"Smaller government = less need for revenue = less pressure to endlessly develop = less harm to the environment." Umm, your logic is a little off, Parrhesiac. "Smaller government" (which is Republican/Tea Party code for deregulation) simply means that there's going to more arsenic in our water, less clean air to breathe, and carte blanche for developers to rape our land without having to worry about the health or safety concerns of local citizens. I also don't think that people who support environmental policies necessarily think of government as businesses and corporations as "dirty words" per Cogmeyer. There's a middle ground to be had here, and a good starting point would be a serious discussion of Friedman's ideas, whether or not you like them, and to avoid crude caricatures and dated assumptions about laissez-faire capitalism.

Would be great if your publication reported on the juicier bits of the 2500+ page document, per above, as well as the specifics regarding the investigation and the date the audit will be released.

Great article, I remember X's heyday in the early 80s, and it would be difficult to exaggerate their (her) level of influence on the punk scene. Also glad to hear that Cervenka still has her creative edge, and thanks for the link to her solo album.

Kathleen, thank you for the sobering article. Per Tom & Stevie, I also have to agree about the tiresome posturing that precedes every holiday season. I recall that last year many food banks and soup kitchens were hit by a double-whammy of reduced contributions and increased client demand; although it wasn't mentioned in the article, I would have to guess that it's going to be even worse this time around.

Ultra-right-wing indeed...Grassley was the same fellow who's been fighting tooth & nail to kill health care, and happily went along with the "Death Panels" rubbish. Not sure if that puts KJ in the clear, but the accusations seem a bit warmed-over and politically motivated, e.g., a reverse-Pelosi "culture of corruption" line of attack.