A discussion about local, state, and federal governments.
If you look at the most recent findings of the July 10th Gallup Poll it provides some insight to why our country is struggling. Nearly 40 years ago, Dr. Gallup asked Americans if they favored a national referenda on key issues, shortened presidential elections, and term limits. Guess what? They did, and they still do. […]
It’s very difficult to reach out for help. Most people continue on their downward spiral due to the fear associated with this humiliating process. Some consider more drastic options before they can humble themselves to walk into the welfare office for assistance. Unfortunately, in our community it’s all to common. Long lines in the unemployment […]
EPA’s Abandoned Wyoming Fracking Study One Retreat of Many by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica When the Environmental Protection Agency abruptly retreated on its multimillion-dollar investigation into water contamination in a central Wyoming natural gas field last month, it shocked environmentalists and energy industry supporters alike. In 2011, the agency had issued a blockbuster draft report saying […]
Great article in the Guardian about climate change and the tough decisions facing world leaders. Prince Charles recently slammed the food industry for its lack of leadership and now President Obama is moving climate change out of the science labs and into our morality chambers by challenging our leaders to do what is right, not […]
The Expendables: How the Temps Who Power Corporate Giants Are Getting Crushed by Michael Grabell and Krista Kjellman Schmidt, ProPublica It’s 4:18 a.m. and the strip mall is deserted. But tucked in back, next to a closed-down video store, an employment agency is already filling up. Rosa Ramirez walks in, as she has done nearly […]
(photo courtesy of thinkprogress.com) US Senate passes comprehensive immigration reform (via AFP) In a vote hailed by US President Barack Obama, the Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform that would put 11 million undocumented people on a path to earning citizenship. Chants of “Yes we did!” erupted from the public galleries after senators…
Moderately legitimate (via The Economist) THE SUPREME COURT struck down an unusually large number of statutes this term. Just this week, the court nullified Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), both federal laws. Last week, it struck…
Inspector General Faults Medicare for Not Tracking ‘Extreme’ Prescribers by Tracy Weber, Charles Ornstein and Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica More than 700 doctors nationwide wrote prescriptions for elderly and disabled patients in highly questionable and potentially harmful ways, according to a critical report of Medicare’s drug program released today. The review by the inspector general of […]
Image source: www.whocalledmyphone.net
Photo by John Moore/Getty Images Fantasies of the frontier (via The Economist) THE debate over security on America’s south-western border operates on several levels of fantasy. The first is the idea that a 2,000-mile border that divides two countries with per-capita incomes of, respectively, $50,000 and $10,000 (and an insatiable appetite for drugs vs an […]