“To Be Governed…”
Tell it to the Russians
Portuguese novelist Jose Saramago… won the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature yesterday… A communist … his views are always inspired by his deep concern for his fellow man.
-San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 9, 1998
Any old argument will do
Senate candidate Blanche Lincoln paused to reflect on her devotional habits.…
For all those who disagree [with her support for legal abortion], she encourages them to “witness it,” using the Christian term for proselytize, “go tell it to your family, your church, anyone you can. The problem is, if we start to depend on government to implement our faith, then our faith has no value.”…
Her concern for others leads her to preserve government programs helpful to farmers and the elderly in Arkansas, something she says her opponent’s libertarian streak won’t allow him to do. “Christ calls on us to reach out to one another, to the homeless, the elderly, those who need help,” she said.
-Washington Post, Oct. 29, 1998
Calling the Racial Classifications Board
Federal agencies are under orders to increase their percentage of Hispanic employees sooner rather than later…
But even commendable goals, when implemented as a crash political program, can be problematic for those who must implement them. For example: Who is Hispanic?…
Finding out who is a Hispanic—once you have decided what a Hispanic is—is difficult since the government cannot by law ask employees for such information as race, religion or national origin.
-Washington Post, Oct. 20, 1998
Tough on ethics
Former White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta told a jury yesterday that [former agriculture secretary Mike] Espy’s conduct fell short of stricter ethical standards imposed by President Clinton.
-Washington Post, Nov. 19, 1998
Chocaholics will suffer until then
Codex Alimentarius, the United Nations body which sets food product standards for world trade, has failed to reach agreement on whether non-cocoa butter vegetable fats should be included in chocolate, said a spokeswoman Thursday… adding that it could take until the year 2000 or 2001 before the body reaches agreement.
-Dow Jones, Nov. 30, 1998
And the core function of elementary schools would be?
Efforts by Virginia and other states to sharply curtail college remedial courses are misguided and often based on inaccurate information, a new study says.
The study, by the Institute for Higher Education Policy,… argues that remedial education is a core function of colleges.
-Washington Post, Dec. 12, 1998
Being a Kennedy is now an occupational group?
Clinton found sympathy and solidarity among an occupational group for whom scandal or potential scandal is a daily reality: “People in politics in general understand the kind of personal attack he’s had to withstand and recognize a guy who is standing up under a great deal of pressure,” said Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D‑Mass.).
-Washington Post, Aug. 6, 1998
18 years? Get a job
“It is very troubling and very, very disturbing that this has happened,” [Rep. Christopher H.] Smith said. “In my 18 years as a congressman, this is the first time I have ever had a no-show at a public meeting.”
-Washington Post, Aug. 6, 1998
Getting priorities in order
Over the next couple of weeks, Congress is expected to increase Head Start’s funding and also fund more research on how well the program actually works.
-Today, NBC, Sept. 8, 1998
Cheaper than the Lincoln Bedroom
Want to sleep in a dictator’s bed? Swim in a former tyrant’s mosaic-lined pool?
Romania’s cash-strapped government is lining up a luxury package for tourists with a taste for the unusual: a stay at palaces and villas belonging to the late Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu. A night at one of Ceausescu’s homes will probably cost $3,000 to $4,000, said Mihai Nica, a government official.
-Associated Press, Aug. 24, 1998
This article originally appeared in the January/February 1999 edition of Cato Policy Report.