By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the May 9 Leader newspaper
The other day I heard a conservation agent, or maybe it was an FBI guy, talking on the radio, or maybe it was the TV, or maybe I read it someplace, about the problem of federal hogs.
It seems that people are letting these critters loose, or they’re just running off – I’m not sure which – and they’re rooting around in our woods and in gardens and croplands and causing a lot of damage.
Given that we’re all about accuracy when it comes to reporting the issues of the day, let’s hone
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the May 2 Leader newspaper
This is Local Government Week, as declared by the Missouri Municipal League.
While there will be no fireworks or elephant parades, it might be an appropriate time to review Jefferson County’s recent record of forming cities and villages.
When the county
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the April 25 Leader newspaper
You don’t spend decades watching politicians without becoming aware – sometimes later than sooner – of a few basic truths.
The top truth is that the No. 1 priority for these people, good ones and not-so-good ones, is not constituent service, following his or her conscience or upholding the state or federal constitution.
It is to be re-elected. Everything else gets
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the April 18 Leader newspaper
Sometimes beating a dead horse is useful. And the horse, being dead, really shouldn’t mind that much.
Below, County Executive Ken Waller spills his frustration over the county’s lack of jurisdiction over the ongoing towerification of Jefferson County. That is, Jefferson County 911 Dispatch,
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the April 11 Leader newspaper
The Missouri Legislature is thundering down the stretch toward a big finish in 2013, continuing to wrestle the toughest problems of the day, such as, “Will the official state exercise be the jumping jack?”
We reviewed some of these fine pieces of legislation a few weeks ago, but doggone it, they keep popping
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the April 4 Leader newspaper
An engineer I know once said, the only thing you have to know about designing sewers is that it all runs downhill.
Last week the Leader
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the March 28 Leader newspaper
With the new technology developed to invade every millimeter of our private lives, the Next Big Thing may well be the techie who invents something that reverses the tide.
Oh, sure, we have these identity protection outfits that claim to be able to lasso all your personal information, dangle it
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the March 21 Leader newspaper
The Missouri Legislature is midway through its demonstration project for craziness, also known as the 2013 session of the General Assembly.
Lawmakers are taking this week off to recharge their batteries for a big finish in the nutball sweepstakes, which will crown a winner in May when the Legislature either adjourns
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the March 14 Leader newspaper
We celebrate this week at Leader World Headquarters, not just in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, but also for the 40th anniversary of Missouri’s Open Meetings and Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law.
It is a law that, refreshingly, should transcend party affiliation, partisan sniping and
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the March 7 Leader newspaper
It took exactly one dip into the polling pool at Leader World Headquarters to show us that the art of asking people for their opinions isn’t as simple as it seems.
Our first swim was prompted by an impassioned request from a reader who didn’t want his upcoming divorce published in
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the
By Patrick Martin, Leader editorial page editor
Published in the
