May 21, 2012
Things You Should Know About The United States And The Constitution
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May 8, 2012
Federal Government Posts First Monthly Budget Surplus In Three Years
It’s a bit misleading, but the federal government had a $58 billion surplus in April according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The surplus is due to tax season, which results in an April surplus most years even if the yearly numbers are still deep in the red. It’s notable because there hasn’t been a surplus month in three years and it could be a sign of an improving economy.
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May 3, 2012
It ‘Only’ Takes Political Will To Make Sure Medicare And Social Security Survive
There is no question Medicare needs fixing. The biggest problem with Medicare is that it is a high-risk pool. Insurance will be expensive per person when the only people in the insurance risk pool are 65 and older or disabled. That makes it fairly remarkable that Medicare has managed to survive for as long as it has. The reason it has survived is because of a vast supply of political will and public support. But sooner or later we are going to have to address the root issue, high risk. All insurance works by having diversified risk whether it’s car insurance or health insurance. Therefore, diversifying the risk pool when it comes to Medicare means extending it to all Americans, or ‘Medicare for all’. Having one insurance payer makes the financing of health care simpler and more efficient. Removing profits from the financing side of health care means nobody is deciding what is and isn’t covered based on shareholder sentiment and CEO bonuses. Removing profits means less overhead, hence less costly health care. Fixing health care in this country means extending the same coverage your grandparents have to all Americans.
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April 24, 2012
Tax Cuts, Especially For The Rich, Have No Significant Impact On Economic Growth
I have some news for Republicans and other fellow Americans who believe tax cuts for the rich will help the economy. If you think the rich are “job creators” and that their wealth will trickle down to the rest of us then you took the bait and swallowed it whole. The rich, along with their bought politicians, have you hook, line, and sinker. How much more evidence do you need that tax cuts, especially tax cuts for the rich, do not have any significant impact on economic growth? I don’t care what prominent Republican politicians and right-wing pundits are saying, it is entirely possible they are wrong. It’s also entirely possible they might not have your interests in mind when it comes to tax policy.
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April 17, 2012
Gallup Poll: 47% Americans Say Taxes ‘About Right’, 46% Say ‘Too High’
A new Gallup poll shows less than half of Americans believe their taxes are too high. 47% of Americans say their taxes are “about right” while 46% say their taxes are “too high”, and only 3% believe they aren’t paying enough taxes.
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April 13, 2012
The One-Way Street Of Gun Laws In America
Have you ever noticed how gun laws are increasingly going in one direction? Whether its “stand your ground” laws or a proposed “open carry” law in Oklahoma, it seems the only gun laws proposed are ones that make it easier to buy and use a firearm. When will humans evolve beyond the need for such primitive and violent symbols of strength? Republicans, conservatives and gun owners are becoming increasingly paranoid about a world that they feel is more dangerous than ever. Nevermind crime statistics that say otherwise. They want guns and they want them now. But that’s not enough, now they want to openly display how much heat they are packing. A proposed law in Oklahoma would allow residents of that state to flaunt their weaponry when out in public. Police are opposed to this measure because they believe it will make their job more difficult.
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April 12, 2012
Are We Winning The War On Drugs? Can Americans Accept Legalization Of Hard Drugs?
Based on anecdotal evidence I think its safe to conclude that after three decades – although drugs have been illegal for longer – we have not and will not win the “War on Drugs,” a term coined by President Richard Nixon in 1971. Later, the Reagan administration would adopt the slogan of “Just Say No” in its efforts to combat illegal drugs.
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April 11, 2012
New York mayor Bloomberg accuses NRA of backing ‘licence to murder’
Michael Bloomberg launches nationwide campaign on gun reform and says ‘shoot first’ laws have harmed public safety
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April 2, 2012
Supreme Court Rules 5-4 That Officials Can Strip-Search For Any Offense
Welcome to the police state where paranoid conservatives are running the show. On Monday the Supreme Court ruled that officials can strip-search people arrested without regard to the context or severity of the offense. It was yet another 5-4 vote along ideological lines with the conservative justices ruling that courts should not second-guess law enforcement officials.
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April 2, 2012
Obamacare, Medicare, Veterans Affairs: The Conservative Cognitive Dissonance Is Deafening
There are countless conservatives in this country who support Medicare and support Veterans Affairs (VA) but are against the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). They are against the idea of universal health care at the federal level. There is a cognitive dissonance at play here that is rarely discussed during health care debates in the media. We take it at face value that conservatives are against federally controlled universal health care as a matter of principle, but apparently their principles are malleable when it comes to Medicare and Veterans Affairs.
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