What You Need To Know About The Economy This Election

     We're revving up to another election period and the country is on the verge of what I consider a major economic disaster. Two days ago I listened to Secretary of State John Kerry's speech on foreign policy. His hope is to open our doors for more Syrian refugees letting them know that they are welcome in our country. Over all I think it's a great concept. I am very liberal and as a student of anthropology I would like to eliminate the hard times for others; however, now is not the time for America to open it's door due to the poor state of our economy.
     Six years after graduating from a state university and I am still hunting for a job to pay me a living wage. My parents are creeping up on 70 and my brother and I are still forced to live at home. Why? Because I am trying to convince companies to pay me the same wage they would pay someone 20 years my senior. This is due to the fact that there are more jobs in demand than are being supplied. Companies are willing to pay workers higher wages when there is less of a supply in the market. Most workers in our country are either unemployed or underemployed.
     In Obama's last state of the union address he spoke of his acheivements. One he proudly totes is that unemployment is down to 5%. As Bernie Sanders pointed out that does not include those Americans who have given up on finding a job. One of the biggest problems in fixing the economy under Obama's reign was the failure of his economic stimulus package and before you start telling me of it's successes hear me out.
     The economic stimulus package was divided into three parts. The first part of the funding went to tax cuts, the second extended unemployment benefits, and the third job creation. The tax cut was supposed to increase consumer spending across the country, but without receiving a check the way that the people have under other administration's; most people did not realize they were getting less tax withholding and so the result was they did not spend.
     Extended unemployment was a great way to use the money. I have no problem with that part of the bill. The third portion, job growth, was focused on creating jobs to stimulate the economy. I believe this was ultimately a failure, because most of the jobs created would not pay a living wage. It was a short sighted plan to boost the economy, because it focused only on re-circulating the money currently in our economy. What we need is a package designed to help bring money into the country to boost our economy long term. If we had put that into motion along with extended unemployment benefits we might be better off today. More money in the economy might create jobs slower, but it will help to create higher paying jobs as well as increase tax revenue. If we are taxed at a particular rate the more money each individual makes the more money we have to feed into government programs.
     In my eyes if we had looked to more long term solutions we could be in an economic boom instead of slowly crawling out of a recession. I support Bernie Sanders because he desires real change. He understands that we cannot over burden an already struggling country. He plans to tax the wealthy at a higher rate in order to provide more income into government programs and hopes to end or greatly decrease outsourcing. We are a consumer culture in America, which is why we are in a state of decline. We need to find ways to bring new money into the country. How do you suggest we fix these problems in 2016?

Bernie Sanders 2016

     This is my first political post so bear with me. I grew up with the American dream. Go to college, work hard, be loyal and you will be rewarded with enough money to have a house, two kids, a dog, and a white picket fence by 28.
     Well, I'm 28 and realizing that the American dream has been a dead for many years. I received a degree in Anthropology and came out of college at the moment the economy tanked. I now work the mall making barely enough to pay my bills and still live home with my parents. My co-workers know I'm engaged and asked me today about having kids. I responded, "who can afford them?"
    This is the reality for millennials. The way the current presidential campaign is shaping up I am frightened for the future. Bernie Sanders is the only person I believe can come in and make the changes we need to make the American dream a reality again. As he said last night he is for tuition free higher education, free healthcare, and breaking the big banks.
     Most people hear the words breaking the big banks and they think he wants to get rid of the banking system. No, that is not the case. One of the biggest problems with our current banking system is that most of our assets are tied up in four major institutions. If one of our banks were to fail what would the effect be on our economy? If chase fails would that federal protection be able to protect everyone's money? What about your loans, credit, and other assets? If one bank crumbled how deeply could it hurt our economy as a whole? Our banks are too big to fail which is why we bailed them out.
     What Bernie is looking to do is create a number of smaller banking systems. Imagine a world of credit unions across the country instead of the corporate banks. I believe, and most financial advisors would agree, most people should move away from the big banks and towards a smaller local branch. They have higher interest rates on savings accounts, lower interest rates on loans, lower fees, and more personalised service.
     I believe Bernie Sanders will stay true to his word about bringing jobs back to America and restoring the middle class. He has always stood by his convictions unlike most career politicians, like Hilary. She has swayed with the wind on more than one issue over the last ten years. With the help of millennials we can make this world a reality. Whoever goes into this election needs the youth vote to win. If you need more incentive, he's also looking to decriminalize marijuana.
     Walking into the unknown is scary. Bernie is certainly the unknown party. We know and have lived all our lives in the damaged economy that was built by republicans and democrats over the last ten years. Now, there is a candidate nearing the front lines who calling for all the radical changes we desire. Get out and vote. I expect great things this coming year.

Top Alcohol for a Great Night In

 The Japanese say that eating together makes the food taste better. Along with great friends, food and fun, there is no meal that doesn't taste better with an excellent alcohol accompanying it. You don't need to buy expensive alcohol either. Some of the best tasting wines, whiskeys, and vodkas I've had have been very inexpensive. Today I'm going to list my top few to add to your table.

1) Black Box Merlot- This wine is dry just as I like it. It has a rich fruity taste, but is not sweet. I think that a good red pair with everything, but if you are particular about wine and food pairings this one works very well with a steak. I highly recommend cooking with it, perhaps you can even use it in the food.

2) Fireball Whiskey- This is a favorite of my fiance. I personally don't like the hot cinnamon flavor, but it is easy going down. It is a great sipping whiskey. If you were a fan of fireball candies in your youth this will be a great choice for you. I believe it can also be a great addition to add a little spice to chocolate desserts.

3) Woodbridge Mondavi Chardonnay- A rich oak can be tasted in this wonderfully dry chardonnay. I use this is my one of my new favorite recipes that mimics Chicken New Orleans. You can find the recipe here. Although I believe it can be used as a base white wine for almost any recipe it is excellent to simply drink and relax into.

These are my top three choices, but there are many more out there that I wish to try. Gallo is a cheap wine, but it's White Zin will do in a pinch. I would suggest spending the extra two dollars to get a bottle of White Zin from Beringer. Tell me about your favorite wines in the comments and don't forget to type in your email to follow my blog for more interesting things.