It was announced by the Associated Press today that the Ledbetter bill, which will make it easier for women to sue for pay discrimination, has passed Congress and is on its way to President Obama's desk. The creation of this bill is in light of a Supreme Court case thrown out in 2007 in which Lily Ledbetter sued for pay discrimination after finding out that after 19 years on the job, she was purposefully paid less than her male peers at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co's plant in Georgia. The case was moot by the time it reached the Supreme Court since the plantiff only had 180 days after the company decided to pay her less money to file a complaint.
Under the new law, women will have 180 days to file a complaint once a paycheck (of the discrimintorary value) is issued. This gives women the chance to file complaints years after they began to be paid less for their job.
While this bill sounds fine and dandy, the question remains -- when will women make as much money for a job as a man? Women in the U.S. currently make $.22 less per dollar than a man. This is a double standard to the Civil Rights bill of 1964 and its subsequent titles; nonetheless, women continue to be discriminated against and there is really no end in sight. Even in the 21st century when it seems like the U.S. is the closest it will ever come to being an even playing field for both genders.
The significance of this bill is rectified, yet it lacks significance at the same time. The right to be able to sue for pay discrimination is not advancing the civil rights ideals set forth by our 20th century forefathers. It's shameful this is all Congress can offer us. It may be a step in the right direction, but not until every gender and race can be guaranteed equal pay, this will continue to be a problem.
President Obama is scheduled to sign his first piece of legislation on Thursday. For more information on this story (and it's back story), you can read the AP article here: Congress sends Obama pay discrimination bill.
Tuesday 27 January 2009
She's baaacck...
A First Read story from MSNBC that you guys should definitely read. It'll make you laugh in spite of the fortitude of gloomy news that has been clogging up our daily news over the past few days.
Palin creates SarahPAC
How Republicans think Sarah Palin is the answer to their problems is beyond me. I believe they think she is the answer to their problems because she is a) young and b) made herself the answers to the GOP's woes. But hey, I could be wrong. (I'm guessing probably not)
What I hate most about this is not the fact that it's a way for her to get her (unwanted) foot back into the national political door, but because she ripped of Hillary Clinton's format of helping fellow Dems raise money. The Republicans don't need help raising money or awareness. The country, as a whole, is fairly moderate and borderline conservative. We elected a Democratic president just recently because the Dems made a stronger showing this year (and the fact that so many kids came of age this election season helped out); not to mention we were tired of the ol' Republicans. Republicans have ruled the roost at the White House far more often than the Dems have. So, really, the country is not lacking for support of the GOP. Argo, the Republicans do not need to rip off ideas from the Dems in order to save their own behinds.
This may be a biased thing to say and an old stereotype, but Republican voters tend to have a bit more cash lining their pockets than Democratic voters do. It would make sense why the Democrats would need something like HillPAC to raise money for their candidates. It doesn't make sense the Republicans would need one as well. What the GOP really needs to save their party are bright young political stars (that are not dingle-dork Palin) who aren't so down-trodden by the old Republican party image. Party members who can stand up in a crowd, speak, and captivate different audiences. And they need party members who aren't so bitter and cling to their party beliefs. Obama reached out across the aisle to get voters. And he's making an effort to stay party neutral while in the White House. (so far, that is) The Republicans need to reach out in a similar way if they ever want us to take them seriously again.
Sarah Palin, all I have to say to you, is GO HOME. No Sarah Palin. Just, no. We do not want you on the national scene, thank you very much. You've only been governor of Alaska for about two years and all you've done is run for VP, taken the credit of the last governor's biddings, and make it sound like you've 100% set up a huge gas pipeline to go through Canada even though it's being fought by the Canadian Native tribes since day one and the deal hasn't really progressed that much. Those are your claims to Alaska governor fame. (Besides claiming you can see Russia from your house) These things do not make you a political star or a Republican worth looking up to. Shoo! And take SarahPAC with you!
Palin creates SarahPAC
How Republicans think Sarah Palin is the answer to their problems is beyond me. I believe they think she is the answer to their problems because she is a) young and b) made herself the answers to the GOP's woes. But hey, I could be wrong. (I'm guessing probably not)
What I hate most about this is not the fact that it's a way for her to get her (unwanted) foot back into the national political door, but because she ripped of Hillary Clinton's format of helping fellow Dems raise money. The Republicans don't need help raising money or awareness. The country, as a whole, is fairly moderate and borderline conservative. We elected a Democratic president just recently because the Dems made a stronger showing this year (and the fact that so many kids came of age this election season helped out); not to mention we were tired of the ol' Republicans. Republicans have ruled the roost at the White House far more often than the Dems have. So, really, the country is not lacking for support of the GOP. Argo, the Republicans do not need to rip off ideas from the Dems in order to save their own behinds.
This may be a biased thing to say and an old stereotype, but Republican voters tend to have a bit more cash lining their pockets than Democratic voters do. It would make sense why the Democrats would need something like HillPAC to raise money for their candidates. It doesn't make sense the Republicans would need one as well. What the GOP really needs to save their party are bright young political stars (that are not dingle-dork Palin) who aren't so down-trodden by the old Republican party image. Party members who can stand up in a crowd, speak, and captivate different audiences. And they need party members who aren't so bitter and cling to their party beliefs. Obama reached out across the aisle to get voters. And he's making an effort to stay party neutral while in the White House. (so far, that is) The Republicans need to reach out in a similar way if they ever want us to take them seriously again.
Sarah Palin, all I have to say to you, is GO HOME. No Sarah Palin. Just, no. We do not want you on the national scene, thank you very much. You've only been governor of Alaska for about two years and all you've done is run for VP, taken the credit of the last governor's biddings, and make it sound like you've 100% set up a huge gas pipeline to go through Canada even though it's being fought by the Canadian Native tribes since day one and the deal hasn't really progressed that much. Those are your claims to Alaska governor fame. (Besides claiming you can see Russia from your house) These things do not make you a political star or a Republican worth looking up to. Shoo! And take SarahPAC with you!
Tuesday 20 January 2009
I want a new day and age
On January 20th, the administration we've been waiting to be rid of finally left.(In the words of Chandler Bing: ding dong, the psycho's gone!) And now, we usher in the administration we've been (im)patiently waiting to step into the Oval Office since November 4th 2008. Thank god.
Along with millions of people, I witnessed (via TV) the inauguration of President Obama. While I missed the actual swearing in of Obama and Biden (I heard Chief Justice Roberts made a gaffe with the oath - ha ha, stupid Republican) thanks to the three hour time difference, I still witnessed Obama's speech and soaked in the hope emulated through his words. 'Hope' is, of course, a ubiquitous adjective used to describe anything related to Obama; however, there is no word more appropriate to use at this moment. In his speech, President Obama touched on all of our problems and called for the country to come together in hopes of fixing the issues that will take years to be solved. He spoke to the American people as one - not as a divided crew of Democrats or Republicans. He spoke to those who didn't vote for him or the ones who never bothered to vote. He voiced our concerns and let the country (and the world) know that this is the dawn of a new era. The era of 'Yes We Can': Yes we can overcome this economic hardship. Yes we can successfully pull out of Iraq in the next 18 months. Yes we can jumpstart the green collar industry. Yes we can successfully update our health and education systems. Yes we can reform immigration and social security policy. And more importantly, yes we can be taken seriously as a country once again.
Today history was made in so many ways, but most of all today brought the beginning of a new American patriotism. As I watched Obama give his speech, I felt proud to be an American for the first time in eight years. As a country, we are so behind when it comes to equality and open-mindedness; however, electing Obama opened a new door for the culture of America. His election opened a door welcoming all us former haters into the reformed idealism of what America stands for. Our country needed a strong leader and Obama came to our rescue. He came to the rescue of our government and for our people. This is an administration I can stand behind. This is something I can be proud of.
Tomorrow, the honeymoon will be over and it will be time to get to work. I don't know about you, but I've been waiting for January 21st more so than January 20th. The 21st is the first time in eight years when we won't have to deal with a bumbling idiot as the highest representative of this nation. In a few hours from now, we will get to deal with a president who can speak in coherent sentences and present logical ideas.
Tomorrow Obama will be tested and the words he speaks will be taken as serious ideas. His idea of a stimulus package a few weeks ago was attacked by Democrats and that was the end of it. He didn't have clout yet so we didn't have to listen to anything he said. Now, he has clout. Things he says are now up for grabs. We can either say "no" or "yay" to his ideas. Here's to hoping there are more 'yays' than 'nays' conveyed after Obama tosses around ideas in meetings dealing with the two biggest issues facing the U.S. right now - the economy and the war in Iraq.
And while Obama deals with our governmental issues, lets just remember how lovely January 20th was and never lose sight of what it means to have Barack Obama as our 44th president.
And to celebrate the occassion of the change from tryrant Republicanism to hopeful Democratism is a verse from a song that represents the days, weeks, months and years ahead:
Bless your body, bless your soul
Pray for peace and self-control
I've gotta believe it's worth it
Without a victory I'm so sanctified and free
Or maybe I'm just mistaken
Lesson learned and the wheels keep turning
-the Killers, The World We Live In
Along with millions of people, I witnessed (via TV) the inauguration of President Obama. While I missed the actual swearing in of Obama and Biden (I heard Chief Justice Roberts made a gaffe with the oath - ha ha, stupid Republican) thanks to the three hour time difference, I still witnessed Obama's speech and soaked in the hope emulated through his words. 'Hope' is, of course, a ubiquitous adjective used to describe anything related to Obama; however, there is no word more appropriate to use at this moment. In his speech, President Obama touched on all of our problems and called for the country to come together in hopes of fixing the issues that will take years to be solved. He spoke to the American people as one - not as a divided crew of Democrats or Republicans. He spoke to those who didn't vote for him or the ones who never bothered to vote. He voiced our concerns and let the country (and the world) know that this is the dawn of a new era. The era of 'Yes We Can': Yes we can overcome this economic hardship. Yes we can successfully pull out of Iraq in the next 18 months. Yes we can jumpstart the green collar industry. Yes we can successfully update our health and education systems. Yes we can reform immigration and social security policy. And more importantly, yes we can be taken seriously as a country once again.
Today history was made in so many ways, but most of all today brought the beginning of a new American patriotism. As I watched Obama give his speech, I felt proud to be an American for the first time in eight years. As a country, we are so behind when it comes to equality and open-mindedness; however, electing Obama opened a new door for the culture of America. His election opened a door welcoming all us former haters into the reformed idealism of what America stands for. Our country needed a strong leader and Obama came to our rescue. He came to the rescue of our government and for our people. This is an administration I can stand behind. This is something I can be proud of.
Tomorrow, the honeymoon will be over and it will be time to get to work. I don't know about you, but I've been waiting for January 21st more so than January 20th. The 21st is the first time in eight years when we won't have to deal with a bumbling idiot as the highest representative of this nation. In a few hours from now, we will get to deal with a president who can speak in coherent sentences and present logical ideas.
Tomorrow Obama will be tested and the words he speaks will be taken as serious ideas. His idea of a stimulus package a few weeks ago was attacked by Democrats and that was the end of it. He didn't have clout yet so we didn't have to listen to anything he said. Now, he has clout. Things he says are now up for grabs. We can either say "no" or "yay" to his ideas. Here's to hoping there are more 'yays' than 'nays' conveyed after Obama tosses around ideas in meetings dealing with the two biggest issues facing the U.S. right now - the economy and the war in Iraq.
And while Obama deals with our governmental issues, lets just remember how lovely January 20th was and never lose sight of what it means to have Barack Obama as our 44th president.
And to celebrate the occassion of the change from tryrant Republicanism to hopeful Democratism is a verse from a song that represents the days, weeks, months and years ahead:
Bless your body, bless your soul
Pray for peace and self-control
I've gotta believe it's worth it
Without a victory I'm so sanctified and free
Or maybe I'm just mistaken
Lesson learned and the wheels keep turning
-the Killers, The World We Live In
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