I spent my career designing and planning Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) buildings and health care delivery strategies Here are some specific VA reforms needed. The principles underlining these could be also applied to other Departments. 1. Make requests for VA Construction Funding a part of each VA Administration’s budget request, not a part … Continue reading 5.91 VA Planning and Construction Program Reforms
Author: jskline991
ACA and Tax Reform
Some on the Left, and some on the Right, have said that the way tax reform was passed by Congress was wrong—too hasty, too little debate; no time was given for reading the final bill. Some on the Right also say that there is no difference between the way the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and … Continue reading ACA and Tax Reform
4.3 America’s Economic Foundation
Many people think that capitalism is America’s foundation, but, while it is true that America has a primarily capitalistic economy with a little socialism mixed in, America’s economic system rests on Christianity’s two greatest Commandments: Love God (that includes doing what is right and following the law), and the “Golden Rule” (treat others as you … Continue reading 4.3 America’s Economic Foundation
Draining the Swamp Looks Like the Reformation
Reform never is easy or neat. Martin Luther seems like the most unlikely person to have started a worldwide reformation, but he did by speaking plainly about things that many others felt. Donald Trump is no Martin Luther, but the things he talks about resonate with people in much the same way that Luther’s words … Continue reading Draining the Swamp Looks Like the Reformation
5.8 A Transparent Government is an Invisible Government
When I was working for the federal government, we often were told that government operations should be transparent. We knew that meant government operations should not be secret and that the public should know what we were doing. The problem is that words do mean things. Making government operations truly transparent actually makes them invisible. … Continue reading 5.8 A Transparent Government is an Invisible Government
NFL: Take the Pledge
Would those who have been kneeling during the National Anthem take the Pledge of Allegiance? If an American refuses to take the Pledge of Allegiance it means that they do not accept the fact that America is a Republic, a nation under God, based on the goals of liberty and freedom for all, and/or indivisible. … Continue reading NFL: Take the Pledge
2.2 Do You Exist?
Think about whether you are or not—do you exist? In other words, are you a being? Thinking about being is the same thing as thinking about is. How do you define the word is? Well, to jump ahead a little I can say that only a being is. This may seem like stupid word play … Continue reading 2.2 Do You Exist?
Harvey, An Act of God
Prayers are often answered in ways that we do not expect. Many people in the United States have been praying that something will bring our country together. In response to Harvey many people are putting aside their differences and are working together. Harvey has brought Houston and much of the country together. However, everyone is … Continue reading Harvey, An Act of God
1.4 Left Versus Right: The Civil War
Why the American Civil War was fought is not a mystery. The Civil War was another bloody chapter in the ongoing conflict between the Left and the Right. People who were loyal to the Confederacy thought that their logic, perceptions, and experiences enabled them to judge what was best: “Reason, common sense, true humanity … Continue reading 1.4 Left Versus Right: The Civil War
5.7 That Government is Best That Plans Least
For quite some time I had a misconception about government planning. I thought most government planning was harmless. I was wrong. Government planning limits our freedoms. All governments place some degree of limits on their citizens. They might be severe, as in Communism, or minimal, as envisioned by the United States Constitution, but all governments … Continue reading 5.7 That Government is Best That Plans Least
