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Local Commentaries

Daffodils, omelets and Rosemary Clooney

Is it finally Spring? I think Mother Nature might have made up her mind. She has been sort of a brat about it: “Oh let’s give them a nice day that soars above 78 degrees but plunges them down to 19 overnight. And tomorrow, bright sunshine but keep it at a high of 36. That should keep them ...

Embrace tax fairness to address America’s economic anxiety

What would an extra $1,000 mean for your family’s financial security? Would it help cover essentials, pay bills, or repair your home or car? At a time when affordability is top of mind for many Americans, every extra dollar matters. The most recent consumer sentiment report confirms that ...

Continuing education in humor serious business

Long car drives are good for sweeping out the sticky cobwebs. Lottsa time to think. On my way back from the writing conference I recently attended in Dayton, I had 375 highway miles to review the stimulating weekend, to relive many new stories. The conference’s real name is the Erma Bombeck ...

Having some taste watching the money

Recently, there was an article published by the Times Observer, “RDA Approves Loan for City Business.” On Facebook, this resulted in a spirited flood of comments, mostly from people recognizing that a 3% loan for a high-failure restaurant over 15 years is a negative investment from the ...

No pay for Congress until they fund the government

Funding the government is the most basic constitutional function of Congress. When lawmakers repeatedly fail at this fundamental task, it shows just how dysfunctional our legislative system has become. In the last six months, America has endured three government shutdowns. The latest — a ...

Expensive round trip to priceless laughter

I was backing out of a downtown parking space when something flashed on my dashboard. The mileage calculator changed to a wrench. OMG. What’s wrong? This is not good. It was late Tuesday, and I was leaving for Dayton Thursday morning. I was heading for the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop ...