Richard Schwab Writes

What's the best choice for America?

The budget, created by U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, has been endorsed by the Republican Party.

Mitt Romney has embrassed the Ryan plan, calling it "marvelous." The Ryan Romney budget is now the Republican 2012 election platform and economic program.

It's on the table. The Ryan Romney Republican plan would change the role of government in our society.

The plan withdraws the government from assisting those with low incomes and those facing difficult times. The plan is an effort to renegotiate the entire social and economic edifice of America.

The Ryan Romney Republican plan is terrible for everyone except the very wealthy, corporations, and the Department of Defense.

What's in the Ryan Romney Republican plan?

• Medicare is cut by $205 billion. The plan offers subsidies ("premium support") for seniors to buy their own private health insurance.

• Slashes 700 billion from Medicaid (cuts $1.7 trillion over the next decade) and reduces the program by 75% by 2050.

• 17 million people would lose Medicare and CHIP coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act.

• Pell Grants are reduced by more than $1000. for nearly 10 million students.

• Cuts education funding for individuals with disabilities.

• Kicks 60,000 low-income children out of Head Start (200,000 out each year over the next decade.)

• 2 million women, infants, and children would be cut from WIC programs that give them access to healthy food.

• Tax rates are set at 10% and 25%. As a result, those making less than $100,000. pay a higher effective tax rate; those making a million receive a $150,000. tax cut.

• Federal work force cut 10% and a pay freeze through 2015.

• Debilitating cuts for law enforcement, border patrol, scientific and medical research, food safety, environmental protection, federal highways, national parks, weather monitoring, education, and the FAA.

• The Congressional Budget Office concluded the plan doesn't balance the federal budget.

The Ryan Romney Republican plan has been denounced and described as "Social Darwinism."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has decried the plan. In a letter to Ryan, they said don't slash the safety net, particularly if you're doing so to finance tax cuts for the wealthy. "We urge you to draw a circle of protection around resources that serve those in greatest need ... even though they do not have powerful advocates or great influence."

Ryan has charged that aid programs encourage people to sponge off the government. "We don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls people into complacency and dependence."

Here's your choice America:

Guaranteed health care benefits for seniors, or tax breaks for the wealthy?

Food for poor children, or no taxes on offshore multinational corporate profits?

Increases in defense spending, or health care for 48 million Americans?

We have a pretty good idea of what President Obama has in mind. Now it's crystal clear what the other side is up to.

This is why our votes on November 6, 2012 matter so much.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

Richard Schwab Writes

Prosperous Middle Class is Essential

Who shops at small businesses?

Who buys millions of products everyday?

Who keeps our free market economy rolling?

The answer: American middle-class consumers.

In an economy where consumer spending is nearly two-thirds of the nation's GDP, it is the middle-class consumers who are the true job creators. Real job growth stems mainly from the actions of the average American consumer. Ultimately, it is the everyday consumers who create the economic environment for job growth.

An entrepreneur or venture capitalist can start a business based on a great idea, and initially hire dozens or hundreds of people, but if no one can afford to buy the products for sale, the business will fail and all the jobs will evaporate.

Henry Ford paid his auto workers higher than normal wages. Why? Because he wanted them to be able to buy his cars. Henry Ford understood that his assembly line consumers had the power to set in motion a cycle that would allow his company to survive, thrive and hire additional workers.

Our current tax policies are upside down. When Republican lawmakers defend a system in which the lion's share of benefits accrue to the richest, all in the name of protecting the job creators, all that happens is the rich get richer.

Corporate profits are at an all-time high. Where are the jobs? The rich don't magically create jobs. They don't hire additional workers simply because they have more money to spend. They will expand and hire if they know there are consumers out there who can afford to buy their products.

The shrinking middle-class needs a break. Putting purchasing power back in their hands is the surest way to get our consumer-driven economy gaining more momentum.

Since 1980, the share of the nation's income for the wealthiest top 0.1 percent has increased a shocking 400 percent, while the share for the bottom 50 percent of Americans has declined 33 percent.

At the same time effect tax rates on the wealthiest fell to 16.6 percent in 2007- the lowest they've been in decades.

If average American families still received the same share of income they earned in the 1980s, they would have an astounding $13,000 a year more in their pockets. It is worth pausing to consider what our economy would be like today if middle-class consumers had that additional income to spend.

It makes no sense to have a trillion dollars in annual tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans offset by cuts to public jobs and programs that help build and strengthen our middle-class.

Let's protect the actual job creators.

It makes sense to increase taxes on those who make millions so we don't have to gut programs or eliminate jobs that middle-class Americans desperately need.

This isn't about class-warfare or income redistribution. This is about strengthening our middle-class, the true job creators, and the economy.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

Richard Schwab Writes

Student loan interest rates set to double

The White House and Democratic lawmakers seek a student loan fix.

On July 1, 2012 interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans, that almost eight million students use to pay for college, will double. This will cause some borrowers to pay almost $5000. more on their loans over a ten year repayment.

U.S. Representatives Gary Peters (D-Mich) and Joe Courtny (D-Conn) have introduced bill H.R. 3826 to keep Federal Stafford loans at 3.4 percent.

In a written statement to Congress, Peters and Courtny make the case, "When Treasury bonds are being sold at 2 percent and mortgage rates can be had for less than 4 percent, it is outrageous to make college students pay two to three times the going interest rates."

The Obama Administration has taken historic steps to provide Americans with a fair shot at an affordable college education.

President Obama has called on Congress to extend the tuition tax credit and to double the number of work-study jobs over the next five years.

President Obama said, "In America, higher education cannot be a luxury. It's an economic imperative that every family must be able to afford...Making it harder for young people to afford higher education and earn their degrees is nothing more than cutting our own future off at the knees."

At a time when the unemployment rate for Americans with at least a college degree is half the national average, it has never been more important to put higher education within reach for every American.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair John Kline (R-MN) noted, "Congress must either allow interest rates to rise on student loans or stick taxpayers with another multi-billion dollar bill."

What hypocrisy! The House Republicans just passed a "small business" tax cut which adds about $47 billion to the deficit. They're not paying for it. They're not talking about it. They don't mind.

Small businesses are defined as companies with less than 500 employees that earn more than $1 million a year. So it's a tax cut going to sports teams, lobbying firms, law firms, hedge fund managers, and the likes of Donald Trump.

Republicans seem to use the deficit issue as a club against Democrats. When push comes to shove, and the choice is between a tax cut or reducing the deficit, Republicans take the tax cut.

Preventing an unnecessary and damaging increase to student loan interest rates should be an area of bipartisan agreement.

It makes no sense for Congress to short change investing in education. We face an increasingly competitive global economy.

To stay on top, we need the most highly educated workforce in the world.

We need to give our young people every chance to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

Richard Schwab Writes

What's the best choice for America?

 

The budget, created by U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, has been endorsed by the Republican Party.

Mitt Romney has embraced the Ryan plan, calling it "marvelous." The Ryan Romney budget is now the Republican 2012 election platform and economic program.

It's on the table. The Ryan Romney Republican plan would change the role of government in our society.

The plan withdraws the government from assisting those with low incomes and those facing difficult times. The plan is an effort to renegotiate the entire social and economic edifice of America.

The Ryan Romney Republican plan is terrible for everyone except the very wealthy, corporations, and the Department of Defense.

What's in the Ryan Romney Republican plan?

• Medicare is cut by $205 billion. The plan offers subsidies ("premium support") for seniors to buy their own private health insurance.

• Slashes 700 billion from Medicaid (cuts $1.7 trillion over the next decade) and reduces the program by 75% by 2050.

• 17 million people would lose Medicare and CHIP coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act.

• Pell Grants are reduced by more than $1000. for nearly 10 million students.

• Cuts education funding for individuals with disabilities.

• Kicks 60,000 low-income children out of Head Start (200,000 out each year over the next decade.)

• 2 million women, infants, and children would be cut from WIC programs that give them access to healthy food.

• Tax rates are set at 10% and 25%. As a result, those making less than $100,000. pay a higher effective tax rate; those making a million receive a $150,000. tax cut.

• Federal work force cut 10% and a pay freeze through 2015.

• Debilitating cuts for law enforcement, border patrol, scientific and medical research, food safety, environmental protection, federal highways, national parks, weather monitoring, education, and the FAA.

• The Congressional Budget Office concluded the plan doesn't balance the federal budget.

The Ryan Romney Republican plan has been denounced and described as "Social Darwinism."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has decried the plan. In a letter to Ryan, they said don't slash the safety net, particularly if you're doing so to finance tax cuts for the wealthy. "We urge you to draw a circle of protection around resources that serve those in greatest need ... even though they do not have powerful advocates or great influence."

Ryan has charged that aid programs encourage people to sponge off the government. "We don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls people into complacency and dependence."

Here's your choice America:

Guaranteed health care benefits for seniors, or tax breaks for the wealthy?

Food for poor children, or no taxes on offshore multinational corporate profits?

Increases in defense spending, or health care for 48 million Americans?

We have a pretty good idea of what President Obama has in mind. Now it's crystal clear what the other side is up to.

This is why our votes on November 6, 2012 matter so much.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

Richard Schwab Writes

Combating unscrupulous practices

We've all seen their ubiquitous television commercials - the for-profit colleges that market heavily to military families.

What's the problem?

Veterans and military families have complained they have been defrauded and misled by for-profit schools that target their GI education benefits.

Federal student financial aid accounts for up to 90 percent of for-profit college revenues.

Some for-profit schools spend more on recruiting than on instruction. A U.S. Senate study of 15 of the largest publicly traded for-profit educational companies found they spent a combined $3.7 billion annually on marketing and recruiting. The study also revealed for-profit schools on average have lower success rates than traditional nonprofit public and private colleges. Among those who enrolled at 10 of the largest for-profit chains in 2008-2009, 54 percent had quit by 2010.

President Obama spoke to young soldiers at Fort Stewart, GA. Addressing fraudulent marketing and recruiting practices, the President said, "they don't care about you...they care about your cash... They're trying to swindle and hoodwink you."

Pointing out what he called "one of the worst examples," Obama said a for-profit college recruiter enrolled Marines with brain injuries who couldn't even remember what courses they had signed up for. "That's appalling, that's disgraceful."

What's the solution?

President Obama has signed an executive order adding new protections for military service members.

Plans to trademark the term "GI Bill" will help prevent the current deceptive military-themed websites that appear to be government-run or connected to the GI Bill benefit system.

The VA and DoD will be required to improve oversight of improper recruiting practices.

Holly Petraeus (wife of David Petraeus, the four-star general and current CIA Director) is the Assistant Director of the recently created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB.) She has been charged with helping the military and their families make better informed decisions concerning financial products and services. Also, the CFPB will serve as a centralized complaint system for military/veterans.

This year voluntary, next year required, schools will participate in the "Know Before You Owe" program. A system that allows students to calculate the true cost of tuition and fees.

The Student Veterans of America Association has applauded the President's executive order.

Look what can be accomplished when Congressional dysfunction isn't in the way.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

Read This Chart and Richard's Entry Below

Richard Schwab Writes

Here is my article, "Using less, producing more U.S. energy" which appeared in today's 4/11/12 Tri-County Press:

Using less, producing more U.S. energy

A lot of oil produced in the U.S. gets refined into gasoline in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The gasoline then goes into pipelines for distribution.

The U.S. is now producing more gasoline than it needs.

So what's the problem?

The pipelines out of the Southern refineries are too few.

Robert Smith, an analyst at PFC Energy, said, "These pipelines are essentially filled to the brim and yet the East Coast market still doesn't have enough gasoline. So they're forced to import."

The U.S. is exporting a record amount of gasoline.

U.S. oil production is at an eight year high.

Any notion that production has been blocked or slowed doesn't square with the facts.

Oil is bought and sold in a world market. Instability in the Middle East causes oil futures to shoot up and higher prices at the gas pump. We have seen this movie before; it happens every single time.

Some politicians have disingenuously promised $2.50 gasoline - having us believe that if we just drilled more for oil, then gas prices would immediately drop.

The problem is America uses 20% of the world's oil. We have only 2% of the world's known oil reserves.

In addition, a drill for 2% and buy 20% strategy alone, ignores the fact that rapidly growing China and India are buying cars - that means the cost of gas will rise. In 2010, China alone added 10 million cars. That's just in one year.

We can't drill our way out of this problem.

President Obama stated, "We can't have an energy strategy from the last century that traps us in the past."

In the near term, the U.S. will continue to rely on responsible production of oil and gas. But over the long term, the Obama administration is committed to transitioning the U.S. from oil towards cleaner alternatives and energy efficiency.

The Obama administration's energy strategy for the future:

•Develop every source of American made energy.

•Develop as much oil and gas as possible - in a way that protects the health, safety, and natural resources of the American people. (U.S. natural gas production is at the highest level in more than 30 years. The Obama Administration's 2012-2017 Offshore Oil and Gas Development Program will make available more than 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. And, we have joined with Mexico agreeing to make more than 1.5 million acres in Gulf exploration available - an estimated 172 million barrels of oil and 304 billion cubic feet of natural gas.)

•Develop Wind and Solar Power and Biofuels. (Clean energy use has doubled during the Obama administration.)

•Develop more energy efficient homes and buildings.

•Develop more energy efficient vehicles. (Fuel economy standards established by the Obama administration will have cars and trucks averaging 55 miles per gallon - reducing oil consumption by more than 2 million barrels a day.)

Instead of distorting facts, and presenting complete falsehoods for short term political gains, President Obama is offering America a real, sustainable energy future.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

In addition, here is a link to article on line:

http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/C2/20120404/VAV02/304040001/Using-less-producing-more-U-S-energy

Richard Schwab Writes

A rebirth for Athletes and America

My favorite two minutes

on Super Bowl Sunday was Chrysler's "It's Halftime in America" commercial. I will admit I tune into the NFL's Super Bowl as much, if not more, to see what advertisers roll out as how the two teams for the sport's top prize perform.

Eighty-one year old Academy Award-winning actor/director Clint Eastwood narrates the ad. "People are out of work and they're hurting. And they're all wondering what they're gonna do to make a comeback...The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together. Now the Motor City is fighting again." How inspirational. How patriotic. A soaring message of American resilience.

Political consultant Karl Rove and other Republicans heard a different message - a defense of President Obama's bail out of the U.S. auto makers.

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney famously remarked that Detroit and its auto industry should have been allowed to go bankrupt. With the revival of Detroit's car makers, Romney seems almost disappointed.

In fact, by attacking "It's Halftime in America," Republicans risk looking like they want America to lose.

Karl Rove indicated he was "offended" by Eastwood's ad. Rove accused Chrysler of making the ad to pay off a debt it owed to the Obama administration for bailing out car makers. How cynical.

Chrysler denied such an intention. Chrysler's CEO denied the company had any intention of playing politics. An Obama spokesman said the administration had no role in the ad. Clint Eastwood (former Republican Mayor of Carmel, California and well known for being apolitical) released a statement denying any political motives. An Eastwood associate said, "He (Eastwood) hopes the discussion goes back to the original intent of the ad, which was to inspire people to take pride in their country."

America is staging a comeback, just like the U.S. auto industry. "It's Halftime in America" suggests the Detroit comeback will come true for the entire country. Eastwood tells us, "This country can't be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again. And when we do, the world is going to hear the roar of our engines...Yeah, it's halftime, America. And our second half is about to begin."

Unlike many of my "Toyota Republican" acquaintances, I take great pride in owning a 2011 Chrysler Jeep Patriot.

Playing a part in Detroit's rebirth "makes my day."

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)

Richard Schwab Writes

Protecting religion, women's health

Thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (signed into law on March 23, 2010,) most health insurance plans (effective August 1, 2012) will cover women's preventive services without charging a co-pay or deductible. These preventive services include well women visits, domestic violence screening, and contraception. All were recommended to the Secretary of Health and Human Services by the independent Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science.

Initially it was proposed, churches would be exempt from the rule. Though hospitals and universities with religious affiliations would have to comply.

Even though laws in 28 states currently have similar coverage requirements, the dogs of culture war were unleashed.

Political commentator Pat Buchanan barked, "In forcing the Catholic Church to violate its own principle, Obama has committed an act of federal aggression, crossing the line between church and state to appease his ACLU and feminist allies, while humiliating the Catholic bishops."

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) growled that the Obama policy was an "unambiguous attack on religious freedom."

Republican opponents of the President are playing the issue as evidence that Obama wants government to control all aspects of American life, even religious life.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This isn't about the separation of church and state. Health care is the issue. It is a woman's right to have access to health care, including the right to make decisions about reproduction. And, that means including contraception in prescription drug coverage.

When it comes to users of birth control, its nearly every woman in America. Polls show that the vast majority of Catholics use contraception.

U.S Senator John Kerry (D-MA) stated, "What I'm urging is a compromise that respects the substantive goal of making sure that women have access to care... while respecting matters of religious faith."

On 2/10/12 President Obama found the balance when he announced churches remain exempt and employers in church-allied organizations will not be required to offer free contraceptive coverage for workers. Insurance companies rather than religious-affiliated institutions will take the lead in enrolling employees for the birth control benefits and cover the cost.

Contraceptive coverage saves insurance companies money - covering contraception is cheaper than covering pregnancy and child birth.

Sister Carol Keethan, the President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association and Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood issued statements applauding President Obama's balanced policy.

"The Catholic Health Association is very pleased with the White House announcement that a resolution has been reached that protects the religious liberty and conscience rights of Catholic institutions," Keethan said.

Richards indicated, "In the face of a misleading and outrageous assault on women's health, the Obama administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring all women will have access to birth control coverage."

In a nation of 300 million-plus people, there are always going to be big disagreements over issues like contraception and abortion. Contrary to the commonly held belief that such irreconcilable differences cannot be resolved, President Obama has shown us how.

Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school, and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is currently neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com)