In business outreach, Obama mulls lobby group speech

In an attempt to further emphasis the government’s switch to the New Governance Paradigm, which utilizes the relationship between the public and private sector, President Barack Obama is considering giving a speech in January to the Chamber of Commerce, a major business lobby, as part of a new outreach to corporations. Obama’s administration has been accused of having policies that have been portrayed as unfriendly to business. After the November 2 congressional elections, which handed Republicans control of the House of Representatives and decreased Democrats' majority in the Senate, Obama said he had to do a better job of making sure the business community knew they had a supporter in the White House.

-Rebecca Jania

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101120/pl_nm/us_obama_business

Over 95 Percent of 9/11 Workers Approve Settlement

Just over 95 percent of the of the workers that sued the city of new york over 9/11 have approved of a negotiated settlement that would total 625 million dollars in payouts. City workers including firemen, police officers and others claimed in their lawsuits that the city did not provide adequate protective equipment and supervision, which in turn caused them to develop respiratory and other illnesses that affected them later. individual payments will range from $3,250 to $1.8 million. this was agreed upon after a legal battle lasting 7 years.

Tom Millman
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/nyregion/20zero.html?_r=1&hp

Young Voters feel abandoned

When Obama won 2 years ago with a historic 66% of the 18 to 30 year old voter group. Now the under 30 voters are feeling disappointed as they had hoped to "play a bigger role in the Obama agenda." Why did Obama only seem to focus on the young voter when beneficial for him? A combination of hard feelings and the midterm effect has made the under 30 group "less involved and more ambivilant." This is an example of the decline in social capital. The under 30 voter group was coherent and mobilized when they believed in the promises Obama made. Now young voters are not doing their part because of "dissipation of trust relations by government."

Aria Greenberg

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/us/politics/01generationo.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=no%20young%20voters&st=cse

Pat-Downs at Airports Prompt Complaints

Airplane travelers have been expressing complaints at the Transportation Security Administration's new, more aggressive full-body searches. Travelers complain of inappropriate contact and comments, and a feeling of powerlessness and humiliation at the new search policy. These complaints are coming in on top of the public's privacy concerns relating to the full-body scanners used at many major airports.

This issue shows the possible difficulties with using direct government as a tool to handle a situation. The TSA is a direct department of the federal government, so its policies are an extension of the executive branch. Direct government is the most effective tool to use when dealing with security issues, but the problem is that the public do not get to have any input in the policies or choose whether or not to follow them. In the case of airport security, direct government is the best option so passengers will just have to learn to adapt to the new standards.

- Stephanie Doctrow

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/business/19security.html?ref=us

F.D.A. Issues Warning Over Alcoholic Energy Drinks

This article talks about the newest controversy in caffeine and alcohol mixed drinks. F.D.A commissioner Margaret Hamburg states "drinks appeared to pose a serious public health threat because the caffeine masked the effects of the alcohol, leading to “a state of wide-awake drunk.” This state of mind can lead to many fatal situations and is being banned all together. The F.D.A has given companies up to 15 days to stop adding caffeine to the alcohol drinks or just stop selling in general. This is related to social regulation, ensuring the public’s safety. The regulation of making caffeine and alcohol mixed drinks illegal is to ensure the well being of Americans.



Elizabeth Sziler

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/us/18drinks.html?ref=todayspaper

Midterms Threaten Obama’s Rail Plans

The Obama administration’s signature transportation initiative is almost always described as “high-speed rail.” But more than half of the $10.4 billion the administration has awarded for rail so far has not gone toward real bullet trains, but to build slower, conventional train lines that it hopes will form the foundation of a nationwide high-speed rail network.

Now, though, that strategy is being tested by this month’s midterm election results, which have halted a couple of the administration’s biggest train projects.

Work on a pair of conventional rail lines in the Midwest is grinding to a stop now that Ohio and Wisconsin have elected Republican governors who are threatening to spurn $1.2 billion in federal rail money that their Democratic predecessors had sought and won. The governors-elect are concerned that the new trains will not be fast enough or transformative enough to convert their state’s drivers into paying railroad passengers.

Now more and more people are lost their confidents on Obama because he didn't finish his promise, I think because of all the publice issue is hard to done, and it is not his problem that the public issue haven't fix well, it's because of the determine of the society, it is a long time for Obama, I think we have to give him some times.

Reid to Push to Allow End of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

In a direct challenge to Republicans who support the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said he would push ahead with a military policy bill that includes language authorizing the Pentagon to repeal the ban.

Senator John McCain of Arizona, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, led his colleagues in blocking consideration of the bill in September in part because it allowed the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Mr. McCain has not changed his position, and Democrats had been considering stripping the provision to advance the legislation.

But the White House on Wednesday repeated President Obama’s commitment to repealing the ban. In a statement later in the day, Mr. Reid said he would bring the bill to the floor, with the repeal language in place. “We need to repeal this discriminatory policy so that any American who wants to defend our country can do so,” Mr. Reid said.

Some people think " Don't ask, Don't tell" is not care about the soldiers, this policy is hurt soldiers and not supported by the soldiers, they just want to keep this phenomenon secretly so that they can still look good, but I think, if you don't care about the soldiers, how they trust you, and give their lives for you to protect our people?

California Court Backs Illegal Immigrant Students

LOS ANGELES — In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that illegal immigrants can be eligible for the same reduced tuition at public colleges and universities as legal residents of the state.

The ruling is the latest in a series of high-profile battles about state immigration policies. In addition to Arizona’s strict new immigration law, which the United States Department of Justice has challenged in court, nine other states have laws similar to California’s, with lawsuits pending in Nebraska and Texas.

Currently, students who attend at least three years of high school in California and graduate are eligible for in-state tuition at public schools, which can save them as much as $12,000 a year compared with students who come from other states.

Illegal immigrants remain ineligible for state or federal financial aid.

The California court ruled that the 2001 state law does not conflict with a federal prohibition on education benefits for illegal immigrants based on residency, in part because United States citizens from other states who attend high school in California may also benefit.

That is really interesting that the illegel immigrants can get the same tuition as a resident student, and I think it is a poblic issue, that means on one hand the US are chasing the illegel immigrants and on the other hand, the illegel immigrants' children can share the benifit with the legel American in school. I think this is a way the American government make up the economic problem.

publicans may be less eager than Obama for bipartisanship

Presidential aides accepted the explanations. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs joked Wednesday that the announcement of a new date for the gathering, Nov. 30, is a sign that " bipartisanship has happened." It appeared to signal that Republicans are less eager than the White House to begin a new era of bipartisanship, and it was a stark example of Obama's diminished ability to bend lawmakers to his would. Many conservative activists don't want the GOP to compromise on any major issues. And as Obama has suggested that he wants to reach a deal on tax cuts with the GOP, his party's base has criticized him.

Post by: Ziying Yuan

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/11/17/AR2010111707547.html

Plans to Increase Civic Engagement in Public Schools

In relation to our class discussion today about civic engagement, this article talks about getting parents involved within their child's schooling. They say this will help eliminate non-academic barriers to learning, such as poverty and substance abuse. We can see this is obviously an important facet of American governance because federal funds are being allocated for this project and the realization has occurred that people come from all walks of life and it is ultimately one's personal life/actions that create who they are. School districts can be considered social capital because they provide mutual benefit between the students and community. America must work before it loses its social capital.

http://www.salemnews.net/page/content.detail/id/535190/Plans-to-get-parents-involved-in-schools-to-include-other-barriers.html?nav=5007

Michelle Watkins

Let's Move! Campaign

First lady Michelle Obama has been rallying for healthier lifestlyes since the rates of obesity has risen. Michelle came up with the Let's Move campaign for child obesity and it has recently gained much attention in the public eye. The U.S. Senate passed the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act," which will give millions more children access to healthier meals by creating new nutrition standards for all foods served in public schools. Children will be served the same familiar foods they know such as pizza and chicken nuggets but made with more healthy ingredients and the meal with come with more fruits and vegetables. This is relevent to our class because one team is making a policy on child obesity and Michelle Obama could be a source for them because she is passionate about this and it is a major problem in the U.S.






http://www.essence.com/news/hot_topics_4/first_ladys_lets_move_campaign_gains_spe.php

Top GOP senator flips on proposal to ban earmarks

One of the top Republicans in the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, reversed his views on pork-barrel projects, more commonly referred to as “earmarks.” Earmarking is the longtime Washington practice in which lawmakers insert money for home-state projects, like road or bridge work, into spending bills. McConnell had been a strong defender of earmarking, even in a recent speech and a Sunday morning talk show appearance. Then, he had argued that earmarks shift too much power to President Barack Obama and wouldn't save taxpayers any money. McConnell said, " there is simply no doubt that the abuse of this practice has caused Americans to view it as a symbol of the waste and the out-of-control spending that every Republican in Washington is determined to fight."

-Rebecca Jania



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101115/ap_on_go_co/us_mcconnell_earmarks

More European Financial Woes

The European union is facing another financial crisis with the Ireland's national budget approval on the not so distant horizon. The country is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and to save the collective the European Union is planning on giving roughly 85 billion euros to aid the country. Now here's the catch, many officials in Ireland a fighting against receiving the bailout because it would damage it's sovereignty, and impose a large debt to be paid to the International Monetary Fund. The policy tools in use here are making Ireland hesitant, a lot of the money will be loaned in a direct government fashion which undermines national sovereignty. At the same time Ireland is actively trying to balance its budget without receiving a bailout. As an outsider one has to note that this is the exact reason that so many people were against forming the EU in the first place, beacuse of the risk of individual countries endangering the collective.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/business/global/16euro.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=business

A School Fights for Life in Battered Haiti

In keeping with my trend to connect my posts with my teams policy proposal that is about education, I found this article about a girl's school in Haiti. Many may not realize that after the tragedy in Haiti, the already shaky educational system was hit very hard when school buildings were destroyed. This article reports on how excited the young girls of the Collège Classique Féminin were more than ecstatic to begin their first school year after the earth-quake. The first thing that comes to mind is just how much we in the American school systems take education for granted. How many of us would really be this excited to return to school?

-Victoire

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/world/americas/15haiti.html?_r=1&hp

Aid Spawns Backlash in Haiti

Despite increased international response to its devastating earthquake, Haitian health care has not managed to be revitalized. Haiti's most prominent hospital, L'Hôpital de l'Universite d'Etat d'Haiti, is still not getting the medical reconnaissance it deserves. This is primarily due in part to the the bureaucracy that surrounds new allocation of funds from the Haitian government to charitable organizations. The NGOs also seem to have a disconnect in the implementation of this cost-allocation system. They are losing the ability to funnel the much-needed money through their top-down implementation approach. While there are clearly defined goals in helping this hospital care for earthquake victims and general patients, the objectives have not seemed to translate so explicitly to the lower levels in the chain of command.

Paychecks for CEOs Climb

The chief executives of the largest U.S. public companies enjoyed bigger paydays in their latest fiscal year. This was in a direct relationship to the increase of share prices recovered and profits soared. Once again this is a prime example of chief executives in large public companies soaring in profits and with their paychecks with no regard to anyone else in this recession. According to an analysis of CEOs at these 456 companies and their latest proxy filings for The Wall Street Journal by consulting firm Hay Group, the median pretax value of CEO salaries, bonuses and longterm incentives, such as grants of stock and stock options, rose by 3% to $7.23 million. The overall increase mostly reflects the larger study's inclusion of 65 companies whose fiscal years ended after January 3, thus encompassing more of the recovery. Many boards lowered the bar, with easier targets on bonuses and more reliance on restricted stock not tied to performance goals. Basically, in analysis of this article recently these public companies that have been giving back more to their shareholders and not just all about just the CEO making the "bucks" are getting higher standards by analyses'.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704756804575608434290068118.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

Arizona voters approve medical marijuana measure

This article titled Arizona voters approve medical marijuana measure is a piece that reviews the passing of a measure that will legalize medical marijuana in Arizona. 50.1% of the voters voted yes on proposition 203. In a statement the Marijuana policy project said anyone suffering from AIDS, cancer, and other illnesses with a recommendation from a doctor will benefit from this passing. It is relevant to class because it is an example of a public problem, and with enough support from the public of Arizona was able to get this proposition of the ballot and fix the problem.

-Matthew Abelman
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/14/arizona.medical.marijuana/index.html

Growing backlash against TSA body scanners, pat-downs

The airports are already avoided due to the long security delays, and they just might get worse. Numerous groups are fighting the new full body scanners that are being placed in airports across the nation. This full body scanners and full pat downs are causing people to boycott. People are saying that the equipment could be hazardous to their health and they should not be treated like criminals and be patted down. The issue of airplane security is very important, but the long delays in security are vital as well. Groups are urging citizens not to use airplanes and if they do to refuse the detector and make the wait longer with a full body search.
-Will Kalish
Growing backlash against TSA body scanners, pat-downs

Sustainable Design

This article from the New York Times shares various opinions of the green/sustainability movement in the USA.  It also talks about various techniques real estate developers can utilize to ensure that their developments meet green standards.  It mentions the LEED certification system and checklist which is a checklist of sustainable methods a developer can follow in order to receive LEED certification.  Sustainable building is very important in today’s world and more and more people are holding developers to a higher standard.  A building can last many years and it is essential that throughout its lifetime it emits as little toxins as possible.  The article goes on to explain that developers who utilize sustainable methods in the construction of a building can be eligible for a variety of tax cuts and other incentives.  This relates to class because it is an example of government tax expenditures.

-Robbie Nichols

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/sustainable_design/for_the_home/index.html?scp=3&sq=green%20building&st=cse

Students aware of Four Loko risks, keep drinking

An emerging issue across the United States is the drink call Four Loco and the effects it has on drinkers. The drink is a larger size can that contains tons of caffeine and is equivalent to five beers. All of this in one can for around three dollars somehow leads to people drinking way too much and getting sick. The debate has already to begun on the dangerous drink and has been banned in some areas. The tools of government have already been put in use. Some towns have made regulations to ban the sale of these drinks. Other places have just begun by notifying people of the dangers of the drink. Either way the government has already stepped in to regulate the problem.
-Will Kalish
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/14/maryland.four.loko/index.html

Should You Be Snuggling With Your Cell Phone?

It has been determined that holding a cell phone against your ear as well as stuffing it in a pocket against your body may be hazardous to your health. The warning against this hazardous behavior is only mentioned in fine print in the little slip of paper that you toss aside when you open your phone, so therefore the warning is generally missed by an awful lot of customers. Since health issues arise from ordinary use of this hardware, it affects not only a large span of customers but also a huge industry. Brain cancer is one of the major concerns, but overall there has not been a general increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. This poses a public problem because now that people are more aware of the dangers of cell phones, the demand for cell phones may decrease and therefore hurt the industry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/business/14digi.html?src=me&ref=general

Kilee Imlay

Panel Seeks Social Security Cuts and Higher Taxes

The commission on reducing the national debt devised a plan that calls for deep cuts in domestic and military spending, a gradual 15 cents a gallon increase in the federal gasoline tax, limiting or eliminating popular tax breaks in return for lower rates, and benefit cuts and an increased retirement age for social security. This relates to our in class discussion on tax expenditures, or special provisions in the income tax system that provide financial incentives to individuals. This plan would reduce the cost of living, including social security, but the issue of equity arises in that the government is making budget cuts in other areas and while taxes are being increased gradually it could make a world of difference to low income individuals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/us/politics/11fiscal.html?scp=1&sq=tax%20expenditures&st=cse

-Kelly Neary

Backers of Legal Marijuana Find Silver Lining in Defeat of California Measure

This article talks about the recent Proposition 19 that would have legalized marijuana in California. Even though marijuana hasn’t been legalized yet, with about 48% supporting the proposition it shows that there’s hope for 2012. The main debate is how much tax revenue would have been made if marijuana were to have been made legal. This topic connects to what Birkland discusses as social regulation, rules and regulation that improve and benefit well-being of Americans. Citizens won’t vote to legalize marijuana until they are told that it is not threatening to health and well-being to their families. Yet, many believe the campaign was a success because it educated people and brought the issue to the mainstream.

Eizabeth Sziler


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/us/14pot.html?ref=todayspaper

Social Security Judge A Dangerous Profession

Judges who hear social security disability cases are receiving more and more threats of violent nature. They are receiving these threats due to denial of coverage/benefits or delays in processing. There were over 80 threats to harm or kill administrative law judges or staff over the last year. Nearly 2 million people are waiting to find out if they qualify for benefits, with many having to wait more than two year to see a initial payment. Judges blame this hostility on claimants becoming desperate after years of fighting for money to help make ends meet. No judges have been harmed this year, there have however, been previous incidents: A judge in Low Angeles was hit over the head with a chair during a hearing, a judge in N.Y. was punched by a claimant when he arrived to work. In January, a gunman killed a security guard during a furious gunbattle at a Nevada federal courthouse. There are about 1,400 administrative judges that handle Social Security appeals, at about 150 offices across the country, many are leased office buildings instead of proper government buildings. They lack the proper security and steps are being taken to improve the effectiveness of office security.

Hayden Wolf

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101114/ap_on_go_ot/us_judges_threats;_ylt=AtzCjuCPvJ.S0f.edP1lZVas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtMDU4azRkBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMTE0L3VzX2p1ZGdlc190aHJlYXRzBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMTAEcG9zAzcEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNzb2NpYWxzZWN1cmk-

Watchdog Planned for Online Privacy

After many past administrations have avoided internet privacy laws, Obamas staff has taken the initiative on creating internet regulations. With the amount of personal information available on the internet and the increase in social networking this type of law is a necessity to keep the internet safe and private. Currently there is no law in the United States that protects online users except the FTC "which can take action only if a privacy-violating action is deemed "deceptive" or "unfair."
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which is responsible for ads on the internet, is already trying to argue against any new type of privacy laws stating that "We believe we are living up to consumer-privacy expectations and are very advanced in privacy protections and innovations."

What actions should the United States take? Should they adopt stricter regulations like Canada or Germany?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703848204575608970171176014.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews

Ambition is curbed, but Democrats still have a lame-duck agenda

As Democrats head into the lame-duck session they will have to pick and choose carefully which issues they try to push through congress. When Republican’s take over the House Democrats will most likely not be able to pass many of their reforms such as the repeal of the “don’t-ask don’t-tell” policy and cap and trade environmental policies. Republican’s don’t plan on standing down or compromising once they take control of the House, they feel the American people are now behind them. Because of this it is important to the White House that Democrats put the right issues on the decision agenda to enact as many policies as possible before the party loses their majority standing in the House.

Kate White

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lame-duck-20101113,0,3743650.story