Columnists

The election of Republican Scott Fitzpatrick as Missouri State Auditor on a campaign to investigate public school curricula reminded me of prior state auditors who expanded the role of the auditor’s office. Elected in 1974, Democrat George Lehr was the first auditor I covered who fundamentally expanded the scope of the auditor’s role. Prior auditors…

I can never think of gift ideas for other folks. My family has to just be at their wits’ end with me at times: these poor folks want to buy me something for Christmas, and all I can do is stammer and promise to get back to them. Now, this problem mainly stems from what…

I don’t typically sit down and write columns. I’ve rarely thought people need my opinion about anything, and yet one event last week made me put aside my normal Christmastime cynicism and sit down with a keyboard. Last week I had the great privilege to be witness to the annual Santa Cops for Kids event.…

No matter how many years have gone by since I was a young boy, I can still remember how long it seemed to take for Christmas to finally arrive. It is a wait that is certainly long enough to test any child’s (or parent’s) patience, but it is also a wait that has always been…

While activists, politicians and talking heads on both sides of the political spectrum continue their pandering to special interest groups, policies and agendas, there is one group that very few people are talking about and that is our children. In the past few weeks on the pages of this very paper we have seen the…

Effective October 2022, you can self-select your sex on your Social Security number (SSN) record. “The Social Security Administration’s Equity Action Plan includes a commitment to decrease administrative burdens and ensure people who identify as gender diverse or transgender have options in the Social Security Number card application process,” said Acting Commissioner of Social Security,…

One night, probably around the year 2000 or 2001, I took a shot on the sideline of a football game at Stanberry while I was shooting pictures with my dad. The hit knocked me off my feet, and what I most remember is my father’s reaction to the event: Is the camera okay? He checked…

As the old saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” In 1992, Missouri voters said “yes” to putting term limits on members of the Legislature. Since then, state lawmakers have had the opportunity to serve a maximum of eight years, or four terms, in the Missouri House of Representatives and/or eight years,…

The end of the semester and the start of a new year provides an opportunity for new beginnings, a chance to start fresh, an opportunity to reflect on missed opportunities and the opportunity to create actionable plans for growth and change. These changes do not have to be grand. They can be small changes that…