May 1, 2016: Transparency is Worthless if Government Won’t Reform
1. “Written testimony of ICE Director Sarah Saldaña for a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing titled “Criminal Aliens Released by the Department of Homeland Security.” Homeland Security. April 28, 2016. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/04/28/written-testimony-ice-director-house-committee-oversight-and-government-reform, retrieved April 30, 2016.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. “White House Launches Government Accountability and Transparency Board to Cut Waste and Boost Accountability.” WhiteHouse.gov. July 28, 2011. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/28/white-house-launches-government-accountability-and-transparency-board-cu, retrieved April 29, 2016.
5. Ibid.
6. High-Error Programs.” PaymentAccuracy.gov. https://paymentaccuracy.gov/high-priority-programs, retrieved April 29, 2016.
7. “President Obama to Sign Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act.” Whitehouse.gov July 22, 2010. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-sign-improper-payments-elimination-and-recovery-act, retrieved May 1, 2016.
8. “President Obama Signs Bill to Give the VA the Resources It Needs.” Whitehouse.gov. August 7, 2014. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/08/07/president-obama-signs-bill-give-va-resources-it-needs, retrieved May 1, 2016.
9. “VA Health Care. Actions Needed to Improve Access to Primary Care for Newly Enrolled Veterans.” Statement of Debra A. Draper, Director, Health Care. United States Government Accountability Office. April 19, 2016. p. 4.
10. Ibid., p. 9.
Photo: Souza, Pete. “President Obama Signs Bill to Give the VA the Resources It Needs.” Whitehouse.gov. August 7, 2014. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/08/07/president-obama-signs-bill-give-va-resources-it-needs, retrieved May 1, 2016.
May 6, 2016: Republican Traditional Values Must Change or Vanish
1. “Weekly Republican Address: Our Next Steps to Protect & Defend Life.” Speaker.gov. September 25, 2015. http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/weekly-republican-address-our-next-steps-protect-defend-life, retrieved May 4, 2016.
2. “Ryan: “We Are in a Generational Defining Moment.” Speaker.gov November 3, 2015. http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/ryan-we-are-generational-defining-moment, retrieved May 4, 2016.
3. “10 Questions: Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-6).” House Republicans. July 17, 2015. http://www.gop.gov/10-questions-rep-gary-palmer-al-6/, retrieved May 6, 2016.
4. “Social & Traditional Values.” Lamborn.house.gov. http://lamborn.house.gov/issues/issue/?IssueID=15037, retrieved May 5, 2016.
5. “#ConfidentAmerica.” Speaker.gov. http://www.speaker.gov/confidentamerica, retrieved May 4, 2016.
Photo: “13th Amendment Celebration.” House.gov. http://www.house.gov/content/features/20151211/#, retrieved May 7, 2016.
May 9, 2016: Retire With No Money? Work for Government
1. “FFF: Older Americans Month: May 2015.” Census.gov. May 08, 2015. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2015/cb15-ff09.html, retrieved May 8, 2016.
2. Ibid.
3. “RETIREMENT SECURITY. Low Defined Contribution Savings May Pose Challenges.” United States Government Accountability Office. Highlights: What GAO Found. May 5, 2016. http://gao.gov/products/GAO-16-408, retrieved May 8, 2016.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. “Monthly Statistical Snapshot, March 2016.” Social Security (released April 2016). https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/#table2, retrieved May 8, 2016.
7. “RETIREMENT SECURITY. Most Households Approaching Retirement Have Low Savings.” United States Government Accountability Office. Highlights: What GAO Found. May 2015. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-419, retrieved May 8, 2016.
8. Ibid.
9. “2014 Survey of Public Pensions: State & Local Data. Annual Survey of Public Pensions: State- and Locally- Administered Defined Benefit Data Summary Report: 2014.” United States Census Bureau. July 2015. p. 3. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/econ/g14-aspp-sl.pdf, retrieved May 8, 2016.
10. “Average Government Pensions in Illinois.” Illinois Policy. September 18, 2013. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/policy-points/average-government-pensions-in-illinois/, retrieved May 8, 2016.
11. “Ashford Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to End Congressional Pensions.” Brad Ashford. October 2, 2015. https://ashford.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ashford-cosponsors-bipartisan-legislation-end-congressional-pensions, retrieved May 8, 2015.
May 14, 2016: A Queen is Better Than a Bad President
1. “Seize the Moment.” Speaker.gov. May 11, 2016. http://www.speaker.gov/video/seize-moment, retrieved May 12, 2016.
2. “Remarks by President Obama and Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom in Dinner Toasts.” WhiteHouse.gov. May 24, 2011. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/24/remarks-president-obama-and-her-majesty-queen-united-kingdom-dinner-toas, retrieved May 12, 2016.
White House photo by Eric Draper. The White House. https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/05/images/20070507-13_d-1009-515h.html, retrieved May 12, 2016.
May 20, 2016: New Obama Orders Have Something Terrible in Common
1. Archuleta, Katherine. “Celebrating Every Member of Our Federal Family.” Whitehouse.gov. June 3, 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/06/03/celebrating-every-member-our-federal-family, retrieved May 16, 2016.
2. Lhamon, Catherine and Gupta, Vanita. “Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students.” U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. Department of Education. May 13, 2016. p. 2.
3. Ibid.
4. Gupta, Vania. “Helping Schools Ensure the Civil Rights of Transgender Students.” The United States Department of Justice.Justice.gov. May 13, 2016. https://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/helping-schools-ensure-civil-rights-transgender-students, retrieved May 18, 2016.
5. Post, Lindsay. “Meet Nick: One in 5 Million Americans Who Could By Helped by the Overtime Rule.” Whitehouse.gov. July 2, 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/07/02/meet-nick-one-5-million-americans-who-could-be-helped-overtime-rule, retrieved May 15, 2016.
6. “Taking Action to Expand Overtime Protections.” Whitehouse.gov. May 17, 2016. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/05/17/email-president-obama-ive-got-news-you-overtime, retrieved May 18, 2016.
7. Post, Lindsay. “Meet Nick: One in 5 Million Americans Who Could By Helped by the Overtime Rule.” Op. cit.
Photo: Lange, Dorothea. “Depression: Unemployed; destitute man leaning against vacant store.” Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs, 1882 – 1962. https://research.archives.gov/id/195825, retrieved May 19, 2016.
May 25, 2016: Black Vote: Hope Does More Harm Than Good
1. File, Thom and Crissey, Sarah. “Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008.” U.S. Department of Commerce. U.S. Census Bureau. July 2012. pp. 2-3.
2. File, Thom. “The Diversifying Electorate – Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections).” United States Census Bureau. May 2013. p. 2.
3. “Blacks Upbeat about Black Progress, Prospects. A Year After Obama’s Election.” Pew Research Center. January 12, 2010. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/01/12/blacks-upbeat-about-black-progress-prospects/, retrieved May 24, 2016.
4. “Remarks by CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield At Press Conference Unveiling New GAO Report on Modern-Day Segregation in Public Schools.” America’s Congressional Black Caucus. May 17, 2016. https://cbc-butterfield.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/remarks-by-cbc-chairman-g-k-butterfield-at-press-conference-unveiling, retrieved May 24, 2016.
5. “Trends in the Joblessness and Incarceration of Young Men.” Congressional Budget Office. May 2016. p. 13.
6. Ibid., p. 1.
7. Ibid., p. 8.
8. Ibid., p. 4.
9. “Remarks By U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush On the State of African American Men Conference.” rush.house.gov. June 4, 2004. http://rush.house.gov/press-release/remarks-us-rep-bobby-l-rush-state-african-american-men-conference, retrieved May 24, 2016.
10. “Remarks by CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield At Press Conference Unveiling New GAO Report on Modern-Day Segregation in Public Schools.” Op. cit.
11. “Allowing black America to vote made the country better.” ShareAmerica.gov. February 24, 2016. https://share.america.gov/allowing-blacks-to-vote-made-this-country-better/, retrieved May 24, 2016.
12. Ibid.
Photo: “FCI Victorville Medium II.” Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved from https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/vvm/ on May 26, 2016.
May 29, 2016: Minimum Wage of $15 Isn’t Worth Dying For
1. Nickeas, Peter, Wong, Grace, and Williams-Harris, Deanese. “Memorial Day weekend shootings leave 4 dead, at least 48 wounded.” Chicago Tribune. May 30, 2016. 5:00 AM. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-shootings-memorial-day-20160529-story.html, retrieved May 30, 2016.
2. “Remarks by President Obama to U.S. and Japanese Forces.” The White House. May 27, 2016. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/05/27/remarks-president-obama-us-and-japanese-forces, retrieved May 29, 2016.
