News item: By a vote of 74-25, Senate passes bankruptcy bill. 806. Debtor’s Prison “Since poverty is punished among us as a crime, it ought at least to be treated with the same lenity as other crimes: the offender ought not to languish at the will of him whom he has offended, but to be …
Jonathan Chait has an excellent explanation of the reasons why Bush’s SocSec plan needs to be defeated. Privatizers portray Social Security as a kind of low-performing 401(k) plan. But the program was never intended as a personal retirement plan. It’s a form of social insurance, designed to spread risks throughout the population. One such risk …
News item: Congress subpoenas baseball players to testify about steroid use. A lawyer for baseball and the players union said they would challenge the subpoenas through Congress and into the federal courts, if necessary. An individual who fails to show up to a hearing can be found in contempt of Congress and can appeal that …
The sponsors of the legislation say that it will have the effect of lowering the costs of goods and services for all consumers by making it easier for companies and issuers of credit to collect unpaid debts rather than passing those costs on to everyone else. In the last 30 years, bankruptcy filings have steadily …
Too many Democrats (you listening, Lieberman? You listening, Biden?) like their business constituents more than their consumer constituents. The
Speaking of banks, I just received my latest bill for my AMEX credit card (my bank sold its VISA portfolio to AMEX a couple of years ago), and I’ve been assessed a $29 late fee on the 22nd of the month. I paid it in full (and have the receipt) on the 18th. Is it …
If you’re as appalled by the bankruptcy bill moving through Congress as others are, Josh Marshall has set up an auxiliary blog where details of the thing will be laid out in all their horror/glory. It’s written by an expert in bankruptcy law and three of her law students. Essentially, it’s a giveaway to credit …
Raising the minimum wage sounds good, but be careful what you wish for: Senator Santorum’s amendment has some nasty stuff buried inside. Licensing Sweatshops: While a $1.10 per hour minimum wage increase by itself would help 1.8 million workers, Santorum includes a poison bill exempting any business with revenues of $1 million or less from …
Continue reading ‘I like overtime, but Senator Santorum doesn’t’ »
AllMusic calls Loggins and Messina’s mood “amiable, laid-back, and good-natured,” among other things. Well, yeah, there’s not much anger in songs like “Your Mama Don’t Dance” or “Thinking of You,” found on Loggins and Messina. For sheer enjoyment, though, I’ll take “Holiday Hotel” off this album. It’s a light-hearted admonishment from a wife to a …
March Madness: when ESPN and its announcers easily persuade you that the basketball game between two schools you’ve never heard of is the most crucial game of the season, and going to the Final Four is of the same import as SALT II. Speaking of St. Louis, you’ll should read this wonderful essay about the …