Very much needed credit card reforms have been passed and the banks are getting pissy. Why? They will no longer be able to rip you as much as they used to. Here's a brief summary of what the new law does.
In case you are not getting enough of Star Trek you can take this quiz.
Things are looking good for my party:
From 2002 to 2009, voters' partisan identification has moved from virtual parity -- 43 percent Republican and 43 percent Democratic at the height of George W. Bush's popularity in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 -- to a massive Democratic advantage today of 53 to 36, a 17 percentage point split, by far the largest difference in the past two decades.To me the most interesting tidbit from the Pew Poll is that now the average Republican is older than the average Democrat. That hasn't been true for a long time because the Great Depression Democrats skewed my party's average. Well, now they are dying, and the younger generation is more Democratic than ever. I suspect this trend will continue as long as Republicans remain tied to the social conservatives.
Here's a story that says the poorest people give the highest percent of money to charity: 4.3%. Really? The average single working mom with two kids making $20,000/year gives $800 of that to charity? This is a story I'd like to believe but it defies reason.
A congressman wants mandatory paid vacation for workers. Don't get too excited: It's only one week. I think it's a good idea. It will effect very, very few employers. Quick, name an employer that doesn't already give one week paid vacation after a year to it's full time employees? Even though it won't have a big impact it's a good idea to have a set minimum. Besides, France already guarantees all workers at least 30 days off.
And finally, here's a cool interactive display showing how the stimulus money is being spent. I admit I'm perplexed. It appears that the stimulus money is going to fix a bridge in Benton County that was fixed last year.
Basically, I think the credit card reform bill sucks. Why did it NOT include the stipulation that interest rates could not be raised to unreasonable heights?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am not sure I find it hard to believe the 'poorest' people contribute the most to charity. I can't be considered among the poorest, but I AM on a relatively paltry fixed income yet still managed to contribute to Obama's campaign as well as the Coe Library Fund, the Coe Men's Soccer team, and other small contributions here and there. All it means for me is that I pay a little less on some bills when I make a contribution.