Recent content from D.J. Tice
A send-off for a mentor who wouldn't have wanted a fuss
In his talks at the Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Elmo, the Rev. Ed Sthokal sparked many thoughts. But there was one in particular.
Legal dividing line hardens on the Minnesota Supreme Court
A string of politically charged 5-2 rulings suggest a state court separating into ideological blocs, a bit like a certain court in Washington.
Here's why cops can't be held accountable
The second-guessing labor arbitration system makes it hard to discipline or fire problem officers, and it's been this way for decades.
Blue state/red state, rich state/poor state: Who's bailing out whom?
A school of thought worth attention considers what state governments spend compared with what they can afford.
Supreme Court's nondecision on guns produces a crossfire
Both Second Amendment and gun-control purists want more from a U.S. Supreme Court that has given them only the middle ground.
Is the anti-viral economic medicine we're taking safe?
It's past time for a cost-benefit test on our current plan.
In wake of the impeachment trial, beware the 'Never Say Never' voter
Aspects of the Trump resistance begin to look just as troubling.
Luxury begets affordable housing?
The magic of the market, in a chain reaction.
Proposed state constitutional amendment: An invitation to judicial politics
The trouble with putting courts in charge of schools is the effect on courts.
Disputes over Minnesota's presidential primary point to the perils of too much reform
Even in democracy there can be too much of a good thing.
Impeachment: A stalemate, and why should this be any different?
A prolonged impasse might offer the best way for us to move on.
When the best words had weight: Great moments in political rhetoric
Today it's tweets, but once we were moved by tight phrases built to last.
'Trump-itis,' a media plague
Rebirth of "partisan press"may make political, business sense, but hurt U.S.
Taxing the rich pays — to a point, estate tax study shows
Lessons for a wealth tax, and a related lesson for Minnesota.
What might drug price controls cost us?
We can't be sure. But plainer language will aid clear thinking.
Test of time: What school expectations used to be
Those overseeing the field have a high-minded approach to relatively low ambitions.
This impulse to impeach is becoming a habit
It's one way among several that our country has normalized instability.
Press still struggling on Trump 'stress test'
The latest Kavanaugh kerfuffle further demonstrates blurred lines and loosened standards.
Free speech? Or bigotry? Work it out in court
With wedding video case, this state contributes to the process.
'Murder,' they tweeted, falsely, seeking office
The Democrats find grist in the Ferguson story, but not the whole story.
D.J. Tice: Beware the side effects of health care policy
History and a new study show the trade-offs, but politicos can't resist the allure of big promises.
Crime laws didn't form in a vacuum — as I can attest
Now-detested policies were a response, people seem to forget.
Arbitration win rate for fired cops, if you stop to think about it, is high
Nearly half of fired cops are reinstated. That's not alarming?
Why my shocking fender bill might be a good thing for the economy
What a repair suggests about health care, education costs.
The Conservative Sensibility: A (mostly) clarifying higher-altitude view
There is a busman’s holiday quality in George F. Will’s scholarly new reflection on American conservatism. Perhaps the most distinguished political commentator of his generation,…
A worthy reprint for a distinctive thinker
David Pence, a Mankato physician and teacher, was a tireless voice for Truth as he knew it — and he reckoned with a truth of his own.
In Minnesota, a hair more freedom at last
Not every occupation needs a license, the state is realizing.
Diamonds are a boy's best friend
With Twins on top, I recall my (nonconcurrent) glory on the mound and at Met Stadium.
Econ 101 is politically conducive — suddenly, selectively
When the left thinks (or not) about impacts on businesses and consumers, tariff-taxes terrible. Tax-taxes totally cool.
When does a horrible mistake become a crime?
Amid heartbreaking evidence in the Mohamed Noor trial, that remains the key question.
Suit seeking voter data hits a bigger issue
It's that entrusting government to investigate itself isn't a good idea. We need openness.
Don't be too quick to scrap the Electoral College
Stung by two recent elections, Democrats favor that path. But that's not what the Founders favored, with sound reasoning.
D.J. Tice: Mueller provides evidence of what truly makes America great
His work, under great pressures, shows we are indeed a nation devoted to the rule of law.
How does Minnesota stack up on taxes and spending?
Here are some national benchmarks for Minnesota to ponder at budget-making time.
Ilhan Omar, fellow Minnesotans, cavort in center ring of a Democratic circus
Legislators have become emblems of factions that are transforming American politics.
Our options on drug costs: 'Universally unappealing'
Each solution has a catch, so for now the roulette game goes on.
Making parenting pay again: Of leave policy and social trends
An aging population is the force behind many policy pressures.
Arbitrators can't be second-guessed, can they?
That seems to the view of the Minnesota Supreme Court, public interests aside.
Guaranteed income, no work required. Does it work?
Finland gave it a test run. The results were "disappointing."
What ails Britain and the U.S.? Perhaps too much democracy
Make that direct democracy, where undisciplined factions make compromise solutions difficult to reach.
A note of caution as state weighs legalizing pot
Chronic users are likely to bear the brunt of the costs, and be most vulnerable to potential problems.
Yearning, again, for what makes America great
A marvelous event 50 years ago, in days of high anxiety, offers a reminder.
Scrutinizing what 'everybody knows' about inequality
Maybe the rich-poor gap is not as yawning as thought. So much depends on inputs and definitions.
Social policy side effects may include …
How best-laid solutions on border security, family leave and drug-abuse prevention all backfired.
Trump vs. Roberts: A traditional tiff
Disdain for unhelpful judges is positively ... presidential, and politically trendy, to boot.
Of 'nones' and Jesuits and that old-time religion
A retreat at which we pondered riddles of faith shows the staying power of spirituality.
Fuel for the 'pro' side in the wage debate
Study finds a higher minimum is helping in Seattle after all — but there are complications.
Money in politics isn't the problem. Politicians are.
Overturning Citizens United would be a cure worse than the disease.
Take the Ellison-Kavanaugh Consistency Test here
Can consistent principles explain inconsistent verdicts?
All come to look for America (in progress)
Traveling west, I found our eclectic country rich with common ground.
A president dishonest, sleazy, unworthy but …
… impeachable? I said no once before. Has anything changed?
Confusion costs in 'affordable housing' debate
The worst shortage may be an income shortage — i.e., poverty — and market meddling isn't the best answer.
Minnesotans, remember: A governor can reshape the high court, quickly
They tend to get relatively more chances to pick judges than presidents do.
Superstorm Donald is jolting the GOP, but turbulence hits Democrats, too
DFL primaries match left, lefter and (relatively) center.
A moment of truth for the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (again)
Courts are treating the laws on this subject seriously, however unpopular that may be.
Belief in God means what in America?
New research shows that definitions are flexible, with a political twist.
Job 1 for Minnesota voters: Get state government to do a better job
It simply has to. And don't let grandiose candidate rhetoric impede that goal.
So … Gorsuch? An even more timely question now.
How might Trump change the court? The newest justice's record offers some surprises.
So you 'banned the box.' How did that work out?
According to research, there have been unintended racial consequences.
Checking what ails us in the age of Trump
Elites are anxious. Common voters felt alienated. There's a likely connection.
Want to know what health care costs in Minnesota? You may be in luck.
Minnesota legislation may lift the veil. It's passed the Senate and awaits action in the House.
Two courts tell government: You've got a job; now do it
Assessing rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Duly noted: Supportive research on higher minimum wage
Study: Effects of wage boosts didn't cancel out gains for lowest-paid.
Demand-driven supply? Minneapolis fourplex proposal is new old idea
It evokes some nostalgia for me, and for everyone else it offers a better shot at affordability.
What do the cool kids wear to an election? In Minnesota, you've got to know.
In Minnesota, you've got to know, if the state's dress-code defense before the Supreme Court is any indication.
Guns and public safety: In the absence of a middle ground, the most persistent passion will prevail
It's the "interests' vs. the "people," a line Walz is trying to straddle.
'Mockingbird,' 'Huck Finn': At least keep these two books as part of your personal curriculum
They're about much more than race.
Union clout is one reason holding cops accountable is tough
The weeks and months just ahead could bring notable developments in Minnesota’s ongoing efforts to better police its police officers — to bring justice both…