Just Calm Down

In September, 2001, I was 17. That's the year Osama bin Laden and the Afghan terrorist group, the Taliban, attacked the United States.

In March, 2003, I was 19 years old. That's the year President Bush took us to war in Afghanistan Iraq.

The day we went to war, I sat on my couch glued to MSNBC. I watched infrared videos of never-ending explosions. I tried to understand why we were blowing the shit out of Iraq, when I had been under the impression that those who had hurt us were from a totally different country. I tried to figure out why we were going to war with an entire country for the selfish acts of a few. I couldn't understand why we fought terrorism with terrorism. I was incredibly sad. Then I was incredibly outraged.

At some point, Bush decided we'd "accomplished" whatever our "mission" was. There was a whole banner-on-an-aircraft-carrier-moment. We all remember it.

Then he kept fighting. He kept killing. He kept invading. He found more and more reasons to prolong this "mission." We found Saddam, killed him, and still we stayed.

In November, 2008, I was 24 years old. That's the year we elected Barack Obama. We had listened to his campaign promises. We believed in his ability to lead. We trusted him wholly, and we held each other and cried and celebrated the night he took office as Commander in Chief.

It's December, 2009. I'm 25 years old. After inheriting an unjust, misdirected, near decade-long, greed-based war, and after spending nine months gathering advice from all sides of the strategic spectrum, President Obama just announced his decision to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

When he was on the campaign trail, and since his election, Obama has promised to find a resolution to the fight in Afghanistan. He has kept his word. With Afghanistan in it's current state, we can not pick up and leave. Our President did not take us into Afghanistan, but he is decent enough, and smart enough, to pick up the pieces of the mess we helped make.

And for once, and for the very first time, I trust that our President knows exactly what he's doing.

"As Obama removes our combat brigades from Iraq, he will send at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan, where the Taliban is resurgent. He will also provide our armed forces with the reset capability that they need. He will replace essential equipment, and he will ensure that our men and women in uniform get the care and support they have earned."
-Barack Obama's Campaign Defense Fact Sheet (2007)

There's money growing off of that Tree of Liberty

For two weeks I've tried half-heartedly to understand the healthcare reform debate. I watched a little news, read a couple of articles, and generally wrote the whole thing off as this month's Obama is the Devil stunt ala the Tea Party Protestors of April '09.

But over the last few days, things have changed. Yesterday a man named William Kostrik arrived outside a town hall meeting in New Hampshire with a handgun strapped to his leg and a sign reading "It's time to water the tree of liberty..."

Brush up on your historic quotes recently?

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -Thomas Jefferson

Did I forget to mention that the man was standing outside the doors of a high school in which our President was currently speaking? Don't worry though, Mr. Kostrik wasn't arrested. After all, New Hampshire law grants their citizens the right to bear arms. There's no clause restricting any American from hanging out near the President with a couple of weapons bearing a sign suggesting the time had come to shed blood.

So, why was Kostrik there? What was he so angry about? Why was Obama holding this town hall meeting in New Hampshire?

Well, it all has to do with Health Care Reform. And this is where it gets complicated.

Let me start at the beginning.

President Obama wants to pass a comprehensive Health Care Reform bill.

The 852 word document outlines the ways in which the Government would play a role in the regulation of the health insurance industry.

It is not a Universal health Care proposal.

But the reform would set a universal standard of health care, "guaranteeing access to affordable coverage, essential benefits, and other consumer protections."

It would ensure that "a qualified health benefits plan may not impose any pre-existing condition exclusion."

It would establish a "Health Insurance Exchange in order to facilitate access of individuals and employers, through a transparent process, to a variety of choices of affordable, quality health insurance coverage including a public health insurance option."

Allow me to explain...

If reform passes:

President Obama will appoint a Public Health Administration Commissioner, who would help create a standard of care. This means all health insurance policies would be held responsible for covering the same minimum benefits including certain treatments, visits, and medicines.

Your insurance company can not deny you coverage because of your health history. Sure, they may want you to pay more, but they can't deny coverage.

The government would offer all citizens the option of being covered by public health insurance. In the President's own words...

"This is where a lot of the idea of government takeover of health care comes from. All we want to do is set up a set of options so that if you don't have health insurance or if you're underinsured, you can have the same deal that members of Congress have, whi

ch is they can look at a menu of options-- we're calling it an exchange but it's basically just a menu of different health care plans-- and you will be able to select the one that suits your family best."

The Opposition

As with any political issue, there is debate over Obama's proposed reform. Many believe the "nationalization of health care" will not only cost taxpayers a whole bunch of money, but that millions of Americans will actually lose their insurance due to employers switching from private to public health insurance plans.

In the same vein as the tea party protests, "grassroots" organizations have called upon their members to storm town hall meetings and have their voices heard.

Tea Party Patriots, the "Official" Grassroots America Movement, is the leader of the pack when it comes to this debate. On their website, they urgently encourage visitors

to download flyers, read over a list of talking points, and join up with other like-minded people to have their voices heard at health care town halls throughout the country. They remind meeting protestors to "make sure to get plenty of video and photos of the

event, post them to YouTube," and to "remind your protest attendees that they may be on video with those who support nationalized health care."

Dig a little deeper, baby.

Note: Though I suspected as much myself, the investigative reporting in this section must be attributed to the staff of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. I have done my own research and have been able to verify every claim made here.

At the bottom of the TeaPartyPatriots.org site, you will see a list of affiliated partners, the most notable of which is Freedom Works (revisit my original Tea Party blog for more on this organization).

Now follow along closely...

The chairman of Freedom Works is former U.S. House Majority Leader, Dick Armey.

Armey is also Senior Policy Advisor for a lobbyist group called DLA Piper.

Among DLA Piper's major clients are Bristol-Myers Squibb- a pharmaceutical company, and SleepMed- a medical device supplier specializing in sleep medicine, Medicines Company- another pharmaceutical bigwig, and Metcare- a health care provider based in Florida.

The connection that The Rachel Maddow Show has laid out here, doesn't end there.

In 2007, the American Council of Life Insurers paid Armey's Lobbying firm, DLA Piper, $100,000. Within six months, Freedom Works, that "Grassroots" organization, had begun lobbying Congress to deregulate the life insurance industry.

In 2006, DLA Piper began lobbying for the Senado de Republica, or Mexican Senate "to promote U.S.-Mexico relations." Soon after, Freedom Works started promoting themselves as "one of the few conservative organizations willing to aggressively promote meaningful immigration reform."

The Director of Freedom Works is a man named Richard J. Stephenson. He is also the Chairman of the Board and Founder of Cancer Treatment Centers of America Inc (a for-profit company).

Matt Kibbe, President of Freedom Works, is a former Senior Economist for the Republican National Committee.

Grassroots? Really Freedom Works? Really Tea Party Patriots?

From Wikipedia...

"A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. the term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures."

Don't be scurred!

So in misrepresenting themselves, these organizations, who, by the way, obviously have a major financial interest in leaving health care the way it is, have been able to scare people into believing that the hostile takeover of health care will mean going bankrupt over taxes, sending our elderly to the "death panel," and, somehow, turning into a socialist society run by Nazis.

Let's start with the money.

Yes. It will cost money to implement a plan like this. A lot of money to be exact. And some of it will come from taxpayers. But not all of it. Yesterday, at the town hall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, President Obama laid out his plan for financing the reform.

"About two-thirds of those costs we can cover by eliminating the inefficiencies that I already mentioned. So I already talked about $177 billion worth of subsidies to the insurance companies. Let's take that money, let's put it in the kitty. There's about $500 billion to $600 billion over 10 years that can be saved without cutting benefits for people who are currently receiving Medicare, actually making the system more efficient over time.

That does still leave, though, anywhere from $300 billion to $400 billion over 10 years, or $30 billion to $40 billion a year. That does have to be paid for, and we will need new sources of revenue to pay for it. And I've made a proposal that would -- I want to just be very clear -- the proposal, my preferred approach to this would have been to take people like myself who make more than $250,000 a year, and limit the itemized deductions that we can take to the same level as middle-class folks can take them."

So we're talking about leveling out the playing field here. Rich people get to take just the same deductions as the middle class, therefore collecting more tax from the wealthiest in this country. Sure, that may be upsetting to those who fall into that bracket. But it's not as though they're being punished- simply being treated the exact same way everyone else is. In the name of liberty and justice for all, isn't it about time we started treating each other equally on all levels- including financially? I don't see why not.

Moving on.

Obama is not sending your Grandma to the grave early because it's too expensive to keep her lying around. I'm sorry, but stop being absurd.

Here's where this malicious rumor came from.

The way it stands, most health care policies, including Medicare, don't provide any coverage for end-of-life counseling or the creation of a living will. If I wanted to go to my doctor and create a document outlining my wishes should I become incapable of making decisions for myself, I have to pay out of pocket for that visit.

There is a provision in the reform bill that requires Medicare and health insurance companies to cover the cost of that visit- should you want to have it. No one forces you to do it. There is no requirement to have this discussion with a doctor every five years. But you have the option to have the consultation every five years. If you'd like to go, it will be covered by your insurance. Want to learn more? Read this Washington Post interview with Republican Senator Johnny Isakson.

Don't get me wrong. I have loved watching Americans go from completely apathetic to down right pissed. We are finally involved in our own country. I just wish that those with opposing opinions would do a little research before they throw their hearts in the ring, only to benefit the wallets of those who started this political terrorism in the first place.

GatesGate

When 58-year-old Henry Louis Gates returned to his Cambridge, Massachusetts home on July 16, he had a hard time opening his door. He called for his driver to help him gain entrance to his home. While struggling with the door, a neighbor called police to report a possible break-in in progress.

When Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department arrived, he demanded to see Gates' identification. Not knowing why the police were at his home, Gates yelled at the officer. After showing ID, the Harvard Professor was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct.

Racial profiling? Perhaps. A big misunderstanding? Most likely. The Gates/Crowley incident is no longer the hot topic. It's what happened after the arrest, after charges were dropped, and after the story gained national attention, that has prime time news anchors all a-tizzy.

Speaking at a press conference a few days later, President Obama was asked to comment on the story...

"I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry. Number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And number three – what I think we know separate and apart from this incident – is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."

Yes. Obama said the police department acted stupidly. All it took was that one word to fuel the firestorm that is... Thaddeus McCotter.


Now, keep in mind, the President has already personally called both Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates. Both men are invited to, and will be attending a White House "beer party" with The Big O this Thursday. Both men have, reportedly, agreed to bury the hatchet.

But Thaddeus McCotter, a Republican congressman from Michigan, is not satisfied. He's written and introduced a house resolution asking Obama to formally apologize to the Cambridge Police Department. One more time: Thaddeus wants Congress to vote on, and pass, a non-binding resolution asking the President to publicly apologize for his choice of words.

Thad, I get where you're going with this. I really do. And you're entitled to your opinion just like everyone else. But I just have a little issue with dragging the whole freaking Congress out to perform this little piece of theater for you. I just have this nagging feeling that Congress may have slightly more important things to do. No?

You know what? I take it back. Let's make Obama apologize. While we're at it, I have a few things I'd like Bush Jr. to apologize for too. You know, like, starting a war for profit and killing lots of innocent people while simultaneously ruining our economy and turning our country into the laughing stock of the world.

Congress, here I come.

The Government Wants to Buy Me a New Car

No, really!

Earlier this month, President Obama passed through the so-called "Cash for Clunkers Bill," aka the "Erin Might Drive a New Car For the First Time in Her Life Bill."

Essentially, the Government wants you to trade in your crap old car for something a little more environmentally friendly. This drives business to dealers, in turn stimulating the economy and hopefully letting a few auto workers keep their incomes. Good ol' Uncle Sam is going to give you a credit of up to $4,500 towards your new vehicle. Talk about a win-win!

Daydreaming of turning your rusted out 1985 Accord into a 2010 Camaro? Well, there are a few limitations. The following information is taken directly from CARS.gov, the official site of the Car Allowance Rebate Systems Act. Read on, my fellow P.O.S. drivers.

THE OLD CAR

• It must have been manufactured less than 25 years before the date you trade it in.
• It must be in drivable condition.
• It must have a "new" combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less (check your car's combined fuel economy here).
• It must be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year preceding the trade-in.

The New Car

• You don't have to BUY the new car- you can lease.
• The new car DOES NOT have to be American made.
• The new car must have a MSRP of no more than $45,000.
• The new car must have combined fuel economy of at least 22 mpg.

Other Stuff

• The amount of the credit is between $3,500 and $4,500 depending on your old car and difference in fuel economy between the trade-in and the new car.
• The CARS Act requires the dealer to use the credit under the CARS program in addition to any rebates or discounts advertised by the dealer or offered by the new vehicle’s manufacturer.
• You can combine this with other State and Federal incentives, such as the hybrid vehicle credit.
• The deal ends November 10th, or when funds run out.
  

Excited yet? Before you run off to the dealer, there's one more thing you should know. Though trades made after July 1st will be potentially eligible for the credit, the final rules and regulations will be issued on July 23rd. It's in your best interest to wait just a couple more weeks 'til then.

Image via Realist Idealist

Organized Tea Parties Protest Something...but what?

Fueled by Republican party organizers and the "fair and balanced" gentlemen over at Fox News, thousands of Americans took to the streets yesterday to protest increased taxes initiated by President Obama. The event coincided with Tax Day, and took it's inspiration from the infamous Boston Tea Party of 1773, in which colonists threw cartons of newly taxed tea into the harbor.

Of course, we all have a right to protest. I've protested wars, propositions, and the passage of propositions among other things. I appreciate that Americans are at least standing up for what they think (or what Fox News thinks) is right. But I think it's time we got the facts straight here.

Finding a list of grievances associated with this call to rebel has proven to be a tricky task. Here's the best I could do, from FreedomWorks...

Whether it’s this latest housing bailout bill (the second in less than six months), a bailout for the auto-industry or failed banks, the more than $1 trillion sham of a “stimulus” bill, or the $400 billion omnibus spending bill that Congress is now debating, Americans are sick and tired of their hard-earned money being thrown around.

Ahem.

Let's not forget, Bush initiated the bailouts.
With the announcement of his $700 Billion bill, Bush said, "I'm a strong believer in free enterprise, so my natural instinct is to oppose government intervention, but these are not normal circumstances. The market is not functioning properly. There has been a widespread loss of confidence."

While the massive economic bailouts do nothing to help our national debt, they are a necessary evil. Bush, Obama, Congress, the people- nobody wants to give away that much money. But in a state of economic crisis, it is a radical move aimed at curbing a national emergency. Bailouts have saved jobs, homes, and retirement funds.

The Stimulus & the Spending Bill
Here's the thing. Without Government help, thousands of businesses would be forced to shut down. That means thousands of people lose their jobs, and lose their income. Maybe they lose their homes, maybe they can't afford to feed their families. So if the President spends a few bucks to keep the general population afloat, I can't see what the problem is. The spending bill was full of earmarks, and what some would call "pork."
Yes, some of the money will get caught up in the political games played by legislators and statesmen, but most of that money indirectly helps US. It fixes our roads, it feeds the homeless, and it keeps America, well, stimulated.

And FYI...
Obama just CUT TAXES for nearly all Americans. Most of the working class is already keeping more of their paycheck than they have in the past. The only class who will be forking over more are the wealthiest among us. If anyone, shouldn't they be protesting?

This whole Tea Party idea seems to have little to do with taxes, and more to do with causing a scene. Signs across the country yesterday had to more to say about Obama "sucking Saudi's jewels," and being a "babykiller" than raising taxes. See The Huffington Post's slideshow: "Ten Most Offensive Tea Party Signs."

Here's something to consider...Obama's Presidential approval rating continues to climb. A New York Times/CBS poll also finds that "almost three-quarters of Americans think it is a good idea to raise taxes on people making more than $250,000 per year. In fact, two-thirds of Americans think the tax code should be changed so that middle-class Americans pay less than they do now and "upper income" people pay more."

A final thought- let's remember what got us so deep in the red to begin with- a pointless and unsuccessful war.

Photo Credit: The Los Angeles Times

Seriously?

So President Obama bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at the G20 summit.

SO?

Right-wing conservatives are freaking out over this one.

"Disgraceful. President Obama should be impeached on charges of TREASON! For bowing to a foreign leader. The Bastard.

Of course, when your middle name is Hussein and you will not release your original birth certificate, what else can one expect? Maybe he was paying homage to his REAL ethnic heritage?"
www.politicalbyline.com

Or perhaps our President, a man is greatly respected by foreign countries, foreign leaders, and the people who elected him, thought he ought to show some respect by following the traditions of another country. After all, the US is actually not the center of the universe, despite what some conservatives may think.

Watch Obama's Press Conference Live RIGHT HERE

Live feed begins at 5pm pacific, 8pm eastern.

McCain Twitters the "Pork" (and Just WHAT is an Earmark?)

On the heels of his massive near $800 billion stimulus package, President Obama has just signed a $410 billion omnibus spending bill. Wire services and Twitter updates alike are all abuzz about the more than 9000 earmarks included in this bill. Earmarks, pork barrel politics, siphoning the fat, and spending reform....like everyone else, I was confused. So, like any good journalista, I looked things up. Here: a few notes about this whole earmark business.

First of all, what is an omnibus spending bill?
It's basically a big catch-all funding package. It will give money to various government agencies to provide "significant increases in food aid for the poor, energy research and other programs." It's also the source of funding for most Cabinet departments. But a bill like this can also get loaded up with what the government calls "earmarks."

So, what's an earmark?
According to Wikipedia, "an earmark is a congressional provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees."

In layman's terms, that means any legislator can make a case for money to be designated to whatever project he sees fit. That's not necessarily bad. Taxpayer.net has a complete list of all the earmarks submitted for this bill. They include things like sewer replacements, national park monuments visitor's centers, and clean air school buses (listen to my KCSN piece about the dangers of diesel school buses here).

But the problem with earmarks is that some legislators use the opportunity to direct funding to for-profit organizations and businesses that may have helped them out in the past. It's like the state level equivalent of Bush and Cheney giving all rebuilding contracts to Halliburton. That's the bad part. That's the controversial part. That's why President Obama is calling for earmark reform.

Earmark Reform
Obama doesn't want to eliminate earmarks. It's a great way to get money to small but needy organizations. But in order to curb government corruption, Obama suggests that "earmarks should have a 'legitimate and worthy' purpose, lawmakers should post their requests on their Web sites and that any earmark for a for-profit private company should be subjected to a bidding process and heightened scrutiny." Republicans have called this another example of reckless spending (a trait they say is common among democrats), and Senator McCain has taken to Twittering his top ten "Pork Projects" of the day. *Side note- visions of McCain mobile Twittering from the Senate floor mildly amuse me.

SenJohnMcCain is his name, and Twittering is his game.
While I can't bring myself to actually follow McCain, I did check out his last few weeks of updates for the purpose of this post. He chooses ten "pork projects" each day and counts them down, ten through one. Here is his most recent list (actually only 9, since he forgot a #3).

#1. $935,000 for Pasteurization of Shell Eggs, MI
#2. $190,000 for a Trolley Purchase, Las Marias, PR
#4. $50,000 for the City of Charlotte for gang prevention
#5. $237,500 for Vienna Sidewalk Construction, Vienna VA
#6. $95,000 for Extension of the Riverwalk Trail, City of Danville, VA
#7. $1 million for Shipment and storage of oil shale core samples
#8. $350,000 for the Minidoka National Historic Site
#9. $475,750 for Restore Manhattan Project Sites (NM)
#10. $142,500 for the Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota - brought to you by former Cong. James Ramstad

OK, OK. I'll concede to McCain a tiny little bit. I'm not sure about the near $1 million allocated to the pasteurization of eggs. But surely $50,000 towards gang prevention is acceptable, as is money designated to infrastructure repair. Many of McCain's other pork tweets include funding for arts commissions, and the building of teen centers and museums.

Are those projects SOOO bad?

John McCain, a "long-time earmark foe," thinks so, and he wants his 195,071 followers to know it.

You know what might be a better use of time Senator? Rather than attempting to divide this country even more than it already is with your tweetdowns, how about getting over your campaign loss and supporting our President's vision of a government united by the common good of our people? I'm just saying.

I'd eat that

Obama Roll, with teeth of fish paste,
skin of shrimp, and hair of black sesame.

Obama is the new Jesus

A new Harris poll shows President Obama is America's biggest hero.

Jesus took second place, and Martin Luther King Jr. took third.

Rounding out the top ten: Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln, John McCain, John F. Kennedy, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Mother Teresa.

Our potty-mouthed President

Did anyone read "Dreams from my Father?"

I tried. I got a couple of chapters in and sort of forgot about it. I always wanted to finish it up, but Obama wasn't President then- hell, he wasn't even the nominee- and I was slightly less intrigued.

Apparently there's a chapter half-way in where Mr. Prez introduces a buddy of his- Ray. Ray used a lot of colorful language, and so Obama quoted him accordingly in his book. In the audio book, that same language is, of course, spoken aloud. By Barack Obama.

Behold, mp3 clips of our President, Barack Obama, the coolest mofo in the country, saying things like "There are white folks, and then there are ignorant mother-fuckers like you."

Priceless.

Barack Obama is Tired of your Motherfucking Shit


Note: This is basically a re-post from www.AprilWinchell.com. It was just so good I had to share. Photo from The Sunday Morning Herald.

A Valentine from Obama

My iTunes has been diligently downloading President Obama's weekly addresses over the last four weeks. I just spent the last 20 minutes catching up.

Here, a favorite quote from the Valentine's Day edition.

"This morning I'm reminded of words President Kennedy spoke in another time of uncertainty. 'Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. So not pray for tasks equal to your powers, but pray for powers equal to your tasks.' America, we will prove equal to this task. It will take time, and it will take effort, but working together we will turn this crisis into opportunity, and emerge from our painful present into our brighter future. After weeks spent with the fundamentally decent men and women of this nation, I've never been more certain of that."

Man, Mr. O. You always sound so freaking presidential, and I like it. I just wish your A/V guys would get some better lighting and background for you. I know the economy is depressing, but you're our beacon of light! Let's look like it!

PS- I'm not sure I approve of your tie this week. Polka dots and TV cameras don't work so well together.

No, President Obama is not sending out $12,000 checks

I know I'm not the only one who has been recently bombarded by emails and ads promising free money from the government to pay off personal debt. You know what I'm talking about- flash graphics screaming at you from Facebook sidebars and Google Ads with headlines like these:

"How I Got $12,000 in 7 Days, with a Dead Simple Method"


"Get your piece of the pie- $12,000 in government funds in less than a week!"

Like anyone else, I was intrigued. Sure I knew it was a scam, but I still like to investigate things like this. Interestingly enough, every link/ad took me to the same site: Jeffrey's Grant Blog.

Now, Jeff has a great story. He's an All-American guy- father, husband, firefighter. Down on his luck and about to lose his house, he called a friend for advice. His friend told him to look into government grants, and bam! Couple weeks later, his check arrived. Now he's paid his debt, fixed his car, and takes his pretty wife out to steakhouses in New York. All he had to do was pay $1.99 in shipping for the grant kit to get started.

Or so the story goes...

I went ahead and clicked through to the next stage of Jeffrey's site. Here I was given ten minutes to fill out a form with my birth date, annual salary, etc. I didn't do it. But here's where I figured out the scam.

If you fill out the information, and proceed to pay the $1.99 shipping fee, you will receive a CD with information and "tips" as to how to apply for a grant. Whether or not you actually receive a CD I couldn't tell you. But once you submit your credit card info, you will be signed up for a seven day "free trial" of the "Grant Information Access Club." If you don't cancel your membership within seven days you will be automatically charged about $59 per month (to the card you supplied). The fine print also states that cancellation takes at least two business days, so you really have about four days to figure out what you've done and try to get out of it.

"The resource center is billed at $58.61 monthly. This can be cancelled at anytime simply by calling the customer service number provided in the confirmation email and stating your desire to cancel said bonus material. However, in order to not be charged any future reoccurring cost, please give ample time (2 business days) to be cancelled out of any reoccurring billing system before the next scheduled charge to your account (this does not apply during any trial period). Not cancelling trial programs constitutes authorization, by you, the buyer, for any charges (as outlined) for the associated bonus service until your request to cancel has been received by our customer service staff. By not cancelling the bonus program during the trial period or prior to two days before a scheduled billing cycle, you agree that any reoccurring charges billed to you will be non-refundable." -Terms and Conditions, Grant Access Club

Now, don't get me wrong. The government DOES give out grants, but they are not awarded based on individual financial need. They are generally awarded to non-profit organizations, conservation societies, and things of that nature.

From Wikipedia: "A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. Grants are not federal assistance or loans to individuals, benefits or entitlements."

Grants.gov, the official US government grant website, does provide accurate information on the funds available to the public. You can search a database full of opportunities and even apply online. Just please, please, don't fall for the internet scams. You know the saying- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Non-profit Arts Hope for Senate's Vote

The U.S. House passed President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment bill Wednesday, without any help from Republicans. The controversial measure passed through to the Senate with a vote of 244 to 188.

The $819 billion economic stimulus package will hit the Senate floor next week, and while Republicans will likely demand amendments, due to the 58-41 Democratic majority split, it's expected to pass through the Senate, and be signed by the President next month.

Tucked away in a dark corner of Obama's bill is a $50 million recovery fund for the National Endowment for the Arts. Though House Democrats approved the NEA funding, it is unclear whether or not the arts funding will be included in the Senate version of the bill. A House-Senate conference will resolve these issues, and the final version should make it to the Oval Office before the President's Day holiday, Feb. 13.

Republicans have spoken out against the NEA funding, citing the Democrat's habit of spending rather than cutting taxes. Democrats, and those in the industry, are touting the arts funding as an investment which will not only save jobs, but reiterate the importance of art in a country where many schools have been forced to cut out artistic programs.

Even the bright lights of Broadway are flickering as the recession tightens it's grip on the country. Many local theaters are also facing crippling budget cuts. Robert Cates, producing director of the Geffen Playhouse, told The L.A. Times the financial situation at the Westwood auditorium is "drastic." The Luna Playhouse in Glendale may close it's doors next month, as the Glendale News-Press reports attendance there has fallen dramatically- down about 80% in the past five months.

Even if the $50 million art rescue plan makes it to the Senate bill, it may not be enough to save small theaters like the Luna. Under the Recovery bill, California is slated to receive about $33 billion. That's only about four percent of the total $819 billion. If the National Endowment for the Arts does receive the money, it will be distributed across the country. Even if each state receives an equal portion of the fund, that's one million per state to be distributed among every non-profit theater, dance, and art group. The stimulus package text reveals the money would not be distributed evenly in any case.

"NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION

For an additional amount for “Grants and Administration”, $50,000,000, 
to be distributed in direct grants to fund arts projects and activities 
which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines 
in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn: 
Provided, That 40 percent of such funds shall be distributed to State 
arts agencies and regional arts organizations in a manner similar to the 
agency’s current practice and 60 percent of such funds shall be for compet-
itively selected arts projects and activities."-www.readthestimulus.org

Whether local companies receive any sort of bailout remains to be seen. For now, theaters like the Luna Playhouse will have to rely on donations and sympathetic landlords to keep their doors open.

The Senate will vote on Monday.

-Photo by UnlocktheVault via Flickr

My fellow Americans...

I had heard that President Obama was going to be recording weekly podcasts throughout the course of his Presidency, but somehow I missed the fact that these would be on iTunes, in the form of video podcasts available for subscription.

Well, needless to say, I'm a subscriber now. The Prez has the most popular podcast on iTunes, and for good reason. What better way to figure out what the administration is trying to do than straight from the President's mouth?
In the first weekly address since the Inauguration, Obama lays down the details of his recovery initiative and encourages Americans to visit the newly established Recovery.gov- where we'll be able to see exactly how and why our federal tax dollars are being spent.

Well done Mr President, and thank you.

*Note- Recovery.gov is up and running, but for now you'll only see a preview page, encouraging you to check back "after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

Front Page History

Check out Newseum- a virtual museum of the front pages of newspapers from around the country. Wednesday= Incredible.

Photo from front page of the Arizona Daily Star, Wednesday January 21st, 2009

Morning Roundup 1.22.09

My top stories of the day:

President Obama is off to a running start, having already signed an executive order to close down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and create a task force to reevaluate interrogation methods.

Citing "personal reasons," Caroline Kennedy has withdrawn her bid for the New York Senate seat.

Oscar noms include posthumous supporting actor nod for Heath Ledger, best picture for Slumdog Millionaire (my fave!), and best original score AND song for Thomas Newman.
I'm not about to pretend that anyone other than Ledger will win that supporting statue, but I love that Robert Downey Jr. was nominated for Tropic Thunder!

Researchers say more British passengers died on the ill-fated Titanic because of their manners.

George Clooney rejoins the cast of ER- at least for a couple of episodes.
(btw- I thought ER was canceled...)

and, last but not least, the boyfriend's latest LAist article gets an L.A. Times mention, AND a correction! Very proud.

At Last

Here's what happening in Al's neck of the woods...

This has to be one of my favorite moments of the day. Al Roker finally gets a presidential interview- and actually got the first post-speech press statement from President Barack Obama.

INAUGUBLOG Part 2

Yes, my cable went out, 5 minutes in to President Obama's speech. I don't want to talk about it.

I was moved to tears today. First as President Obama took the oath of office. Then as my television screen went out for 10 minutes. I kept tearing up until I saw Bush board Executive 1. Couldn't cry after that. Too amazing for tears.

What a day.