Majority of Population Thinks the Government is Broken

Tea Party Activists, a group of people clearly dissatisfied with what the government is doing

Americans overwhelmingly believe that the government is broken, according to a national poll released Sunday.

This doesn't surprise me in the least. I have a feeling that this is largely due to things regarding money. The fact that a health care bill has not been passed, has lead me, and perhaps others, to see how inefficient the government system of passing laws is. The more and more people have to wait for the change they want, the more unsatisfied they'll be with their government.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted February 12-15, with 1,023 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points

Of course I also have to question the poll itself. It's unknown what states they called, because public opinion is probably very different in different states.

Obama Takes a Page Out of Jimmy Carter's Book

The ghost of Jimmy Carter's one-term presidency is hovering over President Obama as the Democrats try to pass a jobs bill in time for this year's elections. So why is the centerpiece of the measure -- a tax break for companies that make new hires -- a play straight from Carter's economic policy circa 1977?

Then, as now, the economy looked anemic and unemployment was high: 7.8% when Carter entered office, compared with 9.7% now. So just eleven days after his inauguration, the president proposed giving companies a temporary tax break if they hired new employees, calling it the New Jobs Tax Credit. The law went into effect for 1977 and 1978, over which time the unemployment rate fell 2%.

So, in theory, this tax break seems like a great idea. More money for companies that hire more employees, what could go wrong? Well one problem is that when this tax credit was initiated the first time, less than half of small businesses even knew about the tax credit. Many also argue it will cost more than it is worth.

A major flaw is that the bill "includes a requirement that in order to qualify for the tax break, an employer has to hire someone who has been out of work for at least 60 days". This seems unneccesary, employers should hire based on skill and what they need.
Well, all we can say is that hopefully, if this tax credit goes through, that it will be a success and enough people can get work to keep the economy recovering.

Mental health break, ya'll.

I have an affinity for strange instruments. This one is no exception. It's meant to produce the same sound as dipping your fingers in water and playing the rim of a glass. Benjamin Franklin invented this instrument which has since lost popularity but is really amazing.

Jobs, please.

In Obama's State of the Union address, he made a lot of promises about rebuilding this economy and making jobs. I was nervous that this might be another empty promise, but it seems that it isn't the case. The Democrats don't have a bill, but they have an agenda for putting something through.

The Democrats' agenda includes: Renewing existing highway legislation for a year, which is expected to result in one million jobs, Reid said. Also, enacting small business and job creation tax credits. And extending Build America Bonds, a stimulus measure that helps states and municipalities fund capital construction projects.

I think that unemployment taxes have been hitting businesses hard, so it's fortunate that we may see job creation credits. I think the most logical way to go about fixing unemployment is for the government to create jobs. Sure, we will have to spend money for that, but more jobs mean citizens spending more, so in the long run it's a great thing.

A Slow Climb out of the Recession Has Begun?

8.4 million jobs have been vaporized since the recession began, and digging out won't be easy.

But on a slightly brighter side, the situation is moderating. The number of jobs isn't falling as fast anymore. Now, there may be another sharp decrease, but relatively soon I believe the nation will begin recovering.

The unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in January to 9.7%. And businesses shed 20,000 jobs for the month, far fewer than the 150,000 jobs that were lost in December.

"Even as today's numbers contain signs of the beginning of recovery, they are also a reminder of how far we still have to go to return the economy to robust health and full employment," said White House economist Christina Romer in a statement.

Many temporary jobs have been created, showing that employers are hiring again. Also, many part time workers are being given their full time positions back.

So, not all is well. And economists are warning not to read too much into this improvement, for it may or may not be short-lived. Either way it's an improvement, and that means more jobs for the citizens of America. This means more disposable income, and more spending. Then, consequently more and more jobs created. I am hopeful for the economy of the United States.

The Government Has Your Baby's DNA (?)

When Annie Brown's daughter, Isabel, was a month old, her pediatrician asked Brown and her husband to sit down because he had some bad news to tell them: Isabel carried a gene that put her at risk for cystic fibrosis.

While grateful to have the information -- Isabel received further testing and she doesn't have the disease -- the Mankato, Minnesota, couple wondered how the doctor knew about Isabel's genes in the first place. After all, they'd never consented to genetic testing.

It's simple, the pediatrician answered: Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it's often done without the parents' consent,

What angered the parents of this little girl is the fact that they never gave consent to have their baby screened for DNA testing. I understand how parents could be unsettled, but it doesn't seem too strange to me. It is a little strange that they keep the DNA on file, but then again it could be used to help find the child if they go missing. I think the government should tell parents that their kids will be subject to the DNA screening, and that their DNA will be stored.

Man Arrested for Posting Gay Rights Posters

Malawi, South Africa

As a person who openly supports gay rights, it hurts me to read this story. But I'm also one who believes the United States shouldn't go around trying to change the situation in foreign countries. In South Africa, a man was posting gay rights posters.

Sawali, 21, was putting up posters that read, "Gay rights are human rights," on a busy road in the city of Blantyre, the spokesman said... Basically, he was promoting a criminal act. This is what this is all about.

Wait.. does America even do that? Do we prosecute people for promoting a criminal act? Murder is illegal in every state, and some would consider violent video games promoting a criminal act, but those are still legal.

Last month, Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to Malawi's government, accusing it of threatening citizens' fundamental rights.

Wait, fundamental rights? Maybe to United States citizens, but these people aren't United States Citizens. Malawi has its own constitution that decides what the rights of the citizens are. I find it acceptable for activists to go and talk about human "rights", but don't expect them to change their laws. Truly, when you think about it, there are no basic human rights. People's rights depend on where they live, because they're decided by the government.

"All these countries want to impose their culture on us, but homosexuality is a crime, according to the penal code in Malawi," he said. Those found guilty of homosexuality in Malawi face a maximum of 14 years in jail.

As a supporter of equality, I hope that all countries get to the point where there is no hate or discrimination because of something someone can't control. But America isn't even there yet, so we can't expect other places to be.