Stephen Tuttle | Author

Bizarre and Unnecessary

July 7, 2018

Why does he keep doing it? Why does a president who seems to be winning keep exaggerating and lying? It is bizarre and completely unnecessary.

One theory suggests it's all part of some diabolical strategy to benumb the public to the horrors yet to come. Another claims he act... Read More >>

Red and Blue Restaurants

June 30, 2018

The Traverse City Film Festival recently announced they would be presenting a lifetime achievement award to Jane Fonda, who will appear at this year's event.

The reaction was predictable from all sides; she's been both a movie star and divisive political activist for more than fou... Read More >>

Declare Victory

June 16, 2018

Now that we've decided to cozy up to North Korea while alienating our allies, maybe we should be mindful we're still fighting real wars.

You might recall the War that Never Ends in Afghanistan. It started as an effort to remove the Taliban from control of the country b... Read More >>

Now We'll See

June 9, 2018

With all the chatter about self-pardoning, justice being obstructed, and witches being hunted, maybe we should see if President Trump is doing anything else.

His three big issues during the campaign were immigration, tax reform, and trade.

Let's see... Read More >>

Thank goodness our politicians have found the villain in the opioid crisis and overdose epidemic: It's the drug companies or the drug distributors. Honestly, we didn't much care about this when the fatality was some homeless person under the Cass Street bridge. Now that it's visiting ever... Read More >>

A Billion Here, A Billion There ...

May 19, 2018

The Department of Defense got a big raise for 2018 and 2019. Their budget, now beyond $700 billion annually, means our defense budget is larger than that of the next seven countries ... combined.

Maybe that will make us stronger. Maybe taxpayers will be on the... Read More >>

Fixing Non-existent Problems

May 12, 2018

Both Congress and the Michigan Legislature hope to enact laws they claim will place new work requirements on Medicaid and food stamp recipients. The rhetoric surrounding these efforts certainly implies we've got ourselves plenty of deadbeats out there receiving benefits to which they migh... Read More >>

Conspiracy of Ignorance

April 28, 2018

There are those among us who believe nearly everything is the result of a conspiracy. All of it.

They don't believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, don't believe we ever landed on the moon, believe our own government orches... Read More >>

To Accuse

April 21, 2018

Some Republicans running for the U.S. House of Representatives have adopted an interesting campaign strategy: Elect me, or they will impeach him. The Democrat corollary — elect me, and I will impeach him — hasn't yet appeared but likely will. Read More >>

Meanwhile, Here at Home ...

April 14, 2018

There's so much happening in Traverse City that it's impossible to focus on a single issue. So let’s tackle a few.

• Anyone who has ever traveled by train understands it's a more comfortable and civilized mode of transportation, given you have the time to spare.&n... Read More >>

Enough?

April 7, 2018

Had enough, yet? No?

According to FactCheck.org, the President of the United States has told 2,500 lies since taking office. That seems to be quite a few, even for a Washington politician. He has other issues, as well. Let's review.

As this is being written, at least 21 hi... Read More >>

Of Protests and Privacy

March 31, 2018

Is this their Vietnam?

That's the question now being asked about the students participating in the recent March for Our Lives protests condemning gun violence and demanding reform.

Protests against the Vietnam War started in earnest immediately after the 1964 G... Read More >>

Every Polluter's Ally

March 24, 2018

You likely believe the primary purpose of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to, you know, protect the environment. These days you would be wrong.

Since it was first created in 1970 during the Nixon Administration, the EPA has been a wonkish outfit full of scientists doi... Read More >>

Draining the Swamp

March 17, 2018

Sandy Pensler is running for the United States Senate in the Republican primary. He joins former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bob Young and businessman John James as the only official Republican candidates, so far. The winner will take on Democrat incumbent Debbie Stabenow in November.&... Read More >>

Economic Folly

March 10, 2018

Our president, after saying he was going to slap a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, said he believes trade wars are “good,” and winning them is “easy.” No, he really said that.

It seems to be a theory unique to him... Read More >>

Desire vs. Reality

March 3, 2018

Traverse City's Twin Towers of Terror — parking and affordable housing — are once again in the headlines. Or, rather, still in the headlines.

Yet another parking study has determined that if people would just walk, bike, or take the bus downtown, that would be swell. A... Read More >>

More Madness

Feb. 24, 2018

We aren't going to do anything. At least not anything of real substance.

Politicians will yammer away, one side demanding more gun restrictions and the other saying this is not the time to discuss it. Florida might pass some ineffective law, or laws, but Congress will do nothing b... Read More >>

Ironic Budgets

Feb. 17, 2018

President Donald Trump presented his idea of a budget last week. It was about what you'd expect.

Let's see ... he would cut food stamps by 22 percent and add a work requirement, which isn't really a budget item at all. He wants the government to send food boxes instead of money to... Read More >>

Big Trouble in Sparty Land

Feb. 3, 2018

Michigan State University (MSU) finds itself in deep trouble, much of it self-inflicted.

The Larry Nassar nightmare appears to be the tip of a much larger iceberg.

Nassar is the pedophile sexual predator who used his position as doctor and athletic trainer for both M... Read More >>

Too Much and Not Enough

Jan. 27, 2018

A $3 million farmers market. Wow.

Traverse City's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has a wish list a mile long and a steady income of taxpayer money. They're safely ensconced a full step away from voter scrutiny so they get to think bigger than those direc... Read More >>