right ear, The

LSC GRANTEE REBUKED: One of the many recent cases filed by grantee organizations of the far-left Legal Services Corp. (LSC) that have angered conservatives is Casarez v. Val Verde Country, in which Texas Rural Legal Aid (TLA) tried to invalidate absentee ballots cast by military personnel based there but assigned overseas. The case, begun in late 1996, had enormous implications for the rights of soldiers across America. Fortunately, TRLA lost Now LSC President John McKay has written to House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex.), apologizing for the misuse of taxpayer funds. "I have written to TRLA formally admonishing the program for the poor and lax decision-making in case acceptance and resource allocation evidenced by the Casarez case," said McKay. Replied Armey, `"This waste of taxpayer money, this insult to our military personnel, could not stand the light of day.

JUDICIAL ACTIVISM IN N.H.:

New Hampshire has joined a growing number of states in which courts have outlawed the traditional American practice of funding schools through local property taxes. Imposing what critics call the "Robin Hood" concept on his state, State Supreme Court Chief Justice David Brock proclaimed, "There is nothing fair or just about taxing a home or other real estate in one town at four times the rate that similar property is taxed in another town to fulfill the same purpose of meeting the state's educational duty." By declaring it wrong for local communities to decide how much they are taxed, said GOP state senator Jim Rubens, "This decision all but mandates a broadbased tax and will end local control over our schools."

WHITE HOUSE PAC: The Drudge Report, put out by Internet gadfly and Clinton cyber-enemy Matt Drudge, has discovered that a political action committee (PAC) registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) called the Friends of Al Gore has a website that "was created using a White House address and a White House telephone number-a telephone number that connects directly to the Office of the Vice President." White House employee Michael Gill set up the site, which under FEC rules should have no official connection to any federal government office. Taxpayer money also cannot be used for a political action committee. After initially claiming that a "friend of Gill" set up the website, the White House admitted that he himself had done it, and the site was shut down.

SAVE THE WHITE MALES: Prof. Irwin Stern taught for 25 years, edited more than 40 college texts, and served as interim director of Columbia University's Spanish and Portuguese program. But Irwin Stern is white and male. When he applied for permanent placement, reported the New York Post, Stern's bid was trumped by a woman with one year of university teaching experience. When his colleagues protested, Columbia answered by appointing a Hispanic man with less experience and little Portuguese proficiency." Dr. Stern alleged reverse discrimination and filed suit against the university. A Manhattan federal court rejected his claim, but last week a federal appeals court found Columbia's arguments wanting and ruled in the professor's favor. Dr. Stern now returns to court to argue his case of race and wrong.

NARAL NOISE: Approximately 3,500 babies are killed by abortion in the United States every day. Nonetheless, proabortionists-particularly the National Abortion Rights Action League-are upset over a new NARAL report showing that 31 states passed 55 various abortionrestrictions in 1997. In 1996, nine states passed 14 abortion restriction laws. Brushing aside NARAL's complaints, National Right to Life spokesman Olivia Gans said, "The laws being passed are completely consistent with the types of protective legislation that Americans have thought reasonable. Women are saying, 'I want to give my child life: "

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jan 30, 1998
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