Should September in New Jersey Be Devoted to Telling Families How to Help Suicidally Depressed Teens?
Is suicide something that happens only to a few marginalized families, or only to people whom ‘no one knows’? Hardly. It happens down the street, to our friends and neighbors. Shockingly, suicide is the third leading cause of death for New Jersey children and young people between the ages of …
Should We Tax Addictive Prescription Drugs — To Fund Addiction Treatment?
Americans are addicted to prescription drugs in huge numbers. As headlines in tabloids regularly confirm — as one pop star or musician after another confesses that he or she has a painkiller problem — Americans are especially likely to be addicted to opiate-based prescription drugs. According to a National Survey …
The House Just Passed A Stealth Provision Permitting Discrimination Against LGBT Americans by Federal Contractors
On Wednesday, the House passed the hefty National Defense Authorization Act of 2017 (the ‘NDAA’). Hidden within this thick, must-pass, military spending bill, is a little-noticed provision allowing the government to discriminate against LGBT-identifying employees who are working under federal contracts. The provision, introduced by Republican Representative Steve Russell of …
This Bill Could Slim Down Fat Cats…
The job of a member of Congress is supposed to be simple — to make laws to protect the interests, health and safety of the American people. How Congress members gauge what the people’s “interests” are, is not so simple. This grey area is where the lobbyist comes into his …
LGBTQ Seniors: Equality at Last?
On March 3rd, 2016, Congressman Patrick Murphy (FL-D), proposed “Ruthie and Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act of 2015,” which will, if passed, amend the Older Americans Act of 1965, and will better ensure equal treatment of LGBT “older individuals.” The bill is named in honor of Ruthie Berman and Connor Kurtz who in 1988 …