tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965Wed, 06 Nov 2024 02:52:25 +0000EconomyLeadershipCivil LibertiesGOP CandidatesJusticePolitical PartiesRacismSocietyCongressDefenseForeign AffairsHeath CareIntegrityTaxationThe only citizen more dangerous than an ambitious politician is an uninformed voterhttp://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-4172023287702672699Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:36:00 +00002011-09-27T19:42:28.620-04:00EconomySocietyIn 1958 the top 10% income share, including capital gains (income from investments), accounted for 33.56% of the wealth in the US. By 2008 this figure had risen to 48.23%. This means that in 2008, the 10% most wealthy people in America owned nearly 50% of our country's income. What impact does this shifting of wealth have on other economic classes? Well, before we launch into this http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/living-wage-v-working-poor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-9081310198427291633Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:43:00 +00002011-09-27T12:00:43.349-04:00GOP CandidatesIntegrityLeadershipOK, I know I'm pretty idealistic but in my view Integrity and Honesty matter. While these characteristics are noble in every person, they are hugely important in our nation's Leaders and would-be Leaders. How disheartening it is that so many people in high office have decided it is OK to tell tales, spin yarns, and tell out-and-out lies to the very same people they promised to represent - you http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/reminder-to-leaders-and-politicians.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-7003158708594192372Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:08:00 +00002011-09-27T22:13:33.117-04:00Political PartiesRacismSocietyOver the past few months, I've made a conscious effort to expand my knowledge and my perspective about our Leaders and the issues facing our nation. Why? Because I think America is at a cross-roads and we need to be very careful about how we proceed. As a voter, I want to understand the issues and the actual (not proclaimed) values and credentials of the candidates. Otherwise, I'm just another http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/our-mob-mentality-and-open-racism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-3981330407871419247Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:41:00 +00002011-09-27T12:02:11.209-04:00EconomyPolitical PartiesAs part of a long-running discussion as to the fiscal effectiveness of Republicans v. Democrats, I sent a friend of mine a link to the chart shown below. Not surprisingly, he quickly responded with an email that read, "But who was in control in Congress at the time?" Click on image for larger view Of course, my friend is right - we need to be cautious about looking at charts and drawing http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/neither-party-is-more-fiscally.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-7010869616192629558Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:10:00 +00002011-09-27T16:55:01.499-04:00GOP CandidatesLeadershipFor the past several weeks, I've been following the GOP debates and candidates with a lot of interest.  There is at least a fair chance one of them will become our President in 2013 and so I want to get to know these people. Now in the interest of full disclosure, I admit up front that I am not an admirer of today's GOP.  There's several reasons why but I'll deal with that in another http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/gop-candidates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-5803090516773402947Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:52:00 +00002011-09-27T12:51:18.892-04:00CongressLeadershipIf you or me or anyone else gets on a rant, let's just make sure we have the facts right. Otherwise we're only adding to the noise and misinformation that is impeding us from getting real work done. For example, there is a lot of misinformation floating around about the pay and benefits for our Congressmen in the House and Senate. As you might have gathered from some of my other Posts, I'm http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/congressional-pay-and-benefits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-1313243875476078935Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:26:00 +00002011-09-27T12:52:48.433-04:00DefenseForeign Affairs I fully expect to take some flack from strangers and friends regarding this article. But sometimes a person just needs to say what's on their mind. Click on image for larger view Looking at the above information, have recent wars and conflicts have been worth the cost in dollars, in death, in reputation? Of course WWII was a gimme - we had to get involved.  In fact, we probably http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/our-war-record.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-3188582617952515047Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:33:00 +00002011-09-27T12:11:19.967-04:00Civil LibertiesJusticeRacismAccording to Amnesty International’s 2010 Death Sentences and Executions report, the US ranks at #4 out of the top 5 countries to execute the most people. Pakistan is #5 and we are outdone only by Iraq, Iran, and China. America executed 46 people in 2010, down from the 2009 total of 52 but still a notable increase from the 2008 total of 37.  Since 2007, we have executed a total of 179 http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/capital-punishment-were-at-4.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-6332967628190631291Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:43:00 +00002011-09-27T12:17:21.504-04:00EconomyTaxationIn 2008, the most recent year for which data is available, the 400 richest Americans on average paid 18.1 percent of their adjusted gross income in federal taxes.  Wealthy people whose primary source of income is from a salary pay higher taxes than those who draw most of their earnings from investment income.  This is because the tax rate on capital gains is set at 15% while the tax http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-2008-last-year-for-which-data-are.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0Tennessee, USA35.5174913 -86.580447332.2749363 -91.6341583 38.760046300000006 -81.52673630000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-5260421056495463189Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:38:00 +00002011-09-27T12:13:42.759-04:00Civil LibertiesJustice 'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! PRISON POPULATION The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. At year-end 2009 it was 743 adults incarcerated per 100,000 population. A 2008 New York Times article points out: Still, it is the length of sentences that truly distinguishes American http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/land-of-free-is-home-to-24-million.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-461082573495951464Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:10:00 +00002011-09-27T12:14:11.671-04:00Heath CareLeadershipWith 95% of the state population covered by Health Insurance, Massachusetts has the highest level of coverage in the nation... thanks to health care reform very similar to the 'job-killing' Affordable Care Act that detractors contemptuously refer to as "Obamacare."  Meanwhile, at least 1 in 4 four Texans do not have Health insurance. The U.S. Census Bureau published a comparison of http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/texas-is-at-bottom-of-barrel-for-health.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6908076876267970965.post-6055755855589551553Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:30:00 +00002011-09-27T12:17:09.168-04:00EconomyBecause the poverty rate increases when there is a Recession, yesterday's "breaking news" was not unexpected... although it is still troubling that the US is now experiencing the highest poverty rate since it spiked to 15.2% in 1983, during the early Reagan years[1].  But even more than the poverty rate, I find the poverty level to be very disturbing.  Apparently, a family of four (2 http://moderateramerica.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-not-poverty-rate-its-poverty-level.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0