Blogs: An Economy for All

Regular readers know my frustration with what I previously deemed The Great Education Myth in an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle. This myth, omnipresent in our media and political debate, states that America's problem with stagnating wages, job loss and benefits cuts is a problem of education. If only workers were better educated, the myth goes, their economic problems would be over.

This myth, which is a lobbyist creation designed to divert political pressure away from reforming labor, trade and economic policies, was most recently vomited up by a top editor and "expert" at one of the largest magazines in America - and then obliterated by government data and at least one leading presidential candidate. more »

More »»

More on trade and the 2008 election:

PITTSBURGH, Nov 14 (Reuters) - It could be expected that Iraq would play a big role in the 2008 U.S. election campaign. But if recent populist rallies are an indication, another country may be rousing even more anger from voters: China.

In all corners of an overflowing convention room this week in the industrial Rust-Belt city of Pittsburgh, voters, union officials and company executives alike railed against unfair trade -- and demanded U.S. politicians do something.

As I keep saying, this issue is going to be THE domestic issue in the 2008 presidential election.

More »»

We are watching something truly absurd - and that says a lot for the generally absurd realm of American politics.

Earlier this week, we saw Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) promise to call a "time out" on passing NAFTA-style trade deals if she is elected president - a promise that was made just four days after she announced she would be casting a vote to enact a vote for the Peru Free Trade Agreement - the latest NAFTA-style trade deal moving through Congress.

Now, today, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is criticizing Clinton for being a part of the previous administration that passed NAFTA-style trade deals. It's fair criticism, of course - but not if you yourself have already promised to vote for the same NAFTA-style trade policy in the near future. Yes, Obama's criticism comes just a few weeks after Obama himself declared he, too, would be voting for this same NAFTA-style trade policy moving through the Senate. more »

More »»

Newsflash: For seven years, George Bush has collected your taxes, and spent your money.

He may have collected those taxes in a more unfair manner than in the prior decade. And he may have spent much of that money in ways that weren't economically helpful or supported by the public.

Nevertheless, the record is clear. He has had a seven-year policy and taxing and spending.

Yet when Bush vetoed the annual bill that determines what we invest in labor, health and education, he railed against "the cost of tax-and-spend policies." more »

More »»

This just came over the Bloomberg News wire:

"Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) -- An independent toy-testing group found high levels of lead in children's backpacks and lunchboxes...The Oakland, California-based Center for Environmental Health said Disney's High School Musical backpack contained lead
that is 21 times the legal limit in California...The group, which employs a dozen inspectors and buys toys
off the shelves to test at their offices, blamed the
government's Consumer Product Safety Commission for failing to test enough toys and other children's items for lead...Michael Green, the group's executive director, accused acting CPSC Chairman Nancy Nord of thwarting efforts to crack down on products with unsafe lead levels. Green's criticisms match those of congressional Democrats, who say Nord is too close to industry and doesn't force companies to crack down on unsafe products."

Read CAF's report on how conservative leadership at the CPSC has created this toxic trade crisis. Then sign the petition demanding Nord resign.

More »»

Back in 2006, Democratic congressional candidates in key swing states and districts campaigned on a promise to reform America's lobbyist-written trade policies. As Public Citizen has shown, candidates' populist, fair trade positions were a deciding factor in the 2006 election. Now, from the looks of this press release from top Senate candidate Jeff Merkley, it seems that Democratic candidates are doing the same thing again.

What's odd, of course, is that immediately after the 2006 election, Democrats are pushing an expansion of NAFTA. But hey - if 2008 is the new 2006 on the issue of trade in the election, then that's just more evidence of how politically popular fair trade positions really are. Maybe at some point, the Congress will actually respond to the political pressure and, ya know, represent what the people want.

...we can dream can't we?

More »»