DOT Hiding Cash for Clunkers Data, LaHood Oblivious

Another reason to say NO to the addition of $2 Billion to the Cash for Clunkers program. Honestly, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was even quoted as saying he was looking to purchase a Ford Explorer...16 mpg...shows how much he knows.

>>>AP: Obama Administration Won’t Release Full Data on ‘Cash for Clunkers’

Published Post Number:147/153
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Shame on Weak Addition to Cash for Clunkers

Shame on the United States Congress for approving another $2 billion for the "Cash for Clunkers" program today. The program, which started earlier this week, allows owners to trade in a qualified, old, gas-guzzling vehicle for a newer vehicle with higher Miles Per Gallon in return for a $3,500 or $4,500 rebate. Already this week, $100 million has been redeemed of the original $1 billion approved for the program. Although this program is a good start at making our environment better while keeping the auto industry going from its already-faint heartbeat, the plan is flawed. The only specifics as to what kind of new car you can get is just one that has a higher MPG rating than the old car - hardly would make any difference if your old car got 18mpg and your new one gets 22mpg right? Representatives and Senators should have corrected this mistake with this second pass on the program. Don't get me wrong, I am not against keeping American auto workers on the job. However, Detroit wanted lower standards originally because they could barely compete with Japanese automakers' highly fuel-efficient vehicles, but in return, we screwed up a BIG chance to really turn this country around with better, cleaner, vehicles.
But there is hope in sight: a bipartisan group of senators is planning to oppose the new deal unless more stringent fuel-efficiency requirements are added. Oddly enough, 95 Republicans opposed the bill, even though the auto lobby has historically been pretty aligned with the GOP.

http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/31/house-quickly-sends-2-billion-more-to-cash-for-clunkers/

Published Post Number:146/152
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FDA May Get Chance at Regulating Big Tobacco

Finally, after decades of irrefutable scientific evidence that smoking harms the health and the creation of smoke-free environments in numerous cities, the Food and Drug Administration may finally be able to regulate the tobacco industry. Last Thursday, the U.S. House approved a measure that would allow the FDA to "regulate the contents of tobacco products, make their ingredients public, prohibit flavoring, require much larger warning labels and strictly control or prohibit marketing campaigns, especially those geared toward children." However, companies can continue to put the harmful nicotine and tobacco in cigarettes. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Waxman (D-CA) in the House and by Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) in the Senate. However, Rep. Buyer (R-IN) is proposing a bill that would threaten that power. Honestly, the ill health effects of smoking are so upfront that no one should be going up against something that may save lives. Of course, in China

Published Post Number:120/126
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Obama Gives Speech on 1st Year

Watch Barack Obama's speech on his agenda for his first year in office live now!

http://video.ap.org/?pid=R9msqOsYZ2TmkWttgWjBgV72_tYSs_Oh&f=1010WINS


Edited:
CNN's summary of speech

CSPAN video of President Obama's speech
CSPAN video of the GOP's response given by Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA), which was far from spectacular.

Published Post Number:111/117
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Say NO to Boxer/Inhofe Amendment

Currently, there is an amendment for the stimulus package proposed by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) - Inhofe is a global warming denier - that would kill mass transit funding and give $50 billion for highway construction. I recognize the fact that having large-scale road construction is a more visible sign of stimulating the economy, but more roads = more cars = more demand for fossil fuels = higher prices for fuel, increased pollution, more funding towards potential terrorism. Tell your senators to vote NO to the Boxer-Inhofe amendment and to vote YES on Senator Schumer's (D-NY) amendment to the Murray bill (which was defeated) that would boost transit funding to (a still measly) $15 billion while leaving $40 billion in highway funding intact, either by calling them or emailing them. More information here:

Urgent Action: Oppose Highway Robbery in Senate Stim Bill
Urgent Alert: Oppose Wasteful Highway Funding Amendment
Tell the Senate: Vote NO on highways-only amendments!

PostID:99/105

To Save or Not Save (the US Automakers)

I would love to see Ford and GM's CEOs work for $1 a year.

>>>Yahoo! News-Ford tells Congress it may be able to go it alone

Summaries: Bush Too Hard, Magnifier for Congress, Religulous

Bush Too Hard

Looks like President Bush is a little too desperate for friends.
I could go all sensationalistic on this, but how about you judge for yourself. The following is a picture of Bush with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi in 2006, from Wikipedia and featured in the article Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. Look at Bush's left hand-he may be hugging a little too hard...almost like he wants to choke Singh.


Magnifier for Congress
Oh, and I found this while surfing the web - GovTrack.us. Its purpose is to give details of what the US Congress is doing, who's behind it, and just how politically polarized this country is. (Not to mention religious too...

Religulous
...but for religion why not check out Bill Maher's new documentary, Religulous, just released yesterday and directed by Larry Charles (Borat, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Dilbert). It promises to blow your mind on the world's numerous religions and how they're all connected...except for Tom Cruise's Scientology. I'll be sure to catch this movie.
>>>Religulous Movie Official Site
>>>IMDb: Religulous

777 Ain't Lucky After All

I'm talking about the stock market of course. The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted 777.68 points today , as the US House rejected a $700 billion bailout plan for the nation's crippling bank and investment system. It was the largest one day decline for the Dow Jones, resulting in a $1,000,000,000,000 loss for investors, and other markets both in New York and in the world quickly reacted and followed suit with their own losses. Looks like stuffing money under the mattress might be back...

(Screenshot from: CNN Money)
Edited 11:38

GOP Gives Oil Companies $ While Screwing Alt Energy

The AP reported that Senate Republicans voted to block an effort by the Democrats to tax oil companies for having a "wind-fall profits tax" whenever they make excessive profits. They claimed that the five largest oil companies in the US do not control world gas prices and taxing them would discourage domestic production. I am not completely sure if I support a profits tax, but if it had passed and if the money raised would have gone to support alternative energy research, then I would have been even happier. But the GOP also blocked a plan that would extend tax breaks for Alt Energy research that are set to expire soon. A double whammy for consumers and the environment!

>>>Yahoo!/AP-Senate GOP blocks windfall taxes on Big Oil