Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
Asking the Question: Have You Ever Used a Government Social Program?
John Wihbey writes: Programs included the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction; the HOPE and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits; Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits; 529 (Qualified Tuition Program) or Coverdell Education Savings Account (education IRAs); the Earned Income Tax Credit; and “usage of student loans and employer subsidized health and retirement benefits.” more »
Are You Part of the 47% Who Pay No Federal Income Tax? If You're the Average Retired Senior - Most Probably, Yes
The non-partisan Tax Policy Center:"Provisions that benefit senior citizens and low-income working families with children particularly affect households with income under $50,000 but other factors make higher-income households nontaxable." more »
The Ever-Shifting Sea Ice: Arctic Drilling Postponed Until 2013
"Shell’s inability to get its own equipment in order, despite a massive investment of time and money, should give pause to any company with similar plans, and the same challenges will remain next year. Until we develop adequate safeguards and sufficient response infrastructure to manage and support drilling operations, the Arctic should remain off limits to drilling." more »
Dirty Little Not-So-Secrets: The National Political Discourse
Doris O'Brien writes: Freedom of speech has in too many instances become freedom to offend, and, as a result, entering the mass media discussion comes with gut-wrenching risks. Be prepared to be brutally insulted by those who disagree with you. Brace yourself for bombast, rudeness, ridicule and downright lies. more »
