Louisville Venture Club Gives Award to Public Radio Partnership   By Theresa Fritz  Camoriano   On February 6, Louisville’s Venture Club gave its first annual award for Civic Entrepreneurship to the Public Radio Partnership.  Kent Oyler made the presentation of the award, praising the Public Radio Partnership for improving the quality of life in the Louisville area. 

Lying About Drugs Will Only Make Matters Worse   by Pat Pending  Many of today’s problems are associated with drugs.  People harm their health and lose their jobs by taking drugs.  Drug dealers kill one another as well as killing innocent people in the crossfire of drug-related disputes.  Some countries, such as Colombia, are torn apart by drug-related conflicts.  People steal from innocent victims in order to support their drug habits.  There is no question that the drug problem is quite severe today. 

My Hero – Thomas Sowell   By Nina Camoriano   When people are asked to think of their ‘hero’, those thoughts can range from Superman to grandma, and everywhere in between.  All types of people can be heroes, regardless of their age, race, or occupation.  My hero is Hoover Institution member and free market economist, Thomas Sowell. 

Cowboy Joe  By Tom Preble   Joe was a real cowboy from the end of the cowboy era.  A real cowboy wasn't someone who bought a hat or even someone who inherited the ranch and the cowboy life.  A real cowboy was someone who worked hard, scraping and saving until he could start up his own ranch.  Joe was a "down at the heel no account" by his own recollection when he started out in Arizona's Sulphur Springs Valley 100 years ago.  He didn't inherit a single fence post.  Proud but soft spoken, Joe had a capacity for hard work and grit guided by his dream.

We’re Off to See the Wizard Part 2   By Claude Bohn   Last time, in Part 1, I filled you in on the story behind the story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz;” and you learned that the fairy tale was actually a political allegory concerning the debate over the money standard*. In this article, I would like to attempt my own allegory regarding this classic tale.

Richmond Men Ask Why – and Get Harassed In Return   By Barry Bright

Presidential veto power – does it constitutionally exist?  By Ed Lewis    After being challenged just recently on whether a President may veto bills, my challenge to produce the exact phrases that gave the power to veto went unanswered except to say that we (the challenger and myself) do not agree on the meaning of the Constitution. 

Arguing over Non-Existent Budget Surpluses (And Social Security Lock Boxes)   by Harry Browne    President Bush has sent Congress a $2.12 trillion budget. It might appropriately be titled, "We're All Big Spenders Now."

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"There can be no greater stretch of arbitrary power than is required to seize children from their parents, teach them whatever the authorities decree they shall be taught, and expropriate from the parents the funds to pay for the procedure."

 Charlotte Twight (from Dependent on D.C., as quoted by Walter Williams)

People who are very aware that they have more knowledge than the average person are often very unaware that they do not have one-tenth of the knowledge of all of the average persons put together. In this situation, for the intelligentsia to impose their notions on ordinary people is essentially to impose ignorance on knowledge.

 Thomas Sowell