It seems that educating our children is an important topic! Since it is something that we all care about, how about some more ideas on how to change our system? Where do we start? Writing down our thoughts and sending them to our representatives in Congress is a good idea, but I propose that we take it further and start/participate in a "grassroots" movement to change the way things are set up. It seems that the only way that things are ever going to change is to take it upon ourselves, each and every one of us, to "manually" change things. This will involve a great amount of energy and participation on the part of everyone involved. No one person can make change happen by themselves. I believe that while it is no small task it is one that can be accomplished no matter what your political preference because it is a matter that concerns all of us whether we have kids or not.
It is time to force our government to act in a meaningful way. Our children are the future and a better public education for them can't wait any longer. It is our money that funds the current system, why not decide how to spend it? Change doesn't have to be drastic either; as I have said before, small changes like doing away with the tenure system would have a big impact. We should have the best teachers for our kids regardless of seniority.
My goal is to get ten good ideas from the readers of this blog and type them up to be sent as an email to President Obama. I would like them to be well thought out and have names attached so you can be given credit for your ideas. Ideas can be posted here as comments or emailed to dlwood81@gmail.com. Regardless of how they are given take the time and share a few more of your thoughts. A few good ideas have already been thrown out there so lets keep on with it. The more ideas the better and the more people that participate the better. Email your friends, share on Facebook and Twitter, and just talk about it with everyone you meet. Let's see what we can do!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Pondering our Education System
Education is one of the major building blocks to a successful life. I have been thinking a lot recently about the role that education plays in our lives and how it interacts with other competing interests such as sports and other social programs. I find myself frequently wondering why sports programs are so often put ahead of educational programs. I am angered by what I have seen firsthand in my own daughter’s school. When things got tight with the budget many programs such as art and music were the first to be cut with almost no thought as to what the consequences would be. Young teachers that the kids liked and that had new perspectives on teaching were laid off and the entrenched tenured teachers that had been in the school system for many years were kept on with no regard to teacher performance; at the same time the school sports program surged ahead with my town voting to build a brand new state-of-the-art track.
This is really troubling and I don’t think that it is something that is confined to my town only. If the American people and politicians truly want American kids to grow up to be world leaders in areas such as science and math we need to put education first. That is not to say that sports don’t play a very important role; I do believe that programs that challenge kids physically are very important, but it is a matter of finding a fine balance between too much and not enough with more emphasis on cutting edge education .
Bureaucrats at the top of our school system need to start being more creative and look for ways to do away with the tenure system. There are many young teachers out there that are unemployed or unable to get the jobs they want because of the way the system is set up. Many of these individuals are vibrant and enthusiastic about learning and teaching. They would bring a love of learning and a new perspective on learning down to our kid’s level where it is needed the most. Of course there is one major obstacle in the way...teachers unions.
I am also perturbed by the way that a select handful of students that are ahead of the majority of the class are made to wait for the rest to catch up instead of treating each kid as an individual and challenging them on their own level. Imagine the things that could be done if each child was infused with a love to learn without limits and challenged to always try to do better, making learning fun but not boring! This kind of philosophy starts at the very top. It is high time that Americans got a fresh start and bounced back. For our economy to flourish again we need to be leaders not followers. We are clearly not leading the world in manufacturing anymore. If jobs are to be created we need to take action now and ensure that our kids have a brighter future and keep the American Dream alive and well.
This is really troubling and I don’t think that it is something that is confined to my town only. If the American people and politicians truly want American kids to grow up to be world leaders in areas such as science and math we need to put education first. That is not to say that sports don’t play a very important role; I do believe that programs that challenge kids physically are very important, but it is a matter of finding a fine balance between too much and not enough with more emphasis on cutting edge education .
Bureaucrats at the top of our school system need to start being more creative and look for ways to do away with the tenure system. There are many young teachers out there that are unemployed or unable to get the jobs they want because of the way the system is set up. Many of these individuals are vibrant and enthusiastic about learning and teaching. They would bring a love of learning and a new perspective on learning down to our kid’s level where it is needed the most. Of course there is one major obstacle in the way...teachers unions.
I am also perturbed by the way that a select handful of students that are ahead of the majority of the class are made to wait for the rest to catch up instead of treating each kid as an individual and challenging them on their own level. Imagine the things that could be done if each child was infused with a love to learn without limits and challenged to always try to do better, making learning fun but not boring! This kind of philosophy starts at the very top. It is high time that Americans got a fresh start and bounced back. For our economy to flourish again we need to be leaders not followers. We are clearly not leading the world in manufacturing anymore. If jobs are to be created we need to take action now and ensure that our kids have a brighter future and keep the American Dream alive and well.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Main Stream Media
How does the news we get on a daily basis from the main stream media affect the way we act and think? All or most of our news comes from major networks such as Fox, ABC, NBC, and CBS. Some say that many of these large networks are advancing their own agendas. Take for example Rupert Murdoch who owns News Corporation, Fox News, The New York Post, and Dow Jones and Company which runs The Wall Street Journal. He also has ties or direct investment in many other media groups in the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Murdock has donated 1 million dollars this year to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and his News America division has given 1 million dollars to the Republican Governors Association both of which are working to get Republicans elected.
Since he founded the Fox network it has been slanted decidedly to the right. It is not a station that people can watch and get an unbiased view. Fox News, however, has one of the highest ratings for consumer satisfaction because people know exactly what they are going to get. MSNBC is the flip side of the coin as a left leaning media corporation.
News stations and other media seem to influence public thinking just by reporting the same things over and over again and "hyping" up issues and events. It seems that the more reporting is done on something the more other reporters are attracted to the same issue, resulting in more reporting on the same issues. It is a never ending circle that gets bigger and bigger with every pass. I don't know if this is intentional and it may be that as the digital, instant, media gains in popularity that it will work itself out by providing unfiltered news and commentary that can be deciphered by the end consumer instead of being edited, chopped, spun, and watered down by the news networks.
I am interested in hearing what others have to say about this so please comment with your thoughts.
Since he founded the Fox network it has been slanted decidedly to the right. It is not a station that people can watch and get an unbiased view. Fox News, however, has one of the highest ratings for consumer satisfaction because people know exactly what they are going to get. MSNBC is the flip side of the coin as a left leaning media corporation.
News stations and other media seem to influence public thinking just by reporting the same things over and over again and "hyping" up issues and events. It seems that the more reporting is done on something the more other reporters are attracted to the same issue, resulting in more reporting on the same issues. It is a never ending circle that gets bigger and bigger with every pass. I don't know if this is intentional and it may be that as the digital, instant, media gains in popularity that it will work itself out by providing unfiltered news and commentary that can be deciphered by the end consumer instead of being edited, chopped, spun, and watered down by the news networks.
I am interested in hearing what others have to say about this so please comment with your thoughts.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tea Anyone?
While the Tea Party movement in America may be a sign that Democracy is alive and well as former President Bush recently noted, I believe that many of the Tea Party's ultra-conservative ideas are going to drag the country backwards at least in the short term. Don't get me wrong there are many ideas that have been floated such as cutting program administrative costs rather than cutting the programs and making government smaller that I do agree with. At the same time I am worried that all this cutting is going to be counter-productive to advancing the issues and programs that I believe are vital such as the Affordable Care Act. I am also worried that if we cut way back on government spending now while the economy is still struggling to recover more jobs will be lost due to a lack of demand. If people are scared to spend there has to be an alternative to provide the demand to drive the economy forward.
Wall Street lobbyist are already calling on the new Republican House to repeal the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Law saying that it is unconstitutional based on the fact that it only applies to banks with over a certain dollar amount of assets. I ask, is it in the Constitution that when a large bank fails is it up to the taxpayers and citizens of the U.S. to bail it out? If there exists a business or group of businesses big enough to bring down the whole U.S. economy there certainly needs to be a barriers in place to prevent it's failure. That seems to me to be a pretty straightforward and honest answer. As I have said before, if business is allowed to be completely "free" and unregulated it will push harder and harder to improve it's bottom line regardless of the cost to the people that are run over in the process.
These things worry me. While on one hand I believe in capitalism and free enterprise, I on the other hand also believe that we need a system in place and "tools" in the toolbox to prevent and control the inevitable downturns. The Federal Reserve Bank was set up precisely for this purpose. Political wannabees like Sarah Palin saying that the Fed should "cease and desist" are not going to do anything to help create jobs and boost the economy.
I must say that the U.S. Constitution of two hundred plus years ago while founded upon a core of truly great ideas and rights that still apply today may not always work in today's world. We are fools to think that is does and will. We need to take the basic document and interpret it as it applies today not yesterday. The Tea Party's core mission is to defend the Constitution. What about the people that are standing behind the Constitution? Is it in our interest to defend corporations on the same level as the individual? When money is allowed to "buy" the law something is morally wrong!
In conclusion it is our obligation to question everything that we hear and always be on the defensive. It is not a time to be complacent and let someone else do the job for us. We should welcome good ideas regardless of where they come from but always be on guard for propaganda from corporate America and from those among us that are only looking out for their own interests. It is time for the people to come first!
Wall Street lobbyist are already calling on the new Republican House to repeal the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Law saying that it is unconstitutional based on the fact that it only applies to banks with over a certain dollar amount of assets. I ask, is it in the Constitution that when a large bank fails is it up to the taxpayers and citizens of the U.S. to bail it out? If there exists a business or group of businesses big enough to bring down the whole U.S. economy there certainly needs to be a barriers in place to prevent it's failure. That seems to me to be a pretty straightforward and honest answer. As I have said before, if business is allowed to be completely "free" and unregulated it will push harder and harder to improve it's bottom line regardless of the cost to the people that are run over in the process.
These things worry me. While on one hand I believe in capitalism and free enterprise, I on the other hand also believe that we need a system in place and "tools" in the toolbox to prevent and control the inevitable downturns. The Federal Reserve Bank was set up precisely for this purpose. Political wannabees like Sarah Palin saying that the Fed should "cease and desist" are not going to do anything to help create jobs and boost the economy.
I must say that the U.S. Constitution of two hundred plus years ago while founded upon a core of truly great ideas and rights that still apply today may not always work in today's world. We are fools to think that is does and will. We need to take the basic document and interpret it as it applies today not yesterday. The Tea Party's core mission is to defend the Constitution. What about the people that are standing behind the Constitution? Is it in our interest to defend corporations on the same level as the individual? When money is allowed to "buy" the law something is morally wrong!
In conclusion it is our obligation to question everything that we hear and always be on the defensive. It is not a time to be complacent and let someone else do the job for us. We should welcome good ideas regardless of where they come from but always be on guard for propaganda from corporate America and from those among us that are only looking out for their own interests. It is time for the people to come first!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A New Promise of Change
Now that he 2010 election is over many of us are left wondering what the future will hold. Will the Republican promise of change have any meaning in two more years? Will the Republican party be willing to compromise and work with a Democratic Senate and President? One thing that is encouraging is the influx of new lawmakers with a lot of new ideas and the motivation and energy to get things done. I am hopeful for this country that they don't hit to many road blocks and are able to do something constructive with all this energy that is not damaging to the economy or the middle class.
I do believe that the Democrats were caught in a political cross fire that was planned by the Republican Party for the last two years. By snubbing the Democratic majority's every idea and digging in their heels they set the backdrop for yesterdays big Republican wins. They knew and many have admitted off the record that the economy was not going to get better in just two years and that by biding their time and stalling they would be well positioned to win in 2010. It is saddening that they couldn't be more productive with their time and our money.
I am willing to set all this aside though and give the benefit of the doubt. I am of the thought that like me most Americans are sick of the political bickering and just want to move forward regardless of what party is in power. In the past good things have happened when government powers have been divided; after all that is what makes our government so great. With a wider range of ideas in the pool and no one power able to "push" their ideas ahead there is more likely to be meaningful compromise that draws the whole Congress to the middle.
I truly believe that we do have a government that can work for the people . I also believe that issues like health care and wall street reform are important and should NOT be repealed or blocked. In the interest of moving forward I hope that the new Republican House majority can put aside partisan fighting and realize that their are many people out here that want these new laws. Only time will tell what will transpire but we can only hope that the people will prevail and that the government will be able to move forward in a bipartisan way.
I do believe that the Democrats were caught in a political cross fire that was planned by the Republican Party for the last two years. By snubbing the Democratic majority's every idea and digging in their heels they set the backdrop for yesterdays big Republican wins. They knew and many have admitted off the record that the economy was not going to get better in just two years and that by biding their time and stalling they would be well positioned to win in 2010. It is saddening that they couldn't be more productive with their time and our money.
I am willing to set all this aside though and give the benefit of the doubt. I am of the thought that like me most Americans are sick of the political bickering and just want to move forward regardless of what party is in power. In the past good things have happened when government powers have been divided; after all that is what makes our government so great. With a wider range of ideas in the pool and no one power able to "push" their ideas ahead there is more likely to be meaningful compromise that draws the whole Congress to the middle.
I truly believe that we do have a government that can work for the people . I also believe that issues like health care and wall street reform are important and should NOT be repealed or blocked. In the interest of moving forward I hope that the new Republican House majority can put aside partisan fighting and realize that their are many people out here that want these new laws. Only time will tell what will transpire but we can only hope that the people will prevail and that the government will be able to move forward in a bipartisan way.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Midterm Election 2010
The upcoming election and all of the buzz surrounding it are causing me to wonder...if the majority switches over to the Republican party will the people that are so supportive now still be supportive two more years down the road? Will the support vanish when people discover that it does take time to make any real progress? Where will we be then...certainly no further ahead than we are now in anything but years.
It is easy to campaign on promises but it is much harder to deliver on them. I think that President Obama is finding that out for himself right now. Sadly, it has almost become an acceptable rule in the U.S. that campaign promises are made to be broken, people now expect it.
It does takes time to deliver on big promises and President Obama told us that at the time of his election. I find it disheartening that the same people that were so supportive two years ago are now backing away from the President, even Democratic candidates are trying to distance themselves. Why? I am a strong believer in finishing the job that was started. Don't run away like a coward just because it looks like everyone else is going to. It took so long to get here. If there are flaws in the laws and policies they can be fixed. Why throw them out and start over? President Obama has demonstrated to us time and again that he is willing to fix mistakes that he makes. We are all human and we all make mistakes. We have to be able to get past them and on to the next thing.
Regardless of how the midterm election goes I am hopeful that a new Congress will be able to work with President Obama and get on with business. Maybe some new thoughts and ideas will be a good thing. I hope that the candidates that are promising to act independently from the leadership truly do so. I am reassured knowing that we have a system of checks and balances that keeps people of one extreme from going to far. Who knows, maybe they will be forced into working together without so much of the partisan bickering that our lawmakers are famous for! If there is any politician that can get people to work together I believe President Obama can.
It is easy to campaign on promises but it is much harder to deliver on them. I think that President Obama is finding that out for himself right now. Sadly, it has almost become an acceptable rule in the U.S. that campaign promises are made to be broken, people now expect it.
It does takes time to deliver on big promises and President Obama told us that at the time of his election. I find it disheartening that the same people that were so supportive two years ago are now backing away from the President, even Democratic candidates are trying to distance themselves. Why? I am a strong believer in finishing the job that was started. Don't run away like a coward just because it looks like everyone else is going to. It took so long to get here. If there are flaws in the laws and policies they can be fixed. Why throw them out and start over? President Obama has demonstrated to us time and again that he is willing to fix mistakes that he makes. We are all human and we all make mistakes. We have to be able to get past them and on to the next thing.
Regardless of how the midterm election goes I am hopeful that a new Congress will be able to work with President Obama and get on with business. Maybe some new thoughts and ideas will be a good thing. I hope that the candidates that are promising to act independently from the leadership truly do so. I am reassured knowing that we have a system of checks and balances that keeps people of one extreme from going to far. Who knows, maybe they will be forced into working together without so much of the partisan bickering that our lawmakers are famous for! If there is any politician that can get people to work together I believe President Obama can.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Bipartisan Governing
Bipartisan governing has a great history in the U.S. dating all the way back to our founding fathers. In fact, many would argue that the further back in history you go the less partisan the politicking would be. If in the beginning we were as divided as we are now the United States would probably not exist as we know it.
Many great leaders before us brought their rivals into office to work with them. Take Abraham Lincoln for example; he brought many of his political opponents into his cabinet and as a result he is seen as one of the United States’ greatest presidents. In recent history President Obama was inspired by Lincoln to do the same, taking in two of his Democratic opponents and a Republican Congressman, and even keeping on Defense Secretary Robert Gates from the previous administration. It is inspiring to see a current leader welcoming people in with views and opinions different from his own.
Amazing things can be accomplished when people of opposite opinions agree to work together towards a common goal. If you really get down to it most of us have the same desires, wants, and needs; it is just getting to the point of setting aside a few of the minor details and reaching a mutual consensus. I believe that bringing in others’ ideas enhances the process and breaths new life into old ideas. If two people agree all the time it would be easy to get things done but if you had two or more people that had different ideas and had to work out a compromise the end result would be much more satisfying to many more people.
I feel that the way that the political atmosphere has become the politicians are more worried about how they are going to keep their jobs than in stepping out from the pack and trying to get things done for their constituents. Term limits look to me like an idea worthy of more exploration to head off this problem. If there were term limits Congress could focus more on getting things done and less on looking over their shoulder trying to get re-elected. I am sure that I am not the only one out there that is disgusted with the amount of time, energy, and money that is poured into campaigns for public office. If only there were that same enthusiasm and energy put into getting real, meaningful things done!
I do believe that political parties have a place but as a general guideline politicians and constituents need to try to be a little less biased and visualize themselves in the other side’s shoes. If someone has a certain view they should take a hard look at it and see if it really does make sense. I believe that you should always try to do what is right and just, no matter if it is something that you believe in or you yourself would do. Only when the partisan bickering stops will this country truly be able to go forward and get things done for the people again. Looking back at some of the bright spots in history like the 1787 Constitutional Convention and in more recent history the 1964 Civil Rights Act gives me hope that we can again return to the type of non partisan negotiations that made those moments so great. It is up to us, the people, to tell Congress what we want and force the real change that is necessary so that we can get back to a less divided and more bipartisan way of governing.
Many great leaders before us brought their rivals into office to work with them. Take Abraham Lincoln for example; he brought many of his political opponents into his cabinet and as a result he is seen as one of the United States’ greatest presidents. In recent history President Obama was inspired by Lincoln to do the same, taking in two of his Democratic opponents and a Republican Congressman, and even keeping on Defense Secretary Robert Gates from the previous administration. It is inspiring to see a current leader welcoming people in with views and opinions different from his own.
Amazing things can be accomplished when people of opposite opinions agree to work together towards a common goal. If you really get down to it most of us have the same desires, wants, and needs; it is just getting to the point of setting aside a few of the minor details and reaching a mutual consensus. I believe that bringing in others’ ideas enhances the process and breaths new life into old ideas. If two people agree all the time it would be easy to get things done but if you had two or more people that had different ideas and had to work out a compromise the end result would be much more satisfying to many more people.
I feel that the way that the political atmosphere has become the politicians are more worried about how they are going to keep their jobs than in stepping out from the pack and trying to get things done for their constituents. Term limits look to me like an idea worthy of more exploration to head off this problem. If there were term limits Congress could focus more on getting things done and less on looking over their shoulder trying to get re-elected. I am sure that I am not the only one out there that is disgusted with the amount of time, energy, and money that is poured into campaigns for public office. If only there were that same enthusiasm and energy put into getting real, meaningful things done!
I do believe that political parties have a place but as a general guideline politicians and constituents need to try to be a little less biased and visualize themselves in the other side’s shoes. If someone has a certain view they should take a hard look at it and see if it really does make sense. I believe that you should always try to do what is right and just, no matter if it is something that you believe in or you yourself would do. Only when the partisan bickering stops will this country truly be able to go forward and get things done for the people again. Looking back at some of the bright spots in history like the 1787 Constitutional Convention and in more recent history the 1964 Civil Rights Act gives me hope that we can again return to the type of non partisan negotiations that made those moments so great. It is up to us, the people, to tell Congress what we want and force the real change that is necessary so that we can get back to a less divided and more bipartisan way of governing.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
and the Rent Is Too Damn High!
Does anyone else think that the governors race in New York State has become a joke? While last night's debate was at times hilarious, I kept having to remind myself that I wasn't watching John Stewart or Glenn Beck, this wasn't a comedy show and that these people were actually running for Governor of New York State!
The minor parties are always crying foul, and maybe justly so, if they are not invited to a debate, but when they were invited most of them acted like circus performers! Come on do they really think that anyone will take them seriously? Maybe it is just a few of them ruining it for all but even so, I would have gotten up and walked out rather than take part in such hoopla. It is extremely obscene to act like an absolute idiot when campaigning for a public job especially in the face of the economic disaster that New York in particular faces! As a New Yorker I am horrified and disgusted that this debate, if you can call it that, even took place. I feel insulted by the way these people have made a mockery out of a very serious situation.
This really leaves me wondering who I am going to vote for. It has become a situation of trying to pick the best of the worst. The way New York has become in the past few years with what happened with Spitzer (among other things) has really left me very disappointed . Why can't we get any really good candidates; people that are in it not as a career, but for the good of the people of New York State? Has the system become so complicated that good people are afraid to run? What is it going to take to fix this?
You can watch the full debate here: http://buffalo.ynn.com/content/top_stories/520896/live-stream--gubernatorial-debate/
The minor parties are always crying foul, and maybe justly so, if they are not invited to a debate, but when they were invited most of them acted like circus performers! Come on do they really think that anyone will take them seriously? Maybe it is just a few of them ruining it for all but even so, I would have gotten up and walked out rather than take part in such hoopla. It is extremely obscene to act like an absolute idiot when campaigning for a public job especially in the face of the economic disaster that New York in particular faces! As a New Yorker I am horrified and disgusted that this debate, if you can call it that, even took place. I feel insulted by the way these people have made a mockery out of a very serious situation.
This really leaves me wondering who I am going to vote for. It has become a situation of trying to pick the best of the worst. The way New York has become in the past few years with what happened with Spitzer (among other things) has really left me very disappointed . Why can't we get any really good candidates; people that are in it not as a career, but for the good of the people of New York State? Has the system become so complicated that good people are afraid to run? What is it going to take to fix this?
You can watch the full debate here: http://buffalo.ynn.com/content/top_stories/520896/live-stream--gubernatorial-debate/
Friday, October 15, 2010
GOP "Pledge to America"-Is this Progress?
Of all the political banter and attacks that I have heard the "Pledge to America" is one of the worst. This "pledge" is nothing more that the GOP playing on the fears of Americans. It is a smoke screen that once cleared away reveals that there is nothing substantial behind it. There are a lot of promises with no solid plans to back them up. It seems to me that if you are going to make a promise that you should have a plan in place to make it happen. Take for example the GOP's promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. They promise that they will replace the current law with a new one that includes making it legal to buy insurance across state lines, no caps on lifetime care, and among many other things, no dropping a person for a preexisting condition. Do they even know what is in the current law? These things are already included! The GOP couldn't be nonpartisan during the creation of the Affordable Care Act but now they want to come in and repeal it and pass their own version that is basically the same thing with a different name and call it progress! I call that a royal waste of time!
Another thing, they promise is to cut government spending, which sounds good, but it is a proven fact that if you cut government spending in a downturn it makes things worse for the economy. It is not simply a case of treating the economy like your family budget, it is much more complicated than that. If as individuals, we know that we are making less, we cut back. If the government cuts spending and we as individuals cut spending, who is left to provide the demand to get the economy going again? Think of the economy as a mirror image of a family budget. It is a simple supply and demand equation. If there is no demand, there is no spending and the economy flat-lines or goes deeper into recession.
End TARP once and for all? That was their previous GREAT LEADER, President Bush's, idea! Why is it that people forget so fast? President Bush enacted TARP into law October 3rd 2008, before the election! Are they admitting that they made a mistake? Please give credit where credit is due.
A smaller, more organized government would be great, but a more organized government that has the power and will to get things done is even better. I don't really care what side you are on as long as things can get done without backpedaling and wasting time. I think that the majority of Americans think the same way. There are many things that the average Green Party, Tea Party, Democrat, Republican, or Independent can agree on. It is up to the politicians to get together and ignore party lines and get stuff done!
Another thing, they promise is to cut government spending, which sounds good, but it is a proven fact that if you cut government spending in a downturn it makes things worse for the economy. It is not simply a case of treating the economy like your family budget, it is much more complicated than that. If as individuals, we know that we are making less, we cut back. If the government cuts spending and we as individuals cut spending, who is left to provide the demand to get the economy going again? Think of the economy as a mirror image of a family budget. It is a simple supply and demand equation. If there is no demand, there is no spending and the economy flat-lines or goes deeper into recession.
End TARP once and for all? That was their previous GREAT LEADER, President Bush's, idea! Why is it that people forget so fast? President Bush enacted TARP into law October 3rd 2008, before the election! Are they admitting that they made a mistake? Please give credit where credit is due.
A smaller, more organized government would be great, but a more organized government that has the power and will to get things done is even better. I don't really care what side you are on as long as things can get done without backpedaling and wasting time. I think that the majority of Americans think the same way. There are many things that the average Green Party, Tea Party, Democrat, Republican, or Independent can agree on. It is up to the politicians to get together and ignore party lines and get stuff done!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Affordable Care Act Explained
There has been a lot of concern over how the Affordable Care Act that was passed recently would affect us. There have been many rumors and misconceptions flying about so I thought that I would do a little research and try to respond to the concerns. You can also verify the facts by reading the bill yourself or by going to www.HealthCare.gov . This site is also the central data base that can be used to find insurance that fits your needs. You can shop for both public and private insurance on this site.
One of the many rumors out there is that you will be forced to buy insurance that you can’t afford, possibly bankrupting your family to get coverage, when in fact the Affordable Care Act will make insurance more affordable to everyone. There are tax credits and even hardship waivers for those who can’t afford to buy insurance. This ensures that everyone has access and can get the care they need. It also reduces what they call the “hidden tax.” That is the extra cost that people buying insurance coverage pay now to cover the cost of those without coverage. In our current system this is one of the issues that is driving the prices perpetually higher.
I have also heard it said many times that the new law will make businesses less competitive by raising costs, when in fact according to the independent CBO (Congressional Budget Office) the bill will lower premiums for the existing plans by about 4 percent for the smaller businesses and 3 percent for the larger ones. The bill will ultimately save about $3000 per person in health care costs.
Another myth is that the small business credits won’t do anything to provide relief for businesses. Again, this is wrong. Small businesses will receive $40 billion in new tax credits to help cover the costs of providing coverage to their employees. This credit is structured to support both the businesses that provide coverage now and the ones that decide to offer coverage in the future. This tax credit is substantial, amounting to 35 percent of the premiums that a business pays to provide coverage. This tax credit is effective immediately and as of 2014 will increase to 50 percent. There are about 4 million businesses that are eligible for this credit.
I have also heard it said a lot that the health insurance bill is already increasing health insurance premiums. This is definitely not true! The insurance companies are using this as an opportunity and excuse to raise your premiums. It is just a ploy to continue to rake in profits and try to weaken support for the bill. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that many health insurance companies were using this bill as an excuse for premium increases that were already in the works long before the bill was passed. At least one insurance company had to issue a letter clarifying the reasons for the premium increase after the article was published.
It is a well know fact that insurance premiums have almost doubled since 2000 and this of course can be proven to have absolutely nothing to do with the legislation; unless of course you are a psychic and predicted that the bill would pass ahead of time (and maybe there are some out there). I think that Congress did its job and passed a comprehensive bill that protects individuals from for-profit business. Overall, people are scared of the changes that many of you wanted; that is understandable, but realize please that change can be a good thing. We still have three years to work the kinks out of this bill. There is no “perfect” health insurance solution, but I for one am pleased to see that we are finally making progress on this major issue. I rest at ease knowing that my kids will grow up healthier because we are in charge of our own health insurance, not the insurance companies. There are certain things that should not be for profit and I believe that our health is one of them.
One of the many rumors out there is that you will be forced to buy insurance that you can’t afford, possibly bankrupting your family to get coverage, when in fact the Affordable Care Act will make insurance more affordable to everyone. There are tax credits and even hardship waivers for those who can’t afford to buy insurance. This ensures that everyone has access and can get the care they need. It also reduces what they call the “hidden tax.” That is the extra cost that people buying insurance coverage pay now to cover the cost of those without coverage. In our current system this is one of the issues that is driving the prices perpetually higher.
I have also heard it said many times that the new law will make businesses less competitive by raising costs, when in fact according to the independent CBO (Congressional Budget Office) the bill will lower premiums for the existing plans by about 4 percent for the smaller businesses and 3 percent for the larger ones. The bill will ultimately save about $3000 per person in health care costs.
Another myth is that the small business credits won’t do anything to provide relief for businesses. Again, this is wrong. Small businesses will receive $40 billion in new tax credits to help cover the costs of providing coverage to their employees. This credit is structured to support both the businesses that provide coverage now and the ones that decide to offer coverage in the future. This tax credit is substantial, amounting to 35 percent of the premiums that a business pays to provide coverage. This tax credit is effective immediately and as of 2014 will increase to 50 percent. There are about 4 million businesses that are eligible for this credit.
I have also heard it said a lot that the health insurance bill is already increasing health insurance premiums. This is definitely not true! The insurance companies are using this as an opportunity and excuse to raise your premiums. It is just a ploy to continue to rake in profits and try to weaken support for the bill. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that many health insurance companies were using this bill as an excuse for premium increases that were already in the works long before the bill was passed. At least one insurance company had to issue a letter clarifying the reasons for the premium increase after the article was published.
It is a well know fact that insurance premiums have almost doubled since 2000 and this of course can be proven to have absolutely nothing to do with the legislation; unless of course you are a psychic and predicted that the bill would pass ahead of time (and maybe there are some out there). I think that Congress did its job and passed a comprehensive bill that protects individuals from for-profit business. Overall, people are scared of the changes that many of you wanted; that is understandable, but realize please that change can be a good thing. We still have three years to work the kinks out of this bill. There is no “perfect” health insurance solution, but I for one am pleased to see that we are finally making progress on this major issue. I rest at ease knowing that my kids will grow up healthier because we are in charge of our own health insurance, not the insurance companies. There are certain things that should not be for profit and I believe that our health is one of them.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Some Thoughts on Welfare Programs and the Middle-Class
I ask myself why our system is set up in a way that penalizes those of us that work hard, and rewards those of us that do the bare minimum. Why is it that the richest among us get richer, while the rest of us tread water to stay afloat? Getting health insurance and other state benefits would be a breeze if we would just stop working and apply for state assistance. I have actually had people tell me that a state caseworker has told them to take some unpaid time off to bring them to with-in the income guidelines! This is not an isolated incident; I have heard many people say that they have gotten the same advice. This advise is, of course, “off the record".
Off the record or not, this is a persistent and serious problem. The middle class is constantly bombarded with this type of issue. When kids go off to college, they are left wondering how they are going to pay for it. Again, there is a gap between those of us that get full funding and those that get nothing at all. It is this gap between the poorest and the richest that many of us fall into and can’t get out of without going backwards. It is an "all or nothing" system.
Many of the poorest people stay poor because they are content “playing” the system, while the middle class is stuck because they make too much to qualify for benefits that might help them get ahead. Of course if you were born into money you would be set because it is true what they say, “it takes money to make money.”
Don’t take me wrong, there are poor people out there that truly need the help that our welfare system provides in its current state and that don’t abuse the system but there are many on state assistance who go around bragging about how they get all this help and don’t have to do anything. Many of these same people are buying “toys” like snowmobiles and ATVs, all while drinking, doing drugs, and smoking a pack or two of cigarettes a day. I was recently behind this guy in a convenience store that literally bought them out of his brand of cigarettes. While cashing out he said, while laughing, that he should get a discount for buying so often. After he left the store the cashier muttered under her breath that she couldn’t believe that he asked for a discount on cigarettes when he was spending food stamps in the store every day!
It is people such as that that give the welfare system a bad name. We need to figure out a way to discourage this type of person from staying perpetually in the system. We need to revise the system to provide incentives to move forward, not backward and that rewards those of us that work hard everyday to stay off the system. We need incentives and encouragement for those of us that take a leap and start a business; maybe offer more grants to get started. Of course, a grant shouldn’t be offered unless there is a solid business plan in place and the entrepreneur has invested their own time and money into the venture.
Maybe the welfare system should be set up so that benefits go out in the form of a loan, rather than as a free “no obligation” benefit. If there was a commitment to pay all or even part of it back once you got back on your feet, maybe there would not be “career” welfare recipients dragging the rest of us backwards.
Another idea, maybe have a prorated benefit system so that if a family needs just a little help they can get it. On the other extreme, some of societies richest have found admirable ways to spend their money on charity and for the good of society such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Bill Gates started The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Warren Buffett donated almost 40 billion dollars to the foundation. "I don't believe in dynastic wealth", Warren Buffett once said, calling those who grow up in wealthy circumstances "members of the lucky sperm club.” I recently heard an interview with one of his sons where the son stated that his father had never given him any money and he knew better than to ask because it was his father’s belief that his kids should grow up independent of him and make themselves successful of their own accord.
Of course, it is a very small percentage of the wealthy that think in this way. There are many more that try to buy seats in Congress so that they can work on their own agendas, like cutting taxes for the rich, putting more of a burden on middle-class. There are even a few such as Rupert Murdoch that have bought a large percentage of the media sources such as newspapers and TV stations in order to control what news the bulk of people hear.
Our welfare system in the United States has many issues; I think that we can all agree on that. We need to work together, revise the system and make it so that it allows everyone more equal opportunity. I do realize that we will never have a perfect system, but I hope that our system can be changed to better help those of us that are “stuck” in the middle.
Off the record or not, this is a persistent and serious problem. The middle class is constantly bombarded with this type of issue. When kids go off to college, they are left wondering how they are going to pay for it. Again, there is a gap between those of us that get full funding and those that get nothing at all. It is this gap between the poorest and the richest that many of us fall into and can’t get out of without going backwards. It is an "all or nothing" system.
Many of the poorest people stay poor because they are content “playing” the system, while the middle class is stuck because they make too much to qualify for benefits that might help them get ahead. Of course if you were born into money you would be set because it is true what they say, “it takes money to make money.”
Don’t take me wrong, there are poor people out there that truly need the help that our welfare system provides in its current state and that don’t abuse the system but there are many on state assistance who go around bragging about how they get all this help and don’t have to do anything. Many of these same people are buying “toys” like snowmobiles and ATVs, all while drinking, doing drugs, and smoking a pack or two of cigarettes a day. I was recently behind this guy in a convenience store that literally bought them out of his brand of cigarettes. While cashing out he said, while laughing, that he should get a discount for buying so often. After he left the store the cashier muttered under her breath that she couldn’t believe that he asked for a discount on cigarettes when he was spending food stamps in the store every day!
It is people such as that that give the welfare system a bad name. We need to figure out a way to discourage this type of person from staying perpetually in the system. We need to revise the system to provide incentives to move forward, not backward and that rewards those of us that work hard everyday to stay off the system. We need incentives and encouragement for those of us that take a leap and start a business; maybe offer more grants to get started. Of course, a grant shouldn’t be offered unless there is a solid business plan in place and the entrepreneur has invested their own time and money into the venture.
Maybe the welfare system should be set up so that benefits go out in the form of a loan, rather than as a free “no obligation” benefit. If there was a commitment to pay all or even part of it back once you got back on your feet, maybe there would not be “career” welfare recipients dragging the rest of us backwards.
Another idea, maybe have a prorated benefit system so that if a family needs just a little help they can get it. On the other extreme, some of societies richest have found admirable ways to spend their money on charity and for the good of society such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Bill Gates started The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Warren Buffett donated almost 40 billion dollars to the foundation. "I don't believe in dynastic wealth", Warren Buffett once said, calling those who grow up in wealthy circumstances "members of the lucky sperm club.” I recently heard an interview with one of his sons where the son stated that his father had never given him any money and he knew better than to ask because it was his father’s belief that his kids should grow up independent of him and make themselves successful of their own accord.
Of course, it is a very small percentage of the wealthy that think in this way. There are many more that try to buy seats in Congress so that they can work on their own agendas, like cutting taxes for the rich, putting more of a burden on middle-class. There are even a few such as Rupert Murdoch that have bought a large percentage of the media sources such as newspapers and TV stations in order to control what news the bulk of people hear.
Our welfare system in the United States has many issues; I think that we can all agree on that. We need to work together, revise the system and make it so that it allows everyone more equal opportunity. I do realize that we will never have a perfect system, but I hope that our system can be changed to better help those of us that are “stuck” in the middle.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
National Foreclosure Freeze
As the economic recovery takes hold there are still major problems in the housing market. Everyday people that had been paying their mortgage payments are now finding that they can't because of a job loss. Many more homeowners are just a lost paycheck away from getting behind on their payments. The initial wave of foreclosure was based in part to payments that were adjusted up because of deceptive lending practices and from borrowers not reading (or maybe not understanding) the fine print.
Recently though, there have been allegations that many of the largest banks didn't read the fine print themselves and that mortgage applications were signed in mass quantities to expedite the process! Now there is concern that many of these same banks have filed false affidavits in thousands of foreclosure cases and are foreclosing on homeowners without due process.
Bank of America just became the first bank to institute a nation wide foreclosure freeze while it reviews its procedures. Hopefully, more of the big banks will follow suite and do the same. It seems that it is only fair that they would be bound by the same contracts that the rest of us are. After all, one would expect that they would have known what was in the fine print that they had put there! The U.S. Senate Banking Committee will be holding a hearing looking into the matter on November 16th.
Recently though, there have been allegations that many of the largest banks didn't read the fine print themselves and that mortgage applications were signed in mass quantities to expedite the process! Now there is concern that many of these same banks have filed false affidavits in thousands of foreclosure cases and are foreclosing on homeowners without due process.
Bank of America just became the first bank to institute a nation wide foreclosure freeze while it reviews its procedures. Hopefully, more of the big banks will follow suite and do the same. It seems that it is only fair that they would be bound by the same contracts that the rest of us are. After all, one would expect that they would have known what was in the fine print that they had put there! The U.S. Senate Banking Committee will be holding a hearing looking into the matter on November 16th.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Obama's Chicago Speech
I heard a truly great speech today. It was a speech that hit on points that I have been thinking about a lot myself. The speech was President Obama in Chicago campaigning for his friend Alexi Giannoulias' Senate campaign. He was both funny and serious at the same time, reminding his audience about where we were but a few short years ago, "Two years ago, you defied the conventional wisdom in Washington-because they said you couldn't overcome the cynicism of our politics. You couldn't overcome the special interests. You can't make big progress on big issues. Can't happen. They said, no, you can't. What did you say? Yes we can. You said, yes, we can"
He goes on to say that after the last election, it was his hope to pull together Democrats and Republicans and tackle the problems, "That was my fervent hope because we may be proud Democrats, but we're prouder to be Americans. And there are Republicans across the country who feel the same way." Obviously that didn't happen, instead most of the opposing party has said no to every suggestion, dragging their heals and trying to make things even more difficult. "And they spent the last 20 months saying no-even to policies that they had supported in the past. They said no to middle-class tax cuts. They said no to help for small businesses. They said no to a bipartisan deficit reduction commission that they had cosponsored. And when I was for it, suddenly they were against it. If I said the sky was blue, they said no. If I said there were fish in the sea-no. Their calculation was if Obama fails, we win. They were very explicit about it."
As he goes on, he draws a mental picture of the Republican Party figuring that since they knew it was going to take years to get out of the mess that President Bush had got us into, it was better politically to just wait it out until people were losing patience and then come in and blame it all on the Democrats to try to win back the Congress.
He likened the recession to the Republican Party driving the car into a ditch and then leaving it for the Democrats to push out and get back on level ground. "We put on our boots; it was muddy, it was hot. There's bugs. But we pushed and we pushed and we pushed. And every once in a while we'd look up and see the Republicans up there, looking comfortable, fanning themselves-sipping Slurpees. And we'd say, why don't you come down here and help? And they'd say, NO! But you're not pushing hard enough. You're not pushing the right way. And we just kept on pushing. And finally, we got the car up on level ground. Finally we got it on level ground."
"Now it's gone through some trauma, so the fender is all dented, needs a tune-up. But it's on level ground, it's pointing in the right direction. And suddenly, we feel this tap on our shoulder, and we look back and it's the Republicans. And we say, what do you want? They say, We want the keys back."
Now that the economy is stable the Republican Party wants to take back over after doing almost nothing to contribute to the recovery even when President Obama tried to reach out to them for thoughts and cooperation. The economy is slowly getting better and we need to have even more patience while things work their way out. We need to get people motivated to vote in the upcoming election, no matter what political party they are for. If people don't vote they lose their right to speak out when things don't go the way they want. You can view the complete speech at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/07/remarks-president-reception-alexi-giannoulias.
He goes on to say that after the last election, it was his hope to pull together Democrats and Republicans and tackle the problems, "That was my fervent hope because we may be proud Democrats, but we're prouder to be Americans. And there are Republicans across the country who feel the same way." Obviously that didn't happen, instead most of the opposing party has said no to every suggestion, dragging their heals and trying to make things even more difficult. "And they spent the last 20 months saying no-even to policies that they had supported in the past. They said no to middle-class tax cuts. They said no to help for small businesses. They said no to a bipartisan deficit reduction commission that they had cosponsored. And when I was for it, suddenly they were against it. If I said the sky was blue, they said no. If I said there were fish in the sea-no. Their calculation was if Obama fails, we win. They were very explicit about it."
As he goes on, he draws a mental picture of the Republican Party figuring that since they knew it was going to take years to get out of the mess that President Bush had got us into, it was better politically to just wait it out until people were losing patience and then come in and blame it all on the Democrats to try to win back the Congress.
He likened the recession to the Republican Party driving the car into a ditch and then leaving it for the Democrats to push out and get back on level ground. "We put on our boots; it was muddy, it was hot. There's bugs. But we pushed and we pushed and we pushed. And every once in a while we'd look up and see the Republicans up there, looking comfortable, fanning themselves-sipping Slurpees. And we'd say, why don't you come down here and help? And they'd say, NO! But you're not pushing hard enough. You're not pushing the right way. And we just kept on pushing. And finally, we got the car up on level ground. Finally we got it on level ground."
"Now it's gone through some trauma, so the fender is all dented, needs a tune-up. But it's on level ground, it's pointing in the right direction. And suddenly, we feel this tap on our shoulder, and we look back and it's the Republicans. And we say, what do you want? They say, We want the keys back."
Now that the economy is stable the Republican Party wants to take back over after doing almost nothing to contribute to the recovery even when President Obama tried to reach out to them for thoughts and cooperation. The economy is slowly getting better and we need to have even more patience while things work their way out. We need to get people motivated to vote in the upcoming election, no matter what political party they are for. If people don't vote they lose their right to speak out when things don't go the way they want. You can view the complete speech at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/10/07/remarks-president-reception-alexi-giannoulias.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Has Obama Let Us Down?
As an Obama supporter, I have been finding myself growing weary of constantly defending him. I have been asking myself if he is the right guy for the job. Having read some of his books, I can tell you that his philosophy seems to be genuine. I believe that he is trying as hard as anyone to be bi-partisan and that he really does want to make the changes that his supporters want. He is just hitting some snags midway through his term such as a falling level of public support and a midterm election approaching that appears to be going to the other party.
His support is falling due in part to the length of time that it is taking for the economic recovery to take hold. People are growing tired of waiting for results. You have to remember that we knew that as painful as it was, the recovering economy was going to need time to heal. It took time to get to where we are now and will probably take even longer to get back to the way things were before. Results will not be instant and change doesn’t happen overnight or even over a couple of years. We need to bear with it and have faith that Obama is doing a good job, regardless of the way it may look right now. He has, after all, fulfilled more of the campaign promises he made during his campaign than most of the elected ever do, and this is the change that we elected him for.
Obama has accomplished some great things as our President such as getting a credit card bill passed that protects consumers from predatory lending, signing into law the “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act” which expands a worker’s right to sue their employer over pay discrimination claims, passing the SCHIP expansion that expands health care benefits to cover 4 million more low-income children (Bush vetoed a similar bill), and among other things, passing the health care overhaul bill (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) that expands insurance coverage and protects people from having their insurance dropped because they are sick. He has also put policies in place that make government more transparent by banning lobbyist’s gifts and that restrict the hiring of lobbyists. He has also made it policy to publish the White House visitor logs and other records.
I do admit that it is still to be seen how all this plays out over the next few years, but I for one am going to stick it out knowing that these are some of the things that I wanted to be accomplished. A little support goes a long way. You just need to take a look back, try to visualize your thoughts at the time of the last election, and know what is right. Just because the media is making this into more than it is, doesn’t mean that we have to give up. Obama has not let me down.
His support is falling due in part to the length of time that it is taking for the economic recovery to take hold. People are growing tired of waiting for results. You have to remember that we knew that as painful as it was, the recovering economy was going to need time to heal. It took time to get to where we are now and will probably take even longer to get back to the way things were before. Results will not be instant and change doesn’t happen overnight or even over a couple of years. We need to bear with it and have faith that Obama is doing a good job, regardless of the way it may look right now. He has, after all, fulfilled more of the campaign promises he made during his campaign than most of the elected ever do, and this is the change that we elected him for.
Obama has accomplished some great things as our President such as getting a credit card bill passed that protects consumers from predatory lending, signing into law the “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act” which expands a worker’s right to sue their employer over pay discrimination claims, passing the SCHIP expansion that expands health care benefits to cover 4 million more low-income children (Bush vetoed a similar bill), and among other things, passing the health care overhaul bill (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) that expands insurance coverage and protects people from having their insurance dropped because they are sick. He has also put policies in place that make government more transparent by banning lobbyist’s gifts and that restrict the hiring of lobbyists. He has also made it policy to publish the White House visitor logs and other records.
I do admit that it is still to be seen how all this plays out over the next few years, but I for one am going to stick it out knowing that these are some of the things that I wanted to be accomplished. A little support goes a long way. You just need to take a look back, try to visualize your thoughts at the time of the last election, and know what is right. Just because the media is making this into more than it is, doesn’t mean that we have to give up. Obama has not let me down.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Can government help?
It has been said that government is not the answer to society’s problems. While this may be true in part, I believe that good government can go a long way towards looking out for the interests of individuals and families.
Look at the recent credit card law that was passed and just went into effect. The new law protects cardholders from devious and deceptive practices that credit card companies have been engaging in for years. Before the law was passed many credit card companies applied payments towards balances in any way that they saw fit and that increased their bottom line (which I guess if you think about it, really is just smart business). Many companies were also known to raise interest rates with little or no notice and charge interest retroactively on balances that were already paid (also known as double-cycle-billing).
Now since the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act has become law, these companies are being forced to play fair and apply payments to older, higher interest rate balances first. This allows people to have a fighting chance to pay down their balances. As a result the “0% interest for 90 days” type deals that a lot of us are bombarded with everyday might stop coming in the mail… big deal!
My point is that business can not self-regulate like many people claim it can. Look at what happened when business was allowed to de-regulate during the Bush administration. Banks and other financial institutions engaged in extremely risky practices and when it all came crashing down we were left holding the tab! Business needs rules and guidelines otherwise they will run amok over the rest of us on their way to higher profits. I do believe that there is a very fine line between too much government intervention and not enough; too much could possibly hurt the businesses and not enough could hurt the consumer. It is the ability to know were that line is drawn that is so important.
I think that the government really can help and really does solve problems when there is mutual collaboration and there are people involved that want to get things done. What we really need is a truly bi-partisan Congress, which can work together in implementing the people’s ideas; a Congress that is not just two parties divided, but a Congress of people working together.
Look at the recent credit card law that was passed and just went into effect. The new law protects cardholders from devious and deceptive practices that credit card companies have been engaging in for years. Before the law was passed many credit card companies applied payments towards balances in any way that they saw fit and that increased their bottom line (which I guess if you think about it, really is just smart business). Many companies were also known to raise interest rates with little or no notice and charge interest retroactively on balances that were already paid (also known as double-cycle-billing).
Now since the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act has become law, these companies are being forced to play fair and apply payments to older, higher interest rate balances first. This allows people to have a fighting chance to pay down their balances. As a result the “0% interest for 90 days” type deals that a lot of us are bombarded with everyday might stop coming in the mail… big deal!
My point is that business can not self-regulate like many people claim it can. Look at what happened when business was allowed to de-regulate during the Bush administration. Banks and other financial institutions engaged in extremely risky practices and when it all came crashing down we were left holding the tab! Business needs rules and guidelines otherwise they will run amok over the rest of us on their way to higher profits. I do believe that there is a very fine line between too much government intervention and not enough; too much could possibly hurt the businesses and not enough could hurt the consumer. It is the ability to know were that line is drawn that is so important.
I think that the government really can help and really does solve problems when there is mutual collaboration and there are people involved that want to get things done. What we really need is a truly bi-partisan Congress, which can work together in implementing the people’s ideas; a Congress that is not just two parties divided, but a Congress of people working together.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Elections and Social Networking
Getting out to vote is a subject that comes up every year at election time and it seems almost redundant to talk about it again. However, since the record turn-out of the Presidential Election of 2008 included a lot of younger voters who were inspired to vote based in large part on a “younger” political tool, the World Wide Web; I thought it was worth going back to it again. A lot of younger voters do not keep up to date on politics in the traditional ways, but instead get all or most of their news on the internet. They interact with the news and information at sites where they can comment on issues and have others respond (like this blog). This is changing politics in America for the better, in my opinion, with the political climate getting more progressive and new more liberal ideas getting considered and explored.
As the voting body gets younger because of “electronic politics”, candidates have to embrace the new ways of reaching out to them. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. are quickly becoming the new normal. While some may not like this, it is only going to become more prevalent as time goes on.
I myself have participated in some really good political and social discussions that have taken place on Facebook; conversations that wouldn't have taken place if the people were standing face to face. Most of the thoughts are fully written out, details checked, and maybe something new is learned in the process. I love having the internet at my disposal for these conversations because suddenly, with all the information in the world at my fingertips I am the smartest guy alive!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Mudslinging 101
It seems that the closer the political race is the worse the insults fly. One guy will say one thing which usually does not pertain at all to the issues and the other guy usually comes back with something even worse. Just like a bunch of kids, anything is fair game. Come-on people grow up!
I was listening to my favorite morning radio station WAMC( http://www.wamc.org ) on the way to work Thursday morning when I first heard about the altercation between GOP candidate for governor Carl Palodino and New York Post editor Fred Dicker. Palodino was addressing the Business Council at the Sagamore hotel in Bolton Landing, New York. After the meeting Dicker started questioning Palodino about the recent allegations that he had made against Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Cuomo in which Palodino said that he had proof that Cuomo had had an affair while still married to his former wife Kerry Kennedy (as of right now no proof has been provided and Palodino appears to be backing down on the claim).
Things got extremely heated when Palodino accused Dicker of working for Cuomo and of sending a photographer to the house of Palodino's young daughter to take pictures of the girl who Palodino fathered out of wed-lock in his own affair. The two of them ended up having to be pulled apart and restrained! The comment that rings in my mind is of Palodino yelling "you keep away from my daughter or I'll take you out!". Is this really how we want our public officials acting? It's bad enough that a reporter can't keep his cool. Cuomo himself has been relatively quiet about the whole thing, saying that he would not "stoop to the gutter".
That something like this should happen is absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! No, wait, I could believe it. I just don't know why it has to be like that. What ever happened to the politicians of old, a time when our leaders were real leaders in a truly bi-partisan way? We need to get back to that! Why does it have to be one political party versus the other?
I believe that aside from a few issues we all have the same core values, needs, and wants. We all want the best for our kids. We all want to be healthy and to be able to seek medical care when needed. We all get hungry, thirsty, sick, and tired. Somewhere there has to be a mutual consensus, a common ground that we can all reach together.
When people are unwilling to hear the other side or are unwilling to give a little, conversations will always die. There needs to be less of the "three guys in a room" and more of everybody included. What are the rest of us for if all of the decisions are made by a select few and the bills are voted on sometimes having never been read by the majority (and I don't mean the political majority)? Are they but pawns to be moved around by the party leaders as needed to accomplish a goal?
I was listening to my favorite morning radio station WAMC( http://www.wamc.org ) on the way to work Thursday morning when I first heard about the altercation between GOP candidate for governor Carl Palodino and New York Post editor Fred Dicker. Palodino was addressing the Business Council at the Sagamore hotel in Bolton Landing, New York. After the meeting Dicker started questioning Palodino about the recent allegations that he had made against Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Cuomo in which Palodino said that he had proof that Cuomo had had an affair while still married to his former wife Kerry Kennedy (as of right now no proof has been provided and Palodino appears to be backing down on the claim).
Things got extremely heated when Palodino accused Dicker of working for Cuomo and of sending a photographer to the house of Palodino's young daughter to take pictures of the girl who Palodino fathered out of wed-lock in his own affair. The two of them ended up having to be pulled apart and restrained! The comment that rings in my mind is of Palodino yelling "you keep away from my daughter or I'll take you out!". Is this really how we want our public officials acting? It's bad enough that a reporter can't keep his cool. Cuomo himself has been relatively quiet about the whole thing, saying that he would not "stoop to the gutter".
That something like this should happen is absolutely ridiculous. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! No, wait, I could believe it. I just don't know why it has to be like that. What ever happened to the politicians of old, a time when our leaders were real leaders in a truly bi-partisan way? We need to get back to that! Why does it have to be one political party versus the other?
I believe that aside from a few issues we all have the same core values, needs, and wants. We all want the best for our kids. We all want to be healthy and to be able to seek medical care when needed. We all get hungry, thirsty, sick, and tired. Somewhere there has to be a mutual consensus, a common ground that we can all reach together.
When people are unwilling to hear the other side or are unwilling to give a little, conversations will always die. There needs to be less of the "three guys in a room" and more of everybody included. What are the rest of us for if all of the decisions are made by a select few and the bills are voted on sometimes having never been read by the majority (and I don't mean the political majority)? Are they but pawns to be moved around by the party leaders as needed to accomplish a goal?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Blogging for the middle class
I want to take a minute and introduce my thought train to my viewers. I am myself the picture of what I think of as a middle class American. Someone who works hard at a nine to five job making decent money but still doesn't seem to make enough to be able to afford a health insurance plan for his family or a retirement plan. There is also the constant worry of an upcoming winter where there will be the added expense of the dreaded heating bill.
I think to myself everyday that there just has to be a better way. I am not asking anyone for a handout, I would just like to be treated fairly. If you look at income taxes paid on a percentage basis you will find that the middle class pays a very substantial amount more than the upper class that bring in millions a year. It seems that we are getting back to the royalty game that we were trying to get away from but a few hundred years ago. For example, if you are born into money you are very likely to yourself be wealthy in the future. I say eliminate the tax breaks for the rich and reduce taxes for the middle class.
Another subject that I will get into in more detail in the future is the ongoing health insurance debate in the US. Why is it that there is a health insurance industry that makes a substantial profit betting on whether or not someone will get sick? Health insurance premiums go up every year, quality of care goes down, and we, the middle class are left trying to fill the gap. The health and sickness of people should not be something that affects a company's bottom line. Doctors should be doctors to help people and should not have to spend ninety percent of their time trying to figure out ways to get around insurance issues. I am not saying that some aspects of the industry shouldn't be for profit such as the pharmaceutical business. I think that profits in areas such as these drive ingenuity and development of new treatments.
I hope to entertain a lively discussion on this blog and get people thinking beyond their current mindset. I also hope that along the way I will personally come to understand others ideas even if I do not agree with them. Here's to the conversation!
I think to myself everyday that there just has to be a better way. I am not asking anyone for a handout, I would just like to be treated fairly. If you look at income taxes paid on a percentage basis you will find that the middle class pays a very substantial amount more than the upper class that bring in millions a year. It seems that we are getting back to the royalty game that we were trying to get away from but a few hundred years ago. For example, if you are born into money you are very likely to yourself be wealthy in the future. I say eliminate the tax breaks for the rich and reduce taxes for the middle class.
Another subject that I will get into in more detail in the future is the ongoing health insurance debate in the US. Why is it that there is a health insurance industry that makes a substantial profit betting on whether or not someone will get sick? Health insurance premiums go up every year, quality of care goes down, and we, the middle class are left trying to fill the gap. The health and sickness of people should not be something that affects a company's bottom line. Doctors should be doctors to help people and should not have to spend ninety percent of their time trying to figure out ways to get around insurance issues. I am not saying that some aspects of the industry shouldn't be for profit such as the pharmaceutical business. I think that profits in areas such as these drive ingenuity and development of new treatments.
I hope to entertain a lively discussion on this blog and get people thinking beyond their current mindset. I also hope that along the way I will personally come to understand others ideas even if I do not agree with them. Here's to the conversation!
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