Commentary
Community solar offers grid relief, energy independence | Opinion
We have lots of problems in regards to energy. Community solar should be part of the answer. One issue is energy infrastructure. Having a massive grid makes customers susceptible to outages from extreme weather and cyberattacks. A centralized grid where power is produced hundreds of miles away requires big, expensive transmission lines. Lawmakers in Missouri […]
Partisan policies didn’t raise gas prices, and partisan sniping won’t lower them | Opinion
In 2020 the price of oil crashed, even falling to less than zero one day. Traders actually had to pay buyers to get them to take oil contracts off their hands. Oil companies would prefer not to sell oil unless they can make money off it. Oil companies are just funny that way. So U.S. […]
Faith plays an integral role in American politics. We can’t ignore that | Opinion
A cursory review of American history shows the central role God and religion played and continue to play in our politics. From the Revolutionary War to the formation and drafting of our most sacred national documents, God and religious principles are boldly infused throughout. The phrase “separation of church and state” is not found in […]
Capitol Perspectives: Diminishing words of inspiration
Missouri’s governmental and political discourse on several major issues has descended from words of inspiration into hateful partisan and ideological rhetoric that leaves little room for compromise. The hateful language we have heard from the Senate congressional redistricting filibusters and the objections from women senators about the animosity is just one example. “I pleaded with […]
Reminder: Eric Greitens was never exonerated | Opinion
As the race to replace retiring Sen. Roy Blunt continues to heat up, it’s important to remind the public that disgraced former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has not been “completely exonerated,” as he often likes to profess. To review: in January 2018, Greitens admitted to having an extramarital affair and was subsequently investigated for blackmail and assault. The following month, he was formally charged, and […]
Europe is again at war. The example Ike set is more important than ever | Opinion
There’s a lot of talk these days about leadership, but damned little of the stuff to be found. Never have we needed effective leadership more than now, as we watch Russian tanks rumble into Ukraine, in the biggest military offensive since World War II. The number of troops, estimated at up to 190,000, is about […]
Making the simple impossible: We don’t want to admit the real worker shortage problem | Opinion
A week ago, I was talking to an educator whose job it is to run training programs for students and adults in higher education. She told me that around a dozen different companies and groups were sponsoring training courses for things like nursing assistants, medical workers, electricians and truck driving. All of the courses were […]
How the Ukraine invasion could affect you: Higher food, gas prices, risk of recession | Opinion
Americans may be tempted to view the war in Ukraine as an unfortunate, but far away, crisis. As an economist, I know the world is too connected for the U.S. to go unaffected. On Feb. 22, 2022, President Joe Biden warned Americans that a Russian invasion of Ukraine – and U.S. efforts to thwart or punish it – […]
It’s time Missouri lawmakers close the domestic violence gun loophole | Opinion
Missouri continuously ranks in the top 10 of states for gun violence deaths and the number of women killed by their partners. Domestic violence hotlines throughout Missouri receive on average about 200 calls a day, and in 2020 nearly 30,000 individuals received services through the state’s domestic violence programs. The numbers are staggering, yet Missouri […]
Although forever optimists, family farmers are fighting for a future | Opinion
Even though the cards are often stacked against us, farmers are the ultimate optimists. I’m a 4th generation cattle and grain farmer, and, right now, I’m optimistic that, for the first time since Teddy Roosevelt with the Packer and Stockers Act of 1921, we have a president that is trying to take on corporate control […]
If you think you are living in a divided America, it’s nothing new | Opinion
We are the United States of America. At least, that is who we have always claimed to be. But are we? Have we ever been? Considering where we are today, and the state of our public discourse, it begs the questions. The brazen and hateful divisions playing out in almost every aspect of American life […]
Capitol Perspectives: Missouri Congressional redistricting
The extended Missouri Senate filibusters about congressional redistricting is a reminder about how bitter and divisive this issue can be. This year it has involved an historically long Senate filibuster, objections by women legislators about the tone of the debate, a tweet by the governor’s communications director that escalated the gender issue and repeated arguments […]