Dave Johnson

  • Published Here Is A Budget That Works (Blog entry)
    February 10, 2012 - 11:23am

    President Obama is preparing to roll out his 2013 budget. If he wants a budget that gets rid of the deficit, meets human needs and does the things that polls show the public overwhelmingly wants done, The People's Budget Is The Template!

  • Published Producers vs. Moochers, Freeloaders And Losers -- The Cruel Pro-Rich Propaganda Of The Right (Blog entry)
    February 9, 2012 - 3:24pm

    "Producers" and "parasites." Cruel language justifying extreme greed seems to be mainstream now. Even Presidential candidates feel free to disparage 99% of us!

  • Shared The Outsized Benefits of U.S. Manufacturing (Progressive Opinion)
    February 9, 2012 - 1:20pm

    In a New York Times op-ed, Christina Romer, the former chair of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, argues—contra her former boss—that there is no compelling justification for policies aimed at supporting U.S. manufacturing. She lays out and rejects a few theoretical justifications for supporting manufacturing, including the idea that there are large positive externalities—large social benefits relative to what private companies can capture—tied to the sector. Her arguments are unconvincing. Most important, there are large social benefits associated with innovation and manufacturing plays an outsized role in creating them. In so doing, manufacturing makes a disproportionate contribution to economic growth.

  • Shared Jesus Has His Yearly Performance Review (Progressive Opinion)
    February 9, 2012 - 1:17pm

    In the future if you are going to give away free food, remind them that there is no “free lunch” right before you pass the plate. ... We are also concerned about your politics. We want you to keep a low profile with your whole, “love your enemies” stuff and healing the sick.

  • Published A Look At German Manufacturing (Blog entry)
    February 8, 2012 - 9:52pm

    PBS NewsHour took a look at why Germany's economy is doing so well, while much of the rest of Europe is not doing so well.

    Here are a few notable excerpts from the transcript:

    With just a quarter of America's population and a quarter of its GDP, Germany exports more than the United States in total, notes Norbert Walter, the former chief economist of Deutsche Bank.

  • Published Manufacturing On Planet Economus (Blog entry)
    February 7, 2012 - 3:26pm

    Economist Christina Romer had an op-ed in the NY Times this weekend, Do Manufacturers Need Special Treatment? The question that keep coming back to me is why did she feel the need to write an op-ed to diss manufacturing? Is it just an economist thing?

  • Published Anti-Union FAA Bill Passes Congress (Blog entry)
    February 7, 2012 - 11:16am

    The FAA reauthorization bill has passed Congress with its anti-union provisions. Once again big companies of the 1% were able to use their money and power to buy legislation that hurts 99% of us. And many Dems joined in. Watch the powerful video at the end of this post.

  • Published Crucial Senate Labor Vote Today - Actions You Can Take (Blog entry)
    February 6, 2012 - 9:57am

    The Senate scheduled a vote for 5:30 p.m. today on restricting labor rights in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. Committee Dems caved and gave away union election rights. At least 18 unions, including the Communications Workers of America and the Service Employees International Union, have voiced opposition. Here are some actions you can take right now.

  • Shared Liberal Talk Radio Now In DC 1480 AM (Progressive Opinion)
    February 4, 2012 - 6:51pm
  • Shared Books That Changed My Life: "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg (Progressive Opinion)
    February 4, 2012 - 9:29am