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