The recent political chatter about “Obamacare” before the Supreme Court of the United States got a great deal of media attention.  President Obama added fuel to the fire when he declared, “Ultimately, I am confident the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress.”

For someone who was a law professor those words were absurd.  Even if a bill passed unanimously in the house and senate, it could still be overturned – if the law was in violation of the Constitution.

For months, there has been a television, radio and newspaper blackout across this country regarding the “Maple Spring” in Quebec, right on New York’s border. Since Feb. 13, a student strike has closed colleges throughout the province. Hundreds of thousands have participated in peaceful rallies and nightly marches. The spark was tuition increases. The Quebecois government refuses to negotiate and has attempted several times to brutally break it up. This is front-page news around earth, except here.

The Wall Street Journal published an excellent article last week about how the economic turbulence of recent years, coupled with $4 a gallon gasoline, has given rise to transit-oriented developments (TOD).

TODs are residential real estate projects built near train stations and commercial districts. They give people easy access to mass transportation, and are situated within walking distance of local businesses.