Stephen Tuttle | Author

Way Behind the Curve

March 28, 2020

Wars require a coordinated national strategy and a leader who's providing accurate information, encouragement and empathy. We have no such strategy, and no such leader.
 
The first case of COVID-19 we know of was diagnosed on Nov. 17, 2019, in China. They got around to tel... Read More >>

Other Issues

March 21, 2020

There are other issues. 
 
While we've been out panic shopping — seriously, how many dozen eggs and giant cans of beef stew do we plan on using? — and wishing President Trump would lighten his makeup and step away from the microphone, Lake Michigan has stil... Read More >>

Old White Guy

March 14, 2020

Democrats seem to be settling in on Joe Biden, though they've found plenty about which to be exercised. They are especially good at finding coal in a pile of diamonds. 

Their lament now comes from different quarters — the Bernie Sanders camp wondering what happened to t... Read More >>

Pretty Good Odds

March 7, 2020

We are quick to assume the worst and equally quick to panic.

The latest example is the novel coronavirus now circling the globe. It requires caution and some preparedness – but not the frenzied response we're now seeing. Ably abetted by attention-seeking politicians and over... Read More >>

Focused on Quality

Feb. 29, 2020

Education has become an actual issue in the Democratic presidential primary, though it's mostly about cost. They should be focused on quality.
 
Newsweek gives it a try and ranks the United States 26th in the world in the quality and efficacy of our education system. Unfort... Read More >>

The Circus is Coming

Feb. 22, 2020

We're two caucuses and a primary deep into the Democratic primary circus. This might be a good time to review the frontrunners.

Let's start on the left. No, farther left. Keep going, and you'll eventually arrive at Sen. Bernie Sanders.  

Sanders describes himself as a... Read More >>

Sanctuary from Nothing

Feb. 15, 2020

Kalkaska County is now a Second Amendment sanctuary county. Gun owners there will now be safe from an intrusive government and so-called red flag laws, universal background checks, and prohibitions against semi-automatic long guns and high-capacity magazines. 
 
As a b... Read More >>

Death & Disease

Feb. 8, 2020

John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Ara Zobayan. Do any of those names ring a bell? Those are the seven people not named Kobe or Gianna Bryant who died in the same helicopter crash. 
 
Like always, we've d... Read More >>

A Little Sunlight

Feb. 1, 2020

Most consider the phrase “Congressional ethics” a bit of an oxymoron. Their strong law-and-order instincts weaken considerably when it comes to policing themselves.  
 
Back in 2012, Congress passed legislation euphemistically called the Stop Trading on Con... Read More >>

The Iowa Caucuses

Jan. 25, 2020

On the evening of Monday, Feb. 3, after a full day's work and despite what might be horrible weather, Iowa Democrats will trudge to schoolhouses, fire stations, and other public buildings for their caucuses. It isn't a night for the timid. 
 
They won't show their iden... Read More >>

More War

Jan. 11, 2020

Another military entanglement in the Middle East without an obvious plan, purpose or exit strategy. We've been watching a similar movie that never ends.
 
Neither Iran nor their terrorist proxies are likely to be subdued by our missiles and bombs . 
 
... Read More >>

More of the Same in 2020

Jan. 4, 2020

Despite what seemed like a busy year politically, not much actually changed in 2019. We're likely to get more of the same in 2020, making some predictions easy.  
 
Locally, we already know Traverse City's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) wants to extend their TIF ... Read More >>

Choosing Good Will

Dec. 21, 2019

Another year without peace on earth or good will toward anyone. Pretty much the same as last year, and the year before that, and before that.  
 
We still have wars percolating away in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Ukraine, South Sudan, Somalia, Nig... Read More >>

Human Error

Dec. 14, 2019

Despite the advances made over the millennia, we humans continue to insist on maiming and killing ourselves, or others, in ever more inventive ways and with ever more poor decision-making.  
 
Our cell phones are the latest culprit. 
 
The Na... Read More >>

Has He Done Enough?

Dec. 7, 2019

We know, for a fact, it is illegal to solicit or receive information from a foreign national or government to influence a federal election. We know that because it's written in black and white in the statutes. 
 
We know, for a fact, President Donald Trump asked the n... Read More >>

Giving Thanks

Nov. 30, 2019

Thanksgiving is the best of holidays, except maybe for some cooks. It's a time when family, friends, and oftentimes stragglers with no place else to go are all welcome.  
 
It has the added advantages of outstanding food and no secular connections; most everybody celeb... Read More >>

Boycotting Everything

Nov. 30, 2019

We are in an epidemic of boycotts, or at least attempted boycotts. These are bipartisan efforts, with both the left and the right mightily offended about something, offering up a long list of targets. The strategy is simple: Don't buy these products, don't shop at these stores, and don't ... Read More >>

“Untold human suffering … ”

Nov. 16, 2019

A recent report in the publication Bioscience, signed by 11,000 scientists in several different fields from 150 countries, declared we are in a “climate emergency” and warned of “untold human suffering.” That doesn't sound good at all. 
 
This i... Read More >>

Taking Orders from a Fool

Nov. 9, 2019

What happened to those Trump generals? And where were their defenders?  
 
Our presidents seem to have an affinity for the military. Uniformed officers, with chests bristling with ribbons, make for a most excellent photo-op. It's a physical manifestation of the real po... Read More >>

More and Less

Oct. 26, 2019

As Washington goes from bizarre to surreal, here at home our local DDA wants more than it was promised, and a local school board gave us less than we deserved. 
 
Legislation enacted in 1975 permitted the creation of downtown development authorities (DDA) to correct a... Read More >>