offer advice on federal taxes. and we will take your calls. next.ngton journal" is host: good morning. it's the washington journal for april 5. or youe-hour program f today. we want to hear from you about your local newspaper. if they are still relevant in your used readin news reading h. reporting lower ad revenues, layoffs for local staff. your local paper -- if you still read it or still get something

from it. maybe even ways to improve it. rfou 02) 585-3880 eastern and central time zone. for mountain and pacific time zones. you can reach out to us on twitter, post on our facebook e-mail, too. us an in the spirit of the question today, we decided to take an informal survey among the staff here to talk about their local newspapers and show you a bit about what they are covering and how they focus. if you turn to the forum of north dakota, the north dakota state university -- the effectiveness of the investment and how compares to other state universities. if you look at the freelance star of fredericksburg,

virginia, a story broke out of chief in that county. theou turned the pages of times tribune of florida, talking about storm damages. a couple of crime stories related as well. if you go to the modesto bee out of california, a shooting at a campus there. some national stuff, but also some farming stories as well. minutes, wet 45 want to get a sense about your local newspaper. if you get something from it, if you read it every day. maybe you have comments on it as well directed to those who publish the paper. if you want to give us your thoughts on your local newspaper. please tell us what your local newspaper is. for those of you in the eastern and central time zones. in the mountain

and pacific time zones. to help us start a process of talking about the effectiveness of local news, joining us on the phone is rick edmonds. he is with the poynter institute. a media business analyst for that publication. for those who may not know, what is the poynter institute? : it's a nonprofit school for journalists. in our discussions about the local newspaper, what are your thoughts about the current state of it? it's a dispute that newspapers have had to shrink in the last several years and advertising print revenues have been down by more than half in the last 7-8 years.

whether you have a great paper or a slim paper to begin with, there is less of a now than there used to be. places are still trying to do the traditional investigative .eporting as best they can they still tend to be the largest and strongest news operations in a given city. host: how to add revenues in affect reporting staff? caller: they have shrunk a good deal. maybe 30% has been typical. 17,000 jobs lost. is facing paper declining ad revenues and declining reporting staff, how does it set itself apart? still a good is

size that compared to what you might find at a local television station. there have been a number of good quality and ambitious topics to take on. 8-10might have a staff of for one that is fairly substantial. the newspaper would still have 50-60. host: any statistics about readership? are they not reading it or migrating to the web? caller: there has been some of that. almost every newspaper has a website. those tend to be the largest in the town. certainly the bigger newspapers are trying to produce editions that display wherell on smart phones. if you take the numbers of

people reading online, the audience is not down too much. the real issue is advertising. the old-time newspaper was really the only game in town for a lot of advertisers. they have many more choices now. the part that is really difficult is there are many competitors in the digital space , including the biggest companies like google and facebook that don't have their own news operations. but they can be effective for advertisers. to competedon't have with just other news media. they have to compete with other outlets as well. host: just to give you the out ofe, the star-ledger new jersey cutting 160 seven jobs, including 40 news organizations. competitive?tay

will we always have a presence of a local newspaper? new work and the other newspapers are a good example of a change. the kind of scope of the changes they are making is bigger than most. over the years, we will see a gradual movement with fewer print readers and more web presence. more people devoted to breaking news throughout the day on the web. the print paper will become a second exercise where you put those things that already appeared on the web into newspaper format. host: rick edmonds with the poynter institute talking about local newspapers. thanks for your time. caller: thank you very much. host: in light of what we've talked about, our first 45 minutes come of discussion about local newspapers.

they are still relevant. (202) 585-3880 for the eastern and central time zones. (202) 585-3881 for the mountain and pacific time zones. twitter,nt to share on http://twitter.com/cspanwj. let's start with paul in wisconsin. how are you? caller: i'm good. my paper is the post-crescent. i don't u subscribed to it anymore. when walker ran for governor, i got my paper one day and i saw a

-- i'm a democrat and it ticked me off. how dare they be that biased. they have a page that says dumpe doyle. host: what did you like most about it? caller: i like to reading their commentss and their where people would write in. it was a good thing to take to work and read on my breaks. coupons on lot of sunday. doylethey did their dump

thing for scott walker, that was the end for me. host: chris in wisconsin. i read the milwaukee journal sentinel. i've gotten disappointed because it has gotten thinner over the years. i will read it every day because whatthe only place i get governor walker is doing. it's not on our local news. people should really know what he is doing. i do like it because i get more information than i do on the news programs on tv. host: you get it for the political reporting. caller: yes. host: mr. edmunds talked about the shrinking new staff. has that affected the political side? caller: i don't think so.

they've been pretty good. they did back governor walker. i don't happen to like him. when he was running, the journal did back cam. yet, they are accused constantly of being liberal. i like the information about what they are doing. still get it in home on paper? caller: i read the paper at home. it comes to my door. jed from florida. good morning. caller: i'm from atlanta originally. i like to read the atlanta edge journal institution online. it was good when the snowstorm hit because i could keep in touch with my family.

it is quite distracting sometimes because you have all the other tabs and stuff going on. winston-salem, north carolina. the salem journal -- host: you subscribe to the paper and get it at home? caller: yes i do. i have always loved the .ewspaper when i was i . enjoy reading it you get more in-depth than television. i don't have a computer. you read it, are

there particular stories you look for right off the bat? political stories? caller: i look at the headlines on the paper. any article that really catches my eye, i read. i especially pay attention to the local news. .hat's going on around i follow my sports teams. and i read the funnies. audiencee the something you read this morning that you found interesting from the paper. final four.ade the , connecticut, kentucky and florida. my indians have won three games and lost one.

the yankees finally won a game. if you are just joining us, the local newspaper and its relevance to you is our topic that we are taking on for our first 45 minutes. you've heard people tell you about what their paper is and what they get from it. some people canceling their subscriptions to it. take on your local newspaper. here's your chance to do so. for those in the eastern and central time zones. for those in the mountain and pacific time zones. and twitter and facebook and e-mail available to u.s. well. on workrs we focus stories about the economy with the unemployment rate coming out, which we will talk about in our next segment. the lead story of the washington post takes a look at the afghan

elections starting today. go for new leadership there. security being a concern. the pages of the new york times, story taking a look at this week's decision from the supreme court on campaign finances. also taking a look at the middle east and secretary of state kerry. we will read the stories in depth in just a little bit every want to hear from you about your local paper and your experience with it. in clinton, massachusetts. good morning. caller: hello. i have been getting the telegram since i've been here. they have an awful lot of interesting news. i could always refer to it. it doesn't reiterate -- i have

to shut off the television news in the morning because it just comes back with the same thing over and over again. i can peacefully read the paper and get my information and if i'm curious i can follow it further. and a very trustworthy one it hits all the local area around here and we get a large amount of local and national news. it is not as thick as it use to be. host: if you're waiting on line or on the phone to talk to us, if you wouldn't mind turning down your television as you wait, that would cut back on the feedback. michael up next. yoconnecticut. what's your paper? caller: the herald. i work for the herald, full disclosure. the governor has been embroiled

in another scandal. , myout local newspapers colleagues in the state reporting on it, you would not have known about it. especially since the former show.or had his own radio a local fox affiliate. they would not say much about it. he would not talk about it. it was local newspapers that really picked up the slack on that. host: are you a reporter for the herald? caller: an editor. host: tell us about how -- you may be heard our interviews at your paperhow does serve the community? caller: doing things important to your readers, specifically in your community. a lot of the big conglomerates are getting away from that and away from that.

that's why it's an important question. on your facebook page, there's a lot of interest in that. tell us about the reporting staff you have and the resources you have. caller: we have a tight staff. money is always tight. we have a dedicated group of people who have their individual .eats and have we have a business reporter and an education reporter. for people tot get to know their local reporters. they take pride in that. host: you have competition with a local newspaper? caller: from the hartford current. and from online sources.

all see ourselves as comrades doing work -- host: as far as the web, how does your newspaper incorporate that into your day-to-day reporting habits? caller: we put everything we report. it gives people that extra vehicle to get their news. host: that's michael. a member of the staff at the new britain herald. newspapers -- are they still relevant? (202) 585-3880 for the eastern and central time zones. (202) 585-3881 for the mountain and pacific time zones. a couple of stories from other papers this morning. the ones we focus on -- the new york times looking at the topic of the drone strike. a judge weighing in on the nature of drone strikes.

a federal official friday dismissed a lawsuit against a top obama administration official. the court should hesitate before deciding to hold a government official personally responsible. the ruling suggests that court has no roles to play in the of killing citizens determined to be terrorists. if you go to the pages of the wall street journal, judge also weighing in on e-mails and requests for e-mail information. in light of the stories you heard about information gathering. "in the past year, u.s. matters

s. magistrate judges have rejected or modified a number of warrants to search people's e-mails. at issue is the justice department's process of obtaining electronic information from the account of a person under investigation and using to siftmes and keywords through it in hopes of finding evidence o of wrongdoing. ."couple o tell us a bit about it. good morning. largo, florida. i love c-span. it's a daily ritual. read the tampa

tribune and the wall street journal because i could get an entire mix of news. now, the saint pete times has taken over the tampa times. it's the only paper in the area. it is so left-leaning you can't get anything without bias. i'm left with only the wall street journal. that's a shame because i enjoy reading the paper. say it is you left-leaning, is that the editorials or the nature of reporting that you sense? caller: especially the national news. even when there is an election, a local election, they are biased to the left. there's nothing else to say about it. would mr. jolly was running, i could not do it. i could not read it. host: do you get a sense that you are losing out on what's

happening locally? caller: yes. tv stationexcellent for local news. they do a beautiful job. i'm really not a tv watcher except for c-span. i just like to read. so it's a shame. host: nadine from florida. twitter -- you may share those thoughts. you may have different thoughts as well. up next, connecticut. hi there. what is your paper? caller: we have the great which greenwich times. local information. a bit here and there. very minor on what's going on in

the world. from the new york times, more extensive information about what's going on. that seems to be lacking the most is the information they are providing regarding the insurance debacle that's going on. host: as far as the grant which greenwich times, you receive it at home? caller: we pick it up. host: would you continue to read and? it? host: if you really want information, you have to go to the new york times. we live at the border of connecticut and new york. it's like the tri-state area. you really want information, you're not going to

get it from your local tv station because they will talk about a dog floating on ice. if you want to get any information regarding anything going on within government, insurance, anything else within the world, you either have to go to a larger papers such as the new york times or something such as your show or even bbc. host: do you receive the greenwich times by subscription? caller: no. host: how much does it cost for a daily edition? caller: one dollar. host: alfred from frederick, maryland. i grew up reading the miami herald. my grandparents raised me. they were serial readers. they would get the paper every day on sunday. it was the funnies and the local types of things. she mentioned the dog floating

on water. those were my favorite stories when i was a kid. i still read the herald from maryland because it covers miami things, which i pay some attention to. read than watch television most of the time. host: you read for specific stories? i enjoyed the locals. crimes and local problem situations. sometimes they are very outlandish. host: what about local opinion columnists? carl -- i can't remember his last name.

an african-american guy who button about hot topics. he wrote a lot about the tray by martin situation when that was going on. trayvon martin situation when that was going on. host: the decision in ohio. in ohio. looking at same-sex marriage. judge to order ohio to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. judge timothy black announced his intentions in cincinnati argumentsl that challenged the constitutionality of the marriage ban.

the state will appeal blacks order when it comes out. they declined to comment further. province to define marriage as between a man and a from the washington post this morning. a national paper. st. petersburg, florida. tell us about your paper. caller: i read the tampa bay times. i read it everyday. host: why do you go to it every day? caller: i like to know what's going on locally and around the world. puzzles.eir crossword they have one with the comics and one out of los angeles and another one.

about -- what are the things you learned about this week? caller: we are constantly on this thing with power. utilities are constantly going up. i love to read the small stories. the ones in very small squares. those are stories you don't generally get on the local news. i just like to keep up with what's going on around the world. host: do you receive this by subscription? caller: we get it delivered every day. host: how much does that cost? caller: i don't know what the regular prices. thelly, if you think standard price is too high, you can get it at a reduced rate. i paid $106 for the year. host: a previous caller was

concerned that it was consolidated with another paper. did it change its perspective or scope? caller: no. i was surprised she thought it was a liberal leaning paper. i see it as a very fair representation of both sides. up next, we will hear from stanley from massachusetts. caller: thanks for this topic. i subscribe to the wall street journal. it is the most published paper in the world. i already went through today's. host: what about your local paper? caller: i get all the papers for free. the boston globe, the telegram gazette. i take them out of the bin when they overprint them.

about the local papers. which local papers do you read? caller: the telegram gazette is very good. from houserything to local trivia news. host: why is that important to you? started a private company without any money called mb research. everything, especially the economy, immigration and jobs. i have to scan for everything. i watch c-span in the mornings. sometimes they circle articles and i can get a copy of it. host: you can take these large your local paper

do a good job in making that relevant to local readers at home? caller: no. much like washington. believe that kind of thing. jean in wyoming. good morning. read thisused to local newspaper -- it used to be called the rhône republican. wyoming, it is a republican blackhole. i talked to one of the local reporters the other day. i called him up and said, you subscriptioned my to the daily times a few months

back. nothing is different. i used to take an interest in the local news. but there is really nothing going on. it's a republican blackhole. i'm open to some republican ideas. but they seem to be relevant. -- they seem to be irrelevant. there is only around 8000 people that live your. there are more deer and antelope . we have a malaise. host: do you read the daily times everyday? caller: no. host: how do you stay on top of

things locally? i talked to a couple of friends. i have a small business where i teach people music. the place is not musically oriented. it seems to be -- there is a network and you can find out about things by just talking with a few people and you find the same thing to be true. you can catch up on what you need to know. i don't really see that there is much of anything happening. incrediblein an funk. doesn't that reflect our national situation?

people seem to be disconnected more and more so. we want to get your thoughts on your local newspaper . (202) 585-3880 for the eastern and central time zones. (202) 585-3881 for the mountain and pacific time zones. again, you can reach out to us on twitter. we will pull some of those in before we are done. almost all the papers this morning take a look at the artwork of the former president, .eorge w. bush showcasing some of his artwork of world leaders. the art of the leadership is the .xhibit area on the front pa photographs of some of the oil paintings. putin, angela

merkel. in several profiled papers this morning. bobby in greenwood, south carolina. hi there. what's your local paper? caller: all they do is talk about how bad president obama is . we just get the pages on sundays and mondays so we can get insurance information. host: do you get local news?

what kind of local news do you get from the paper itself? caller: it is pretty good on local news. like what's going on in the area. host: anything of relevance that stands out in your mind? -- t our senators an host: christopher writing that gap in thee a local continental news coverage. stan says most local papers are owned by huge corporations and

they have power over the press. they tell reporters what to write and what they don't. that's about 60 facebook pages. probably has grown since then. caller: my paper of record is the chattanooga times free press. the most expensive paper when you look at how you subscribe. it comes $25 a month. only for print and digital. it's very expensive by comparison. readership has declined dramatically. there are next one newspaper and have been. was the owner of the new york times early on. he was at this paper first. host: looking at the online , how tennessee claimed $124 million in health

care subsidies. doesn't do a good job? caller: it does. it covers the union vote. chattanooga is a very high crime area. we are working hard to remediate that. it covers that extensively. he does a good job with local education issues. gotten expensive by comparison to other newspapers. host: i'm assuming you still subscribe to the paper? caller: that would not be a good assumption. i look at it to see if they're running specials or things i can -- i subscribe to the wall or the chronicle of higher education and other things that are pricey but worth it. --d newhall so has chattanooga also has 2-3 online

papers. they contain all the news. host: what about the editorial pages? caller: very well done. it's a nice division. views andnservatives mainstream liberal views. very nicely done. host: jack talking about his experience with the chattanooga times free press. joyce fromll is charleston, west virginia. caller: hi. i lived in d.c. and move back d back here 14 years ago. the articles you put on from the washington post. is a veryston gazette liberal paper, which i love.

it's about the only thing locally at all that i can really get what i want to hear from. small -- they have merged in a way. usedharleston daily mail to be an evening paper. now they both come in the morning. the daily mail is republican leaning. it when i wasver in junior high school. i was the only girl that delivered papers. were you had that incident with the chemical spill the re? tvler: the paper and stations did fine on that story. well.eported it

what you get in the paper -- it's the editorials that i read it for. there is really not a lot of news that you haven't already gotten on tv. but i could not stand to be without the paper. i tried very hard to get the washington post when i first moved back here. it's impossible. you have to go to the library and read it. i do not have a computer. -- i have no intentions of getting one. one of the things that really bothers me is that tv stations and newspapers and everything just assume that you have a computer. gazette.e charleston host: you still get that at home everyday?

caller: yeah. i worry all the time that it's going to go down the tubes. it's a family-owned newspaper. there is not many of those anymore. about the cost of the paper. what is the cost of subscription to the gazette? caller: i get a bill every two months for $35. it costs more than than the washington post cost me when i d.c. in she talked about the experience she had with the paper. ohin off of twitter says -- "turn to the local news on

a couple of facebook postings. fail tour readers realize is that 5-6 corporations have an oligopoly and supreme control over 95% of all national and international news media outlets. s." "we canceled ours because they consolidated statewide. we just get the new york times now." if you want to read these papers, we have been showing them to you as we go through the morning. eum provides us with the front pages of these papers. it is devoted to the topic of news coverage and news

gathering. abouthave been talking the smaller papers across the country, the recent news about unemployment figures. 6.7%, the current figure. , thext to talk about it wall street journal's pedro da costa. , kevin will away join us to give you some advice as you are preparing your federal taxes. he will be on at 8:30 this morning. ♪

>> we are also seeing long lines afghanistan.oss people who are waiting to get a voter card. despite 20 million voter cards floating around in a country with 11 million voters. there are still long lines of many women in cities who want to have access to voter cards. which is an indication of the enthusiasm among the population. judge theld not afghan elections by the same standards we judge our own elections. we have had 200 years of democratic evolution. this is a democracy in its infancy. if this election does

produce a credible result, it will be the first handoff of power. we don't want to rush to judgment ahead of the afghan people. their judgment to make whether the ultimate outcome is legitimate and credible. i don't think we want to be second guessing that issue at every step along the way. >> the absence of the or anational observers drawdown in the number of international absorbers will observers will have a psychological effect in how the international community views it. the reduction is unfortunate. it's not going to make a huge difference. there are enough observers there to do their job. election beingan

undertaken by afghan institutions and afghan observers are going to be the first line of defense. >> what the afghanistan presidential election -- a what expect.at to panels on gun control, fracking, civil rights and politics. we will talk to michael lewis boys.flash , u.s. military policy in the mideast. it's your chance to talk to bing west. all live on c-span2. reconstructed

18th-century building where george washington bid farewell to his officers. washington journal continues. host: joining us now to talk about the economy, pedro da costa of the wall street journal. good morning. the front page of your paper this morning, your colleague writes about the numbers. and milestone being reached. the private sector has that werelot of jobs incurred during the recession. au can look at that as depressing milestone, two. it has been going on for five years. the population has been growing during that time. numbersalking about that have not kept up with population growth or the trend

we would have had had we not had that downtrend. it is kind of sad that it took us that long to just get there. when you include government jobs, we are still short of the total loss because the government has been a drag. host: the figure we see yesterday at 6.7%. break that down. guest: it is a very high unemployment rate, historically. the job market has been so weak for so long. we have started to look at a 6.7% jobless rate as a good thing because it's not a percent. the economy near can and should be. -- because it's not 8%. the other main figure that you have is the net employment gain for the month which is 192,000.

that number is positive in the has been somere weak data during the winter months. there is debate about how much of that is weather-related. number,he march solid -- itol come out relativy is still a long road to go. government added 200,000 jobs to see some economic recovery here. if we see that number this month, does that mean a trend might be happening in future months? guest: it has been happening. the recent average has been one 170,000. just enough to keep unemployment going down.

it does not necessarily say anything about the future because it's a snapshot of the market. veering back into some kind of downturn. host: are there certain sectors that did well as far as job creation is concerned? guest: that was one positive side of the report. broad-based.ely sector that lost jobs as manufacturing, which is something t -- there is nothing to panic over. /bar: 30,000 restaurant jobs. health, 19,000 jobs added. guest: some economists feel the

nature of the jobs being created still remains primarily focused on the low-wage, low benefit andors like food services retail. there has been a lot of job those aret necessarily the kinds of jobs that we talk about when we think about the reemergence of the middle class and the jobs that progres. to host: a revising of earlier figures from this year. what happened? guest: these figures get revised all the time. they were positive. that was another factor that led to the delaying of those concerns. maybe winter was not a factor. the revisions were positive.

we are on a steady trend of job creation. still very high on employment. it's a question of, what function are we going to do about it? the government, the fed or the ?rivate sector some economists believe this is the year we will get out of the 2% growth pattern. we will see if that happens. host: our guest, pedro da costa talking about the unemployment figures and job creation. republicans.0 four r republicans. for democrats. (202) 585-3882 for independents.

2014 is the year, what are those signs? point to theend to lack of negatives. you remember last year was riddled with congressional budget battles and fiscal cliffs and sequesters and those funny words that got thrown around. this year, we don't have that. thatudget agreement congress came to recently removes some of that budgetary uncertainty. some of this drag from the fiscal tightening that has occurred that was part of the fiscal cliff deal wanes this year. people see factors as positive. some of the risk comes from overseas. people are concerned about china. europe seems to be recovering. hole than much deeper we will ever get into. there are signs of strength in the economy.

consumer spending is holding a. industrial production has been strong. -- consumer spending is holding a. -- consumer spending is holding up. we will see if this is the year we finally break out of the rut. 8:30.our guest until our first call is from steve on the democrats line. caller: good morning, c-span. i want to ask a question about jobs in chicago -- it's a smaller town. a want to ask a question to , they rejected the last proposal by democrats.

i really do think they should extend unemployment benefits because there is not enough jobs in the east chicago area. there's 1000 people looking for 20 jobs out there. what kind of jobs are you looking for? caller: industrial jobs. labor -- it's hard because there are so may people looking for the same types of jobs. , ist: let me start by saying think it's very frustrating for viewers and readers out there to see the way the media covers these reports because you see a mood of improvement and we say things are getting better. the experience of people every day is much like what the caller just described. there is an element of a

disconnect with the numbers. that's because the headline number of 6.7% doesn't tell you about the people in the labor force and long-term unemployed. end up having things like 1000 applicants for a position. i've heard figures a lot higher. thing. unemployment is higher in certain areas than .thers the smaller the town, the harder it is to get a job. there is an argument to be made on both sides. there is economists who argue that unemployment benefits revised disincentive for people to look for work. there are other people who say not take a job because unemployed and benefits are modest.

they might be a way to bridge the gap and could be a benefit to the economy as far as an ongoing political debate. they will support it, i don't have a crystal ball. can see our program on sunday. the question was asked about jobless benefits in that debate. here's what he had to say. [video clip] think me tell you why i it is a job creator. it is not just about providing relief for millions of people who are working really hard to try to find a job. it has two real economic benefits. you can't get unemployment to nt insurance unless you are looking for a job. that means you're in the labor force. that means you are keeping this people connected so that when the economy into needs to recover, they will be there to get the job.

that is good for our economy overall. is going to boost the economy. economists that host: if you would assume the interview, you can watch it at 10:00 right after this program. there's an argument to be made that when we talk about any kind of a to boost economic there is significant research to point out that stemmons works best when targeting those who have the least. they are most likely to spend it rather than save it. his argument is backed by research that unemployment benefits do divide a stimulus.

we have had this problem for such a long time, it would just keep extending the benefits are not tackling the problem itself or creating the job. it is a stopgap solution at best. it can be positive for the economy in the short term. host: we are on the independent line. -- the on surgery and independent line. caller: read the job report for themselves. who is trying to spoonfeed us. you can have a more intelligent conversation of people actually went to the website and looked at the tables. i want to bring attention to manufacturing employment. there is talk of a manufacturing renaissance. if you look at the numbers, there is barely any increase.

happening, output is growing very rapidly. fromejuvenation is coming productivity and not from employment. pedro, would you agree with that? coming from a very deep hole. it is a question of a trend. calling it a renaissance is a vast overstatement. it would take a lot more years of creative investment before you could call it a renaissance. if a richer renaissance, we would not have an unemployment problem. we would have people clamoring for the kind of training that would get them into those jobs very quickly. the paths arew, not there for most people. i was in chicago earlier this

week with one of the fed chairman. was visiting the college. pr exercise, but for those students it seemed like by focusing on specific tasks and being within a network that had contacts within the industry and could lead them to a job, they were able to get work. i believe the color. profits of been booming but unemployment is not booming. host: how does the federal reserve look at it today? guest: it looks at it over the long haul.

by justifying the fed saying that employment is continuous. -- 192,000 number is a trend. a can continue to reduce the amount of bonds that are buying. and that is late economic growth has been supported. she said something really poignant. she said in many ways this job market is worse than any recession we have had. to the long-term unemployed and the number of people who are falling out of the labor force. somebody people have been out of a job for so long that it reduces their chance for returning into the labor market. research documents that the discrimination exists against unemployed people. if you have a gap in your resume

then they will think there is something wrong with you. there is not anything wrong with you, the jobs are just not there. host: looking at population that is employed, if you had the 63.2%.orce it is important number that janet yellen pointed out is the number of involuntary part-time workers. people are working part-time want to beey would wan that isfull-time. right. the education thing is interesting.

people point to education as a factor. i think it is. at the same time, you don't close a skills gap in a one or two-year. of time. sees thisoyed person as an emergency. education is a long-term road. host: this is chuck from alabama on the republican line. caller: i think the whole thing of the job market and economy, i am 75 years old. i would love to meet an economist who started a business and ran it in theory. ist we are dealing with clinton and the democrats when they passed nafta they shipped jobs overseas. that was 20 years ago. the press is so dishonest. they won't tell the truth.

goes, towhen money general motors it goes to overseas. years ago you could get five jobs any morning if you are willing to work. i think this whole thing is a smokescreen. the problem is the government. i will wait for your,. guest: as far as nafta and trade, it was past under president clinton but it had bipartisan support. tend tode agreements have bipartisan support. wasbush administrative a very active in pursuing them. by opening the country up to havingithout restrictions or conditions on the kind of labor conditions

that are going to be faced by workers overseas, we are pitting our workers against basically people who you can't compete against because they will work for less money and more hours and under harsher conditions. all the jobs did not go to mexico. a lot of them want to asia. some want to other parts of the world where we don't necessarily have trade agreements. it is a question of whether or not you endorse a protectionist policy in which trade agreements a country raising their labor standards two hours. you are willing to live with the consequences which might be higher unemployment at the lower skill level. host: good morning. caller: thank for having this wonderful guest. he touched on this at the

beginning of. the nature of the new jobs being , i use to make $23 an hour. i took a job for eight dollars an hour. i have a semipermanent job for $9.50 an hour. and that a lot of people are in the same boat as me. they are working at less than half we used to work at. we can't make ends meet. we are compiling debt upon debt. i am $60,000 in debt. we are struggling to make ends meet. the focus on new jobs being created, most of us are working for half than what we used to work for. i will get off the phone now. host: what kind of business for you and before? guest: i am over 50. im 51. i have an engineering degree.

i go to interviews and they look at me like i am crazy because i am over 50. that is another topic you might want to touch on. i am going to go the phone. this guesses really great. guest: i appreciate the kind comments. you can see that in the lack of wage growth that we've seen. not only are people who do have jobs unable to get wage increases because the boss will tell you there are people out there just waiting for your job. be willing to work for less. that is what a bad job market does. it makes an employers market rather than a worker's market. the employers have all the leverage. appears over and over. people lose their jobs may are unable to get back in the same industry that used to be in or

they get paid less. about?s i we hear guest: it is. it is a real problem. economy thatly an is working beneath its potential. there is a debate about whether or not people are dropping out of the labor force because of demographics. there are retiring baby boomers or whether people are falling out due to discouragement. i did some research that pointed there are older workers entering the job market than there are younger ones. that suggests a what might be for both.is it's hard there is a middle-age ground where you are in the sweet spot.

it is hard for very young workers. there is always somebody more experienced. for older workers, there is a younger person willing to take less. he said that 51 was old. is that what it is about when you hit that age? bracket old?re seen as guest: i think because employers have that kind of power, they can pick and choose. want an of -- they intern with a phd. there are plenty of unemployed phd's. from the wallt is street journal. we are talking about unemployment. the figure is 6.7%. what hundred 92,000 jobs were created in march.

with a call from dayton, ohio. caller: good morning. here goes your third one on the free trade. we are $7.7 billion trade deficit. what we have done is outsourced labor and we have outsourced elution. beijing. go to people are paying $1000 to get home the day before. everybody needs to get over their little irks and start asking your politicians if they are a fair trader or a free trader. we have to compete with people who have the same regulations we have. we are in a downward spiral if we let ceos of apple make $400 million a year and he is paying

people one dollar an hour. it is our fault. unless you start telling our politicians that we are sick of free-trade, go back to fair trade. moree one dollar an hour than what i did 30 years ago. mind, how that in does the administration treat trade policy? guest: they have the same stance that every administration has had a. free-trade lifts all boats. it really means that you are open up some industries over another. competitionng up droves. it is a selective policy. low skilled workers don't have a lobbyist.

they don't have anybody fighting for them. difficultissue is a one. shut your borders to trade. of that is not beneficial. if you're going to pit and american worker against someone who is working 14 hours a day for miserable wages am a there is no competition. the firm is going to go overseas. the average weekly earnings for rank-and-file was $838.r march what are people saying in terms of increases in pay or hours of work? guest: the latest figures say there was an increase in hours but decrease in wages. is overall picture is it

relatively steady. generally, you see an increase in hours before you see an increase in hiring. that is positive. people't be able to work harder so they will have to take on more workers. that is a positive sign. colorscription that your said he is making -- caller said he is making one more dollar that he was making. that is the trajectory of american salaries. he talked about any quality. information about what ceos are making. those numbers are striking. it is unfathomable for people who are making $838 a week. neil is calling from

michigan. caller: good morning. do you want to raise the minimum wage? i make four times the minimum wage. i don't think that is going to happen. is i ampoint i had north of cincinnati. there was a job fair. line, i willing in be 65 next month. they're trying to work 21-year-olds. text -- test drilling. if the federal minimum

wage was $10 an hour, how would you react? caller: it wouldn't bother me. it. in a while we will get they tryny i work for, to warm their way out of paying that. guest: there is some evidence that the minimum wage does create a floor that does bump of the wages higher. servants are indexed to the minimum wage. throughlly trickles many different types of salaries. that is not the case here. the minimum wage debate is interesting. it is the key economic debate that we are having at the moment. problem beingnt so big, the minimum wage debate is a small pocket of that.

there are a small number of people earning the minimum wage. it is fantastic for those earning it, it doesn't do anything for people who don't have a job. the conversation needs to be much broader about what we need to do to get the country back to full vibrancy rather than just -- host: the employer has a stake in it as well. hyder. -- hi there. caller: i want to call in reference for the other colors. host: go ahead. caller: good morning. responded to one of the earlier colors. -- callers. my daughter lost her job back in

october. her benefits are set to expire in june. it is important. she is getting nervous. she is out looking for employment. extension.get that i am looking forward to you having a guest on your show that speaks on that. we hardly hear anything about it. it is worrisome for her. she has worked all of her life and now she is out of a job. we just want to know. what is holding up legislation up? guest: what's holding it up is politics. i feel for your daughter's situation. it is a terrible worry to have. am i going to be able to have an income and put food on the table? it is an awful uncertainty.

i have no idea if it will happen or not. host: the republican response this week, is tim scott. he is talking about the topic of jobs. >> as we all know, the most afford an issue facing our issue is job creation. it is been that way for the last six years. instead of tackling the causes of unemployment and underemployment, politicians are focused on the effects and unmaking lyrical points. peopleld make sure that get a hand up. they need a solid foundation on which to stand. i grew up in poverty. i know the hard choices facing so many families every night. businesser small owner, i know the importance of ensuring the next generation of americans is the most well-trained and best educated workforce the world has ever seen.

there are currently 4 million open jobs in america. state of southy carolina. these are good jobs. reasons, theyof are unfilled. that is 4 million families that could sleep a little bit better at night. thousands of businesses to become more profitable and offer more opportunity. let us tackle this problem head-on. a more efficient system will ensure our workforce can compete and win in the 21st century. les p rocker c means more resources helping those in need rather than getting caught up in the quagmire. host: he is talking about job

training. guest: i'm not sure what the message is. long-termng is a solution. we are talking about a 20 to 30 year transition. that is a long-term solution for a short-term problem. thereing the notion that are all of these jobs just waiting to be filled and people don't have the skills, i would pushback against that notion. when the economy is booming and there are enough jobs, companies will find a way to give people the skills. there is enough demand for them and they will train you for them until you are ready to do it. -- it doesn't make sense. how competitive it is. it doesn't square with the

notion that employers are holding empty job fairs. is james from kentucky on our independent line. i don't understand. they have to advertise on tv to get people to work. people don't want to work. at fruit of the loom, where are the politicians at? i am 80 years old. these old men they have need to get out and get somebody up there they can do something. they think they own the country. they don't ever get out and see what is going on.

so many people are on disability and they run a business. it there's nothing really wrong with them. i won't keep you. i think these politicians need to get a couple of people in each city to get out and see what is going on with the money. i think the color represents the level of dissatisfaction seen throughout the program. this sense of dismay and satisfaction that people have with their own government. i am not sure what the way to fix that is. one way is for government to start be more responsible to needs. that washington is detached. aren't doing much for

people. host: looking at the demographics by race, guest: the everton american jobless rate is a shame and embarrassment for the country. 12%, we are talking about european level unemployment. muchse by just as proportionally as the average jobless rate. problems.l the hispanics have a higher rate. 7.9%. these kinds suggest that

we need targeted measures. we can target specific communities. we can address the problems that they have specifically rather than some kind of stimulus spending for its own sake. host: joseph from pennsylvania. caller: thank you for having me. i would like to address the last issue. the only way to help these , we used to have manufacturing in inner cities. have moved overseas to make products cheaper. we did put these people to work. we need manufacturing back in u.s. soil. congress has dropped the ball and are not doing their job

because it is their job to look out for the welfare of the people. if that means stopping when you factoring and products from , we need from overseas to put of tax on incoming products to make it fair for our factory corporations to exist. we can have manufacturing back on u.s. soil. elevate theed to labor protections. if that is another way of leveling the lane field is to charge tariffs. economists would say it is a terrible thing. the broader point is that in itms of the inner cities, should be the recovery and a

point of pride. there is so much potential. so many young people. if there was a little bit of chicagont, parts of have investments that have been made and you see blighted neighborhood hoods boom. host: let's build a high-speed rail. what about infrastructure spending by the government? guest: i don't know why it is such a difficult concept for washington to come to grips with. it goes back to your colors idea that all additions are detached. they don't have to deal with the infrastructure that you and i deal with everyday. they go through a different line. cars to and from. they don't usually take the subway. subway,ke the new york you know it could use some

repairs. if you travel by train in the united states, we are light years behind europe and china. those seem like obvious investments that could be made but they don't have any idea. host: james as a last call we will take on the segment. caller: thank you for being on the show. they key c-span for having pedro on about this very important topic. i agree that we are celebrating this job report and that is pathetic. in the clinton and bush years and reagan years we were generating 500,000 jobs a month. we have downgraded the standard. the regulatory environment has inhibited growth. regulations have set records in terms of registry.

that is made uncertainty for business. you have $2 trillion sitting on the sideline the canopy invested until the certainty is there. it is appallingly been sitting on the keystone pipeline for five years. the administration should be embarrassed by this. i appreciate pedro's writing on this. let's start of the final point. highlystone pipeline is politicized. i would rather not touch that. as far as regulations, you are that a ton from businesses. .here are two sides businesses will always complain about rules costing them something. that to comply with certain regulations and it will incur

cost. yet taken with a grain of salt. there are enough complaints about obamacare or environmental legislation that is to be something there. at the same time, i think if you had a booming economy that uncertainty would be secondary to the prospect of profits. the regulatory requirements play a secondary role in returning the recovery. host: these figures came out about the economy. with an excellent we should be looking at to gauge her we are in the economy? will see if economic growth in the first quarter grows. economist want to see if it picks up.

we will look at the same monthly reports. the jobs number is the key one. when you have a job, life is a lot better. pedro is from the wall street journal. thank you for your time. the associated press reports that china says a ship looking for the malaysia airline plane has detected a pulse signal. that is news to just came across the wire. hour, we are going to offer some experts to give you some tax advice.

we will take your questions as washington journal continues. ♪ >> let's take a case. in that, there was a deferred prosecution agreement. they admitted that they had laundered as much as $850 million for south american drug cartels. not only do they commit minor financial infractions and technical infractions, they were operating as a narcotics bureau.

this is a major criminal enterprise. they admitted it. if they didn't fund the evidence to put them in jail, that is on them. that is a failure of the regulatory system. if you have somebody that you know is guilty, who were in league with violent people and helping them worst --the worth worst kinds of behavior, nobody does a single day in jail. that is outrageous. it is more outrageous when you compare it to who does go to jail in america. those are people at the very bottom of the illegal drug a pyramid. people who are caught with possession. they are caught selling dime bags on the corner. they go to jail for five years or 10 years. they do real-time. off with nothing.

book explores injustice in america. >> c-span, for 35 years bringing you public affairs events from washington. putting you in the room for congress. we offer gavel-to-gavel coverage of the u.s. house as a public service a private industry. we are c-span. greeted by the cable tv industry 35 years ago and brought to as a boat service by your local cable or satellite provider. watch us and hdmi caps on facebook. us in hd and like us on facebook. about taxre talking preparation.

what should people be doing if they are not done? gettingthey should be it done. they don't have much time. it is easy to get an extension if you can't get it done by the 15th. most people don't have to file a form. you pushed the deadline back to october. you don't have to file it if you have a refund coming which 75% of americans do. make some strains alike in on the form, the 15th doesn't matter. it is time to sit down. it always comes this time. it can pizza with the final poor -- it competes with the final four. host: are there things that have changed? almost nothing has changed. there will be changes coming up next year because things will

expire. the tax code is almost identical. you can look at last year and it is a great roadmap for where they will be this year. host: we talk about the overlooked elections. i came up with a short list. some of the things like state loans,ax, student military reservist travel, paid to ans, jury employer. most employers continue to pay salary when you're called for judy -- jury duty. the exchange is we want that $50 fee to the city pays you. you have to pay that back. $50.an do that that it goes on the 1040. there is no line for it during

you have to write in jury duty and added in. -- note fromat your employer. it is not a big thing. the little things add up. host: our guest will be with us to give you advice on tax preparation. if you have questions you can call us. you can send this e-mail at @c-span.org. repairersofessional are required to file. of the 45 million who do their own, they are using software.

very few people are doing a paper and pencil returns. the irs loves that. a lot of mistakes that slowdown refunds are made by taxpayers or the irs people who type in the numbers. if you eliminate that irs part, it speeds things up. of tax software. for years we were helping them get things clear so they could get to the returns. the irs will give you software on their website with a program called free file. there are many programs you can choose from and they are free. you can submit it online. isn't sophisticated enough if you have cavitated systems? caller: it really is. if you're sophisticated enough to follow the instructions.

i am stunned at how sophisticated software is. if you make a mistake it will catch it for you. three kids you have but you didn't claim the child credit. both block and turbotax have special programs for businesses. they extend a lot of money every year making sure it is up-to-date. we have worked with them for 20 years. it is really sophisticated. the prices come down. i really recommend it to anybody who is doing their own return. host: if a person is worried about audit, should they be? caller: if you are cheating on your taxes i want you to be audited. most people don't. the home-office adduction, people say that is a red flag for an audit. more people claim it each year

then everybody who is audited. if you deserve that deduction and you do if you use part of your home for your business, you deserve this detection. take it. if you get audited, what is the worst thing that can happen? that is been simplified. the vast majority of audits do not involve some becoming a knocking on your door. it is a letter. ofwant these three pieces substantiation. please mail them to us. if you have those, what are you looking at? you can't make up numbers. if you have the backup. host: greg is in cleveland ohio. guest: good morning. i am in some tax trouble. i owed them somebody

from that. i haven't worked consistently. worked two years and didn't work a year. sincen't filed my taxes 2006. what will be the west -- best way of fixing my problem? should i go through a lawyer. which would be the best wait for me to help fix my situation? caller: the first thing you should do is go to an accountant. i don't think you need a lawyer. it depends on how much money you made over those years. every year the irs talks about how much money they have sitting people did not file returns. after three years the claim goes away.

they have hundreds of millions of dollars waiting for taxpayers who did not file who should have to get money back. ,f you owed the money from that you need to go to somebody and find him on his you owed them. the 800 number drives me crazy. the irs is not going to wipe out a debt if you have income to pay it. if you're insolvent, they will cut you a deal. i would say go to an accountant. you probably don't have the information that you really need. try to reconstruct what you owe. you might be pleasantly surprised. go kiev account. block. here is the deal. you.hat they will charge they will help you figure out.

irs willing to work with people? here horrore stories. in general, they have simplified their processes for adjusting people. the irs wants to get that money. there is no blood from a stone. they're not going to put you in jail. maybe a dozen people go to jail for tax fraud. you see a celebrity that is in trouble. the irs is reasonable. host: tom is coming from maryland. --ler: host: william, good morning. caller: i have two questions. the first is where your restrictions when the ducting expenses from ronald property?

the second question is one of ae requirements to have parent as your dependent on your tax return. guest: on rental property, congress decided that rather -- rental properties were tax shelters. that will be no problem whatsoever. income onpe out your the rental income. if you can claim a depends on if you are interacting -- actively involved in the rental. you don't have to be worried about fixing up. deductdo that, you can $25,000 of losses. that loss begins to diminish if you're losses can't be deducted this year.

they are carried over for future years and you can use them if you have income in the future to offset. parent, they can't earn more than $3900. social security does not cap. they don't have to live with you since they are relative. i can live in a nursing home. they can't have more than $3900 in income. a deduction on your return. host: this is isabella. what about a fulbright scholarship? guest: i don't know the fulbright. i don't know. i used to know. the expenses are probably not the. double. it is not a job. i can't remember. i know the nobel prize is

taxable. scholarships are generally not unless you are required to work in order to get the scholarship. issue in theey northwestern unionizing for football. employeest treated as , the scholarship money they are getting is going to be considered income and they will have to pay taxes on it. you're required to do service if it is taxable. host: she says it is a research grant. ralph is in california. caller: my question is about veterans. onlyson who receives service-connected disability filee, how would they

their taxes or if they would need to? this: i and not sure about one. i have not looked into that. iseral disability income taxable if the employer paid for the insurance. if you paid a disability policy your self, i am sorry i don't know the answer. you should call the irs. i am sorry. i don't know. one of our producers found a page. purposes, a fellowship may be defined as the following characteristics.

the irs has a full page. let's go to angela in nebraska. caller: good morning. my question is does it make any difference who prepares your return as far as the final numbers go? my other question is why do you have to list as income any refunds that you got the previous year? guest: those are both quick questions. most people do not have to list as income the refund they got from the state of the previous year. the only people who have to who itemizeeople

deductions the previous year. when they itemize, they claim did actions. the refund means that the election was too big. the government makes you chew it up the following year. if you claim the standard deduction, it is tax-free. it is yours. as far as who prepares, you can take it to different places. sooner or later the irs will catch up with him. they can make a difference. go to someone who is honest and been around for a while and will be there after april 15. you have to be careful about these shops that show up in february and disappear on april 16. how will you find them if they made a mistake? you need somebody who has had experience. ask them how long they have been

doing it. you don't have to have a license. congress tobegged force prepares to take courses and prove that they are competent and have a license. the courts as the irs is that have the authority to do that by themselves. congress can't get around to giving them the authority. there are a lot of bad apples out there in the preparer community. the: there's a full page at army website. it lists everything you need to know about your tax situation what you are responsible for. taxes on yourl benefits. it should be able to get some answers there. the next call is from florida. is ar: my concerning

parent can give their child $14,000 without being taxed on the money. how does that work? you have to report it. it exists are one reason. to -- to what you do give all your money away in your lifetime. everybody gets 5.3 million dollars they can give away in your lifetime with no tax. and eat intothat state tax exemption. anybody can give up to $14,000 a year and you don't have to file. $14,000, nobody was to hear about it.

this is the thing that people get confused by. giveband and wife can $28,000. they can get $14,000 a piece of their own assets. you do have to file a form that says the husband promises he won't get anything because she used up his $14,000. no it was to hear about it. it is owed by the giver. the recipient never has to pay almost nobody pays it because watching over $14,000, very few of us are in that category. you can tweak this. pat is and i will.

two questions. pay my child if i student loans, i can deduct the interest even though that child could pay? guest: you cannot deducted. he can. for years nobody could deduct in your situation. you have to be legally obligated to pay it. paide past, when a parent student loans, nobody got a deduction. your son or daughter can deduct it. you don't have to itemize to do you have a

second question? you have any suggestions for how one could ?ind where to take their rmd that is a required minimum distribution. ira holder reaches 70, the irs has been waiting for years to tax this money. you have to figure out your rmd based on the total of all three the you have together. figure how much has to come out based on your life expectancy. they will help you choose which one. it is a tough question. withdraw the investment that are earning the least. be careful not to screw up your asset allocation.

you don't want to end up with nothing but stocks. let's say you are 50% stocks and 50% bonds. from each ofounts those so the allocation stays the same and your risk in the stock market does not go up does it matter what kind of an ira you have? guest: they only apply to traditional iras. if you have a roth ira it does not. you can leave it in there forever. one of the great advantages of if youas. with a roth, don't need the money, you can leave it in there. a traditional ira, you have to take a certain amount out each year. you do have to pay taxes on it. when you die, a goes to your heirs and they have to pay taxes on their withdrawal.

kiplinger has been around since the 1920's. it is the longest published newsletter for investors. it started 1923. in we are still around great we are really proud of that. a lot of print journalism has gone out of business. we are still here. we serve millions of people every month with advice. topic?axes are a big guest: if it has to do with your pocket book, we cover it. what is the amount that

you can't deduct as a charity donation without having to itemize? guest: there is no channel contribution at all on itemize deductions. about 10 years ago thomas congress allowed $250 to be deducted. people questioned the value of that. take the standard deduction. they give us that so we don't have to itemize. that is supposed to take care of your charitable contributions. the only reason people itemize as if they have qualifying expenses that exceed that amount. would doubleamp's the standard induction. he would get rid of a lot of

deductions. mean between 90 and 95% of people would take the standard deduction nobody would have to worry about itemization. there is no charitable contribution unless you itemize. gets ao if a man settlement of several million dollars, what are the implications? guest: the question is what kind of settlement it is. there are different kinds of judgments that are tax-free. in general, a settlement is several million dollars. let's say you win $5 million in the lottery. that $5 million is taxable this year, in full. you will pay 39.6%. host: the person who won that payment, right off the bat? guest: they will withhold 20% of it. it is gambling winnings.

you will have a big tax bill. but you will still have a lot of money. host: it is a one-time event? guest: some settlements too are paid out this way. you pay the taxes over a number of years. you take the $435 million right now. the figure will only be $200 million. it totals up to that. the government will take half of it between state and federal. you are down to $100 million. they do not get any more of it. host: you are talking with kevin mccormally. hi. caller: i have a question regarding dependent children and working. in 20112, my son had a summer job. he earned close to $4000. when he went to file --

his employer took out taxes. he went to request his financial aid. it was held up because they said his income affected the amount of his aid. we had a whole big issue that your. he worked again this summer. he did not earn as much. the employer did not take out taxes. now, my question is, do i claim him? does he claim himself? who claims who? how do i make sure that his working will not affect his financial aid? host: you cannot do that. when they do the financial aid form, they look at how much the parent should pay based on the parent's income. and they figure out how much the udent should be able to pay. that will always go on the fafsa

form. if he is earning money, that could affect his aid. it has to be on the form. as for who pays him -- it does not matter that he is working. if you are providing 50% of the support -- when you claim him, he does not claim himself. personal exemption. he does get a standard deduction up to the amount -- he has to be careful about that. if they do not have earned income, they do not get a standard direction. or you do get one based on how much you earn. file. probably needs to not claimly can his own exception. but he will get an exemption that will blank out any taxi owes. -- tax he owes.

they will treat kids as independent contractors so they do not have to pay their social security tax. that you special form can file with the irs that says i should be treated as an emplo yee. i only have to pay half of my tax. then the irs will go after the employer. host: lisa from california, your next. caller: good morning. i have two questions. hello?f all, host: go ahead, you are on. caller: i was one of the ones who was unemployed for a long time, since 2008. before i was unemployed, i took care of my godson. i did not have custody of him. his mom was gone and he lived with me. i counted my daughter on my taxes.

said i my taxes and they needed to establish guardianship. now i know taxes. -- i owe taxes. i did not pay taxes while i was unemployed. should i go back? since 2008? or do i leave it alone? guest: you owe taxes in those years? if you have benefits that are considered taxable income now, you probably need to see an accountant and see how much money was involved in figure out the easiest way to settle up. i amr the second question, confused as to why they say you have to have guardianship to claim these children. that sounds like what you're doing. if you provide more than half of their support, a relative does not have to live with you --

, if the your godchild child lives with you, i do not understand why you cannot claim them. when you talk to an accountant by your others you, ask this question too. host: chad, south carolina. caller: hi. thank you for being here. guest: you're welcome. caller: my question is -- i am one of those underemployed individuals. i do not make enough money to qualify for the affordable care act. i am going to get hit with a tax next year. i understand there's some way to get an extension. how do you go about getting that? isst: well, if your income too low to qualify for subsidy, you want to be eligible for medicaid. that counts as --

it should not be a problem. if you're income is too low -- low, thatcome is too should put you into medicaid. that counts as coverage. i do not think you would have a problem. wait a few weeks for this backlog, but call the exchange in your state and ask that question. what role does the irs play in the affordable care act? to fixi encourage people their withholding so they do not have a big refund next year. the irs is charged with enforcing the affordable care act. this is a tax. every employer will have to report next year whether their employees have coverage. if you are self-employed, you have to report. the irs has to figure out what subsidies people are receiving on their premiums. which more or less they deserve.

they have to estimate their 2014 income. they have this enormous job that nobody is talking about. i hope they can make it work better than the website. i think it will be a messed up filing season next year. it is up to the irs to enforce this requirement for people to have coverage. the reason i talk about refunds -- at kiplinger, we have a cool calculator on our website. it will show you based on this refund this year, how much you should claim on your w-4. it is easy to use and it helps people. way thet year, the only irs can enforce the affordable care act is by withholding refunds. wisdoms decided in its that if you owe a bunch of money -- you have too big of a subsidy. you underestimate your income.

they can take your refund next year. they cannot send you a bill for the rest of the money. they do not want the irs and forcing us. so, i encourage people not to have refunds next year. host: will people get help from the affordable care act? guest: it is people getting subsidies, yes. host: most people -- guest: most people are getting employer coverage. people, we could have 10-15,000,000 people next year. host: next year, you will have information? ok. year, you will see a figure that shows how much your employer paid for your health insurance last year. look at that. it is a shocking figure. i pay several hundred dollars. mr. kiplinger pays over $1000 per month for his chair.

people will be shocked. that is not taxable. a lot of people are worried that it will be taxed. for now, it is not. next year, there will be a place that shows whether you have coverage. host: littleton, colorado, hello. caller: good morning. i have a question concerning scholarships. my grandson achieved a scholarship with money that was put in his account for tuition and books and pocket money. first question, does he have to file income tax? what portion of income tax? guest: first, you mentioned pocket money. that could be taxable. this cool should send him a form saying how much that scholarship is taxable.

then he has to look and see if he has enough income to file. onre is a form, a worksheet the 1040 that you can find online at irs.gov. it shows the income amounts that trigger a filing requirement. he needs to look at that number and see if he has to file. the only reason he needs to is if he had a summer job and the money helped his paycheck. the first thing is to see what part of the scholarship is taxable. and the pocket money could be -- tuition should be tax-free. room and board could be, pocket money is definitely taxable. go to the office and ask -- compared to the other income. host: up next, wisconsin.

mike, go ahead. caller: thank you, c-span. i have a question. i have a nondependent son. i gave him $4000 to pay for his andemergency room visits rent. he files taxes and itemizes. how does he get money back with no income? doesn't that raise a red flag for the irs? theseemize all of deductions. guest: well, if he does not have income -- you cannot show a loss. if he shows no income, he does not need to file. you cannot get a tax deduction -- a deduction reduces the amount of taxes. if you have no income, that can

help. host: does that do it for you? caller: he has the $14,000 from me. guest: that is not taxable income. he does not have to report that income. on the 1040, you report your income. on schedule a, you report your taxes. asause you start out with 0 income, you cannot have a loss. you cannot get a refund. no tax has been paid in. there is no free funds to pay out. if he does not have a job, he cannot get the earned income credit, which is how people get a refund with social security taxes. if he has no income, there is no tax consequence, period. host: linda says if i was driving to where my mom lived in

an assisted living home to help care, can i claim cost of this expense? guest: i don't think so. you can claim medical mileage if you provide for your own care. for you to go visit, that is not deductible. host: charles, georgia, hi. caller: thank you for taking my call. i don't know if you can help me. my question is about taxation of foreign pensions. my wife is a naturalized citizen of colombia. she is drawing a small pension from the work she did their. she is trying to report in the right way and follow the law. i do not know if they give you a tax accounting at the end of the year. just trying to do the right thing here. question about foreign pension. she is now a naturalized citizen. guest: i know that the tax losses that americans must pay

tax under worldwide income. i assume that the pension is taxable. the one issue is that if colombia withholds some taxes from her payment -- countries do that on investment income. theyd money in france, will withhold 20% of your dividend. you get a foreign tax credit on that. the thing you need to check is whether colombia is holding any from that payment. the rule in the u.s. is that you are taxed on your worldwide income. that income is taxable in this country. i am 99% sure it is taxable. host: a lot of people now live in underwater homes. are there tax concerns? guest: there are if they sell the home.

there is a strange thing in the wall that says if there is any forgive -- if you send the keys back to the sale whereo a short the bank allows you to sell the home for less than you owe -- in general, they will say that you got $50,000 worth of income. that is forgiven debt, considered income. form, and youc are supposed to pay tax. congress passed a law during the housing crisis that said $2 million of forgiven debt on a principal residence is tax-free. that applies to 2013. people right now have something to worry about if they are in that situation. there are two other issues here. if you are insolvent -- the debt is canceled, it is not taxable income.

you also have to watch out for what kind of mortgage you have. what is called records and one is nonrecourse. a recourse mortgage means that the bank can take your house. you are personally liable. the nonrecourse loan says the bank may deal with you. if you don't pay your mortgage, they can take your house. if you have a nonrecourse loan, there is no forgiven debt, there is no income tax. in california, there are nonrecourse loans. it depends on local law and what you have sold. congress and women in extend that exception for 2014 -- most of those people are ok. the other issue is that folks have to keep making their payments. what if someone got assistance through the hand or hureart program?

guest: those to elections are tax-free. host: megan from illinois, good morning. caller: back in the early 1980's, when iras first came out, i bought an annuity ira. several years past and i rolled that into an ira through schwab. that was after-tax money. at that time, they did not have the roth program. how do i address that? i am 66 and i am looking toward that 70.5 rmd situation. what do i do? guest: you need to keep track of how much that costs you. this happened to a lot of people before roth came around.

you cannot deduct your contributions through traditional ira's. a lot of people put after-tax money into ira's. when that money comes out, a portion of each withdrawal is tax-free. you should have a form from when it went in. if you paid $2000 -- let's say you have $2000 in after-tax money. you have to start taking rmd's and you had $50,000. make it simpler for me, say you had $10,000. $2000 is 20% of $10,000. that is a tax-free withdrawal. 80% is taxable. you have to do the math every year. be careful. it is a bear when it comes to be hearing out how much you have to pay tax on. do not overtax yourself. host: from chicago, beverly.

caller: hi, good morning to you. in the late 1980's, when the student loan crash happened, my husband was at elkins institute. the school closed with no notice at all. he was never able to get copies of his transcript. he got stuck with a bad student loan. the school was in everybody's name. the government claimed that loans for everyone. i have never been able to claim him on my taxes, because i was told that if i put him on my internal revenue code take the bad student loan out of my refund. is that true? i have never been able to put him on my taxes. i really should. he is incapacitated. i don't knowow, how much money is involved in the loan -- you have been told correctly.

if you file a joint return and one spouse has a tax debt, the irs can take the refund from that joint return to cover the debt. thisif you have been doing for 14 or 15 years, and passing up claiming returns -- i think you might have overdone it. all i can suggest is go to an accountant and take a look. they might amend your returns for the last three years. you can do that. file a joint return. the tax savings you get for doing that might more than make up for the tax debt. i do not know the dollar amount, but you have interesting advice. so many years have passed. it could be bad advice. host: kevin mccormally -- married same-sex couples will file for the first time. is their situation different than a heterosexual couple?

guest: the big challenge they for is determining returns the three years that they have been married. the irs has said that anybody who is married -- same-sex marriages legal, it is now considered marriage. they must file as a married person, filing jointly or separately. mostly, it will benefit them. them, they will run into when heterosexual couples have been complaining about. they will have to find out whether it makes sense to go returns.011 or 2010 and find out if filing then would have saved the money. they can get a refund back to the original due date.

to dore not required this, but they can if it saves them money. definitely look at that. how much will it cost them and how much effort, and is it worth it? host: william in massachusetts, good morning. caller: do you file for social security disability? guest: depends on how much you have. social security disability is taxable. the way social security works is, only if your income is over $25,000 is any of your social security taxable. that threshold includes taxable benefits. if it is below that -- it is $32,000 for a married person. disability insurance is like retirement payments. threshold,over that up to 85% of your benefits can be taxed. never can more than 85% be taxed.

overicks in if you are $34,000 as a single person or $44,000 on a joint return. it depends how much you have. pull out your forms. host: a viewer from e-mail says we are five siblings. we're going to a family homestead. how do we report the income and expenses on our tax forms? we will all be actively involved in the property. guest: basically, a partnership, i believe each of you reports 20% of income and deductions. it will be a pain, but if you treat it this way -- au don't have to become liability company. it can be straightforward. keep the record. the irs might ask. if you are it equally, 20% each. host: jay from california, high.

. caller: my question -- a caller asked about when you can claim a parent. my wife is a naturalized citizen and her father lives in peru. we pay about 100% of his care. i am wondering if there is any way to claim a parent who is not in this country and has no social security. guest: i do not believe so. look at the irs website for dependents. one rule is they must be a u.s. citizen or a resident of canada, mexico, or the u.s. peru, you're out of luck, sorry. that is one of the requirements for dependency. a citizen anywhere or a resident of canada, mexico, or the u.s. host: glenda, you're up next from texas. caller: on the cadillac tax, i heard about this.

how does that cadillac tax apply? how much money do you have to make? how much does your insurance have to be for it to apply to you? guest: great question. i do not have that figure in my head. this is a tax on high quality medical insurance plans. the government has decided that they are giving too much care. i believe that the value of those plans -- it does not go into effect until 2016. nobody is sure what the dollar amount will be. when they passed the law three years ago, impact for medical cost -- it is really high level. some executives in corporations may be hit by it. with really sweet insurance policies might be hit by it. but, that is still up in the air. still a couple of years away.

it will hurt very few people. we have a very good plan that does not affect us. it will be really high quality medical plans. the exact dollar amount, i am not sure. it will be on how much money the employer is paying for the insurance. host: judy from new york, hi. caller: thank you for taking the calls. i have a question regarding convergence of traditional ira's, funded with deductible after-tax money and converting that to rosth ira. we had learned that this was a possibility to get into a routth ira if your income is over the limit for a roth. i want to make sure that i do things correctly so that money will remain tax-free. -- question too

do you have recommendations on how to find a good accountant? guest: go to kiplinger.com. it is a great idea for a lot of people. you have to pay tax on the amount of money that you convert. there is a calculator that you can type in. you do have to report the amount of money moving from traditional to roth. then you have to pay taxes on it. it goes into your taxable income for the year. then you'll have that form and it will prove that it is a roth. anything coming into that will be tax-free for retirement. i am concerned about making sure that it remains a roth. you have toon is -- figure out what your taxable income for the year. if it is just enough to take you up to that cost of the tax bracket --

top,u are $25,000 from the convert 25,000. the extra would be in the tax bracket. wait until next year and do some more. do it over a period of years. finding a good accountant -- find someone with similar financial situations, the kinds of jobs and kids. if you own a home business. find people who are similar to you. that is the best way to do it. couldsomeone asked if you be exempted from paying the affordable care act tax if you were a state that did not extend medicaid benefits. guest: no. you have to go back into the exchanges to get your spirits -- insurance. host: rebecca in stillwell, oklahoma. caller: i have a high deductible health plan.

i cannot figure out where to put the deposits that my insurance company makes into my hsa. it does not go on line 2 or 9 or 10. i'm not sure where to put that. guest: why is your insurance putting it into your account? caller: my insurance company takes a portion of my -- i'm sorry. i can hear you. guest: i am waiting for your question. caller: they take a portion of my premium and put it into my hsa. i am showing that as income. i do not know where to put that on the form, to report it. i don't have to pay taxes on it. i do not pay taxes on my rhenium. -- premium.

it is not deductible to meet, because everything has already been paid. guest: i have not filled out that form. i cannot help you, i am sorry. i am confused by it. i know it is confusing to a lot of people. you have to report your contributions and the employer's contributions. host: anything we should be aware of tax wise in 2014? started covering texas 35 years ago, we were working with the code of 1954. in 1986, we got forms -- now we work with 1986. that is 32 years. nothing is happening until 2018. that is when 32 years is up. it will be gridlock this year. congress cannot pass this plan. paul ryan has his plan. boehner says blah, blah.

the republicans cannot agree. going forward, the law will stay the same as it is. for this year, and probably for next year and the year after. play by the rules, take advantage of breaks. we have so much tax information on kiplinger.com. we can save you a lot of money. offeringin mccormally tax advice. as always, thank you. coming up, we will take a short session of open phones. first, we will get you prepared for next week in congress. our reporter talked with a reporter here at c-span. [video clip] >> david drucker is the senior correspondent for washington examiner with a look at the week ahead. congress is back for one more week of work he for their

ryan's resolution to the floor. can you tell us what is in the proposal? >> i think you will see the debate throughout the week. they will vote on that before they leave for recess at the end of the week. i think the most notable effect of the budget is that it increases defense spending beyond what the president has asked for. given that republicans have been divided on defense spending and the fact that they have been very concerned about the budget, even where it relates to defense spending, i thought this was interesting. i suspect that you will see the usual debate over the budget with democrats. republicans will say wonderful things about it. at the end of the day, it is likely to pass. it will go nowhere from there, but it gives republicans an agenda to run on. and it draws a contrast on fiscal issues with democrats. >> in your recent article on house gop trying to break

free, how does the leadership land to do that? what type of lobbying is underway? >> i really do not think it is a tough sell, to be honest. i think that republicans are eager to pass something, anything that can show that they are not just against the president's agenda. if you listen to paul ryan and how he has discussed his budget, it is interesting to note -- have asked him why he has bothered to do this in an election year. it will not pass the senate anyway. he says a number of times, unprompted, that the republican party needs to be a proposition party and not an opposition party. if you can get beyond this, the jingoism is that republicans as theen for trade often party of no, with no ideas to

help the middle class. they do not feel that way. they do not believe that is the case. a lot of republicans really want to legislate. that is one of the reasons you are seeing them come up with a budget. there is no reason for them to do so politically. that is what i was looking at an article. i think that is why -- not only because chairman ryan is close with many members. it is not just like he slapped it together and said what do you think? the way he usually works with this is that he consults with members as he puts it together so there are no suppressive. i don't think it will have any problem passing. that is why they are going through this exercise. we will not hear much about this budget from a legislative standpoint once it finishes next week in the house. >> there's also an article on how democrats will make the budget a defining issue in the upcoming election season.

can republicans look forward to any support from democrats? >> no. democrats havese a different view of budgeting at the federal level. there is not much they agree on. the ryan a budget agreement that we are living under is notable for the fact that the two sides were able to come together to pass this thing. when you are looking at a bunch therecuments like this -- is just no reason for that support. you might see a few around the edges. there are democrats that want to embrace this. there's just so much in the house republican budget that the democrats do not like. there unlikely to support something that they do not like in this regard. >> let's turn to the senate. they are scheduled to vote monday evening on an extension of unemployment benefits. how can they reach agreement

with that vote? moving ahead to the final passage. what is likely to happen to the measure when it hits the house? >> you have senate republicans who have been negotiating on unemployment extensions. it istain states, something that is very much needed. you had the senator from nevada. he was negotiating with the senator from colorado. you have other republicans getting involved. when they finally got around to figuring out how to pay for it, or what other cuts to make to support the cost -- and you figured out a few other fives, you are able to get republicans that you needed to get the second across the foinih line. what do republicans want --

with the attachment of some of their jobs related bills, reforms to job programs, the democrats have not been supportive. you have to get senate democrats to agree so that this thing can get through in that way. it will get them back to the summit that way. =-- senate that way. there have been some states affected. they are asking leadership to reconsider a way to get this done. whether or not that happens, i do not know. republicans do not think that this extension is good for job creation. they think that it helps -- it hurts the people it is designed to help. there is more resistant. inthe senate could work legislation on pay equity and raising the minimum wage. what is the status of those bills? >> there is still some issues

with the senate democrats on minimum wage. i do not think they are on the same page. until they do, that is the first step. you need to see a get through the senate. i do not think we see much chance of a republican house passing it. it will damage job creation, cause more unemployment. from a matter of philosophy and public policy, republicans do not like it. it may have some legs in the democratic senate, but i do not know that it will even get through their. i don't see it. >> david drucker is in the washington examiner, a congressional correspondent. thank you for joining us. journal"ington continues. host: for the remainder of our show, open phones.

the numbers to contact us are on the screen. if you want to send us a tweet, wj, or sendso @cspan us an e-mail. late pulled from the associated press takes a look at this coming november race. key findings from the march poll talk about the presidential field. control of congress is tight. in last months poll say they would rather see democrats in charge of congress. 32% said republicans. democrats held a narrow advantage in january. registeredpoll, voters who are most troubling interested favor the republicans by 14 percentage points. 51% to 37%.

this group was evenly split in january. that is the result of a new associated press gfk poll, looking at politics. usingn comment on that the numbers on your screen. host: we will look through some of the papers this morning. the new york times looks at campaign contributions and political parties. they are reporting that it is not yet clear which party will benefit from a ruling. contributionsive in federal elections during the 2014 cycle --a paper by a stanford professor and a lawyer

exceeded 1800 donors may the limit in the 2012 election. the earliest beneficiaries are likely to be senior lawmakers, like nancy pelosi and john boehner. they are wired to their party's top donors. they typically struggle more to raise money in years with no presidential election. the democratic national committee reported debts of $15.2 million at the end of february. his republican counterpart helped to bankroll a lawsuit. information about that case is available on our website. just type that in and everything we will have on their, you can find out. we are starting with victoria from oregon on the democrats line. the morning. -- good morning.

caller: a couple of comments about previous discussions. extending unemployment benefits -- you probably are shifting people from one safety net to another. i am sure that these people have other social service programs. i know that vietnam veterans -- we go to luncheons every month. one of them runs a food pantry. these guys collect about $500 per month for the food pantry. the need is so great. it is because people have lost their last stopgap margin of safety. one other comment -- wage stagnation. i have a friend who is an occupational therapist. in 1978, before she went back to school, she went to work in a warehouse. $12 per hour in 1978. warehouse, $11

per hour. look at any quality. inequality. host: eddie from texas. caller: hi, how are you doing? i would like to point out your earlier guests said that it does not matter how much these people import or export. it does matter. if you stop the rich from taking their money overseas and hiring people for one dollar per hour. and taxes come back into the government. we could do our infrastructure that way host: a story on the tea party this morning. they aim to oust incum bents, but fall short. this shows a picture of lindsay graham. it says he is among eight incumbent senators who gave the

challenge at the start of the year. now, only one of them, is locked in a heated race. the incumbents are not all totally safe. particularly mr. graham, who could face a runoff. the most formidable challengers stood down. a new generation of republicans have moved into the senate as part of a concerted backlash against mr. obama. officials have become identified with confrontation, not compromise. more of that story is available from the new york times this morning. charlie in new york, republican line. caller: pedro, i have a serious question. why does "washington journal" take calls from these building 7 net jobs? host: we allow all types of calls to come in.

that is our commitment to free speech and a dialogue about issues. it is an organized effort and we recognize that. caller: do you understand that to plant explosives on september 10, 2001, you had to know that the world trade center would be attacked on september 11? you do understand that? somebody had to know about the attacks to plant the explosives. host: anything else you would like to add? caller: you get these people legitimacy when you put them on the air. you make c-span look stupid. host: pennsylvania, karen. onler: i wanted to comment the supreme court decision on finance contributions. i don't understand how a decision -- one man has changed political history in this country.

we have not seen a democracy for quite a while. this is the last straw. the poor, the middle-class class, nobody gets represented in congress anymore. it is insane. it was one man's decision. host: what do you think are the long-term implications? caller: i think we are doomed. there is no more democracy here. host: john from indianapolis, indiana. independent line. caller: our country has a lot of problems. we had three main problems. if we address them, it would go a long way to help. that ift, we all know you have money coming can buy your way out of trouble. the second, from washington dc to indiana -- mainstreet usa -- the people who make the laws and

the people who enforce the law, and a whole bunch who call themselves municipal employees -- laws do not apply to them. they police themselves. c-span3 onn2 and weekends turn into book tv and american history tv. segments and information specifically tailored to cities across the united states. this is part of a project that has been ongoing for the local content vehicles. we travel around to different cities and talk to authors and people to get a snapshot of what life is like there. that is happening all weekend long. tv, you 4:30 on book can get a look at the literary life of and, -- bend, oregon. acluding a look at atellier,

local bookbinding studio. here is some of that interview. [video clip] i my name is julie winter and am here at a-6. we are in bend, oregon. this is a nonprofit organization. our mission is to advance printmaking and book arts. they are vital contemporary art forms. we do that through making book projects with local authors and we do that through workshops through students -- high school students, adults. we bring in artists and have workshops with artists doing different book arts or printmaking. book arts is handmade books. books that are made that are not just traditional books. they could be unbound or bound. all sorts of different structures, from accordion to flag to traditional bound books

that lay flat when you open. art altogether and handmade. is also the structure of the book that is part of the art. the paper that you use, whether there is text or no text -- it is all of that. it is an unending world to discover and create. pretty amazing. host: that is just a sampling of things that you can learn about weekend onn this book tv and american history tv. we invite you to go to c-span.org to find out more. franklin is up next. i think he has left us. jimmy, waco, texas. caller: good morning and thank you for taking my call. please direct me if i am wrong -- president obama, one of the

things he ran on was social security. i have not heard anything. there were a couple of bills they try to put through. host: you mean preserving the solvency of social security? caller: gop. host: why are you concerned about that? caller: because social security was not given a lot to start with. trying to take two thirds of what i am supposed to get. that is roughly 300 or $400 per month. they trynnot see why to take my money. this is money that i put in. i don't understand that. host: what would you like to see done with it? caller: i want it repealed. money that i worked in put into it -- my federal retirement was taken out.

i worked for the government back in 1994. they want to take two thirds of my social security. host: minneapolis, minnesota -- independent line. caller: i would like to talk about the tea party. i call them the tea club. tarnish.nds for the key is for hatred -- the e is for hatred. and the a is abhorrance. they are made of skinheads, ku klux klan -- hatemongers and destroyers who wish to go back to the government of an eye for an eye. ohio, republican line. caller: i want to talk about minimum wage. host: go ahead. caller: i lost my job six months

ago. i have a minimum wage job. this is my penance. -- opinion. raising the minimum wage will not do any good. we will get more taxes. once they raise the minimum wage, everything will cost more. the only ones that will make out on this is the government. they will get more taxes in. that is why the democrats are working so hard on this. thank you, pedro. next this is george up from connecticut. independent line. host: -- caller: i would like to make a comment about our federal tax system. if we were to change our tax tax, ito a fair, flat would control congress and social services. there would be no more irs.

it is not a democrat, republican, or independent thing. it is for all of us. i can prove that it would work. two of the largest economies in the world run on a fair, flat tax. texas and florida. that is about all i have to say. if you want to read more, go to fairflattax.org. times, lead story takes a look at the talks in the middle east. at u.s. will reassess status the risk of collapsing is the subhead -- israel and palestine are falling into tit for tat richer view shunts. john kerry conceded that this is been a reality check.

more than anything, it may have been a reality check for him. diplomacyt months of and dozens of trips, he was forced to of knowledge that he may have hit a wall too high for someone with seeming lee and less optimism. this was picked up in the financial times this morning, giving more scope to the story. in the past month, he has left the impression that he wants to talk far more than either of the parties. he has not offered large concessions. there was a former officer serving a life sentence for spying for israel. there will not be a peace process without john kerry, says a former state apartment official involved in negotiations. this makes the u.s. look desperate. i am sorry, hawaii --

from michigan. caller: i wanted to get your opinion quickly about unemployment expenses. it seems like the senate is willing to work to get things done. they have passed a procedural vote on wednesday. i am worried that the republicans in the house are not going to go for it. what is your opinion on this? host: i will not offer an opinion. why is this important? caller: i am looking at a possible eviction, within a month if i do not get help. there is over 2 million people in the country like me. culpeper,aig from virginia. independent line. caller: i wanted to talk about the supreme court decision on campaign finance. right now, the party of polluters --

the party who appears to be for the people -- the party for the polluters, they are the ones who get the advantage. that is probably true for now. they ought to consider what will happen in the future, when people realize how their environment is being affected by what is going on in the congress. there will come a day where money is going to the parties with people. instead of the parties of the polluters. then, maybe only then, will we get rid of this nonsense and have public financing of campaigns. host: additions to medicaid is a story in the national section. enrollment has increased by 3 million people to a total of 62 million, largely because of the affordable care act. thet half of the states,

story goes on to say, have expanded medicaid. in states where the expansion was in effect, enrollment increased by 8.3%. in states that have not expanded, enrollment was up 1.6%. one more call. danny from ohio. republican line. caller: i am calling to say that somebody called in about the tea party and said they were bad. to me, they are a good organization. i cannot see why people want to attack them. they're trying to stand up for the constitution of the united states. if you really want to get the economy going, we're spending -- we are standing on 2 million cubic feet of natural gas. we have more oil than saudi arabia. we have resources. god bless our nation with resources.

we have these environmental freaks who are concerned about saving a frog who crosses the road, rather than doing good for our nation. do you realize how may people we could put to work in this country with the? host: that is danny and he is the last caller. tomorrow, we will feature an hour that starts off with the midterm elections. then you will hear roben farzad, an author who looks at wall street issues. he will talk about high-frequency trading. you can learn more at 8:00. then we will be joined by michael from the brookings institution. he will talk about the current afghan elections. those subjects and your calls, as we come your way tomorrow at 7:00. see you then. [captioning performed by the

national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] >> coming up, a preview of today's presidential elections in afghanistan followed by a marine corps future with general james amos. testifying on the budget for the u.s. and foreign operations. let's take a case which got a $1.9 billion settlement levied at them.