Articles written by W Thomas Payne in Politics, News & Issues

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About me - W Thomas Payne

Freelance writer, photographer, and general handyman with words, I roam the back roads of America looking for the slightly different, the bizarre, and the fun that can be found in those 'off the highway' locales.

Over the last 25 years, I have been a landlord

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Politics, News & Issues > Basketball Should college drop-out basketball players not picked in the NBA draft be allowed to return to college play?: 1 of 8
If an athlete accepts a college scholarship, the goal of that scholarship should be to achieve an education not become the next player in the National Basketball Association. If they drop out of school to be put in the lottery for a shot at turning from semi-pro to professional athlete, that is obviously their call. But to r... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) Is campaign fund-raising an indication of voter support?: 3 of 20
Politics in the United States grows ever-more disconnected from the people as the level of political contributions continues to rise. Politicians, the media, and pundits alike are constantly reminding us of the amount of money that has been raised by political campaigns as an indicator of the success of those campaigns. The ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics, News & Issues (Other) Does Rev. Jesse Jackson truly represent the needs of African-Americans?: 2 of 13
There is no denying that Jesse Jackson represents a segment of the African-American (this will be the one and only time I use this phrase) community, but to say he represents the "needs" of all Americans of African lineage is like saying "Weird" Al Yankovic represents the "needs" of the polka community. Mr. Jackson has stray... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Politics (Other) Should Illinois lawmakers lease the Illinois State Lottery to a private company if they can get $10 billion?: 1 of 3
The Illinois State Lottery has been almost from its inception one of the truly great long cons ever conceived or pulled off. When first proposed in the 1970s, the intent was extremely altruistic putting money into the ailing and failing educational system of the state, with the profits to be allocated equally across all dist... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Bush Administration Your reactions to "Scooter" Libby's trial: 4 of 11
Come on now people, we all KNOW Scooter was covering for Der Count Cheney and his bloodsucking, opaque Office of Fear and Loathing in Washington. Did anyone really EXPECT that BushCo would let him serve a sentence in prison, no matter that he may have knowingly broken the law (yes, even a man nicknamed Scooter can be a lawye... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections (Other) Should absentee ballots be allowed in US elections?: 3 of 8
If the subject of whether or not absentee voting should be permitted gets even a single debater arguing that abolishing absent voting is a good idea, I will be amazed. Absentee voting, of course, has those who abuse and misuse the system for their own political ends - but so do the regular polling places. But without absente... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?: 13 of 34
Energy independence should be the top priority on the personal and political landscape of the United States today. Current policy and practice leaves us as individuals the slaves of big business, and politically captive to the whims of nations which harbor within their borders those who wish we were dead and our way of think... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Should members of Congress be required to post their earmark requests to their websites?: 2 of 5
Should it take a law degree and a staff of researchers to find out who is spending our money? Or, should the average person, with access to the internet and a computer, be able to look at a bit of legislation, and see "Aha! There's the rascal!" when trying to discover where our tax dollars are being spent - and by whom. The ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Is taxpayer funding for political campaigns a good idea?: 2 of 5
The answer to whether or not taxpayers should fund political campaigns is a qualified No. Why do I qualify my response to the question? Because the taxpayers own the airwaves, the radio frequencies used by the broadcast media. We license those frequencies to television and radio stations for specific purposes and uses. The a... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq Setting a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq is a terrible mistake: 35 of 81
The lack of historical perspective that is apparent in 'pull out of Iraq now' voices terrifies me, since it shows a clear lack of understanding what sort of war is being fought. The historical lesson of World War 2 has obviously not been learned. What happens when we hide our heads in the sand when confronted with an ideolog... More..