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High court ruling was more than tariffs

Commentary

In a decision with sweeping constitutional implications, the Supreme Court shut down President Trump’s attempt to use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) as a blank check for tariffs imposed in the name of “emergency.” The justices rejected the claim that the statute quietly granted the presidency the authority to impose import duties at will and to reshape the global economy by executive decree. The language of IEEPA contains no such boundless delegation, and the court declined to manufacture one, treating Trump’s theory of power no differently than it ...

Thomas’ great speech on the Declaration

Commentary

Many speeches will be delivered this year about the Declaration of Independence as we celebrate its 250th birthday. However, I think the greatest was just delivered by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on April 15 at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. The force of Thomas’ words does not just result from his deep understanding of what the United States is about, and how the Declaration of Independence defines it. The force flows from Thomas’ personal reality. He has lived what the Declaration is about. His words are not just the product of thought ...

DUNKIRK: Nobody here can fix a broken city

The OBSERVER’s View

It usually takes a crisis before a community starts to care. The city of Dunkirk’s chaos has been long overdue. A municipality with a population of 12,400 residents needs a budget of $30 million to operate. With a shrinking tax base — and high poverty rate — it is a recipe for disaster. Last week, union workers and leaders from across the region voiced their displeasure with contract talks during a council meeting. They even included a “no confidence” vote against Mayor Kate Wdowiasz. “This action follows a long and troubling pattern of leadership failures that have ...

Perspective keeps skewing global reality

Commentary

President Donald Trump is loudly proclaiming, “We won! We won!” The Iranians are saying not so fast, the strait is closed. Trump is complaining forcefully that “Fake News” is not reporting the administration’s great success. If there was success, gas would not be $4 a gallon, soon to be $5. With the internet people can seek out news. We can talk to people from around the world. We can watch Independent media like “Democracy Now!” www.Democracynow.org NPR and PBS How do we know Democracy Now, NPR and PBS are telling the truth? They interview people who have written ...

‘Progressivism’ not part of Declaration

Commentary

AUSTIN, Texas—The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is at hand. America needs history-rooted expositions of founding ideas to celebrate this semiquincentennial. It’s also called the bisesquicentennial, sestercentennial, or quarter millennium. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has ably provided such an exposition. You, faithful reader of this column, will recall the principle that in America, government has only those powers that We the People surrendered to government in the first place. This is the default setting. It’s like the default settings on ...

No magic can fix city’s disappearing funds

Editor's corner

Dunkirk’s fiscal frying pan became more like a broiler on Tuesday evening. Numerous city workers showed up in force at the Common Council meeting to voice their displeasure with the current administration, announcing “no confidence” votes in Mayor Kate Wdowiasz. Labor advocates turned ...