Response to 573,000 new employees

I wonder if the hiring of thousands of temporary census takers are included in the 573,000 jobs? I do not think that jobless people are counted in the unemployment rate once their benefits run out so yes the numbers could very well be a lot higher. I do agree about the huge financial issues that are hanging over our heads and it is evident in the small towns that are slowly disappearing across America and even parts of Texas. And where do those people go? To the larger populated areas to compete for the few available jobs.
I am happy for your new position and the enthusiasm you have for it. Good luck and always keep a smile!

A Response to Arizona Immigration Law

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is quite upset about the immigration changes Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law. Napolitano feels there have been great gains with the present security and professes the number of crossings are down and says the new law will detract from the security already present along the border, using man power to help enforce the law. She addresses the need to sustain the efforts now being used but knows comprehensive immigration reform should be in the future.
On the other hand, Governor Jan Brewer has to deal with the after-effects that mass illegal immigration, smuggling, and terrible crimes have on her state, the state she has promised to protect. The new law basically demands that immigrants meet federal requirements to carry identity documents legitimizing their presence on American soil. Gov. Brewer realizes there might be a possibility for racial profiling but added it will not be tolerated and the law enforcement officers will be thoroughly trained. Of course the one big issue here is the large population of Mexican-Americans living in the state of Arizona and the hassles they will be faced with while trying to live their lives as American citizens.
One person looking at the big picture of handling immigration while the other person has to find ways to control an issue that affects people on a day to day basis is the way I see this controversy. Many states have tried to address immigration but the last time it was addressed nationally, with comprehensive reform under President Bush, it failed. My hat is off to Governor Brewer for making decisions for her state and not waiting for the promises of a solution to this touchy subject of immigration. There is nothing wrong with asking immigrants to obey the laws of entry into this country. Quite possibly, her action might get the ball rolling in Washington and finally the states along the border and their residents, will feel safe and secure.

Very true that the cost of solar panels are a deterrent to most homeowners but these same homeowners spend thousands on luxury items like electronic equipment or high-dollar cars. Would it not be great if our energy could be viewed as a luxury not something that we unconsciously expect to 'just be there'? I am certainly guilty of thinking that as long as I pay my light bill the power will be on. If you think about it, something catastrophic will have to happen to show the U.S. that using the sun or wind as energy alternatives needs to be a concern for all, not just a way of life for some.

Is More Taxation The Only Way?

As I was driving last week the radio blared 'Senate to look into a 3 cent tax hike on all sugary drinks, Gatorade, and energy drinks to help curb obesity'. My first thought was; .03 x a whole lot of soda = a whole lot of money. I am so tired of the government, whether it is national or state, trying to save us by way of taxation.
As soon as I got home I looked up the proposed tax. The tax hike on the drinks will raise about 1.5 billion annually and lower consumption around 1%. WOW! One whole percent! I do not see where this tax is going to make a difference since it is not the only cause of obesity. I do, however, appreciate the acknowledgement that the money collected from the tax will go towards Obama's health care package and not in the guise of some program to wean the public off the sugary beverages.
The one thing that irritates me is when the states follow suit, jump on the tax bandwagon, and add a few more cents. The states will then defend the tax stating how the new tax will curb use, decrease the medical burden on the state and the taxpayers, and fund programs for lowering the obesity rate. Bologna. Most of the money collected, or all of it, will go for budget woes. This is exactly what happened with the added tax on tobacco, where 15 states that collect added tax, do not use the added tax for any tobacco program. I bet there are plenty of other states that use only a marginal amount of the money for the intended use.
Even though most of the excess taxes on things like tobacco, alcohol, and now sugary drinks affect only the people that use them, the ones who do not still need to hold their breath because something they may love to drink, eat, or enjoy could be next.

New Guidelines for No Child Left Behind

The government is again trying to make No Child Left Behind a success and Obama is now promising that by the year 2020 every child will be college and carreer ready. George F. Will, once being in the education arena as a former professor of political philosophy at Michigan State University, has written this insightful editorial on why this theory has never worked and will never work and can identify with the frustration felt by educators, parents, and students as it pertains to guidelines that constantly change in order to make the numbers look good. Since federal education policies began in 1965 there has never been a graduation rate that exceeded 77.1%, and that was in the year 1969! The governments intervention into the educational system has proven to not be effective even with the monetary incentives rewarded to those schools who show increases in proficiency while at the same time lowering the definition of what proficiency is. I agree with Will when he states that 'Washington should set national standards and measurements and leave states free to choose how to meet them'. I have known many wonderfully enthusiastic teachers who were constantly worried about meeting some standard and felt it took away from the joy of their chosen profession. Will could have expanded on thoughts of why federal education standards have been failures and graduation rates have never been high, but he did not, so I will put in my two cents. My first thought focuses on the areas of our country where education might be of lesser importance than learning the family business or the need to work to help support family. Secondly, just because a person does not graduate from high school does not automatically make them prone to failure. There are many people who did not find interest in mainstream education, focused on what did interest them, and have made a success of their lives.

A Nation Ungovernable?

Here we go again. A commentary on what has gone wrong during the first year of a presidency.Yes, we have had presidents that seem to have had the political wand to make everything smooth, but I feel it is too early to judge the political saavy of a man who has his heart in the right place in wanting to fix the crumbling mess of years past. Yes, his cap-and-trade and health care reform may be in ruins, but thankfully, he is not one to back down. I do agree with the author, Charles Krauthammer ( who happens to be an American Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and political commentator), when he conveys "the Democrats failed because they tried to impose a left-wing agenda on a center-right country". It was not the complex bureaucratic structure of our government that failed to accept the initiatives put before them but Americans that are shaking in their boots by the economic changes and are in fear of expanding debt, either their own in the way of taxes, or nationally. For the ones who want to blame the system for Obama's struggle this first year, the author does a great job in explaining that the president needs to win over the people, as other presidents have done, as a way to ensure acceptance of his initiatives.

Another Reason for Health Care Reform

The article "Calif. insurer's rate increases draw attention of federal government", washingtonpost.com, is another example of an insurance company whose greed knows no bounds. Anthem Blue Cross justifies the rate increase of 39% for individual policyholders by saying the company is paying more than it should on care even though the parent company has seen their profits rise in the billions. President Obama's secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, has written a letter to Anthem, sort of like calling them on the carpet. Sebelius has requested Anthem to make a full disclosure, to all policyholders, on how the premiums are divided among profits, overhead, and administration costs. This article is interesting because it drives home the fact that reform is desperately needed. Any business is in business to make a profit but to have something that is a necessity to many, then to squeeze the blood out of them to pay for that necessity, should be a crime.