Controversy in Washington

House Bill 1715 could change Washington State forever. As the bill states;  "The official designation is a desirable promotional tool that Washington businesses can use when sharing their product with customers through the world."  (HB1715) What is the bill about, you ask? Only the most important cultural characteristic of Washington State.  The amazing taste of coffee.

This bill designates coffee as our state drink, but the tough question is what kind? Is Washington State a black coffee state or a mocha latte or perhaps we are an americano type of state. The kind of coffee is very telling about a person and more so a state. What image do we as a state want to portray to the rest of the country?

Without your input key issues like this will be decided. Write or call your legislature today to get in the fight and stand up for your favorite morning pick me up. We can't fix health care or higher education reform this session but we can forever decide the fate of our state drink and the flavor of our future.

Healthcare and Gun Control: Ironic approach to Reform

One of my friends sent this link to me and i couldn't help but laugh. In spirit of the health care mandate South Dakota as working on bill to provide an individual mandate for gun ownership.

"It's known as the "Act to provide for an individual mandate to adult citizens to provide for the self-defense of themselves and others." In political terms, it's a smackdown to the "Affordable Care Act." Republican Hal Wick from Sioux Falls is sponsoring the bill and concedes it is unlikely to pass, but he's using it to illustrate what many critics of the health care law believe -- that the requirement for individuals to buy health insurance is unconstitutional."(Political Daily)

I highly dough this bill will make it very far in there legislature but as comical as the idea is, it makes a good point. If the government can mandate you buy health insurance, what else could they force you to by. An good argument I heard in support of the mandate was that; "The health care mandate is akin to the law  that require you to get auto insurance."  That statement raised a good point, when you get in a car you could hurt someone else and thus you need insurance. But unlike a car with health care you don't chose to get sick, as you chose to drive. It will be interesting to see how the mandate issue pans out. If its seen as constitutional i wonder was else they will mandate.... gym memberships perhaps?  As far as the gun mandate in South Dakota, i wonder if they will provide gun subsidies for low in come families. That could end poorly.

The War on Healthcare: The Battle Continues

"The Senate’s Democratic leaders answered the Republican challenge by saying they would stage a vote on the repeal measure on Wednesday, when they were certain it would be defeated. The House, where Republicans won a majority in November’s elections, approved the repeal last month." ( New York Times )

A few days ago a Florida judge ruled that the health care bill was unconstitutional. With another judge ruling against the bill, the pressure is on for work to be done on the bill. But the Democratic senate has already stated, they will not make a vote to repeal the bill happen. With the bill following almost complete party lines the idea of even collaborating to fix the bill seems to be out of the question. But yet there is still some hope on the topic of health care reform. But it might just be more political posturing.   

“For all those who supported the health care law, it’s an opportunity to re-evaluate your vote, to listen to your constituents,” Mr. McConnell said in a floor speech on Tuesday. He added, “You can say, perhaps: ‘This was a mistake. We can do this better.’ Or you can continue to dismiss the majority of people in this country as not knowing what they’re talking about.” ( New York Times )

Regardless of your views on the bill, the future of health care reform seems to be a partisan mined field. with neither side really gaining a footing at this point. But no matter the out come the tax payer will be fronting the bill.  

The War on Healthcare

The Florida state supreme court judge ruled that Health care bill is unconstitutional.

"Judge Roger Vinson said as a result of the unconstitutionality of the "individual mandate" that requires people to buy insurance, the entire law must be thrown out." (Fox News)

"I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate. That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. The health care market is more than one sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here," Vinson wrote. (Fox News)

This decision will help drive the bill to the supreme court. Realistic projection say that it will not happen for a year or more.  Which means that this health care package or "Obamacare" as it has been coined, with be decided by the 2012 elections and those who are in office at that time.

Washington State is one of the 27 states that has signed onto the bill and has been involved in the fight to repeal the bill sense its creation. The Attorney General, Rob McKenna has gotten a lot of flack from those in our state government about his choices to sign on to the bill. If this bill is defeat in the supreme court, then it could acts as a nail in the coffin to the reelection of those officials that supported the unpopular bill.

As i say way to often change is coming to our nation and state, and pivotal bills and court ruling such as these are the key factors to that change. But the question arises, if this bill is shot down what else could republicans get on the chopping block? And how will out state legislature deal with increase attention on health care reform?

State of the Union : Optimism and Division

 For those that have seen it here are the links: State of the Union

The future was the focus, of Obama's State of the Union address. Can we better our schools? Can we fight to preserver the future of our nation? Obama compared our national issues and national mood to that of the cold war when the Russian sent Sputnik into space. Obama called us to action, to reform and to press forward on innovation and creation, what he said are the American ideals, and building block of our great nation. But can we accomplish these goals? With the method currently in place i say no.

GOP's response: Rep. Paul Ryan 

The president asked us to champion innovation, but yet he can't hand failure. If we are in a race to create the jobs of tomorrow, we are going to have more failures then successes. As we have already seen the federal government will not let up on the regulation and taxation that stifles innovation and growth. So will the Bill Gates's of tomorrow be able to risk it all in pursuit of their dream? The odds are no.

The federal government and state governments has demonstrated a fear towards things in which they do not control. They believe that they have to create jobs and stimulate the economy but the truth is they can not. The government can not create jobs any better then a teacher can do their students homework. If the Obama administration really wants to spark the grown and innovation of American entrepreneurship all they have to do is step aside and let those with the dream be free to risk and created the jobs of tomorrow.

The national deficit can only be address if spending and entitlements are addressed. I only hope that with the federal government divided as it, that the grow of entitlements and wasteful spending are addressed. but then again I'm a realist and the only "innovation and job creation" i see coming our way from the federal government is more regulatory organizations, and staffers to running them.

For additional commentary on the address follow the link to the right: Rep. Eric Cantor  

Healthcare Reform and Drinking Games

“I want to advise people watching at home who are playing that now-popular drinking game — you take a shot whenever the Republicans say something that’s not true — please assign a designated driver,” he said. “This is going to be a long afternoon.”- New York Times

With the house passing the repeal of the health-care bill tempers in D.C. are flaring and the media outlets are buzzing. The call for chivalry seems to have been just another example of political posturing. Right out of the gates a Representative from Tennessee came out swing. He implied that republican are acting just like Goebbels, who was the propaganda director for the Nazi Regime during World War II.  "On the House floor Tuesday, Cohen said: "They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie, just like Goebbels.You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, and eventually, people believe it. Like blood libel. That's the same kind of thing."- Washington Post  

With the events in Arizona, I like the majority of Americas hoped that this horrific event could be a catalyst to a new era of  political chivalry. But like much in politics these days, their claims to reform their behavior was only a claim nothing more.

Throughout the health care debate the arguments from both sides of the isle where so polarized it came off as if they were arguing about two completely different bills. "Depending on your side of the aisle, it will either raise taxes, increase unemployment and sever the patient-doctor relationship or help heal the economy, reduce the deficit and save lives."- New York Times With that growing separation in American politics, and the continual attempt by both sides to demonize there adversary, I wonder IF and when the American electorate will  be able to bridge the political divide.

I propose a new drinking game, every time the democrats and republicans agree about an issue take a drink. It will be a sobering experience.

The Decline in Education

In an USA Today report, a study found some shocking data about the depth of education in higher education.

"Nearly half of the nation's undergraduates show almost no gains in learning in their first two years of college, in large part because colleges don't make academics a priority....After two years in college, 45% of students showed no significant gains in learning; after four years, 36% showed little change. Students also spent 50% less time studying compared with students a few decades ago, the research shows."- USA Today

If you've been to a college campus these days you sadly can see how this is very true. Education in general is being push to produced more higher education graduates. Like most government related products lowing standards are a lot easier then increase the difficulty. For when you lower the bar everyone a winner right?

Facts like this are not all that uncommon, studies have shown that students entering the workforce after college are increasingly unprofessional and unprepared for the tasks at hand.  People are not raised with the idea that they are responsible for their work, and that the quality and timeliness of their work does effect the outcome. People expect their teachers to hold their hands throughout college, then have their bosses hold their hands throughout the work world. Whatever happened to individual independence, and personal motivation to succeed? I guess holding people accountable and forcing people to think instead of just repeating information is now "Un-America".

Like most things in life time has a habit of fixing our own mistakes. With more students at college graduating in to a world were jobs are fewer and far an between, maybe people will start waking to reality. If not there is always government jobs available.