The Bigger Picture

Congress must move mountains to eliminate threat of fiscal cliff

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Thursday, 06 December 2012 00:00
Written by Canela Lopez
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Unless Congress can agree on a plan to reduce the deficit before January, America will fall over the "fiscal cliff." Credit: Michael Morales/The Foothill Dragon Press Unless Congress can agree on a plan to reduce the deficit before January, America will fall over the "fiscal cliff." Credit: Michael Morales/The Foothill Dragon PressAs 2013 approaches, the looming menace that is the “fiscal cliff” grows larger and larger, jeopardizing the financial safety of all Americans. If there has ever been a time where mountains, metaphorical or physical, needed to be moved, it's right now.

The “fiscal cliff” is the nickname given to the economic outcome of several laws that, if left unchanged, will result in a massive tax increase for all Americans. This “fiscal cliff” can only be absolved if enough money is generated by the end of 2012 to greatly reduce the deficit.

Several plans have been offered to solve our country's dire economic crisis, but the one in particular that appears to be the most evenhanded is a combination of cutting government spending and raising taxes for the wealthiest percentage of this nation. This would generate enough revenue to reduce the deficit and almost completely eradicate the ominous “fiscal cliff.”

President Obama called for the House of Representatives to pass a bill that would increase tax rates for the rich, while keeping the tax rates for the middle class the same. He addressed the nation and briefly summarized the ultimate goal he had for this plan of action, which was, in the short, run ebbing the nation away from the “fiscal cliff” and in the long run eliminating the deficit all together.

This was the same strategy used by former President Bill Clinton back in the 1990s. Not only did it get the country back into a stable financial position after the large deficit left by former president George H.W. Bush’s poor economic policies, but it also gave the country a massive surplus. So, as far as financial plans go, this one is very solid and reliable.

However, the problem most people have with this approach isn’t its success rate. It’s the tax increase. {sidebar id=66}

For as long as they have existed, taxes have been a nuisance to all who have ever had to pay them, but they are a necessary part of a thriving economy. Though people understand the necessity of taxes, they still try and find ways to avoid them. Not choosing Obama’s reasonable tactic, which just so happens to involve taxing, would be the current plan of action in people’s “war against taxation.”

Now I agree that tax increases for all would be completely out of the question. With the recession currently financially incapacitating most middle class citizens, it would be irrational to increase the tax rate for all Americans. Doing that would only inhibit the middle class from growing and possibly send thousands of borderline lower middle class members into financial turmoil.

Then again, Obama’s plan takes this into consideration. Actually, Obama’s plan doesn’t tax the middle class at all. It focuses directly on taxing the wealthiest percentage of Americans, which is exactly why so many Congressmen and people of power have a problem with it. It doesn’t affect a large percentage of Americans, but it does directly affect them.

Another argument that this perfectly legitimate plan is bombarded with is that wealthy people should not be “penalized” for supposedly working harder than the rest of the country.

First of all, the fact that anyone would have the arrogance to say that they work “harder” than an entire class of people based solely on their income is just ignorant. The difficulty of your profession is not based on your salary, it is based on the amount of time and effort you put into it. Being a CEO may require more college degrees than a grocer, but that doesn't mean you are better than someone nor does it give you the right to look down on other people.

Secondly, taxes are not a penalty. They benefit everyone, including the person paying them. They help maintain the roads we drive on, keep kids in school, provide healthcare to the less fortunate. Isn’t the well being of your country more important than the condition of your personal golf course?

The key to achieving a stable economy and eliminating the threat of the “fiscal cliff” is shared sacrifice.

In the words of billionaire Warren Buffet, “My friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.”  

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America is $16 trillion under, in need of fiscal conservatism

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Thursday, 29 November 2012 00:00
Written by Zach Plahn
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Credit: Claire Stockdill/The Foothill Dragon Press Credit: Claire Stockdill/The Foothill Dragon PressWe are a country, ruled by ourselves, aren’t we? We are a democracy; we decide the direction our country goes.

Now, granted, we aren’t a direct democracy. We elect our representatives to do our will. But, not everyone’s will. We submit power to the will of majority.

Well, what is the goal of this democracy? What does the majority desire to gain from this type of government? Simple: freedom. Take the word, as you will. You decide what freedom you want, or how you define it, or what it means to you.  But freedom, to me, is defined by the ability to pursue dreams, to pursue love, to pursue religion, to pursue happiness, under legal circumstances of course.

So, we have achieved freedom as a nation, have we not? We are no longer a nation defined by race issues or religious persecution. We are independent of any other country in the world. We have taken those burdens and pushed them aside. We, as a nation, have discarded most of the concepts that divide us. Given, we still have some major issues to overcome. But overall we are, for now, a nation united.

So, do we have any problems that can cripple our nation? Oh, well, there is just a tiny little detail: the United States has over $16 trillion of debt. Yeah, I wrote that figure down with a “t.”

The United States’ population is roughly 300 million people, which means that each person would have to pay $53,330 to even come close to getting rid of our debt. I’d dare to call this situation a crisis, wouldn’t you?

The recent election opened my eyes up to something. It showed me where our nation’s priorities are. We are more focused on obtaining more freedom. We, as a majority, want the freedom to be able to marry the same sex, we want the freedom to abort children, and so on and so forth. Given the fact that Obama supports these matters, he was elected.

That’s the problem. Obama was elected because of his social and political views, not his financial solutions.

The United States, at the moment, reminds me of that cool guy. The guy who buys himself a cool car, an expensive watch and a smart phone, but is years behind in his house payments. He puts all of his money into his image, his luxury and his pleasure, but none into his base or his refuge. 

America bought itself more freedom during the election, in regards to social matters and political ones, by electing Obama, but Romney’s financial plan was better. According to Romney, his proposed tax reform policy would have followed Ronald Reagan's 1986 approach, in which lower tax rates buoyed job growth, while limits on deductions would’ve helped ensure adequate federal revenue.

We are getting buried in debt and need to get out this hole, and that's what Romney's plan would have done. It may hurt at first, but giving up a few extra perks in life is a small price to pay to avoid our so-called “fiscal cliff.” Instead of addressing the fact that we’re about to drown in debt, we addressed our desire to obtain more freedom during the election, and sooner or later, we’re going to pay for it.

Now, it is imperative you understand that I’m not saying freedom is a negative thing. Freedom gives me the ability to write this article, and you to read it. The point is, we need to focus on paying for our house, and then we can worry about paying for our cars and watches.

Was Romney’s financial plan perfect? No. Was it better than Obama’s? Yes. Romney’s plan was projected to put the deficit under control much quicker, and much more effectively than Obama’s. As a nation, we need to worry about paying off our deficit first, and then we can focus on gay rights, abortion, and matters like that.

While certain political and social matters are changing the nation, we can’t put too much emphasis on them until we are financially stable. It’s like were walking into a bank and saying, “Listen we know were trillions of dollars in debt, and don’t worry, we’ve got a plan that is projected to put our debt under control by 2022, but we’re going to take out a loan to buy ourselves a coffee maker."

Just so you know, at the end of the “cool guy” metaphor, the cool guy loses his house and his car, and his watch to the bank.

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Netflix: Revolutionizing the way Americans watch TV

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Tuesday, 27 November 2012 00:00
Written by Zach Plahn
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Many Americans are turning to Netflix for entertainment. Credit: Michael Morales/The Foothill Dragon Press Many Americans are turning to Netflix for entertainment. Credit: Michael Morales/The Foothill Dragon PressNetflix: 90 million subscribers, over a billion hours worth of TV that has been watched on it, and I have never come across an individual who says that they don’t like it.

It seems kind of expected. We’re Americans, and we watch TV. We give in to major corporations and companies because it’s just easier. Companies like McDonalds, Walmart, and Starbucks have made necessities convenient. Netflix has made television even more convenient.

Why would I decide to watch Netflix? Why would I want to support the corporate monster that consumes me, my time, and even my family? Wouldn’t it just be easier to order cable?

Netflix is easy to navigate, it has almost any show I want to watch at my finger tips, I can watch it from almost any mobile device, and I can depend on Netflix to deliver my shows. They’re always there, and I won’t have to wait until 10:30 Eastern Time to watch them.

Over the past decade, Netflix has literally revolutionized the way people watch TV. Instead of waiting for a new episode to come out every week, viewers can now watch their favorite shows in bulk. Full seasons of TV shows are available for viewing at any time for members. Netflix has molded together two things Americans adore: Television and immediateness.

People want what they want when they want it. People don’t want to wait until 10:30 Eastern Time to watch an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," and why would you when the first seven seasons are available on your laptop, phone, gaming system, iPod, or E-reader? You don’t have to wait. You can watch it right now.

Another aspect that makes Netflix loved by so many is discovery. If you finish one TV show, it’s on to the next, new, exciting, suspenseful, funny show. Often times, I find myself up until 12 a.m. on school nights, watching Netflix on my iPod. Once I’ve started, I find it hard to stop. Why would I stop? If I am watching a show like AMC’s "The Walking Dead," I need to know what happens next. If I am watching USA’s "Psych," I want to laugh more. I don’t want to fall asleep.

Netflix is like a drive-thru Starbucks. It’s fast. It delivers a comfortable, enjoyable product in a matter of minutes. And like Starbucks, it has taken over its industry. Netflix is the product of Blockbuster, a company that used to dominate the movie rental industry. Now, because of Netflix’s total and utter dominance, Blockbuster is bankrupt. There is really only one real difference that makes Netflix stronger than Blockbuster: The use of the internet. Blockbuster depended on people wanting movies so badly, that they would get in a car and drive to stores in order to get them. Netflix depends on people to open their computers, and type in a name. Netflix is simply convenient.

So, as Americans, should we be so occupied with Netflix? Should we adore it as much as we do? After all, over 90 million of us use its services. It’s almost like we’re addicted. But hey, Netflix is like any other television provider, they just do business differently. They do it better. If Netflix somehow vanished, we’d just move on to the next most convenient option. We're Americans, and we watch TV a lot. Netflix is just making it easier. 

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What are Americans really thankful for?

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Tuesday, 20 November 2012 20:50
Written by Summer Al-Saleh
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Credit: Aysen Tan/The Foothill Dragon Press Credit: Aysen Tan/The Foothill Dragon PressThank you, mom; thank you, dad; thank you, American Express card.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day to recognize what we are thankful for, but people seem to forget the true meaning of it when thoughts of Black Friday run through their mind. After sitting at the dinner table saying how thankful they are for this or that, they hypocritically go out to the mall and carelessly spend their money on things they don’t need.

Everyone likes getting a bargain, but I’m not willing to wander around the mall with crowds of deranged people pushing each other to get what they consider a good deal.

And I call them “deranged” because most of these people aren’t even in the right frame of mind to be set loose in a huge building filled with stores, which are filled with clothes and electronics on sale, which are filled with other people who are all wanting the same thing: a good deal. What does this lead to? Death.

No, I’m not being dramatic; people have really been killed on Black Friday. In some cases, they're killed by other shoppers, and in other cases, through the selfishness of other humans.

In Charleston, W. Va last year during Black Friday, a 61-year-old man collapsed in Target, and the reaction of the shoppers was shocking and inhumane. Witnesses reported that shoppers ignored his motionless body, and avoided it by stepping over it. Even the reality that people would not acknowledge this man, who later died in a nearby hospital, portrays the greed that people get from a sale. {sidebar id=66}

Over the years of Black Friday, people have been stabbed, trampled, beaten up and shot. Last year, when a man refused to hand over his goods to some robbers, the attackers shot him, and he ended up in the hospital. Serious attacks like this are utterly outrageous, which is why I would rather not be involved in the event that millions of Americans take part in.

But back to being deranged. At 3 a.m., when I should really be sleeping, I wouldn’t trust my overly tired self to buy stuff. Who knows, maybe that piece of clothing I have in my hands looks really cute, or perhaps I’m dozing off and completely out of it, and it’s really a chinchilla vest or a crop top with Justin Bieber’s face on it.

Last year, I was sort of tricked into going (not thinking it was going to be the living nightmare that it was). To start off, I don’t like going to the mall on a regular day, now try multiplying the amount of people there by a hundred, and then make the stores even more disorganized, put out signs that say “SALE” in various colors and fonts (even though the sales aren’t even that great), and then throw in crowds of consumers who haven’t slept in 24 hours. That’s Black Friday for anyone who hasn’t gotten the lovely opportunity to waste away their night to feel like a lazy slob the next day.

Now imagine families strolling through the mall filling their strollers, hands, and whatever else is available with bags of consumer products. And then think about them wasting away their money on things they don’t need.

Thanksgiving, based on acknowledging what we have and take for granted, has become a holiday for shoving loads of food in our faces and spending as much money as we can on items we don’t need.

Last year was my first time leaving my house on Black Friday (and my last). I witnessed the doors of Kohl’s being opened from the car window. Surprisingly, a lot more people shop at Kohl’s than I thought. A swarm of what unfortunately were human beings filed in through the doors and disappeared into the heaven for consumers.

Although spending Black Friday in the mall is draining and nauseating, I don’t completely regret going, because I got the idea of what we as a nation are truly “thankful” for.

If doing the whole Black Friday thing is fun and you don’t have a problem with it, then by all means, continue. And if you’ve never been, as much as I hate it, everyone should have the experience of the terribly sickening “Black Friday.” Just don’t bring your money.

Go with your friends, sit on a bench, watch the people coming in and out of the stores with their new merchandise, maybe take a few pictures of the absorbed shoppers for entertainment and a good laugh, and think about what you are actually thankful for on Thanksgiving.   

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Let naturalized citizens run for president

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Tuesday, 20 November 2012 00:00
Written by Otto Tielemans
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Credit: Claire Stockdill/The Foothill Dragon Press Credit: Claire Stockdill/The Foothill Dragon PressAs November 6 came and went, Americans prepared themselves for the election “that would define our country” as many people have said time and time again.

While mudslinging and the public ridicule of candidates has become an American tradition, one archaic rule still remains in place: people who are not born in the United States of America are still unable to run for the president.

Even those who have gone through the process of obtaining residency and later on achieving citizenship are rejected the opportunity to run for the highest public office because of a law passed by Congress more than 200 years ago to prevent one of America's earliest figure heads, Alexander Hamilton, from obtaining the presidency.

Alexander Hamilton, one of our countries most influential leaders, was Secretary of the Treasury during George Washington’s administration. Bright, ambitious, and persistent, he practically always succeeded in influencing our first Presidents decisions. Yet, through his actions that gave an increasingly large amount of power to the then new federal government, Hamilton made numerous enemies during his lifetime. Enemies that once and for all succeeded in crushing his presidential aspirations with the Naturalization Act of 1790. {sidebar id=66}

Needless to say, Alexander Hamilton never became president. Although the elderly elitist succeeded in making our country follow his financial ideology, he never succeeded in passing domestic laws. Domestic laws which would have undoubtedly changed our nation’s history.

And it is this questioning, this constant hypothesizing of how things could have been different that haunts us even now. Who knows how many masterminds we have turned away? People who could have avoided wars, people who could have averted financial meltdowns, people who could have prevented lethal social uproars.

I don’t have a doubt in my mind that we have neglected allowing talented political geniuses ascend to our most prized public office. At the same time, I am positive that we have prevented less than qualified people from causing our nation harm. However, that is not the point.

As a nation that embraces liberty, justice and equality, it is nothing less than hypocritical for us to deny those who have left their birthplace and made the effort to become Americans the fighting chance to run for a position that will allow them to do much good in our country and, essentially, the world. Sure, we’ll let them become our governors, congressman, senators, and even our Secretary of Commerce, but when it comes down to letting them run for the prized presidency (or even the not-so-respected vice presidency) we draw the line. 

But, why? Are we scared of letting a “foreigner” become Head of State? Or have we simply forgotten about this law from the past? Something tells me that it is more than likely a combination of the two.

It is time to open up this public office to all of those who have made the effort to become part of our great nation. These “foreigners” who have naturalized themselves are humans in every regard we are. They feel, think, and live in much the same way we do. They have the ability and capability to lead our nation into greatness and prosperity, so why deny them the opportunity? Are we so fearful that we are willing to put our prosperity at stake?

As a country based on the principle of freedom, I adamantly believe that we must open the doors to those who have become Americans so that they may have a fighting chance.

For more than 200 years, we have been denying honest, hardworking citizens from being able to make a difference simply because an oppressing law was passed centuries ago to forbid a despised man from becoming our leader. It is time to end this hypocritical nonsense and enter a new stage in our history in which we embrace all people and give everyone a fighting chance. After all, isn’t that the least we can do for our people? Give them the opportunity to make a difference in our world. 

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