I used to joke that instead of struggling to run public schools, governments ought to give parents the district’s per pupil allotment for each of their children and let families decide where to send their children to school. Imagine my surprise when that became actual education policy, known as vouchers. It appears that lawmakers in [...]
Tired of March Madness? Here’s A Final Four That Can Save Your Life
March 26, 2013 | Posted by
Do you have the NCAA bracket buster blues? The tournament upsets so far have given new meaning to March Madness, no doubt. Maybe it’s time to play a different game. The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA) have created an interactive game that mimics the NCAA tournament and allows [...]
Beyonce’s ‘Bow Down’ Not Very Deep, Just Lame
March 23, 2013 | Posted by
I am not hip. I still listen to FM radio. I still buy CDs – occasionally. By the time I figure out who’s hot, I’m usually past the expiration date for relevance. But I’ve recently been fascinated by the hating on Beyonce. I like her music well enough. I’ve always been a sucker for anthem-type [...]
GOP Report Concludes Too Many Groups Don’t ‘Like’ Them
March 20, 2013 | Posted by
The GOP national committee has issued a Republican Party report that calls for major change to win over groups that have been going heavily for Democrats in recent elections because, the report said, they don’t believe Republicans “like” them. The report included feedback from focus groups, surveys, interviews with activists and consultants and was drafted [...]
Lobbyists are the Washington Powers That Really Control the Budget Process
March 15, 2013 | Posted by
There isn’t much news in saying Democrats and Republicans remain far apart in trying to reach a budget compromise. This is largely because of their fundamental, philosophical economic policy differences over raising revenue or extensive cuts, especially of so-called entitlement programs, including Medicare and Social Security. One of the dirty little secrets of budget building [...]
Wealth Gap Leads to Health Gap, With Blacks on The Bottom
March 12, 2013 | Posted by
There comes a time in many people’s lives where they decide they can no longer sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to address an issue that concerns them or someone near to them. They realize they must go after federal and local lawmakers to get issues of equity addressed. Entitlement reform may [...]
In Surprise, GOP Finally Decides to Support Violence Against Women Act
March 2, 2013 | Posted by
After fighting the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act for more than a year, House Republican leaders threw in the towel Thursday and 87 GOP congressmen voted with Democrats to pass the bill 286-138. The passage sent to President Barack Obama a renewal of the 1994 law that has been described as the standard [...]
Payday Loans Allow Major Banks to Cash in
February 26, 2013 | Posted by
Fifteen states ban payday loans, but a growing number of lenders have, of course, found a way around those bans, often with the assistance of major banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Payday loan companies have set up online operations in states where the practice is still legal and have outsourced [...]
GOP Finally Gives in on Hagel, Allowing Defense Nomination to Go Forward
February 22, 2013 | Posted by
It now appears that Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel finally has enough votes to be confirmed by the Senate. That does not mean, however, there still won’t be any last-minute maneuvers to delay the process yet again. Republicans are already damning the former Republican senator from Nebraska with faint praise. ‘‘He’s probably as good as [...]
For Older Workers of Color, These Are The Worst of Times
February 19, 2013 | Posted by
Many Americans are working longer as the recession has taken a bite out of their retirement plans. For those who lose their jobs in their 40s and 50s, it can be a really scary time as employers often look to hire younger and cheaper. The fear is that older workers could mean more expense, not [...]
