As Congress takes a break from negotiations due to a lack of compromise, it leads one to ponder about some of the inherent problems in that branch. Congress is not only there to serve the interests of their constituents, but the greater good of the country as well. By itself, that should be enough to motivate a commitment to pass another stimulus package in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Working groups from both houses of the California Legislature last month proposed a $100 billion joint stimulus plan to put the state on a path toward an equitable and resilient economic recovery by raising revenues without raising taxes by authorizing the state Treasurer to generate revenues by issuing vouchers for future taxes.
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Yonas Paulos, who is visually impaired, relies on Fresno’s buses to reach his doctor appointments.
But now, during the pandemic, only 10 riders are allowed on each bus to allow for social distancing. That means Paulos, 49, sometimes has to wait an extra half hour at a bus stop. The wait, he said, can be brutal in the heat.
“It’s very hard to get on a bus at certain intersections,” Paulos said. “I try to target all of my appointments in the morning, so I have a change of life now.”
This spring, as the coronavirus pandemic disrupted campus life for college students across California, UC San Diego sophomore Kayla Monnette had trouble sleeping at night.
The stress of moving to online classes, figuring out how to safely buy food during quarantine, and worrying about the well-being of her immunocompromised family manifested in what Monnette described as persistent anxiety. Not knowing how many students on campus might have contracted coronavirus, she said, added to her fears that she could become infected.
The Alaskans for Better Elections “Yes on 2” campaign says the poor turnout in Alaska’s closed partisan primaries points to the biggest reason the state needs to update the way it does elections: the disenfranchisement of voters who choose not to register Republican or Democrat.
As the state of California grapples with record-breaking heat, wildfire, pandemic, and a $54 billion budget deficit, TPR spoke with California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Jared Blumenfeld to discuss how his agency’s priorities have been impacted by the overlapping crises and continued federal antagonism to climate action.
This is an independent opinion. Want to respond? Write your own commentary! Email hoa@ivn.us.
Most of us have a few political priorities we’re passionate about. The list might include climate change, taxation, immigration reform, the military—there are many possibilities.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.
A sweeping election reform measure has been removed from the November ballot following a North Dakota Supreme Court ruling Tuesday.
Amber McReynolds joins host T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss “at home” voting. Ms. McReynolds is the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, co-author of the book When Women Vote, and an expert on election policy and administration. She is also the former Director of Elections for Denver, Colorado, where she transformed the Elections Division into a national and international award-winning office. In addition, Ms.