KCTS 9 Connects: September 19, 2008
In this episode:
The Vacation Aversion
Author Clarence Day once said, “The ant is knowing and wise, but he doesn’t know enough to take a vacation.” Neither do Americans. Most companies in the United States give employees only two weeks of paid vacation a year. Half of all families use just a week of their time off, and up to a third doesn’t take vacation at all. Meanwhile, our counterparts across the pond get at least twice as much vacation as we do, as do working adults in much of the rest of the world. All work and no play don’t just make us a bunch of dull boys and girls—it makes us unhealthy, too. In this Connects segment, we examine America’s vacation aversion: why we take so little time off; how much more time the rest of the world takes; what health problems you risk by skipping your vacation; and what efforts are underway to give us all a much needed break.
Vote 2008: John Zogby Interview
When it comes to elections, it’s all about the polls. And when it comes to the polls, it's all about Zogby. The world-renowned firm Zogby International has been a leader in public opinion polling and research for more than 20 years. KCTS 9’s Enrique Cerna talks one-on-one with founder John Zogby about the upcoming election; what new and strange trends he’s seeing this election cycle; what would happen if the Presidential race were held today; and about his new book The Way We’ll Be: The Transformation of the American Dream.
Vote 2008: Regional and National Election Race Discussion
With the conventions fading into the distance Democratic strategist, Cathy Allen and Repulican strategist, Randy Pepple weigh in on the national and regional election races. Was Palin a good choice? Biden? What’s happening in the governor’s race?
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Comments
Posted by: Guest | Thu, 09/25/2008 - 7:45pm
I would love to take a vacation, however,I have a part-time job with no benefits or over-time, where I need to consider myself lucky to work 40 hours per week. I am a single parent with an adult child who has a serious medical condition and is currently on the High Risk insurance plan. In addition, in spite of or finances I have struggled to provide her the support to enable her to attend college- so hopefully she will be employed in a job with benefits. If I don't work every day available to me, I will not be able to pay my car's fuel bill, cover a $361.00/month payment for her insurance, pay for everything we aren't able to put on student loans, and provide the money my daughter needs just to be in school. I have never had a paid vacation, and believe me the aversion is not on my part, but rather on the part of my employer who is more than happy to have my experience while not providing benefits. Also, the people making these decisions definitely don't miss out on THEIR vacations- ever.
Posted by: Joel | Fri, 09/19/2008 - 8:30pm
John McCain is confused, showing signs of dementia and is mindlessly spouting lies from his sleazy, dishonest campaign. Another four years of Bush would totally destroy our country and this is what the American people would get with McCain.
Sarah Palin is clearly unqualified to be President, is a religious fundamentalist extremist who would take away a women's right to choose and would create an American Taliban reversing all the gains in civil rights. For the sake of our country, we must make sure that Barack Obama is elected President.
Posted by: crystal | Fri, 09/19/2008 - 7:59pm
About the issue of americans getting less than two weeks a year. If you do not get enough vaction time a year it can make you resentful torwards your job. Yet, at the same point if you do change jobs and the government makes this a law you should be able to carry it over to the next. Insted of starting all over again. Espeacially if you work jobs that never offer that at all. It is the same thing if a job only offers you limited insurance plan work and not get paid it's the same in a way.
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