Save $100 From The 'Gas Tax Holiday'--drive 979 miles/week?

According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association..." the "gas tax holiday" would cost the Federal highway system nearly $9 billion in lost revenues...Over three hundred thousand jobs would be lost over the course of the next 3-4 years if the "gas tax holiday" were enacted. Also, though this article does not discuss this issue, if gas prices were lowered, demand would increase, and prices would increase, and if the oil companies were taxed more, we would be paying higher prices at the pump anyway.

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Facebook's Influence on the 2008 Election: Polling Millennia

Millennials, the generation of individuals from 18-29, are becoming more influential on politics and more excited about politics, smashing the apathetic and disaffected stereotype that still plagues Generation X. In general this article says that the Millenial Generation supports gay marriage but opposes universal health care, advocating instead for underlying problem of the increasing cost of medical care to be addressed. Religion and spirituality are more important to them than older “liberals.” For the first time in history, “nearly as many raw votes were cast by those 30 and under as by those over 65.” This generation has a great deal of power, but my question is: what happens if Obama, the overwhelming favorite of this generation, loses the primary and/or election? Will we become yet another apathetic group of young people with no appreciation for the rights we have, and disengage from the political process?

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The Countertraffickers: Rescuing the victims of the global sex trade, by William Finnegan, The New Yorker

A well-written and researched article about human trafficking from Moldova. While it discusses the situation directly as it pertains to that nation, there are a variety of themes that run through the different forms of human trafficking that are presented. It is a long, but comprehensive article about human trafficking that would be helpful for someone new to the issue and looking to learn more.

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Myanmar cyclone toll climbs to nearly 22,500

The recent cyclone in Myanmar (Burma) has left a confirmed 22,500 dead, 41,000 missing, and hundreds of thousands homeless. Up to this point, only World Vision Australia has been allowed in to help with the disaster relief. The cost of food and water has risen astronomically, leaving many in a desperate and dangerous situation.

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Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations’

The U.S. has less than 5 percent of the world’s population but almost a quarter of its prisoners.

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The Word-Pick Sicks

Stephen Colbert weighs in on the Oregon lottery system for health care access

Report Bolsters Lack Of Health Care, Premature Death Link

A new report by Families USA indicates that from 2000-2006 more than 1,100 people die in the US because they lacked health insurance. In Connecticut in 2006, more people died because of a lack of insurance (est. 150) than were murdered (108)!

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Zimbabweans Cast Votes in Crucial Election

Zimbabweans began voting on Saturday in the most crucial election since independence from Britain in 1980, with veteran President Robert Mugabe facing the biggest challenge of his 28-year-rule.

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HIV cases could jump in Asia by 2020: UN report

The number of people in Asia infected with HIV could jump by more than 150 percent, or 8 million, by 2020 unless more is done to combat the spread of the virus that causes AIDS, a report presented to the U.N. secretary-general said on Wednesday.

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Iraq, $5,000 per second?

"The Iraq war is now going better than expected. Here's what it amounts to: We've cut our casualty rates to the unacceptable levels that plagued us back in 2005, and we still don't have any exit plan for years to come -- all for a bill that is accumulating at the rate of almost $5,000 every second!...But if you believe that staying in Iraq does more good than harm, you must answer the next question: Is that presence so valuable that it is worth undermining our economy?...If the war backers believe that the Iraq war is so essential, then they should be willing to pay for it partly with taxes rather than charging it."

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Public Tuning Out

Rep. Chris Murphy was a bit surprised to have people less concerned about Iraq and more rconcerned about other matters, such as the economy (and rightly so!), in a town forum this week. Maybe not surprised, but people are not making the link to the cost of the war. Cost estimates range from $1tril by the government to $3tril by a recent study. The cost estimate in lost revenues alone for Hartford, CT, is $200 million.

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At What Cost, This War?

What has the war cost your city? The Hartford, CT, city council has estimated the war to cost their city alone $200 million in lost revenues. In a city whose public high schools have a 35% drop-out rate, and neighborhoods with almost 50% unemployment, the war has cost the residents this city a better life and a better future. Who knows the cost for future generations to this and many cities across the country.

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The Pimps’ Slaves

If the Spitzer affair causes us to lose sight of the broader reality of prostitution, then the biggest loser will be the girls for whom selling sex isn’t a choice but a nightmare.

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A letter to Jeffrey Sachs, re: Common Wealth, his new book

Wolf writes to Jeffrey Sachs (will we read a Sachs reply?) regarding his new book, Common Wealth. Considering all the noise surrounded "The End of Poverty," does this one add anything to the conversation? Wolf highlights some of the areas with which he agrees, but also poses questions on areas he disagrees.

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The faith of George Bush?

The Bush Tradegy, an excerpt from "What Bush Believes" by Jacob Weisberg, on slate.com.

What exactly does Bush believe? Evangelicals have hailed him as a God-fearing man, and point to his daily prayers in the Oval Office. But have Evangelicals been merely puppets to Bush's political interests? An examination of his "faith" would say, "yes, they have."

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Iraqis still ask if U.S. invasion was worth it

Are Iraqis better off now than they were before the U.S. intervened? It depends on who you are, where you live, what tribe you belong to. Either way, it is a difficult question to answer definitively.

"The human cost is staggering -- anywhere between 90,000 and 1 million Iraqi civilians killed, according to various estimates; nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers dead; while 4 million Iraqis are displaced."

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The Fallout of Subprime Loans-NY Times

An analysis of subprime loans shows they are more prevalent in urban areas where more than 50 percent of the population consists of members of minority groups. This is a must read if all you've been hearing about sub-prime loans as problems with speculators. This is a real story of the deception of lenders and their victims.

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From the New Deal, a Way Out of a Mess

There are varied reports of how many subprime loans and possible foreclosures are speculators vs. people who live in the homes. While people look to the market to 'care' for families who live in these homes, to protect them from losing their homes, this article gives a real solution. Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC), established in 1933, was a New Deal program to help families who were at risk of losing their homes during and after the Great Depression. Surprisingly, all the loans were eventually paid back and the office was closed in 1951, after the last loan was pai off. It is a potentially realistic program that could help the families that may become homeless as a result of the current situation.

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How Would Jesus Vote?

Evangelical? Democrat? Politicians come out of the closet. And I, for one, appreciate it!

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Gaza humanitarian crisis worst in 40 years: report-Reuters

By Tim Large LONDON (Reuters) - Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has created the worst humanitarian crisis since the Israeli occupation began in 1967, aid and rights groups said on Thursday. Food shortages, crumbling health services and a water...

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Should customs search travelers' laptops?

Yet another step toward becoming a "Big Brother" state and negating the Constitution and our freedom.

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Evangelicals a Liberal Can Love

Bleeding-heart liberals could accomplish far more if they reached out to build common cause with bleeding-heart conservatives.

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Election 2008: Add Women, Change Everything?

Women are currently underrepresented in politics in all areas, but have demonstrated an ability to work with others from diverse viewpoints and backgrounds to come to a unified solution. They tend to include diverse viewpoints in decision making, have a broader conception of public policy, and offer new solutions for problems that men may be unaware of.

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Obama Offers Presidential Leadership Among the Ruins

Why we are ready for the audacity of hope! Who better to clean up after Bush than someone who actually respects the Constitution and does not disdain the checks and balances our country was founded upon, and is willing to work "across the aisle," rather than the "my-way-or-the-highway" approach of Bush.

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"Unlikely Allies"-Corporate Social Responsibility

Could gigantic profit-making corporations actually be convinced to change their practices? Why yes, they can! There's a growing movement of concerned shareholders and citizens challenged big businesses to change their practices on many fronts, one being environmental issues. Check it out...

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Ban wants U.N. sanctions for using child soldiers

A UN effort to reduce the use of child soldiers within a number of African countries!

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Michael Pollan: A Thoughtful, Simple Menu

Pollan, author of "In Defense of Food-An Eater's Manifesto," describes his philosophy of eating. His ideas are thought provoking, espeically this mantra: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." He loves food and thinks we all should, too. But he challenges us to enjoy what we eat and eat well.

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Mark Winne: The Long Road To End Hunger

Mark Winne, founder of Hartford Food System (www.hartfordfood.org), gives a peek at his new book (Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty). His group seeks to influence policy and programs to end hunger, to ask, "why are people going hungry in this nation?" and to answer with practical solutions to end hunger.

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Portrait of Exploitation: The Real Face of Prostitution by Laura Coltier

This article (click on the title link), published in PRISM magazine portrays the disturbing realities of prostitution in the United States. While there certainly are women who choose to be prostitutes and choose to remain prostitutes, this article suggests that many women do not choose to be or remain prostitutes, and that it literally destroys them. This article is not for the faint of heart, but will potentially challenge some of your assumptions of prostitution in the US.

You may not read an article like this becuase you think either there is nothing for you to do or it's too disturbing, and you already know of enough terrible things in the world. If you are a Christian and believe prayer is important, then you will be able to pray with more knowledge of this situation. You could respond by writing to your representative or senator and let them know this concerns you. You could donate to one of the many organizations that is working to end human trafficking. You could talk about this issue with others and raise awareness so others will act as well. You could organize an event to raise awareness. If you have any other ideas, please post them here so others can be encouraged and inspired to act in whatever way they're able.

Peace.