Here’s my take on some of my more widely-read columns of 2021.
BIDEN’S MANDATE: GOVERN FROM THE CENTER
In answer to Trump’s claims that Biden had been captured by the radical left, the candidate said, “I am the Democratic Party.” He told CBS’ Stephen Colbert, “I think I can work with Republican leadership in the House and the Senate. I think we can get things done.”
Trump was right, I was wrong.
Now that Biden’s “Build Back Better” radical-left $4.1 trillion blowout legislation is dead, maybe his handlers will move him back toward the center and fashion bi-partisan legislation to meet more realistic goals.
DIVERSITY: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
The first part of this three-part series on diversity dealt with the good that diverse institutions and organizations do for society while the second discussed the bad that arises when “race hustlers” claim they stand on the moral high ground while publicly shaming and intimidating those whose views do not conform with theirs. The ugly discussed colleges and universities that serve as indoctrination centers for today’s radical progressive politics.
Moral of the story: “diversity” is a loaded word.
FORGIVING STUDENT DEBT DONE RIGHT
I pointed out that instead of solving the problem of college affordability, federal government student loans have made it far worse. Year after year, the federal government has violated the first rule of holes: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” That hole is now $1.7 trillion deep.
The student loan debacle has in effect transferred $1.7 trillion from taxpayers’ pockets to colleges. Instead of lowering tuition or hiring more professors, they’ve hired massive numbers of highly-paid college administrators and built luxurious student centers while expecting students to pay for the folly. And worse, since these are called loans, the expenditures haven’t appeared in the budget deficit: they’re supposed to be assets collecting interest.
Expect the government to find ways to excuse student debt and leave taxpayers holding the bag.
UTAH’S ECONOMY LEADS THE NATION OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
Utah’s economic recovery from the pandemic led the nation. So how did we do it? In short, our great people and our great state government.
I gave a lot of credit to our state government for avoiding the blanket lockdown orders that exacerbated the tragic rise in depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and domestic strife evident in stringent lockdown states.
The beat went on. Utah was number one again, this time as the fastest-growing state in the union over the last decade according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
As reported by the Associated Press on a local news site, Utah’s population grew by 18.4% since 2010, which equated to a population gain of over 507,700 people and put the state’s overall population at 3.27 million. In contrast, the United States had an overall growth rate of 7.4% since 2010.
And since this column was published, Utah was first yet again: We have more people employed than we did going into the pandemic, first among only four states that can make that claim. All other states are still trying to get back to even.
CLIMATE CHANGE PROPAGANDA VERSUS FACTS PART 1 AND PART 2
To overcome public apathy, climate change alarmists spin tales of doomsday scenarios to motivate public support for carbon dioxide reductions. Responding to these predictions, the world’s media swept aside responsible fact-checking in favor of blind repetition of the most extreme climate claims.
But it looks like climate change won’t end the world as we know it. We can take hope from the fact that longtime climate change alarmists are backing off from their doomsday predictions. Rational re-assessments are sprouting like weeds.
I’m with Bjorn Lomborg who says adapting to climate change is far more cost-effective than trying to prevent it.
BLAME LIBERALS FOR THE CULTURE WAR
“If you hate culture wars, blame liberals.” So said veteran leftwing journalist Kevin Drum. He explained that since roughly the year 2000, according to survey data, Democrats moved significantly to the left on most hot button social issues, while Republicans moved only slightly right.
I’ve been saying the same thing for the last five years, often getting pushback from liberals who along with the mainstream media claim that conservatives are the culture warmongers.
THE END OF THE LAKE POWELL PIPEDREAM
It’s time to recognize that Southern Utah is in the Mojave Desert, not on the Wasatch Front. Proposing to construct the Lake Powell Pipedream in the midst of a 20-year megadrought is madness. In 2021, we’ve received less than half the average rainfall of the last 10 drought-plagued years.
Is the Lake Powell Pipedream a dead issue? Let’s hope so.
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