Nanny State

The column "Getting in touch with your inner progressive" (Oct. 8) misses or misstates several important points. First, being a conservative does not mean one is an anarchist. Conservatives believe there are many proper roles for the federal government, but they also believe that the federal government has usurped many of the responsibilities of state and local governments. Conservatives do not believe in "stasis"; they believe that the solutions to most of our problems rest with the citizens, not an oppressive federal authority.

Michael Crane's letter of Dec. 21 asks "Can someone, anyone . . . please show me where in the Constitution does it say that the president has the authority to do whatever he wants regardless of the law?" Let's look inward. This is a federal government that has gone far beyond the scope of power envisioned by our Founding Fathers. Madison, Jefferson and the rest would not recognize the nanny state that exists today as the nation of liberty and freedom from government intrusion they left us. Income taxes, Social Security, Medicare, corporate welfare gone mad, and literally thousands of other unconstitutional programs would make this nation unrecognizable to our founders.

One has to admire the vigilance with which the protectors against tyranny operate ("Approaching tyranny of liberals' nanny state," Saturday). They must have been so closely guarding against the evil forces of the federal government that they somehow missed that eight-year stretch where government grew to unprecedented levels and an inherited surplus disappeared faster than one can say, "I want my country back. " The fraud and hypocrisy of these self-identified conservatives would be a joke if it were not so dangerous to this country.

JOHN CORZINE, governor of the nanny state of New Jersey, passes all kinds of laws ordering us to wear seatbelts, stop smoking, redistribute our income - but he isn't required to wear his seatbelt in full view of state police (hence his terrible injuries from the regrettable accident). Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson and other elites thwart all attempts to enact school vouchers while sending their own children to private schools. Al Gore demands that we cut our energy use while his family consumes 20 times the power of the average homeowner, not to mention his heavy use of private jets and caravans of SUVs, and while his zinc mines are one of Tennessee's worst polluters.

Victi-crats keep bashing columnist Michelle Malkin for defending the Bill of Rights. Like trained animals, they spout the left-wing rhetoric advocated by the biased, liberal media. These people think the government is supposed to pay for their health care, their child care, their retirement and their prescription drugs, tell them how to raise their kids, and so on. In other words, they believe in the nanny state as evident in Al Gore getting most of the vote in Philly. Sadly, these people represent a culture of dependency created by liberal Democrats who have made a living by keeping people down.

Turns out Sarah Palin was wrong about something. Hmmm, imagine that. You may have seen the segment of ABC television's Good Morning America program Wednesday where Palin was accusing Pennsylvania of being a "nanny state run amok. " The target of her ire was a "mandate" that would ban all sweets from schools. Rebel that she is, Palin showed her disdain for the purported rule Tuesday by bringing "dozens and dozens of cookies" to students at Plumstead Christian School, where she was giving a speech.

RE "CONGRATS on your promotion! Now turn in your union card. " (op-ed, Oct. 10): Lew Maltby notes that despite a record-breaking Dow Jones and an increasingly productive economy, Americans are working longer and harder for much less. The recent anti-union National Labor Relations Board ruling makes things even harder for workers everywhere who are struggling to provide for their families on less than a living wage. Without a union, many workers fail to make a living wage and receive no health care.

AS A REPORTER, I'm the one asking the questions. This week, I'm giving the readers a chance. A: One of the reasons PTY is rated so high, I think, is its rarity. California's Russian River brews the intensely hoppy imperial India pale ale only once a year and distributes it sparingly. There are plenty of other, easier-to-find, high-octane double IPAs. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA leaps to mind; but its cortex-rattling 18 percent alcohol by volume is a whole 'nother thing.

A mom receives a dreaded call at the office: Her son has been in a fight on the playground. Can she come to school right away to talk with the principal and the other child's parents? She's torn, as many parents are these days. She might lose her job - or at least, be passed over for the next raise or promotion - if she rushes out the door. On the other hand, one more altercation and her son will be suspended. What's a parent to do? New Jersey Gov. McGreevey wants to ease that decision.

MLB considers DUI and the nanny state We don't know what to make of this item inasmuch as we enjoy a brewski now and then, but Major League Baseball wants the ability to discipline players involved in off-the-field cases such as drunken driving. In an interview with Bloomberg Wednesday, MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said: "This will be a topic of negotiations this time around. " That view followed the latest drunken driving arrest of a player: Shin-Soo Choo of the Cleveland Indians, who was picked up Monday in Sheffield Lake, Ohio.

MLB considers DUI and the nanny state We don't know what to make of this item inasmuch as we enjoy a brewski now and then, but Major League Baseball wants the ability to discipline players involved in off-the-field cases such as drunken driving. In an interview with Bloomberg Wednesday, MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said: "This will be a topic of negotiations this time around. " That view followed the latest drunken driving arrest of a player: Shin-Soo Choo of the Cleveland Indians, who was picked up Monday in Sheffield Lake, Ohio.

Let's have a toast: To superfluousness, which the Pennsylvania legislature embodies; to the nanny state, which it perpetuates; and to Prohibition, which it suspects wasn't such a bad idea after all. Hear, hear! The occasion for this celebration is a new bill amending state regulations governing happy hours. No, that's not the half-price well whiskey talking: The state really does have regulations governing happy hours - or, for those wondering how a government lawyer would define them, "the period of time during which a licensee discounts alcoholic beverages.

Turns out Sarah Palin was wrong about something. Hmmm, imagine that. You may have seen the segment of ABC television's Good Morning America program Wednesday where Palin was accusing Pennsylvania of being a "nanny state run amok. " The target of her ire was a "mandate" that would ban all sweets from schools. Rebel that she is, Palin showed her disdain for the purported rule Tuesday by bringing "dozens and dozens of cookies" to students at Plumstead Christian School, where she was giving a speech.

One has to admire the vigilance with which the protectors against tyranny operate ("Approaching tyranny of liberals' nanny state," Saturday). They must have been so closely guarding against the evil forces of the federal government that they somehow missed that eight-year stretch where government grew to unprecedented levels and an inherited surplus disappeared faster than one can say, "I want my country back. " The fraud and hypocrisy of these self-identified conservatives would be a joke if it were not so dangerous to this country.

In honor of Teen Driver Safety Week we return to Pennsylvania, where the legislature keeps it legal for a 16-year-old motorist to call for a pizza from behind the wheel. Or send a text message. You'll be stunned to learn that a national safety group gives the state the lowest grade for protecting its people on the roads. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety rate Pennsylvania a Red Light. That means dangerous. The Advocates, a coalition of consumer, health, and safety organizations as well as automobile insurers, weigh whether states have in place 15 types of laws, including restrictions on handheld cell phones and requirements for motorcycle helmets and seat belts.

The column "Getting in touch with your inner progressive" (Oct. 8) misses or misstates several important points. First, being a conservative does not mean one is an anarchist. Conservatives believe there are many proper roles for the federal government, but they also believe that the federal government has usurped many of the responsibilities of state and local governments. Conservatives do not believe in "stasis"; they believe that the solutions to most of our problems rest with the citizens, not an oppressive federal authority.

AS A REPORTER, I'm the one asking the questions. This week, I'm giving the readers a chance. A: One of the reasons PTY is rated so high, I think, is its rarity. California's Russian River brews the intensely hoppy imperial India pale ale only once a year and distributes it sparingly. There are plenty of other, easier-to-find, high-octane double IPAs. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA leaps to mind; but its cortex-rattling 18 percent alcohol by volume is a whole 'nother thing.

Over the past year, Americans watched President Obama and congressional Democrats use caustic anti-business rhetoric to rally support for nationalizing major parts of the auto industry, increasing government involvement in health care, limiting executive compensation, and abolishing much of the private sector's role in student loans. Next up, Democrats have set their sights on the financial-services sector. One would think that reforming the government-created entities at the epicenter of the 2008 crash, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, would be first on their agenda.

Over the past year, Americans watched President Obama and congressional Democrats use caustic anti-business rhetoric to rally support for nationalizing major parts of the auto industry, increasing government involvement in health care, limiting executive compensation, and abolishing much of the private sector's role in student loans. Next up, Democrats have set their sights on the financial-services sector. One would think that reforming the government-created entities at the epicenter of the 2008 crash, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, would be first on their agenda.

Not as simple as it appears Almost every day there is an article on the Christie administration's actions and plans to reduce the state budget. The approach seems to be fairly simple: reduce or stop state spending and encourage businesses ("Christie to push property tax curb," Monday). However, life isn't that simple. A good business climate would include an educated workforce; a road system that is in good repair for the moving of goods and supplies, as well as potential employees; an affordable and convenient public-transit system so potential employees can get to the jobs.