The BIGGEST budget cuts!

Community Health Centers:

• Serve 20million people at 7,000 different locations
• Fundings slashed by $600million for the rest of 2011
• Democrat said: they'll actually see $400million increase in funding

Land Mine Removal:

• Each year 4,000 people are maimed or killed by exploading mines
• Stopped making land mimes in the 1990's
• Exports cluster bombs
• U.S. is the largest donor to remove land mines
• Donates $80million -$100million a year for the cause
• Budget cuts $14million a yr from the departments trying to remove the mines

Food Stamps:

• Lawmakers cut fundings to food for pregant women, infants, and children
• Theyre cutting over $500million
• Served 9.1 million people in 2009
• 2010 budget of $7.3 billion

Heat for Poor People:

• Cut fundings by $390million
• Assisted people with low incomes
• Budget is pose to go towards raising oil prices

Housing Assistance for Native Americans:

• Lawmakers cut $50 million
• Budget is now dropping by $650million
• Funding was $70million over what Obama requested

U.S. Institue of Peace:

• Program says to be a:
• catalyst for empowering others to prevent, manage and resolve international conflict without resorting to violence,
• Republicans want it eliminated
• Democrats fought for it for the Department of Defense
• $10million of the agency's budget of $50million was elimanated

Relation: Public Opinion
I think that these budget cuts are really HURTING America! People already have so many responsibilities now they have to also worry but all these budget cuts. The community health centers should not have any cuts health is very imporant in a society. Land mines are very important to be removed people should not have to worry about walking somewhere and stepping on 1. Heat for poor people is not as severe that cut does affect the community but not as badd. Food stamps also are not that bad it will not make a big difference neither will housing assistance for Native Americans. U.S. Institute of Peace is very important not only does it help protect the citizens in the U.S. but also helps prevent and/or supply for wars.

Congress Passes Budget Deal

A budget deal averting government shut down just recently won approval by both the House and Senate, now they're just waiting for Obama's approval. The measure cuts $38.5 billion in spending while funding the government for the rest of the current fiscal year. The White House and Congress are now debating over how high to raise the federal debt limit. The measure passed the Republican-controlled House on a 260-167 vote. The bill would not have passed without support from members of both parties, as 59 members of the Republican majority opposed it. The Republicans and Democrats are constatntly debating and disagreeing over the budgets being raised. Obama said: "America faces a choice between a budget-slashing Republican vision that will change how society functions and a revenue-raising Democratic vision that maintains the social safety net in place for decades." Both sides did agree on seeking deficit cuts of $4 trillion over the next 10-12 years.

Republican Side:

• Passed on a 260-167 vote
• 59 members opposed it
• There vision will change how society functions

Democrat Side:

• 81 members supported it
• Revenue raisers
• There vision maintains the social safety net 

Relation: Republicans vs. Democrats

I strongly support the Democrat side on this situation. Instead of making big changes they want to keep the budget measure the same which makes more since because thats what people is use to. The social safety net vision has been used for decades so the government knows that that option works and its risky. The Republicans think there should be a change but theyre idea will change how society functions, its risky to try something new with such a large amoinut of money that once is gone you can not get back. I think the government should rule with the Democrats on this imoportant decision. The decision between the Democrats and Republicans can also be looked at as a public opinion.

Catholics Confess

Technicians have recently came out with a new app! The app is called "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" while some people may think its a joke, others think its a really great idea to have this app with them on their phones and ipods. This app helps people that can no longer get to church almost have church with them in the palm of their hand. This app is only $1.99, but the creators of this app don't want people to think that this app is taking place of the real confessional. They designed it to complement the act of confession, offering a "personal examination of conscience" and a step-by-step guide to sin-confessing. If Catholics use this app, they can engage in their faith through digital technology. Some people see it as a digital Catholic community for their use of prayer and confession. Certain Catholics from Catholic organizations have commented on the app saying that this is a very handy app and that it does help when your on the go or cant get to a confessional. 

Relation:

This app can be considered a public opinion, some Catholics may think that its nice to have this confessional on their electronic devices, but is it really that good of an idea? Some will support this app and agree that yes, it is a good idea but what if others are offended. Some Catholics may look at this app as if people are using technology to make a joke out of their religion. If you really believe in your religion and proudly support it you wont download this app but instead just attend the real confessional to relieve your sins, really attending the church will show more dedication and commitment to your fellow Catholics and to yourself for confessing your sins.  

 http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/02/09/confession/index.html?hpt=C2

Egypt and their Prime Minister

Egypt's Prime Minster had violently attacked protesters yesterday. The country's president had asked for the security chaos to be investigated. The military was there and witnessed the clashes that were taking place in in the area of Tahrir Square. The violent clash took place between supporters and foes of President Hosni Mubarak, the military didn't want things to get to severe so they decided to step in and divide the two groups. Rocks flew back and forth in an empty construction area in front of a metal barricade that anti-Mubarak protesters set up overnight. Egypt's health minister said on state-run Nile TV that at least five people were killed and 836 injured;  including 200 within one hour on Thursday morning.

When an accident occurs like this one you wonder:

• How safe is the place you call home
• Is it safe to protest for what you believe in
• How safe is your President when people protest against him
• Will protesting always lead to deaths
• Who protects you when even the Prime Minister leads to violence

The crisis has paralyzed the Egyptian economy, forcing the closure of banks, train services and schools. Markets are running short of basic food staples. All because of a protest things have been shutdown and transportation and education will now be lost. The question is how long will it take for the Egyptian economy to recover.

Relation:

Should the Prime Minister or the President be more responsible for the actions that took place that day because all though the Prime Minister created violence it is still the President's country!

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Demonstrators_on_Army_Truck_in_Tahrir_Square,_Cairo.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Demonstrators_on_Army_Truck_in_Tahrir_Square,_Cairo.jpg&usg=__4lndY1-a7N3kxgKkpcO72ulgsO4=&h=768&w=1024&sz=489&hl=en&start=30&zoom=1&tbnid=9QHizF5hBCdMiM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=154&ei=VstKTYPzNYKdlgeOkfQ6&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTahrir%2BSquare%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D1020%26bih%3D567%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=468&oei=TctKTZruFoP88Ab9tsiwDg&esq=3&page=3&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:30&tx=53&ty=72

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/03/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1

State of the Union

This year Obama spoke at the State of the Union. Normally the Democrats and Republicans sit split up into two different shootings, but this year was different. Several people were still devastated about the shooting at Tuscon that just recently happened. To show respect the Democrats and Republicans sat together and looked well united as one. Usually there cheering or yelling or agreeing and disagreeing with the topics being discussed. Obama made sure that he reached out to a very large audience that night. Several things were discussed, some of the most important topics were:

Schools:

• He feels as if the schools should be meeting higher standards
• More teachers should be hired
• No Child Left Behind

Army:

• Troops should be leaving Afghanistan in July
• Iraq

Taxes:

• Freeze health care accounts
• Tax codes
• Simpler & easier

Economic Recovery:

• How do you measure recovery
• Domestic spending
• Common sense

At the meeting that night Obama also mentioned how he would like for Congress o work together and how transportation should be switched from fossil fuels.

Gridlock

The main question being asked today is, Does Gridlock Matter? Gridlock is the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government. The Constitution ensures that the President and Congress will be rivals for power and thus rivals in policy making. This would be and example of what the checks and balances is all about. 

Divided Governments:  

• When you have a divided government its not easy to tell weather they produce fewer or worse policies than unified ones.
• Divided governments pass important laws, conduct important investigations, and ratify significant treaties.

When different parties control the White House and Congress as when the same party controls both branches. Ex. The divided governments produced:

1. The 1946 Marshall Plan - Rebuilt war- Torn Europe
2. The 1986 Tax Reform Act

Just because the Republicans control both the presidency and Congress doesn't mean that the Republican President and the Republican senators and representatives will see things the same way.
If you think the president "Will lead the country":

• Change the Constitution to resemble Parliamentary
• Vote into office members of Congress who agree with the President on policy issues.

Americans who hate gridlock but want more leadership aren't ready to make the Constitutional changes.
*Typical Presidential Election:

• 1/4 of all voters will vote for one party's candidate for president
• Other party's candidate is Congress.

Gridlock is known to be the opposite of Direct Democarcy but is necessary to the system of representative democracy.
* I think policy gridlock is bad because the government has little to no control over how the government is working due to the rival parties controlling all of the different parts.

Tea Party Challenger!!!

The 2012 Senate campaign in Virginia has its first Tea Party candidate. Jamie Radtke, head of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots, filed federal papers to run for the Republican nomination for Virginia's Senate seat. Radtke said the recent tax deal passed by Congress and increased national spending contributed to her decision to run.

Jamie Radtke feels as if:

- The career politicians can't save them from the national crisis.

- The career politicians have made the national crisis worse.
- Washington needs to be changed.
- Elect a new generation of leaders to the Senate and House.
- New leaders need to fight to restore the virtue and accountability in the government.

Radtke considers herself a Tea Party and Republican candidate, the Tea Party has grown in popularity because voters support candidates who favor  cutting deficit spending and less government.


*Jamie said "We can build on what we have learned and on the foundation we have laid in 2010 for the upcoming elections."
 

* Jamie is helping make a stand towards the governments crisis.

* She's speaking out to what she believes in and is running for Virginia's senate seat to help make a change.

* Taxes are slowly ruining our governments.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/29/virginia-gets-a-tea-party-challenger/