Tax Cut Package!

    On December 17, 2010 the House passed Bush's Tax Cut Package. The House voted 277 to 148 to not only temporarily extend tax cuts but to also continue unemployment benefits for 13 months and approve a series of smaller tax credits, cuts and extensions. Because of the passage, the bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
   Tax Cuts is a reduction in taxes. Unemployment benefits is a financial compensations for unemployed workers. Tax credits are deductions and exemptions that only reduce the amount of your income that is taxable.   
   Now that the bill has passed this is considered a made victory for Obama, who stood out his last week to make a compromise with Senate Republican Leaders, that he believed that the bill would pass before the end of the year 2010. However, it has also broken the coexistence between the President and the Liberals in the House, who feel that Obama has stopped fighting for their dreams.
   Since the Midterm elcetions I figured that the president was going to have to be more conservative or more on the republican side. Which means he was going to have to change some the ways and make new decisions. Now the liberals are a little upset but I feel that the tax cuts, benefits, credits and extensions are great. The Bill allows the people at the bottom of the spectrum to the top, it extends all tax credits, such as college tuition, child and earned income and it allows businesses to deduct 100% of certain investments etc.

Cell Phones, Ipods, Internet TV: "Serves Us or Distracts Us?"

    
     Technology is the usage and knowledge of tools, techniques, crafts, systems and methods of organization. In our modern world today technology has taken over in many ways and in many aspects of our lives such as in schools, in workplaces and in homes. There has been many debates on whether technology being a major distraction in our society or has it serves us any good.
     On one side many people say that technology is distracting teens from their studies. The cell phones, ipods, and the internet chatting websites are taking students away from what really matters which is education. It has caused cyber bulleying. Families are being neglected by loved ones because of the distraction of technology and the meaning of "valuble time" has been wasted on "technology time." 
     However, on the other hand, many say that the new technology helps us grow. Meaning it gives us more insight on what is going on in our world today. Some teens say that the internet is another source of way to express their feelings about a certain situations without verbally saying it and others say that the ipod is a way of getting away from the all the hectic in the world.
    I personally feel that technology has taken over society and has taken away some of the real meaning of life such as holidays, family time, and education. We as people tend to sometimes forget the real meaning of our existance and the importance of these major impacts in our life. We get so overwelmed in all the new technology and ignore what really matters. I also feel that technology has benefited us through knowledge in ways. Television and internet gives us information of society and teaches us about history, cell phones gives us communication with people and ipods let us express ourselves through music. The question is how do you let the devices impact YOUR LIFE!!!!   

Airport "Pat-Downs" and Scannings!

      Transportation Security Administration is a Workforce that protects the Nations transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. The Transportation Security Administraton is now subjecting passengers to either a thorough frisking, "Pat-downs" or going through scanning machines that reveals what people have under their clothing. The issue is that the new procedures have caused major problems with United States passengers complaining about being touched by the TSA agents and also being exposed to radiation. The TSA says that these new procedures will be the only way to stop terrorist from hiding explosives and any other weapons. Especially, due to previous events occuring such as the "Christmas Day Bombing."
  Safety in the world has always been an issue but in the past we didnt have as much protection as we have been given now and days. Now we are equipped with more devices and security to protect the people. My point is we as people are grateful to live in a place where our protection is taken into consideration and doing whatever neccesary to protect us then BY ALL MEANS go ahead. However, we also live in a world where privacy is an issue and some may feel that getting Patted down or scanned by radiation is invading their privacy. We should have privacy.  I am moderately speaking that the TSA should make airport procedures more strict but maybe there can be an alternative to the intrusive pat-downs. May be there can be another way to thoroughly check the people. I dont know myself what can be an alternative and for the time being then we should continue with the procedures but if the TSA come up with some new rules then maybe they dont have to stop the Pat-downs and scannings but the people can have more of an equal option to choose how they get checked.  

   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5Nal-0rDLI

Paper Denies Gay Marriage.

  In New Hampshire gay marriage had just been legalized and for most people in the state this was great. The news was being announced throughout the state every where in newsletters, magazines and on television but not by the best  known news paper company, The Union Leaders. They refused to write about the gay marriage being legalized in their paper. For one soon-to-be gay married couple, Greg Gould and his partner Aurelio this was discriminative against homosexuals.
  The issue in this situation was that the news paper company felt that they had the right NOT to announce that gay marriage had been llegalized. Their reason for this was that they are a privately owned business and they could print anything they wanted to. The gay married couple felt that they were being discriminated against
 but after hearing the statement of the news company they said that it was an adequate response.
  In this situation I personally feel that both sides of the story put up a good argument. I feel that the Union Leaders Newspaper Company does not have to publish the gay marriage announcements in their articles. I feel this way because the company is a privatly owned business and they are intitled to their own opinion. On the other hand I understand why the couple was upset by this because Union Leaders is a big company in the state and and it usually publishes all the other major events that occurs in the state which means they expected the company to acknowledge this event. For them not to announce this clearly shows that the company is a bit bias.
  Where do i stand on Gay Marriage as a whole??
I can honestly say that I accept it. I feel that just because this issue isnt human nature such as race, gender, or nationality, I feel that NO one should be discriminated against on their sexual content but if so judged by the content of their character!!
How does this topic relate to Government and Politics??
I believe this relates to government and politics through the Equal Rights Amendment and The first amendment.

http://www.cnn.com/video/

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

  Lilly Ledbetter was a women supervisor at the company of Goodyear Tire and Rubber plant in Gadsden, Alabama. Working there nearly 20 years she sued the company after eventually learning that she was getting paid less than her other male co-workers at her facility. Lilly found out that she was being discriminated against by recieving an anonymous note in her mailbox showing the pay of Lilly's pay and the pay of three other male co-wokers who were completing the same daily tasks at the job.
  In this case against Lilly Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, the Supreme Courts decision was overturned for decades but eventually in 2009 the new President Barack Obama signed his first bill approving that this case was a clear case of pay discrimination on the basis of sex. "Equal Pay."
  I personally feel that this bill being passed and signed was not only an oppurtunity for Lilly Ledbetter but also and oppurtunity for all women and men of all types of races, ages, disabilities, and nationalities around the world. I am truly inspired by Lilly Ledbetter as a person because she could have gave up and let the case go after it was first overturned by the Supreme Court but instead she fought for what she felt was right and what she believed in. Last, I really respect her for for not only doing this for herself but also thinking of the rights of the people in generations to come!!
 How does this issue relate to government and politics??
I feel the this issue has every thing to do with government like the Constitution, Equal Rights Amendment, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.




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