New Bill questionable

Despite the fact that congress made history by passing the bill that Barack Obama proposed, a lot of people who are uninsured may not be so supportive. The Bill requires everyone to have some sort of health insurance, and that it extends to everyone. People think that the middle-class families are going to have to spend more in healthcare and taxes to help get the bill started. Social Security may not be there in a few decades, so this bill could actually benefit people. Also, younger individuals are anxious about this health bill because many cannot afford to have insurance, but do not qualify to have government provided insurance.

I'm glad that the bill was passed, it might help improve the situation in healthcare. People are nervous because this is such a big change. I do believe, that this is a great idea, and that it marks a legacy for healthcare.

Health insurance extension not guaranteed to bring new votes to Democrats - washingtonpost.com

Health Bill decision almost final

It has been the subject of dispute. Should Health Care benefits span over to people with pre-existing conditions? Barack Obama has been trying to get a health care bill passed so that people with pre-existing conditions will still be able to have proper health insurance. Nancy Pelosi is also anxious because she also feels that all people should have health care. Republicans in the senate (and even some democrats) are very skeptical about this proposal. They probably have made their decision, but we will not know right away. If this bill were to be passed it would be over 950 billion dollars, it would exceed the limited budget of 875 billion dollars that the country wants to stay under. Obama is strongly advising more loans to be taken out to meet the budget, but the economy is in defecit, it may make matters worse. People in the senate have been considering other methods to fix the economy. They want to conserve the money and keep it solely for govenment based projects, job creations, and coverage. Furthermore, they still want to decide weather or not to extend unemployment benefits, a lot of these goals could be compromised if they decide to use that money solely for the Health care bill. A lot of doctors also don't like the idea because the government will have more say in healthcare. According to other sources the number of physicians could decline tremendously if this bill is passed. However, it should not be about the money it should be about helping people. A new Health care bill could be what the people really need.

It's important but I can see the downside to this Health care bill. According to the article it seems that it may not end the problems of the faltering economy after all. Since the federal government would have to borrow more money for the funds. Hopefully there can be a solution and I believe that it will be a good one. So many people are hopeful, as I am.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/us/politics/20health.html?pagewanted=2

An unlikely friendship

Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton have gone through a lot while campaigning for the coveted position of President. It was hard for them to endure their rivalry because they both felt that they had something new and different to offer as President. Unfortunately, neither of them liked each other's ideas on how they would run the country. When Barack Obama finally won the election, a lot of people were surprised when he offered the role of secretary of state to Clinton. Another surprise was when she accepted the offer. Nobody would have thought that Obama and Clinton would go from political adversaries to alliances. Hilary has also advocated for Obama's health plan, and has been interested in traveling to the persian gulf to find ways to stop any sort of detremental activity that could be going on there. They have both been very supportive of each other of their ideas about the country.

I think it is excellent that they have come to terms with their disagreements and have decided to work around it to figure out a better solution. That is not something you see in politics. Usually politicians never really come to terms with the opposing politicians. It becomes very long and drawn out because the politicans seem to always hold grudges against each other. Very rarely you will see two opponents in politics come together to figure out a solution. Republicans and Democrats will always have disagreements, but I have noticed that they have also started to work around their differences because they want what is best for the country. I think a lot of politicians should look up to Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama because they will see that it is possible to set aside differences and essentially become friends and let bygones be bygones.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/us/politics/19policy.html?pagewanted=2&ref=politics

People going back to school during job crisis.

Due to the faltering economy, many people are strongly considering to go back to school in order to achieve prosperity in the job market. A lot are going into professional schools like Law or Medicine. Some are finding new degrees all together and going with degrees related to the jobs popular now. However, many are not considering the drawbacks that come with going back to school and completing it as well. First off, many think that when they go back to school and earn another degree, like a master's degree or a doctorate degree, they think that they will immediately find a job. That is not the case, since a lot of people are having the same ideas, the job market will actually get worse for people who obtain new degrees since there will be an overwhelming demand for such jobs.

According to the article, many people are not, however pursuing mainstream degrees such as a master's or first professional. Instead, those who lack a college degree are instead going to two year schools, hoping to find a good associate's degree in order to get a good job. Unfortunately, many lack the knowledge, that they probably won't find a job right away, and going back to such schools cost money, that financial aid may not even cover. Furthermore, such jobs may not even be available in a few years because of the changing job market.

The government is noticing the increasing cost of education that is going with the faltering economy. They are providing programs to people, some even free of charge so that they can better themselves education wise. Moreover, they are also funding career exploration seminars that could help people pursue careers that they think they have a chance at exceeding in. With these approaches, a lot of people could go back to school and get back on their feet, possibly even find a job.

I like that people are considering to go back to school, even people who haven't lost their jobs yet, but fear they may are even going back to school to earn a degree in hopes that it will secure their job. However, I think that people should try to focus on getting good degrees that they have a connection to and that they think they may have a chance at succeeding in. I did read that some for-profit schools that solely offer vocational training, are starting to con people into enrolling at their colleges by saying that they can easily find a job. Furthermore, some people are instead finding themselves in more debt when they don't find a job and have to pay back tuition costs that financial aid will not cover. I don't think that is a good idea. I did read that a lot of people are pursuing full college degrees, master's, and professional degrees as well. I think that people will find these endeavors very rewarding for the future. Education is the key to success.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14schools.html?adxnnl=1&ref=business&src=me&pagewanted=2&adxnnlx=1268762475-QlVeq/0R0qRrQxSuOZ/c7Q

Debt for Corporate Companies

In may, several corporations will be required to pay back over 700 billion dollars that they have incurred over the years. Several may or may not be able to pay the money back. Furthermore, the country needs to borrow several trillion dollars, but unfortunately there is not enough money to go around. For instance, a lot of banks usually are able to give such money to the country when they need to borrow it because of the amount of loans and bonds that people have. Unfortunately, due to the credit-crisis and faltering economy, banks have suffered because there aren't any people who have been able to take out loans and most of all pay them back. A lot of people who have had properties foreclosed is another example of banks not being able to pay back their debt to other companies. Even though some properties have been foreclosed, banks are unable to find people to sell them to. So this ripple-effect has affected everyone.

Specifically in for the amount of debt incurred, it is really hard to see if this problem can be fixed. I think that the senate can find a proper solution. Corporations, should also make sure that they keep track of their finances and accounts so that they are not spending more than what they can afford, and that they can most of all pay it back to the government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/business/16debt.html?src=me&ref=general

Obama to prolong family vacation to work on Health Bill

The Health Bill has been very controversial and it a lot of members in the senate are struggling to find a suitable way to fix the problem. Medicaid is very important and a lot of people who cannot afford proper health insurance rely heavily on Medicaid. Obama had planned on meeting officials in Indonesia, and he had planned to bring his family with him there. However, many people have criticized him for planning a trip during the process of finding a new health bill, it seems that he wants to take a vacation instead. So in order to alleviate the senate he has delayed his vacation for a good amount of time so that the issue can be fixed.

I think that it is good that he has put the country's needs before his own. I don't think that he should be criticized for taking a family vacation. Although he has said that it is for business, he can still take a vacation if he wants to. But, I think it really shows that he wants to work with the senate to pass a proper Health Care bill, it shows his unending commitment as president.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/obama-to-delay-pacific-trip-by-three-days/?hp

Pressure for students to perfor

The No Child Left Behind policy has stirred up some controversy in the school system. Many people are noticing in smaller schools, that children are not doing so well in academics. The government is hoping on creating more programs to help people, but a lot are extremely skeptical. Since students are not doing so well on standardized tests, a lot of pressure is on the teachers to make sure that they can get their students to do well on these tests in school.

Teachers are finding new and innovative ways to teach their students and help them perform their best in the academics and on the state exams. The Federal Government is also finding ways to come up with funding to provide more programs at school, such as sports, extra-curricular activities, technology, and such to motivate kids to stay in school and succeed. A lot of education professors at different universities have given various ideas as to why there is a decline in performance from students, especially with the faltering economy students should actually be more motivated to do better. However, it is very hard to make it so that every student will get motivated to do better. Barack Obama is considering to extend school days and shorten vacations. That creates a whole new controversy because some are liking the idea, while others are not. Some say, that smaller class sizes would help students get more attention for school work, but others don't like the amount of work that would have to go in to make that happen.

I think that all students want to do better in school, but some just aren't motivated. New and innovative programs, as well as stellar teaching skills from teachers will definitely improve the way students learn and perform in school. I feel that schools offer a lot of good opportunities to succeed, in the end it is the students decision to take advantage of them and do well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html?pagewanted=3&em

Unemployment rate remains 9.7 percent

The unemployment rate has remained at 9.7 percent. Several economists felt that it would rise during this season, however it has remained the same and there has not been a loss of jobs according to several statistics. A lot of people felt that snowstorms would affect the job market, since people would not have a proper way to commute. Surprisingly, it has not been affected that much. The bureau was not able to figure out proper statistics to determine. Moreover, the amount of jobless claims has dropped recently which is great. Is this signs of improvement?

I think that this could be deemed as a sign of improvment. Winter is usually a time for people to lose jobs or experience a reduced salary. The snow does have an affect, but it was not able to be accounted for. Also, the jobless claims that went down is another good sign, since the government will not have to constantly send out more unemployment checks, and instead can use the money for possibly creating more jobs for many. Economists are hoping that the jobless claims goes lower than 400,000, they are very skeptical, because they think that by the end of this year the unemployment rate will rise to a high 10 percent.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/economy-watch/2010/03/feb_unemployment_rate_remains.html?hpid=topnews&hpid=topnews