March 2010
51 posts
Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory
Is President Obama a complete idiot? In a week in which he should be pressing on financial re-regulation and taking a victory lap on health care and student loans, he decides to unveil this oil drilling compromise? If he thinks this is a good idea, why unveil it now when the nation’s attention should be on financial re-regulation? If he thinks this will bring more GOP support for his ...
Obama Signs Bill On Student Loans →
Students who borrow money starting in July 2014 will be allowed to cap their repayments at 10 percent of their income above basic living requirements, instead of 15 percent. Moreover, if they keep up their payments, they will have any remaining debt forgiven after 20 years instead of 25 years – or after 10 years if they are in public service, such as teaching, nursing or serving in the...
“The conjunction of a black president and a female speaker of the House — topped...”
– Frank Rich in his opinion piece “The Rage Is Not About Health Care”
Congress Gives College Aid a Boost →
Wyden: Health Care Lawsuits Moot, States Can Opt... →
It’s called the “Empowering States to be Innovative” amendment [to the passed Health Care legislation]. And it would, quite literally, give states the right to set up their own health care system — with or without an individual mandate or, for that matter, with or without a public option — provided that, as Wyden puts it, “they can meet the coverage...
Gays May Still Pay More for Health Coverage →
The health care overhaul package excludes a provision that would have helped same-sex couples: eliminating a tax on employer-provided domestic partner health coverage.
'Don't Ask Don't Tell' Repeal Falling Victim To... →
To Reduce Partisanship, Get Rid of Partisans →
“No illusions please: This bill will not be repealed. Even if Republicans scored...”
– David Frum, President George W. Bush’s speechwriter, describing the Republican’s “Waterloo”
What does the health care bill mean to me? →
A great calculator for seeing how much health care would cost you under the new legislation.
A Turning Point in the Health Care Fight →
Although overshadowed by the larger health care fight, the inclusion of the education bill may have been a decisive factor… The student loan overhaul was very popular in the House. And because it would save tens of billions of taxpayer dollars by ending subsidies to private commercial banks, it offered a purely populist message at a time when public anger at Wall Street is running high.
Tea Party Protests: 'Ni**er,' 'Fa**ot' Shouted At... →
Way to go Tea Party people.
Medicare deal reached, clearing way for Oregon... →
WatchPresident Obama rallies the House Democrats on the eve of the health care vote. Great speech.
WatchIf you’ve ever had the misfortune of watching five minutes of Glen Beck’s illogical, factually-challenged TV show, you’ll appreciate how dead on Jon Stewart is with this spoof.
“I notice that there has been a lot of friendly advice offered all across town. ...”
– President Obama speaking to the House Democrats about their health care vote
Killer of Malcolm X Granted Parole →
Review Board slams Portland City Council on $20... →
Commissioner Amanda Fritz said at council that giving the money back to customers would boil down to 90 cents per homeowner, period. Actually, Jim Hagerman with the environmental services bureau explains it’s 90 cents per household in the first year, then $1.80 in the next, $2.70 in the third, and so on for 25 years, which is the life of the debt service on that borrowed money.
Fine-Tuning Led to Health Bill’s $940 Billion... →
Insurer targeted HIV patients to drop coverage →
Meet A County Candidate: Paul van Orden →
Paul is an honest and super nice person. I’m glad he’s running.
One less footprint →
Last year, Oregon State University statistics professor Paul Murtaugh tapped into a hornet’s nest when he published a study measuring the environmental consequences of having a baby. His conclusion jarred many: that having a child is the single-worst thing a person can do for climate change, considering the carbon emissions that offspring and their descendants will produce in their...
Why Does Glenn Beck Hate Jesus? →
'Runaway' Prius a Hoax →
Sikes and his wife Patty in 2008 filed for bankruptcy and are over $700,000 in debt. Among their creditors is Toyota Financial Services for a lease on a 2008 Toyota Prius, with value at time of bankruptcy of $20,494.
Beaverton police officers play Santa in restoring... →
Dust settles on scramble for Multnomah County... →
How Pandora Slipped Past the Junkyard →
Public Pension Funds Are Adding Risk to Raise... →
Even as big companies are moving their pension funds out of stocks, state governments are chasing higher returns by making riskier investments.
The lowdown on high-fructose corn syrup →
Tossing high-fructose corn syrup [HFCS] off ingredient lists may well have more to do with marketing than science. A sweetener made from cornstarch processed with enzymes and acids, HFCS has roughly the same composition as cane sugar—about half glucose and half fructose—and the same number of calories. Concerns that it’s directly responsible for rising obesity rates or somehow intrinsically...
Portland School Board Moves Forward on High School... →
[Board member Dilafruz] Williams said the resolution didn’t include enough detail about the focus schools, and she wasn’t convinced that the district needed 1,350 students to offer the core program. She also said that the board was [previously] given recommended numbers for creating K-8 schools, but few of them ultimately met the enrollment standard. “I am just concerned and tired of programmatic...
“The Democrats on Election Day 2010 are going to get an ass-whoopin’ of...”
– From “Replace Rahm With Me: An Open Letter From Michael Moore” to President Obama
Palin Crossed Border For Canadian Health Care →
Oregon treasurer Ben Westlund dies of cancer at... →
This is very sad. Treasurer Ben Westlund was always willing to take part in a number of youth get-out-the-vote events I worked on.
“The entire Senate- or House-passed health care bill could not and would not pass...”
– Senator Robert Byrd explaining why changing portions of health care legislation using reconciliation is within the Senate rules (that Byrd helped establish)
Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club Before DUI Arrest →
I’m almost starting to feel sorry for all these self-hating, closeted gay Republicans. Almost.
Boulder Catholic School Student Expelled Because... →
Wow.
Ruling could unravel reforms to Portland's public... →
Portland Fire Commissioner Randy Leonard said Tuesday that he has accepted the arbitrator’s ruling, a move that angered Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman. Saltzman said Leonard’s actions will set a dangerous precedent and hamper the city’s ability to fight other pending grievances and civil lawsuits.
Controversial bill authorizing psychologist... →
“We are here today to say we will not accept waiting any longer.”
– U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, joining 12 other Senators trying to eliminate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the U.S. Military
Oregon DMV killing Muzak in several offices →
Disney Frees Oregon Duck Mascot →
Apple Driving Up Music Costs →
Proof that Apple doesn’t care about lowering song download prices. It only cares about people buying through iTunes. The major labels should not back down on this one. Keep offering the daily deals through Amazon.com — it exposes more music, to more people, for less money.
Clackamas man exercises free speech rights by... →