Student Loan Interest Rates to Double

The big story, and one that the President has been out talking about, is the upcoming hike in interest rates to 6.8%, which would be in excess of three times the inflation rate.  I'd sure like to be getting that in my bank account.  Apparently John Boehner is criticizing the President for using Air Force I to fly around to places like Chapel Hill, to bolster his position.  Boehner also says that the President is using the student loan issue as an "excuse" not to talk about the Economy.  But as Ed Schultz pointed out today,  student loans ARE the economy.  Because of massive budget cutbacks in places like California, more student loans are necessary.  Some argue that keeping the rate at 3.4% is "unreasonable" because "The students have no right to an entitlement program".  The word "entitlement" takes on a strange meaning with the tea party.  Normal people see the word "entitlement" and think it means that because you pay into something you are entitled to GET something back.  But we hear the congress is going after these "entitlement" programs such as medicare, medic-aid, and women's health care issues- - as well as student lunches and other aid to the poor.  It's interesting that when the Republicans speak of "cutting the fat out of the federal budget, cutting services for the economicly disadvantaged is the first and sometimes ONLY place they look.  Some congressman named Blunt or whatever says that Obama's Health Care plan is to blame because Obama funded health care with student loan interest rate hikes.  But the democrats dismiss this complaint as a big lie, as does Ed Schultz.

The recall election of Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is still in the horizon - - though we've been waiting for it for nearly a year and a half.  Wisconsin state is dead last in job creation.  This is partially because of all the union busting and state employee firings.  People like Romney say "Government workers should not do better than private businesses".  The rejoinder there is that unions were largely busted in the rest of private business decades ago and government is the only place they have left to attack.  Now they are after the Postal Service.  According to Hartman and others- - the Postal Service was made to swallow a "poison pill" where they had completely unreasonable "monetary reserve" requirements for pension funds for the next 75 years, right now.  So opporating budgets are hence slashed.  And contrary to what people like Judy say, many small businesses rely heavily on the US Mail to stay in business and cut expenses, and without this valuable government services many small businesses would go under.  Of course more fuel efficient cars would help us all as well as better rapid transit, and fixing potholes in highways would improve mileage.  But the government has a big blind spot on the whole topic of bridges collapsing and the like.  You all that sidewalk that "swallowed" that teenage girl in China and she had to be rescued.  Let's cross our fingers about the Wisconsin recall election.

Yesterday the Supreme Court heard arguments on this Arizona cop - - racial profiling thing where if you're stopped and look like a minority you can be asked for proof of citizenship.  The Obama administration filed suit because they say that enforcement of federal immigration laws is the exclusive domain of the federal government.  For me personally it's a gray area.  I hardly see why law enforcement should be faulted if they take steps to insure that Federal Laws are enforced.  But apparently arguments in the Supreme Court did not go at all well for the government yesterday.  Justice Roberts apparently gave an opening speech ans said "Arguing the validity of racial profiling is off the table as far as today's arguments are concerned".  And Justice Scelia said that the government guy was in error because "You have a right to arrest a guy for robbing banks even if it's state rather than federal".  But as Stephanie Miller points out - - robbing banks is the exclusive domain of the federal government whereas bank robbery is the domain of either state or federal government.  The way they were talking about this case yesterday you'd have thought the five to four decision has already been handed down siding with the Arizona police.  Apparently even liberal justice Sotomayor sided with the Conservatives on this one.

You know- - I have a different definition, a more basic, "generic" one than most people think of when it comes to "Exestentialism".  I define the term as "confining our discussion only to what is Real and actually Exists- - rather than what there is NO Evidence of.  And also the study of how to tell one from the other.  Keep in mind an infinite ammount of Nothing is still Nothing.  So contrary to what Christians will tell you "Keeping Infinity in mind" won't cut it.  Infinity itself has its limits.  And Romney's speech Tuesday night in New Hampshire was the biggest bunch of "Nothing" you're likely to hear.  The heading of the speech was "A Better America Begins Tonight", made in New Hampshire, which was not one of the five primary states.  There was not one substantive remark made about anything in terms of a proposal or solution to anything the entire speech- - which lasted some twenty minutes or so.  As you know I had my own "mental mailaise" three weeks ago on a Wednesday, and I've had another bout of this same mental malaise the past couple days.  Two years ago I weighed eighteen pounds more than I do now.  I have lost most of my weight since late October or so when the anxiety index with family members was cranked up.  But I met with Dr. Messina yesterday and he restored my Resperidol medication back up to its old levels before the 50% cut at the beginning of 2011.  Ever since them my anxiety factor has been increased on a continuing basis.  I also looked at a medical web site exploring symptums of all sorts of diseases trying to account for my weight loss, particularly in the last six months.  It's really starting to trouble me and I'm running out of excuses for it.  Money for me continues tight and I'm still in my own personal recession as are the majority of residents who live here.  In terms of that whole Venus cycle thing- - - Stewart Sutcliffe has reminded me - - twice lately - - that my doom and gloom these past few weeks about the Economy is unwarrented because "The cycle should extend at least all of this year and maybe a month or two into the following year".  I've just been hearing that doom and gloom is just around the corner once more.  But Fed Chairman Ben Vernanke testified yesterday saying that no change in Fed monetary policy is warrented at this time and everything is on course and improvements in the economy will continue and gradually pick up acceleration.  That's reassuring to hear.  I think if we can nudge unemployment into the high "sevens" that it will be like grease on a lot of "squeaky wheels' out there, who when this happens will no longer listen to the tea party - - at all- - and will vote for the President.  They say that the President is now doing quite well in the projected "swing states".