Tag Archives: COVID-19

Let’s make The American Rescue Package’s anti-poverty impact permanent

Jonathan Meyer

Congress just passed a long-awaited package designed to be a rescue plan for workers, families, and businesses struggling through the dual economic and public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This sweeping package demonstrates the undeniable power of the federal government to significantly reduce poverty when it decides to, and raises two questions: Why should we wait for once-in-a-generation global catastrophes to use the … Continue reading Let’s make The American Rescue Package’s anti-poverty impact permanent »

Don’t Let Inflation Fears Stop COVID Relief

President Biden and his team have announced that about $1.9 trillion of additional money is needed due to the problems caused by the current pandemic.  That is about 9% of the size of the entire US economy — anyway you think about it, that is a big deal. The benefits of that are fairly well articulated by the administration, but because many on the right … Continue reading Don’t Let Inflation Fears Stop COVID Relief »

COVID- 19 Relief Cannot Be a Short-Term Fix

Unsplash | Bp Miller

In a major report this year, global anti-poverty charity Oxfam estimates that the poor could take over a decade to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile, their wealthier counterparts have already recovered – and then some – after just nine months of the pandemic. COVID undoubtedly played a role in expediting the increasing wage inequality in our country, with U.S. Billionaires … Continue reading COVID- 19 Relief Cannot Be a Short-Term Fix »

Time for More Stimulus Checks

For what seems like the hundredth time this year, COVID relief bill negotiations are apparently back on, but key differences remain between the two sides, leaving many skeptical that Congress will ever reach a deal. Speaker Pelosi is adamant about providing relief to state and local governments, while Leader McConnell refuses to budge on liability protection for any company whose employees contract the coronavirus – … Continue reading Time for More Stimulus Checks »

Two Pandemics in the White House

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ve certainly heard the news that President Trump, along with several high-profile White House staffers and Republican Senators, has been infected with COVID-19. What you probably haven’t heard about are the ordinary working folks in Trump’s orbit that have also been infected with the virus. At least two members of the White House housekeeping … Continue reading Two Pandemics in the White House »

Myth Busting: The Millionaire Tax Flight

As the COVID-19 crisis rages on, almost every state is now facing a choice between cutting public services or finding new sources of revenue to meet their sudden budget shortfalls. Most states have responded by enacting severe, harmful austerity measures, like cutting funding for healthcare, education, and other social services that millions of people rely on. But last week, New Jersey became one of the first … Continue reading Myth Busting: The Millionaire Tax Flight »

Re-thinking the ‘purpose’ of capitalism

Capitalism in the United States, as it is right now, is dangerously flawed. Our politicians and policies prioritize corporations, special interests and top income earners over regular American workers and those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis, in particular, has laid bare the vast chasm between socioeconomic classes that have developed over the past decade. It’s exposed the failure of our nation to … Continue reading Re-thinking the ‘purpose’ of capitalism »

The Digital Divide

Last month, I was getting ready to convene yet another meeting by Zoom. I got a message from a wealthy New York lawyer informing me that her second home in East Hampton, a beach area about a two hour drive from New York City, didn’t have reliable enough high-speed internet to handle Zoom. For us, it wasn’t a big problem – we rescheduled our meeting … Continue reading The Digital Divide »

Congress Failed State and Local Governments. Here’s How They Can Fix It.

This marks the second week since the tumultuous negotiations between Congress and the White House over a fourth COVID-19 stimulus package fell apart. With the Senate on vacation, there is no end to the stalemate in sight.  We need a bill now. The $600 unemployment boost and a litany of renter protections expired last month, leaving between 30 to 40 million people on a financial … Continue reading Congress Failed State and Local Governments. Here’s How They Can Fix It. »

A Payroll Tax Cut is the Worst Stimulus Yet

After the White House ran out the clock on negotiating the next COVID-19 relief bill last week, President Trump enacted four new executive orders to try to circumvent Democrats’ demands. These new orders are largely unconstitutional, and they amount to nothing more than posturing without meaningful substance. One of the key orders arose from Trump’s oft-touted desire to pass a payroll tax cut, which had … Continue reading A Payroll Tax Cut is the Worst Stimulus Yet »

Republicans Have Failed Essential Workers for Months. Don’t Do It Again.

For the past two months, Republicans twiddled their thumbs in the Senate doing nothing as the worst crisis in a century wreaked havoc on their country. Over that same period, millions of front-line workers were experiencing the nightmare of COVID-19 each and every day: indignant customers refusing to observe health protocols, hospitals overflowing with sick and dying patients, demanding delivery and factory quotas, corporate bosses … Continue reading Republicans Have Failed Essential Workers for Months. Don’t Do It Again. »

Want to Save the Economy? Save the Arts First.

On March 12th, the lights went out on Broadway when Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the theaters to close. The same day, other institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, Carnegie Hall, and the New York Philharmonic announced that they would close too, while performances were canceled across the country in places like California, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston. With Broadway fully shuttered … Continue reading Want to Save the Economy? Save the Arts First. »

Inheriting Opportunity: Public vs. Private Schools

During college in Louisiana, I heard people say, “So much of life is the family one is born into,” I didn’t have a clue what this meant. My father was the first in several Louisiana generations to graduate college. He supported us by selling janitorial products and our mother, who didn’t graduate college, never worked. I’d never imagined life as the one-percent, the top ten … Continue reading Inheriting Opportunity: Public vs. Private Schools »

A Wealth Tax Is the Perfect COVID Stimulus Measure

If you think back to the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in the US in March, you might remember all the doomsday headlines about the stock market tanking to record lows and investors losing millions of dollars as a result. Three months later, those headlines have entirely disappeared, and there’s a reason for that: the stock market has recovered almost all of the losses incurred … Continue reading A Wealth Tax Is the Perfect COVID Stimulus Measure »

Stop Obfuscating. We Know Who’s to Blame.

A response to NYT article, “California, in Rush to Save Lives, Pushed Potent Economy to Brink”:   As a grateful Californian and participant in the “potent economy” I am deeply offended and dismayed by this article on multiple fronts. My biggest beef, is that the article was void of any counterbalancing reasons as to why California shut down in the midst of an MIA (missing … Continue reading Stop Obfuscating. We Know Who’s to Blame. »

The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly of the HEROES Act

Earlier this month, the Patriotic Millionaires launched an exciting new direct legislative advocacy project in tandem with several key allies called Donors Advocating for Real Economic Solutions (DARES). This joint venture is focused on creating legislation to relieve the economic pressure from the COVID-19 crisis by drawing on the collective power of political donors to directly and effectively lobby on behalf of legislation that will … Continue reading The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly of the HEROES Act »

High-Speed Internet Isn’t a Luxury – It’s a Necessity

As we approach the third month of nationwide social distancing orders, many of us have become accustomed to our new life indoors thanks to the plethora of activities and connections internet access can provide. However, for many of my fellow Americans in small towns and rural communities, high-speed fiber optic internet connection is a luxury that they simply do not have access to. In today’s … Continue reading High-Speed Internet Isn’t a Luxury – It’s a Necessity »

American Homes are at Risk. We Need a Tenants Bailout Now.

One of the largest looming catastrophes of the COVID-19 crisis is right in American homes. This April, nearly a third of renters weren’t able to pay their rent, and with many hourly and low-wage Americans still out of work, many are wondering how they will afford groceries, medicine, and other necessities – never mind the rent.  The beginning of May marks the second rent or … Continue reading American Homes are at Risk. We Need a Tenants Bailout Now. »

Inequality Propounded

Post originally appeared on WalkerViewPoints on 3/26/20 Inequality has steadily escalated since the days of Reagan and Thatcher. It’s now deeply ingrained in every aspect of our society. And, no matter what the major problem of the world, the less fortunate always get the short end of the stick. The environment is a good example. As we continue to pollute our water, who is forced to … Continue reading Inequality Propounded »