If I wanted this to be my thoughts on current events, I have failed the past week because the most historic and most pervasive piece of legislation of my lifeitme was passed this past week without a line from me.
In all honesty, I didn't know what to say or more importantly what to believe. I think that this was the pulse of the country. We were in either in awe or disgust, dependent on your political affiliation, that such a hot point issue which has been battle for a hundred years was passed.
But there were so many questions. What does this mean tomorrow, a year from now, 10 years? What is the cut off for benefits? ($88,000) How do I get the benefits? Will I have to pay more/less to keep my doctor?
A lot of questions and when I looked to the white house they were telling me that if i understood the bill I would like it.
A. don't act like you really think that if everyone really "understood" the bill they would approve.
B. Are you saying that all the Republicans didn't "understand" because they for sure didn't like the bill?
C. Just explain the bill and I will decide if i like it or not.
Sorry, that is a tangent but it really annoyed me.
An way, I wasn't sure what I really thought about the bill. My gut instinct was unsettled, I don't think that the government does an outstanding job regulating business and i think handing over such an important industry to the government is pretty scare. One word: deficit. I am terrified about the debt we are leaving for our children. I also knew that this was not going to be good for the already shaky as jello economy.
But I knew I thought these things because I have never had to worry about not having health care. I have never had cancer and been dropped from my provider. I have never rationed by own health care because of lack of funds. There are so many people where these situations are the bases for their outlook.
So I tried to think past my parents income and the astronomical taxes they will face and past the problems my children will deal with because of the immense costs we will be taking on. I focused on the utilitarian thought : is this good for MOST people RIGHT NOW?
Well, I am still in the process of gathering my thoughts and I haven't unraveled the answer but here is what I have found that makes me believe that this is not in the best interest of the country.
In a blow to the administrations claim that bill wont affect the economy in a negative way, large corporations are claiming that they will increase charges to cover the lessened tax reductions the bill offers.
"AT&T, the US telecommunications group, announced on Friday that it would take a $1bn non-cash charge in the first quarter to account for the change, which comes into effect in 2013.
Verizon, another telecoms company, also said its costs would increase in the short term. Caterpillar, the largest maker of earth-moving equipment and a vociferous critic of health care reform, said it would take a $100m charge, while John Deere, the world’s biggest maker of agriculture equipment, said it would see a $150m charge."
Financial Times
This is an especially hard blow to Obama who had singled our the struggling Caterpillar company as a company that would affected positively by his stimulus bill and other economy boosting efforts. The results have not been seen yet and the new legislation offers new blows to the company's shaky future.
Why are company's freaking out ? Well lets break it down.
Before this legislation, companies received a 28 per cent tax free subsidy if they provided prescription drug coverage to their retired workers on Medicare.
So basically every $100 that a company spent on Medicare drug costs, it received $28 from the government and it was tax-free. Plus, it could take a full tax deduction on the $100 it spent on drug costs.
Under the new health care legislation, the subsidy will still be tax-free, but can no longer be deducted on taxes.
This means :
"S&P 500 companies may have to pay an additional $361m in taxes in 2013 as a result of the change, and $2.8bn in additional tax through 2019, with telecoms and utilities and industrial sectors accounting for 63 per cent of the new tax."
If in every poll, the number one concern of the average American is the economy and JOBS. IT doesn't seem like these companies or companies like them will be inclined to hire more people as their expenses for new hires increases astronomically.
This is just one affect of the bill, but I expect to see much more ripple affects in the coming months.
On a good and separate note, apparently the bill requires all food franchises ( over 100 stores i believe) to show their nutritional content on their menus. This is really important and ties into my most recent (5 mins ago) read that fatty foods have the same addictive affect on the brain as heroine and cocaine.
Check it out: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/index.html?hpt=C2
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Why we should voice our ethics through capitalism not restraint.
Hustler Magazine has requested for the pictures of the decapitated body of Meredith Emerson,a GA hiker who was brutally murdered and killed 2 years ago.
The request was understandably met with public and political outcry. The magazine has said the pictures would be used apart of a news story the pornographic magazine is working on. It seems like no one is buying that argument or even if they are feel the protrayl of Emerson in Hustler would be disrespectful and appalling.
It would be. It would be sad, disgusting and wrong.
The family has already endured the pain of losing their beautiful 24 year-old Emerson and the media hailstorm of her kidnapping. There seems nothing more hurtful than to have their daughter's dead body paraded in a magazine that objectifies and demeans women. It seems like a no brainer that the GA government would put a stop to their request.
The problem?
The first amendment. The whole press' right to report and have access to public record thing ( the pictures of Emerson are public record).
In order to maneuver around that pesky part of the Constitution, GA lawmakers like State Rep. Jill Chambers are introducing " Emerson's Bill" which if passed will make sure crime-scene photos like Emerson's never can be obtained through Georgia's public-disclosure laws.
Every ounce of outrage is understandable and justified. But in this instance, I hope the court sees the forest through the trees.
Their handling of the case stands for so much more than the abhorrible instance this case represents.
Access to public records is essential to who we are as a country. We are a country who prides itself on at least an attempt at transparency of government. Watchdog journalism strengthened our government by exposing its weakness, its ugly truths and its injustices. The government knows that how they act is monitored and will not be swept under a rug for the sake of placidity. This type of journalism is predicated on our right to access records of government activity.
The government doesn't have a right to declare who indicated a legit mate press agency. and while there may be a general consensus that Hustler does not par with the New York Times in investigative reporting, the government doesn't have the right to say they are incapable of reporting news stories and prohibititng them from accessing records.
We cant make laws to avoid the Constitution or to manipulate it. Making the Constitution a document we tweak and bend based from situation to situation dilutes the meaning. if the Constitution is the backbone of our country, we cant remove vertebrates to become more nimble- we will crumble.
Now, here is my solution to this political and moral conundrum. Leave morality to the people. If we really believe that this is gross testament to the fallen morals of our times, we have every right NOT to buy it. We have every right NOT to sell it in our shops. We have every right to to protest stores that do sell this disgusting smut.
We have all those rights just as Hustler has a right to publish any public records it wants. But it is our job as moral Americans to raise our wallets, not bend our Constitution, in order to show Hustler their perspective is not wanted.
The request was understandably met with public and political outcry. The magazine has said the pictures would be used apart of a news story the pornographic magazine is working on. It seems like no one is buying that argument or even if they are feel the protrayl of Emerson in Hustler would be disrespectful and appalling.
It would be. It would be sad, disgusting and wrong.
The family has already endured the pain of losing their beautiful 24 year-old Emerson and the media hailstorm of her kidnapping. There seems nothing more hurtful than to have their daughter's dead body paraded in a magazine that objectifies and demeans women. It seems like a no brainer that the GA government would put a stop to their request.
The problem?
The first amendment. The whole press' right to report and have access to public record thing ( the pictures of Emerson are public record).
In order to maneuver around that pesky part of the Constitution, GA lawmakers like State Rep. Jill Chambers are introducing " Emerson's Bill" which if passed will make sure crime-scene photos like Emerson's never can be obtained through Georgia's public-disclosure laws.
Every ounce of outrage is understandable and justified. But in this instance, I hope the court sees the forest through the trees.
Their handling of the case stands for so much more than the abhorrible instance this case represents.
Access to public records is essential to who we are as a country. We are a country who prides itself on at least an attempt at transparency of government. Watchdog journalism strengthened our government by exposing its weakness, its ugly truths and its injustices. The government knows that how they act is monitored and will not be swept under a rug for the sake of placidity. This type of journalism is predicated on our right to access records of government activity.
The government doesn't have a right to declare who indicated a legit mate press agency. and while there may be a general consensus that Hustler does not par with the New York Times in investigative reporting, the government doesn't have the right to say they are incapable of reporting news stories and prohibititng them from accessing records.
We cant make laws to avoid the Constitution or to manipulate it. Making the Constitution a document we tweak and bend based from situation to situation dilutes the meaning. if the Constitution is the backbone of our country, we cant remove vertebrates to become more nimble- we will crumble.
Now, here is my solution to this political and moral conundrum. Leave morality to the people. If we really believe that this is gross testament to the fallen morals of our times, we have every right NOT to buy it. We have every right NOT to sell it in our shops. We have every right to to protest stores that do sell this disgusting smut.
We have all those rights just as Hustler has a right to publish any public records it wants. But it is our job as moral Americans to raise our wallets, not bend our Constitution, in order to show Hustler their perspective is not wanted.
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