TresSugar

Obama's Changing Americans' Behavior With Science

CitizenSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:00:09 -0700

Remember hearing "record turnout is expected" before last year's election? Time reports it was the work of 29 of the world's most influential behavioral scientists, psychologists, and economists. They knew people are more likely to do something if they think others will do it. Like vote!

Now the president is using the team to put policies in place and funnel stimulus money into programs that will help America help itself. How so?

It's easier to say yes than no: Excited for the automatic-enrollment pension plans? I'm sure. Well, it's because the government doesn't want to pay our assisted-living rent when we're 90. A 2001 study showed only 36 percent joined 401(k) plans when they had to opt in, but 86 percent stayed in when they were automatically signed up.
You'll spend the extra cash in your next paycheck: Beginning this month, $116 billion worth of payroll tax cuts, compliments of the stimulus package, will roll their way into paychecks. Why the paltry change when Obama could have given out $600 checks like Bush? Not because it didn't work, though true, but because Obama knows why it didn't work: people spend when they get a few extra dollars and save lump sums.

To see the other two, read more.

Knowledge is powerful: Might as well just turn the heat down now. Pretty soon smart meters will tick away, telling us how deep our carbon footprints are on the future's sandless shores.
Because we would jump off the bridge: Peer pressure works. It got AIG executives to give up bonuses, and now it's going to persuade Americans to stay in automatic pension plans and live on less energy. Why? Because people will assume it's what they're supposed to do and that everybody else is doing it.

And that's really what it's about - creating new social norms, the change of all changers. Financial responsibility, healthier lifestyles, and everyday environmentalism will ultimately lighten America's burden of itself. Do we need subtle nudges from the government? Or is it too creepy and sinister for you?

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10 Ways the Stimulus Is Green, Earthy

LibertySugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:30:20 -0800

Remember when everyone cared about things being green and organic instead of cheap? Well if the stimulus works, the days of organic wine and roses may return. Here are 10 directions money is headed to ensure everything comes up green again.

$6 billion for clean and safe water, creating more than 200,000 jobs
$4.5 billion for greening federal buildings
State energy grants to fund renewable-energy projects
$2.5 billion for energy-efficiency and renewable-energy research and development
More effective tax credits for home-efficiency upgrades
$5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, creating approximately 90,000 jobs
$2 billion for advanced batteries
$9.3 billion for intercity rail, including high-speed rail
$27.5 billion for highways (though must also be used for fuel-efficient public transportation)
Smaller projects: wildfire prevention, trail maintenance in National Parks, and EPA Superfund cleanup

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Rejected Artists: Senate Removes Art From Stimulus Package

CitizenSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:30:33 -0800

Looks like the Grammys wish for a secretary of the arts won't be coming true anytime soon. The Senate voted 73-24 yesterday to ensure the arts will not receive any of President Obama's stimulus package.

The amendment will not only hit museums, theaters, and art centers, but also other leisure-loving places like swimming pools, zoos, and community parks. It will "ensure that taxpayer money is not lost on wasteful and nonstimulative projects." Unstimulating art is the worst anyway!

The House's original plan penciled in $50 million - a 1/17,000 piece of the $827 billion pie. Americans For the Arts, an advocacy and lobbying organization, hopes to delete the amendment from the final draft. It's launching an email campaign and placing ads that say "Arts=Jobs" in political journals this weekend.

But when three-quarters of the Senate says no, last-minute efforts to reverse its decision sounds like wishful thinking. Artists!

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Front Page: Israel Pushes Into Southern Gaza on Day 12 of Fire

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:53 -0800

Israeli troops moved to the southern Gaza Strip today, ignoring an effort by European envoys to broker a cease-fire. Palestinian officials said the death toll in Gaza has risen to about 560 since Israel began airstrikes on Dec. 27. At least nine Israelis have been killed. - Washington Post
President-elect Barack Obama told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he favors a grand total of $775 billion for the US economic stimulus plan. - Bloomberg
Consumers are reeling from a recession, job uncertainty, tighter credit, and falling stock portfolios, and it shows. Wal-Mart Stores could be one of the only retailers to post a rise in December sales, as US retail sales continue to fall. - Reuters
Barack Obama's pick for head of CIA, Leon Panetta, is churning a mixed reaction from CIA officials. He has been described as a "fabulous choice" to lead the agency and conversely "inexperienced" with intelligence manners. - ABC News
Despite support against his appointment to the US Senate, Roland Burris told the The Early Show he plans to take his seat as Illinois's junior senator. Burris, who was selected to take Barack Obama's Senate seat, brushed off his critics, saying his appointment by the scandal-plagued governor, Rod Blagojevich, is legal and valid - CBS News

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How Much Say Should GOP Have in Stimulus Package?

LibertySugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:00:04 -0800

In a spirit of bipartisanship, President Obama met with Republican leaders today to listen to their concerns about the proposed $825 billion stimulus package, which will hopefully create between 3 to 4 million jobs. While Obama may listen, there's no indication that he feels obliged to implement GOP suggestions. Politico reports that during the talks Obama pointed out "I won."

Some of the Republican concerns include:

The amount being spent on the package.
The inclusion of tax credits for those who do not pay income taxes.
An inadequate amount of middle class tax cuts.

Despite Obama's assertion of his political capital, GOP leaders did appear somewhat content with the course of the meetings. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said that Congress would likely meet the mid-February deadline for passing the package.

How seriously should Obama, and the Democrats, take GOP concerns?

View 5 Photos ›

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The Stimulus Package Gets a Logo

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:00:56 -0800

First the stimulus got a website. Now it's getting a logo. Without a doubt, the Obama team has brought its branding expertise from the campaign trail to the White House. All projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be marked with this emblem.

Obama explained yesterday:

These emblems are symbols of our commitment to you, the American people - a commitment to investing your tax dollars wisely, to put Americans to work doing the work that needs to be done. So when you see them on projects that your tax dollars made possible, let it be a reminder that our government - your government - is doing its part to put the economy back on the road of recovery.

If we couldn't identify how the money is spent, it might seem like $787 billion just vanished into thin air. I can't help but think the logo will also score Obama some political points. When you see people at work, the logo reminds you that Obama's stimulus plan is partially to thank!

Headline: President Bush Backs Economic Stimulus Package

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:03:56 -0800

In a speech from the White House this morning, President Bush proposed $145 billion in tax relief. According to insiders, individuals might receive rebates of $800 and families, $1600. This proposal follows Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony yesterday, calling for temporary measures to stimulate the economy. Bush echoed the chairman's sentiments saying that the relief should be temporary, but take effect right away. Aiming to bolster both business expansion and consumer spending, Bush said, "this growth package must be big enough to make a difference in an economy as large and dynamic as ours, which means it should be about 1 percent of GDP."
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Barack Obama Says Change Is About Owning Up to Mistakes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:01:46 -0800

President Obama may have started yesterday with the intention of selling his stimulus plan to the American people with a full-court media press, but he ended it defending his stake on change. On the NBC Nightly News Obama handled ex-nominee Tom Daschle's tax problems by confessing to Brian Williams: "I screwed up." Check out how Obama maintained that he's ushering in the era of responsibility, and other highlights from last night.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

On Tom Daschle's withdrawal: Oh it made me angry and disappointed and it's something I have to take responsibility for. I appointed these folks. I think they are outstanding people. I think Tom Daschle as an example could have led this health care effort, a difficult effort better than just about anybody. But as he acknowledged, this was a mistake.
On whether politics as usual has won: [T]he fact of the matter is Tom Daschle pulled out today. And I'm here on television saying I screwed up and that's part of the era of responsibility, is not never making mistakes, it's owning up to them and trying to make sure you never repeat them and that's what we intend to do.

To read what the President wants to do to bailout regular Americans, read more.

On how the stimulus plan will help regular Americans: Now the recovery package that we've put together, has not only immediate relief to families, if they've lost their job, they're going to get extended unemployment insurance, they're going to get to keep their health insurance. We're going to make sure that states don't have to lay off teachers and that they can train teachers for the math and science that is so important for our children.
On whether the stimulus package is getting "pecked to death": Well look, it's got to go through Congress. That means there are 535 people who have an opinion about what's good policy. . . And I want to continue to work with Democrats and Republicans to find some common ground. But what I can't accept is the politics as usual where we think about scoring points . . . instead of acting. We've lost a million jobs in the last two months. We can't afford another four million jobs lost this year and every economist I talk to projects that if we don't act quickly, we could end up seeing a much more severe situation than we're seeing right now.

Do You Think the Stimulus Will Help the Economy?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:00:15 -0800

Americans have some pretty low expectations these days. In a new poll only 38 percent of voters said they believe the $787 billion stimulus plan will help the economy.

Middle-income Americans are more likely to think the package will hurt the economy more than help it; while low and upper income individuals are more optimistic. Those making below $40,000 or above $100,000 are more likely to think it will help the economy.

What do you think of the stimulus bill?

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It's Not Me, It's You: Should Obama Stop Wooing Republicans?

LibertySugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:00:48 -0800

Obama may have won 52.9 percent of America over and pretty much all of Europe, but there's one group who continues to resist his charm, his cocktail parties, and his stimulus plan (I spared you package). With zero votes for the stimulus, Republicans have yet to give an inch when he's given them tens of billions in tax cuts.

Last night, Rachel Maddow asked if Obama is in an unrequited relationship with Republicans. How far can he go before bipartisanship becomes a fool's errand?

President Obama's latest outreach came today when he nominated a Republican, Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, to the commerce secretary post. Before accepting, Gregg said he would refuse the job if his seat were filled by a Democrat. Another Democratic senator would push the Senate one seat closer to the 60-seat filibuster, giving Democrats complete control. But as predicted, his chief of staff, Republican Bonnie Newman, will replace him.

So what's in it for the president? To find out, read more.

While it may do wonders for his bipartisan image, it does little to change Washington. Are Republicans testing him? Or are they just laughing, tax cuts in hand? It could be that Obama needs to set some boundaries and remind Congress that in politics no favor goes unreturned - start a little quid-pro-quo fire underneath their seats.

For now one question buzzes through the tunnels of Washington: Is bipartisanship worth it if President Obama gets nothing in return?

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