Delaying the Immigration Reform

The article titled Delaying Immigration Reform Gets Expensive discusses America's lack of immigration reform with President Obama. Obama promised a certain number of illegal immigrants to be deported and we are not reaching those numbers. While the number of illegal aliens with criminal charges has risen, we are still not deporting enough.
One solution to this problem is find and deport more illegal immigrants without criminal charges. To do this, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is offering more incentives to agents who find a certain number of illegal immigrants per month.
While more illegal immigrants need to be deported, studies found that American citizens believe that we should try to grant more citizenships to illegal aliens and try to keep their families together.

http://restorefairness.org/2010/03/delaying-immigration-reform-gets-expensive/

-Elizabeth Woollen

The article titled The Buck Stops Where discusses the issue of the national debt. The research conducted as part of the Choosing Our Fiscal Future initiative, broke the 300 influencers into two groups; the leaders and the opinion elites. The leaders are the governmental staff and the opinion elites are highly respected citizens who are not decision makers but help persuade the leaders' choices.
Both groups believe that our national debt is currently not a large issue. Only 13% of leaders and 9% of elites voted the national debt as our country's largest issue. These influencers believe that jobs and the economy are currently our largest concern and that there is not much that can be done right now to decrease our debt.

http://www.publicagenda.org/pages/the-buck-stops-where-2010

-Elizabeth Woollen

Federal grants to fund police positions announced

“Washington (CNN) -- With hundreds of communities nationwide forced to slash budgets and layoff police officers, the disclosure Thursday of which cities would receive federal grants to fund police positions had been eagerly awaited. Five hit the bureaucratic jackpot. Justice Department officials announced cities in virtually every state would receive anywhere from a single officer to a legal maximum of 50 police officers. In total, the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program, administered by the Justice Department, announced it had divided the $298 million appropriation to fund 1,388 police positions. The five biggest recipients, each receiving grants for 50 officers, were Houston, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Metro Dade County in Florida; the Sacramento, California, Sheriff's Department and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ‘There is almost nothing more effective in keeping the public safe than cops on the beat who have the equipment and resources they need,’ said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli.”

The COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program is allocating $298 million. The federal program provides grants to fund police positions and more than 4,000 police agencies had requested funds Perrelli led the parade of officials announcing the grants at a ceremony in Houston. Left unsaid was the long list of cities that received little or no funding. Police belongs to “Government Sector” in American life. It helps “market sector” and “non-profit sector” work more efficient and honestly for our society. Police here to protect and serve society. The problem could be solved using half the number of police if cities highbred competent cops, either ex-military or college graduate. Of course cops get a bailout too. Officials acknowledge there remains a continuing hunger for federal assistance among state, county, and local law enforcement agencies. But for the cities that received funds, this was a day for quiet celebration.

Post by: Ziying Yuan

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/30/cops.funding/

China opposes US bill on foreign currency reform

China opposes legislation passed by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday to penalize countries that to use their currency values for advanced trading. China urged US lawmakers to consider the importance of Sino-US trade and avoid harming the interests of the people of China, the United States, and the world. On the other hand, any actions to against China with the excuse of RMB exchange rate would seriously damage Sino-US trade and badly affect the economic of both countries and the world.

Effort to overturn Don't ask don't tell likely to fall short

Senator Susan Collins, republican from Maine says that she won't encourage debates to continue on the defense spending bill. This bill is attached to the don't ask don't tell bill. Collins says "I cannot vote to proceed this bill under a situation that is going to shut down debate." Also, with midterm elections 6 weeks away, this filibuster that the republicans are trying to start will delay the president's pledge until next year, making him out to look dishonest with his promises. This article relates to our class because it demonstrates how competing parties try to knock each other's issues off the political agenda through voting in the Senate. The republicans are going to do anything in their power to get the don't ask don't tell issue off the political agenda because it is not coming from their party.

Aria Greenberg

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/collins-thwarts-vote-on-dont-ask-dont-tell/?scp=8&sq=don't%20ask%20don't%20tell&st=cse

Arizona Mayor Corrupted

An Arizona Mayor on the border city of Nogales was arrested today on charges of bribery, theft, fraud and money laundering. The Mayor supposedly solicited businesses to hire him as a consultant. This allowed businesses to pay the mayor in order to obtain city contracts to avoid the formal bidding process. The Mayor then, with his father who has also been arrested, laundered the money through Western Union and into personal accounts. This sum has reached over millions of dollars. These two are going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This is another case of contemporary political corruption and creates doubt in the government from the public. This is slowly degrading the "legitimacy" of our government as Peters would say. Do you think this type of activity is a threat to the "legitimacy" of our government?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/us/politics/29nogales.html?ref=todayspaper

House Passes 9/11 Health Care Bill

On wednesday, the White House approved legislation to provide billions of dollars for medical treatment to rescue workers and residents of New York City. This is for people who suffered from illnesses from breathing in toxic fumes, dust and smoke at ground zero. The one concern of this bill was from the 157 Republicans and three democrats who raised concerns about the $7.4 billion cost of the program. This bill is going to provide $3.2 billion over the next eight years to monitor and treat injuries stemming from exposure to toxic dust and debris at ground zero. Of these expenses, New York City would be paying 10 percent of those health costs. There are nearly 60,000 people enrolled in a variety of health monitoring and treatment related to the 9/11 attacks, according to the sponsors of the bill. The federal government is the one providing most of this money for these health programs. Yes, this bill has been having a lot of discrepancies between parties; but should there be any questions at all? These 9/11 victims did not harm them selves are selectively put themselves in harms way, nor did anyone of them do anything to cause this. This is a major public issue and has been since 9/11. I believe that the government are the ones who should be responsible for these survivors well being, how could they turn there heads on there own no matter money, no matter what party. These 9/11 survivors deserve every bill in there favor and everything they can get to help them with matters regarding to the 9/11 tragedy.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/911-health-care-bill-passes/?hp

Fed Reserve: new standards 'significant step forward'

As a result of the current economic crisis, the United States government has begun to take strict action in the making of their policies. For example, the U.S. banking regulators have raised the bank capital standards. In July Congress passed a sweeping financial overhaul legislation. In conclusion, the government is a taking a top-down approach because they are modifying an already existing policy to make it more strict. The "policy contains clearly defined policy tools for the accomplishment of the goals" to end the econmic crisis. (Birkland) The U.S. bank regulators have said that rules must be implemented in an orderly way so other countries do not get away with performing less strict rules. Implementaion is the core tool for this process to follow through successfully.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20109130357

Turkey Becoming more Democratic

Turkey, who already has the Middle-East's most sturdy democracy, is becoming more democratic by the referendum process. The referendum mode they are using to gain legitimacy in their new constitutional amendments is in favor with 58%. Some of Turkey's new changes, are barring trials of civilians in military courts, protecting the privacy of personal data, allow citizens to appeal cases, and guarantee new rights for women, children, elderly, and disabled. Turkey is ready to have elected officials and constitutional court judges, like the state-centric U.S.. The EU has no reason to deny Turkey's membership, they are constitutionally ready to be a part of the EU.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/opinion/17fri3.html?_r=1&ref=referendums
Michelle Watkins

Southwest-AirTran deal

Due to the purchase of AirTran by Southwest, analysts assume customers should see lower prices in the near future, at least to destinations where Southwest flies but AirTran does not. However, this is not common because normally in a business situation such as this Southwest's purchase of AirTran means less competition in the airline industry which in return usually results in higher prices. Without AirTran, the other airline companies don't have the excuse 'Well, the other kids are doing it, there's one less kid.' On the other side of the spectrum, this expansion allows Southwest to serve 100 cities, instead of the previous 69. Also Southwest gains access to 37 new airports in smaller cities that they previously didn't have the funding for or at least they thought the cities were too small to make a profit.

Southwest says that the customer experience at the airport or on the plane wont change much, there will be no assigned seats, no change in the boarding process -- passengers line up and grab any available seat







http://finance.yahoo.com/news/SouthwestAirTran-deal-will-apf-3928083510.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

Senate to Move on Stopgap Spending Bill

(Washington)-Lawmakers are largely ignoring an Obama administration shopping list as they fashion a stopgap spending bill that's needed to avoid a government shutdown Friday.
The Senate could pass the measure as early as Wednesday, after a likely test vote Tuesday, and the House could clear it for President Barack Obama before the budget year ends at midnight Thursday.
To speed the measure through, lawmakers appear to be disregarding administration pleas for add-ons such as $1.9 billion for "Race to the Top" grants to better-performing schools and more than $4billion to finance settlements of long-standing lawsuits by black farmers and American Indians.
A bid to use the measure to keep alive a grant program from last year's economic stimulus bill that many states are using to subsidize hiring of the unemployed also appears unlikely to be added to the measure, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, in Washington-speak.









http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2022029,00.html

Panel Wants BP to pay for Gulf Oil Spill

A group made by President Obama has decided they believe that a large portion of BP's aide should go to repairing the ecological and environmental aspects of the Gulf. The goal is to create a plan that will ship money into the Gulf and this plan would last years restoring the Gulf to what is was before the oil spill. Not only should BP be held accountable for this but also should be financially responsible as well because it was their fault in the first place. Even though plans have been created to restore the Gulf and BP has already pledged to give 20 billion in relief efforts, I still believe they need to do more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/politics/28spill.html?_r=1&ref=us

C.I.A. Steps Up Drone Attacks in Pakistan to Thwart Taliban

The C.I.A. has drastically increased its bombing campaign in the mountains of Pakistan in recent weeks. In particular, the officials said, the Americans believe the Pakistanis are unlikely to launch military operations inside North Waziristan, a haven for Taliban and Qaeda operatives that has long been used as a base for attacks against troops in Afghanistan.



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/world/asia/28drones.html?_r=1&hp

Money transfers could face anti-terrorism scrutiny.

The Obama administration wants to require U.S. banks to report all electronic money transfers into and out of the country, a dramatic expansion in efforts to counter terrorist financing and money laundering. Officials say the information would help them spot the sort of transfers that helped finance the al-Qaeda hijakers who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. They say the expanded financial data would allow anti-terrorist agencies to better understand normal money-flow patterns so they can spot abnormal activity. Financial instituions are now required to report to the Treasury Department transactions in excess of $10,000 and others they deem suspicious. The new rule would require banks to disclose even the smallest transfers. Treasury officials plan to post the proposed regulation on their Web site Monday and in the Federal Register this week. The public could comment before a final rule is published and the plan takes effect, which officials say will probably not be until 2012.








http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/09/26/ST2010092604105.html?sid=ST2010092604105

Liberal Groups Plannng to Rally on National Mall

A crowd of liberal groups called, One Nation Working Together, plan to march in Washington Saturday on the National mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial in hopes of "transforming the national conversation so it focuses less on the Tea Party" (Greenhouse pg. 1). These liberal groups include the N.A.A.C.P., the A.F.L.-C.I.O, and the National gay and Lesbian Task Force. Their goal is to provide a message of unity to promote jobs, justice, diversity, and education. Some believe that there should be little less attention focused on the Tea Party and also a different voice representing middle-class America that the Tea Party does not represent. Sponsors feel that this rally is geared more toward holding Democrats and Republicans accountable for not doing more to fix the nation's problems. The platform for this rally is to highlight and bring focus to problems such as unemployment, immigration, education, and jobs. These groups plan on speaking out and demanding change concerning the issues stated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/politics/27rally.html?ref=politics

Engineering Field Lacks Female Majors

Female college students are taking up atleast 50% of every major field of study in campuses across Indiana, with an exception to the Engineering field. The engineering field has about 18% of women students and educators say that this gender gap may have some long-term negative effects on women. Author Molly Madden of the South Bend Tribune states that, to address this problem, many schools have altered their programs of engineering to attract more female students ad the numbers are currently rising. Up until the past few decades, women have not had equal opportunities as men. But now that we do have access to these things, we are taking the neccessary steps to change the world and become Bread-winners also.


http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/SE/20100926/NEWS/100929985

Healthcare Reform Bill: The True Effect On Small Business

On September 23^rd 2010 the health care bill, also known as the Affordable Care Act, went into effect. With most new laws being put into place, the change happens over time. Six months ago President Obama signed the bill, but still only some of the new Act will only go into effect Thursday. Most of the Act will not be implemented until 2014. Starting Thursday, companies with less than twenty-five employees with salaries less than $50,000 could receive up to 35% tax credits. This will help small business pay to cover healthcare for the middle class workers. This small change alone will allow companies to afford paying for their workers and their families healthcare, when before it was to expensive.

-Will Kalish

http://www.usfinancialpost.com/healthcare-reform-bill-the-true-effect-on-small-business/85532/

Water Drops for Migrants. Kindness, or Offense?

This article was about someone who got ticketed for littering on a national wildlife refuge. He had strategically placed on trails where there are a high amount of illegal migration. These charges were later dropped. There is a huge sense of irony for Arizona because they have set some precedents with some new immigration laws. This is not something new for America. This almost has a underground railroad feel to it. This is very intresting to see if this trend will keep going or not.

Even though this seems like a good idea. This might lead other groups to react negatively to this matter. For example more citizen watch groups and other things. No doubt that this issue is going to be discussed further.

In the end littering is littering. If that happened on another wildlife preserve and wasn't water for immigrants there would of been a fine. But dropping water for helping illegal immagrants doesnt get fined?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27water.html?_r=1&ref=us

Anger as a Private Company Takes Over Libraries....say what?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?_r=1&hp


The Santa Clarita Library System has decided to hire a private company to run it's affairs in order to reduce overhead. In these tough economic times, the librarians, who have been protected by labor unions thus far, are infuriated by the city's willingness to give control to a private group. The private group will now be running the library for profit, unlike while controlled by the city. Deanna Hanashiro, a retired teacher, said “public libraries invoke images of our freedom to learn, a cornerstone of our democracy" which many Americans would agree with. The fact that a private group is getting involved with a public entity in an economic downturn has the same affects as government taking over a private institution; it gives Americans the impression that by changing the rules, they are suddenly being taken advantage of. Although this is not quite privatization of a library system, the fact is Americans are skeptical of change, and this is probably one instance of many more to come that has a public institution go private for financial sake.

GAO Report Finds Evidence of Deceptive Recruitment Tactics, Shows Need for Regulation

In a recent report done by the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO), evidence was found that many leading “for-profit” colleges use deceptive recruitment tactics to bolster profits. The GAO, an agency Birkland refers to as “congresses’ investigative arm”, put out this evidence to show the need for more regulations in regards to for–profit colleges. These colleges can range from beauty schools to academic institutions such as the University of Phoenix, and have become an American success story in recent years. The current recession has brought many to believe a degree is necessary to find adequate jobs in today’s market. However, the GAO report found that most students dropped out of “for- profit” courses failing to find them useful. Because of deceptive recruitment tactics by leading for-profit schools, many students are defaulting on loans they should have never taken out.

http://www.economist.com/node/16990955?story_id=16990955

Efforts Meant to Help Workers Batter South Africa’s Poor

Even though the practice of promoting clothing manufacturers who pay employees less than minimum wage is considered unethical in most developed countries of the world, many of those employees cannot afford to have their plants shut down as a result. Since the Apartheid, South Africa has sought to emulate the United States and other western nations in its efforts to establish substantive economic policy. Unfortunately, they, like the rest of the global community, have also fallen upon hard times and a fiscal crisis. With recent unemployment rates at record highs, clothing manufacturing plants that pay meager wages to its workers are starting to seem like necessary evils. The South African government has this policy issue at the top of its national agenda.

Democrats Unleash Ads Focusing on Rivals' Pasts

Recently, Democrats have brought it upon themselves to release negative advertisement against the Republicans regarding lawsuits, tax fillings and even divorce to try and save their Congressional majority. Although this is a problem every election, this year in particular the aggression has been brought up much sooner than the past years.As democrats struggle to get their messages out there, they are distributing their investigations they have been working on in the past year about the republican candidates. The idea behind the democrats is too help prevent any sort of race against President Obama and his party. Negative ads can be successful rather they are right or fair, but there can also be negative outcomes to this as well with the economy hurting and the frustrated Americans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/us/politics/26dems.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Tea Party: return to basics or divisive force on right?

In recent time since the Tea Party has established itself as a political contender in the United States, they have grown in popularity through the media. Their extremist views are starting to cause a divide between the Republican party because they have chosen to back candidates who were not backed by the GOP and others that were. Instead of acting as a group to promote and help Republicans get what they want in an extreme matter, they may actually be hurting them because splitting up support. While the Tea Party system has made moves to boost voter registration and encourage voters to get involved in the system, it's third party ideology might be their downfall. Because the Tea Party is too extreme for most Republicans, they will not be able to conform the majority. This will cause people to leave the GOP, resulting in less votes for the Republicans, causing them to potentially lose this election while the Tea Party risks not being able to gain enough votes to win themselves.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/09/26/tea.party/index.html

House approves small-business aid bill

Recently the House voted on a Small-business bill that President Obama backed and will sign. This bill is meant to give tax breaks and loans to small businesses. The bill passed with very little Republican support because of the $30 billion in funds set aside for government loans to small businesses. This issue was able to make its way to the decision agenda because people were able to prove that it in fact is a “problem” that can be fixed through government action. Republicans were unable to keep the provision for loans out of the bill because they lacked the political power to do so. This is an example of pluralism which states that groups “compete with one another in a reasonably open political system and that policy results from this group competition.”

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-small-business-bill-20100924,0,1398194.story

Kate White

Economy: A Depressing Situation

The state of the economy seems to be much more disappointing to citizens than in previous years according to studies in 2008. With gas prices over $4 a gallon, a mortgage crisis that has hit the financial stability of the United States, and an economic growth rate of only 1.6 percent it is no surprise many citizens are upset with the way things are going. With only two "official" depressions within the last twenty-five years our economy is actually in a better place than in previous years. There seems to be hope however, while our current recession has continued through 2009 and seems to be leveling off in 2010. There are a few strong things what we have going for our economy, energy being a particularly interesting strong point. Energy is the fundamental part of all society, from powering your car to go to the grocery store to powering the factory that manufactured your automobile. The last 20 years the United States has been fortunate with low energy costs. Oil may be rising but it is not just an American cost problem, oil is a global commodity traded on the world market, rising oil costs are not an American-only problem. Meaning that while people may categorize rising oil prices as an affect of the recession it is affecting every global market. One major problem that the United States faces in the coming years are age-old problems, the United States has tended to borrow more than it earns, and if we are to make a step in the right financial direction we must stop borrowing and start paying back our debts.

http://www.publicagenda.org/citizen/issueguides/economy/overview

DEA Drop-Offs Aim to Curb Prescription Pill Problem

This past weekend on Saturday the 25^th of September the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), held a nation wide prescription pill drop off day. This event was put in place partly to help people get rid of their unused medicine in an environmentally conscious way, but mainly to help keep in check the ever growing problem of prescription pills in the United States. With over 4,000 drop off locations nation wide the DEA was able to collect and safely dispose of thousands of pills, some of which were powerful narcotics such as oxycodone. The fight against addiction to prescribed medicine is on the rise in U.S., and the DEA was extremely pleased with the turnout, knowing the need for the public to get evolved in curbing the countries problem.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/us/26drugs.html?_r=1&ref=us

Ben Rains

Dem-Repub Battle For Control of 100 Member Indiana House

Democrat Scott Reske faces Republican Kyle Hupfer for the 37th district seat. This will decide which party has control and is able to either block Republican Governor Mitch Daniels' agenda or boost it. Republicans want the issues and policies on Daniels' agenda to be legitimated, while Democrats want to stop this from happening. This issue shows that the bipartisan system creates a need for public officials to campaign year-round. This is a public issue because these officials are more interested in sticking to the values of their parties so they have a chance for re-election rather than carrying out legitimation process that citizens would say, "has legitimacy."

China reiterates demand for Japan's apology

The Chinese trawler captain Zhan Qixiong arrived safely in Fuzhou. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Yu said that Chinese government and citizen of course need the Japanese to make an apology about arresting Chinese capital illegally. However, a spokesman of Japanese foreign ministry said that China's demand for apology and compensation is absolutely not acceptable, because the Chinese trawler had obstructed official operations, the Japanese side just dealt with the case in accordance with its law, Japanese government claims that the territory issue between China and Japan does not exist, but Japan will continue make the the same decisions if familiar affairs happen in the future.