Politics

Right now most Americans aren't paid a wage where they can survive off of; they need to take on multiple jobs. Businesses complain when a person goes sleeping on the job, but create the conditions were the employee has to overwork themselves to get by. While Americans may not be opposed to working longer hours, but raising the hours will probably interfere with their other jobs. The "Greed is good" kind of mentality was rationalized for wall street, but companies have somehow adopted that philosophy into their practices. Food companies pouring so much salt and sugar into their products that it make them addictive and contribute to diseases like diabetes, the GM ignition switch fiasco, the natural gas drilling has ended up triggering earthquakes and poisons the water supplies...

Dear Starbucks, Last night, I was working a closing shift when a thin man, appearing to be not much older than myself, walked into our store. He came in with a blanket draped across his shoulders, his clothes at least a few days worn. As he approached the counter, one of the other partners greeted him, the way we normally do, with a cheerful, “Hello” and a warm smile. He stopped a moment, appearing to look at the menu, and then chose to sit in a corner of the store. He saw me notice, it was merely a glance between us, and he chose to leave. He left before either my work partner, or I, could offer him a cup of coffee, on the house, as we were winding down and knew his coffee would otherwise be poured out, as evening waste. This is a problem. As someone who studies psychology and...

Dear Premier Kathleen Wynne and Minister Eric Hoskins, I am a Family Doctor, starting a new practice in Ottawa. There are 700 patients on the waiting list at the clinic I joined, who are in need of a family doctor. Many of the patients I am meeting have not had a regular physician in years. Yesterday I saw a 55 year old woman who felt fine. She hadn’t seen a doctor in 8 years. Her blood pressure was elevated, she smoked, and had a family history of heart disease. I will be working with this patient to control her blood pressure (with lifestyle changes and/or medication) and assist her in quitting smoking. I am confident that without such interventions she would be at high risk for a heart attack in the future. The price of a few family doctor visits (A007 = $33.70, soon less), or...

Dear Governor Brewer, I love Arizona. I grew up there, a proud honors graduate of Saguaro High School, where I was president of the Teen-Age Republicans. Indeed, I was such a good teen-age Republican that in 1976 Sen Goldwater named me Arizona State Teen-Age Republican of the Year. I still have his letter. Not only do I love Arizona, but I love religion. That might sound odd, I know. But I hold three advanced degrees in the subject: a college minor, a seminary MA, and a Ph.D. in the History of Christianity from Duke University. I have spent my adult life as a professor of religious studies, a best-selling author of eight books in the field, and an internationally-known expert in religious trends. And, more humbly, I hope, I am a serious, practicing Christian. I was confirmed in...