Secret Service Crackdown

Secret Service Crackdown

In my classmates blog Secret Service Crackdown blogger Tyler made some good points about the protection and safety of our president. What If the prostitutes were spy’s, they could have obtained valuable information that could jeopardize our country. The secret service agents involved in these kinds of sexual encounters are contributors to the billion-dollar sex industry. Enhancing the profit around the world with prostitution, pornography, and sex trafficking such as this event in Colombia and shows the lack of respect for our countries leader and women these men have. These secret service men have disgraced the oath they took to serve this country.  I hope new secret service men will replace the disgusted and set a new and better example for the United States.

Secret Service Scandal

Sex Industry

Student Loan Interest Rates

President Obama has been travelling the country stopping at various college campuses educating students on student loan interest rates. He explains that on July 1, two months from now the current rate cut for student loans will expire and interest rates will double over night unless congress acts now and implement and new tax rate for student loans. Obama stresses that the economy has not “fully healed” and that many families do not have the financial security to pay for increasing interest rates from their student loans. Obama states that the average student debt from student loans is 25,000 and up. Today America’s owe more on student loans then credit cards. He has pushed for Americans to be aware of what entails when you take a student loan. By having financial aid from colleges around the country give fact sheet called “Know before you Owe” to inform every student of his or her options pertaining to the cost of higher education. He calls for us as citizens to push congress and state legislatures to extend tuition tax credit, safe guard aid, and double the number of work-study jobs. These tax credits could help the economy in the long run as students have less to pay off and more of their income to spend. I believe Obama is genuinely concerned with the impact it will have and not just a way to get college voters to support him. Even Mitt Romney can see the importance in student loan rates states "Given the bleak job prospects that young Americans coming out of college face today, I encourage Congress to temporarily extend the low rate,” As a fellow student we need to diligently stress the importance and impact this could have on our education and if we will be able to afford  higher education in the future. Both Obama and Romney are looking to the future of America in hopes of a better tomorrow.

Know Before You Owe Student Loan Fox News Washington Post The Oval

In my fellow classmates blog, land of the free Home of the Brave “To Take the Staar Test or Not”. Analisa has made some very good points about the pressure teacher’s face when preparing students to take this new test. Being a mother of a 3^rd grader I have witnessed firsthand the desire for each student to pass this test months ago. My son brings home practice test every week for homework and says they take more in class practice test. I feel there is too much pressure on teachers and students to pass that all other subjects are put aside or taught to fast that the students don’t pick up on other various subjects.  . Although my son is only in 3^rd grade high school students face more pressure with the concern that the test accounts for 15% of their grade and affects grade point average and rank. Pass and failure rates affect how each school will get funding and academic recognition in their district and even kids going to summer school. State government should use more money on hiring back teachers that were laid off instead of having larger class sizes to help teach students. The week of April 24-27 will be elementary testing and I hope the government will step in when they see the results.

Staar Testing

Round Rock ISD

America is to large and cumbersome to be effective!

Our forefather’s feared when they were creating this democracy was the shear size America would be. As politicians and investors acquired more and more land from Spain the concern grew that the massive land would jeopardize the ability to govern the states correctly and efficiently. Today America is too large to govern properly just as our forefathers feared from the start. Over budgeting and spending have caused problems and an overbearing burden on the economy. As we have seen and experience in our recent economic recession and from the lack of support needed by the national government. To support and pass legislatures that would help ease the burden of states trying to brace its people. Another issue with the size of the country is the population growing and living longer and longer. Social security dwindling away and baby boomers growing older and needing medical support such as Medicare is placing more enfaces on the size of our country that we inherited.  We are having a hard time benefiting from a democracy that is under pressure to support its people. Thomas Paine said, “ Those who expect to reap the benefits of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it”. He was right foreseeing the country in this state of turmoil. Paine never imagined a nation that would have a mass amount of land and citizens in need of national support such as medicaid and foodstamps to survive. Our country cannot keep up with burdens facing the country and I fear we will never recuperate from its size to be effective and efficient to the people.

Super Tuesday 2012

Super Tuesday 2012 had a very interesting turnout. Mitt Romney took Ohio by 1%. Mitt Romney got 38% and Rick Santorum got 37% of the votes in Ohio. Mitt Romney also won Massachusetts, Vermont, Idaho, and Virginia these wins are the stepping stones to becoming the Republican presidential nomination. This election does not pertain to the Democrats since no other Democrat opposed Barack Obama for the nomination. Donna Brazile a CNN contributor and who is connected with the Democratic Party believes that the Republican nomination will be won by a candidate who has more financial backing. She says “As long as some billionaire is paying the bills-and pulling the strings- a candidate can and will stay in the race”-Link. Brazile also states that Mitt Romney spend almost as much as Gingrich, Paul and Santorum together which backs up her criticism toward Republican spending on campaigns.  With her experience in directing a major political campaign she has insight into how campaigns work and the advantage of contributors. Brazile also states that the Republican Party is not happy with the winnings of Mitt Romney expressing concern for the Republican Party. Mitt Romney’s retaliating rants are conveyed as a negativity that destroys trust with independents and even his own party.

“The Republican nomination may go to the highest bidder. Romney's already spent almost as much as Gingrich, Paul and Santorum combined. But in some ways the process seems more like a circus than an auction -- or a poorly rehearsed skit of "Who's on first?"

I do agree with the author on campaign contributions and the effect they have on a candidate’s edge to win. How much money do we really need to spend on campaigns instead of using some of that money towards education? Donna Brazile harsh critic comes from her values and morals associated with the Democratic Party who likes to see themselves as penny pinchers about money and spending. She also makes it seem as though the Republican party is losing hold on values in order to win more votes.Even though this editorial was for a Democratic audience Republican’s should read it to better understand the candidates who will be running for presidency in November.

Super Tuesday won't end the GOP race

Obama's Agreement on Birth Control

   President Obama's agreement on birth control in his health care reform has caused an uproar in the Catholic community. He stated that birth control will be seen as a preventive measure and employer's insurance policies not businesses must provide free contraception to women. Obama them stated about 99% of women have used some sort of birth control in their lives. Insurance companies see this preventive care as a way to save money on pregnancy's and births associated with conception. 
   E.J. Dionne who is a liberal catholic states that the government did a good job regulating between government and religion. Stating that "President Obama did today what he should have done at the very beginning: He honored the fact that religious groups, including the Catholic Church, had legitimate religious liberty claims in the battle over a contraception mandate under the new health care law. And he did so while still holding to his commitment to expanding contraception coverage as broadly as possible (Link)."
   Many conservative catholics are against this compromise expressing concern and conflict with teaching from the church. Conservative catholics are not happy with the "preventive care" expressing the importance of life and that the reform is interfering with church and state.
    As a liberal catholic myself I agree with the compromise on birth control. Many many catholics disagree but I feel women do need the options. I see many catholics who have 5 or more children and I feel its two much for anyone to handle. In our society today those values of not taking contraception is over. More and more catholics are turning to birth control because of the economic impact a child has on the family and society. It is a women's choice to decide weather to take contraception or not.

E.J. Dionne Jr.

CNN Politics

Unemployment Rate Drops to 8.3%.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the numbers that the unemployment rate dropped two points from December. The lowest it’s been in three years, the rate that it was when Obama was elected into office. The small but optimistic drop rate gave investors on Wall Street spurts of buying helping up points on the Dow and Nasdaq. Obama said, “ The economy is growing stronger and the Recovery is speeding up”. Many believe this growth is to small to have significant impact on the economy that it's too soon to relax. To keep momentum we still have to create a lot more jobs.  I believe my classmates should read this because it gives many American’s hope that our economy is doing better. After all Unemployment affects  Americans as taxpayers who help support unemployment benefits, along with various other benefits out of work Americans are in titled to.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2012/feb/03/unemployment-hiring-surges-across-nation/

Gabriel Iglesias "America is Funny"

Gabriel Iglesias talks about the way Americans vote. I just thought it was funny and true. It is about 4 minutes into the skit.