What Is The Real Reason Gas Prices Are So High?

What Is The Real Reason Gas Prices Are So High?

Do We Need A Gas Tax Holiday?

Do We Need A Gas Tax Holiday? Will We Get One? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

What is a gas tax holiday? And would one help you? We have three candidates and three positions on this idea. McCain’s proposal doesn’t replace the tax revenue lost by this plan, but Hillary’s does, and Obama is against it altogether.

Here are video clips of each candidate, and then I’ll tell you what I think. Let me know how you feel about this issue in comments.  [STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET A VIDEO ON THIS NEW EDITOR -- SEE VIDEOS HERE]

So, what do you think?  Who is right on the gas tax holiday?

The way I see it is…At best this would be a band-aid on a gaping chest wound, and at worst it’s simply political pandering. Either way, this gas crisis brought on by the policies of the Bush administration, is going nowhere but up. The truth is…There is no end in site, with or without a gas tax holiday. Sorry.

If we are going to get through these tough economic times, we are going to have to come together, both Democrats and Republicans (and I’m not talking about the politicians here - I’m talking about the people). Sadly, our government isn’t going to be able to get us out of this one. So if you are feeling the crunch - Come together with your neighbors (Democrat and Republican), and carpool to work, to the grocery store, to the mall, to the bank, and anywhere else you need to go. If you have to run out to the grocery story, call your neighbor and see if she needs you to pick up something, or would like to come along. Try to reduce unnecessary car rides by planning ahead and getting errands run in one or two days, rather than three or four.

Don’t expect a gas holiday…Go on a gas diet. How do you do that? If you normally fill your car up once a week, see if you can reduce your driving enough to make it to day 8 or 9 (keep track of it on your calender). Once you have done that, try to cut back some more. Put yourself and your car on a gas diet.

Look at this gas crisis for what it is…a disaster. And what do we do in a disaster? We prepare, attempt to prevent, and we come together as communities to help each other when the disaster strikes. Yes, this is a disaster (one that I expect will get much worse before it gets better). And yes, we need to come together and help each other out if we are going to get through this. You can start by organizing - The same way we do a town watch, or a neighborhood garage sale. Or invite your neighbors over for coffee to brainstorm ideas that will fit your needs. And if you are reading this thinking…”This gas crisis can’t hurt me, I could afford to pay 6 bucks a gallon for gas.” Well, if that’s what you are thinking, I would challenge you to think past yourself (as in a disaster), and see if there is someone less fortunate in your community that you might be able to help.

So…Tax holiday or no tax holiday. We all need to start looking ahead, and facing our new reality. We have been through worse, and we certainly can get through this, as long as we come together.

YouTube Video Roundup of Clinton, Obama, and McCain on the Economy

A Video Roundup of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain on the Economy — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at the Care2 Election Blog)

The economy continues to be the most important issue to voters. And with all the bad news in the housing market, the falling dollar, and rising gas prices, it’s easy to see why people are so concerned. Here is a quick video round-up from the last few days, on how the candidates are planning to address the economy. Who do you think is the best candidate for solving the many problems facing our economy? Let me know what you think in comments.

See the YouTube video clips at the Care2 Election Blog

Will The Economy Be Better Than Ever Before? (see YouTube video)

Bush - The Economy Will Be Better Than Ever Before — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)

On Wednesday, stocks were down, oil prices were up, and new home sales were the lowest they have been in 13 years. But to spite all of this bad economic news, President Bush told a group at a printing company in Virginia, that the economy will soon be “stronger than ever before.” Really? Is Bush the only person in the country who doesn’t understand that when Americans get their “stimulus” checks they are not going to go on wild spending sprees?

READ FULL POST HERE

Hillary Clinton’s Plan To Help The Housing Crisis - with youtube video

Hillary Clinton’s Plan To Help The Housing Crisis — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)

* ALSO SEE:  Hillary…Don’t Quit!

Hillary Clinton unveils 4-step plan to help homeowners. Now is the time to help struggling people.

Hillary Clinton unveils 4-step plan to help homeowners. Now is the time to help struggling people.

This is from an article in Business Week…

Even though her proposals would involve tens of billions in government spending, Clinton moved to head off anticipated charges that such measures would constitute a bailout. “To those who object to our government helping middle-class and low-income families devastated by the housing crisis, I say this: We’ve given Bear Stearns a $30 billion lifeline, we’ve given their creditors, their lenders, their customers, and those associated with them the same lifeline,” she said. “How can you tell a family about to lose their home that there’s nothing we can do to help them?”

I think this is a great plan, and it would be much better for the housing market to help people not go into foreclosure. Not only does foreclosure hurt the family that is made homeless, but it hurts the whole neighborhood, by bringing down home values for everyone.

I personally know more than one family who have been struggling for years to pay their mortgages, and now find themselves facing possible foreclosure. These families have already made huge sacrifices to keep paying their mortgages, in hopes to someday have at least a small nest-egg in their homes. But now those homes aren’t even worth what paid for them, and even if they were able to sell their homes (and many can’t even do that), they would lose money. On top of everything else, the cost to heat these homes has skyrocketed, and so has gas, food, healthcare, and just about everything else. Finances have gotten so bad, that these people feel the only solution is to walk away from their homes and their mortgages.

We need to find a way to help people who (up until now) have been struggling each month paying their mortgages, but who now feel their only option is to abandon their American Dream. We need to find a way to throw these families some sort of life-raft and help them get through this crisis with their dignity and hopefully their homes. More foreclosures, more abandoned homes, and more homeless families is only going to prolong this housing crisis.

And the problems facing the middle-class is not limited to the housing crisis. Rising healthcare cost are seriously hurting many families…

This is from The Washington Post…

Recent history has not been kind to working-class Americans, who were down on the economy long before the word recession was uttered.

The main reason: spiraling health-care costs have been whacking away at their wages. Even though workers are producing more, inflation-adjusted median family income has dipped 2.6 percent — or nearly $1,000 annually since 2000.

There is no doubt that we are facing serious economic problems in this county. Since stopping this economic crisis is obviously not going to happen, we need to find the best way to get through it…and it shouldn’t be every man for himself. The more we collectively help Americans that need help, the fast are economy will recover from this crisis. The longterm costs of not helping these families, could end up being even more devastating to our economy.

What do you think?

ALSO SEE: POLITICAL VOICES OF OVER 375 WOMEN WHO BLOG ON POLITICS

Five Years of the Iraq War: When Will It Ever End????

The Iraq War: Five Years Later - by Catherine Morgan -(cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)

Personally, I have always been against war and violence of any kind. I didn’t even let my children play with toy guns when they were young (not even water guns). Now I find myself worried that my son or daughter could actually be drafted someday. [Over a year ago I did a post addressing my concerns over a possible draft or mandatory military, it still seems very relevant today.] So yes, I am one of the people that are against this war in Iraq, and I have been since day one. And I really hate that we are now talking about the fifth anniversary of this horrific war. What I find myself wondering the most about today is, there seems to be no end in sight and five years from now we might be talking about the tenth anniversary of the Iraq war. How many people have to die? When will ‘man’ realize that war is not the answer?

People have been saying that we aren’t talking much about the Iraq war anymore, and I suspect it is because of the attention our tumbling economy is getting. I wonder? Has it occurred to anyone that $275 million a day spent in Iraq could be adding to the trouble we find our economy in? The National Priorities Project has a running tab of the cost of the Iraq war…

Let’s take a look at how this five year anniversary of the war in Iraq is being reported by the news and on the blogs.

Associated Press: Iraq War Disappears as TV Story.

Remember the war in Iraq?

The question isn’t entirely facetious. The war has nearly vanished from TV screens over the past few months, replaced by stories about the fascinating presidential campaign and faltering economy.

Yet Americans continue to fight and die there, five years after the war started in March 2003.

“It’s no big secret that this is a war that everyone has grown tired of,” said CNN correspondent Arwa Damon, whose documentary “On Deadly Ground: The Women of Iraq” is airing several times this month. “Iraqis are aware of it. They think it’s a story that people are tired of hearing about. That’s what makes our job more crucial.”

ABC News will draw attention to the war this week with the fifth edition of its “Where Things Stand” series, polling and interviewing Iraqis about what is happening in their country.

The War In Iraq - Five Years of Cultural Fallout

Since U.S. forces began bombarding Iraq in 2003, the impact of the war has been felt far beyond the battlefields.

From AFP - Iraq: A Three Trillion Dollar War?

The war in Iraq has already cost the United States more than 400 billion dollars by the most conservative tally, but the total bill could surpass three trillion dollars, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

By the Pentagon’s count, 527 billion dollars were allocated from September 2001 through December 2007 to finance the war against terrorism, including 406 billion dollars for Iraq.

The Congressional Budget Office reported in October 2007 that Iraq accounts for 421 billion, or 70 percent, of the 602 billion dollars that the Congress has authorized for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The CBO estimates that the total cost of the two wars could reach 2.4 trillion dollars by 2017 including interest on the debt, with Iraq accounting for 70 percent of the spending, or 1.68 trillion dollars.

But even that pales by comparison with estimates put forward by Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, a Harvard professor, in a book called “The Three Trillion Dollar War: the True Cost of the Iraq Conflict.”

This is from a post by Connie at Connie Talk. She has done a post on the Fifth Anniversary of the Iraq War.

Yesterday, March 15th, 2008, marked the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. To be honest, I don’t really understand why so many people call it an “anniversary”: a word that most often indicates something to celebrate. But, regardless, we have been occupying the Middle East in wartime for exactly five years now. There were thousands of people who showed up in Los Angeles, California, yesterday to march the length of Hollywood Boulevard.

Thanks to hard-working YouTuber’s, you can get a peek at the protests from many corners of the Earth without leaving your computer chair.

Check out Connie at Connie Talk, where she has videos of protests that took place all over the world.

What the bloggers are saying…

Wash Park Prophet: The Iraq War Five Years Later

The Political Inquire: The Iraq Debate Must Continue

PoliJam Blog: Clinton Memo Slams Obama on Iraq War’s 5th Anniversary

The Kicker: The Psychological Damage to Soldiers Caused by the Iraq War

Iraq War: Five Years of Protest

A Plan To End The Iraq War

So, what do you think? Did you originally support the war? Or were you against it? How are you feeling about it now? Do you see a light at the end of the tunnel? Has the Iraq war reduced the chances of terrorism in America? Do you feel safer because of the Iraq war? Do you want our next president to get us out of Iraq? Do you think it is possible to get out of Iraq? Do you think the $275 million being spent each day on the Iraq war, is contributing to the serious economic problems we are facing today?

These are just a few of the questions I wonder about, let me know how you feel in comments.

Hillary Wins Ohio (and Texas) - Could this be her comeback? See YouTube Video of Her Victory Speech

Could this be a comeback for Hillary?

Texas is still too close to call.  12:52am — CNN has announced that Hillary Clinton is the projected winner in Texas.  This is HUGE.

March 4th For Child Care and Head Start

March 4th For Child Care and Head Start - Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at the Care2 Election Blog)

Today is March Forth For Child Care and Head Start day, and you can help make a difference by calling or emailing your members of Congress. All day today, advocates for children will be joining-in to voice their support of an increase in funding for the Head Start program. This is such an important issue, and I hope you will consider taking action to support our children.

Earlier today, I wrote about my personal experience with this program, in a post at BlogHer — Bush’s War on the Single Mother. Here is an excerpt from a comment by Suzanne Reisman…

Head Start is one of the most cost-effective programs we have in this country. We need more Head Start, and we need full day Head Start programs (much of the funding only pays for a few hours of services) so that low income working parents can take advantage of the enormous benefits Head Start offers children and families. It is a comprehensive early learning program that supports the total well-being of children.

. . .

Further, study after study shows that quality early childhood programs like Head Start significantly reduce the incidences of teen pregnancy, juvenile crime, being held back in school, and other social ills that develop later in life. Every $1 we invest today in these programs saves taxpayers somewhere between $7 and $17 in future costs due to negative consequences of poverty.

From Womenstake: March Forth For Child Care and Head Start

Today, all across the country, thousands of advocates are joining together to March Forth in support of increased funding for child care and Head Start by calling or e-mailing their Members of Congress.

We are joining together because our children deserve a better and brighter future. Under the President’s budget, 200,000 low-income children and their families will lose child care assistance, and 14,000 children will lose Head Start.

Please add your voice by calling or e-mailing your Members of Congress today.

Here is how you can take action and help…

To call your representatives, use the script below and dial toll-free at 1-888-460-0813. The operator who answers the phone will ask which Senator or Representative you would like to speak to. To find out who your Senators and Representative are, search our directory before you call.

Tell the staffers who answer the phone in your representatives’ offices:

• Hi, my name is (INSERT NAME.) I’m a constituent. (If you are also a parent, child care provider, community leader, etc., feel free to mention that as well.)
• I am calling because I believe that child care and Head Start are essential programs for children and families. I urge Senator/ Representative (INSERT NAME) to support an increase of $874 million for child care and $1 billion for Head Start in this year’s budget.

I found this interesting statistic in a New York Times Op-Ed by Bob Herbert — The $2 Trillion Nightmare

And he cited the committee’s own calculations from last fall that showed that the money spent on the war each day is enough to enroll an additional 58,000 children in Head Start for a year,

Also See:

State Aide Helps Head Start…

The national Head Start program, which was a legacy of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society,” offers preschool to families unable to afford a private program. We don’t know how it functions elsewhere in the country, but in Morris County, Head Start is as refreshingly bipartisan as can be. Republicans and Democrats are on its board, and Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, R-Harding, long has been a supporter.

and

Children from poor families need a head start

I hope you will consider taking a moment today, to take action on this important issue.

Bush Press Conference: The Economy, FISA, and Terrorism

The Bush (delusion) Press Conference - Posted by Catherine Morgan

President Bush had a press conference today (see transcript of press conference). Of course, he continued his rhetoric and scare tactics over the FISA bill. It seems to me, if the government would just follow the law and get the proper warrants for these wire taps, this would be a non-issue. Congress can not allow a bill to pass that will aid government agencies to spy on any American citizen without a warrant. And telecommunication companies need to understand that they cannot spy on American citizens without the proper warrants. Bush would have us believe that we need this bill to protect us from the terrorists, but the truth is…this bill enables the government to spy on any one of us. This is a very slippery slope.

Bush also used this opportunity to remind us of his extensive knowledge of the economy, assuring Americans that we are not in a recession, but rather a “slowdown.” Phew! That was a close one. I can breath easier now…NOT. I wonder how people directly affected by the “slowdown” feel about the Bush assessment. Is anybody else sick of hearing about the “wording” of our current economic crisis? I don’t care if Bush calls it “raindrops on roses”, it doesn’t change the facts.

• Millions of Americans can not pay their bills.
• Foreclosures are sky high.
• People are losing their jobs.
• Gas prices continue to rise.
• The dollar continues to fall.
• The costs of food and medications are increasing rapidly.
• 47 million people have no healthcare.
• 37 million are living in poverty.

So, call it what ever you like Mr. President, but don’t patronize us…we are not stupid.

READ FULL POST AT THE Care2 Election Blog

Is Politics Making You Stressed Out?

Is politics making you stressed? Anxious? Depressed? — Posted by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Some days are worse than others for me. Today was particularly bad, especially with that stupid, fear mongering, “scare us into calling our senators” ad I’ve been seeing all day. Here is a video clip of the ad with the “truth” pointed out…

I’ve written about this FISA issue so much already, it makes me want to just SCREAM! I guess that makes me a wee-bit stressed. Screaming at the t.v. would seem to be a good indication of a person’s anxiety level, don’t you think? Do you ever want to scream at your television?

Today I even let the “F-bomb” slip, and in front of my daughter no less. It was while I was on the phone talking about politics (specifically, my pet-peeve issue of Florida disenfranchisement), and my daughter was sitting in the same room. There goes my “Perfect Mother of the Year” award.

How would you rate your level of politically induced stress? Are you a one? And not affected at all over political issues? Or, are you a ten? And waiting patiently for the men with straight jackets to show up at your door? I don’t think I’m a ten yet. But, at this rate, I’m sure it won’t be too long before I am.

Here are a couple posts I found of other women who are stressing over politics…

Lori Wallach at The Huffington Post

As America’s anxiety grows, the economy not only is becoming a preeminent issue of the election, but the presidential candidates are responding to public anxiety about the current model of globalization. The Democratic candidates are reflecting back the public criticism of the status quo, but so far, they have avoided stating how an aspiring future president would restore the economic security of the American middle class in this era of globalization.

Maya Reynolds: Election Day Preview

I woke early and was at my desk by 7:30–despite rain and the fact that I usually drift in around 9:00 AM.

I’ve been aware of a low-level anxiety all morning. Sort of like the feeling my mother used to describe as “ants in your pants.”

While I was eating my Chinese food and cruising the Internet over lunch, it dawned on me.

Wonderful Electric - Election Blues

Okay, so on Tuesday I went to cast my vote in the Democrats Abroad primary at Portchester Hall in London. The problem was, I was having a massive moral crisis. I was an undecided voter, for the first time in my entire life (and yes, this includes casting a vote for Dukakis in my school’s mock election in 1988 and crying when Bush won).

Since Edwards dropped out (and this Krugman column made me cry), I’ve had a hard time getting excited about the Democratic primary. This isn’t just out of character, it’s out of keeping with the massive turnouts recorded all over the states which (I assume) means that heaps of other people are terribly thrilled. It’s a strange combination of disillusionment, apathy, and indecision that I’ve never experenced before. Between Obamania and the Hillarybot, who the hell am I going to vote for?

Elissa’s Blog - Election Blues

I don’t know about you, but I’m having a panic attack about the future of our country. I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine around the time of the last presidential election. She considered herself a Democrat and I considered myself a Republican.

The real question is…How are we going to make it to November with all of this stress? Well, there is no specific “political” stress relief program. But, here are some general tips you might find helpful., in reducing your level of stress. When all else fails…Turn the “freekin” news OFF.

Child of the Waters - Stress: Don’t Fight It, Control It.

Under stress? Always. First and foremost, don’t panic! Some people can work under stress because they do not panic. Keep calm and assess the situation. What is the sources of the stress? Is it your boss? Your officemate? The office/school itself? Chill. Hopefully, none of them bite. Here are some ways to control the stress in your life…

Pagama Mommy - Stress Relief

I heard recently that there is no such thing as stress. You can’t go outside with an empty jar, fill it with stress then bring it home or with you to wherever you go. Hmmm, sounds good. Then why are we so stressed-out? Why do we do this to ourselves?

Is The American Dream Out Of Reach For Most Americans?

Is the American Dream out of reach for most Americans?

What do you think? Is the American Dream obtainable?

Here are a few comments from a poll by Care2…

- What is the American Dream? I have lost track. I work so much that I can’t enjoy life.

- The American Dream has become The American Nightmare.

- American Dream Ha its a myth.fed by exceptional ism. It should be “the human dream”, and not defined by materialism, and greed.

Take the poll, leave a comment…and here are more polls by Care2.

Also See:

• Foreclosure…The American Dream
• American Dream: That Is Just How They Like It
• Defending The American Dream

Exxon Mobil Record Profits while American People Record Losses

Exxon Mobil Continues To Post Record Profits??? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at the Care2 Election Blog)

This just doesn’t seem right to me. There is something seriously wrong when oil and gas corporations continue making record profits, in a time when most Americans are struggling to pay the bills, the dollar is falling, and gas prices are going through the roof.

See Exxon Mobil Profit Sets Record Again at The New York Times…

Exxon Mobil delivered its strongest performance ever last year, earning a record $40.6 billion in net income because of surging oil prices, the company said Friday.

The figure, a 3 percent increase from the previous year, exceeded the company’s own record for profits at an American corporation, set in 2006, and is nearly twice what it earned in 2003. — read full article at The New York Times

If it was up to me (and I know it’s not), I would require these companies to begin to use a large portion of their profits, on finding and producing alternative fuels. It doesn’t even have to be a law, just take away tax incentives and raise taxes on companies that refuse to comply. I know, it’s a free market…bla, bla, bla. I still think there is no reason for giving tax incentives to companies that clearly do not need them.

Other bloggers blogging on this…

Redzilla Attacks — Exxon Reports Record Profits while giving America the finger

IntoxiNation - As We Loose Jobs, Exxon Sets Records

Cracked Virtue

Day Dreaming

What do you think about this??? Does it make you mad????

MSNBC Republican Debate in Florida

MSNBC Republican Debate in Florida — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog and at The Political Voices of Women)

To start with, the candidates didn’t want to do a full two hour debate, so MSNBC agreed to cut it down to an hour and a half. I was tremendously disappointed with this decision. Well, not really (I was actually fighting off a happy dance). Sorry, I guess I kind of have a love/hate relationship with these debates.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad debate. Who won??? Some are saying McCain (I think he falls on the economy, and he outright lied about a statement he made on the economy), some say Huckabee (I did like his explanation of the fair tax), and others are saying Romney (even though they says he’s a flip-flopper, he seems like he has a strong message on the economy). Ron Paul didn’t get a lot of time, but he did make some good points. Interestingly enough, no one seemed to think Giuliani was the winner (I would have to agree). I’m not so sure who the winner was, but I think it could have been Hillary (they actually talked about her tonight more than anything else).

There was obviously a conscious effort not to attack and fight with each other. The Republicans were definitely playing nice tonight, I know that probably disappointed the pundits, but it made me happy.

Here are some other interesting spots to check out…

READ FULL POST a the Care2 Election Blog

More On Bush Stimulus and Tax Rebate Plan

Bush Stimulus and Tax Rebate Plan — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election Blog)

Here is a quick look at the the Bush stimulus/tax rebate plan, and some reaction to it. Even though this is a breaking news story today, the deal still has to pass the Senate. Personally, I’m a little skeptical.

READ FULL POST at Care2 Election Blog

Breaking: Economic Stimulus and Tax Rebate Agreement

**See UPDATED INFORMATION here.

Breaking: Economic Stimulus and Tax Rebate Agreement

WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders completed a deal Thursday with the White House on an economic stimulus package that would give most tax filers refunds of $600 to $1,200, and more if they have children.

NOTE: This plan must still pass the Senate.
Also See:

Bush Stimulus Plan: Bloggers react