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How Did They Vote On The Government Shutdown?

The vote to reopen the government and pass a temporary budget deal has shaped up to be possibly the most divisive vote of 2013. H.R. 2775, also called the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2014 funds the government until January 15, 2014, and was passed October 17. The Senate voted 81 to 18 to fund the government and avert a potential default, whereas the House voted 285 to 144.

Hundreds of Open Carry Activists March on Alamo with Rifles in Hand

On Saturday, approximately 1,500 gun rights activists gathered at one of Texas' most sacred historical sites, the Alamo, in San Antonio to protest a city ordinance that bans open carry of firearms. According to the local news site, San Antonio Express-News, about a third of the protesters carried rifles, shotguns, and antique pistols as an open display of civil disobedience.

From San Antonio Express-News:

Study: Some Corporations Actually Increasing Profits After Taxes

With our national debt at $17 trillion and growing and another crisis looming in January 2014, Congress and the White House must come together and find a way to either decrease expenses or increase revenue to manage our federal debt.

It is truly a matter of survival as a nation for us to resolve this dilemma.

There are veritable plethora of ways to accomplish the ultimate goal, yet the concept remains the same. It's not a complicated concept: spending more than you generate has some rather serious consequences.

Amash to Face Primary Challenge for Shutdown Vote?

Following the resolution of the 16-day government shutdown, U.S. Representative Justin Amash, a libertarian Republican representing Michigan's third district, has

acquired a primary challenger.

Number of Non-Affiliated Voters in Oregon Reaches Half a Million

Republicans and Democrats continue to shrink and the IPO has unusual fallback.

Monthly Trends: The month of September showed continued losses in membership for the Republican and Democratic Parties. The IPO lost membership at the same rate as the major parties as well.

To Get Our Financial House In Order

Out of Washington, we tend to hear the same old stories. Republicans want to cut spending and not raise taxes. Democrats want to tax the rich and not let Republicans touch the entitlement programs. Tea Party Republicans just want to defund the Affordable Care Act. In a divided government, it has managed to get us into one stalemate after another. This last time, it finally shut down the government and nearly brought us to the brink of defaulting on our debt.

Cross-Party Voting Almost Nonexistent in Hyper-Partisan Congress

Amid the shutdown-inspired talk of polarization and dysfunction in Congress, it is encouraging to see examples of real bipartisan cooperation.

How Does Approval Voting Work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6Syys2fmE&feature=youtu.be

Oregon Proposal Advocates Nonpartisan Primary System, With a Twist

The American electoral system is highly dysfunctional. One of its most basic problems is that districts and states often have lopsided partisan preferences, meaning that general elections between the nominees of the two major parties are overwhelmingly formalities. Consequently, representatives may be effectively chosen in low-turnout partisan primaries that are paid for by all taxpayers, but are often limited to only a portion of the electorate.

Congress and the Feds Can Learn a Lot from California's Debt Management

Sacramento News & Review, October 17 – A growing body of 21st-century philsophical thought recognizes that the 98 episodes of Gilligan’s Island ask and answer all the Big Questions.

So, amid this recent flurry of mouth-frothing and hand-wringing over debt, it should be no surprise The Skipper and Mary Ann slice straight to the bottom line.