The Truth about Trailer ParksTop of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 682, Segment 5
Nov 15, 2017 • 15m
Guest: Katherine MacTavish, Associate Professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Co-author of “Singlewide: Chasing the American Dream in a Rural Trailer Park” Home ownership is a cornerstone of the American Dream, and owners of mobile homes or trailers often feel like they’ve almost, but not quite, made it—owning a trailer is one step closer to owning their own traditional home. But there are factors unique to trailer parks that can combine against residents to trap them in what they had thought would be a temporary situation.

Will We Ever Have a Balanced Budget Amendment?
Will We Ever Have a Balanced Budget Amendment?Nov 15, 201719mGuest: Ernest Istook, Former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, Lecturer at Utah Valley University For years, Republicans—and some Democrats—have called for a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to be added to the US Constitution that would make it illegal for the federal government to spend more than it takes in.  But, if Republicans manage to pass the tax cuts they’ve proposed, they’ll add an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars to the deficit over ten years. The hope is that cutting taxes will lead to economic growth to counteract that deficit increase. But what does it really matter if the federal government spends more than it brings in? Do we really want to force Congress to balance the checkbook every year? And is amending the Constitution of the United States really the way to go?
Guest: Ernest Istook, Former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, Lecturer at Utah Valley University For years, Republicans—and some Democrats—have called for a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to be added to the US Constitution that would make it illegal for the federal government to spend more than it takes in.  But, if Republicans manage to pass the tax cuts they’ve proposed, they’ll add an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars to the deficit over ten years. The hope is that cutting taxes will lead to economic growth to counteract that deficit increase. But what does it really matter if the federal government spends more than it brings in? Do we really want to force Congress to balance the checkbook every year? And is amending the Constitution of the United States really the way to go?