Month: January 2014
Christie’s Approval Rating Remains High
59%
Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) approval rate, with just 32% disapproving, a new Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll shows. In addition, 52% say they don’t believe Christie was involved in the plot to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, NJ by creating a traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge, while 34% believe he was involved.
Nearly One-Quarter of Americans Don’t Like the Way Things are Going in the U.S.
23%
Of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. at this time, unchanged from December and within one percentage point of the 24% average for 2013, a new http://www.gallup.com/poll/166823/one-four-americans-satisfied-direction.aspx finds.
Toronto Mayor Goes to Nightclub But Doesn’t Drink
No, I wasn’t drinking, I don’t drink.
— Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, quoted by the Toronto Sun, on his much-publicized visit to a nightclub over the weekend.
International Group Accidently Provides Evidence that Obamacare is the Best Health System
If you want to live a long life, don’t come to America. According to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average lifespan of people in the United States is only 78.7 years, putting us at number 26 among the OECD’s 34 member nations. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the research shows there is hope for Americans in the future.
The Wall St. Journal recently looked at the new OECD study, and counted down the top five countries.
- #5: Spain — Life expectancy of 82.4 years, even with a low gross domestic product of only $33,000 per capita
- #4: Iceland — Life expectancy is also 82.4 years, and Iceland is third lowest in smoking rates and last in diabetes
- #3: Japan — Life expectancy is 82.7 years, thanks to very low rates of heart disease and obesity
- #2: Italy — Life expectancy is also 82.7 years, yet Italians spend only $3,000 per capita on health care
- #1: Switzerland — Life expectancy of 82.8 years, but third highest in spending on health care (you already know who spends the most). Switzerland is the only country on the list that does not provide single-payer, universal access to health care. Instead, it uses a system very like the Affordable Care Act that requires citizens to buy a health plan. Doh!
What is Your State Worst At?
Chart courtesy of Pleated Jeans.
Most N.J. Voters Think Christie Is Lying
54%
Of New Jersey voters think it’s likely “Governor Chris Christie was aware of the Fort Lee traffic lane closures before they happened and should resign if this is proven,” a new Rasmussen Reports poll finds. And “56% of New Jersey voters believe Christie should resign if it is proven that he approved of retaliation against an elected official who refused to support him.”
For the First Time in History More than Half of Congress Members are Millionaires
268
Of the 534 current members of Congress had an average net worth of $1 million or more in 2012. The median net worth for the 530 current lawmakers who were in Congress as of the May filing deadline was $1,008,767 — an increase from last year when it was $966,000, according to OpenSecrets.
TIME’s Politics Prediction Survey Misses the Mark
TIME Magazine has an online survey that purports to be able to assess your politics based on a series of questions that seem to be apolitical (although they aren’t really, if you read them closely). I came out 32% conservative and 68% liberal, which is about as accurate as a Rush Limbaugh commentary.
There is a final question that allows you to self-identify, so you can correct the survey results to some extent.
Take the survey and leave a comment about how accurate you think the survey is.
Oh, and if you’re a dog-lover, beware.
