Driven to Distraction

This article discusses the risks of using cell phones while driving, but currently not even one state legislature has banned it completely. Distracted driving has become a threat on roadways with drivers who use phones being four times more likely to crash. For this theory of a cell phone ban to become a law it must move up to the systemic agenda. Once it is a law, the way to implement it would be by the tool of social regulation. It would be very equitable since there would be less car accidents related to cell phones. However, it may be hard to regulate so the manageability and effectiveness wouldn’t be great.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/technology/series/driven_to_distraction/index.html?scp=1&sq=cell%20phone%20ban&st=cse

-Kelly Neary

Heated Debate at Hearing on Smoking Ban in Parks

This article is talking about putting a smoking ban in public parks, playgrounds, beaches and pedestrian plazas. There were some arguments about the ban being too restrictive, and concerns that the ban would lead to an overbearing government. This smoking ban would be exercising the social protective regulation of the tools of public action. It’s restricting a private action, but it wouldn’t be very effective because it would be hard to regulate in big places such as the city parks. Also, the issue of equity arises in that it’s not really fair to people who do smoke. That is why one council member petitioned for designated smoking areas outside, but was ultimately turned down since the second hand smoke would still be an issue.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/air-cleared-at-parks-smoking-ban-hearing/?scp=2&sq=smoking&st=cse

-Kelly Neary

Labor groups, Hyatt workers protest hotel's policies

Downtown Indianapolis Hyatt Regency Hotel employees are boycotting the hotel's policies. They held a rally on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis to express their unhappiness with their employers decisions. They insist on better pay and hours, also benefits. This is an example of a bottom-up approach because the "street-level bureaucrat's" perspective is what initially began this debate. The top policy implementers take the lower level's opinions into consideration before modifying policies to make them more feasible.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20109210371

Obama: Tax Policies Should Aid Investment, Not Overseas Jobs

Barack Obama on Saturday said he wants to strengthen the labor market by closing tax loopholes that would encourage companies to send jobs overseas; he's aiming to replace the tax loopholes with new policies that would allow companies to write off the cost of new equipment, provide tax breaks for clean-energy manufacturing and make the research and experimentation tax credit permanent. Mr. Obama on Saturday argued that congressional Republicans would reward companies that create jobs and profits overseas instead of fighting to close tax loopholes. Speaking just weeks before the midterm elections, Mr. Pence argued that Republicans would better address the country's weak labor market and economic woes.

Post by: Ziying Yuan

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704706904575555643437459432.html

Tea Party projected to gain influence in Washington

Tea Party candidates are running for republican-leaning Congressional races. They are projected to do well running for Republican and Democratic positions. Nominees such as Rand Paul for senator in Kentucky and Dan Benishek for a retiring democrat house member. Though this party is small, the Tea Party could "exert outside influence" on Republicans to follow through on their promises to cut spending and taxes. This is an example of an elitist approach to agenda setting, where a small elite party obtains large influence. The Tea Party isn't nearly as big as the Republican Party, but they can still manipulate Republicans into focussing on issues like phasing out Medicare in favor of personal savings accounts.

Aria Greenberg

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/us/politics/15teaparty.html?ref=us

U.S. to Let Insurers Raise Fees for Sick Children

Pears article discusses the controversy with the Obama administration encouraging health insurance companies to offer children only policy that could charge higher premiums for the coverage of children if the state allowed it. Insurers are trying to bring in healthy children so that their premium doesn’t go up. Insurers also agree that if they provide insurance for a child, they cannot refuse to help pay for the treatment of pre-existing conditions.

This is a moral issue and the government has taken on this issue showing that this is a public problem. The government believes it is morally right to care for the children diagnosed with cancer or heart conditions, yet insurers refuse to take on such a financial risk.


Elizabeth Sziler

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/health/policy/14health.html?ref=us

Corporate America’s Complaint about the President

During a recession citizens look to the government for help to create a more prosperous economy. However, recently many large businesses feel the president is becoming too anti-business. This week, the CEO of Verizon said during a speech in Washington that Obama’s regulatory expansion is “making it harder to raise capital and create new businesses.” After the housing market crashed many Americans cried for more regulations on big business; but has Obama’s Administration gone to far?

According to this author, Obama’s administration has made it clear they favor a mixed economy; an economy focused on both free market capitalism and greater governmental regulations. However, the author has also made it clear that Obama’s policies have led to some economic growth already. Whether or not economic growth will continue into the near future is still up for debate.

http://www.economist.com/node/17095509?story_id=17095509

Obama considers fast appeal of gays-military order

The White House recently appealed a judges order to allow gays to serve openly in the military. The federal judge guilty of enforcing the end of the "don't ask don't tell" policy in the military regarding homosexuality, is currently being chastised by the White House and Pentagon.

Gay rights advocates cautioned enlisted homosexual men and women to reveal their sexuality at this time because the fear of being discharged due to sexual orientation is a common and very legal issue involving the military. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that time is running out for the ban on gays serving openly and once the war in Iraq is over, action will be taken to relieve this ban. Gibbs states, "This is a policy that is going to end."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101013/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_gays_in_military

Ohio v. Wall Street

In the New York Times, there is an article regarding Ohio's Attorney General, Richard Cordray. Mr. Cordray recently filled a lawsuit against GMAC Mortgage because of fraudulent affidavits for hundreds of Ohio foreclosures. This is a very ambitious move and is typically a bigger move than most Attorney Generals would take. However, Mr. Cordray has made a name for himself to take on such giants as Merrill Lynch and American International Group. The reason he takes on such a challenge is that federal regulators are not doing anything yet and action needs to be taken. It is quite gutsy for him to move into action while the federal government lags behind but he has won before and seems confident to find justice here as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/business/12avenge.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1286902961-g0xA2Ogyt5YnN6wYpvod2A

The Abbott Company Recall Numbers Of Milk In The Global

Chinese news translation:

Recently, the ABBOTT announced a recall of a number of powders in North America because of the ABBOTT North American plants are found the production line may exist polluted things, and the production has been discontinued.

The most famous milk company names the abbott nutrition, recently, recall of 500 million milk cans which sold in the global. Because these contain some unhealthy thins which is bad for the babies. The same public problem have happened in the chinese milk company names Sanlu milk cpmpany. These two problems make me worry about the quality of our food. Because these problems often happen in our country, some companies use the worst even harmful materials to product the food. So, I contend the relevant government departments should strengthen supervision of food processing,and absolutely punish the poor quality of food companies. Also let people make sure that their buying food are high quality and healthy for their family.

http://biz.cn.yahoo.com/ypen/20100925/32092.html

China is torn by all kinds of imbalances

United States, "The Wall Street Journal" recently published an article entitled "The balance of China", the author is Alen Mattich. The article is said in nowadays the Chinese economy and Chinese society is torn by a variety of imbalances, the investor is unlikely to have fully digested these risks. Especially for the long-term problems, such as the real estate, industrial capacity and infrastructure projects the consequences of a large number of improper investment, the Chinese government to make up for these losses, depositors will ultimately bear these costs through government guidance, set artificially low interest rates to achieve. And it also talks about China's one-child policy and the Chinese cultural preference for boys, it will lead to major social issues in the next few decades. For those all above, I think it really make sence. In a word, all those measures are taken by the Chinese government, people are going to be take the costs. And make people to live in harder way. Because everything is much expensiver than before.

http://news.cn.yahoo.com/ypen/20101012/45550.html

Drugs and Interests of Public

According to Public Agenda, the majority of Americans are worried about a family member becoming addicted to illegal drugs, and that the government is not doing enough to combat this problem. This group is winning the competition against the family in DiPietrantonio’s post in the conflict of getting mass/majority interests on their side. The two groups in this conflict are “anti-drug” and “Pro-marijuana.” The anti-drug group has the majority, and since the issue is on the agenda in their favor, this is an example of the elite/majoritarian Congress exercising its function as representatives of he majority. This is also an example of individual-based Classical Liberalism in conflict with Civic Republicanism, as the pro-marijuana side is looking after the abilities of individuals to smoke it, while the anti-drug group is looking after the stability of the country.

Gates Foundation Offers $20 million in Education Tech Grants

The latest news with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is their announcement to put up as much as $20 million in funding for projects for supporting new technology. This will help with online learning to improve college readiness. This will be one of the first steps in the series of "Next Generation Learning Challenges". The U.S must work to stay ahead of the rest of the world as they are now. We can do nothing and lose our first place spot of superpowers, or we can create programs and work to better the country to stay ahead. The Gates Foundation has noticed the need to stay ahead with our education system. That is where competition is heaviest because once that step is finished you are in the real world competing for jobs with people from all over the world. The Grants-in-Aid tool of government is the basis for this assistance from the Gates Foundation. This financial assistance will be distributed throughout all the state governments to put towards their education sector.

http://voices.allthingsd.com/20101011/gates-foundation-offers-20-million-in-education-tech-grants/

Michelle Watkins

Banning the purchase of sugary sodas with Food Stamps

Recently, the city of New York came up with the idea to ban the purchase of beverages with more than 10 calories per 8 ounces, only if these items were purchased with food stamps. This proposal supports the government rule that food stamps are to be used toward nutritional purchases. The purchase of sugary sodas with food stamps, helps contribute to a current public problem we have discussed: obesity and diabetes. For this to become a law it must move up to the systemic agenda. Once it is a law, the way to implement it would be by the tool of social regulation. This imposition of restrictions on consumers would help everyone be healthier and allow government money to be spent more effectively. If consumers are taking steps to be healthier, this would also help with medical expenses too!

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-soda-food-stamps-20101011,0,2450220.story

Michelle Watkins

Health Care Centers to Receive $727 Million in Federal Grants

On Friday, the Federal Government announced that health care centers around the nation would be receiving more than 727 million dollars in grants. These federal grants will help out the community health centers across the nation. The money will help renovate and construction facilities which help people who are currently without a job, changing jobs, or without healthcare. These grants will be handed out by the Capital Development program. This is an example of the how the government hands out grants and who the money is in entrusted with. This money is vital to help people who currently do not have health insurance and will help save lives now, and in the future.

Will Kalish
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44010/

Cooperatives in Neb., Dakotas Get Federal Grants

This week the Federal Government doled out a grant of $8.3 million. This money is from the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program. The states of Nebraska and both Dakotas will receive about $225,000 each to improve the economic conditions of their rural areas. This grant is an example of the tools of the federal government and how it gives out grants-in-aid. It is vital to the rural areas of the United States as the farming produces food that is essential to feeding the country. Just like the example of the three-legged stool, if one section fails all will fail. If the farmers are struggling other sections will as well, especially if the farmers try to find a new source of living.

Will Kalish

http://www.kdlt.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5538&Itemid=57

U.S. Aims to Mend China Military Ties

Ironically stated in 400 B.C. by Chinese general/military strategist, Sun-Tzu, the age-old adage "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" applies as the U.S. attempts to regain contact with the Chinese military/government. Relations had been frozen between the powerhouses since January due to U.S. interest in the freedom of the South China Sea. Tensions rose further when the U.S. supplied $6.4 billion worth of arms to Chinese rival, Taiwan. Hoping to enhance multilateral relations in Southeast Asia, U.S. explores contact with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines, all of whom assert partial stake in South China Sea activity. No doubt a long and arduous process, the U.S. has embarked on a critical journey to establish a functional relationship with China.

Republicans Poised to Make Gains in Races for Governor....oh snaps!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/us/politics/11govs.html?_r=1&hp

     As of today, there are 24 Republican governors and 26 Democratic governors in the United States. With the upcoming election, the Republicans are looking to win more governor seats, with major implications involving implementation of President Obama's legislation such as the healthcare bill. In addition, governors will have a say in how to redistrict Congressmen and women in their states with the updated population information from the 2010 consensus. The governor races and their outcomes may play a big role in policymaking over the next decade, since key races are in battleground states that President Obama needs to win in order to be re-elected. To combat that possibility, the Republicans are picking controversial policies such as healthcare reform to gather more support for their run, which seems to be working. Stayed tuned...

Rifts Show at Hearing on For-Profit Colleges

We have all seen the commercials online for some for profit colleges and in Washington D.C there was a hearing about these for profit colleges and funding. This agenda is on the decision agenda it has gone to legislation and is being debated about by congressman. Senator Harkings committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions did a study and found that many students left with no education and large amount of debt. According to this article one school made 2.7 billion dollars, with 85% of their funding coming from the government.
This issue comes with lots of government debate, it regards this type of education that some of the population needs, but it is making a large profit when other colleges such as Indiana University sometimes struggle to make ends meet.

-Hannah Shearer

www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/education/education.html?ref=education

Marijuana, Once Dicisive, Brings Some Families Closer

The debate over the legalization of marijuana continues as new information regarding individuals personal and family lives are affected by it's use. In an article written by the New York Times, Bryan, a 46 year old writer who lives in Illinois, speaks about how he has been providing his elderly parents with marijuana due to illnesses.With his father struggling with heart ailment and his mother fighting dizzy spells and nausea, Bryan's previously strict drug use policies have changed regarding the drug. Due to Illinois' lack of medical marijuana, Byran has been providing his parents marijuana under the radar. Additionally, Dan G. Blazer, a professor at Duke University stated, "I think medical use of marijuana is going to be much greater in the future." With around one percent of people 65 and older using marijuana, this is an interesting opinion. However, Dr.Savage believes, "It's putting people at risk of falls, impaired cognition, impaired memory, and loss of motor control." It is apparent that the elderly may face special risks with marijuana, in part due to the secrecy of the illegal drug. This only adds to the highly controversial viewpoints of many people regarding decriminalizing marijuana, and allowing the medical use of the drug. On the other hand, for families such as Bryan's, marijuana, which was once a cause of many battles in past times, has brought them closer together as means of good health.

-Matt DiPietrantonio
http://nytimes.com/2010/10/10/us/10pot.html?hpw

Group: Merger Should Include Public Affairs Programming Support

By Juliana Gruenwald

A union representing online, film and television writers Wednesday called on federal regulators if they approve the proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal to require the combine company to donate at least $10 million a year for a decade to support public affairs programming on television and online.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, the Writers Guild of America East said it hopes the commission and the Justice Department will block the proposed merger. But if regulators approve the deal, the combined company should "contribute significant resources to the production of truly independent content," the guild said.

It suggests the funding be allocated in the same way that public television funding is provided through a nonprofit corporation similar to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

"Although we are also deeply concerned that the merger will limit the ability of independent producers of entertainment programming to reach their audiences, the effect will be particularly profound in the area of news and public affairs programming," the guild wrote.

The group and other critics say the combined company, which will merge the nation's biggest cable provider with a major broadcast network, movie studio and several cable channels, will have "enormous power over what people watch and a clear economic incentive" to direct viewers to the content it produces.

In response, Comcast noted in a statement that it has been a long-time supporter and funder of the public affairs cable network C-SPAN and has received support for its merger from other entertainment industry groups such as the Independent Film and Television Alliance and the Directors Guild.

"We've committed that the NBC-owned and operated broadcast stations will produce [an] additional 1,000 hours per year of local news and information programming for distribution on traditional and new media," Comcast Vice President of Government Communications Sena Fitzmaurice said in a statement. "While this is a thoughtful proposal, it ignores the fact that, taken as a whole, the range of public interest commitments already made by the combined companies promises to deliver more diverse programming and more independently produced programming than any entity has ever committed to before."

I think it is really important to have a public affair program to support it, and public affair program always have politic support, and that is a very good way.

Paladino Attracts Gays in Brooklyn Speech

This article describes offensive, homophobic remarks made by New York's Republican gubernatorial candidate, Carl Paladino, in his recent speech to Orthodox Jewish leaders.

Why does Paladino oppose homosexuality so adamantly? Because, according to him, it's "not how God made us".

It's interesting that even in the liberal state of New York, and the extremely diverse burrow of Brooklyn, such an individual can even garner the support to make it to the candidacy stage. This is a prime example of the utter lack of disregard for seperation of church and state that continues to expand, multiply, and pervade throughout the nation.

This should and is being considered an outrage by many. It's more than a matter than should concern secularists like myself; it's a matter that should concern all those that value the American ideals of acceptance, tolerance, diversity, and keeping religion OUT of politics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/nyregion/11paladino.html?_r=1&hp

New Purdue smoking policy sparks complaints

Purdue University has implemented a new policy regarding the restrictions of smoking on campus. They have banned smoking everywhere on campus other than 22 designated areas. Because this is a new policy, it is only natural for there to be problems. To solve this problem, policy makers are taking a bottom-up approach in order to make this policy more feasible. For example, "street-level bureaucrats" (students), both smokers and non-smokers have complaints. Policy makers take their concerns into consideration so they can modify the intitial policy.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010101010012

I Can Afford Higher Taxes. But They'll Make Me Work Less.

This article discusses whether to raise taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year. Democrats say these taxpayers can afford it while Republicans say that raising taxes on those that already pay the highest tax rate will hurt the economy. This relates to the two public philosophies we discussed in class of Classical Liberalism and Civic Republicanism. They differ in that liberalism puts a lot of emphasis on rights, whereas with communitarianism you have rights, but you also have responsibilities. Those in favor of the classical liberalism approach would argue that they deserve to reap the benefits of their labors, and that the government doesn’t have a right to take their money. However those in favor of civic republicanism would argue the responsibility of philanthropy, and that we should be sharing our money more widely.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/business/economy/10view.html?ref=us

-Kelly Neary

Student Loan Default Rate is Continuing to Increase

This article discusses how the default loan rate at public and for-profit institutions has risen to anywhere between 4 and 11 percent. One regulation the Obama administration has proposed requires for profit institutions to prepare students for gainful employment (provide them with a degree they can use) or risk losing federal aid. This relates to what we discussed in class about loan guarantees. Student loans are issued by a third party (banks) but the government is responsible for any defaults on the loans. This also relates to legitimacy in that Obama reacted alternatives to the loan problem because it could be rejected as illegitimate that student loans are rising so much and students aren't earning degrees that will allow them to pay of loans in the future.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/education/14colleges.html?_r=1

-Kelly Neary

Govt: No call for Social Security increase in 2011

This up and coming election year has made Social Security an important issue on the agenda. As of now, the “direct government” has declared that more than 58 million Social Security recipients will go through another year without an increase in their monthly benefits. This would mark the second year in row without an increase in benefits since the installment of automatic adjustments for inflation, which is also known as the cost-of-living adjustments. Since Social Security is the primary source of income for many retirees, lobbyists will use this issue to sway the public to vote Democrat or Republican depending on what their goals are in order to ensure Social Security recipients receive proper benefits.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101010/ap_on_bi_ge/us_social_security_no_cola

-Rebecca Jania

Rand Paul toning down his libertarian message

Republican Senate candidate Ron Paul has softened some of his libertarian ideas in recent appearances. Paul no longer speaks of the Tea Party Instead speaking out against Democrats and upholding the ideals of the GOP. The Republican candidate hopes to earn moderate votes in a state where the majority of voters lean left. Paul has used rhetoric of urgency when discussing big government asking voters: "Can government go so far that we'll never go back?" Conway, the Democratic candidate, is attempting to exploit Paul’s libertarian past saying: “[Paul] seems to have this world view that government should never touch citizens in any way.” This idea would not bode well for many Kentuckians who rely on government aid such as Social Security and Medicare.

Kate White

How To Fix Our Schools: A Manifesto

Recent media coverage of the documentary Waiting for Superman and the generous donation of $100 million donation to Newark schools have kept the debate about public education on the back burner. However, Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools, followed by superintendents, educators, elected officials, labor unions and parents have outlined the public problems within the education system. In their 'manifesto' the main ideas highlighted are ensuring that the best teachers remain hired, regardless of seniority, removing incompetent teachers, giving teachers performance-based financial incentives, improved technology to monitor student’s learning habits, embrace online learning lessons, close underperforming schools, and embracing charter schools. Those involved that fixing the problems within the school system is the long-term fix to our economic problems. Education the youth for a prosperous future is what is most important.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100705078.html

Pakistan working against U.S. in Afghanistan

In the United State’s war in Afghanistan one of the allies in the region is Pakistan but only in name. The Pakistani government is realistically trying to do as much as they can to prevent any creation of a strong Afghani government , which could then in the coming years ally them selves with Pakistan’s nemesis in the region, India. So while the U.S. government and the President are hoping that Pakistan will help the U.S. in the fight to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, and al-Qaeda, they have no interest in doing so, and have in fact worked against a U.S. victory. The policy in the region is to have as much allied support as possible, but looking into the ties of the Pakistani government to the radical Afghani terrorist organizations suggests that the U.S. rid themselves of this impediment on the road to achieving the goal of the insurgence in Afghanistan.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/weekinreview/10cooper.html?ref=us

Ben Rains

The Energy Debate We Should Be Having

The article The Energy Debate We Should be Having talks about how politicians are avoiding the subject of the energy usage issue. If we wait another decade before implementing changes for energy usage it will be too late. Politicians need to make decisions on how to lower our nation's energy usage now.
Many major questions need answered, such as what are the best options for producing electricity affordably without ruining our planet? Politicians need to answer many questions and find an alternative source that will lower our energy and reduce our oil usage. This needs to be done because our excess amount of energy usage is damaging our environment and contributing to global warming.

-Elizabeth Woollen

http://publicagenda.org/articles/the-energy-debate-we-should-be-having

Sustainability and Intergenerational Solidarity

The article, Sustainability and Intergenerational Solidarity, discusses why sustainability is a problem in the United States. Most elders believe that they are leaving behind a worse world than they lived in for their children and grandchildren, and most young Americans believe that life will not be as great for them as it was for their parents. America is burdened by the fiscal debt, global warming, economic and environmental dangers, and many more problems.
To change this, people need to begin to not live for themselves but for future generations. We need to reduce our carbon emissions, reduce national debt, and cultivate renewable resources. If we can change our ways, we can leave the world a better place for future generations.

-Elizabeth Woollen

http://publicagenda.org/articles/sustainability-and-intergenerational-solidarity