Blogs

__ Grim News for Those Out of Job Market __

This article discusses the horrors of not having a job in this suffering economy. I feel like it is going to take a very long time for the job market to be back on its feet again. When I say a long time I mean more than a couple of years. According to the article the number of people who have given up on finding a job had more than doubled since last year because they are in no luck. I can relate to them because I have been looking for a part-time job and I have had no luck. Things are not looking good for this country and the falling job market is another reason why I want to go into the health field. I believe that the health field is the best way to go because everyone will still be needing health related help even when the economy is bad. The country may seem like it is starting to go in the right direction but since the unemployment rate is still increasing it really isn’t.

__ Will California Show the Way on Marijuana? __

This blog discusses if California will lead the country to the legalization of marijuana. This proposition will allow adults to grow and posse’s small amounts of marijuana but yet federal law states that possession and sale of marijuana is illegal. California the state that has had the highest number of unusual legislations. California is one of the most heavily populated states and according to the article “large states tend to be the early adopters of new laws, with the smaller states following later.” After reading this I think that there is a good chance that marijuana will be legalized in California. I personally don’t think they should legalize it because there is obviously a reason it was illegal in the first place. I feel like the only reason marijuana should be legalized is if it can be used in the health field as a drug for something. Why should something be legal if it can cause problems like marijuana can? Also if it is legalized in California it will most likely spread to other states and eventually the whole country will have the potential to posses and sell marijuana legally.

__Why Research Alone Won’t Fix the Climate__

In this blog Robert Stavins, environmental economist discuses that more than funds for clean energy research are needed to solve climate change. He states “Only carbon pricing – either in the form of carbon taxes or cap-and-trade — can significantly tilt in a climate-friendly direction the millions of decentralized decisions that are made in our economy every day.” I agree with this statement because the world needs to take action in the movement to become a more eco-friendly society and not just contribute money for research. Even though more money for research would help the situation it is not enough to alter the climate. Also the author states that people are still going to use dirty energy over clean energy is the dirty energy is cheaper. This is very true because people tend to look out for their wallets and not their environments. Especially in this economy more people are likely to take the cheap way out. To be honest I would probably pay for the cheapest source of energy even if it’s bad for the environment. The world will just have to change its ways and see what the future brings.

__ Consumer Spending Up, But Can Fast Growth Last? __

This blog discusses if growth in consumer spending can last even though there is still large amounts of debt and the unemployment rate is not going down. The blog stated “The fact that consumers spending last quarter increased at an annual rate of 2.6 percent can generally be seen as good news, considering that we need growth anywhere we can find it”. I agree with this because the economy is in bad shape and if we get a growth we should be happy but there are a lot of other factors that have to be considered. The blog also talks about how there is still a lot of debt and I believe that even though the spending went up it’s still not good because there is still tons of debt. The only way for the economic situation to get better is if the debt is paid off. Also the unemployment rate needs to decrease before a fast growth can last. If buyers don’t have jobs and are in debt there is no way that a fast growth can last because where would they get the money from to buy the products. They would only be going more into debt which would cause a reverse effect on the economy. The blog also states “Finally, to the extent that consumers are spending more, it seems they are more attracted to foreign-made goods…….If we could figure out a way to shift consumption from imported good to domestically produced items, a whole bunch of our economic problems would be somewhat mitigated”. I agree with this because if consumers are buying products made in the USA then all the money stays here and that would definitely benefit our economy.

__A Chinese Minister on Chinese Health__ -11/28/10

This blog discusses an interview with Chen Zhu, China’s health minister. Since China is still a communist country, they have to provide equal health care to all of their citizens. Chen Zhu states that this quality is the Chinese government’s biggest concern. That makes sense because considering the large population of people in China it must be hard to give them all equal health care. It also makes sense to me that he decides with the European style of health care rather than the American style in that the government plays a major role. In communist China everything is regulated and controlled by the government so that is why Chen Zhu agrees more with Europe. America health care is not universal by any means. This blog proves to me that even having health care that is equal among all citizens is still not the most effective way. It seems as though all countries no matter what political standpoint they are in have concerns with health care. Health care is one, if not the biggest problem around the world and something needs to be done to improve it.

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__ So Much For Momentum __ -12/5/10

The American economy is still in turmoil, even if things are looking good for a short period of time it will not last. This blog proves that even when the economy is in a state of momentum it won't last for long. The blog says that stocks have been rising and retail sales have been good; which makes sense because the holidays are coming so this should be the best time of the year for retail sales. But then is states "Overall [|employment growth fell] to 39,000, from 172,000.... Average hourly pay rose just 1 cent, to $22.75, the smallest gain in five months. “So obviously the economy is not stable and the momentum is going in the other direction. I still am currently looking for a stable job, I babysit but on sporadic occasions. I have applied to many places and they all have said they are not hiring. This stop in momentum has the same causes as the financial crisis we are currently in. I think once the unemployment rates decreases the economy will start to get back up on its feet.

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=__ The Seven-Year Recessionary Itch __ -12/12/10 = = I found this article very interesting. As you already know the economy affects many aspects of someone’s life, including marriage. I never thought of marriage as being affected by the economy but I guess it makes sense. If the economy is experiencing a downfall and money gets tight it makes sense that there would be more divorces because of money issues and such. The article explains that people in there earlier years and later years of marriage are not affected as much by the economy as people who fall in the middle. Newly wed couples are less likely to be in an economic crisis because they most likely don’t have children, therefore that don’t have to spend as much money. Couples that have been steady for a while are also less likely to get a divorce over economic problems because they are more experienced and are more likely to spend their money wisely. Couples that fall in the middle tend to be more affected by economics because by that’s time they will probably have children and a lot of other expenses that they won’t know how to deal with. Money controls almost every aspect of human life and marriage doesn’t escape the wrath of the economy. Now I totally understand why divorce rates are affected by the economy. Unfortunately divorce rates are expected to increase in a time of economic hardship. =

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__Who Benefits from Long-Term Unemployment?__ - 1/1/11

This article suggests that the current number of people that are unemployed in this country is not a bad as the number of people that were unemployed in past recessions. I guess this is a good sign but it still doesn’t means that things could get worse. We never know what is going to happen in the future, but at least there is statistical data that proves that the unemployment rate is not as bad as it has been in the past. The article states “The share of the labor force that has been out of work for at least six months remains near an all-time high… But it does have a flip side for the rest of the labor force: unemployment in this downturn has been concentrated among a surprisingly small number of people.” I interpret this as there is a group of people that have been out o work for at least six months which is an all-time high for the amount of months that they have been out of work, yet there is a small amount of people that have been out of work for at least six months, therefore not affecting the country as much as unemployment has in the past. Even though the article says only a small number of people have been out of work for at least six months, that small number is still in the millions which is a lot to me and in order for this country to get back on its feet that millions needs to decrease. I am choosing to peruse a career in the medical field because I feel like that is one of the safest and most secure fields to go into in this economy. Many college graduates can’t find jobs because of this horrible labor market, so I am trying to be smart and pick a field that will give me what I need to live my life the way I want.

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__American Jews Lead the Happiest Lives__ - 1/7/11

This article suggest that out of all the major faiths the people who practice the Jewish faith have the highest well-being. Also the article suggests that the more religious you are the happier and higher well-being you have. Well-being refers to "health, happiness and access to basic needs like food and shelter." It does not surprise me that more religious people are happier and are more satisfied with their lives; i feel like religious people are more grateful for what they have. It also doesn't surprise me that the Jewish people are the happiest because Jewish people are known being extremely religious ( the Hasidic and orthodox Jews) and for having money and doing well for themselves. You can also see this trend in health care. People who are religious then to be happier and even respond to health issues better. People of all faiths that regularly attend service generally rely on god or their higher power in times of health issues. These people tend to have a higher well-being because they know god is looking out for them. I myself am a roman catholic and moderately religious. I would say I have a pretty high well-being and pray to god in times when a family member is struggling with health problems. []

__ Does a Bad Job Market Lead to More Discrimination? __ - 1/16/11

This blog suggests that there is increased discrimination when the job market is not doing well. The graph proves my previous statement, "discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission jumped last year, reaching a record high of 99,922. .... As you can see, there was also a bump in discrimination claims after the 2001 recession " After reading this blog and thinking about what it said I agree with the c oncept of increased discrimination when there is a bad job market. From my own experience I have been trying to get a job and I filled out a bunch of application and I got nothing. The only real job I have had is a camp councilor and I really don't consider that I real job but it was the only job I have had that was paid on the books. A lot of the places I have asked for a job at want work experience and since I have never had a real job it is very hard for me to find one. I feel like since I am inexperienced and young I can't find a job. It is very frustrating, how am I supposed to find my first job if everyone wants people with work experience?

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=__ Volunteering Rate Fell in 2010 __ - 1/30/10 = = This article shows that the percentage of people that engage in volunteer work decreased in 2010. The majority of the change came from women, with 30.1 percent in 2009 to 29.3 in 2010 and men stayed unchanged. I believe that the reason for this decrease in volunteer work is a result from the economic state we are in. Why would people go do volunteer work when they could be getting paid for that work somewhere else? That is the main concept. If more people had stable jobs and a more comforting income then I think there would be more volunteer work. Considering that unemployment is high I don’t think people who are unemployed are motivated to do volunteer work because they are depressed about not having cash flow into their pocket. Personally I did volunteer work earlier in the school year which consisted of helping out the little cheerleader in my town. I really enjoyed being a cheer demonstrator even though I wasn’t getting paid for it. I had a job at the time so I didn’t matter to me. Now that I don’t have a job anymore I don’t think that I would be as willing to do volunteer work because I would rather be somewhere else getting paid for the work I am doing. =

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/volunteering-rate-fell-in-2010/

__Criticisms and Responses on College Costs __-2/22/11

 As all college bound student know, the costs of a higher education had been increasing rapidly and this affects many students decision on where to attend school. The two economists that wrote a book on college costs say that "Personal services that rely on highly educated labor have seen the greatest cost pressures since roughly 1980" meaning that the wages of people with a higher education should compensate for the amount of money spent on college, and "barriers that matter for wages must be on the demand side” meaning that the professors wages depend on the demand for students. I somewhat agree with what they have to say but i don't think it is fair to the middle class (of which I am in) that the costs of a higher education have to be so large. The poor are compensated for through financial aid and the rich can simply pay for college with ease. I know from my standpoint that i have a spending limit when it comes to choosing the college I want to attend. I want to become a pharmacists and my dream school was St.John's University, but because of the costs I can't attend school there. Instead I will either go to Western New England who gave me a Presidential Scholarship, Albany College of Pharmacy, or Buffalo State. The only way I'm not going to have to take out loans is if I go to Buffalo, but I really don't want to go there so I'm going to be in debt when I graduate college. With the economy today and the costs of college many graduate students are in debt and can't find jobs furthering this country's economic problems.

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__Putting People Back to Work__- 2/27

This blog states that putting people to work is what got the United States out of the Great Depression and considering the fact that the Great Depression was worse than this Great Recession, putting people to work should get us out of this financial crisis. The author concluded that the government is not trying hard enough to put people to work otherwise things would have started to be on the brighter side. I agree with the author because I look around my town and the neighboring towns and honestly there are many job that have to be done and many things that could be repaired that the government could hire a bunch of unemployed people, put them to work and fix whatever needs to be fixed as well as helping the economy. I look at it as killing two birds with one stone. Mr.Brunelli asked us once if we remember if the conditions of the roads were better or worse than they are now from when we were little kids. And to answer that question, yes I remember the condition of the roads being much better than what they look like today. There is one job that the government (not necessarily federal) could give to unemployed people to benefit the towns as well as the country as a whole. There are many other things that the government could do to get more people employed and eventually get us out if the recession.

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__College Grads, High School Dropouts, and Long-Term Unemployment-__3/12

As I would have assumed, people with a higher education have a lower level of unemployment than people with only a high school diploma as this blog suggests. Also this blog suggests that the duration of unemployment is the almost exact no matter what type of education that person has obtained. I'm not sure why this is but I think that this really sucks for people who spend all this money and effort in college to get a degree and have a stable job in the future. Thinking about this, one possible reason why people with a higher education might be out of work as long as other people without the same qualifications is because the person who has a college degree and had a decent paying job doesn't want to settle for a job that they are too good for. I know from my stand-point that if I were unemployed and had a college background I would not settle for a job that has a salary that someone who didn't go to college would get. If I spent all this money and now I have loans to pay off and such I would not want an underpaid job for my qualifications. After doing a bunch of these blogs, i know unemployment for college grads is a very big topic. I don not want to put myself in that situation so like I have previously said, this is another reason why I am going into the health care field.

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= = __Big Prices Come in Small Packages__-3/29 Whenever I go food shopping with my mom or dad I notice that the quantity of some items is decreasing, meanwhile the prices are staying the same. One of the most noticeable items is ice cream; it used to be sold by the half gallon now it is sold by a quart and a half. So the new amount is 25% less, but still the same price. As gas prices increase, food prices need to increase in order for the food to be shipped the same distance. That concept makes sense but instead of companies increasing the price, they decrease the amount of food. I think this is a very sly concept because sometimes people don't even notice that they are getting ripped off. My dad discussed this with me all the time: Yeah prices of items are increasing but salaries aren't, pensions are getting taken away, and bonus' are being cut, therefore it is getting harder and harder to afford things these days. I feel like things are just getting worse instead of better. I really hope in the near future the economy will return back normal, but as of right now almost everyone in this country should be making smart financial decisions; especially college students picking a career that will land them a job right away. The is one factor that has driven me toward pharmacy, because I am pretty much guaranteed a job right out of college. []

As Minority Populations Grow-4/6/11

This article discusses the growing population of minorities in this country. Especially the Hispanic, Asian and African minority groups. One major concern with this is illegal immigrants. We have all heard about how there are many illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico and I think there is a problem with this. When people are living here illegally they don't pay tax, they don't have health care insurance and basically they use the taxpayers money. This causes a big issue because they are basically getting everything for nothing. One major effect of this is immigrants can go to the ER because hospitals cannot turn down someone from the ER, and then they get charged and cannot pay the bill so hospital go bankrupt from this. The growing population of minorities that are legal is great. I think that it is better to have more diversity so hopefully people won't be as racist and more accepting of peoples differences.

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What Health Insurance Does Cover, and Dosen't- 4/30/11

When it comes to healthcare insurance it is like playing games to see what they will cover and won't cover. When I fainted in the hospital and was sent to the emergency room I knew that there was going to be a charger for it even though I am a student in the hospital. Right away when my mom arrived she asked the person with the discharge information about the insurance and we had to go through a series of steps. My parent got all the forms, filled them out, signed them and sent them to the insurance company. I fainted in November and still to this day the insurance company has not said whether or not they will pay for my ER visit. It is ridiculous sometimes what the health insurance companies say they will cover and won't cover. According to the article, it says that 91% of emergency room visits are covered on the insurance. I have a friend who has to get surgery in order to insure that she would be able to have kids one day. This condition my friend had prevent her from losing weight and was causing her to become diabetic. Her insurance would not cover the procedure unless she was declared pre-diabetic. I feel like sometimes he insurance companies wait till you get sicker, then they will give you coverage. The article states that insurance companies cover 27 percent of infertility procedures as well as diabetes care management. The only part of health care that is 100 percent covered is physician office visits. I think that insurance companies need to be more generous and cover more aspect of healthcare because of the rising costs of everything including drugs and procedures. Also, I think a big problem are the people who are uninsured because the slack of money falls on the people who are insured. This country needs to get a better system of health care insurance.

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Older Workers Without Jobs Face Longest Time Out of Work- 5/8/11

This blog suggests that older people are unemployed for more than double than younger people. Also it states that one factor of this could be the fact that younger people go to school and live with their parents. I think I have said this before but from my experience the older people who are laid off from their jobs are taking the younger peoples jobs. The older people are taking all the part time jobs therefore there aren't as many for the younger people who are eager to work and are most likely more productive. I went to an interview for a job and i could tell the lady was impressed with me; at the end she told me she liked me and would hire me but she has other people that are older that need the job more than I did, therefore I didn't get the job. This just proves that it is easier for older people to get jobs and that they are taking jobs away from the youth. For the up coming summer I have to work at a camp because I cant get any other job. I put in many application and ended up with nothing more than my camp job which I did last summer as well. This situation is not good for college student who are in debt and are looking for work to help pay off their debts. College loans are becoming one of the highest debts in this country so I think that people should consider hiring more students instead of older people for part time jobs.

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Taxing Parents of Obese Children-5/15/11 This blog discusses childhood obesity and the proposed soda tax. Personally, I think that soda should have an increased tax because I feel like parents would not want to buy the soda because money is tight and everything, therefore the children won't be consuming as much sugar which will help with the obesity problem. Yes, the problem goes beyond soda and is more about lifestyle and exercise but I don't think that parent with obese children should be penalized. Parents do hold partial responsibly for their kids being obese but they are not with them all day and they do not control everything they do. I think the plan for restriction of certain foods such as junk food on food stamps is a very good idea that definitely should be put in place. Obesity in general is turning into one of the biggest problems in this country, and more specifically is childhood obesity. Soda tax and food stamps restriction are just the beginning of a lifestyle revolution in this country. We are by far the fattest country in the entire world and in turn we have so many health problem that are caused by obesity that could easily be avoided. I think another policy that should be implemented is more strict gym classes to get children more active. Things need to change in order to insure the future of this country.

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Are Young College Grads to Lazy to Work?-5/22/11 My parents always tell me that this generation of kids are lazy and don't work as hard as their generation. I remember Mr.Brunelli saying something like kids these days have work harder for the same thing that their parents got back in the day. So were not lazier, were just in a hard economy and job market. If anything it is not fair to us, people really should not say that we are lazy. The blog says that we study less and get higher grades than those before us. So what does that say, it says that we work more efficiently. I understand where my parents and others people from an older generation are coming from but I'm sure that everyone wants a job but the job market is very competitive and there is nothing we can do to create more jobs for everyone. I can say for myself that I am certainly not lazy and I would love to have a job because I need to save up for college but unfortunately I still only have a summer job and its not enough for my liking. When I graduate college I hope to have a job right away and I am determined to pursue that goal.

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The Virtues of Investing in Transportation-6/5/11 All of the roads these days are becoming disheveled and need to be fixed. The problem is that there is not enough money to fix all the roads. I think that transportation is very important and the government needs to spend a little more time and money into fixing not only roads but other forms of transportation as well. There are many benefits to fixing the roads. For starters the roads would be fixed and people won't be damaging their cars. Second, jobs will be created which will help the unemployment in this country. These two aspects alone should be enough for the government to spend more money on fixing the roads. I remember in class Mr.Brunelli asked us if we thing the roads were better when we were little or now. The answer is that the roads were most definitely better when we were little. Now that I am a licensed driver and I say that these roads have tons of pot holes that need to be fixed.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/the-virtues-of-investing-in-transportation/

Hour by Hour, a Measure of Economic Stress-6/8/11 This blog suggest that paid hours are declining since the beginning of the recession. People are working less hours and are receiving smaller pay. This explains why we are in debt. My dad always tells me that all pricing on all good are going up but pay is not going up so how are people supposed to afford anything anymore. My dad is very right, there is simply not enough money being made to compensate all the price increases on good. Gas and oil prices are the worst. I can't even count how many times someone in my family has complained about gas prices. The government really ought to regulate prices more considering that people are not making as much money as the used to and people to lost their jobs or can't find jobs. I can't wait until this recession is over and things are back to stability. []