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Our vision is hundreds of thousands of well-informed
Our
Political Priorities ·
Fair Clean
Elections and Open Government ·
Fair Taxes and
Competent Spending ·
Investment for
Productivity ·
Quality
Health, Education, Jobs, Income ·
Environmental
Protection and Energy Independence ·
Security and
Equal Rights ·
Justice and
Peace Everywhere ·
International
Cooperation and Leadership Conservatives oppose all of these Let’s
End Our National Nightmare
Let’s
Restore Our American Dream More on Conservative opposition to our
American Dream Washington State’s 5 Major Needs ·
Federal
Funding for Health and Education · Substitute
a Progressive Income Tax · Replacing
Conservative Legislators Quote of the Week Unless a man undertakes
more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can. Henry Drummond
(1851-1897)
Communication with Our Members
My
favorite advocacy groups are ones which best address our major issues. These include: Economic Opportunity
Institute (EOI), Washington
Public Campaigns, Washington
CAN (Community Action Network), Statewide Poverty Action Network),
Sightline, Futurewise, and Environmental
Priorities Coalition (and its members.
This issue contains a third commentary concerning EOI’s concerns. Focusing upon promoting fairer taxes for
Calendar of Events
Saturday, March 7 at 10 AM to 2 PM at Renton Carpenters Hall (
Saturday, March 7 at 7 PM at
Thursday, March 12 at 6 PM at Rainier Unitarian Universalist Center (
Saturday, March 14 at 6 PM at Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion – Futurewise Carnaval
Dinner and Fundraiser, including live and silent auctions. $85.
RSVP by March 6th.
Opportunities
and Petitions
Opportunities
Useful
Websites: contacts, maps, community organizing tools, and more.
Access
to jillions of political cartoons.
Download
Sightline Institute’s climate policy primer ‘Cap and Trade 101’. About
Sightline.
Watch key moments
of Barack Obama’s speech to congress.
Petitions and Donations
Tell
your Washington State legislators to consider raising taxes to help solve our
budget crisis.
Tell
President Obama to nationalize failed banks.
Tell
Congress to pass a strong climate bill.
Tell
Congress to cut militarily useless military budget items.
Tell
your senators to pass the 2009 budget bill with funds for family planning.
Tell
your senators to support President Obama’s vision to combat global warming.
Tell the
pentagon to lift the ban on photographs of caskets containing returning from
our wars.
Tell
Democracy for America about your political priorities.
Commentaries
From Our Members
Linda Clifton: Unstable Tax System Requires Considering Revenue Options
$8 billion is unprecedented, and it demonstrates the volatility and
instability of our tax system. Revenue options must be on the table, and even if
the LAC didn't consider an income tax, perhaps it needs to be more flexible on
this issue now?
We need to look at previously granted tax exemptions, but we also need
to consider how the very structure of our tax system actually worsens the pain.
As people stop spending--I've certainly cut back too--revenues plummet even
though more than 90% of us are still working, many of us with the same current
income we had before September 2008. Businesses are forced to pay tax on gross
revenue even as they may be operating at a loss, which means tax policy
actually makes it more difficult to weather this storm. Most unfair of all,
those already in poverty and those losing their jobs will have to continue to
pay sales tax at ever higher rates, and even if there's no tax on food, there
certainly is tax on other daily necessities.
Difficult as it may be, the Legislature does have the power to
restructure Washington State's taxes, including instituting a flat rate income
tax, to add some stability and a fairer revenue source. If such a tax excused
the first $25-30K of income, it would enhance the fairness of our tax structure
while it did not add to the burden of those at the bottom of the income ladder.
Perhaps it is finally time for this state to bite the bullet and take this
step. I'm not sure I understand why such a tax is 1) not partially
progressive, at least; 2) a revenue enhancer?
Linda Clifton
Lisa Plymate: We Need to Restructure
Taxes
If we don't restructure taxes, none of the other bills will are pressing
for will really matter - except those that are revenue neutral or positive,
which aren’t many of them. The legislators made it clear that simply
closing loopholes won't begin to take care of our deficit. The money from
the stimulus package is short-term. It essentially will help us hold
things together temporarily while we work on restructuring our revenue sources
- or else!
Rosa Franklin is a loner on this. Instead of deciding it's a lost
cause, why don't we try to drum up support? Someone has to be bold. This may be politically 'unrealistic,' but
who's got their head in the sand if we don't make major changes? It
isn't necessarily our job on the LAC to back whatever the leadership wants,
regardless of its merits. Sometimes we have to go out on a limb.
We
aren't going to get out of this without new taxes. We need to begin a
dialog to discuss the type of taxation we prefer. Lisa
Plymate
Ann Martin: Educate People about Tax Reform
I've been holding back because of all the good discussion that's been
happening here. I particularly like the fact that we aren't all just
dropping into line and there are some really good strategic considerations
being put forward. That said, and for what it's worth, here are my
thoughts:
·
Our sales tax system, which is regressive and subject
to economic volatility, isn't working, as evidenced by the $8.3 billion deficit
we are now faced with.
·
In all past efforts to institute an income tax, the
voters have failed to support an income tax despite evidence such tax would be
either be revenue neutral for them, or in many cases would reduce their
taxes. One of the main arguments I've heard countering this assertion is
the fear that once the state implements an income tax, they will raise those
taxes, i.e., they see this move as a way for the state to get its foot in the
door. They don't even want to open the door.
·
Times of crisis also may be a time of opportunity, but
I don't think we should fool ourselves into thinking this will be easy.
The commission headed by Gates did some great work explaining why and how the
state's tax structure should be changed. It got some play, but quickly
faded from the collective memory, I fear. The information contained in
that study would likely be a great resource.
·
Rather than starting out with the conclusion that we
need a state income tax, perhaps we could start holding some forums in Seattle
and other jurisdictions in King County to discuss the deficit and strategies to
address that deficit. I think people need to hear that the state, unlike
the federal government, cannot run a deficit; the budget must be
balanced. How do we do that? What are the costs? What are
people willing to give up and what kinds of revenue increases are people
willing to embrace? This may be a way to get into the discussion of the
income tax without leading off and getting people turned off from the very
beginning. All this will need to be carefully crafted.
·
Cutting out some tax breaks will help, but I agree
with Lisa and the legislators we talked to earlier this week that these will
not be enough. Whatever we bring to a discussion, will need to
include cuts as well as tax reforms.
·
For all of this we will need to identify some
champions - public, private, big, and little. Bipartisan would be nice,
but I'm not sure that is as critical here as in other parts of the state.
However, if we can't get
·
I don't think getting aboard a particular piece of
legislation will help us right now. We can, however, include Senator
Franklin in the discussion.
As I said, just some thoughts. I think we have an incredibly
challenging "sales" job ahead of us. Now may be the opportunity
to educate the community on how the state does its budget, how revenues are
generated, and how the system needs to change. Or maybe we can't get it
together. If not now, when? Ann Martin
Linda Clifton: We Need
to Set the Agenda for Tax Reform
Even if a referendum were filed immediately once the
Legislature passed a well-conceived tax restructuring (with a flat rate income
tax to avoid the requirement for a constitutional amendment), legislative
leadership well strategized, and supported by grassroots like LAC from the
get-go would be setting the agenda, defining the debate, and could perhaps
prevail in keeping the package in place.
Senator Franklin deserves a lot of thanks for keeping
the notion alive. Linda Clifton
Dorli Rainey: We Need Leadership to Implement an
Income Tax
We
hear our government officials bemoaning the fact that they have this huge
deficit on their hands. Seems to me that the only real option to them is to
implement a state income tax, to get behind it and to educate the public about
the need for it. I realize that they always promise no new taxes when they run
for office because they lack the gumption to educate the public about the
finite amount of taxing power in an economic downturn.
Our
governor is especially culpable because she not only is adamantly against a
state income tax, but she also vowed "no new taxes." The wealthiest
people in the state still are not paying a comparative share of taxes and reap
all of the benefits of low sales taxes.
We
need to have leadership, not hand wringing from our Legislature. To cut off the
neediest people, education and public transportation is the most shortsighted
form of government. How will they like to send their children to a hospital
without good doctors? Who will teach your children if there are not educators?
Outsourcing by tax-avoiding corporations will not solve our problems. We
already see the problems at Boeing, which thought it would financially benefit
from sending its 787 work all over the world, only to find that parts did not
fit and its good workers were lost. Dorli
Rainey
Don Smith: We Need a Progressive Taxation Forum
Promotion
of progressive taxation is the sort of thing that begs for coordination among
progressive groups. Numerous advocacy
groups, nonprofits, and interest groups (e.g., teachers) are interested in
promoting progressive taxation. The Democratic Party needn't take the
lead. Politically, it might be wiser to let other groups take the
heat.
At
A forum on the topic seems like a good first step. The Left needs a concerted effort to educate
the public about these issues, and I know that sounds elitist. :) Don
Smith
Rich Austin: Dave Reichert Votes against
Education
A
question to rank and file members of the Washington Education Association
(WEA): When the WEA endorsed Republican Dave Reichert over Democrat Darcy
Burner, it broke ranks with organized labor and the Democratic Party. What did you get in return? Here’s what you got: When Reichert voted “NO” (twice) on the
stimulus package you got his single-digit salute. The stimulus package has billions of dollars
in it for education. What gives?
That
would be a good question to ask those who decided to endorse Reichert: “What gives”?
And while you’re asking that question, ask them why they broke ranks
with organized labor. Rich Austin
Representative Ross Hunter: Criminal Justice Costs &
the Budget
For the past 15 years we've been on a
trend of increasing the number of incarcerated people. We now lead the world in
the percentage of people in jail. It costs the state an average of about
$30,000 per year to put someone in prison, plus all the costs of the courts and
police/sheriff. Sometimes this makes a lot of sense, and sometimes it does not.
The 2003 Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to
determine if there are changes to
Click
here for more of the story. Ross Hunter
Liberals
and Democrats
Obama Watch – Week 5
President
Obama continues performing his busy agenda, including announcements about
stimulating our economy and protecting people from its ravages, foreign policy
and visiting our hinterland.
Our Stimulus-investment Package Becomes
Law
President
Obama traveled to
Fiscal Responsibility
Pledging to bring federal
spending and tax collections back into balance after the deficits resulting
from attempts to revive our economy, Obama held a White House summit on fiscal
responsibility. Bringing together leading
Democratic and Republican lawmakers together with policy experts. They separated into groups which discussed health-care costs, Social Security, tax reform,
defense procurement and the federal budget process, topics which exist apart
from our current recession. While Conservatives
would like to cut Social Security, Obama’s priority is to reform
health care, military procurement and taxes. For
more. Once
again, Obama is seeking bipartisan solutions. For
more. Cuts in spending for military
hardware were discussed. But no mention was made of cutting subsidies
to oil and other wealthy and powerful businesses.
Yes, We Can. And Here’s How.
The next day
(exactly five weeks after his inaugural address), President Obama delivered a
magnificent speech to
a joint session of Congress, in which he stated, “We will rebuild, we will
recover and the United States of America will emerge stronger than
before.” For more. For
more. Noting our economic
difficulties, he presented a series of goals and actions to be taken. Priorities include reviving our economy,
through restoring credit, preventing foreclosures, infrastructure investments,
reforming our environment, health care, and education and restoring fiscal
responsibility through cutting ineffective expenditures and subsidies. For
more on eliminating ineffective military expenditures. For
more. Health
care reform will be addressed this year.
For more.
Obama’s
expression of obvious truths (not mentioned or denied by the Bush
Administration) and presentation of clear goals and actions repeatedly brought
our Democratic and even Republican legislators to their feet. Immediate polls indicated that Obama’s
popularity increased from 69 to 79%. Hopefully
this indicates that we can begin to gain confidence in our economy. 85% said
they felt more optimistic about our country’s direction after listening to
Obama’s speech. Even our cynical
commercial media pundits could find little to criticize. Once
again, Obama has demonstrated the power of his rhetoric. For
more. With this speech, President
Obama has moved the American center to Liberalism.
Let’s hope that
our congress can address these multiple goals. And that so many initiatives will make it
difficult for K-Street lobbyists to concentrate their fire. For more. Campaign finance reform would help.
President
Obama’s and Joe Biden’s Wednesday’s agenda was typically busy.
Preliminary Budget Proposal
On Thursday,
Obama delivered a preliminary
view of his proposed 2010 budget, with the full budget proposal to be
presented in April. For
more. For
more. For more. There will be more commentary on the 2010
budget in next week’s newsletter.
Foreign Affairs
Having
previously met with
Republican Party May Become Small Enough
to Drown in a Bathtub.
Grover Norquist wants
to make the government so small it can drown in a bathtub. But the way Republicans are going, the
Republican party may become small enough to drown in a bathtub. They have responded to President Obama’s
bi-partisan approach with an almost unanimous ‘Just say no.’ Several Republican Governors are refusing to
take stimulus-investment funds which would create jobs and alleviate misery in
their states.
Republican
Congresswoman Michele
Bachmann said that one of her excuses for 'just saying no' to President Obama's
economic recovery bill was because "we're running out of rich people in this
country." Republican
Senator Shelby has questioned
whether President Obama is an American citizen. Louisiana’s
Republican Governor Bobby Jindal’s response to President Obama’s speech to
congress was weird. He indicated
that Republicans support the things that Obama had just promoted, while
accusing Democrats of opposing them. 9000
Conservative activists at the annual Conservative
Political Action Conference (CPAC) are listening to their most Conservative leaders
discuss how to repackage the same old stagnant ideas. Let’s win the remaining red states in
2006.
Gary
Locke for Commerce Secretary. Ron
Sims for Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary. Seattle
Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
a Cabinet-level position otherwise known as the drug czar. And ethnic diversity with Chinese, African
and Polish heritages.
Our Economic Transition Has Only Gone Halfway
We
need to change from our present Borrow,
Consume and Speculate mindset and actions to Earn, Conserve and Invest mindset and actions, similar to that
which we held following World War II.
Having lost many of our speculative housing and stock market gains, we
are borrowing, consuming and speculating less.
Perhaps not just temporarily.
But
we still have not increased our workers’ earnings as a proportion of their
production. We need to increase our
minimum wage, our earned income tax credit, the ease with
which workers can unionize, mandate independent boards of directors who
will restrict top management pay, and close tax loopholes which encourage
companies to earn more untaxed profits, at the expense of their employees.
While
some of us are conserving, most of us are not.
Shifting our jobs (FICA) tax to a value added tax would encourage
employment and discourage consumption.
To keep our economy going, we need more public and private investment,
which we have only begun to do.
Evaluating the Financial Condition of Big Banks’
In
what are called ‘stress
tests’, our Obama Administration is examining the books of our 20 largest
banks to evaluate how their viability under various recession scenarios. For more. This will provide better information for
deciding whether to bail them out, to what extent, and in what way. There has been a reluctance to reveal the
condition of many of these banks, for fear that their stockholders would flee,
leaving them in worse shape. But enough
is now known (and with the threat that our government make take over the banks)
that investors are fleeing and their stock prices are falling severely. The Dow Jones industrial average is now equal
to what it was eleven years ago in 1997, down almost half from in peak.
Knowing the condition of the banks won’t
remove the tension between bailing out stockholders to save mutual funds, pension
funds, 401(k)s that have wide spread ownership or not bailing them out to
protect our taxpayers. Since many of us
wear two hats, we stand to lose to some extent either way.
Nationalizing
our large insolvent banks temporarily as the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation is doing with smaller banks will allow us to clean them up at the
expense of stockholders with little risk to our taxpayers. David
Sirota calls for nationalizing banks.
I
should reveal that I have never owned directly or indirectly (through a mutual,
pension or 401(k)) even a single stock.
Both my father and I have regarded owning stocks as primarily
speculation which serves little public purpose.
We need a stock market to allow people to sell stocks. But there should be a transaction tax and tax
consequences for speculators who sell stocks after only holding them a short
time. I have little to lose if financial
companies are allowed to fail.
Dean Baker: Allow Foreclosures, but Let
Resident’s Stay as Tenants.
“We
know that the people who run Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, Wells, and other major
financial institutions may not be the sharpest knives in the drawer, but how
much do taxpayers have to cough up to make up for their ineptitude? David
Leonhardt's discussion
of housing bailout plans never seems to consider the possibility that we
would just let large numbers of foreclosures occur and let the banks eat their
losses.
Yes, many, if not most, of the banks will go under. So what? Why should
taxpayers support convoluted schemes to protect these bank executives and their
shareholders from their own ineptitude. We can protect homeowners by simply
giving them the right to stay
in their home as renters following foreclosure. It's a simple, costless and
bureaucracy-free solution, but it screws the banks. So, the folks in Washington
and the media apparently are not interested.”
Here’s the Beef
President Obama is popular
among Canadians. Wasn’t so with
President Bush. For more.
Lots of protests are
expected at April G30 Summit.
90%
of the public wants Bush Administration officials to pay for their crimes.
President
Obama should seek non-partisan involvement, while denouncing Conservative
ideology.
Sierra
Club appreciates Obama Administration environmental decisions and funding.
George
Lakoff analyzes President Obama’s communication and moral values. For
more.
League
of Women Voters praises progress toward passing Washington D.C. voting rights
bill.
State
and Local
Economic Opportunity Institute: Fairer Taxes for
Of
all 50 states,
A tax on
incomes over $200,000 would only affect the 4% richest households, raising $2 billion per biennium at 3% and $3.4
billion at 5%. Note
that this is a progressive flat tax of 5% with a deduction of $200,000.
Paired with reductions in regressive taxes, it would make
our tax system fairer. Lowering
the state portion of the sales tax from 6.5% to 6% would cost $1.3 billion a
biennium and save the typical
A
strategy for implementing a progressive income tax is to introduce an
initiative which introduces the income tax, reduces sales and property taxes
and dedicates extra revenues to education.
If the initiative passes, its constitutionality would be tested. If it was ruled unconstitutional, our
legislature might follow the will of our voters to launch a constitutional
change.
Note
what our constitution states:
The power of taxation shall never be
suspended, surrendered or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform upon
the same class of property within the territorial limits of the authority
levying the tax and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only.
The word "property" as used herein shall mean and include everything,
whether tangible or intangible, subject to ownership.
Income above a certain level may be a single class
of property. If so, a flat tax applying
to certain incomes would be constitutional.
To
pass an initiative would take some time, some effort and leadership and support
from such organizations as our educational associations, labor unions and other
Liberal organizations. It’s time for them to step up to the plate
to ensure that we don’t continue to starve our people with unfair taxes and
inadequate services, especially during economic downturns.
Our
EOI has also analyzed 576 tax breaks, including ones which benefit all or
most citizens and others which benefit narrow special interests. In the 5 legislative sessions from 2003
through 2007, our legislature passed 77 business tax breaks that reduce state
revenue in the 2007-2009 biennium by nearly $600 billion. There is little accountability for whether
these business tax breaks benefit our public.
To retain and attract business, it would be better to invest the
revenues (which these tax breaks cost us) in high quality education and other
infrastructure.
Legislators Should Offer Budget Choices to Voters
Our
To
avoid devastating our state, we need additional revenue, as an increasing
number of people and some legislators are suggesting. A group of 28 state
economists and public policy experts have signed a letter
calling for consideration of revenue increases by the Governor and state
Legislature to address the growing budget crisis.
To
raise more revenue and reduce unfairness, we need to add a progressive income
tax, while lowering some of our existing taxes.
I commented on this continually last year. See
all these comments in one document.
My preference is a flat
income tax with a large deduction equal at least to medium income. Due to the deduction, this flat income tax is
very progressive. The tax rate can be
set to produce the desired revenue to provide our people access to quality
services, while reducing our sales, excise and property taxes. The deduction and flat tax rate can be set
such that 80-90% of our people will pay lower total taxes, the same argument
that Barack Obama has used for his tax proposals which include raising taxes on
our wealthy.
As
noted in the preceding commentary, an income tax initiative might be passed
which might be declared constitutional. A
constitutional amendment would otherwise be necessary, requiring approval by
2/3rds of our voters. This may be
impossible in the near term, but is ultimately necessary as demonstrated by
the repeated attempts to implement an income tax during the last 70 years and
our current budgetary crisis. Provoking
a discussion now will be beneficial to making progress toward eventually
reforming our tax system.
An
added advantage will be to smoke out various Liberal organizations, which have
resolutely refused to support or even mention an income tax, including
educational and labor groups (which are severely harmed by our present tax
system), the Tax Fairness Coalition, Statewide Poverty Action Network
(for
more) and newcomers: Fuse and Sound Alliance. An examination of blogs on the Pacific Northwest Portal
reveals only one
which suggests a tax increase and it doesn’t mention an income tax.
Present
supporters of an income tax include the Economic Opportunity
Institute and Washington
CAN (Community Action Network). Other
organizations should join them, including even our Democratic Party which can
afford to spend some of its political capitol.
Having
the most to risk, our legislators should not have to take the lead in promoting
an income tax. The leadership should
come from advocacy organizations, including present supporters and others who
are failing to address this important issue, even though their members are the
ones most harmed by our present tax system.
Remember
that when Martin Luther King asked Lyndon Johnson to support a voting rights
act, Johnson replied that he should provide the grassroots pressure to make me
do it. As
told by Bill Moyers:
“As the pressure intensified on
each side, Johnson wanted King to wait a little longer and give him a chance to
bring Congress around by hook or crook. But Martin Luther King said his people
had already waited too long. He talked about the murders and lynchings, the
churches set on fire, children brutalized, the law defied, men and women
humiliated, their lives exhausted, their hearts broken. LBJ listened, as
intently as I ever saw him listen. He listened, and then he put his hand on
Martin Luther King's shoulder, and said, in effect: "OK. You go out there Dr. King and keep doing what you're doing,
and make it possible for me to do the right thing." Lyndon Johnson was
no racist but he had not been a civil rights hero, either. Now, as president,
he came down on the side of civil disobedience, believing it might quicken
The passage of the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an example of bi-partisanship as was the passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also
led to Democrats converting to Republicans throughout the south, leading to
Republican domination of our government.
But now Liberal Democrats have regained control without including Trojan
horse southern Conservatives.
Number of Jobs which Stimulus-Investment Package
Will Produce
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
|
Congressional District 1 |
8,500 |
|
|
Congressional District 2 |
8,600 |
|
|
Congressional District 3 |
8,800 |
|
|
Congressional District 4 |
8,000 |
|
|
Congressional District 5 |
8,100 |
|
|
Congressional District 6 |
7,800 |
|
|
Congressional District 7 |
8,600 |
|
|
Congressional District 8 |
9,300 |
|
|
Congressional District 9 |
8,100 |
Source:
Stimulus Employment Projections:
Romer, Christina and Jared Bernstein. "The Job Impact of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." January 9, 2009. Note: 75,000 is 1/50th of 3,750
jobs nationwide.
Here’s the Beef
Our budget deficit is 8% of our budget,
13th highest among states.
Washington
economists call for tax increases to partially balance budget.
Former Republican Governor John Spellman
says tax increases are necessary.
Senator Patty Murray tells
us what’s in the stimulus-investment package for us.
Governor
Christine Gregoire will be glad to take stimulus money that Louisiana doesn’t
want.
Washington State Labor Council
says lawsuits are about bargaining rights, not greed.
King County
Democrats Legislative Action Agenda
Lots of good stuff, but mostly ducks budget issue.
Planning high density
housing near transit stops is controversial. For more.
Business
lobbyists are destroying Governor Gregoire’s emissions cap and trade proposal.
Nation
and World
Savings which Declined during Bubble, Have Since Increased.
Note
that bubbles cause savings to decline as more people borrow to consume and speculate. When a bubble collapses, savings increase.
Like Poor, Rich Vote Against Their Economic
Interest
Thomas Frank’s book, What’s the Matter with
Besides voting for tax
cuts, our wealthy people are influenced by ideology, even when it is
contradicted by evident facts. For
example, business executives find their businesses uncompetitive due to health
care costs, not incurred by foreign competitors. But the vote against government paid health
insurance anyway, deeming it to be socialistic.
Those who can make money. But
many of them also waste it and loose it.
Declining Production and Lower oil prices harm
Russia, Iran, Venezuela and
other oil producing countries are failing to maintain and improve their production
facilities, resulting in declines in their production. For more. With lower oil prices, they are receiving
fewer revenues, causing
economic and political problems. For
more. Unless these trends reverse,
these countries will loose political influence.
In addition once our global economy recovers, oil prices will rise
faster than they would otherwise. For more.
Newspapers vs. Blogs
Many
bloggers are poor researchers and commentators, full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing. But some do
excellent research and reporting, on a par with the best newspaper
reporters. And many reporters are
mediocre, presenting superficial reports which lack sufficient and key details
necessary to understanding. That
amateurs can often do excellent reporting is demonstrated by wikipedia. Some monthly and weekly magazines present
excellent research, but others have succumbed to presenting People Magazine
type gossip.
I
read many magazines, scan our local newspaper each day, and surf bloggers
several times a week. I receive and read
many emails from advocacy groups whose email lists I have joined. These give me ideas. To research them, I use Google, including
wikipedia and what ever else I can find.
Uighurs
Should
Be Freed from
Our Guantanamo
prisoners include 17 Chinese Uighurs, who are viewed
by China as terrorists; but who have no animosity toward our
We
won’t send them back to
Here’s the Beef
Is
Starbucks a leading indicator of our economy?
Americans don’t
want to hear bad news, even if it is the truth.
K-Street conspires
to stop market reforms.
Securities
and Exchange Commission's Inspector General David Kotz seeks whistleblowers.
Collapse
of the housing bubble has reduced the housing wealth of homeowners by almost $6
trillion.
Falling
home prices have left baby boomers with little savings for retirement.
Economic recovery
must include everyone. Creating jobs
isn’t enough.
Maryland
trains people for green jobs, weatherizing dwellings.
Small towns with few employers
are suffering the most from our economic depression.
Can people be
deterred from coming to our metropolitan area, by offering advantages to rural
areas?
Manufactured
homes provide affordable green housing.
This
year, health care costs will equal $8000 per person.
Publicly
funded family planning prevents 2 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000
abortions.
President Obama should
reassure people that social security doesn’t need saving. It will be there.
$8
billion for high speed rail won’t build rail as fast as rail in other
countries.
We need to
invest in railroads to get dangerous trucks off the roads.
Instead of
bailing out our auto companies, investments should be made in mass transit.
Some
steps to take before nationalizing banks.
Some
jobs are saved by furloughing workers, making them take unpaid time off.
Help
employment by subsidizing employers who reduce hours with paid time off.
Separation
of church and state requires government to honor civil unions, but not
marriages.
Homeland
Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano continues immigration
enforcement.
There’s no change yet
from President Bush’s foreign policy toward Latin America.
Iranian
women are gradually gain more rights.
Secular
nationalist won the Iraqi elections, making it safer for Americans to leave.
Amnesty International
urges President Obama to stop sending weapons to Israel.
Our
Liberal Spirit
Dreaming the Impossible Dream
I
suspect that most of us have dreamed impossible dreams. I remember wanting to be a country gentleman
intellectual similar to
But
my impossible dreams have motivated much of my thoughts and activities. Unlike many people who are primarily oriented
to obtaining career success and wealth, I have given a higher priority to
study.
I
suspect that most of you have pursued impossible dreams, many originating
during your childhood. Like me, you may
not have consciously considered your impossible dreams. Do so, and you may better understand your
life. Your may to find that you have
both benefited from and suffered from them.
Particularly as you become older, you may find yourself tempering
them.
Recommended Books – See our list of books for liberals
Dean Baker,
2009, Plunder and Blunder. The Rise and Fall of the Bubble Economy
Kevin
Phillips, 2008, Bad Money, Reckless
Finance, Failed Politics and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism
Charles R.
Morris, 2008, The Trillion Dollar
Meltdown, Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash
Paul Muolo and
Mathew Padilla, 2008, Chain of Blame,
I have just read Dean Baker’s books. The others have been described before. All are excellent. While Kevin Phillips’ and Charles Morris’s
books are more detailed, Dean Baker’s Plunder
and Blunder is very easy to read, with every sentence important and well
stated. Reading any or all three of
these books will make you more knowledgeable about our bubbles and their
collapse than virtually all politicians and many academicians. Another housing and credit bubble
whistleblower was Nouriel
Roubini. For more.
Dean Baker, 2007, The
Joseph Stiglitz, 2003, The Roaring Nineties
Albert T.
Summers, 1988, The
For a more comprehensive view of our economy since
World War II, read these three books.
Economics is very complex. But
these good writers present very informative simple overviews.
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