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 »

2020 Contenders Embrace the Wealth Tax

As the 2020 primaries heat up and candidates search for a way to distinguish themselves in such a large field, one issue has transformed into a key debate of the campaign: how to tax the rich to ensure a more equitable, prosperous society. Many of the candidates have bold tax plans, from Senator Sanders’s bill to expand the estate tax to Senator Booker’s baby bonds … Continue reading 2020 Contenders Embrace the Wealth Tax »

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 »

It’s Time to Address the Growing Concentration of Wealth

For years, the American people have seen the gap between the rich and the rest of the country grow out of control. In recent years however, especially since Republicans passed their massive overhaul of the tax code that gave over a trillion dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy, the divide has been widening more and more quickly. Since the early 1980s to today, the … Continue reading It’s Time to Address the Growing Concentration of Wealth »

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 »

Pearls of Wisdom: “For college admissions, $50,000 is a scandal, $50 million is a celebration.”

In reading about the massive college admissions scandals this week, a truth struck me that I hadn’t consciously been aware of before. Yes, compromising the proctors and cheating on the standardized tests is bad. Bribing the coach to admit your child as an athletic recruit, when they don’t even play sports, is bad. Yes, many of the actual students involved were probably not aware of … Continue reading Pearls of Wisdom: “For college admissions, $50,000 is a scandal, $50 million is a celebration.” »

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 »

Budget for a Nightmare America

On Monday, President Trump released his 2019 budget proposal, a plan that outlines a series of massive cuts to vital public programs in the ludicrously titled “A Budget for a Better America.” While this is just a list of funding ideas that mean nothing without Congressional approval, it outlines Trump’s vision for our economic future – one that allows us already wealthy people to get … Continue reading Budget for a Nightmare America »

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 »

Adults and Breadwinners, Not Teens, Benefit Most from Raising Minimum Wage

For years, opponents of raising the federal minimum wage have argued that we don’t need to raise the minimum wage because most low-wage workers are just teenagers trying to earn a little  spending money. We’ve known that’s not true for years, but as the fight for $15 ramps up across the country, a new study shows just how far from reality that “common knowledge” really … Continue reading Adults and Breadwinners, Not Teens, Benefit Most from Raising Minimum Wage »

Workers Pay While Trust Fund Babies Play

The manner in which taxes are computed vastly favors the wealthy. Workers pay higher taxes on wages than those living on investment income — and workers also have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on their wages but investment income recipients do not. A comparison of taxes due for 2018 for two married couples illustrates the gross inequities: Couple No. 1: Trust Fund Babies. … Continue reading Workers Pay While Trust Fund Babies Play »

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 »

Homework Is A Lot Like Taxes

Often times, as I look back over the past 40 or so years of my life and what has happened to tax policies across our large and wonderful country, I’m struck by the similarities between taxes for adults and homework for kids. I know, it’s a leap, but then the more you noodle on it the more the likeness becomes clear. From the first day … Continue reading Homework Is A Lot Like Taxes »

$15 Minimum Wage a Win for All Illinoisans

The road to every working American being able to afford their basic needs took a big leap forward last week when Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. Illinois now joins the growing number of states who are listening to the concerns of their workers and challenges they face from rising wealth inequality and … Continue reading $15 Minimum Wage a Win for All Illinoisans »

Why Are You Paying More Tax Than Amazon and Netflix?

This tax season, millions of Americans will be receiving smaller refunds from the IRS, or worse, a bill. At the same time, two of the most profitable companies in the country are not only avoiding paying taxes altogether, but one is receiving a federal rebate check of hundreds of millions of dollars. Both corporations and individuals are subject to federal income taxes. For those individuals … Continue reading Why Are You Paying More Tax Than Amazon and Netflix? »