Negligence, Corruption, and the 737 Max: Boeing Shows the Rot in Our Regulatory System

The saga of Boeing’s failed 737 Max has been continuously in and out of the news since the horrible crashes involving the aircraft in Ethiopia and Malaysia. This is somewhat unusual for a media environment with such a short attention span, but there’s a reason Boeing’s failure is the story that just won’t go away. The more that investigators and journalists dig into the crashes, … Continue reading Negligence, Corruption, and the 737 Max: Boeing Shows the Rot in Our Regulatory System »

Florida Republicans Are Bringing Back Poll Taxes

When Floridians voted yes on Amendment 4 last year, they spoke loud and clear: 65% voted to restore voting rights for Floridians who completed a felony sentence (except for felony sex crimes and murder), opening the door for over 1.5 million disenfranchised Floridians to regain their voting rights. But on Wednesday, the Florida House passed a measure requiring those with felony convictions to pay up … Continue reading Florida Republicans Are Bringing Back Poll Taxes »

An Unequal Country Can’t Fight Climate Change

Today, April 22nd, 2019, is Earth Day. Right now, according to a coalition of the most knowledgeable scientists from across the world, we have less than 11 years to cut our emissions in half if we have any hope of stopping the most devastating, nature-collapsing consequences of climate change. While scientists and politicians (rightly) talk about renewable energy sources, carbon capture technologies, and climate mitigation, … Continue reading An Unequal Country Can’t Fight Climate Change »

Nickel-and-Diming the Poor, Freebies for the Rich

Under the Trump administration’s proposed 2020 budget, over 750,000 Americans stand to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, better known as food stamps. The new rules would require all able-bodied adults without dependents to prove that they are working to receive this critical assistance, regardless of local job market conditions or other key factors. The average SNAP benefit is $126 a month per person. … Continue reading Nickel-and-Diming the Poor, Freebies for the Rich »

Thanks, But No Thanks: Stop Bleeding the Middle Class to Cut Our Taxes

It’s Tax Day, so by now Americans have had a chance to see how their filings stack up against Trump’s promises. Working folks are largely unimpressed, but millionaires like us made out like bandits. When Republicans pitched the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), they sold it as a tax break for the middle class, but despite lower income tax rates and a … Continue reading Thanks, But No Thanks: Stop Bleeding the Middle Class to Cut Our Taxes »

The Patriotic Millionaires Present: TAX THE RICH! Livestream

Whether it’s democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) campaigning for it on Twitter or angry pundit Tucker Carlson foaming at the mouth about it on his nightly Fox News show, everyone is talking about taxing the rich. This is an issue that is set to dominate American political debate heading into the 2020 elections. In that spirit, the Patriotic Millionaires are launching a multi-year, multi-platform … Continue reading The Patriotic Millionaires Present: TAX THE RICH! Livestream »

The Golden Arches Stand Down in the Fight for $15

“Ultimately, progress must come from all corners of society.” Those words came from an unlikely source on Tuesday, when Genna Gent, Vice President of Government Relations for McDonald’s, sent a letter to the National Restaurant Association announcing that the fast-food behemoth would no longer lobby against minimum wage increases at federal, state, or local levels. Instead, she said, the company would move to “advance – … Continue reading The Golden Arches Stand Down in the Fight for $15 »

An Ultra-Millionaire Tax Will Make New York Better. Why Is Cuomo Resisting?

While the country’s eyes have been turned towards the big, bad federal budget for the past week, there’s an important fight brewing in New York over the state’s own budget, due on April 1st. This disagreement pits New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and a small group of lawmaker holdouts against the will of the majority of New Yorkers in a battle to include higher taxes … Continue reading An Ultra-Millionaire Tax Will Make New York Better. Why Is Cuomo Resisting? »

Campaign Finance Reform Will Literally Save Lives

There is no amount of money that equals the worth of a human life. This should be the preface to every debate we have about our gun laws in this country, and the only afterword to every mass shooting. It is what we should remind ourselves of, shamefully, when our government does absolutely nothing to stop the next shooting because of the stranglehold that the … Continue reading Campaign Finance Reform Will Literally Save Lives »

Getting Serious About Higher Education Inequality

In the wake of the rampant, widespread cheating uncovered in last week’s college admissions scandal, there’s been a renewed focus on the different admissions standards that money can buy. This has been a well-documented problem for years, but it seems like the scale of this latest scandal is sparking some new proposals to tackle this issue head-on. On Wednesday, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) announced his … Continue reading Getting Serious About Higher Education Inequality »

Maryland In Final Stretch For $15 Minimum Wage

The Maryland Senate made a crucial step forward in ensuring the economic security of its labor force this week, when it approved a hard-fought bill to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 for most workers by the end of 2025. Though organizers and labor groups have been tirelessly fighting for this for years, this is the first time a bill to raise the wage … Continue reading Maryland In Final Stretch For $15 Minimum Wage »

All the Awful Cuts (So Far) in the Trump Budget

It’s been well noted by now that the Trump administration’s budget proposal released on Monday is a blatant cash grab that would transfer trillions from the poorest in American society to the ultra wealthy. It does this by gutting public services in order to fund extensions for the reckless, unnecessary tax cuts the administration gave to wealthy Americans in 2017. For the normal people in … Continue reading All the Awful Cuts (So Far) in the Trump Budget »

The Big Tax Problem in Trump’s Budget

There’s already been a huge backlash against the Trump administration’s 2020 budget proposal since it was released on Monday, and for good reason. The plan is disastrous for a myriad of reasons, but so far, there hasn’t been much discussion about the way it conceals – and even worsens – the consequences of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Those initial tax cuts are … Continue reading The Big Tax Problem in Trump’s Budget »

What’s in HR 1? Corporate Spending on Elections

This blog is one in a series on HR 1, the For The People Act. Corporate Spending on Elections As their first order of business, House Democrats introduced HR 1 as soon as the new 2019 Congress came into session. An anti-corruption, pro-democracy reform bill, the For The People Act is aimed at improving our democracy for all Americans by limiting the corrupting influence of … Continue reading What’s in HR 1? Corporate Spending on Elections »

House Dems Votes “Yes” on HR 1, the For The People Act

As their first order of business, House Democrats introduced HR 1 as soon as the new 2019 Congress came into session. An anti-corruption, pro-democracy reform bill, the For The People Act is aimed at improving our democracy for all Americans by limiting the corrupting influence of money in politics and making voting easier, not harder. Today, it passed in the House without any Republican support. … Continue reading House Dems Votes “Yes” on HR 1, the For The People Act »

Sen. Elizabeth Warren Says No To Private Meetings with Big Donors

This week, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) announced she would not attend private fundraisers or one-on-one meetings with big donors. In doing so, she is declining to participate in a traditional avenue of fundraising, potentially crippling her campaign’s ability to raise money from the start. But in doing so, she is making a powerful statement that is likely to reverberate throughout the Democratic primary: the time … Continue reading Sen. Elizabeth Warren Says No To Private Meetings with Big Donors »