Politics today is more about manipulating the minds of voters for the purpose of defeating the other party, than it is about speaking the truth and seeking the national interest. Take, for example, what is commonly called the bailout bill. The conservatives in the Republican Party and the tea-bag zealots have cast it as a corrupt, budget-busting handout to greedy bankers on Wall Street. Utah’s Republican Party dumped Senator Bob Bennett because he voted for it. Conservatives in both parties lament that it will bankrupt [...]

It is time for the United States to stop shilly-shallying around the edges of environmental policy, bite the tax bullet, and lead world to a sustainable energy future. The disastrous environmental, economic and social consequences of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico ought to shake us to our senses. Add this Gulf crisis to the deaths in West Virginia coal mines; plus the environmental degradation of mountains and water that are by-products of mining coal; plus the national security implications of our addiction [...]

During my 19 years on the board of a large, publically held corporation, I have been in many discussions with my colleagues about whether or not the sole responsibility of a director is to enhance shareholder value.  I argue that while this is an important part of our duty, we also have a responsibility to other stakeholders: customers, employees, and the welfare of the community and state we do business in. This subject is examined in a recent article in The Economist, a weekly magazine [...]