Grappling with the mish-mash of American politics
Income inequality has become the subject of much debate in this country, in large part because of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
In his latest book, The Price of Inequality, Columbia Professor and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz examines the causes of income inequality and offers some remedies. In between, he reaches some startling conclusions, including that America is “no longer the land of opportunity” and “the ‘American dream’ is a myth.”
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Despite the opposition, the accusations of corruption associated with Solyndra and unyielding obstinance against any energy policy paradigm shift, the US has taken the lead once again in the realm of clean energy investment. This increase in private investment provides a glimmer of hope that the private sector is recognizing the benefits of shifting away nonrenewables. With renewables representing much larger share of energy production in Europe than they do in the US, perhaps this private sector investment will motivate politicians in Washington to take note and renew the tax credits & government investment for new clean energy business ventures to maintain our country’s competitiveness.
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As gas prices rev up into high gear well before the summer months of traditional high demand predictions estimate prices at the pump will reach well over $4.00 a gallon. Along with the impacts this will have on the average consumer, these increases will, and already have, produced gushers of political rhetoric, laying blame squarely on the President’s shoulders. While high gas prices are great fodder for political gamesmanship, their accuracy is often suspect. How much influence does or can the leader of the U.S. have over the price of crude, let alone the prices at the pump?
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WASHINGTON — Two years ago, President Obama popped a surprise into his State of the Union address: His administration would double American exports in five years, helping to create two million jobs.
The bold promise sent the eyebrows of economists and policy experts upward, even as they applauded its intent.
Two years later, the administration is on track — for now — to meet its ambitious goal. Growing exports have been one of the central drivers of the recovery, accounting for about half the nation’s economic growth since the recession ended. Economists say the administration deserves credit for some of the gains.
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This is a debate on The Economist website discussing the proposal that subsidising renewable energy is a good way to wean the world off fossil fuels. Read through both sides of the arguement and vote for which side you view as correct.
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CNN Money
Every 2012 contender attended college. They all graduated. They went to schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Texas A&M, Morehouse, Penn State and Emory.
But decades have passed since these Presidential candidates first stepped onto campus as freshmen. Is it time for an Econ 101 refresher course?
America’s Econ 101 professors say yes. Read more…
This article is a couple of months old, found while doing some peripheral research but definately still worthy of posting. It gives us a view of what to expect from the state health insurance marketplace exchanges set up through the Affordabel Care Act. If other companies like Walgreens step into the health insurance arena it will prove quite advantageous to those in real need of affordable coverage.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, is planning to start selling health insurance to customers this fall.
Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens will sell health insurance products with different price ranges and coverage levels from coast-to-coast through a private health insurance exchange, according to people familiar with the matter. Read more…
