Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Your Guide To The Looming Spending Cuts: Where They Came From And What They Will Mean
Your Guide To The Looming Spending Cuts: Where They Came From And What They Will Mean: The United States is rapidly approaching March 1, the date on which the automatic spending cuts put in place by the summer 2011 debt ceiling deal will begin taking effect. There is little indication that Congress will avert the cuts as it did in January, as Republican leaders have thus far been unwilling to negotiate [...]/p
The Cooperative Way to a Stronger Economy | Common Dreams
The Cooperative Way to a Stronger Economy | Common Dreams
"Co-ops—just like people—can get more done together than anyone can do alone. The good news is that co-ops come in many forms and are more common than you might imagine. They are owned by workers, residents, consumers, farmers, craftspeople, the community, or any combination. What they have in common is that they circulate the benefits back to their member-owners, and these benefits ripple out to the broader community."
"Co-ops—just like people—can get more done together than anyone can do alone. The good news is that co-ops come in many forms and are more common than you might imagine. They are owned by workers, residents, consumers, farmers, craftspeople, the community, or any combination. What they have in common is that they circulate the benefits back to their member-owners, and these benefits ripple out to the broader community."
Obama Administration Aims To Fix Loophole Letting Home Health Workers Make Less Than Minimum Wage
Obama Administration Aims To Fix Loophole Letting Home Health Workers Make Less Than Minimum Wage: The Obama administration is reviving its push to provide labor protections to home health workers who are often excluded from traditional labor law. According to The Hill, the administration will offer a final rule governing the home health industry soon: Enactment of the regulations, which are under final review at the White House, would represent [...]/p
Scale Implosion: After Ruining America, the Era of Giant Chain Stores Is Over | Common Dreams
Scale Implosion: After Ruining America, the Era of Giant Chain Stores Is Over | Common Dreams
"What we're on the brink of is scale implosion. Everything gigantic in American life is about to get smaller or die. Everything that we do to support economic activities at gigantic scale is going to hamper our journey into the new reality. The campaign to sustain the unsustainable, which is the official policy of US leadership, will only produce deeper whirls of entropy.
"What we're on the brink of is scale implosion. Everything gigantic in American life is about to get smaller or die. Everything that we do to support economic activities at gigantic scale is going to hamper our journey into the new reality. The campaign to sustain the unsustainable, which is the official policy of US leadership, will only produce deeper whirls of entropy.
I hope young people recognize this and can marshal their enthusiasm to get to work. It's already happening in the local farming scene; now it needs to happen in a commercial economy that will support local agriculture.
The additional tragedy of the big box saga is that it scuttled social roles and social relations in every American community. On top of the insult of destroying the geographic places we call home, the chain stores also destroyed people's place in the order of daily life, including the duties, responsibilities, obligations, and ceremonies that prompt citizens to care for each other."
Citizens United 2.0 To Go Before US Supreme Court
Citizens United 2.0 To Go Before US Supreme Court
"Because there's not enough money in politics and elections already, the United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the current biennial limits on individual campaign contributions. This time around, it's likely they'll bolster the Citizens United with a parallel decision lifting limits on what individuals may contribute to individual candidates, because money is speech, right?"
"Because there's not enough money in politics and elections already, the United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the current biennial limits on individual campaign contributions. This time around, it's likely they'll bolster the Citizens United with a parallel decision lifting limits on what individuals may contribute to individual candidates, because money is speech, right?"
Universal Theme Park Will Drop Health Coverage For Its Part-Time Workers To Avoid Obamacare
Universal Theme Park Will Drop Health Coverage For Its Part-Time Workers To Avoid Obamacare: Universal Orlando, a theme park resort in Florida that generates more than $1 billion dollars in annual revenue, plans to drop insurance coverage for its part-time employees at the end of this year — a tactic to avoid providing its workers with adequate health benefits under Obamacare. The health care reform law attempts to put [...]/p
Union Busting 2.0: Wisconsin Republicans Target Private Sector Unions They Previously Praised
Union Busting 2.0: Wisconsin Republicans Target Private Sector Unions They Previously Praised: When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) initiated a high-profile effort to bust his state’s public sector unions in 2011, he said that he had no interest in pursuing similar efforts against private sector unions. “Private sector unions are my partner in economic development,” Walker has said. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that he “has consistently [...]/p
The Plan to Enrich the World's Wealthy at the Expense of Everyone Else | Alternet
The Plan to Enrich the World's Wealthy at the Expense of Everyone Else | Alternet
"The Washington Creditors’ Consensus is a leading cause of financial crises and human misery because of it self-destructive austerity and anti-regulatory principles. Austerity is the leading cause of the election of national leaders who promise that if elected they will stop “submitting” to creditors’ demands that they inflict austerity on their people."
"The Washington Creditors’ Consensus is a leading cause of financial crises and human misery because of it self-destructive austerity and anti-regulatory principles. Austerity is the leading cause of the election of national leaders who promise that if elected they will stop “submitting” to creditors’ demands that they inflict austerity on their people."
When Gas Bubble Explodes, Economy Could Implode All Over Again
When Gas Bubble Explodes, Economy Could Implode All Over Again
"If you haven't already, now would be a good time for you to go buy Matt Taibbi's book, "Griftopia". In the book, he explains with absolute clarity how bubbles are made and how they burst, and how Wall Street manufactures them in order to relieve ordinary people of their hard-earned money."
"If you haven't already, now would be a good time for you to go buy Matt Taibbi's book, "Griftopia". In the book, he explains with absolute clarity how bubbles are made and how they burst, and how Wall Street manufactures them in order to relieve ordinary people of their hard-earned money."
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Independent Analysis: Sequester Spending Cuts Would Cost 700,000 Jobs
Independent Analysis: Sequester Spending Cuts Would Cost 700,000 Jobs: President Obama today called, once again, for Republicans in Congress to support a plan to void the so-called “sequester,” the automatic budget cuts scheduled for March that were set in motion by the 2011 debt ceiling deal. House Republicans responded by releasing a statement that called for eliminating job training and financial literacy programs and [...]/p
Meet Donors Trust: The Little-Known Group That Lets the Wealthy Secretively Fund Right-Wing Causes | Alternet
Meet Donors Trust: The Little-Known Group That Lets the Wealthy Secretively Fund Right-Wing Causes | Alternet
"Since 1999, the nonprofit charity Donors Trust has handed out nearly $400 million in private donations to more than 1,000 right-wing and libertarian groups."
"Since 1999, the nonprofit charity Donors Trust has handed out nearly $400 million in private donations to more than 1,000 right-wing and libertarian groups."
The Wrecking Crew Is Winning | Common Dreams
The Wrecking Crew Is Winning | Common Dreams
"Once more, the Republican Congress is holding the economy hostage as “leverage” to extort deep and unpopular cuts in the core pillars of family security – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Not surprisingly, Americans disapprove in large numbers, with Congress in general and Republicans in particular setting new records in popular disregard.
But make no mistake; the wrecking crew is winning by defining what the national debate is about. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell calls the deficit the “transcendent issue of our time,” as if balancing the budget would fix our economy.
"Once more, the Republican Congress is holding the economy hostage as “leverage” to extort deep and unpopular cuts in the core pillars of family security – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Not surprisingly, Americans disapprove in large numbers, with Congress in general and Republicans in particular setting new records in popular disregard.
But make no mistake; the wrecking crew is winning by defining what the national debate is about. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell calls the deficit the “transcendent issue of our time,” as if balancing the budget would fix our economy.
No, the fundamental issue of our time is an economy that works only for the few, plagued by mass unemployment, declining wages and increasing insecurity. But despite the best efforts of the president in his State of the Union address, the fiscal hostage-taking by McConnell and the Tea Party Congress have made deficits the only subject in town."
Missouri Republicans Push Slew Of Union-Busting Proposals
Missouri Republicans Push Slew Of Union-Busting Proposals: Missouri Republicans this month touched off the latest push for a so-called “right-to-work” law, introducing legislation similar to the union-busting laws signed by Republican governors in Indiana and Michigan last year. The right-to-work proposal, which prohibits unions from requiring workers to join, is just one of multiple bills targeting unions that are making their way [...]/p
'Some Cuts Don't Heal!': Simpson-Bowles Face Protest for Attack on Medicare, Social Security | Common Dreams
'Some Cuts Don't Heal!': Simpson-Bowles Face Protest for Attack on Medicare, Social Security | Common Dreams
"the pair's recommended policies unfairly punish the sick, the elderly and working people in the name of a 'deficit reduction' plan backed by the nation's wealthiest beneficiaries and corporate elite."
"the pair's recommended policies unfairly punish the sick, the elderly and working people in the name of a 'deficit reduction' plan backed by the nation's wealthiest beneficiaries and corporate elite."
Exxon Pressures Network Into Pulling Climate Change Ad
Exxon Pressures Network Into Pulling Climate Change Ad
"Exxon Mobil gave a cease-and-desist order to Comcast, forcing the cable provider to pull an ad about climate change from Fox News' coverage of the State of the Union address in some areas, according to a press release from one of the groups responsible for the ad."
"Exxon Mobil gave a cease-and-desist order to Comcast, forcing the cable provider to pull an ad about climate change from Fox News' coverage of the State of the Union address in some areas, according to a press release from one of the groups responsible for the ad."
North Carolina Governor Signs ‘Unprecedented’ Gutting Of Unemployment Insurance
North Carolina Governor Signs ‘Unprecedented’ Gutting Of Unemployment Insurance: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) today signed a law that imposes severe cuts to his state’s unemployment insurance program, a change that will also cost jobless workers in the state access to the federal unemployment compensation program. McCrory’s signature earned him a rebuke from the National Employment Law Project, which said in a release [...]/p
The Supreme Court Will Hear A Republican Party Lawsuit To Make Citizens United Even Worse
The Supreme Court Will Hear A Republican Party Lawsuit To Make Citizens United Even Worse: The Supreme Court’s election-buying decision in Citizens United v. FEC enabled wealthy corporations to spend unlimited money to change the course of American elections, and a subsequent lower court decision gave the green light to super PACs funded by unlimited donations from millionaires, billionaires and corporations. Today, the Supreme Court announced it would hear another [...]/p
Wall Street’s Misdeeds Cost Trillions, But It’s Main Street Who’s Getting Nickel-and-Dimed | Common Dreams
Wall Street’s Misdeeds Cost Trillions, But It’s Main Street Who’s Getting Nickel-and-Dimed | Common Dreams
"And as Washington argues about whether it should spend millions to save Main Street’s resiidents trillions, both parties are reportedly open to a budget agreement that would cut $130 billion in Social Security benefits for the elderly and disabled over the next ten years (according to White House estimates). In Washington that’s an acceptable “buy-partisan” solution.
But, especially for the Republicans, it isn’t acceptable to ask the bankers who cost Americans trillions of dollars – and walked away wealthy – to spend millions to prevent another trillion-dollar crisis."
"And as Washington argues about whether it should spend millions to save Main Street’s resiidents trillions, both parties are reportedly open to a budget agreement that would cut $130 billion in Social Security benefits for the elderly and disabled over the next ten years (according to White House estimates). In Washington that’s an acceptable “buy-partisan” solution.
But, especially for the Republicans, it isn’t acceptable to ask the bankers who cost Americans trillions of dollars – and walked away wealthy – to spend millions to prevent another trillion-dollar crisis."
Democratic Senator Presses Regulators On Why Big Banks Can’t Be Broken Up
Democratic Senator Presses Regulators On Why Big Banks Can’t Be Broken Up: Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) gained a deserved amount of attention for grilling bank regulators on whether the nation’s biggest financial firms have become “too big for trial.” But she wasn’t the only one chasing regulators for answers on how to rein in the nation’s banking behemoths. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) wanted to know [...]/p
Moving The Goal Posts: Simpson And Bowles Renege On Their Own Plan For More Revenue
Moving The Goal Posts: Simpson And Bowles Renege On Their Own Plan For More Revenue: Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles will release a new plan today to reduce the deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. The pair of deficit hawks previously co-chaired a 2010 commission on fiscal reform (which failed) and then released a proposal for $6.3 trillion [...]/p
Monday, February 18, 2013
Meet the New CISPA. Same as the Old CISPA. | Common Dreams
Meet the New CISPA. Same as the Old CISPA. | Common Dreams
"Last year, thanks to a public outcry, the effort to pass overreaching cybersecurity legislationstalled in the Senate. Now supporters have reintroduced the House version of that legislation — the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).
The “new” version is in fact identical to the original CISPA — and poses the same threat to our digital civil liberties and our freedom to connect online."
"Last year, thanks to a public outcry, the effort to pass overreaching cybersecurity legislationstalled in the Senate. Now supporters have reintroduced the House version of that legislation — the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).
The “new” version is in fact identical to the original CISPA — and poses the same threat to our digital civil liberties and our freedom to connect online."
Rich man, poor man: The gaps are widening at home and abroad | Opinion | The Seattle Times
Rich man, poor man: The gaps are widening at home and abroad | Opinion | The Seattle Times
"One percent of Americans now control 40 percent of the nation’s wealth. Notwithstanding all the campaign talk about our middle class — a group clearly vital for stable growth and a strong democracy — we’re losing economic ground. We claim, notes Stiglitz, that we’re an opportunity society. But the chances of moving from childhood poverty to adult prosperity in America have become exceedingly dim."
"One percent of Americans now control 40 percent of the nation’s wealth. Notwithstanding all the campaign talk about our middle class — a group clearly vital for stable growth and a strong democracy — we’re losing economic ground. We claim, notes Stiglitz, that we’re an opportunity society. But the chances of moving from childhood poverty to adult prosperity in America have become exceedingly dim."
USA! USA! America Now Has Less Class Mobility Than Most of Europe | Alternet
USA! USA! America Now Has Less Class Mobility Than Most of Europe | Alternet
"Social mobility is limited in the U.S. 58 percent of Americans born into the bottom fifth of income earners in the country move out of that economic strata--a rate lower than most of Europe."
"Social mobility is limited in the U.S. 58 percent of Americans born into the bottom fifth of income earners in the country move out of that economic strata--a rate lower than most of Europe."
Profiting From Human Misery | Common Dreams
Profiting From Human Misery | Common Dreams
"We have abandoned the common good. We have been stripped of our rights and voice. Corporations write our laws and determine how we structure our society. We have all become victims. There are no politicians or institutions, no political parties or courts, that are independent enough or strong enough to resist the corporate onslaught. Greater and greater numbers of human beings will be consumed. The poor, the vulnerable, the undocumented, the weak, the elderly, the sick, the children will go first. And those of us watching helplessly outside the gates will go next."
"We have abandoned the common good. We have been stripped of our rights and voice. Corporations write our laws and determine how we structure our society. We have all become victims. There are no politicians or institutions, no political parties or courts, that are independent enough or strong enough to resist the corporate onslaught. Greater and greater numbers of human beings will be consumed. The poor, the vulnerable, the undocumented, the weak, the elderly, the sick, the children will go first. And those of us watching helplessly outside the gates will go next."
Sunday, February 17, 2013
PERRspectives: Let's Make a Sequester Deal!
PERRspectives: Let's Make a Sequester Deal!
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all. And as theCongressional Research Service explained in a report Republicans tried to squelch:
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all. And as theCongressional Research Service explained in a report Republicans tried to squelch:
The evidence does not suggest necessarily a relationship between tax policy with regard to the top tax rates and the size of the economic pie, but there may be a relationship to how the economic pie is sliced.
As George W. Bush famously said, "We ought to make the pie higher." Unfortunately, right now the top one percent is eating it all."
Raising the Minimum Wage and the Forces Opposed to It
Raising the Minimum Wage and the Forces Opposed to It
"For the most part, Hayes' guests were outstanding and really informative to listen to, with the exception of the Hispanic Leadership Network's Jennifer Sevilla Korn. She may be the kinder, gentler face of the Republican Party with toned down rhetoric with respect to the immigration issue, but on Hayes' show, she was nothing but a right wing talking points regurgitation machine with little to no facts to back up her assertions.
"For the most part, Hayes' guests were outstanding and really informative to listen to, with the exception of the Hispanic Leadership Network's Jennifer Sevilla Korn. She may be the kinder, gentler face of the Republican Party with toned down rhetoric with respect to the immigration issue, but on Hayes' show, she was nothing but a right wing talking points regurgitation machine with little to no facts to back up her assertions.
If you listen to her carefully during her time on the show, she was challenged by Hayes quite a few times to give specifics for her claims about minimum wage supposedly causing businesses not to hire or that it might cause inflation. How often does that happen? And just like a typical conservative, she never answers him. The same can't be said for the others on the panel who were more than willing to talk about specifics and shoot holes straight through her talking points."
ABC News Calls Out Paul Ryan For Hypocrisy Over Looming Budget Cuts
ABC News Calls Out Paul Ryan For Hypocrisy Over Looming Budget Cuts: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl confronted Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) over his past support for the sequester, just as the one-time GOP vice presidential candidate sought to blame President Obama for the automatic across-the-board cuts scheduled to go into effect on March 1. During an appearance on This Week, Ryan argued that President Obama “proposed the [...]/p
How Congress Could Fix Its Budget Woes, Permanently | Alternet
How Congress Could Fix Its Budget Woes, Permanently | Alternet
"As Congress struggles through one budget crisis after another, it is becoming increasingly evident that austerity doesn’t work."
"As Congress struggles through one budget crisis after another, it is becoming increasingly evident that austerity doesn’t work."
Republicans Try To Intimidate Nonpartisan Accounting Office For Debunking Their Economic Theory
Republicans Try To Intimidate Nonpartisan Accounting Office For Debunking Their Economic Theory: Last September, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service released a report showing that tax cuts for the rich — contrary to GOP orthodoxy — have minimal effect on economic growth or job creation. Instead, they simply increase income inequality. Republicans pressured the CRS to pull the report down; it was eventually re-posted with the same conclusions. [...]/p
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Fight Over The Minimum Wage
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Who would be affected by President Obama’s proposed minimum wage increase? | Economic Policy Institute
Who would be affected by President Obama’s proposed minimum wage increase? | Economic Policy Institute
"The minimum wage increase will not only help struggling families make ends meet in a difficult economic environment, it will also spur economic growth. Low- to middle-income individuals have a higher “marginal propensity to consume” than high earners, meaning they are more likely to immediately spend any additional pay than other income groups. This will further boost consumption and GDP, which is especially important given that weak consumer demand is the primary constraint in this slow and fragile recovery."
"The minimum wage increase will not only help struggling families make ends meet in a difficult economic environment, it will also spur economic growth. Low- to middle-income individuals have a higher “marginal propensity to consume” than high earners, meaning they are more likely to immediately spend any additional pay than other income groups. This will further boost consumption and GDP, which is especially important given that weak consumer demand is the primary constraint in this slow and fragile recovery."
Measuring Austerity vs Growth In America
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Nine Bucks an Hour? A Call for a Living Wage at $10.50 or More | Common Dreams
Nine Bucks an Hour? A Call for a Living Wage at $10.50 or More | Common Dreams
"Catching up with a 1968 federal minimum wage of $10.50, inflation adjusted, should be a winnable goal this year. Once the media starts regularly reporting on the human consequences of unlivable wages, and once the entry of more and more of the thirty million workers to marches, rallies and town meetings grows, neither the Republicans nor the Blue Dog Democrats will be able to stop this drive. Congressional districts all have many such workers in their districts and polls show 70 percent popular support for raising the minimum wage. That includes millions of workers who call themselves conservatives."
"Catching up with a 1968 federal minimum wage of $10.50, inflation adjusted, should be a winnable goal this year. Once the media starts regularly reporting on the human consequences of unlivable wages, and once the entry of more and more of the thirty million workers to marches, rallies and town meetings grows, neither the Republicans nor the Blue Dog Democrats will be able to stop this drive. Congressional districts all have many such workers in their districts and polls show 70 percent popular support for raising the minimum wage. That includes millions of workers who call themselves conservatives."
PERRspectives: Income Inequality Data Show Reverse Robin Hood Recovery
PERRspectives: Income Inequality Data Show Reverse Robin Hood Recovery
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all."
"Republicans protesting that tax increases on supposed "job creators" will hurt economic growth and employment need not fear. The historical record shows that the U.S. economy grew much faster and produced jobs in far greater numbers when taxes were higher--even much higher. In December, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich would have virtually no impact on the U.S. economy at all."
Wal-Mart Execs Panic Over Falling Stock
Wal-Mart Execs Panic Over Falling Stock
"Could these greedy sobs be any more pathetic? Maybe if they paid all their employees a living wage, they could afford to do a little shopping."
"Could these greedy sobs be any more pathetic? Maybe if they paid all their employees a living wage, they could afford to do a little shopping."
The Great Wealth Robbery | Common Dreams
The Great Wealth Robbery | Common Dreams
"There’s a Great Robbery underway, although most of its perpetrators don’t see themselves as robbers. Instead they’re sustained by delusions that protect them from facing the consequences of their own actions."
"There’s a Great Robbery underway, although most of its perpetrators don’t see themselves as robbers. Instead they’re sustained by delusions that protect them from facing the consequences of their own actions."
Elizabeth Warren's Big Moment
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Big Corporations Put Up Seed Funding for Republican Dark Money Group
Big Corporations Put Up Seed Funding for Republican Dark Money Group
"Some of the nation's biggest corporations donated more than a million dollars to launch a Republican nonprofit that went on to play a key role in recent political fights."
"Some of the nation's biggest corporations donated more than a million dollars to launch a Republican nonprofit that went on to play a key role in recent political fights."
The Other Aaron’s Law: How FASTR Could Help Americans Access The Research They Paid For
The Other Aaron’s Law: How FASTR Could Help Americans Access The Research They Paid For: Just over a month after internet folk hero and activist Aaron Swartz ended his own life, a bipartisan group of law-makers have introduced legislation that would make progress on a cause near and dear to his heart: Open access to publicly funded research. The Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR), introduced this [...]/p
Friday, February 15, 2013
The Great Tax-Cut Experiment
The Great Tax-Cut Experiment
"These dramatic cuts in tax rates, however, have not led to an acceleration in economic growth, investment, or productivity."
"These dramatic cuts in tax rates, however, have not led to an acceleration in economic growth, investment, or productivity."
The Company That Ran The ‘Cruise From Hell’ Pays Almost No Income Tax
The Company That Ran The ‘Cruise From Hell’ Pays Almost No Income Tax: Carnival’s “cruise from hell” — during which the ship lost power off the Yucatan peninsula and was stuck for days, leaving passengers no recourse to relieving themselves in plastic bags — finally ended last night as the crippled boat was tugged into port. “It was horrible. Horrible,” one passenger said. “The bathroom facilities were horrible [...]/p
Cost of Financial Crisis Tops $22 Trillion - Truthdig
Cost of Financial Crisis Tops $22 Trillion - Truthdig
"The 2008 financial crisis cost the U.S. economy more than $22 trillion, a study by the Government Accountability Office published Thursday said."
"The 2008 financial crisis cost the U.S. economy more than $22 trillion, a study by the Government Accountability Office published Thursday said."
Abzocker! Taking the Lead Against Corporate Excess, Swiss to Vote on 'Fat Cat' Pay | Common Dreams
Abzocker! Taking the Lead Against Corporate Excess, Swiss to Vote on 'Fat Cat' Pay | Common Dreams
"Taking the lead in punishing the "lavish bonus culture" which many believe encouraged fiscal managers to take unnecessary risks consequently driving the global financial crash,citizens in Switzerland have successfully petitioned for a vote to limit "fat cat" pay on a March 3 referendum."
"Taking the lead in punishing the "lavish bonus culture" which many believe encouraged fiscal managers to take unnecessary risks consequently driving the global financial crash,citizens in Switzerland have successfully petitioned for a vote to limit "fat cat" pay on a March 3 referendum."
Putting a $9 minimum wage in context | Economic Policy Institute
Putting a $9 minimum wage in context | Economic Policy Institute
"Raising the minimum wage to $9.00 per hour, as the President called for in his State of the Union address, would be a good step toward reversing some of the huge decline in the purchasing power of the minimum wage that has occurred over the past 45 years."
"Raising the minimum wage to $9.00 per hour, as the President called for in his State of the Union address, would be a good step toward reversing some of the huge decline in the purchasing power of the minimum wage that has occurred over the past 45 years."
65 Republicans Supported Increasing The Minimum Wage When Bush Was President
65 Republicans Supported Increasing The Minimum Wage When Bush Was President: President Obama’s call for a minimum wage increase in Tuesday’s State of the Union address — like nearly all of his proposals — was met with immediate opposition from Congressional Republicans. But six years ago, many of the same Republicans supported a similar proposal backed by Republican President George W. Bush. A ThinkProgress analysis finds [...]/p
How The Personal Finance Industry Preys On The Public: An Interview With Helaine Olen
How The Personal Finance Industry Preys On The Public: An Interview With Helaine Olen: Every afternoon on CNBC, viewers can watch Jim Cramer dispense stock advice (while ringing various bells and whistles). On Saturday evenings, Suze Orman tells her audience how to invest and save for the future. They are just two characters in a thriving industry based on telling people how best to make money and plan for [...]/p
Beneath the ‘Fair Trade’ Label, Union-Busting Lurks | Common Dreams
Beneath the ‘Fair Trade’ Label, Union-Busting Lurks | Common Dreams
"According to the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), the fair-trade certification system is riddled with loopholes that enable corporations to suppress labor rights and union activism."
"According to the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), the fair-trade certification system is riddled with loopholes that enable corporations to suppress labor rights and union activism."
How High Could the Minimum Wage Go?
How High Could the Minimum Wage Go?
"A 70 percent boost - to $12.30/hour - would help millions of workers, without killing jobs."
"A 70 percent boost - to $12.30/hour - would help millions of workers, without killing jobs."
How Obama Got To A Progressive Economic Narrative In The SOTU
How Obama Got To A Progressive Economic Narrative In The SOTU
"It is this kind of prosperity -- broad, shared, and built on a thriving middle class -- that has always been the source of our progress at home"."
"It is this kind of prosperity -- broad, shared, and built on a thriving middle class -- that has always been the source of our progress at home"."
Corporations Advise School Closings, While Private Charters Suck Schools Away | Alternet
Corporations Advise School Closings, While Private Charters Suck Schools Away | Alternet
"There is nothing democratic about how this happened to the City of Brotherly Love. Though officials gave lip service to the idea of “parental empowerment” through “ school choice,” in the end, parents had no role in deciding what policies would be enforced. Everything was outsourced."
"There is nothing democratic about how this happened to the City of Brotherly Love. Though officials gave lip service to the idea of “parental empowerment” through “ school choice,” in the end, parents had no role in deciding what policies would be enforced. Everything was outsourced."
Thursday, February 14, 2013
CISPA, the Privacy-Invading Cybersecurity Spying Bill, is Back in Congress | Common Dreams
CISPA, the Privacy-Invading Cybersecurity Spying Bill, is Back in Congress | Common Dreams
"It's official: The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act was reintroduced in the House of Representatives yesterday. CISPA is the contentious bill civil liberties advocates fought last year, which would provide a poorly-defined "cybersecurity" exception to existing privacy law."
"It's official: The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act was reintroduced in the House of Representatives yesterday. CISPA is the contentious bill civil liberties advocates fought last year, which would provide a poorly-defined "cybersecurity" exception to existing privacy law."
Sally Kohn on Fox News: 'You Assume Everyone Struggling To Get By Is Simply Lazy'
Sally Kohn on Fox News: 'You Assume Everyone Struggling To Get By Is Simply Lazy'
"I'm just going to make two points quietly while uttering a silent scream. First, no one "creates wealth." Wealth is obtained by figuring out a way to get people to give you part of what they have in exchange for something you have, or something you've invented. In the past 20 years, the inventions have been mostly technology and fancy financial convolutions intended to relieve people of their money and place it in the pockets of hedge fund managers and bankers. In Ben's case, he's figured out how to make money by getting advertisers to pay for a young know-it-all to spew nonsense on the air. He didn't create that. He just exploits it.
"I'm just going to make two points quietly while uttering a silent scream. First, no one "creates wealth." Wealth is obtained by figuring out a way to get people to give you part of what they have in exchange for something you have, or something you've invented. In the past 20 years, the inventions have been mostly technology and fancy financial convolutions intended to relieve people of their money and place it in the pockets of hedge fund managers and bankers. In Ben's case, he's figured out how to make money by getting advertisers to pay for a young know-it-all to spew nonsense on the air. He didn't create that. He just exploits it.
Second, no one does it by themselves. No one.This arrogant belief that it was their hard work and their hard work alone, with no assistance from anyone anywhere ever is nonsense."
Facebook Paid No Corporate Income Tax Last Year, After Making More Than $1 Billion In Profits
Facebook Paid No Corporate Income Tax Last Year, After Making More Than $1 Billion In Profits: Between 2008 and 2011, 26 major corporations were able to pay no federal corporate income tax, despite making a combined $205 billion in profits. According to a new report from Citizens for Tax Justice, Facebook joined that illustrious club last year, receiving $429 million in tax rebates despite making more than $1 billion in profits: [...]/p
Sen. Warren Questions Bank Regulators About Whether Wall Street Is ‘Too Big For Trial’
Sen. Warren Questions Bank Regulators About Whether Wall Street Is ‘Too Big For Trial’: Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) used her debut on the Senate Banking Committee to question financial regulators about the lack of accountability for Wall Street banks’ role in the financial crisis, challenging them to name the last time a Wall Street bank was taken to trial over allegations of fraud and other crimes instead of [...]/p
Despite Big Business’ Warnings, There’s No Evidence That Mandated Sick Leave Causes Job Loss
Despite Big Business’ Warnings, There’s No Evidence That Mandated Sick Leave Causes Job Loss: Requiring that businesses provide employees decent amounts of sick leave doesn’t cost jobs, according to research by the consumer advocate group Public Citizen. The researchers studied three examples of sick leave policies — the San Francisco paid sick leave ordinance (which requires general paid sick leave), the wider California Paid Family and Medical Leave (which [...]/p
Gangster Bankers: Too Big to Jail | Common Dreams
Gangster Bankers: Too Big to Jail | Common Dreams
"People may have outrage fatigue about Wall Street, and more stories about billionaire greedheads getting away with more stealing often cease to amaze. But the HSBC case went miles beyond the usual paper-pushing, keypad-punching sort-of crime, committed by geeks in ties, normally associated with Wall Street. In this case, the bank literally got away with murder – well, aiding and abetting it, anyway."
"People may have outrage fatigue about Wall Street, and more stories about billionaire greedheads getting away with more stealing often cease to amaze. But the HSBC case went miles beyond the usual paper-pushing, keypad-punching sort-of crime, committed by geeks in ties, normally associated with Wall Street. In this case, the bank literally got away with murder – well, aiding and abetting it, anyway."
Minimum Wage Should Be More Than $20 - Truthdig
Minimum Wage Should Be More Than $20 - Truthdig
"If the federal minimum wage had kept pace with changes in worker productivity, busboys and baristas would be making at least $21.72 an hour today, according to a study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
"If the federal minimum wage had kept pace with changes in worker productivity, busboys and baristas would be making at least $21.72 an hour today, according to a study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
The report, which will be released in March, found that advances in technology have increased the amount of goods and services workers can produce. But as that progress was made, wages remained relatively flat."
'Fix It First' To Put People Back To Work
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Obama Calls For Minimum Wage Increase
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Private Debt – Not Government Debt – Will Destroy America
Private Debt – Not Government Debt – Will Destroy America
"There are two kinds of debt. One that’s relatively harmless. And one that can destroy us all.
"There are two kinds of debt. One that’s relatively harmless. And one that can destroy us all.
There’s public sector debt – or government debt – which is over $16 trillion. This is the sort of debt that politicians scream and holler about when they demand austerity.
And then there’s private sector debt – the debt owned by you and me and millions of Americans across the nation in the form of credit cards, home and auto loans, along with America's corporate debt. This sort of debt doesn’t seem to bother politicians at all, even though total private sector debt is $38 trillion, more than double government debt."
"They Know We Know It." Get Politicians on the Record About Corruption | Alternet
"They Know We Know It." Get Politicians on the Record About Corruption | Alternet
"Corruption. It's a strong word. But that's how vast majorities of us see it, and now Secretary of State John Kerry confirmed that we're not nuts: "I've used the word 'corrupting' and I want to be very clear about it. I mean by it not the corruption of individuals but a corruption of a system itself that all of us are forced to participate in against our will: The alliance of money and the interests that it represents, the access that it affords to those who have it at the expense of those who don't, the agenda that it changes or sets by virtue of its power is steadily silencing the voice of the vast majority of Americans who have a much harder time competing or who can't compete at all"."
"Corruption. It's a strong word. But that's how vast majorities of us see it, and now Secretary of State John Kerry confirmed that we're not nuts: "I've used the word 'corrupting' and I want to be very clear about it. I mean by it not the corruption of individuals but a corruption of a system itself that all of us are forced to participate in against our will: The alliance of money and the interests that it represents, the access that it affords to those who have it at the expense of those who don't, the agenda that it changes or sets by virtue of its power is steadily silencing the voice of the vast majority of Americans who have a much harder time competing or who can't compete at all"."
California’s New Homeowner Protections Help Reduce Foreclosures By 62 Percent
California’s New Homeowner Protections Help Reduce Foreclosures By 62 Percent: There were fewer foreclosure filings in January than there have been in any month since April 2007, as foreclosures dropped 28 percent from the same month a year ago, according to data from RealtyTrac. And while the drop was significant across the country, no state contributed more to the decline than California, where legislators last [...]/p
OOPS: GOP Rep. Inadvertently Makes The Case For Nearly Doubling The Minimum Wage
OOPS: GOP Rep. Inadvertently Makes The Case For Nearly Doubling The Minimum Wage: President Obama’s State of the Union proposal to raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour and index it to inflation so that it keeps up with growth in the economy was quickly rebuked by top Republicans like Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who claim the minimum wage will kill jobs [...]/p
Could You Live on $2.13 Per Hour -- Even With Tips? That's the Minimum Wage for Waiters | Alternet
Could You Live on $2.13 Per Hour -- Even With Tips? That's the Minimum Wage for Waiters | Alternet
"The president's call to raise the general minimum wage will do nothing for tipped workers. Congresswoman Donna Edwards wants to change that."
"The president's call to raise the general minimum wage will do nothing for tipped workers. Congresswoman Donna Edwards wants to change that."
Denying Minimum-Wage Workers A Raise Is Craven and Grotesque | Common Dreams
Denying Minimum-Wage Workers A Raise Is Craven and Grotesque | Common Dreams
"The president ignited a controversy in his state of the union speech by saying he wants to raise the minimum wage by $1.50, to $9 an hour. He argued that it is shameful that someone working full-time for the current minimum wage of $7.25 would still be below the poverty line."
"The president ignited a controversy in his state of the union speech by saying he wants to raise the minimum wage by $1.50, to $9 an hour. He argued that it is shameful that someone working full-time for the current minimum wage of $7.25 would still be below the poverty line."
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