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A drug-addicted 15-year-old can refuse treatment and consent for his/her parents to speak with a doctor or therapist.

This poses a problem for parents. Drugs can easily control an adolescent's mind. If they become addicted, they are not thinking independently -- rather, they are dependent on a substance. Their brains are extremely vulnerable to permanent damage. Yet parents, who are held responsible for their well-being, are blocked by this law.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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Bloodyhell, it depends on what you do for a living. One of the callers to today's show was a nurse named Mary, agreeing with you that we should "butt out" of his personal business. As a nurse, I'm sure she knows that there are certain professional standards governing whom you have sex with...even if it were legal, her professionalism would be called into question if she entered into an intimate relationship with patients the moment they left her care!

A powerful city commissioner has to be even more careful about choices in intimate relationships because of his position. It's not just a legal issue at stake here! Professional ethics and power relationships are also at play. Adams shows incredibly poor judgement.

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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I'm not obsessed with our Mayor's private life. I just want a leader who can do the right thing. The same day we got a President who appears to have integrity, we learned that our new mayor:

came within a fortnight of pederasty;
lied about it;
went after those who didn't believe him;
hired a journalist who fell for it.

Sam Adams has made so many poor "personal" decisions that they are now interfering with his ability to serve. That's our business.

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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My vehicle was manufactured in 1972 and I use less than a tank per month. Will the state retrofit old vehicles with mileage locators? It hardly seems worthwhile.

The gas tax is not perfect, but it is superior because it is soooo simple and fair. The incentive to reduce gas consumption needs to remain our top priority. Thomas Friedman has it right: politicians need the will, courage and eloquence to raise gas taxes. it would be a win win win win win.

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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Regarding Measure 63:

I'm a remodeler and handyman who understands the premise behind this measure--that people should be entitled to do what they want with their property--but that ignores the reality that homes are later sold. Building codes ensure safety and are a vital form of consumer protection.

Many of my repair projects are the result of do-it-yourselfers who didn't follow building codes. Someone took shortcuts and substitutions, resulting in leaks and structural problems that are very costly to repair. These are usually HIDDEN. And they've usually been passed on from a previous owner to my customers.

Supporters argue that a full disclosure statement will take care of this. I doubt very much that do-it-yourselfers will think ahead to that day when they claim all improvements were done according to codes...and clearly when the time comes for a house to be sold, the person who did the improvements may have passed on or forgotten.

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
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I play the French Horn. I suppose I love playing horn for the same reason Harley riders love their bikes: it's not at all a versatile thing or an easy thing to handle -- in fact it's downright precarious -- but it has a big, beautiful sound. And it looks great, too.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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Our son is an honor-roll student, and he's bored. It is manifested in his poor behavior in the classroom. When he is challenged, his behavior improves markedly.

That he's getting good grades is little consolation. If he's not getting intellectually challenged, and he's disrupting the learning environment for others, it's a lose-lose...

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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A recent conference with our son's middle school science teacher says a lot about the fundamental lack of thinking about what to do with AP students. Our son looked at his test scores, which were pretty strong. They were printed in a column next to the benchmark scores. The benchmark scores were lower. He pointed to the benchmarks column and asked "what are these numbers?"

The teacher replied "that's what you're shooting for."

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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