenship.  In Damon’s new book, Failing Civics 101, he points out the crisis of American young people, who are no longer taught to value country and civic purpose and no longer willing to engage in the fight for freedom and democracy. 

Not only are we failing to prepare young people with basic civic knowledge, but also with civic purpose and commitment. This does not bode well for the future of “truth, justice and the American way.”

To listen to the audio:  http://townhall.com/talkradio/dailycommentary/593480