State of the Union 2014

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2014, congress, Democrat, GOP, McMorris, Obama, president, Republican, Rodgers, State of the Union

My best nonpartisan thoughts? The President was feisty and I enjoyed his promise to exercise executive powers to bypass Congress on issues the White House strongly supports. Whether or not his promises to amount to anything is another story. The speech is sure to piss people off, which won’t help cooperation. Humor was good this year and thankfully no singing but I am unhappy with some of the claims of working with states and others on topics like marriage equality. In reality Obama and the White House have often come down soft on many issues and worked through a more passive support role.

 

The GOP response – well, in traditional fashion it basically said the same things but from a “the other party does not know how to do it right but we do” fashion. However, this might be the corniest thing I have seen in years. Also, why do I need to know about your entire family history? Woman, working background, do-it-yourself-er, mother, wife of a soldier…if only you were young, Queer, and Latina and the GOP would hit all their targets.

 

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Seattle is Awesome…Except When it is Not

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budget cut, Bus, funding, Inefficient, metro, Seattle, shortages, traffic, Transit

Seattle is about to undergo huge cuts to its metro transit system. As if the metro does not already suck sometimes:

Case 1: Why does it take me 1 hour and 7 minutes to go a distance that takes me approximately 10 minutes in a car? Oh, and it was only 8.1 miles – If I were able to run 8 miles straight I could have got there in the same amount of time.

Case 2: The other day the bus was stuck in traffic a block and a half ahead of where I was going to get on – I figured I would try to walk past it and get on at the next stop. When I turned off its route 1.5 miles and many stops later it still had not caught me.

Are cuts really what we need? One can hope the cuts help increase efficiency and effectiveness so the system is stronger if more funding comes…

Financial Stability & Sustainability – About Metro – King County Metro Transit.

Shutdown Squeezes Washingtonians | Budget and Policy Center

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congress, government, shutdown, Washington

The shutdown really does affect everyone, everywhere in some way.

Shutdown Squeezes Washingtonians — Budget and Policy Center.

Did You Know? NRA Block on Gun Violence Research

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CDC, congress, Crime, gun control, guns, NRA, Obama, Research, violence

Did You Know?

The NRA blocked research on gun violence in the 1990s! It’s true – backed by the NRA, Congress passed legislation that stripped the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of $2,6 million, the amount it had spent on firearms during the previous year. Moreover, the law’s language stated that “none of the funds made available in this title may be used, in whole or in part, to advocate or promote gun control.” Obama has since instructed the CDC to continue the research that had been shut down. Unfortunately this period of funding may continue to impact research as there are now fewer experts in this field.

If guns are not the problem, why block research?

Stuff You Should Know: Does owning a gun change your behavior?

NPR, All Things Considered: Debate Rages On Even As Research Ban On Gun Violence Ends

Federal Government Shuts Down

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budget, congress, House, Obamacare, partisan, Politics, Senate, shutdown

Let’s face it: this is a blame game. But let’s do it right: the blame is with all of our politicians, the incompetents who cannot do their job. And with all of us, the fools who voted for them.

In case you have not heard, the federal government officially shut down on Tuesday, October 1 at 12:01AM EST. Briefly, this means that:

• Most non-essential federal employees will be furloughed (meaning they are put on temporary leave) or will be forced to work without pay.
• National Parks, Museums, and other federal attractions will be closed.
• Delayed processing for passports, visas, gun permits, and other federally regulated items.
• Some federal court cases may be delayed
• Possibly one of the most alarming –  federal health organizations may reduce or stop work. This includes the Center for Disease Control, which monitors disease outbreaks.
• Military and law enforcement will still be in effect but workers may be without pay.
• While Social Security and Medicaid will continue, there may be some repercussions such as delayed processing. Veterans will likely also see delays and other cuts affecting benefits.
• Some private organizations/companies will be directly affected due to contracts with the federal government.

The federal government will be affected in various other ways. While not directly affecting most private organizations, certain sectors of the economy will be affected in significant ways. For example, furloughs in the Department of Energy will halt permitting for new energy projects. Also expect a response from Wall Street.

On a more individual level, the shutdown will have far-reaching effects most people will never realize – for example my friends, graduate students doing research with federal agencies, will be unable to continue their normal research during the shutdown.

And then we also have to think about how this plays into the larger picture of the looming debt ceiling – The deadline to find a fix is likely October 17.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20130930/NEWS/130929011/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-government-shutdown-photo-gallery-20130919,0,1322414.photogallery

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/wall-street-uneasy-in-face-of-government-shutdown/?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/24/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-government-shutdown/

 

A SNAPshot of Food Assistance

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congress, entitlements, Food, Food Stamps, government, H.R. 3102, insecurity, Policy, poor, Poverty, S. 954, SNAP, social safety net, Welfare

Working in a Food Bank means I am learning a great deal about different government assistance policies and initiatives in addition to the work of private organizations. One of the most important government program in food-related assistance is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Previously known as Food Stamps, SNAP is the fundamental method for providing government assistance to those in need of food support. As of the June 2013 estimate, SNAP serves about 48 million Americans in the 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

SNAP is the modern result of extensive changes throughout a long history of governmental food assistance. SNAP serves a number of vulnerable populations including children, the disabled, the elderly, and low-income workers. Over 80% of SNAP recipients have a gross household income below the poverty rate and about 42% of recipients have a household income less than half the poverty rate!

SNAP benefits are determined by a number of factors including household size and income. One of the most controversial and difficult challenges of entitlement programs are their effect on incentives and the need to work – SNAP addresses these challenges by utilizing an earnings deduction as well as gradual reduction in benefits when earnings are increased. This structure ensures that SNAP does not remove the incentive to work (the deduction means that increasing earnings will increase overall welfare, not just reduce entitlements) while mitigating problems such as earnings barriers (limits to maximum and minimum income a recipient would want to achieve in order to continue receiving benefits) and removing the exclusive purchase requirement of the previous food stamp programs.

To completely describe SNAP is beyond the scope of this post and well beyond my expertise. Read more SNAP facts from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, our check out their series “Setting the Record Straight on SNAP.” This is especially important now, as Congress debates the legislation that authorizes the funding of SNAP. The 2008 farm bill would have already expired if not for an extension to September 30th. Now both houses of congress have passed their respective versions of the bill and will begin negotiating a final bill to send to the president. 

House: H.R. 3102: Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013

Senate: S. 954: Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013

Based on the 217:210 vote in the House (no Democrats voted Yay and only 15 Republicans Nay) it is clear Republicans will be demanding cuts to SNAP in the final version. Also, check out the so-called “SNAP Challenge” 26 members of Congress are taking to highlight the need for SNAP funding. To note: of the 26 congressmen/women participating, zero are Republican.

On the Minimum Wage

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Labor, McDonalds, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Poverty Line, Workers' Rights

Recently, McDonald’s workers have created quite a stir with their demand for a minimum wage of $15. From an economic standpoint, the debate is centered on how the rising cost of labor will impact prices and employment. Firms in the industry already have a relatively high portion of costs attributed to labor due to little need for expensive machinery and other technology. With labor accounting for so much, one of three scenarios would likely happen:

Where is the Stick?

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Assad, Britain, Chemical Weapons, Fance, International Law, International Norms, Syria, UK, United Nations, United States

Chances are you have heard about the chemical weapons recently used in Syria and the international response – it has been all over every news outlet for weeks. Assuming that the attack was orchestrated by the government, which seems likely, the question is then how does the international community respond?

College Graduates’ Incomes and College Funding

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College, financial aid, Gettysburg College, higher education, Janet Morgan Riggs, Obama, university

Recently the president of Gettysburg college, Janet Morgan Riggs, wrote an editorial for the Huffington Post. The subject: Obama’s inclusion of income as an instrument in ranking colleges & universities for the purpose of funding. This is a topic of debate within the higher education community – some believe it an important instrument while others argue it could unfairly punish schools by essentially penalizing success in public service and non profits. Below are a few of my thoughts (left as a comment on the article):

In Case You Missed It: Boy Scouts to Admit Openly Gay Youths as Members – NYTimes.com

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Boy Scouts, gay, Homosexual, Inequality, NY Times, prejudice

The Boy Scouts of America took a step forward last Thursday when they lifted the ban on openly gay youth in the organization.  Openly gay adults and leaders are still forbidden, but the this decision has caused a stir and the forces at work behind it are continuing their fight against prejudice and inequality. It is only a matter of time now.  Keep on keepin’ on!

via Boy Scouts to Admit Openly Gay Youths as Members – NYTimes.com.