Thumbs up: Oregon legislature to increase penalty for violating pollution laws
The passage of Senate Bill 105, which will increase the maximum fine for violating Oregon pollution laws to $25,000 a day, is a progressive step in combating pollution. The previous cap, $10,000, has not been changed since 1973. Oregon lawmakers need to send a message to corporate polluters that sullying the environment will hit them hard in their pocketbooks. The bill, which passed 38-21, was opposed solely by Republicans who argued that $10,000 was an ample penalty for environmental degradation. It’s not, especially when pitted against the deep pockets of corporate interests. Bravo to state representatives who stood up for more punitive disincentives for pollution.
Thumbs down: North Korea tests nuclear weapons
North Korea’s recent underground test of a nuclear weapon, characteristically propagandistic and nationalistic, is in blatant defiance of United Nations resolutions prohibiting the totalitarian Communist regime from development of weapons of mass destruction. The country and its leader continue defying other world leaders and breaking U.N. treaties, as evidenced by their abandonment of international nuclear negotiations, their renewed research into nuclear technology and long-range missile tests during the past month. While most of its citizens live in poor conditions and suffer from malnutrition, the government prefers to spend its money on nuclear tests and long-range missiles for “defense” from an international community that has repeatedly attempted to open peaceful negotiations.
Thumbs down: Number of ex-Gitmo prisoners returning to terrorism on the rise
A recent report from the Pentagon reveals that many prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp are returning to battle against U.S. soldiers. Approximately 74 of 530 detainees released are suspected of fighting against U.S. soldiers or participating in acts of terror. Among the suspects, 27 have been confirmed. One, Mohammed Ismail, was re-captured after participating in an attack against U.S. troops within four months of his release. The report shows a doubling of Gitmo’s recidivism rate since the last report a few years ago, currently at 14 percent, although most analysts say it shows that the rate is not skyrocketing, just not “on the decline.”
Thumbs up: Obama appoints Sotomayor to Supreme Court
Obviously, not every Supreme Court appointment can or should make everyone happy, but Obama’s pick of Sonia Sotomayor seems to have neutralized most opposition. While historic moments hardly seem unusual anymore, a Latina appointment to the Court is something long overdue. More important than that, even, is the fact Sotomayor appears extremely well-qualified. Her record on the environment and women’s rights are both solid, and by all accounts, she seems to be a judge who does her homework. Replacing a liberal justice, it’s unlikely she’ll shake up the Court as much as we would like, but nonetheless, the appointment is a smart move.
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The good, the bad
Daily Emerald
May 28, 2009
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