Dr. Riedy's Random Thoughts

Over the years I have switched my political affiliation from Republican to Independent. I don't think I have changed my political philosophy much from the moderately conservative Dupage County, Illinois Republican I've always been. Rather, my party left home without me. The Republican party has been hijacked by the more extreme right while contemporaneously the Democratic party has shifted dramatically to the extreme left, and I want no part of either one of them.  Incidentally, I believe that the noticeable decline in civility in America, both inside and outside of government, is in important part the result of the polarization of political parties in this country. Today the two major political parties are becoming polar opposites. They have moved close to the north and south poles politically while I continue to live near American society's political equator.  On important issues such as defense spending and limits on government control of everything, the parties are so...

This piece is relevant to voters in San Diego, who are being asked to vote up or down on two ballot measures regarding the award of 99 year leases on 250+ acres of some of the most valuable and centrally located land in this entire region.  No alternative land uses were offered to voters for their consideration. The two being voted upon either allocate the land to San Diego State University for its expansion needs or to a group of private developers to build a professional soccer stadium along with ancillary development.  In both Measures,  ancillary developments are included simply as sweeteners to try to convince voters to vote yes when in every sense neither Measure deserves to be approved.  Superior alternatives exist but were not considered.  Voters are being asked to support one of the two when in fact the voters can turn down both and send the land use questions back to the civic drawing boards for more rigorous examination and evaluation in the context o...