Next on Senate agenda: unemployment insurance

By Gail Russell Chaddock, Staff writer / July 19, 2010 Washington

Once Democrat Carte Goodwin is sworn in Tuesday to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd, Senate Democrats will have the votes to try again to extend unemployment insurance to the jobless.

For congressional Democrats – especially in the often-gridlocked US Senate – this week marks a sprint to wind up a large, unfinished agenda in time to sway midterm elections.

Big-ticket items range from energy and campaign-finance reform to decisions over expiring Bush-era tax cuts, war funding, and 12 spending bills for fiscal year 2011, which begins Oct. 1. On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the confirmation of Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court, with a full Senate vote expected later in the week.

With the swearing-in on Tuesday of Democrat Carte Goodwin to fill the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Democrats say they have the 60th vote needed to break a Republican filibuster and approve a long-stalled $34 billion extension of unemployment benefits.

Highlighting the unfinished Senate agenda in his weekly address on Saturday, President Obama charged Republicans with "filibustering the nation's economic recovery" and making a stand “on the backs of the unemployed.” Most Senate Republicans oppose the measure on the grounds that Democrats have not identified offsetting spending cuts to pay for it.

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South Carolina third-most-affordable state in which to own a car

Charleston Regional Business Journal
May 5, 2010

South Carolina is the third-most-affordable state in which to own a car, according to a study by Edmunds.com.

The survey shows that it costs an average of $40,763 over a five-year period to own a car in the Palmetto State. Only New Hampshire and South Dakota are more affordable.

Owning a vehicle in Alaska, California or Hawaii costs about $10,000 more per year than it does in South Carolina.

The Edmunds study examines regional five-year ownership costs, consisting of depreciation, financing, taxes and fees, insurance premiums, fuel costs, maintenance and repairs for new and used vehicles.

States with the lowest average vehicle ownership costs in the country:

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States with the highest average vehicle ownership costs in the country:

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The True Cost to Own calculations use the following assumptions:

• Ownership expenses are for a five-year time span.
• Vehicles are driven an average of 15,000 miles per year.
• Vehicles are financed using traditional financing and not leased.
• Buyers are paying 10% down on the vehicle.
• Buyers are in the “gold” credit tier for the purpose of determining the finance rate.
• The loan term is 60 months.
• Buyers represent the average demographic for insurance rates.

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