Domsteic Wiretap and Censure Hearings Today

The Senate Judiciary Committee will beholding hearings on domestic wiretapping and Russ Feingold's call for censure today. They start at 10 am est. Check out CSPAN today or Olbermann tonight for information. I will post updated when I get home from work later.

**Update**
Check Iowa for Feingold for updates.

Our Debt for Diploma System

Our higher education institutions have become a debt for diploma sytem. The DM Register has a story today about how Iowa St. students average over $29,000 in debt.

The consequence of the debt is that fewer students are choosing lower-paying public interest careers, as they seek higher-paying jobs to pay off loans, said Chris Lindstrom, higher education program director for the Public Interest Research Group, which manages the student debt campaign.

She blames the debt on less federal and state aid, which results in higher tuition and fees. "Debt limits opportunity, which is counter to what higher education and affordable and accessible higher education is supposed to be about," she said.

I just finished reading a book on this subject called Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-somethings Can't Get Ahead. I heard the author on Al Franken and decided to pick the book up since I am a 20-something and just graduated.

The theme of the book is the debt for diploma system that getting a degree has become. In the 1960's and 1970's college was affordable because of financial aid (which is not student loans) and if you did not want to go to college you were able to get a decent job with just a high school degree. Now, the financial aid is mainly in student loans, tuition has skyrocketed and students who do graduate from college have dug themselves such a deep hole already. They then put off traditional markers of adulthood such as buying a house and having children until later in life. Worse, is that many students see the high tution costs and don't want loans, so they attend community colleges or don't go to school at all. The author calls this "downsizing your dreams."

Here in Iowa, tutition at our state universities have gone up something like 55% in the past five years. I applaud the current Governor for talking about the importance of pre-Kindergarten for our children. However, I feel instead of a K-12 education system, we need a K-12+ system that provides affordable community colleges and universities.

Great Quote

I found this quote today and I think it is incredibly important in these times.

"Government isn't an enemy of the people, it is the people."
-Lyndon Baines Johnson

A Common Iowan Struggling in Today's Economy

I posted a comment on another Iowa blog about the economy not being very good and we might have to wait until 2008 for it to pick up after the blogger mentioned he is struggling to find work. What does that blogger do? He bans me from his site. I guess that is a Republican blog for you.

Well, in an attempt at reaching across the aisle, I am posting this. Maybe a few extra visitors to his site will change his mind about banning me. I am in the same boat as this blogger and am currently job hunting. So good luck. I know the market is tough out there now.

If you like to get the other side's viewpoint once in awhile, I encourage you to visit Krusty Konservitive. They are much more civil over there. I post a lot of comments there and have never been banned. Thanks Krusty.

And yes, things will get better after 2008.

Grassley talking about the importance of laws

I heard Grassley on the local news talking about the importance of laws. I started getting excited thinking he was talking about Bu$h tearing up the constitution and wiretapping Americans, tossing out the 4th Ammendment, ignoring the Geneva Conventions and tortoring prisoners, or a handful of other actions.

Nope, Ole Chuck was talking about deporting the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the US.

Feingold, Russ Feingold

I read a good article from MSNBC on Russ Feingold's censure motion and a meeting involving Bush and Russ. The Senate Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing on Friday discussing the domestic wiretapping and Feingold's call for censure.

Mr. President, meet your Censurer

Feingold had to leave early from Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on how to legalize the National Security Agency surveillance program — he had an appointment at the White House to meet with the man he wants to censure.

Then there's Sen. Biden, the Senate's top used-car salesman, who thinks that ignorance is strength. That would be Bush's strength, not the Democrats.

Specter opposes censure, as does Judiciary Committee Democrat Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, who said at Tuesday’s hearing, with exasperation in his voice, “The idea of censuring the president — we don’t know what he did.”

I don't believe that Feingold introduced the censure solely for political gain, the Senator has stood on principle too many times in his career to do that. The article had this interesting to say...

Friday’s censure hearing sets up what both Feingold and Senate Majority leader Bill Frist want: a roll call vote on the Senate floor on censuring Bush.

This would force all 100 senators — and especially the potential Democratic presidential hopefuls — Sens. Biden, Evan Bayh, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton — to go in the spotlight and make their choice: either condemn Bush for taking an action which the president argues is necessary to defend the nation from al Qaida attacks — or give Feingold a potential weapon to use against them in the event that he too seeks the Democratic presidential nomination.

And here is the issue at question according to Arlen Specter (R-PA)...

Specter’s view is that Bush has violated the 1978 FISA law by ordering the surveillance program but he adds, “It may well be that the program is within the president’s inherent (constitutional) authority. But it seems to me that determination has to be made in accordance with tradition by a court, by judicial review.”

For more information on Russ Feingold, check out my other blog, Iowa for Feingold.

Some numbers on immigration from Clinton and Bush

Number of workplace arrests made by U.S. immigration authorities in 1997: 17,554

Number in 2003: 445

source: Harper's Index Feb. 06
http://www.harpers.org/MostRecentIndex.html

High Schooler asks Jimmy Carter why she should be a Democrat

I found this on DU and thought I should post it over here. Jimmy Carter gives a great answer.

From Carter's diary at KOS:

A high school girl asked me why she should be a Democrat. I asked her a series of questions that all bloggers should use in discussions: Do you prefer peace or war? Do favor tax breaks for the richest Americans or working families? Would you rather destroy the environment or protect it? Do you approve the torture of prisoners? Do you think our government should secretly spy on your family? Do you think we should abandon every nuclear arms control agreement negotiated since Dwight Eisenhower was president? Do you approve of your part of the national debt now being $28,000 and increasing by $300 each month? Do you think we should meld religion and government?

Vilsack pushes Cigarette tax after death of friend

Vilsack pushes the cigarette tax again after a death of a close friend over the weekend.

Gov. Tom Vilsack, visibly shaken from the loss of his friend and former-chief of staff over the weekend from an apparent suicide, called this morning for support of his proposal to increase the tax on cigarettes in hopes of preventing others from beginning a life of addiction.

I am in total agreement with the cigarete tax and this pretty much sums up my feelings.

“Bottom line, it's about saving lives. Sometimes we have a tendency to forget that in this debate. I think, for me any way, that's been utmost in my mind and this weekend underscored it,” Vilsack said.

Of course Christopher Rants, basically an employee of the tobacco industry, is against the tax because it will hurt business. Well, Chris, if people die, businesses have a smaller customer base.

Senate has more sense than House on Immigration

I guess the Senate has more sense than the house when it comes to immigration. HR 4437 or the Senselessbrenner-King bill passed out of the House would basically make everyone a felon who helps an illegal immigrant, including churches (hospitols and school too maybe). This bill sparked some very large protests over the weekend, including 500,000 people in LA, 10,000 in Phoenix, and 30,000 in Milwaukee.

Well, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed an ammendment taking these in humane provision out.

The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted an amendment by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., that would protect church and charitable groups, as well as individuals, from criminal prosecution for providing food, shelter, medical care and counseling to undocumented immigrants.

This is a step in the right direction over a tough issue. You will surely be hearing more about this issue in the coming months.

James and the Giant Site of the Week

I forgot to post a site of the week yesterday. Then in my in box last night, I got this from the Iowa Democratic Party. Please visit James and the Giant Deficit site and then stop in at the No Nussle blog.

Iowa Democratic Party Launches
“James and the Giant Deficit” Website

Today, the Iowa Democratic Party launched the “James and the Giant Deficit” website that features Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle’s disastrous record on federal deficits. The website address is www.nussledeficit.org.

Just like the peach in Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach”, Nussle’s deficit just keeps growing and growing. In his four years as budget chair, Nussle has turned a $236 billion surplus into a $412 billion deficit, the largest deficits in America’s history.

This is unacceptable. In Iowa, the law requires governors and legislators to balance budgets and make tough decisions, and Nussle has failed every year as budget chair to successfully balance a budget.

If Nussle's so-called family values don't bring him down then this his poor handling of money should. As Thunderhawk says over at Iowa Underground, "my goal for 2006 is to have every voting Iowan associate 'Nussle' with 'Slimeball' by election day."

Story County Honored for Energy Savings

Story County has won a national award for its energy savings and building a sustainable community. Here are excerpts from a news article...

County government building designs, remodeling efforts and collaboration with Alliant Energy and area school districts impressed National Association of Counties officials in Washington D.C. earlier this month. Story County received the Center Partner Award, one of only 10 awards given to the 21 national finalists represented at the National Association of Counties legislative session.

I think it is great that the county is taking the inititive to save taxpayers money and use our resources wisely.

The energy saving work has progressed in the last seven years. Geothermal energy first replaced the need for a boiler room and cooling tower in the design of the Human Services Building in Ames and Justice Center in Nevada, built in 1999 and 2002, respectively, Hahn said. A geothermal system also replaced an old and aging boiler-chiller system in a recent remodel of the Story County Administration Building. Features such as T-5 florescent lamps, window glazing, insulation and efficient water monitoring were implemented for energy savings in these buildings also

To go along with this theme, the City of Ames is holding an Energy Fair on Saturday. If you are interested in renewable energy and how to save some money on your energy bill, stop in. Here is the info:

Ames City Energy Fair  10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25
Ames Community Center Gym, 515 Clark Ave
The fifth annual City of Ames Electric Services Energy Fair
promises an exciting, educational, and fun event for all ages.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Community
Center Gym, 515 Clark Ave.,participants have the opportunity
to attend seminars, interact with vendors, and learn about
advancements in energy efficient technologies.