The Eastern Echo

Column

Bernie Sanders is wrong about income inequality

By Alison Basley | September 30

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has said that, “The issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time,” and “for the last 40 years the great middle class of our country—once the envy of the world—has been disappearing.” Sympathy for this kind of outrage is reflecting in the polls, showing Sanders to be a legitimate threat to Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Column

Conservatives should support same-sex decision

By Alison Basley | June 28

As a libertarian, I want the Constitution upheld more than anyone. I understand the constitutional argument conservatives have used against the Obergefell v.

Column

States should abolish the death penalty

By Alison Basley | June 7

On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Nebraska became the 19th state to abolish the death penalty, along with the District of Columbia.

Column

Why government spying should disturb you

By Alison Basley | May 17

Right now, the government is collecting the metadata – the digital trail you leave on your electronic devices – of millions of Americans and storing it in huge data-mining facilities across the country.

Column

Rand Paul is right on Iran

By Alison Basley | April 8

Republican presidential candidate for 2016 Rand Paul presents a realistic and pragmatic position on Iran.

Column

Michigan should legalize marijuana

By Alison Basley | March 29

As support for recreational marijuana legalization in Michigan increases, the likelihood of a ballot proposal to enact the necessary legislation is becoming a reality. According to MLive, a new poll conducted by EPIC-MRA of Lansing reports that 50 percent of Michigan voters would be likely to support a future ballot proposal to legalize the possession or cultivation of marijuana by adults 21 years of age or older and allow taxable sales at state-licensed stores. The Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative Committee plans to start its fundraising drive by May using both paid and volunteer workers to collect the needed 250,000 petition signatures. I believe that ending marijuana prohibition in Michigan would reduce violent crime and drug-related crime, while keeping the millions currently spent on incarceration and enforcement in the pockets of taxpayers. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, since Colorado stores started selling recreational pot in January of 2014 after voters chose to legalize it, drug-related crimes remained steady or dropped statewide. In addition, there has been no spike in traffic fatalities from drugged driving, according to the Washington Post. And the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting data shows that violent crime is down 5.2 percent statewide.

Column

Why Email Scandal Matters

By Alison Basley | March 8

“How stupid do they think we are?” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough asked the most important question we should be asking of 2016 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and her former president spouse in the wake of the newest 21st century Clinton scandal.

Column

Don't tax our broadband

By Alison Basley | January 18

The Federal Communications Commission didn’t start its regulatory hassling when it took on Eminem’s lyrics in 2002.

Column

Is free education really free?

By Alison Basley | January 11

On Jan. 20, President Obama will announce in his State of the Union address a seemingly grand plan to make two years of community college “free” for American students everywhere, as long as they maintain a “C” or better average.

Column

Is "free" education really free?

By Alison Basley | January 11

On Jan. 20, President Obama will announce in his State of the Union address a seemingly grand plan to make two years of community college “free” for American students everywhere, as long as they maintain a “C” or better average.