Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Most of Those Outraged by Obamacare Enjoy Big Taxpayer Subsidies Themselves | Connecting the Dots, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com
Most of Those Outraged by Obamacare Enjoy Big Taxpayer Subsidies Themselves | Connecting the Dots, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com
Article The other side of the mythology – that the “takers” don’t pay taxes – is equally as divorced from reality. It’s based on the fact that around 40 percent of the population pays no federal income taxes in a given year, largely as a result of Republican policies like the child tax credit. But the claim is the height of cherry-picking data because the federal income tax represents only around a quarter of the taxes paid in this country. When one includes all taxes, those in the bottom fifth of American households forked over around 16 percent of their incomes in taxes, and the next fifth paid 21 percent of theirs, according to CBPP. And many of those tax dollars ultimately subsidize the lifestyles of those who fancy themselves to be self-made “makers.”
It’s also the case that, contrary to the belief that people who don’t pay federal income taxes are a discrete group of Americans, most families don’t pay them for a year or two when their incomes fall below the threshold, but do pay those taxes in other years. Almost one in five people who don’t pay federal income taxes are students who will, one hopes, earn enough to pay federal income taxes when they graduate. Another fifth are seniors who paid those taxes before retirement.
It’s perverse to condemn all of these people as shiftless moochers, but that’s the foundational myth that supports most mainstream conservative thinking about government programs these days.
So here’s something to keep in mind when you hear someone grousing about being forced to help pay for health insurance for what they see as “the undeserving poor”: in all likelihood, that person has enjoyed subsidized college tuition or health insurance or home ownership or retirement plans– or any of a dozen other hidden government benefits in our submerged welfare state — and the idea of one group of Americans subsidizing another didn’t seem to be a cause of outrage then.
Article The other side of the mythology – that the “takers” don’t pay taxes – is equally as divorced from reality. It’s based on the fact that around 40 percent of the population pays no federal income taxes in a given year, largely as a result of Republican policies like the child tax credit. But the claim is the height of cherry-picking data because the federal income tax represents only around a quarter of the taxes paid in this country. When one includes all taxes, those in the bottom fifth of American households forked over around 16 percent of their incomes in taxes, and the next fifth paid 21 percent of theirs, according to CBPP. And many of those tax dollars ultimately subsidize the lifestyles of those who fancy themselves to be self-made “makers.”
It’s also the case that, contrary to the belief that people who don’t pay federal income taxes are a discrete group of Americans, most families don’t pay them for a year or two when their incomes fall below the threshold, but do pay those taxes in other years. Almost one in five people who don’t pay federal income taxes are students who will, one hopes, earn enough to pay federal income taxes when they graduate. Another fifth are seniors who paid those taxes before retirement.
It’s perverse to condemn all of these people as shiftless moochers, but that’s the foundational myth that supports most mainstream conservative thinking about government programs these days.
So here’s something to keep in mind when you hear someone grousing about being forced to help pay for health insurance for what they see as “the undeserving poor”: in all likelihood, that person has enjoyed subsidized college tuition or health insurance or home ownership or retirement plans– or any of a dozen other hidden government benefits in our submerged welfare state — and the idea of one group of Americans subsidizing another didn’t seem to be a cause of outrage then.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Our insanity over guns claims more victims - Leonard Pitts Jr. - MiamiHerald.com
Our insanity over guns claims more victims - Leonard Pitts Jr. - MiamiHerald.com
Is America crazy? Last week, the Des Moines Register reported that the state of Iowa issues gun carry permits to blind people. And people began debating this on grounds of constitutionality and equal access as if the very idea were not absurd on its face. Is America crazy?
Look at those people fleeing the Navy Yard, look at the Senate on lockdown, look at the blind man packing. Ask yourself: Does that look like sanity to you? ~ Leonard Pitts Jr.
Is America crazy? Last week, the Des Moines Register reported that the state of Iowa issues gun carry permits to blind people. And people began debating this on grounds of constitutionality and equal access as if the very idea were not absurd on its face. Is America crazy?
Look at those people fleeing the Navy Yard, look at the Senate on lockdown, look at the blind man packing. Ask yourself: Does that look like sanity to you? ~ Leonard Pitts Jr.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Behind the Curtain: Eve of Destruction - POLITICO.com
Whit Ayres of North Star Opinion Research, who has been drilling down on this issue for the conservative public-opinion group Resurgent Republic, said: “Shutting down the government is the one way that Republicans can turn Obamacare from a political advantage to a political disadvantage in 2014.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/behind-the-curtain-eve-of-destruction-95594.html#ixzz2cRI78lsz
Behind the Curtain: Eve of Destruction - POLITICO.com
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/behind-the-curtain-eve-of-destruction-95594.html#ixzz2cRI78lsz
Behind the Curtain: Eve of Destruction - POLITICO.com
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Lexington: Lessons from the desert | The Economist
Article;Like so many Republican Hispanic politicians, they must perform a balancing act, appeasing the party’s law-and-order base without offending their fellow Hispanics. Ms Martinez has mastered the art of sounding tough on illegal immigration rather than immigrants, says Matt Barreto of Latino Decisions, a polling firm. She urges more border security, for example, while celebrating the achievements of immigrants and lambasting Republican colleagues who think deportation is the answer to everything.
None of this, however, will help Republicans win the White House so long as they insist on keeping 11m Latinos in the shadows. As Senator John McCain puts it, passing immigration reform would not in itself win many Latino votes, but it would put Republicans “on the playing field where we can compete”.
Lexington: Lessons from the desert | The Economist
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Project America: Crime: Prison Population: Prison Population by Race
Project America:
Crime:
Prison Population:
Prison Population by Race
For decades black males have been locked behind bars by the hundreds of thousands, arrested in disproportionate numbers. In fact, black males have experienced the highest rate of imprisonment—6.5 times that of white males and 2.5 that of Hispanic males—of the three major races in the United States. Black males also face execution at rates far greater than those for the general population—approximately 4.5 times more than that of white prisoners and 17.5 times that of Hispanics. In a study of routine traffic stops, racial differences were seen not in stops—blacks and Hispanics were stopped just as often as whites—but overwhelmingly in searches, as blacks and Hispanics were searched nearly 3 times their white counterparts.
Crime:
Prison Population:
Prison Population by Race
For decades black males have been locked behind bars by the hundreds of thousands, arrested in disproportionate numbers. In fact, black males have experienced the highest rate of imprisonment—6.5 times that of white males and 2.5 that of Hispanic males—of the three major races in the United States. Black males also face execution at rates far greater than those for the general population—approximately 4.5 times more than that of white prisoners and 17.5 times that of Hispanics. In a study of routine traffic stops, racial differences were seen not in stops—blacks and Hispanics were stopped just as often as whites—but overwhelmingly in searches, as blacks and Hispanics were searched nearly 3 times their white counterparts.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
Party of No/GOP
Party of No
Some House Republicans worry openly that giving undocumented aliens a path to citizenship will eventually add millions of Democratic voters to the rolls. But they should be more concerned about the millions of Latino citizens who are unregistered or do not bother to vote. Democrats are making a concerted play for these people. Republicans are telling them they'd like to deport their relatives and friends.
Most House Republicans have nothing to worry about for the time being; their districts are safe. But the GOP's fortunes in national contests -- and eventually in statewide races as well -- will be increasingly dim. Maybe they'll wake up when Texas begins to change from red to blue.
In the meantime, it's sad to see a once-great political party carry on as if whistling past the graveyard were a plan.
Some House Republicans worry openly that giving undocumented aliens a path to citizenship will eventually add millions of Democratic voters to the rolls. But they should be more concerned about the millions of Latino citizens who are unregistered or do not bother to vote. Democrats are making a concerted play for these people. Republicans are telling them they'd like to deport their relatives and friends.
Most House Republicans have nothing to worry about for the time being; their districts are safe. But the GOP's fortunes in national contests -- and eventually in statewide races as well -- will be increasingly dim. Maybe they'll wake up when Texas begins to change from red to blue.
In the meantime, it's sad to see a once-great political party carry on as if whistling past the graveyard were a plan.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
The New Jim Crow
The New Jim Crow
The scale of incarceration-related discrimination is astonishing. Ex-offenders are routinely stripped of essential rights. Current felon-disenfranchisement laws bar 13 percent of African American men from casting a vote, thus making mass incarceration an effective tool of voter suppression -- one reminiscent of the poll taxes and literacy tests of the Jim Crow era. Employers routinely discriminate against an applicant based on criminal history, as do landlords. In most states, it is also legal to make ex-drug offenders ineligible for food stamps. In some major urban areas, if you take into account prisoners -- who are excluded from poverty and unemployment statistics, thus masking the severity of black disadvantage -- more than half of working-age African American men have criminal records and are thus subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives. In Chicago, for instance, nearly 80 percent of working-age African American men had criminal records in 2002. These men are permanently locked into an inferior, second-class status, or caste, by law and custom.
The scale of incarceration-related discrimination is astonishing. Ex-offenders are routinely stripped of essential rights. Current felon-disenfranchisement laws bar 13 percent of African American men from casting a vote, thus making mass incarceration an effective tool of voter suppression -- one reminiscent of the poll taxes and literacy tests of the Jim Crow era. Employers routinely discriminate against an applicant based on criminal history, as do landlords. In most states, it is also legal to make ex-drug offenders ineligible for food stamps. In some major urban areas, if you take into account prisoners -- who are excluded from poverty and unemployment statistics, thus masking the severity of black disadvantage -- more than half of working-age African American men have criminal records and are thus subject to legalized discrimination for the rest of their lives. In Chicago, for instance, nearly 80 percent of working-age African American men had criminal records in 2002. These men are permanently locked into an inferior, second-class status, or caste, by law and custom.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Why Canada Can Avoid Banking Crises And U.S. Can't
Why Canada Can Avoid Banking Crises And U.S. Can't
Since 1790, the United States has suffered 16 banking crises. Canada has experienced zero — not even during the Great Depression.
Since 1790, the United States has suffered 16 banking crises. Canada has experienced zero — not even during the Great Depression.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The Obama Phone?
The Obama Phone?
Has the Obama administration started a program to use "taxpayer money" to give free cell phones to welfare recipients?
A: No. Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.
Has the Obama administration started a program to use "taxpayer money" to give free cell phones to welfare recipients?
A: No. Low-income households have been eligible for discounted telephone service for more than a decade. But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Trustees: Medicare trust fund exhausted in 2026: Associated Press
Trustees: Medicare trust fund exhausted in 2026: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - The government said Friday that Medicare's giant hospital trust fund will be exhausted in 2026, two years later than projected last year, while the date that Social Security will exhaust its trust fund remained unchanged at 2033.
The latest projections were included in the annual report of trustees of the trust funds. The new report warned that despite the small improvement in Medicare, both it and Social Security face significant funding challenges as the giant baby boom generation continues to retire. Currently, 58 million Americans are receiving Social Security benefits.
"Under current law, both of these vitally important programs are on unsustainable paths," Robert D. Reischauer, one of two public trustees, told reporters at a news conference.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The government said Friday that Medicare's giant hospital trust fund will be exhausted in 2026, two years later than projected last year, while the date that Social Security will exhaust its trust fund remained unchanged at 2033.
The latest projections were included in the annual report of trustees of the trust funds. The new report warned that despite the small improvement in Medicare, both it and Social Security face significant funding challenges as the giant baby boom generation continues to retire. Currently, 58 million Americans are receiving Social Security benefits.
"Under current law, both of these vitally important programs are on unsustainable paths," Robert D. Reischauer, one of two public trustees, told reporters at a news conference.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Legislature should approve Medicaid money: Editorial | NOLA.com
Legislature should approve Medicaid money: Editorial | NOLA.com
The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Office's analysis found that Louisiana would save between $532 million and $544 million over the first five years of the expansion. The fiscal office estimates the state would save between $185 million and $510 million over 10 years.
The Department of Health and Hospitals reported recently that the state would save as much as $367.5 million over the first 10 years of the expansion under the Affordable Care Act. DHH's worst-case scenario is that Louisiana would have to spend $1.52 billion to $1.71 billion over a decade.
Even if that turns out to be the case, it is worth it to get almost $16 billion in new funding for health care. Yet ministers, retirees, health clinic operators and many others have pleaded with Gov. Jindal and legislators to take the money to no avail.
The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Office's analysis found that Louisiana would save between $532 million and $544 million over the first five years of the expansion. The fiscal office estimates the state would save between $185 million and $510 million over 10 years.
The Department of Health and Hospitals reported recently that the state would save as much as $367.5 million over the first 10 years of the expansion under the Affordable Care Act. DHH's worst-case scenario is that Louisiana would have to spend $1.52 billion to $1.71 billion over a decade.
Even if that turns out to be the case, it is worth it to get almost $16 billion in new funding for health care. Yet ministers, retirees, health clinic operators and many others have pleaded with Gov. Jindal and legislators to take the money to no avail.
Daily Kos: JFK's "treason" vs. Obama's "treason": Notice any similarities?
Daily Kos: JFK's "treason" vs. Obama's "treason": Notice any similarities?
For those old enough to remember, the far right had a lot of gripes about President Kennedy. And they now echo the same talking points about Obama. Underline ECHO.
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For those old enough to remember, the far right had a lot of gripes about President Kennedy. Indeed, the far right passed out leaflets accusing him of treason.
For those old enough to remember, the far right had a lot of gripes about President Kennedy. And they now echo the same talking points about Obama. Underline ECHO.
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For those old enough to remember, the far right had a lot of gripes about President Kennedy. Indeed, the far right passed out leaflets accusing him of treason.
The National Memo » Separate But Unequal: Apple Defers Its Taxes, You Foot The Bill
The National Memo » Separate But Unequal: Apple Defers Its Taxes, You Foot The Bill
The richest of the rich are different from you and me because instead of paying taxes, Congress lets them pay interest.
This little-known difference was on full display before the Senate Permanent Investigations subcommittee this week, though you would hardly know that from the news reports of testimony by Apple CEO Tim Cook and his top finance and tax executives.
The reality is that America has two income tax systems, separate and unequal. And as with all such separate and unequal systems, the powerful benefit by sticking everyone else with the costs.
The system is so unequal that corporate tax departments at the biggest multinationals have been transformed from cost centers into what Enron called its tax office: a profit center.
The richest of the rich are different from you and me because instead of paying taxes, Congress lets them pay interest.
This little-known difference was on full display before the Senate Permanent Investigations subcommittee this week, though you would hardly know that from the news reports of testimony by Apple CEO Tim Cook and his top finance and tax executives.
The reality is that America has two income tax systems, separate and unequal. And as with all such separate and unequal systems, the powerful benefit by sticking everyone else with the costs.
The system is so unequal that corporate tax departments at the biggest multinationals have been transformed from cost centers into what Enron called its tax office: a profit center.
Unexpected Health Insurance Rate Shock-California Obamacare Insurance Exchange Announces Premium Rates - Forbes
Unexpected Health Insurance Rate Shock-California Obamacare Insurance Exchange Announces Premium Rates - Forbes
Yesterday, Covered California—the name given to the healthcare exchange created pursuant to the Affordable Care Act that will serve the largest population of insured citizens in the nation—released the premium rates submitted by participating health insurance companies for the three health insurance program categories (bronze, silver and gold) established by the Affordable Care Act, along with the catastrophic policy created for and available to those under the age of 30.
Upon reviewing the data, I was indeed shocked by the proposed premium rates—but not in the way you might expect. The jolt that I was experiencing was not the result of the predicted out-of-control premium costs but the shock of rates far lower than what I expected—even at the lowest end of the age scale.
Yesterday, Covered California—the name given to the healthcare exchange created pursuant to the Affordable Care Act that will serve the largest population of insured citizens in the nation—released the premium rates submitted by participating health insurance companies for the three health insurance program categories (bronze, silver and gold) established by the Affordable Care Act, along with the catastrophic policy created for and available to those under the age of 30.
Upon reviewing the data, I was indeed shocked by the proposed premium rates—but not in the way you might expect. The jolt that I was experiencing was not the result of the predicted out-of-control premium costs but the shock of rates far lower than what I expected—even at the lowest end of the age scale.
Friday, May 17, 2013
The real IRS scandal: Reinterpreting the law — MSNBC
Internal Revenue Service agents have been struggling to do their jobs–which have been made essentially impossible by an incorrect interpretation of the law that the IRS made in 1959. It was then that the IRS changed the language of the law without any authority to do so. Here is how the tax law was written in its latest update in 1954 on 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations. The 501(c)(4) designation was to apply only to: “Civic leagues or organizations not organized for profit but operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare.”
But a 1959 interpretation guideline written by the IRS says that: ”To be operated exclusively to promote social welfare, an organization must operate primarily to further the common good and general welfare…” The real IRS scandal: Reinterpreting the law — MSNBC
But a 1959 interpretation guideline written by the IRS says that: ”To be operated exclusively to promote social welfare, an organization must operate primarily to further the common good and general welfare…” The real IRS scandal: Reinterpreting the law — MSNBC
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever | Politics News | Rolling Stone
The Illuminati were amateurs. The second huge financial scandal of the year reveals the real international conspiracy: There's no price the big banks can't fix
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/everything-is-rigged-the-biggest-financial-scandal-yet-20130425#ixzz2TOQNGcwO
The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever | Politics News | Rolling Stone
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/everything-is-rigged-the-biggest-financial-scandal-yet-20130425#ixzz2TOQNGcwO
The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever | Politics News | Rolling Stone
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The Biggest Creator of Low-Wage Jobs? Uncle Sam | News & Notes, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com
The Biggest Creator of Low-Wage Jobs? Uncle Sam | News & Notes, What Matters Today | BillMoyers.com
Who employs more low-wage workers than Walmart and McDonald’s combined? You do.
A new study from Demos estimates that American taxpayers fund nearly 2 million low-wage jobs that pay workers less than $24,000 a year ($12 an hour or less). These private-sector jobs are generated by federal contracts, grants, loans and other programs (see chart).
Workers making $12-or-less an hour say that they are scraping by. Often on public assistance, they find it difficult to afford basic necessities like rent, food, health care and utilities. Because of sequestration, pressure on government agencies to spend less money may add even more to their ranks.
Who employs more low-wage workers than Walmart and McDonald’s combined? You do.
Click the chart to zoom, or view the full report.
Workers making $12-or-less an hour say that they are scraping by. Often on public assistance, they find it difficult to afford basic necessities like rent, food, health care and utilities. Because of sequestration, pressure on government agencies to spend less money may add even more to their ranks.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Obama’s Numbers (Quarterly Update)
Obama’s Numbers (Quarterly Update)
Reviewing some key statistical measures of Barack Obama’s presidency so far, we find:
These are some of the insights that emerge from the first in a series of regular quarterly updates of key statistical indicators of the Obama presidency.
As with our “Obama’s Numbers” article in October, and the pre-election update we posted Nov. 5, our intent is to provide accurate measures of what’s changed — for better or worse — since Obama first took office in January 2009.
Reviewing some key statistical measures of Barack Obama’s presidency so far, we find:
- The economy has added more jobs since Obama took office than it did in his predecessor’s entire eight years in office.
- Despite the improved economy, the number of people receiving food-stamp assistance has continued to grow, and now more people have been added to the food-stamp rolls under Obama than under any single previous president.
- Federal spending under Obama has grown faster than inflation, but far more slowly than it did under President Bush.
- Federal debt held by the public has grown by 90 percent since Obama took office.
- Obama has ordered seven times more drone strikes than Bush in the covert conflicts in Pakistan and Yemen, according to independent estimates.
- Domestic oil production has soared; oil imports have dropped by one-third; new cars are getting 17 percent better mileage; and wind and solar power have increased 157 percent.
As with our “Obama’s Numbers” article in October, and the pre-election update we posted Nov. 5, our intent is to provide accurate measures of what’s changed — for better or worse — since Obama first took office in January 2009.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Everything Is Rigged: The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever | Common Dreams
Everything Is Rigged: The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever
Everything Is Rigged: The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever | Common Dreams
The Illuminati were amateurs. The second huge financial scandal of the year reveals the real international conspiracy: There's no price the big banks can't fix
Everything Is Rigged: The Biggest Price-Fixing Scandal Ever | Common Dreams
Thursday, April 25, 2013
It's Official: Paul Krugman Is Right - Business Insider
It's Official: Paul Krugman Is Right - Business Insider
On one side were economists and politicians who wanted to increase government spending to offset weakness in the private sector. This "stimulus" spending, economists like Paul Krugman argued, would help reduce unemployment and prop up economic growth until the private sector healed itself and began to spend again.
On the other side were economists and politicians who wanted to cut spending to reduce deficits and "restore confidence." Government stimulus, these folks argued, would only increase debt loads, which were already alarmingly high. If governments did not cut spending, countries would soon cross a deadly debt-to-GDP threshold, after which economic growth would be permanently impaired. The countries would also be beset by hyper-inflation, as bond investors suddenly freaked out and demanded higher interest rates. Once government spending was cut, this theory went, deficits would shrink and "confidence" would return.
This debate has not just been academic. It has affected the global economy, and, with it, the jobs and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/paul-krugman-is-right-2013-4#ixzz2RU985oSJ
On one side were economists and politicians who wanted to increase government spending to offset weakness in the private sector. This "stimulus" spending, economists like Paul Krugman argued, would help reduce unemployment and prop up economic growth until the private sector healed itself and began to spend again.
On the other side were economists and politicians who wanted to cut spending to reduce deficits and "restore confidence." Government stimulus, these folks argued, would only increase debt loads, which were already alarmingly high. If governments did not cut spending, countries would soon cross a deadly debt-to-GDP threshold, after which economic growth would be permanently impaired. The countries would also be beset by hyper-inflation, as bond investors suddenly freaked out and demanded higher interest rates. Once government spending was cut, this theory went, deficits would shrink and "confidence" would return.
This debate has not just been academic. It has affected the global economy, and, with it, the jobs and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/paul-krugman-is-right-2013-4#ixzz2RU985oSJ
Anti-Islam America | The Progressive
Anti-Islam America | The Progressive
That is not the America we should be creating in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
At Sandy Hook elementary school, and at that theater in Aurora, Colorado, we also had scenes of horrible mass violence.
But when white people kill, they are mentally unstable. When Muslims kill, they are terrorists, or as King and others would likely say, “just Muslim.”
That is not the America we should be creating in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
At Sandy Hook elementary school, and at that theater in Aurora, Colorado, we also had scenes of horrible mass violence.
But when white people kill, they are mentally unstable. When Muslims kill, they are terrorists, or as King and others would likely say, “just Muslim.”
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Our Hidden Government Benefits - NYTimes.com
Our Hidden Government Benefits - NYTimes.com
DON’T take at face value the claims that Americans dislike government. Sure, a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 56 percent of Americans said they wanted smaller government and fewer services. Tea Party activists, the most vocal citizens of our time, powerfully amplify those demands. Yet the reality is that the vast majority of Americans have at some point relied on government programs — and valued them — even though they often fail to recognize that government is the source of the assistance.
DON’T take at face value the claims that Americans dislike government. Sure, a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 56 percent of Americans said they wanted smaller government and fewer services. Tea Party activists, the most vocal citizens of our time, powerfully amplify those demands. Yet the reality is that the vast majority of Americans have at some point relied on government programs — and valued them — even though they often fail to recognize that government is the source of the assistance.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
U.S. Practiced Torture After 9/11, Nonpartisan Review Concludes - NYTimes.com
U.S. Practiced Torture After 9/11, Nonpartisan Review Concludes - NYTimes.com
The sweeping, 577-page report says that while brutality has occurred in every American war, there never before had been “the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9/11 directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody.” The study, by an 11-member panel convened by the Constitution Project, a legal research and advocacy group, is to be released on Tuesday morning.
The sweeping, 577-page report says that while brutality has occurred in every American war, there never before had been “the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9/11 directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody.” The study, by an 11-member panel convened by the Constitution Project, a legal research and advocacy group, is to be released on Tuesday morning.
Debate over the coercive interrogation methods used by the administration of President George W. Bush has often broken down on largely partisan lines. The Constitution Project’s task force on detainee treatment, led by two former members of Congress with experience in the executive branch — a Republican, Asa Hutchinson, and a Democrat, James R. Jones — seeks to produce a stronger national consensus on the torture question.
While the task force did not have access to classified records, it is the most ambitious independent attempt to date to assess the detention and interrogation programs. A separate 6,000-page report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s record by the Senate Intelligence Committee, based exclusively on agency records, rather than interviews, remains classified.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Preschool benefits students for years, education committee hears | NOLA.com
Preschool benefits students for years, education committee hears | NOLA.com
The Picard Center carried out a ten-year study looking at whether education provided through LA4, the state's primary preschool program for at-risk 4-year-olds, stuck with its participants for any meaningful amount of time.
The study found that when compared across a host of measurements, LA4 participants scored better than other at-risk children not enrolled in pre-K programs, even through eighth grade.
The Picard Center carried out a ten-year study looking at whether education provided through LA4, the state's primary preschool program for at-risk 4-year-olds, stuck with its participants for any meaningful amount of time.
The study found that when compared across a host of measurements, LA4 participants scored better than other at-risk children not enrolled in pre-K programs, even through eighth grade.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Texas Refinery Is Saudi Foothold in the U.S. - NYTimes.com
Texas Refinery Is Saudi Foothold in the U.S. - NYTimes.com
In 2002, after Texaco was purchased by Chevron, its stake in what became known as Motiva Enterprises was bought by Shell and Saudi Refining, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. Today, Motiva also has two refineries in Louisiana and markets its production through a network of 7,700 Shell-branded gasoline stations across the United States.
Motiva’s crown jewel is its refinery here. The expansion allowed the facility to refine various varieties of crude oil and more than doubled its production capacity to 600,000 barrels a day of diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and other products.
The refinery is designed primarily to refine various grades of Saudi crude and crudes that Shell produces in the Gulf of Mexico, but it has the flexibility to process crude from Canadian oil sands and from other American and Latin American fields. (The proposed Keystone XL pipeline being considered by the Obama administration would connect the Canadian oil sands fields to Port Arthur, a major refinery hub.)
In 2002, after Texaco was purchased by Chevron, its stake in what became known as Motiva Enterprises was bought by Shell and Saudi Refining, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. Today, Motiva also has two refineries in Louisiana and markets its production through a network of 7,700 Shell-branded gasoline stations across the United States.
Motiva’s crown jewel is its refinery here. The expansion allowed the facility to refine various varieties of crude oil and more than doubled its production capacity to 600,000 barrels a day of diesel, gasoline, jet fuel and other products.
The refinery is designed primarily to refine various grades of Saudi crude and crudes that Shell produces in the Gulf of Mexico, but it has the flexibility to process crude from Canadian oil sands and from other American and Latin American fields. (The proposed Keystone XL pipeline being considered by the Obama administration would connect the Canadian oil sands fields to Port Arthur, a major refinery hub.)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
GOP Gerrymandering: Republicans Have House, But Dying Nationally | New Republic
GOP Gerrymandering: Republicans Have House, But Dying Nationally | New Republic
As I say, reality isn’t really the strong suit of the House GOP’s rank and file. But, then, why would it be? At this rate, the party is destined to keep losing presidential races, Senate races, governor’s races … student council elections. But as long as they can avoid outright criminality or damning sexual improprieties—admittedly not always a sure thing—they’ve got the House majority for as long as they want it.
As I say, reality isn’t really the strong suit of the House GOP’s rank and file. But, then, why would it be? At this rate, the party is destined to keep losing presidential races, Senate races, governor’s races … student council elections. But as long as they can avoid outright criminality or damning sexual improprieties—admittedly not always a sure thing—they’ve got the House majority for as long as they want it.
Most Americans think teen pregnancy is getting worse. Most Americans are wrong.
Most Americans think teen pregnancy is getting worse. Most Americans are wrong.
Teen births and pregnancies have plummeted over the past two decades, down 42 percent from 1990. Most Americans, it turns out, have no idea that we’re actually in the midst of a big public health success story.
In a new survey from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 50 percent thought the teen pregnancy rate had gone up over that period. Eighteen percent correctly answered that it has declined.
Teen births and pregnancies have plummeted over the past two decades, down 42 percent from 1990. Most Americans, it turns out, have no idea that we’re actually in the midst of a big public health success story.
In a new survey from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 50 percent thought the teen pregnancy rate had gone up over that period. Eighteen percent correctly answered that it has declined.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The confused debate over Obamacare and insurance premiums
The confused debate over Obamacare and insurance premiums
The intent of Obamacare is to ensure that almost all Americans are covered by high-quality insurance that they can afford. To say that the law will move many Americans onto more costly insurance products is simply to restate part of that premise more negatively, and to leave out the effect of the subsidies, or the change in the underlying insurance product, is to mislead.
The intent of Obamacare is to ensure that almost all Americans are covered by high-quality insurance that they can afford. To say that the law will move many Americans onto more costly insurance products is simply to restate part of that premise more negatively, and to leave out the effect of the subsidies, or the change in the underlying insurance product, is to mislead.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Noonan: Can the Republican Party Recover From Iraq? - WSJ.com
Noonan: Can the Republican Party Recover From Iraq? - WSJ.com
Did the Iraq war hurt the GOP? Yes. The war, and the crash of '08, half killed it. It's still digging out, and whether it can succeed is an open question.
Here, offered in a spirit of open debate, is what the war did to the GOP:
Did the Iraq war hurt the GOP? Yes. The war, and the crash of '08, half killed it. It's still digging out, and whether it can succeed is an open question.
Here, offered in a spirit of open debate, is what the war did to the GOP:
Friday, March 22, 2013
Daily Kos: Rachel Maddow Shows Faux News For The Sham They Are With Obama Award (VIDEO)
Daily Kos: Rachel Maddow Shows Faux News For The Sham They Are With Obama Award (VIDEO)
Today was a very eventful day for President Obama in Israel. He visited Gaza albeit with rockets being launched into Israel from Gaza. He then gave a major speech in Jerusalem to an auditorium filled with cheering university students where he provided encouragement and tough love to both the Israelis and Palestinians. After that speech, the President was awarded the Israeli’s Presidential Distinction Award, the highest civilian award in Israel and the first sitting President to receive one.
As he was getting this most distinguished award, both CNN and MSNBC covered the event live. This should have been a patriotic moment for the country. In accepting the award the President even said he accepted it on behalf of the American people. Fox News was not covering this event. I was compelled to tweet on this as follows in real time.
Today was a very eventful day for President Obama in Israel. He visited Gaza albeit with rockets being launched into Israel from Gaza. He then gave a major speech in Jerusalem to an auditorium filled with cheering university students where he provided encouragement and tough love to both the Israelis and Palestinians. After that speech, the President was awarded the Israeli’s Presidential Distinction Award, the highest civilian award in Israel and the first sitting President to receive one.
As he was getting this most distinguished award, both CNN and MSNBC covered the event live. This should have been a patriotic moment for the country. In accepting the award the President even said he accepted it on behalf of the American people. Fox News was not covering this event. I was compelled to tweet on this as follows in real time.
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