Author Archives: cykman
The Republican Pledge: A Plan To Create Jobs?
The Republican Party this week issued its Pledge To America. The sub-title suggests that it is somehow a new governing agenda built on the priorities, principles, and values of our nation. It is neither new, nor founded on anything like … Continue reading
The Difficult Problem of the Unemployed
Unemployment in the US stood at 9.6 percent last month. That was considerably higher than expected when the fledgling Obama administration economic team projected in January 2009 that unemployment would go no higher than 8 percent. The number of underemployed … Continue reading
Turning Out The Democratic Base
President Obama is ramping up into full campaign mode and betting he can increase the turnout of Democratic voters in November. He needs to energize some of the base of support he enjoyed in his 2008 election if Democrats are … Continue reading
Honoring the American Worker
Summer’s end is traditionally marked by the arrival of Labor Day. This year, those of us who work for a living in the United States of America are increasingly uneasy about the direction of our country. For good reason. Over … Continue reading
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.
When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, I was a twelve year old child, living just north of Harlem in New York City. The neighborhood we lived in was about half African-American, and a little less … Continue reading
On Extending the Bush Tax Cuts
The politics of tax cuts is not as daunting as it may seem for the Obama administration. Tea party activists, along with conservative Republicans, are doubling down for the mid-term Congressional elections on the issues of federal spending and taxes. … Continue reading
Do We Believe in Religious Freedom or Not?
It’s not clear how much of a chance President Obama took politically in asserting that “Muslims have the right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country.” He made this statement at a White House dinner celebrating the … Continue reading
The Lack of Civility
For my family, a week at the beach has become the vacation of choice. As our family vacation comes to a close this week in Myrtle Beach, SC, I have been wondering what it is that makes our time at … Continue reading
Steering to the Tax Cut Center
Well here we are looking at the prospects of a 1994 replay wherein the Democrats lose one or even both houses of Congress. Could it happen? Maybe. Smart money says the House of Representatives is more vulnerable than the Senate … Continue reading
HealthCare.gov Goes Live
With the launch of the HealthCare.Gov website, the White House rolled out, in record time, the platform that will likely power the new health insurance exchanges promised in 2014. In the interim, HealthCare.Gov will provide Americans with important new health … Continue reading