Tracy Goodwin
My name is Tracy Goodwin and I am 32 years old. I live in Austin, TX with my wife and 2 children. I am preparing to start a masters program in political science at Stony Brook University in NY. In graduate school I plan to study social movements like occupy wall street, the tea party and the arab spring. I earned a bachelors of science in psychology and a bachelors of arts in philosophy from Arizona State University. I spent the last 2 1/2 years of undergrad working in psychiatric facilities so I am quite familiar with mental illness both from my education and experience. Currently I work as an actuary / statistician for the state of TX. I forecast Medicaid costs and caseload which gives me an intimate view of health care and health care related issues. I draw on my varied experiences in developing new ideas and solutions for the problems we face.
MY BLOGS
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SocioPolitical Dysfunction
http://sociopoliticaldysfunction.wordpress.com/
SocioPolitical Dysfunction - Politics in a Psychotic World
The US is at war, our national debt is growing at an alarming rate, unemployment is high, the economy is down, corporate money is flooding the political landscape and individual rights are being trampled. Yet when we need solutions all our politicians can do is bicker amongst themselves like a bunch of children. Congress would rather argue over ideology than try and fix the problems that face our nation.
SocioPolitical Dysfunction is a blog for the discussion of both the problems and solutions. This is a place for civil and rational discussion of issues rather than focusing on political talking points. The purpose is to seek pragmatic solutions instead of focusing on purely ideological positions.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 68 )
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M1A2 Abrams, Good Policy Or Waste of Money?
M1A2 Abrams Tank from http://www.army.milA bipartisan group of 173 House members want to spend an additional $436 million on M1A2 Abrams tanks for the Army.... Read more
Posted on 29 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Watered Down WMDs
Nuclear attack on HiroshimaAugust 6th 1945 the United Stated dropped a nuclear bomb name Little Boy on Hiroshima Japan. The resulting explosion destroyed... Read more
Posted on 26 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Glen Beck and Freedom
Sometimes Glen Beck is too busy ranting by Browse to Save"> by Browse to Save"> by Browse to Save"> about the loss of freedom to remember his own deeply... Read more
Posted on 26 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Legislators Are Like College Students!
In Texas the legislative session runs from January to the end of May just like the spring semester for most universities and colleges. Read more
Posted on 23 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Getting a Little Full of Yourself McDonald’s?
Like many McDonald’s the one by my work just remodeled the whole restaurant. They updated the decor to a more modern look, they added flat screen TVs and a... Read more
Posted on 23 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Political Round Table
There is a great variety of intelligent and insightful individuals on WordPress. I have really enjoyed sharing ideas with such a wide range of individuals with... Read more
Posted on 18 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Pragmatic Immigration
Far too often discussions on immigration reform become very politically charged and ideological. Unfortunately this obfuscates the real issues and real... Read more
Posted on 16 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Government Instituted Dress-code
Terrebonne Parish Council has voted to ban sagging pants as defined as “Appearing in public view while exposing one’s skin or undergarments below the waist is... Read more
Posted on 15 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
The Official Launch of SocioPolitical Dysfunction on YouTube
I finally found the time today to launch a YouTube channel as a companion to my blog. The videos are intended to create a parallel discussion to my blog. Read more
Posted on 13 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Firearms Registry
Recently the idea of a firearms registry has gotten attention. Some support the idea and some oppose it. But what would a firearms registry look like? Read more
Posted on 11 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Gun Control: Universal Background Checks Or No Background Checks
The current system of background checks for firearms is 100% pointless. It simply does nothing what so ever. We only run a background check if you purchase... Read more
Posted on 11 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
There is Dihydrogen Monoxide in the Water!!!!
On April fools (Monday) two Florida radio DJs warned everybody of the dihydrogen monoxide in the tap. It caused such a stir that people were calling into the Le... Read more
Posted on 03 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
The Scientific Method 101
The scientific method is a mystery to many people. They may hear about scientific discoveries in the news but they don’t understand how an experiment is... Read more
Posted on 03 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Ayn Rand and Video Games Part 2: The Market and Human Nature
In the previous installment of Ayn Rand and Video Games I examined the effects of isolation and a top heavy society to show the destabilizing effects it could... Read more
Posted on 03 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Combatting Militant Extremism with Education and Opportunity
I heard a piece on NPR this morning about re-educating Taliban Jihadis in Pakistan. What really caught my attention was that they were using education and... Read more
Posted on 01 April 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Armed Teachers in School
Since Sandy Hook there has been talk about arming teachers. Well I live in TX so we are moving forward with this plan in some school districts. Read more
Posted on 31 March 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Graduate School Decision
Start spreading the news I am leaving today I want to be a part of it New York New York -Frank SinatraI spent an inordinate amount of time pouring over the... Read more
Posted on 31 March 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Trickle Down Economics Dismantled
Over the years we all have heard about trickle down economics (or supply side economics or Reaganomics). It is the idea that economic benefits granted to... Read more
Posted on 28 March 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
Disgust of Gay Marriage Conversions
Recently some politicians have been rescinding their anti-gay marriage stance. When hear this I have two instant reactions. First I am elated that somebody... Read more
Posted on 26 March 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY -
The Cyprian Lesson
Right now many people are focused on how Cyprus is raising the money needed to get a EU bailout. Now that is very important but I think there is a bigger... Read more
Posted on 25 March 2013 POLITICS, SOCIETY