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Major newspapers are in the throes of Mobility Mania: who "makes it" in America, and why; who doesn't, and why not. The Wall Street Journal began a series last week titled "Challenges to the American Dream." The New York Times followed suit with a multiparter on "Class in America," which aims to disparage the notion that the U.S. is a land of opportunity by claiming that "new research on mobility, the movement of families up and down the economic ladder, shows there is far less of it than economists once thought and less than most people believe."... [I]ncome distribution is...

This Reason article is printed from: http://www.reason.com/links/links051605.shtmlClick on the back button on your browser to return to previous page May 16, 2005 Embarassment of Riches The Times declares class warfare Ronald Bailey Class anxiety must still exist in some quarters of America. At least, somebody out there is still buying copies of popular recent excursions through America's class structure, such as Class: A Guide Through the American Status System by leftish literary critic Paul Fussell and Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There by conservative columnist David Brooks. Now The New York Times has decided...

Three major newspapers attack traditional economic views and show support for the welfare state. by Dan Gainor Readers of three of the most popular newspapers in the U.S. have been deluged with one-sided versions of life in these United States. In four days, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and New York Times all had large articles detailing the disparities between rich and poor. In more than 16,000 words, the three papers painted a picture of what the Post called an “unraveling safety net” that threatens the “New Deal vision of cradle-to-grave security.” What the Post didn’t mention was that...

Good news is bad news for those who need bad news.According to data released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau, college-educated black men earn less than their white counterparts, providing evidence of America's continued discrimination against blacks. College-educated black women, however, earn more than their white counterparts, providing further evidence of America's continued discrimination against blacks. If there seems to be a conflict in logic between these two conclusions, then that's probably because you are a racist. Or perhaps you just lack the razor-sharp deductive reasoning of the folks at the Associated Press, who implied such conclusions in a...

In an earlier era, Americans who didn’t strike it rich at home could take Horace Greeley’s advice to “Go West” for new opportunities to reinvent their lives. World War II gave way to another kind of mobility. The GI Bill and an end to legal segregation ushered in “a period when people from poor backgrounds were able to get a college education, buy a home and start a business,” said New York University wealth expert Edward Wolff. These days, various new studies suggest that the recipe for financial success may depend more on having successful parents than pulling yourself up...

Before the gun safety training class that a Minneapolis gun shop owner is planning for Minneapolis kids, all ammunition will be "secured." Everyone agrees that's a good idea. After that, though, questions arise about a plan by Mark Koscielski and his friend Joel Rosenberg to offer a free gun-safety program Friday evening at Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, 2926 Chicago Av. S. The program is for children, 6 years old and up. Pizza and cookies will be served at the class, which is to "take the mystery -- and mystique -- out of guns." Koscielski, who seems to thrive on agitating...

For Immediate Release > February 18, 2005 > Contact: Joseph Agostini > (850) 222-7920 > > BILL NELSON = JUST ANOTHER > OUT-OF-THE-MAINSTREAM LIBERAL > > *Democrat Florida Senator Joins Liberal Senate Colleagues > Clinton, Kennedy, Kerry, Boxer in opposing Tort Reform* > > TALLAHASSEE, FL - Republican Party of Florida Chairman Carole Jean > Jordan issued the following statement regarding Florida Senator Bill > Nelson's vote against tort reform: > > "Today, President Bush signed the landmark Class-Action Fairness Act of > 2005 into law and by this act, took a critical step towards ending the > lawsuit culture...

I sat outside of my classroom Tuesday waiting for it to open. I was there early, and the class currently occupying the room would not be out for another 30 plus minutes. So I sat and worked on my crossword puzzle and talked to a few of my fellow classmates who had also arrived early. A few girls were also waiting. We were not the only ones waiting. There were other students waiting for their classrooms to open. They were sitting outside of their own classrooms. I noticed two guys waiting for their classroom to open. They began to get...

The Governor's state-of-the-state address caused quite a stir. Most Republicans were happy, most Democrats were angry, and the media -- whose impossible job for four years was to make Gray Davis look interesting -- loved it. From their perspective, Arnold has issued a declaration of war and, if nothing else, war is interesting. For California taxpayers, the substance of Schwarzenegger's speech was "A-plus" material. Sure, the reiteration of his "no tax" pledge was the centerpiece, but this time we saw something new. The entire theme of his address was that now is the time to stop ignoring the structural problems...

Campaigning tirelessly, Laura Bush helped to reinstall her husband in the White House -- "She's the reason I won," the president said. But do not expect any public pronouncements from the first lady about spending her political capital.

Flushed ring fished out, years later By Ann Schrader Denver Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - Arvada - More than a quarter- century ago, Jerry Duran watched his 1978 Pomona High School class ring swirl around the toilet bowl and disappear. On Tuesday, the gold ring with an aquamarine stone was headed back to Duran, who now lives in Del Norte, where he builds custom bicycles and is a ski patrol member at Wolf Creek Ski Area. Duran, who said he hadn't thought about the ring in years, said its return is "much to my surprise." Arvada Wastewater...

Remember when parents trying to videotape the school events of "Transgender, Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Awareness Day" were thrown off school property?That very same Mass. school district is once again in the news for negative reasons.School Superintendent J. Young presides over the failing math program of an elementary school in his district - a school now subject to the NCLB program.Could the school's failure to teach the children be due to the Mr. Young's new math curriculum otherwise known asanti-racist multicultural math?Big elections like state and national aren't the only ones conservatives ought to mobilize for. Conservatism starts right in...

Two Saturday sessions - Feb. 5 & 12. The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) will offer a hunter education class in Colorado Springs specifically for women and girls. The course will be divided into two Saturday sessions on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12. Sessions run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the DOW office at 4255 Sinton Road. Participants must attend both sessions to receive hunter education certification. “Many women have told us they are interested in becoming sanctioned to hunt in Colorado but are worried about feeling uncomfortable in a hunter safety class with mostly men and boys,”...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

"I don't know that she's ever had a real job," Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Sen. John Kerry, said of Laura Bush this week. That says something about both Mrs. Kerry and those involved in her husband's campaign for president. What it says ought to anger those who toil day in, day out working to educate American children. Mrs. Bush, as most people know, worked for several years as a school teacher, then as a librarian before meeting and marrying her husband, George W. Bush, who went on to become president. Mrs. Kerry is, of course, known for refusing to...

Recently, during the final weekend push of voter registration up and down the Golden State and helping an energized public become eligible for the Nov. 2 General Election, I had the privilege of volunteering for the High Desert Republican Headquarters off Highway 18, and was starkly reminded just how deep the rancor exists for those opposing the re-election campaign of George W. Bush. Realizing how important the outcome of the upcoming presidential election is to my family and our nation’s future, I joined my wife and six-year-old daughter to set aside our entire Saturday and Sunday to work with fellow...

Zarqawi Movement Vows al-Qaida Allegiance Sun Oct 17,10:02 PM ET By RAWYA RAGEH, Associated Press Writer BAGHDAD, Iraq - The most feared militant group in Iraq, the movement of terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared its allegiance to Osama bin Laden on Sunday, saying it had agreed with al-Qaida over strategy and the need for unity against "the enemies of Islam." The declaration, which appeared on a Web site often used as a clearinghouse for statements by militant groups, began with a Quranic verse encouraging Muslim unity and said al-Zarqawi considered bin Laden "the best leader for Islam's armies against...

Has anyone noticed that Kerry seems to brag about having four retired Generals that endorse him?  It's kind of like his endorsement from anonymous foreign leaders.  There is a psychosis about John Kerry that makes him always try to look better by claiming that people better than Kerry approve of him.  He is truly NOT a man that is confident in his abilities. If you think about it, he is NOT a self made man.  At least not in the way that Americans believe a self made man is constructed.  Kerry's wealth comes from marriage into vast sums of money. ...

Cards, Dodgers celebrate together Teams shake hands on field after series finale

First Lady Laura Bush will be the guest on tonight's Jay Leno show.