Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Nation’s Largest Minority Population Would Re-elect President Obama

The 2010 U.S. Census shows — not unexpectedly — that the nation’s Hispanic community, already the largest minority, has the fastest-growing population in the United States.  Hispanic voters are a very important factor in the 2012 Presidential election.  President Obama’s campaign has put an emphasis on many different groups including Latinos.  The following is from the President’s campaign site:  “President Obama has been and will continue to be an advocate and ally on issues important to the Latino community.”  Eva Longoria (a very influential and brilliant Latina) sent out a letter expressing her support for the President in 2012.  The following is an excerpt from her letter:  “I also support the President because he's fighting for the Hispanic community. He knows that the future of America is closely tied to the success of the Hispanic community. He knows that Latinas are helping drive the economic recovery, starting small businesses at a rate of six times the national average. He’s made historic investments to help our small businesses and established programs to help more Hispanics get a college education.” 

A majority of Latinos would re-elect the president in 2012 over his main GOP rivals, according to a poll by the Pew Hispanic Center.  “In a hypothetical match-up against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney,” the report said, “Obama wins 68 percent to 23 percent among Latino registered voters.”
“And in a match-up against Texas Gov. Rick Perry,” it continued, “Obama wins the Latino vote 69 percent to 23 percent.

Other candidates seem to not even be trying to get the Hispanic population’s votes.  It’s like they think they can win the election with only the non-minority religious right votes.  For instance Mitt Romney has distanced himself from the Latino community and seems to come off unfriendly to a whole population of people.  The leaders of the Hispanic Leadership Fund(a Republican-leaning group), are so upset with Romney that if he wins the nomination, they might withhold an endorsement and curtail plans for an extensive voter-contact campaign in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida to bolster the GOP presidential ticket.  After taking heat from his fellow Republican presidential candidates for supposedly being soft on immigration, GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich laid down a stricter rhetoric on the issue.  While refusing to back off his previous statement, that it was unjust to deport undocumented immigrants who have lived in the country for 25 years and have families in the U.S., Gingrich said that the federal government should drop lawsuits against states, like Arizona and Alabama, with strict immigration laws.  How does he expect the families that have been here for 25 years not to be deported if some states are allowed to have such strict immigration laws?

Sources:

Friday, November 25, 2011

My Dollar Tree Shopping Spree

I purchased 8 items for only $8 (not including tax) at the Dollar Tree all of which were made in the USA.  I saw a lot of other items that were made in the USA when I was there.  I really like the Rubbermaid bowls I mixed hair dye in them and they did not stain.  I have not used any of my other purchases yet.  I will update this post with reviews when I use them.  You can find your nearest Dollar Tree using the store locator.

The National School Lunch Program is Outdated and Tomatoes are Fruit

The nutritional guidelines for the National School Lunch Program haven’t been updated in 15 years. During this time, obesity rates among children skyrocketed. One-third of American children are either overweight or obese, with rates of diabetes and other health-related issues also showing dangerous increases. Children receive about 40 percent of their daily calories from school lunches, so there is a connection.

The proposed changes to HR 2112 will not make schools serve a wider array of vegetables.  A version of the spending bill released late Monday would not enforce school lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year including limiting the use of potatoes (a starchy tuberous vegetable) on the lunch line, putting new restrictions on sodium (high sodium intake and low potassium intake can lead to high blood pressure) and boosting the use of whole grains (whole grains aid digestion). The legislation would block or delay all of those efforts. 

The bill could allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. 
SDA had wanted to only count a half-cup of tomato paste or more as a vegetable, and a serving of pizza has less than that.  To be more precise a serving of pizza only has 2 tablespoons of tomato paste on itCounting tomato paste as a vegetable is silly to begin with since tomatoes are fruit.  Couldn't vegetarian pizza be served with a side salad in order to have enough vegetables?
 
Nutritionists say the whole effort is reminiscent of the Reagan administration's much-ridiculed attempt 30 years ago to classify ketchup as a vegetable to cut costs. This time around, food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, the salt industry and potato growers requested the changes and lobbied Congress.

What gets me is that all of these people are very well educated and yet some of them don’t know a tomato is a fruit not a vegetable.  Health is based on science and math and to quantify a fruit in the vegetable category is just wrong.  Although in the case of Nix v. Hedden in 1893 the court ruled that for the purposes of taxation a tomato is a vegetable the court also acknowledged that scientifically a tomato is a fruit. 

"This agreement ensures that nutrient-rich vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will remain part of a balanced, healthy diet in federally funded school meals and recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fiber and vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste, ensuring that students may continue to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta," said Kraig Naasz, president of the American Frozen Food Institute.

Seriously potatoes, corn, and peas (he just had to pick the starchiest vegetables).  Sure, starchy vegetables are part of a balanced diet but so are leafy vegetables, sprouts, flowers, roots and other non-starchy vegetables.  I personally limit my intake of starchy vegetables.  I am not saying I don’t like potatoes and corn or eat them I just limit my intake.  But I hate peas and in my biased opinion they should never be served to anyone (That’s right, you don’t have to eat every vegetable to be healthy).
 

USDA spokeswoman Courtney Rowe said Tuesday that the department will continue its efforts to make lunches healthier.

"While it's unfortunate that some members of Congress continue to put special interests ahead of the health of America's children, USDA remains committed to practical, science-based standards for school meals," she said in a statement.

According to The New York Times, the food industry spent $5.6 million lobbying against the new rules. 

 

The following is the text from H.R. 2112 that pertains to this issue as passed by the House and Senate: 

Sec. 743. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement an interim final or final rule regarding nutrition programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) that--
(1) requires crediting of tomato paste and puree based on volume;
(2) implements a sodium reduction target beyond Target I, the 2-year target, specified in Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, `Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs' (FNS-2007-0038, RIN 0584-AD59) until the Secretary certifies that the Department has reviewed and evaluated relevant scientific studies and data relevant to the relationship of sodium reductions to human health; and
(3) establishes any whole grain requirement without defining `whole grain.'

Some conservatives argue that the federal government shouldn't tell children what to eat. In a summary of the bill, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the changes would "prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and ...provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals."  I agree. 

Considering all the important and good things this appropriations bill provides funding for including extending VA loans through 2013 the school lunch issue is insignificant.  H.R. 2112 does not force children to eat unhealthy food.  Sec. 746 does not limit the amount a vegetables that can be served for school lunches:
“Sec. 746. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement an interim final or final rule that--
(1) sets any maximum limits on the serving of vegetables in school meal programs established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) and by section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773); or
(2) is inconsistent with the recommendations of the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans for vegetables.”

Parents, schools and communities have a choice as to whether or not they let America’s children eat junk.  H.R. 2112 gets the government out of the way so schools can more easily implement nutritious lunches.  Here is a list of 10 things a PTA can do to improve student nutrition.  Since children receive about 60 percent of their daily calories from meals other than school lunches, changes can also be made at home.  I am starting another blog on eating low calorie on a budget in the coming weeks.

Sources:

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

CORPORATE GREED and Crappy Car Insurance

No fault insurance state laws violate human rights, The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and The Declaration of Independence.  There seems to be a trend in this country of devaluing human life after birth.  With all the emphasis on the right to life from conception, no one seems too concerned about life after birth.  What is the value of a human life (body)?  According to no fault states the value of a human being is $0.  That would make the value of a human being less than a pound of crap (which retails for about $20 per lb. in Florida a no fault state).  Eyesight alone is worth $250,000 dollars according to AIG’s break down of what you could expect in payment for losing the use of different body parts.  The cost to clone a human could conceivably soar above $100,000.  An Indiana University study even suggests that it is possible that the human body could be worth as much as $45 million. If you consider the value of all your bone marrow ($23 million) and DNA ($1.3 million per gram), you can see how high the overall value of the human body is.  Our bodies contain our life and are our most valued property.  All humans are endowed with the right to have life and receive just compensation for damage to our most valued property, ourselves.   The following is a continuation of this topic written by a very dear friend of mine:
Another example of corporate greed that has not been addressed is the Auto insurance industry.  NO Fault states are popping up left and right.  Let me provide some information about NO FAULT Insurance.  Since I was a victim of an auto on pedestrian type of accident in Florida, I will focus on Florida’s auto insurance law.  Florida is a partial no fault state. The no-fault portion of driver’s coverage pertains to bodily injuries, meaning that in the event of an accident, each party is responsible for their own medical bills and other costs related to the injuries sustained in the accident.

In turn, your right to sue the other party is limited.

Florida auto insurance laws require all drivers to carry property damage liability and personal injury protection (PIP) policies. Property damage liability covers the damage you cause to another's property, and you must carry a minimum of $10,000 in coverage.

Your PIP covers your injury-related expenses, regardless of who was at fault in the accident. Covered benefits include some compensation for necessary medical expenses, lost wages, lost services, and funeral expenses.

$10,000 worth of PIP is required, although you may be able to increase your benefits by purchasing more. Some drivers may choose to decrease their premium by applying a deductible to the coverage or by excluding the loss of wages benefit.

Florida auto insurance laws may also require that certain drivers carry bodily injury liability. This coverage helps pay for the cost of injuries you cause to another in an auto accident. Drivers with previous accidents or violations may be required to carry this type of coverage.

Bodily injury liability (BIL) carries a minimum of 10/20. (That's $10,000 per person for injuries you cause to the other party, up to $20,000 total.) However, these are only minimums, and higher limits are recommended not required. Drivers who aren't required by law to purchase BIL are strongly urged to consider doing so for their own financial protection.

Florida auto insurance companies will also offer optional coverages such as collision, comprehensive, and uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage.

How Florida car insurance rates are set
The price of Florida auto insurance is decided by the behavior of the state's drivers as a whole. Florida auto insurance companies take the cost of providing insurance for Florida drivers (this includes settlements and legal fees) and divide it up among the drivers.

But these costs aren't spread around evenly. Instead, the percentage you pay is decided by things like your driving record, your age, where you live, and the kind of car you drive.

How Florida car insurance affected me
I am wheelchair bound.  I already have a preexisting condition of a spinal chord injury. I was being pushed across the street in my wheelchair when my companion and I were physically struck by a vehicle making a U-turn into the crosswalk.  No ticket was given by the officer and the driver was allowed to leave.  The driver suffered no injury.  The officer and the driver were annoyed with the entire situation.  My wheel chair was demolished and to this date my companion and I are still in pain.  A pedestrian in Florida has NO RIGHTS.  In the year 2010, Florida received 82.6 million visitors.  This number contains foreign visitors to Florida.  In Florida, Daytona Beach is a popular destination.  Since Daytona Beach is hard packed sand driving is permitted on the beach.  There have been numerous deaths (some of whom were young children) caused by vehicles being driven on the beach.  There have been numerous debates as to whether this tradition should continue.  DUH!  This is a no brainer.  Every human has the right to life and if that life is taken from them their families must receive just compensation.  The Daytona city council voted to keep this tradition “alive”.  Life is not precious in the state of Florida.
As presented on ABC’s World News (11/1/2011), in the decade between 2000 and 2010, the number of foreign overseas tourists travelling the world grew by an astounding 60 million. In 2010, 26.4 million tourists visited the U.S.  It is expected that the bulk of tourists visiting the U.S. will travel from Brazil, China and India. When I was visiting Disney World in Florida, I constantly felt like I was playing Russian roulette when crossing the street.  How many deaths will have to occur in the U.S. before we wake up and see that the insurance industry is shafting us with automobile coverage?  Why are we paying a monthly premium for pathetic coverage?  The ability to opt out should be made available to every driver.  I would rather invest my premium money in an interest bearing account than have an insurance company take my money and they receive the profit from investing my money.  Wow! Talk about GREEDY CORPORATE AMERICA!

Another horrific chain of events occurred on October 25, 2011 because of a negligent driver.  A Florida driver plowed into two women as they waited on the sidewalk at a bus stop.  One victim is in critical condition, but the other woman died on Wednesday.  Police said the car crossed over three lanes of traffic before hitting the women.  Police also said, Shane Nicole Trevino, 31, and another woman were waiting at a bus stop at Colonial Drive and Edgewater Drive when a car driven by Steven Maroney, 20, jumped the curb and hit them.  The impact was so severe, the windshield of the car was shattered and one of the women’s shoes was found 20 feet away.  Obviously this driver plowed into the women in broad daylight since the incident occurred at 4:30 p.m.  Because of Florida’s automobile insurance laws little, if any will be provided to the victim and the deceased woman’s family.

So, who is benefitting from such a lax law?  The GREEDY insurance company is the beneficiary.  For example, a monthly premium is charged but they pay out practically nothing for their negligent drivers.  I received absolutely nothing for my injuries nor did my companion.  My health insurance only paid for a limited amount of therapy sessions.  My companion is an athlete but she has not totally recovered from her injuries.  So, her athletic career is on hold.  In addition to Florida being a no fault driving state, the following states are also included as no fault states ( DC, FL, HI, KS, KY, Mass, MI, MN, NJ, NY, ND, PA, UT)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Simone Battle's Made in America Attire



I used to watch X Factor and was pleased to find out that one of the contestants wore attire that was made in America.  Former X Factor contestant Simone Battle wore Runwaydreamz 617 Vintage American Flag Short which is made in the USA.  How patriotic is that?  Since, American flag apparel made in the USA has become a rare find.  The webpage doesn't mention the shorts are made in the USA, but I emailed Runwaydreamz and sure enough they are made here.  The shorts are not in my budget at the moment but if they were I definitely would consider purchasing them.  Simone Battle did wear another pair of shorts during the X Factor auditions that I also really liked (the red ones in the photo below).  
I do not own this photo it came from Simone Battle's Facebook page.
Simone Battle with her fierceness and wearing red American Apparel shorts, this 21-year-old little diva impressed Simon with her style and her rendition of the Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up.  The shorts appear to be nylon I searched American Apparel's website for red shorts and the prices range from $8 to $52.  American Apparel is a clothing manufacturer in the United States.  


If you saw the video above, I must say she is very talented.


Update 10/26/2011: I am impressed with Simone Battle's "He Likes Boys" music video.  Mainly because of the American made apparel throughout the music video and the vintage Ford Thunderbird.  Simone even mentioned American Apparel in the lyrics ("He dresses like an American Apparel Mannequin").  Simone Battle is an "American" pop star like for real.  I hope she continues to support American workers by wearing American made clothes and driving American made cars in her music videos.



Sources:

Sunday, October 16, 2011

What I Purchased This Weekend



I did a previous post about Buying American to boost the economy.  I wanted to show y'all I practice what I preach.  So I went shopping this weekend and purchased 13 American made items.  And it didn’t take me too much longer to read the labels to determine the country of origin.  I saved money buying the American made products since most were not name brands.  The only product I paid more for was the Lysol Neutra (Air Freshener) but it doubles as a surface disinfectant.  I also used it to dust my home today.  I don’t know if it is safe on all surfaces though so you should read the label before using.  So basically I got 3 products in one.   I got the Butterball Ground Turkey for $2.29 per pound @ Costco which is low in fat and is great for making tacos, chili, spaghetti, and turkey burgers.  The Kirkland (Costco) Cinnamon Rolls were like the best Cinnamon Rolls I ever had.  They make them at Costco so that definitely counts as American made.  I am pretty sure other brands of Cinnamon Rolls are made in America but I just really like the taste of Kirkland Cinnamon Rolls.  The following is a list of my American made purchases this weekend:

Butter Ball Ground Turkey $2.29 per pound
Kirkland (Costco) Cinnamon Rolls $1.50 each ($8.99 6 pack)
Farmland Heavy Cream
Up & Up (Target Brand) Zip Storage Bags $2.49 and $2.99
Lysol Neutra Air (Air Freshener) $2.99
KitKat (Candy Bar)
Up & Up Dishwashing liquid $1.97
Kirkland (Costco) Cookies
Dixie Napkins $1.44
Granny Smith Apples
Main Stays (Wal-Mart Brand) 6 Hangers for just 86 cents
Carpet Fresh
Mr. Bubble (Bubble Bath)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Green Dot: A Great Way to Ward off Identity Theft

Green Dot Re-loadable Prepaid Credit Cards are a great way to ward off identity theft. People who try to steal your identity, may go through your mail and steal your credit card statements or hackers may hack into your banking or financial files through your computer.
Once you have filled out the online form you will receive your credit card number over the website, make sure that you write it down correctly, there is no way to retrieve it online, you would have to wait until the card comes in the mail. You can load up to $500 on these cards at time. Each store will have reload cards to help you add money every time you need it. Now, if someone were to steal your card, the only money on it is the money you put on. You can use this card just like a regular credit card but without the worry that someone can ruin your credit if this card was stolen.

Another great benefit of having the Green Dot Pre-Paid Credit Cards is that they are affordable. There is no interest on purchases, since everything is paid for right from the card. As soon as a purchase is made the money comes off. You can also pay your bills online too. The startup cost is minimal; when you make your purchase to get the card you pay a one-time fee of $4.95. Every time you reload the card you pay $ 495 for each card. You can put as little as $20 and as much as $ 500 per card. Once a month Green Dot charges a $5.95 fee but there are no hidden charges or fees.

There is a variety of Green Dot Credit Cards and Reload Cards available. There is a Prepaid Visa and MasterCard Card that can be used where most credit cards are used. You can shop or pay bills with them, you can make withdrawals and do everything that a regular credit card can do. Green Dot also has a Prepaid Student Card; this is a great way for students who want more financial responsibility without running the risk of overspending and ruining your credit right from the start.

The Prepaid NASCAR Card is available in Visa for all of those NASCAR fans. There is also an Online Shopping Card; this card makes shopping on the web safer and easier than ever before. This card is available in VISA and can be used with buying things online such as downloading music and downloading games. The Express Bill Pay Card can be used to help the consumer pay their bills more efficiently. You can pay the cable, satellite and cell phone bills with the Express Bill Pay Card. There is also a VISA and MasterCard available in Spanish.




Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Congress Will Starve Poor to Make Political Statement

I do not own this photo.  I got it from St. Louis Activist Hub's blog.
The American Jobs Act contains the extension of federal unemployment insurance.  Unless Congress acts, on January 1 2012, millions of long-term unemployed workers will begin to lose their benefits.  According to National Employment Law Project, 2.2 million would lose their benefits by mid-February.  Without action, the current 99 weeks a person can receive UI benefits will be just 26 weeks (about one third of 99 weeks).  The average unemployed person would go months without any form of income after going six months on the limited income unemployment insurance provides (on average about $300/week, or about 70% of the poverty level for a family of four) .  20% or more of the child population in 40 states and D.C. lived in food insecure households in 2009.   Also, 1 in 6 Americans struggled to feed themselves and their children in 2008.  Congress will be starving the poor if they don’t extend the unemployment benefits while simultaneously passing the “Bridge to Work” program both contained in the American Jobs act of 2011

President Obama's "Bridge to Work" plan (located on page 99 of American jobs Act of 2011 sec. 324) would allow people on unemployment insurance to spend up to eight weeks as unpaid trainees at participating employers in hopes of learning new skills or getting hired. The program would be voluntary for businesses and trainees.  The Bridge to Work program is described to “increase individuals’ opportunities to move to permanent employment”. 

According to the Congressional Budget Office, every $1 spent on unemployment insurance increases GDP by as much as $1.90. And every $1 million spent on unemployment benefits creates as much as 15 cumulative years of full-time equivalent employment. No other policy options on the table come close to those effects.

The fact that Congress is willing to starve millions of Americans and their children just to make a political statement is just AWFUL!  Many are depending on their UI benefits in order to eat and it is cruel and unusual punishment to suddenly take the impoverished people in America’s benefits without giving an alternative.  Congress needs to stop playing games with people's lives, they are not toys.





Sources:


Congress’s Role in “Fast and Furious”

Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson was reassigned following investigations into “Fast and Furious”, a law enforcement operation aimed at major gun-trafficking networks on the Southwest border.

B. Todd Jones, the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota, has now assumed command of the government's firearms enforcement agency (ATF). He did so under the same terms as his predecessor, Kenneth Melson, and three interim directors before him. Jones is the fifth "acting director" of the ATF since 2006, when Congress required that permanent directors be confirmed by the Senate.


Since that time, the Bush and Obama administrations have not won approval of nominees because they were opposed by lawmakers and the gun rights lobby.  I find it quite ridiculous that Congress expects perfection from an agency that has not had a “permanent” director in 5 years.  Maybe this incident wouldn’t have happened had Congress appointed a “permanent” director.  Notice the guns didn’t start “walking” across the U.S. border into Mexico till 2006 (you can read more about this inmy previous article) the same year Congress required that “permanent” directors be approved by the Senate. 
  
Congress needs to stop blanket filibustering every ATF director appointment and confirm someone.  (Beginning of my sarcastic rant.) Oh what was I thinking they can’t do that.  They might upset the NRA who has spent $5,986,000 in total lobbying expenditures since 2009, according to OpenSecrets.org.  The NRA opposed Obama’s nominee Andrew Traver back in 2010 and guess what Congress didn’t confirm him.  The NRA not only opposed Traver's nomination, but called for President Obama to withdraw the nomination altogether.

In 1978, the NRA was ready when the Carter administration proposed a rule requiring quarterly reports on gun sales from licensed firearms dealers. NRA opposition produced 350,000 letters and comments. One letter was addressed to the Gestapo, while another included a tea bag to invoke the Boston Tea Party.  Oh this must be when the Tea Party really started.  After all it is a well-known fact that tea and guns just go together like peanut butter and jelly.  Congress killed the rule and also prohibited ATF from "consolidating or centralizing" gun dealer records in a computer database, which the agency wanted to do to analyze gun traces for trafficking patterns. Congress also cut $4.2 million from the ATF budget, the amount needed to fund a computer system.  This is like the smartest thing ever Congress knows that to truly protect the American people we need to ban a centralized computer system so guns (which are US citizens in case you didn’t know) can exercise their right to travel around the world without having to be traced by the US government.  


The National Rifle Association endorsed candidates in about two-thirds of congressional races in the midterm elections. Often, the choice not to endorse was pragmatic -- either both candidates had top NRA ratings or both had poor ratings. Of those endorsed, 80 percent won, according to The Washington Post's analysis.  The NRA is a powerful force in politics with annual revenue of about $250 million, the group has for four decades been the strongest force shaping the nation's gun laws.  The NRA in the past two decades has spent more than $100 million on political activities in the United States, according to documents and interviews, including $22 million on lobbying and nearly $75 million on campaigns.


  Just don’t you forget Elected Officials  are not in Congress to represent the American people no matter what that darn Constitution says or the fact that the lower house is called the House of Representatives.  They are there to protect and serve only those who can afford a lobbyist, a right which you (the average working class American) are not afforded.  There is nothing you can do about it but be richer explained far better in the words of the ever so wise Herman Cain:  if you don't have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!"  This marks the end of my sarcastic rant.  But, seriously what the h*ll is wrong with Congress?