@Gov. 2010 Overview

Healthcare:
Steffi: I’m still amazed at how much of an accomplishment passing this bill was. Now I don’t have to worry about how to pay for my health care once I graduate from college. But now, some of the House Republicans are working on a bill to repeal the health care bill. But repealing the bill would just be making our country walk backwards, driving us away from progress. It would add about $230 billion to the federal budget deficits. How in the world is that supposed to improve our economy? A repeal would once again force people into debt for getting sick, since they would be dropped by their insurance companies. I don’t understand why some of the Republicans, let alone anyone would want to repeal a health insurance bill that has now and will continue to make American lives so much easier. They probably don’t want as much government involvement, but have they given thought at all about how it has helped the people? There are ones who once had to live with the fear of getting sick, and then being dropped by their health insurers, and then going bankrupt by paying for their health care with money out of their pockets. What good would this repeal do for anyone?

Audrey:  Congratulations America! We have made history with our recent health care reform, which sounds like a dream come true. It aims to insure 95 percent of Americans, cut down on immense health care costs, and reorganize the medical profession to make it more efficient and beneficial for the individual. So why are so many people, in specific Republicans, in an uproar? It’s called the deficit. It’s easy to see all the wonderful things about the health care bill when you’re living under a roof funded by one’s parents. However, health care has extreme long term effects that will likely influence everyone. Over the next 10 years, health care is going to cost one trillion dollars. Did you hear that? One TRILLION dollars. Though Democrat supporters and fellow health care believers say it will decrease the deficit by 130 billion dollars over the same period, many are skeptical of the accuracy of this prediction. All of this will also result in raised taxes, something struggling families all around the country will have to suffer through. On a different note, many are also concerned that the additional millions of citizens with health care will greatly increase the time between doctors visits and necessary surgeries. But don’t give up all hope. Changes are already being debated, for instance regular check-ups without an extra cost. And I don’t care if your a pleased as punch Democrat or frustrated Republican, no one wants to fight the next flu season helpless.

Tax Cuts:
Steffi: When it came to extending the Bush era tax cuts, a lot of Democrats thought that President Obama should have done more negotiating before reaching the compromise with Republicans to renew the tax cuts for the upper and middle class. But they did compromise, Barack Obama signed off on the renewal of the Bush era tax cuts, in return for a lot of things such as repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, giving benefits to 9/11 first responders, extending unemployment benefits, and most importantly, cutting taxes for the middle class. Pushing the Republicans for a better compromise would have resulted in nothing getting done. From the health care reform, I learned that spending so much time trying to get the Republicans to reason with Democrats is a waste of time since they live in the land of no. The Democrats needed to get this sorted right away, so Obama took action.

Audrey: Here’s a little FYI for all of you guys: We. Are. In. A. Recession. Our economy is struggling to stay afloat. Taxes are going to fall and increase all the time, and no matter what level of the social pyramid you are in, you’re not going to like it when your taxes are increased and your going to be happy when they are dropped. With that said, it must be recognized what these tax cuts are intended to do. They are not meant to pamper the middle and upper classes, even if it’s seen in that light by the less financially sublime. The cuts are meant to stimulate spending and investment, two very important factors in jump-starting and maintaining a strong circulation of money. If a reasonably well off person is left with some extra cash from tax cuts, that person is likely to invest in a project,  buy clothes, or order a package off Amazon. All of these actions create a chain reaction; a business makes money, avoids closing down, grows and orders more hands creating more jobs, etc. If this process occurs successfully, then over time the economy will steadily improve and once again turn prosperous. We can’t just look at short-term effects when a recession is a much more long-term problem. While many find the tax cuts a petty triumph for Republicans, I see it as a helpful push to a broken down car.

Midterm Elections:
Steffi: Because of the midterm elections, we have a new House of Representatives, where the Republicans are the majority, but still in the minority in the Senate. I feel that a lot of these Republicans are conservatives who don’t like change and therefore would live in the land of no. But this is the government we just have to deal with now, and as annoying as I feel it is, President Obama and the Democrats are going to have to work as hard as they can to compromise with the Republicans  if we want to see any form of progress at all in this nation. John Boehner saying on 60 Minutes that he rejected the word compromise made it quite clear that compromising with some of the elephants is not going to be an easy task. I also feel that the candidates wasted too much time and money slamming their opponents in their overly extreme campaign ads. Ads, such as Sharron Angle’s infamous ad slamming Harry Reid, I think were uncivilized and disrespectful. Candidates should have spent more time working on communicating to voters what they believed would make America a better country and what their policies would be. That’s how people become informed.

Video by MicEvHill

Audrey: Midterm elections seem to be the 800-pound gorilla in the room at the moment. Or should I say elephant? More like a stamped of elephants; Republicans having dominated the elections as a whole. Change, change, change. That’s all America has heard since Obama showed up, and naturally many have gotten a little tired of hearing the 6-letter word in every campaign and in every speech. I’m not surprised Republicans won the elections. Perhaps their presence will even out Obama’s constant strives for you-know-what with some old school ideals, making a “checks and balances” government a bit more checked and balanced. However, despite whatever party has the greatest influence in the  House of Representatives, there is one issue everyone wishes to ignore: the deficit. For the moment the United States has focused nearly all it’s energy on jobs and the economy, and the improvements in those areas that will please Americans. Now it’s up to a Republican House of Representatives, a Democratic Senate, and President Obama to make it all happen. It seems political consultant Robert Shrum put it best when he said, “Above all, this will determine whether Obama’s presidency represents a passing moment or a new political era.” Oh, and just as a side note, these were the most expensive midterm elections in history with a roughly 4 billion dollars spent. Who knew elephants were so expensive?