We are rolling right through February and before you know it spring will be here – so hold on! Luckily, to make time go by quickly, we have politics to entertain us!
If you are new to The Western Word, Thursday Numbers is where I take a look at the numbers in the news and provide some commentary with them. The information can be used to astonish people. You just might overwhelm your friends, family, and co-workers with the knowledge you obtained from this column! You may even be cooler to your children…
Today I take a look at free cell phones from our government, water projects, Halftime in America, unemployment, 1964, a senator’s birthday, job approval for Congress, and much more.
1,600,000,000
According to this story, “Last year, a federal program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts.”
We could really save some money by eliminating programs like this…
12,900,000
According to this story, Montana rural water projects received an additional $12.9 million in federal funding yesterday.
Everyone in the United States should have clean drinking water…
5,711,167
That’s how many views (on YouTube) Chrysler’s “Halftime in America” ad received as of this morning.
“This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines.”
I like the ad…
358,000
There were 358,000 new claims for unemployment last week.
Is it getting better or is the Labor Department playing with the numbers?
1964
On this date in 1964, the Beatles made their first live American TV appearance, on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Their first song on the show was “All My Loving.”
66
Happy 66th birthday to current U.S. Senator and former Secretary of the Navy, Jim Webb (D-VA).
50
According to a new telephone survey from Rasmussen Reports, “50% Oppose Gov’t Mandate for Religious Organizations to Provide Contraceptives.”
The government made another big mistake…
20
According to this story, 20% of Republican voters are leaning toward Obama.
Look at the four people still in the running for the GOP nomination and you’ll see why…
10
According to a new poll from Gallup, “A record-low 10% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, down from 13% in January and the previous low of 11%, recorded in December 2011. Eighty-six percent disapprove of Congress, tying the record high for disapproval set in December.”
They’ll need to do more than pass an insider trading bill to get people to like them…
6
According to a story from the Associated Press, “Federal policing of oil and natural gas drilling on public lands is lax and inconsistent, with only 6 percent of violations resulting in monetary fines over 13 years, House Democrats said in a report Wednesday.”
Just think how much we could pay on the debt if there were stiff fines…
4
As of this morning, four people have filed for Montana’s At-Large U.S. House seat (3 Democrats and 1 Republican).
This is gonna be fun…
The Western Word 