FactCheck.org has a
great analysis of President Bush's final State of the Union address posted today. Some of the inconsistencies according to their team:
* He correctly noted that the number of jobs has grown steadily for a record 52 straight months. But the number of jobs gained is a fraction of the gains made during Bill Clinton's years, and wage gains have been eaten up by inflation.
* He claimed his proposal to give tax deductions for those who buy their own health insurance will "put private coverage within reach for millions." Some say that's true, but other experts doubt it. And even the most optimistic say his plan would still leave the large majority of the uninsured without any coverage.
* He said "we" foiled a terrorist plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners over the Atlantic, but the plot was actually uncovered by the British, as Bush himself said in last year's State of the Union address.
* He talked tough about pork-barrel spending, saying he'd issue an executive order for agencies to ignore more Congressional "earmarks." But he delayed the effect until November, rather than making it effective with the current fiscal year. (FactCheck.org)
Check out the entire article "
Facts of the Union 2008" for a full investigation of the aformentioned inconsistencies.
posted by Alexandra at 1/30/2008 09:09:00 AM
A
documentary film titled "Flow" will premiere at the
Sundance Film Festival this week. The film condemns water profiteering and calls upon the United Nations for a resolution to make access to clean drinking water a human right.
French-born director Irena Salina points to Suez and Vivendi Environment for commercializing water systems around the world and to Nestle, the world's largest bottled water seller, for draining watersheds. She also calls out the World Bank for funding massive water diversion projects resulting in the displacement of more than 80 million people; smaller, cheaper and more eco-friendly community projects could bring fresh drinking water to the poor.
"It's a very dangerous trend, at a time when clean drinking water is becoming scarce, even in the United States, the richest country in the world," said Salina.
Read more here.
Click here for more hot-button documentaries.
posted by Alexandra at 1/24/2008 12:04:00 PM
Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzales at
Democracy Now! just posted an
interesting interview with the New York Times' David Cay Johnston. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist just published "
Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (And Stick You with the Bill)."
Johnston's contention is that American policies and programs have taken money from the pockets of the poor and the middle class and upper middle class and funneled it to the wealthiest people in America. In examining this, he highlights the
subsidizing of sports teams,
eminent domain, big box stores and
Ronald Reagan.
posted by Alexandra at 1/22/2008 12:12:00 PM
Erica Barnett over at
Worldchanging.com has an
interesting post exploring the latest crisis in the world's food system: affordability.
She takes apart the
Economist's investigation of the growing problem, which reports that the world price of wheat rose to $400 a ton (twice the inflation-adjusted average price of wheat over the past 25 years), and that the price of corn has hit a record of $175 a ton (more than 50 percent above the average for the previous year). Why? The Economist points to the growing demand for meat in China and India and increasing demand for corn-based ethanol.
To find out more, check out Barnett's book recommendation -- Mark Winne's "
Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty" -- and
this new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And read the rest of the
Economist article for their recommendations on rectifying this issue.
posted by Alexandra at 1/17/2008 03:51:00 PM
Bill Becker, executive director of the
Presidential Climate Action Project, brings the costs of clean energy and an energy-efficient economy versus the costs of doing nothing into clear focus in "
The High Costs of Doing Nothing, Part 1."
Consider the numbers from a
University of Maryland study he points to:
combined storm damages at more than $560 billion;
maintenance of Alaska's infrastructure will cost $10 billion;
property damage from rising sea levels will cost as much as $170 billion by 2100;
and upgrading drinking and water treatment facilities will cost up to $2 billion over the next 20 years.For more info, check out
ClimateProgress.org and the
Center for American Progress Action Fund. You can also read an interview with the University of Maryland's lead researcher Matthias Ruth over at
Science Daily.
posted by Alexandra at 1/16/2008 09:51:00 AM 
