Journalists are not exactly perceived as heroes these days. Poll after poll finds the public is soured on them, ranking them down toward the bottom of the list with lawyers, congressmen, ax murderers and other lowlifes. It’s no wonder. Read more about it HERE
Over the weekend, while doing research for an essay, I re-read Catherine Drinker Bowen’s wonderful book Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention from May to September 1787. In it she quotes George Washington (a strong Federalist) on the value of the opposition. Read more about it HERE
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are running out of time to avert another government shutdown and possible credit crisis. While both sides have written off a “grand deal,” they have committed themselves to a $100 billion cut in the current year deficit – enough to avoid the second stage of the painful “sequestration” set for January. Read more about it HERE
CLAREMONT, CALIF. — One factor contributing to polarizing politics in Washington is the widespread partisan gerrymandering of America’s voting districts. Many people, on both sides of the aisle, think one way to break the stalemate is to find a solution to gerrymandering – the drawing of district boundaries that heavily favor one party and keep incumbents safe. Read more about it HERE
As the baby boomer generation ages and Americans continue to live longer, Social Security will become increasingly financially strained. Adopting a series of reforms could both improve the program’s solvency and more adequately support those individuals who are most in need. Two such changes, which could be part of a larger package, include adopting a new measure of inflation and updating the threshold for earnings that are taxed for Social Security. Read more about it HERE
