Friday, October 28, 2011

Student Debt Repayment

http://www.redstate.com/kevin_holtsberry/2011/10/26/student-debt-is-a-symptom-of-our-lack-of-economic-literacy/

I have three points with this article and I will unabashingly say that my liberal streak is show a little with each of them
1) Stop being hyper-critical of President of Obama and his policies. 
      a) If it was a Republican everything he did would be golden
      b) Anyone in the office would have to be trying the same policies
2) This is not that different from supply side economic recovery that was used to get us out of the Great Depression
3) Many people with student loans are stuck in jobs that will never allow them to pay it off. Not for a lack of effort on our part, but because decent jobs still do not pay enough

1) Stop being hyper-critical of President Obama and his policies.  By no means has President Obama be perfect in his running of the country, but anyone who would occupy the office would have to be trying the same policies.  Yes, if a Republican was in the White House they would be doing some things differently, but then again there are only so many different ways to pull an economy like ours out of a recession.  What really would be worse, is if there was a Republican in office.  Then we would have had to hear the same Republicans calling President Obama socialist, calling McCain a socialist.  That would be infinitely worse. As it stands now, Republicans calling a Democrat a socialist is nothing new.  McCain, or god forbid Romney, were in office, they would have by now reached the end of their conservative measures to fix the economy and would be trying things that  President Obama is trying now.  What I am trying to say, to make it clear, is that people need to stop being hyper-critical and give some time to these plans.  Let them gain footing.  The Great Depression did not end over night, neither will the Great Depression.  To think so simply show your ignorance of economics.

2) This is not that different from supply side economic recovery that was used to get us out of the Great Depression.  President Roosevelt used strategies designed to allow businesses to flourish or what economist call supply side measures Government spending was used to help business literally produce their way out of the Depression.  All of those CCC workers needed tools to build the damn, roads, and bridges.  WPA agencies had to have money to hire the workers being sent back to work.  Where did that money come from?  Not from thin air.  President Obama's plans are simply the other side of the supply and demand curve.  Rightfully, from my humble economic background, he is correct in assuming that if people have money in their pockets they will spend it.  They are going to buy new things, it's vital that we do.  Last I check too, President Bush did the same thing.  Like it our not, our economy is a consumer driven economy that relies on the consumer to buy.  If we want to heal out weak economy when much consume.  Just as the American economy was a production economy during the Great Depression and President Roosevelt used supply sided economic measures, President Obama is face with a consumer economy and must use demand side economic measures. 

3) Many people with student loans are stuck in jobs that will never allow them to pay it off. Not for a lack of effort on our part, but because decent jobs still do not pay enough.  Opponents of these measure often attack people with student loans as if were are all free loaders, and simply wanted to go to college to buy some time.  This is not true for almost any of the people I know.  Yes, there are those out there, but my goodness. 

I am a teacher.  I have a Master's Degree that allows me to teach.  That Master's Degree was not cheap, and I would not have been able to earn it without student loans.  I received a top-notch education at Emory & Henry, that was not cheap either, but there is not a single day that goes by that I do not use something I learned while in college.  I would not be where I am today, a productive (though under appreciated) member of society, who pays my taxes, and certain is trying my damnedest to teach the next generation of kids about the very government and economic systems that they will one day take over. 

Oh and hey, lay off the kids who major in philosophy. We need them.  We need people with vision, with ideals.  And just because they aren't working doesn't mean that they don't want to, it's because these people who don't want the government to do anything make it damn hard for the government to do anything in the way of creating jobs. 

Why All The Attention Continued

After some thought, and conversation with my girlfriend, that there was more to be said about this story. 
The first revelation was the notion that in some ways, people assume that veterans somehow give up their rights when they join the military, and never regain them when they leave.  This is not true.  Certainly it is more noticeable when a veteran protests something, but it is not out of the ordinary.  If anything veteran ought to be more upset at Wall Street.  They've been off fight wars, while Wall Street has managed to upheve the economy to the point that they have very little to come back to.  This is not including the fact that they have lost time gaining education, training and starting a career. 

I also, I think veterans have earned the right to protest.  It is after all the country they protected.  If they don't like something it should be, especially so, their right to stand up and say it.  We teach our students that military service (if called)  is a civic duty that is punishable by jail if not complied.  We teach demonstrating and letting your voice be heard as a civic responsibility.  Are veterans not collecting two civic virtues?  They are in my book. 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Why All The Attention?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/iraq-vet-oakland-police-tear-gas_n_1033159.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/occupy-oakland-veteran-critical-condition?newsfeed=true

Understandably, when someone prefaces their statements with " I would like to preface my statements with" they are about to contradict themselves.  To be up front, I am going to but I do some in a broad way and if you read what I have to say carefully, you will see them I truly support what is going on. 

1) Understandably a veteran has a certain place in America.  They fight, serve and die for our freedoms and our protection.  It is extremely patriotic to serve in the military.  I never have served, and that is something I have thought about many times. 
In order though to be fair, why is their such media attention if an veteran protests something?  Are they not like anyone else out there?  Does their protest ring louder or more true? Lots of every day people are out there protesting and they do not get the play veterans, or lawyers or whomever get.  This was a problem during the Vietnam protests as well.  Lots of people did little things to protest. They may have gone to a rally or they may not. While it became fashionable to do, many people took up wearing POW/MIA bracelets for men they did not know.  So, then I asks again does a veteran's protest weight more than a common person's? I think not.  All of the OWS protesters deserve recognition in some light or way.  Understandably this is hard, but it is a thought worth thinking.  Lots of people are not at the rallies themselves but support it by having their students read about it, or bringing it up at lunch so they and their co-workers can discuss it.  That is equally as patriotic as getting hit with a bean-bag round, or a veteran getting hit with a bean-bag round. 
By no means am I discrediting, I'm giving equal credit.

2) So you if you are freaked out by protest, go read about the Great Depression.  People think we have it rough now need to look back.  Go read the New York Times from '30, '31, '32. Read how people shot and butchered zebras in the NYC Zoo.  Try that on for size and see how it fits.  No way, no how, never is this Great Recession nearly as bad as the Great Depression.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Corporate Personhood


http://www.npr.org/2011/10/24/141663195/what-is-the-basis-for-corporate-personhood

I had initially felt as though no corporation should be given personhood and the Supreme Court got it flat wrong, but that changed with this interview that I heard on NRP yesterday (October 24th, 2011)

After having listened to this argument, I have to say I agree with the Professor about corporate personhood.  While your gut reaction would be to disagree, there are reasons corporate personhood in not a bad thing. 
Incorporation is almost a must for any organization these days, there for it is necessary that any group wishing to be legitimate in the world needs to be incorporated.  If the organization has something worthy to be said, then they should be able to do so under the 1st Amendment. 

More could be said about this but the article does a very good job of articulating the point


Massey Energy On Trial

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/24/massey-energy-trial-begins_n_1029434.html

This article strikes home, and while I am not from West Virginia, nor do I currently live in West Virginia, I lived in West Virginia when this happened and I saw the reactions from people who were not even connected to the tragedy. West Virginians are an extremely close knit group of people, and no that is not a incest joke.  People care for fellow West Virginians and if you show them even the least bit of kindness, they will adopt you in as if you were their own.  While living there, I was told that so long as you have bled in West Virginia, you were West Virginian. 


This trial is good for two reasons, maybe even three.  The first is that it is placing the blame where the blame is due.  The company knew that it is violating rules, all companies do.  If the CEO of the company is going to be paid like he does all the work, then it is only fair for him to take the blame like he did all the work.  Companies have a culture, all organizations do, that starts from the top and permeates down to the lowest rung.  If the big shot CEO wants to round corners then, the little guy will round corners too.  Massey was known far and wide for cutting corners from the top down. 


The second is the timing.  At first I felt it was too late, but on second thought it is fitting.  This delay will re-spark interest in mining and mining disasters..hopefully.. and keep people aware of the problems.  It is a disgrace that Massey would go as far as to order alerts when safety inspectors were coming. Rightfully they are on trial (at least publicly) now for not only the cover-ups for the disaster itself. In the future companies will think twice about looking the other way, or in this case looking in the right direction and then warning.


In addition to the re-introduction of the story, it comes at a time when Americans are already on the prowl for CEO that are not watching out for their workers or their best interests.  With the OWS movement going on it would be nice to see the serious examination of this trial.  What a good trial for the OWS movement to latch onto and hold on to.  If ever there was a case of the 1% not caring about the 99%.  Unfortunately the coal industry has long been a case of he haves and the have nots, but maybe now with a national movement aimed almost precisely at this style of problem, awareness could been raised and the coal industry put under the inspection class as it was in the 1920's, 30's and early 40's.

Monday, October 24, 2011

OSW Post

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/10/19/meet-the-1-percent.aspx

Again, I am late to the blogasphere about the Occupy Wall Street but I wanted to formulate a well rounded opinion about the subject and then weight in.  This and the fact that I am busy actually trying to teach people why/how all of the financial stuff happens.  As I have told my students many times “The problems out there can be fixed by 8th graders if people would only remember their 8th grade economics classes.”

First. I agree whole heartedly with the protesters.  I feel as though they have every right in under the United States Constitution to be out in the streets demonstrating.  It is at the very least something citizens should feel a responsibility to do.  There could be a case made that it is a civic duty that citizens stand up for what they believe and let their voices be heard. 

My one concern, and this goes for my generation as a whole, is the lack of follow-up.  My one question of the OWS protesters would be “When was the last time you voted?” Understandably a good many may have voted in 2008, and of those an even large majority voted for President Obama.  I fault them not for voting for him, but I would question why they voted for him.  Was it because he promised change? Was it because he promised change and you presumed it would be over night?  If so it is easy to see their frustrations, but their frustrations are misguided. Do not blame President Obama for not bringing about change, and certainly do not blame him for not changing over night.  America is a slow changing beast by nature.  Our political system, thankfully, is not set up that way. Because he has not brought about the change quickly does not mean that he will not bring about change

This leads to the follow-through. I fear that many of the OWS movement believe their protest is all that is needed to change.  This is simply not the case.  My generation and those at the OWS need to go far beyond marching in the streets to bring about our voices being heard.  We need to communicate, civilly, with our elected officials.  We have that freedom in American like few other countries in the world.  We need to organize ourselves into a cohesive voting block, and vote. The best and brightest of our generation need to seek out public office and make changes from within the government.  It is one thing to march; it is another to be politically active. 

Enough though of the defending, I felt as though the article at the tope of this blog was well pointed and articulate.  Warren Buffett is correct in his understanding that the top paid executives have a vested interest in their company, and will do what they have to, to prop it up to make money.  Executives need to be moral in their dealings, they need to weigh decisions out not only with their interest in mind but the economic system as well.  

Finally I think Mr. Buffett is doing just that in his dealings.  Through his career he has made sound economic and business decisions and is now in a place where he can teach future generations a lesson on business.  He does this through his outspoken advice to the President, and he does it in quite was such as producing economic lessons for children called “The Secrete Millionaires Club.” Don’t get hung up on the name, it’s produced at an 8th grade level…it has to be catchy

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Applauding A Republican Candidate For Being Reasonable





I understand that I am late in responding to this on the blogasphere but I wanted to form my opinion, and think it through rather than just pop off with my thoughts.  In formulating my opinion of this I agree with Governor Perry on the basic principle of allowing immigrants (see appendix for a comment on immigrants) to utilize the in-state tuition breaks in Texas.  I do not however agree with the negative spin on which Governor Perry makes his comments.  I will write first on my agreement, second on my disagreement, and in the appendix weight in on immigration.

My agree with Governor Perry in that we do need to allow immigrants the ability to use the in-state tuition breaks offered to citizens in order to obtain an education.  I agree with Governor Perry that education is the key to success in our country, and I applaud him for taking the stance that he does on this issue. 

First, education is vital to success in this day and time in our country.  Immigrants, like it or not, are going to be playing a role in our country's economy, would it not be better to have them educated and taking full part in our economy?  Thomas Jefferson wrote about this extensively, and I have to feel as thought he would agree with Governor Perry's position. 

In a sense, as well, Governor Perry is not enacting anything that would/could no be utilized by ordinary citizens.  If I were to move to Texas, reside in the Republic for three years, I would be able to obtain in-state tuition.  This is NOT a policy that gives advantage to immigrants, unless you call someone who moves into a state, lives for three years, and decides to go to college an immigrant.  If this is the case, I am an immigrant to the Commonwealth of Virginia, one more year and under Governor Perry's plan I can got to UVA in-state..score

I do have one disagreement with Governor Perry's wording, and this is a petty one, but worth mentioning.  I am not sure if it is necessary to add the "they will become a drag on our economy" part at the end of the statement.  It is a proven fact that education has a direct correlation on the likelihood of contributing to the economy, and the betterment of society.  That fact goes without saying.  For once it would have been nice to hear a candidate own a policy and not have to put a negative spin on it. 

Appendix- Immigration.

I have to weight in on immigration due to this post. I am opposed (adamittely) to people limiting immigration, and policy that harms immigrants in anyway.  This opposition stems on two point in which I hold very seriously, and maybe more seriously than any other position I hold in the political realm..ok maybe not as much as my views on the Constitution but close.

1) They do not take jobs from Americans.  98% of the jobs that are done by immigrant labor are jobs that are no longer desired by Americans of Anglo or African descent.  When was the last time anyone saw anything but an immigrant picking fruit, changing sheets in motels/hotels, or any other hard labor?  Americans fear the threat of this "brown horde" of people stealing American jobs away from the unemployed white, but they forget/ do not even know where their food comes from, or how buildings get built.  Anyone who complains about immigrants taking jobs from Americans ought to go out and pick tomatoes in South Carolina, cotton in Texas, or apples in Franklin County, Virginia. No you do not want to, nor would you want your children to have to, so you have three option, grow your own food, let immigrant labor pick your food, or do without your food

2) Unless your family was here from the beginning of time, you are a the child of an immigrant. At no point in our American history has there been a time when people were not wanting to come to America.  First it was the those seeking fortune, then the religious descenders from Europe, then those who were starving in their home country, then those who fled upheaval in their country, and now we are see more people seeking fortune.  English, French, Irish, Eastern Europeans, Jews, Catholics, and all points in between have been dreaded and despised by those already here.  How soon those of Irish forget "IRISH NEED NOT APPLY" signs that appeared in the years leading to the Civil War, or the "DOGS AND JEWS NOT PERMITTED" banners that hung doorways of restaurants in the early 1900's.  This is what greeted my ancestors and I will be damned in I allow myself to do the same.