Yes, the stock market is playing with all-time highs. Yes, unemployment is low. But… 7 in 10 Americans believe the economy is getting worse — the most negative reading in nearly six years. Only one in three Americans rate the economy today as either excellent or good, while the percentage saying the economy is getting better fell from 28% to … Read More
Fox? Meet Henhouse.
Geeeez: A senior lobbyist at the National Association of Manufacturers nominated by President Bush to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission will receive a $150,000 departing payment from the association when he takes his new government job, which involves enforcing consumer laws against members of the association. What’s next? The head of the NRA to head the Commission on Gun … Read More
Working Hard Or Hardly Working?
Via Ezra Klein, a look out how Americans stack up with other industrialized nations, when it comes to legislated paid vacations and paid holidays: Ezra: "It took me a moment to figure out this graph, as the final two values are a bit confusing. That last line, the one marked 10? That’s Japan. There’s no line for the United States … Read More
Paying At The Pump
It’s official: Gasoline prices hit a record high for the fourth straight day Wednesday, according to the daily reading on gas prices from AAA, and more records could be on the way. The motorist group says the average price for a gallon of self-serve unleaded gasoline was $3.103 in its latest reading, which is based on a daily survey of … Read More
Gas Is The Highest Price Ever
Yup, we broke a record. But I guess you knew that. UPDATE: And CNNMoney is saying it’s going to get worse: With gas prices near record highs, experts say $4-a-gallon gasoline is just around the corner. "I think it’s going to happen," said Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at Alaron Trading in Chicago. "Unless things change dramatically, I think … Read More
No Chocolate? Jesus!
This is something that even non-political people can get behind. The FDA wants to take away your chocolate. That’s right. Pending right now is a "citizen’s petition" which would allow chocolate manufacturers (Hershey’s etc.) to use vegatable fats instead of cocoa butter, and still call the result "chocolate". Of course, the "citizens" who submitted this petition are the Chocolate Manufacturers … Read More
I’m No Socialist, But….
This doesn’t seem right: Let’s break this down. (All figures, by the way, are adjusted for inflation) From 1990 to 2005, the average CEO pay went up almost 300 percent, whereas the average worker pay went up 4.3 percent. And minimum wage, in real dollars, went down 9.3 percent. Look, I get capitalism. The heads of corporations get more money. … Read More
Let Me See If I Get This Straight
Let’s get a timeline: In 1995, Clinton cuts off all trade and investment with Iran. U.S. companies were no longer able to do business with Iran. After that announcement, Halliburton decided that business with Iran, then conducted through at least five companies, would all be done through a subsidiary incorporated in the Cayman Islands. This way, Halliburton could skirt around … Read More
A Double Does Of Wingnuttery
First up: Marsha West, a "freelance writer specializing in Christian worldview". Let’s see what her Christian worldview is: Radical feminism: The kiss of death Oh, this isn’t going to be pretty. The "great strides" made by the feminist movement have been lost on young celebrities. Britney Spears has been spotted frequenting nightspots with actress Lindsay Lohan and heiress Paris Hilton. … Read More
Extended Warranties Are A Ripoff
Maybe you knew this already, but it’s nice to have it confirmed by no less an authority than Consumer Reports: For the consumer, extended warranties are notoriously bad deals because: Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window (typically around three years), our data show. When electronics and appliances do break, the repair often costs about the same as the cost … Read More
Why I Won’t Be Shopping At WalMart
Because, according to this survey, 89% of you will be shopping at WalMart this season. 89 percent. Yikes. Britt Beemer, head of America’s Research Group, said he was "a little flabbergasted" by the high number of people who said they planned to shop at Wal-Mart. He had expected a figure closer to 70 percent, which is about how many have … Read More
Wait For It
At 12:19 p.m. yesterday, conservative blog Wizbang posted the following: Right now, the Dow is down by about 29 points, one day after the Democrats win back the House and probably the Senate. Later that day, from no less than Fox News: Stocks Rise on Election Results Wall Street rose for a third straight session Wednesday, with the Dow Jones … Read More
Good News, Bad News
The good news: The gap between male and female salaries is narrowing, with women now making .81 cents for every dollar a man does. The bad news: That’s because salaries for males are dropping. Via Ezra Klein.
Senate Passes Porkbusting Bill
What happened to that bill that was on "secret hold"? Congressional Quarterly reports, via TPM Muckraker: The Senate passed legislation Thursday night that would create a massive, Google-like searchable database to track federal spending. The legislation (S 2590), which aims to create more transparency in exactly who gets how much federal money, passed by a voice vote after both Republican … Read More
A Graphic Is Worth A Thousand Words
The next time you hear Bush (or whoever) saying how great the economy is, remember that it’s doing really great for the wealthiest, and not so hot for everybody else. This map shows the changes in median family income over the past six years: [Originally from the Detroit Free Press]