In the Public Interest

You’ve probably seen House Speaker Torn Foley on television recently answering a question or two on the progress of the budget negotiations with the White House. He looks like a graying, friendly uncle who is a voice for moderation and kindliness toward even his political opponents — the Republicans. That’s the public Tom Foley. The…

In all the press reports about government giveaways, bailouts, willful non­enforcement of the laws and other contradictions of the public trust, little is written about the government lawyer. What standards of competence and ethics should apply to attorneys for these agencies, departments and commissions? Who is the client of these attorneys? First, let us start…

It appears, at this writing, that Mr. Bush and Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on the thorny subject of budget cuts. These cuts will affect millions of Americans in not a happy way. But standing above these reduced program services — many in the health, education, safety and housing areas — are the top…

Can’t afford to live with it, can’t live without it: That’s how far too many people feel when it comes to the subject of insurance. in fact, consumer dissatisfaction with the insurance marketplace is at an all time high. People are frustrated and feel impotent in the face of high prices, complicated insurance jargon intended…

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a huge law composed of hundreds of pages of detailed legalese. Somehow, the Supreme Court ruled that ERISA blocked state laws that allow consumers to recover compensatory and punitive damages from insurance companies who act in bad faith and do not pay up. There is nothing in…

The lifesaving struggle against the tobacco industry and its for­merly iron grip over Congress is branching out in various fruitful directions. In 1964, the surgeon general launched the drive against tobac­co and cancer with a historic re­port connecting smoking with lung cancer. There followed several li­ability lawsuits which were not successful, but they produced more…

Another round of attention to renewable energy — direct solar, wind, Geothermal, hydroelectric, wood and other seems to be getting underway. As long as oil is flowing in a non-crisis atmosphere, Congress, the White House and the media forget the old adage that “a stitch in time saves nine.” How menu times consumer and renewable…

Forbes Magazine used to headline its self-promotional advertisements with the moniker “Capitalist Tool.” A satiric dig at the then postwar bi­polarized world where communists used the term as a pejorative accusa­tion against western countries and as a treasonous charge against their own native suspects. Chuckles aside, the Forbes selling machine has gone into high gear,…

Molybdenum is a valuable metal that is used in strengthening steel. Years ago, the giant AMAX corporation was prospecting on federally-owned land in Colorado and discovered a major molybdenum mine worth $7 billion. They then bought the land from our government for about $5 an acre. All profits from the mine go to AMAX; the…

Crisis in faraway oil country. Gasoline prices here zoom upward. The politicians and the motorists denounce the avaricious big oil companies. They demand investigations and rollbacks. Nothing happens. Deja vu! Sound familiar? Well, here goes Exxon and its oil brethren again! There is a three month supply of gasoline and an oil glut. Yet the…