Tag Archives: inequality

Despite the Pandemic CEOs Made a Killing in 2020

Last week the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) released a bombshell report that showed CEO pay skyrocketed while worker compensation barely budged over the course of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. This report comes on the heels of Sarah Anderson’s Institute for Policy Studies’ report that revealed just over half of 100 S&P 500 companies who pay the lowest median worker wages broke their rules to give … Continue reading Despite the Pandemic CEOs Made a Killing in 2020 »

Shame on Governor Kemp

Last week Governor Kemp made an appearance on Fox News to defend his state’s decision to reduce voting rights throughout Georgia while comparing his actions to my state of Colorado. While listening to Governor Kemp speak, I was disgusted although not surprised. Kemp’s spin was misleading, lacking real context and in areas, blatant lies. Equally important, Kemp and his conservative Georgia lawmakers seem to have … Continue reading Shame on Governor Kemp »

Use The For The People Act to Fix The Damage of Anti-Voter Legislation

Our democracy is under attack. As of today, more than 300 different pieces of voter suppression legislation have been introduced across the country. Just last week, in Georgia, the state that tipped the Senate for Democrats in January, Governor Brian Kemp signed a sweeping 98-page omnibus “election” bill (aka voter suppression bill), into law surrounded by white male legislators under a painting of a slave … Continue reading Use The For The People Act to Fix The Damage of Anti-Voter Legislation »

Explaining The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act

On Monday, March 1, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Rep. Brendan Boyle took a stand against out-of-control wealth inequality by introducing The ‘Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act’ to Congress. So what will this tax do? It’s a virtual copy of the wealth tax that Warren ran on in her 2020 presidential campaign. A wealth tax is a yearly tax on the net worth, essentially assets … Continue reading Explaining The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act »

California’s Proposition 22: So goes the nation

There’s an old saying that as California goes, so goes the nation. It comes from the late 20th century when California led the nation in social and economic reform, with many of those laws going on to influence national law. But this coming election will give that old phrase new weight for the future of labor rights across the nation, as Californians cast their votes … Continue reading California’s Proposition 22: So goes the nation »

What Happened to the American Dream?

This blog originally appeared on WalkerViewPoints on 9/30/20  Many kids, like me, first-generation college students, with farm and factory parents realized the American Dream. Ours was postwar America, a time of relative prosperity, when a poor kid could afford a decent college, when good jobs were abundant, and when wages were good.’ Introducing the Great Society in 1964 at the University of Michigan, Lyndon Johnson … Continue reading What Happened to the American Dream? »

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 »

Instead of taxing the rich, the California legislature jumped ship

California is in crisis. From wildfires, to blackouts, to the deadliest month of the COVID pandemic, disasters of every kind are wreaking havoc across the state. Now with the state facing a $54 billion dollar deficit, due to the economic ramifications of COVID, massive cuts to critical public programs are slated to go into effect come October. That’s only going to make a bad problem … Continue reading Instead of taxing the rich, the California legislature jumped ship »

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 Closer Look: Mid-Recession, Why Aren’t Poverty Rates Skyrocketing?

The U.S. has been mired in the worst recession in most Americans’ lifetimes since late February, according to top economists. From the highest rates of unemployment in our country’s entire history to miles-long lines at food banks, it’s obvious that millions of Americans are in dire financial straits. One would expect, then, that the poverty rate in America would also be skyrocketing. However, multiple studies … Continue reading A Closer Look: Mid-Recession, Why Aren’t Poverty Rates Skyrocketing? »

Black Lives Matter.

Sometimes there are moments where conducting business as usual is not only grossly inappropriate, but simply impossible. The nationwide protests this past week are exactly one of those moments.  The murder of George Floyd, like the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and every other unacceptable killing of Black Americans before them, have exposed the rotten truth at the heart of our country: the United … Continue reading Black Lives Matter. »

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. »

Undocumented Workers Are Essential. Let’s Treat Them Like It.

As an American who has benefited immensely under our system of capitalism, I so want to believe the purpose of capitalism is to increase happiness for all. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, is prompting me to ask questions that challenge that belief. Questions like: who do we take for granted in our society, when the reality is that our society depends on them? The Coronavirus has … Continue reading Undocumented Workers Are Essential. Let’s Treat Them Like It. »

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 »

Big corporations are Preying on the Small Business Loan Program

Since the program’s launch, countless small businesses across the country discovered that the government loans they were promised to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis were handed over to wealthy corporations before they ever saw a dime.  Those small businesses are the backbone of the American dream, offering immigrants and low income Americans a path to financial independence and success. But without critical aid, the … Continue reading Big corporations are Preying on the Small Business Loan Program »

Saving the Postal Service is a Democracy Issue

As the COVID-19 pandemic spurs unprecedented layoffs, business closures, and general economic havoc, the US policy response has largely focused on trying to put fires out as they arise rather than following a long-term strategy to contain the economic wildfire. This is flawed but certainly understandable thinking, as it can be incredibly hard in the midst of an unprecedented crisis to discern which problems need … Continue reading Saving the Postal Service is a Democracy Issue »

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. »