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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

‘No Guarantee’ — With Plan, or Without

Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, whose ads we have faulted in the past, is airing a new spot that calls for dropping any federal insurance option from the health care overhaul bills.
"Despite what the president or Congress say," the narrator tells us, "their health care proposals do not guarantee you can keep your own doctor." And there’s no guarantee you won’t "wait longer for care," face "rationing," or "lose your insurance," either, she says.
Why not?

September 9, 2009

There are an estimated 19 million students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities this fall. That’s a 41 percent increase from 20 years ago.

Source: Census Bureau

Obama’s Speech to Schools

Q: Did Obama change his back-to-school speech in response to pressure from conservatives?

A: One exercise in the accompanying lesson plan was reworded.

Senior Scare, Yet Again

The Democratic National Committee says in a TV ad that “Republicans voted to abolish Medicare.” Not true. The ad refers to a proposal endorsed by most House Republicans as part of the alternative budget they presented earlier this year. In fact, the GOP plan actually called for …

September 8, 2009

A total of 76 million people were enrolled in school — from nursery school to college — in the U.S. in October 2007. That’s 27 percent of the population age 3 and older.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

September 7, 2009

There are 154.6 million people, aged 16 or older, in the nation’s labor force (seasonally adjusted) as of August 2009, including 82.5 million men and 72 million women.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

September 6, 2009

On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in honor of work. 
Source: The Department of Labor

September 5, 2009

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City.
Source: The Department of Labor

A False Appeal to Women’s Fears

A conservative group with Republican ties called the Independent Women’s Forum is airing an ad that says “300,000 American women with breast cancer might have died” if our health care were “government run” like England’s, citing the American Cancer Society as a source …

“Clunkers” Credits Taxable?

Q: Will the "Cash for Clunkers" credits be taxed as income for consumers who participated in the program?
A: The act establishing the program prohibits the credit from being treated as income for federal income tax purposes. The credits, however, may be subject to a state or local income tax depending on the laws of the state or locality where the consumer resides.