Debt Ceiling Vote: Skipping Out on the Bill

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/09/20/us/politics/100000002455428/obama-criticizes-congress-after-vote.html



 Once again Congress was faced with the task of voting on the debt ceiling. House Republicans, dedicated to their mission of  repealing or defunding 'Obamacare' ; voted down the raising of the debt ceiling, unless the Affordable Care Act is repealed. Speaker John Boehnor called the vote "a victory for  the American people." Then without citing figures or providing context, Speaker  Boehnor cites how the Affordable Care Act has come up short of its promises and is counterproductive to economic recovery. However, while Boehner says that the Affordable Care Act has done little to bring down healthcare costs, President Obama; speaking to an audience of Auto workers; cites that costs have increased at the slowest rates in 50 years. Knowing his audience, he likens the raising of the debt ceiling to paying a car note on a Ford F-150 Pickup. "You can't say you're saving money by not paying the bills this month." the President said to an audience of Ford auto plant workers. He also noted that consequences would include higher interest rates and a damaged U.S. credit rating. He reminds them that this is nothing new, in fact it is routine done by every administration both Republican and Democrat, since the 1950's. He even quotes John Boehner who once said "not raising the debt ceiling would send our economy into a tailspin."

Beyond the Bloomberg Era

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/8/nyc-looks-beyondbloombergseraofinequality.html


   Last Tuesday, September 10th; Bill de Blasio won the Democratic primary 40.2% to Bill Thompson's 26%. The ascension of the once relatively-unknown de Blasio took many by surprise. However when looking over his platform and the ideas he's put forth, it should come as no surprise. His victory reflects the mood of many New Yorker's who feel increasingly marginalized by the administration's policies. Bill de Blasio's  "Tail of Two Cities" theme and his call for increasing taxes on those who make over $500k in order to fund pre-K, seemed to resonate with many lower and middle class residents. However his critics have attacked his "Two Cities" talking points as disingenuous and with regard to his plan to fund pre-K, "dumb" and "unrealistic". Governer Cuomo himself said he didn't think the plan was feasible. On the other hand, if so many potential voters; including many of the wealthy; support this plan, and with Cuomo up for reelection next year, the plan may have some traction if it is popular with the voting public. And as for the dismissal of de Blasio's 'Tale of Two Cities'; one could argue that those who dismiss such a comparison as disingenuous, may in fact themselves be out of touch with struggling New Yorkers.

 The article also touches on the minimum wage issue, in which most of the Democratic candidates wish to bring to at least $9 an hour and tying the minimum wage to inflation henceforth. As the article states, rents have gone up since 2007 while wages fell.