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Surprises lurk beneath humble exteriors

BEDFORD -- On most days after work, Brandon Borischak can be found doing one of two things: tinkering with car engines or just cars in general, admitting he is that guy whose house you will breeze by on a country road and wonder why he “has a few of them” on his property. He also spends a great deal of time caring for stray, abandoned or abused dogs at the local Humane Society shelter, where he serves on the board. If you ran into Borischak at that shelter or drove past his property as he toiled over rebuilding an engine, you would see a man in his 30s with a long but neatly ...

Calling out those who repeat propaganda

The pro-Hamas spokespersons around the world, and now in the United States, continue to spew their vitriol with well-worn accusations totally lacking in truth. It is not uncommon to hear the term “Israeli occupation” and “violence against Palestinians” without any information being given as to what that means. Israeli does not occupy any land which does not belong to the Israeli nation, or which has been allocated to any other people. A short history of the Middle East teaches that Israel has always been occupied by the Jews, even when they were murdered and chased out of ...

Americans must criticize corrupt courts

In the wake of his conviction in a New York court, President Trump has complained that the process was rigged against him, that the whole proceeding was a corrupt effort to persecute him with a view to influencing the 2024 presidential election. In response, many of his opponents have criticized him for undermining public confidence in our system of criminal justice and thus harming our democracy—a criticism that has been magnified by many in the media. These critics, however, are missing the point and undermining a principle that is in fact essential to preserving our republic: ...

A nationwide model for higher-education reform

Too often, lawmakers want to fix higher education by blindly throwing money at the problem. From President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel large amounts of student-loan debt to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s “Blueprint for Higher Education” (which caps in-state tuition at $1,000 per semester), spendthrift politicians have long played fast and loose with taxpayer dollars. However, a unique education-reform plan in Pennsylvania, called “Grow PA,” stands out from the traditional tax-and-spend approach, helping the state’s taxpayer dollars work twice as hard to fund students, ...

The president’s ill-conceived EV mandate

As a conservationist and outdoorsman, I support policies that protect the air, water, and land that Americans breathe, drink, and live our lives. I support Congress protecting the environment, and I also believe that any actions must be economically feasible, have rational transition periods, and not be a heavy detriment to American businesses, consumers, and our competitiveness on the world stage. This can be accomplished with smart and realistic planning. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent gas car ban does not strike the appropriate balance of both ...

Social Security reform a win-win

No matter what President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump promise you, and no matter its past as the untouchable “third rail” of American politics, Social Security will be modified one way or another within the next 10 years. While both candidates are misleading their voters, the party with the most to lose from ignoring Social Security’s troubles is the GOP. First, some background. It doesn’t matter that some people continue to believe the money for Social Security is in an account with their name on it, or that they trust Biden’s and Trump’s word not to touch ...