Economy
We Need A Jobs Program And Leadership That Will DO It This Time
Friday’s jobs report said 263,000 jobs were lost in September. BUT that is after 571,000 people gave up actively looking for work. The number of jobs lost last month was 263,000 plus 571,000 = 834,000. The "stimulus plan" is currently creating (and/or saving) between...
How The Climate Change Bill Can Help Save 4 Million Jobs
Taken out of context, this argument sounds almost like a right-wing or corporatist knock against the climate change bill that's pending in the Senate: The bill that was introduced this week by Sens. John Kerry and Barbara Boxer could put at risk 4 million American...
I Will be Blogging From The Pittsburgh G-20 JOBS Summit
I am flying to Pittsburgh tomorrow and will be blogging here Thursday and Friday from the G-20 summit. The G-20 is a meeting of the Group of Twenty (G-20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of "systemically important industrialized and developing economies...
The Great Recession's Phony New 'Silver Lining'
Hard times, a rash of new media reports now assures us, are significantly narrowing the gap between the rich and everybody else. So why are so many super rich still smiling? Job worries have you down? Bills piling up? Nothing left in your retirement stash? You need a...
Conservative Health Care Response Ignores Facts
The reviews of President Obama's health care speech before a joint session of Congress have been fairly glowing. Most agree that the President made a strong case for health insurance reform and did a good job of explaining why the public option is important, even if...
Jobs Don't Live Here Anymore
The unemployment data is due tomorrow, and it's likely to be bad, with an expected 300,000 to 320,000 jobs
Budget Cuts and IOUs: What's Squeezing the States?
The Great Recession has shoved state governments over the fiscal edge. But what brought states to that edge in the first place? On July 1 last week, in state capitals across the United States, a new fiscal year began — amid nearly unprecedented fiscal chaos. In...
Rationalizing for the Rich: Cakewalk No More
In a down economy, apologists for the awesomely affluent are having to dig deep for inspiration. In the process, they're getting dirty and looking dopey. In tough economic times, work for some people can suddenly become significantly more difficult. Take, for...
The U.S. and India: Trading Jobs For Problems
I’m torn. On one hand, a wonderful event is taking place today, the annual U.S.-India Business Council “Synergies Summit” in Washington, DC. It is a high-powered business summit in the beautiful flag room of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. India West describes the...
Jack Kemp and Taxes: The Final Irony
Tax-cutters inspired by Jack Kemp have always argued that high tax rates give the rich an incentive to cheat on their taxes. The reality: So do low tax rates. Jack Kemp, the 1996 Republican vice-presidential nominee, died a week ago Saturday from cancer. Two days...
