Opinion

The great H.L. Mencken wrote: "A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar."

Is he right? I don't know, but it seems as if Washington, D.C., is quite a mess these days, with a mounting deficit and acrimonious factions.

Still, one of the highlights on the HCN calendar is the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. This year's event, in addition to several rounds of strategizing and lobbying, featured presentations from not one, but two politicians.

The following comments were delivered by Augie Venezia, president of Fairfax Lumber & Hardware Co., of Farifax, Calif. Venezia is the chair of the Lumber Association of California & Nevada (LACN) Government Affairs Committee.

Venezia spoke at the Water Resources Control Board workshop on stormwater permitting held Aug. 17. Here is the statement in full:

An AP-GfK poll finds more interest in price than place of origin.

Optimism leads pessimism when it comes to opinions on tax reform.

The Republicans released a tax reform framework. Here’s some early analysis.

How to recommend the right mix for optimal performance

An article about a U.S. Commerce Department ruling that some imported bottom-mount refrigerators were sold at prices unfair to American competitors led to several letters.

“There is no way that free enterprise businesses can compete and win against companies being underwritten by their countries.

“There is a core group of Americans who are being ignored in this NEW GLOBAL FREE TRADE economy. Not everyone can go to college or be trained for high tech jobs.

This summer, my dad, he one of the “Greatest Generation,” passed away after a full life. He died in the home he built with his own hands for our family in 1958: a three-bedroom cape on the south shore of Long Island, about 3 miles north (as the seagull flies) of the Great South Bay.