The Debt Limit was created to curb the amount of government spending that is allowed within a certain time frame. The government is only allowed to borrow and spend an amount that has to be approved by the president and our congress. Our forefathers created this system to provide safeguards for unlimited spending. Our current debt limit has been raised consistently over the last 12 years, and there has been no curbing of debt, only an increased limit on how much our government can spend. Unless our debt starts being paid off, our children and our children's children will be dealing with a financial atrocity that won't be able to be paid off.
Some links that have helped me understand more our governments finances have been these.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIbkoop4AYE&noredirect=1
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/02/blank-check-what-it-means-to-suspend-the-debt-limit
Debt limit. (2014) U.S. Department of the Treasury. Retrieved from http://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/pages/debtlimit.aspx
Monday, March 31, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Week 3
Good governance needs to be implemented on the federal, state, and local level in any governing system. Federal and state governing is not able to be as personal as local governing, but all three have their strengths and weaknesses. When I think about the strength of good governance, my first thought is local governments. Counties are very dependant on their local governments in regards to their relationship with the police, relationship with their voted in candidate, and general community atmosphere. Council meetings, or town hall meetings can exist in the community that point the area towards a certain direction, and they can perform essentially like a larger scale homeowners association for the community.
Taxes and efficient use of funds are all important factors in any type of good governance, and it was very interesting to have a distinction made between good governance and just governance. I think that out of all eight concepts listed in the reading that the most lacking in federal and local governments are their lack accountability and transparency. Open budgets, accountability from people that will help encourage anyone needing advice or help in a situation seem to not really be present in our federal government, but more present in our local government. This was a good article to read about this topic, but I think that the whole article can be summed up in a this paragraph in the article.
"Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the
UN ESCAP. (2009, July 10). What is Good Governance? Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.unescap.org/resources/what-good-governance
Taxes and efficient use of funds are all important factors in any type of good governance, and it was very interesting to have a distinction made between good governance and just governance. I think that out of all eight concepts listed in the reading that the most lacking in federal and local governments are their lack accountability and transparency. Open budgets, accountability from people that will help encourage anyone needing advice or help in a situation seem to not really be present in our federal government, but more present in our local government. This was a good article to read about this topic, but I think that the whole article can be summed up in a this paragraph in the article.
"Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal. The concept of efficiency in the context of good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of the
environment. "
I think that if all federal and local governments governed themselves by this paragraph they would be able to keep everything where they should be.
I think that if all federal and local governments governed themselves by this paragraph they would be able to keep everything where they should be.
UN ESCAP. (2009, July 10). What is Good Governance? Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.unescap.org/resources/what-good-governance
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Week 2 Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16R_wbQHBm0&noredirect=1
The video I watched is of the Governors Press Conference of Alabama in 2011. This video is about the joining of Alabama with our relationships with FEMA after the tornadoes in Northern Alabama. After the tornadoes there were fatalities and a difficult recovery process for Alabama because Northern Alabama had not ever dealt with this type of disaster in a long time.
Highlights:
-The main primary was debris removal and the governor specifically targeted the cleaning of the Lakes in Northern Alabama. The Governors talked about his communication with FEMA in regards to cleaning out the debris.
-Communication between the Sheriff offices all around the state. If any people had received letters from FEMA that have denied their request the governor wanted a second letter delivered to them the reason why they were denied. The letters need to be sensitive to those in the state and the wording on them needed to be changed to more sensitive wording. Many people had received insensitive letters, and it was depressing.
-The amount of people that registered for individual assistance, and how their needs were being meant by local and federal governments (In Alabama, 42 counties declared for assistance).
The video I watched is of the Governors Press Conference of Alabama in 2011. This video is about the joining of Alabama with our relationships with FEMA after the tornadoes in Northern Alabama. After the tornadoes there were fatalities and a difficult recovery process for Alabama because Northern Alabama had not ever dealt with this type of disaster in a long time.
Highlights:
-The main primary was debris removal and the governor specifically targeted the cleaning of the Lakes in Northern Alabama. The Governors talked about his communication with FEMA in regards to cleaning out the debris.
-Communication between the Sheriff offices all around the state. If any people had received letters from FEMA that have denied their request the governor wanted a second letter delivered to them the reason why they were denied. The letters need to be sensitive to those in the state and the wording on them needed to be changed to more sensitive wording. Many people had received insensitive letters, and it was depressing.
-The amount of people that registered for individual assistance, and how their needs were being meant by local and federal governments (In Alabama, 42 counties declared for assistance).
Monday, March 3, 2014
Week 1 Assignment
Our reading on the development of rural area in South Carolina was really interesting to read. I think that the methods that are suggested for use in this reading are applicable to any other rural area in the United States. I think that areas that are struggling for unemployment should definitely think about what ways that can develop their area in order to bring more jobs in for men and women in the counties. Bottom up strategies are really nice when talking about community involvement. Law enforcement agencies usually use a top down approach, and it is interesting to see how each group flourishes under different types of leadership strategies. I think that addressing the lack of child care, teen pregnancy rates, poor education and unemployment are key problems with underdeveloped areas that need additional income. I also think that factories or large companies can come into these areas and provide jobs and insurance for many residents that wouldn't have that opportunity otherwise. It was a good article, well written, and very explanatory. I enjoyed reading it.
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