jobs

Its time for a paradigm shift in the economic, fiscal and tax policies of our country.  We can't cut our way out of the Recession...austerity didn't work for the English the first time and it's not working for them now nor with the countries in fiscal crises in the Euro Zone.  Will the Administration and our legislators have the courage and political will to face down the corporations and the wealthy to help the low income and middle class survive and thrive, to the benefit of the entire country?  Let's hope so.  Let's continue with our advocacy efforts to make this a reality.

As stated in The New York Times editorial, The challenge for Mr. Obama is to translate the plight of the middle class into an agenda for broad prosperity. Congress’s inability to cleanly extend even emergency measures though 2012 — including the temporary payroll tax cut and federal unemployment benefits — underscores the difficulty. The alternative is continued decline.

More jobs. Fewer foreclosures. Less financial risk. Progressive taxation. Those policies will give the middle class a fighting chance. But the list is not exhaustive. The pillars of a healthy middle class also include public education, Social Security, unions, child care, affirmative action and, not least, campaign finance reform, since inequality is reinforced by the political power of the wealthy.

Good for the Governor announcing this excellent program. Good for the Vets. Good for us. From a Matt Murphy State House News story

published in Wicked Local 

STATE READIES FOR INFLUX OF VETERANS AS IRAQ DRAWDOWN APPROACHES

The Commonwealth may be closer to approving gambling this week, which includes three casinos and one slot parlor, but not everyone is ecstatic about this possibility.

[Thomas] Larkin’s group will be joined on the State House steps today by the League of Women Voters, Council of Churches, National Association of Social Workers and Citizens for Change as they demand that Gov. Deval Patrick and the Legislature reject what they call a “predatory” gambling bill.  [Full Article: Boston Herald]

When does lobbying reform go too far overboard and to the detriment of all?  The Obama Administration may have reached that point.  Lobbying, just like other noble professions, is performed by intelligent, thoughtful, and dedicated people who believe in their issue and who follow moral codes of conduct.  Just like with other professions, not everyone matches this level of performance.  That shouldn't be the reason to paint all lobbyist with the same negative brush, putting constraints on careers.

The report also details several examples of seemingly qualified senior nonprofit employees missing out on appointments because of their lobbyist status. ...David Cohen, a CLPI board member and former president of Common Cause, said the issue is that “people who are quite qualified and bring a different perspective on things are really being kept out of government by critical levels."  [Full Article: Politico]

After a deep recession that officially began in December of 2007 and ended in June of 2009, the US economy is now in a period of weak and fragile recovery, one that features both slow growth and high levels of unemployment. For many Americans, the current recovery feels little different than the recession itself..........By many measures, however, Massachusetts has fared far better than most other states during the Great Recession and its aftermath. We have experienced lower rates of unemployment, lost a smaller share of our jobs, and maintained higher median wages for many of our workers.  [Full article Mass Budget and Policy Center ]

Are you ready for another casino gambling proposal from the Governor and the State House Leadership?  It seems they're ready for prime time with a 133-page bill which would provide for the development of three casinos and a slot parlor, itemizing the respective development fees, and collections of the state's share of the revenues.  Let the betting, I mean vetting, begin...

Anyone applying for a gambling license would have to pay the state a $350,000 non-refundable application fee...The casinos would pay the state 25 percent of their revenues; the slot parlor would pay the state 40 percent of its revenue and another 9 percent to a special fund for the horse-racing industry...A quarter of the state’s casino revenue would be sent to cities and towns... The state would send another 5 percent to a special fund to help compulsive gamblers.  [Full Article: Boston Globe Metro Desk]

The income gap has been widening in Massachusetts, and is especially prominent in Western MA  .  20% of families in North Adams earn less than $20,000 and half of those earn less than $10,000.  In Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley, median incomes for the poorest, adjusted for inflation, have decreased to $16,000 - similar to areas in Appalachia.  Yet median incomes in Greater Boston have increased over the same amount of time by 54%, to $230,000.

The statistics provide one picture of the story.  This article also provides you the human profile of Mindy Shoestock, single mother, and her struggle to feed her children, provide a safe and clean place to live, stay in a community that has a support system for her family, and find a job(s) with a living wage.  [Full Article:  The Boston Globe]

This is an interesting article about how to view the economy through the lens of investing in public education.  The premise...you can hurt the economy by NOT investing in public education and that spending on public education is an engine for economic equality.

Spending on public education decreases income inequality mostly by "contributing more to lower incomes than to higher incomes."...Public education expenditures also contribute to reductions in poverty rates.  [Full Article: Campaign for America's Future]

When faced with a potential $3 billion deficit in fiscal year 2003, the Massachusetts legislature took a balanced approach including approving a revenue package worth $1.1 billion.   Our current Senator Brown doesn't recall this bit of history, but we're hoping he takes this correct Mass model to Washington, DC for a balanced approach to addressing federal deficit.  Now, if only we could replicate this model for the Mass budget for fiscal year 2013.

“Every time we ran into a bump, no matter whether the year was ’01, ’02, ’03, or ’04, it was a combination of stuff,’’ recalls former House Speaker Tom Finneran, a fiscal conservative. “We would draw down the rainy day fund, we would do cuts, and we did revenue.’’  [Full Op-Ed: The Boston Globe]