Government Interest Rates and Budgets

This week I wanted to really understand how government interest rates are set and how our government sets the budget.

The American Government Closed?

I know that I am fairly young but I am also not a spring chicken. The thought of a government shutdown is very foreign to me. What in fact dose this mean? All my life I have said that some things are just a sure thing, the American Government would have been one of them.

How should a nation-state develop its foreign policy in accordance to its values and in connection to the development of its domestic policy?

foreign policy

What part do judges and the judicial system play in our freedom.

 This is just my thoughts on the subject......

Judges make up a branch of the government working between the executive and legislative branch. Judges in the judicial system primary tasks are to determine applicable laws and how they are interpreted to the public and individuals. Freedom is a right of the people of the great nation, but it also can be considered a privilege. Freedom can be revoke by the government after due process providing evidence where an individual committed a crime against the people.   Judges take individual cases and or violations and determine if laws established by the people have been violated in any way and if a punishment is needed. If a crime has been committed and the facts are proven beyond a reasonable doubt it is the judges responsibility to protect the people and hold people accountable. Next the judges not only review crimes and or law violations, but assist in protecting the people from the other branches of government and serve as a check and balance. If a law developed by congress is not fair in any way to the people, they many determine it to be unconstitutional and dismember the law. Holding the values of civil rights and guaranteeing the constitution is where judges and the judicial system come in part of government and freedoms. 

Question? Do you feel that judges make the correct decisions 100% of the time?

Japanese Tsunami 2011

The devastation of the tsunami in Japan and the pacific has been all over the new since it has happened. I would like to state first that my heart goes out to the people and the family's of those that have been effected.

I have seen President Obama offering to send help to the country of Japan to help in aid for recovery. I want to agree that this is a generous offer and should be done but on the other hand it made me think back to when our county was hit by Hurricane Katrina. I wanted to find out just how much others helped in our aid to recovery. 

Throughout my searching I found that japan did donate to the relieve but was surprised on the amount that was contributed by such a rich country. 

This is what I found:

I took this expert from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina

 Japan

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that it would provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. Japan also identified needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and provided up to $300,000 in emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and power generators if they receive requests from the U.S. for such assistance. One Japanese individual, Takashi Endo, donated USD 1 million from his personal funds to Katrina relief efforts.

When I first say the amount I was like a kick in the butt compared to what aid other countries donated. For example. Yemen pledged $100,000 and is one of the poorest countries in the world. Qatar, a country that I have personally have no idea where it is at gave 100 million! 

I am not saying that we should not help out, but I just think that we should look to help out our the people of our own country more and other countries that help us to.  I would also like to add that I feel that we should send aid to countries in need, such as basic supplies and experienced people to help aid in the recovery. I just wanted to point out that some countries seen to help more than others.   Question: Do you think that we as Americans limit aid to countries in a time of need  when our own country is in need also? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APEsVeE7FGk

Something to think about.......

Salary of House/Senate...$174,000.

Salary of Speaker of House...$223,500.

Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders...$193,400.

Average US Salary...$33,000 to $77,000.

Obama Care Will Kill Us.

I have to be the first to admit that I have no idea what Obama care is. I should know something about it because it pertains to me and will impact my life. I am taking this opportunity to investigate it and enlighten myself what is Obama care really is.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a federal statue signed by President Obama into the United States Law back in March of 2010. This Act and the along with the Heath Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 composes the health care act, or as everyone calls it, Obama Care.

The entire act is designed so that everyone will have heath care in the future. It will stabilize health care for people that already have care and provide care for those who don’t have existing care already.

This act would require everyone to carry health insurance for themselves and their dependents. If insurance is not obtained by the year 2014 families can be penalized and fined.

This plan is designed to be good for all Americans in the long run, but I challenge it. I am one of the Americans that already have a hard time making ends meet. I am one of the uninsured. I am a mother who fights every month to put food on the table and a roof over my children’s heads. I am an American who depends on Medicade to subsidize my children’s and husbands heath care costs. I am lucky that my children do not have extreme medical conditions that require lots of care, but my husband on the other hand is severely sick. He is on SSI and gets Medicade. He cannot work due to his conditions and takes about 17 medications a month. He is admitted into the hospital around 6 times a year. He is ill. I have no clue what the future hold for him. I am scared of how this will affect our lives and for his heath and what changes will be made. If we were mandated to provide our own health care our lives would change dramatically. 

 I see the cost is around fifty dollars a month for a family of four. I see this and think for a normal family with two incomes coming in would not be such a big deal. I look at my family and say “this will kill us.” See, like I said my husband is on SSI, he gets government assistance of $449.36 a month, I don’t work right now for three reasons. First is that I cannot find work. Second, my husband requires me to watch him and take him to the doctors often, and lastly I do not have child care. I know your reading this and asking yourself how do we survive on about 450.00 a month, and the answer is not easy. We are in low income housing which helps tremendously. My husband has Medicade and we pay around 35.00 a month for prescriptions and doctors visits. We have a car that insurance is about 50.00 a month, heat and electricity is about 120.00 a month and the rest for food, we don’t get any food stamp assistance because in order for us to get food stamps I must be working. As you can see there is no extra income in our home, so fifty dollars is out of reach for us.