The Right Stuff: Follow the leader? I think not

By Earl Heal April 11, 2022 | Posted in Local Opinion Columnists

Earl Heal: The Right Stuff The United States of America is confronted with obviously weak leadership while simultaneously facing several severe challenging world issues.

Government officials of democracies have historically faced stressful situations frequently wherein statesmen make decisions to strengthen the state while politicians will make self-serving decisions to maintain their power. Hopefully statesman and politicians will address these issues together and make needed corrections. The first major problem is immigration. Since 1965, American immigration law has been based on “progressive justice” – reunification of families, protecting refugees, promoting diversity and, secondarily, admitting immigrants with skills that are valuable to our economy. Prior to 1965, laws were designed to build economic and cultural strength by examining immigrants’ education, health, absence of criminal activity and financial stability. Since 1965, Congress has been both unwilling and unable to make significant changes in the law. Laws are established by Congress, but the executive branch is totally responsibility for enforcement.[...read more]

The Right Stuff: ‘Behold here cometh the Dreamer’

By Jim McCully April 04, 2022 | Posted in Local Opinion Columnists

Jim McCully: The Right Stuff The Right Stuff has published two articles on the Ukrainian invasion. Russian President and War Criminal Vladimir Putin attacked a peaceful Ukraine starting Feb. 24. We have watched this horror unfold.

Occasionally, I refer to the Bible for inspiration. Genesis 37:19-20 (King James Version) says, “They said one to another, behold here cometh the dreamer, let us slay him and we shall say some beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” Who is the beast and who the dreamer?

Putin clearly stated his intentions, not only toward Ukraine but other former Soviet bloc nations last summer. He wants to recreate a buffer zone between Russia and western Europe. He, like all autocrats, will accomplish his aims by whatever means necessary. He’s a very dangerous man. [...read more]

The Right Stuff: Presidential executive orders are not law

By Roger Oberbeck March 28, 2022 | Posted in Local Opinion Columnists

Roger Oberbeck: The Right Stuff There is no explicit definition in the U.S. Constitution of executive orders, proclamations and presidential memoranda. Thus, there is no provision authorizing their issuance.

Article I of the U. S. Constitution says, “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress . . . ,” and Article II says, “The executive power shall be vested in a president . . . .” To most of us it is clear that the legislative branch should do all legislating and the executive branch should do enforcement of laws. However, there is an unsupported opposing school of thought that believes presidential executive orders and memoranda have the power of law.

In a Supreme Court majority opinion (Youngstown v. Sawyer, 342 US 579, Jun 1952), Justice Hugo Black stated, “The president’s power to see that laws are faithfully executed refutes the idea that he is to be a lawmaker . . . executive orders stem either from an act of Congress or from the Constitution itself.” [...read more]