An Economy for All
Top Stories
Fixing Jobs: Normal Isn’t An Option
Featured Issues
Imperial Blues
..."[O]ur troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended -- because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own."
—President Obama
But Afghanistan comes first?
Cut What?
Here’s an easy way to win an argument with a conservative over taxes and spending. Hand the conservative a piece of paper, a pencil and a calculator and ask him or her to write down exactly what spending they would cut, and by how much. And ask them to keep writing until they balance the budget. more »
Worker Training in Demand, but in Short Supply
The U.S. must train workers for the job growth of tomorrow. According to employment projection data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics yesterday, middle-skill jobs will experience the highest growth over the next decade. These jobs pay well, but also require a post-secondary certificate or an associate’s degree. more »
The Case
Why An Economy for All?
Conservatives call the state of the economy the “greatest story never told,” but in reality it’s an economy reminiscent of the Gilded Age. The myth of a booming economy does not reflect the everyday experiences of working-class Americans. In fact, most Americans see the nation either in or near a recession. We need a broad reassessment of our economic policies.more »
Minimum Wage Hike: Stimulus When We Need It
On July 24, the federal minimum wage increased to $7.25 an hour. At a time when getting money into the hands of workers—and thus consumers—is key to jump-starting the economy, a 10.7 percent wage increase will mean $1.6 billion in extra purchasing power for the estimated 4.5 million workers directly affected by the increase. more »
The Facts
Manufacturing Jobs Decline 17% Past Seven Years
Between 2001 and 2007, more 3 million manufacturing workers lost their jobs—a 17 percent decline.
Unfair Taxes, Benefit Wealthy, Hurt Middle Class
Today, the top federal income-tax rate for ordinary income is 35 percent, meaning that earned income is taxed at a rate 2 1/3 higher than income from capital gains
The News
Senate Voting To End Debate On Ben Bernanke Nomination
Job Creation? Not Without Worker Training
The Case
The Worst of the Pain
When it comes to employment, there are roughly three broad categories in the United States. The folks in the upper-income group are not suffering much, if at all, from the profound reversals in employment brought about by the Great Recession. Those in the middle have been hit hard. The job losses there have been severe and long-lasting. But for those in the lower-income groups, the scale of the employment crisis has been mind-boggling.more »
Obomanomics One Year Out
Obamanomics suffers from a misunderstanding of what the President is trying to achieve and what he's up against. Into the breach come Republicans, Tea Partiers, nay-sayers, deficit vultures, and Raging-Dog Democrats, all viewing Obamanomics as more taxes and more spending. That's nonsense. To see the big picture, keep your eye on three big things.more »
Latest from our Bloggers
9:41 am
I am happy to announce that beginning today I will be working as a Fellow and blogger with Campaign for America's Future. This post introduces the areas I will be pursuing. more »
1:37 pm
While Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was on the talk shows reassuring America that the economy is healing, developments in Europe threatened to cut the legs out from under a U.S. recovery. more »
11:33 am
Sarah Palin's keynote speech was quite a hit at this weekend's Tea Party convention. She even took a shot at pinning responsibility for the deficit on the Obama administration.
It's too bad Palin didn't have proper notes on hand, as she did for the Q & A after her speech. Then again, the message that it was actually the Bush administration that left us more in debt and less secure, wouldn't go over well with her audience.
6:29 pm
Much of the public believes that tax cuts "create jobs." A recent Rasmussen poll found that 59% of voters believe cutting taxes is better than increasing government spending as a job-creation tool. more »
2:18 pm
This is something people should know about. Every effort to reform financial regulations is blocked by Senate filibusters. Maybe now we know why.
From last week: Republicans Chase Wall Street Donors more »
12:16 pm
I don't like to use the term "whore" lightly. But what else, in our current economic environment, would you call this? more »
4:12 pm
If you've ever wondered where conservative economic policies like permanent tax cuts for the wealthy, slashed social services and government spending are supposed to lead us, look no further than Colorado Springs.
David Sirota's description of what's happening to that conservative stronghold should serve as a cautionary tale. more »
12:03 pm
Yesterday I noted that we 402,000 new jobs a month, for three years if we are to simply return to the level of employment we had before the recession. more »
