Steps you can take to live a “financially responsible” life

An article on CNN Money talks about living a financially responsible life. Instead of taking on the difference between living within your means or living below your means, the author chooses to focus readers on what it means to be fiscally responsible. I think this is right way to approach the subject. If we learn anything from this economic crisis, ti should be that we have to manage our own money. We can’t expect others to do right by us. AIG should be a prime example of this. While a lot of blame can be placed at the feet of Wall Street and government regulators, we have to own the fact that our blind trust in financial institutions and letting others take care of our financial destiny put us in this predicament. It’s time for us to be more engaged in what happens to our money and to do some of our own oversight of the institutions where we do our financial business. This may have helped the survivors of the Madoff ponzi scheme.
The two things the author says we should do to live a financially responsible life. First, we should make saving regularly a priority. Second we should control our debt. Neither suggestions are new but I think they need repeating until everyone finally makes them part of their daily life.

Ozone may be good for bad backs

A health.com article on March 13, 2009 sheds light on new thoughts about ozone. It’s still true that ozone-laden air increases your risk of dying from respiratory disease. However, researchers in Europe are in the early stages of a trial that suggests that by injecting a small bit of ozone into a bad back, it may relieve chronic pain caused by a herniated disc. Many doctors working in this field are skeptical because they feel it is a new twist on already existing back treatments. However they do feel that the trials may bring new knowledge to the table and they find that encouraging. I am encouraged by scientists finding ways to use things that may be bad for the environment and using it to human advantage.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele ruffling some republican feathers

Recently I read a March 13, 2009 post on CitizenJanepolitics.com. The blog talks about a recent interview done by GQ with RNC Chairman Michael Steele (when you get to the web site it should be on the front page, if not click on “the republicans” under topics; you should also be able to link to the full GQ interview). It seems that the new RNC chair is still ruffling feathers of the core Republican party. In the interview he says that abortion is an individual choice, homosexuality is someone’s nature and he can’t change that, and that the Republican Party doesn’t appeal to minorities because the party hasn’t gone out of its way to change the perception that it doesn’t care about minorities.

Is this the signal of a new Republican Party or of a power struggle waiting to erupt? Do core Republicans really want to show they are a party of diverse views or will they continue to speak in one voice to the few? If Chairman Steele has his way, the party is heading in a more inclusive direction. Only time will tell if he has enough will to pull off this new direction or bow to the will of the tried and true.

Task force visited U.S. automakers this week in Detroit

The Obama auto task force has three weeks to decide if GM and Chrysler deserve more money. The top auto advisors met with the automakers in Detroit on Monday. The advisors also met with top officials of the United Auto Workers Union and test drove the new Chevy Volt, Gm’s new electric car. March 31, 2009 is the deadline for the Obama administration to make a decision on whether to give GM and Chrysler more funds.
Some lawmakers, mainly Republicans, feel bankruptcy is the only option for GM and Chrysler at this time. However, it is a widely held assumption that the Obama administration is looking for a way to justify giving GM and Chrysler more funds to avoid bankruptcy during these tough economic times.

New Executive Order reverses Bush policy on embryonic stem cell research

On Monday President Obama overturned an order signed by President Bush in 2001 that barred the National Institutes of Health from funding research on embryonic stem cells beyond using 60 cell lines that existed at that time. This signals a clear shift from his predecessor on scientific issues.

Conservatives are criticizing this move arguing that embryonic stem cell research ends lives. President Obama’s response is that scientific decisions must be based on fact and not on ideology. The President also signed a memorandum that directs the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy "to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making." This is the beginning of his effort to separate science and politics. This will go a long way in environmental policy as well. Lets hope The United States can finally get momentum on a lot of these issues that affect the planet and the well-being of her inhabitants.

Spending bill is stalled in Congress

The Senate is currently debating the $410 billion spending plan. It has already passed in the House. President Obama says he will sign the budget bill even though it contains 8500 earmarks, something he campaigned against. His administration is taking the position that since the bill was negotiated before President Obama took office, they want to sign the bill and move forward. The Obama Administration says they will not accept earmarks in future bills.

Republicans are up in arms. Once again their argument against wasteful spending is getting some traction, at least with their core constituency. Some of their credibility is lost since 40% of the earmarks in the bill are from Republicans including some of their leaders. Personally, it’s a spending frenzy in Washington, DC and I hope it will stop soon. We can’t afford to keep printing money.

Economy gets worse every week

AIG got $30 billion more to help stabilize the company. General Motors say they need almost $8 billion more to remain viable even thought their auditor said in a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission that he doubts the company can be viable and that GM should seek protection under bankruptcy law. How much more bailing out of failing companies are we going to do? We are giving banks money, hoping they will start lending again but if banks have to change the way they do business and tighten their restrictions, many small businesses and individuals won’t be qualify for loans. While they wait for this supposed bailout to kick in, they are incurring debt, getting behind on payments and maybe considering bankruptcy or facing foreclosure. I’m all for having patience and giving the new administration a chance but what do I do if I feel we’re heading toward the cliff faster than we were before because the solution does more harm than good? I hope President Obama’s economic team is the radical miracle workers he thinks they are because if not, America is done being considered land of making dreams come true. We may be in for a long nightmare.

Take control over your healthcare

In a Feb 12, 2009 article on cnn.com/empowered patient , Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Chen offer seven steps to take control of your healthcare if you currently don’t have health insurance. Read the article to find out more in depth information but below are the seven steps you can take to ensure that your or your family’s healthcare doesn’t suffer during these hard economic times.

Step 1: Get good advice
Step 2: Search for affordable insurance
Step 3: Get your child on SCHIP
Step 4: Get help with prescription drugs
Step 5: Find financial assistance for your particular disease
Step 6: Find free clinics
Step 7: Consider a part-time job

Steele versus Limbaugh…Republican versus Conservative?

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele called Rush Limbaugh an entertainer. In an interview, the chairman said in no uncertain terms that he is the leader of the Republican Party. So where does this leave Mr. Limbaugh? A conservative political strategist mad a good point on CNN yesterday that sheds some light.

Rush Limbaugh is the voice and leader of the Conservative Movement. He speaks about Conservative values. Party affiliation is not as important. Michael Steele is the voice and leader of the Republican Party. It’s his job to talk politics, raise money, and help people win elections. I think people link conservatives and the Republicans together but may be missing the point. Values and politics may or may not go hand in hand.

Politically there are Democrats and Republicans. To a lesser extent there are Independents, Libertarians, and others like the Green Party. Value wise there are conservatives and liberals. To a lesser extent you’ll find moderates, centrists, and progressives. People marry their political affiliation with their values and vote or govern from that perspective.

Getting back to Rush Limbaugh and Michael Steele, it seems like the Conservative Movement is strong while the Republican Party is trying to find a direction. As long as this is the case, I think Mr. Limbaugh’s voice will continue to be heard loud and clear.