The new year saw the end of the congressional roadblock built a decade ago by Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, and others to the use of tax dollars for needle exchange programs in Washington, D.C. That prompted city officials last week to announce they’ll use $650,000 on such measures, which fight the spread of HIV/AIDS by offering clean hypodermic needles to drug users. It will be interesting to watch how and whether the new funding affects the city’s high infection rates: 1 in 20 residents are thought to have HIV, and 1 in 50 to have AIDS. Tiahrt has contended that such needle exchanges promote drug abuse and threaten children.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., did the right thing in 2004 when he denounced as “dishonest and dishonorable†the Swift Boat attack advertisements against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. But some Democrats are complaining that he doesn’t seem to mind getting big bucks from the underwriters of those despicable ads. McCain has collected $61,650 from Swift Boat donors and their associates, according to the Nation. Only Mitt Romney tops that with $70,550.
As Eagle columnist Bob Lutz noted the other day, 2008 should see some planning for how to blow the roof off the downtown arena with a big opening event for January 2010. It may be too soon to book Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, “Hannah Montana†or Celine Dion (the last will open Tulsa’s BOK Center next November), but it’s not too soon to schedule a big basketball game. Lutz nominates Wichita State versus Kansas State. “We know by now Bill Self at Kansas doesn’t want to play Wichita State — certainly not in Wichita,†Lutz wrote. “But K-State’s (Frank) Martin seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t back down from anything. So, the Wildcats should come to Wichita to give the arena the kind of big first event it deserves,†complete with banquet, autograph ceremony, past stars, etc. Sounds like a fine idea for somebody to get going on.
In an effort to cement the allegiances of China’s future journalists and quell any notions of investigative reporting, the Chinese government has started requiring “Marxist journalism†classes for Chinese journalism students. Textbooks advise: “We need to use the Marxist position, the Marxist point of view and the Marxist method to observe and deal with things.â€
Posted by Kristin Mehler
The new year saw the end of the congressional roadblock built a decade ago by Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, and others to the use of tax dollars for needle exchange programs in Washington, D.C. That prompted city officials last week to announce they’ll use $650,000 on such measures, which fight the spread of HIV/AIDS by offering clean hypodermic needles to drug users. It will be interesting to watch how and whether the new funding affects the city’s high infection rates: 1 in 20 residents are thought to have HIV, and 1 in 50 to have AIDS. Tiahrt has contended that such needle exchanges promote drug abuse and threaten children.
