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Like Watergate Never Happened

At moments, ”The Lessons of Watergate” conference held a couple of weeks ago in Washington, D.C., by the citizen’s lobby Common Cause, was a little like that two-man roadshow retired baseball players Bill Buckner and Mookie Wilson have been touring. In it, they retell the story of the catastrophic moment during the bottom of the last inning of Game Six of the 1986 World Series, when the Mets’ Wilson hit an easy ground ball toward Buckner of the Red Sox, who haplessly let it roll between his legs. That notorious error ultimately cost Boston the championship.
April 1, 2013 |
Salon
Let Main Street Compete With Internet Giants

It's no secret that state governments need all the revenues they can get. Five years after the financial crisis, states are still struggling to close huge budget gaps, forcing harsh ongoing cuts to education, infrastructure, and social services. This is not a moment for states to be letting billions of dollars in revenue slip through their fingers every year by failing to tax online sales. In fact, exempting Internet purchases from sales taxes has never made sense.
March 28, 2013 |
U.S. News
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Economy & Opportunity 
Expanding Citizenship: Immigrants and the Vote

As was vividly demonstrated in the 2012 election, immigrant communities are increasingly a major political and civic force. A record 10 percent of the electorate in 2012 was Latino, up a percentage point from 2008, and the Asian-American share of the electorate rose to 3 percent, still small but historic. Both groups overwhelmingly voted for President Obama, in even larger proportions than they did in 2008, proving themselves to be potent voting blocs.
March 19, 2013 |
Democracy Journal
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Democracy & Elections 
Voting Rights & Voter Registration 
Let The People Pay The Piper

You know the old saying, “He who pays the piper calls the tune?” Well, today in New York politics, the already-wealthy and powerful are paying to run state campaigns, and once candidates get into office, these donors get to call the tune. While not all of our elected officials are swayed by the power of big money, the system makes it hard for average New Yorkers to be heard in Albany.
March 19, 2013 |
New York Amsterdam News
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Campaign Finance Reform 
Democracy & Elections 
Forty Years Behind on Sick-Leave Policy, But Catching Up

It’s too late for Tonisha Howard, the mother of three in Milwaukee who was fired for leaving work to be with her hospitalized two-year-old. And forFelix Trinidad, who was so afraid of losing his job at Golden Farm fruit store in Brooklyn that he didn’t take time off to go to the doctor—even after he vomited blood.
March 18, 2013 |
The American Prospect
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Economy & Opportunity 
Jobs & Income 
The Middle Class 
Talking 'Bout My Generation

I will start drawing Social Security next month. I think I've earned it. On the other hand, I have to admit that society has been good to my generation.

I was able to graduate from a good private college with no debt. Four years at Oberlin cost $10,000 -- tuition, room, board, books, fees. Not $10,000 a year -- but for four years.

My wife and I were able to buy our first home when housing was relatively cheap, and we accumulated net worth without lifting a finger, as housing values appreciated.
March 18, 2013 |
The Huffington Post
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Economy & Opportunity 
Retirement Security 
Has Your Credit Report Cost You a Job?

The job market has been tough for older workers, but did you ever imagine that you wouldn’t land a job because of your credit report?

It’s possible.

As I wrote about in my Forbes blog, Bad Credit Can Cost You a Job, if you’re looking to change careers, find a new job, get promoted, or just hang onto the one you have, a messy credit report can trip you up.
March 17, 2013 |
Forbes
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Credit and Debt 
Economy & Opportunity 
New Study Finds the Wealthy Are Different

According to a new study by the think-tank Demos (PDF), the affluent tend to hold a different vision of a just society than the public at large, and it is that vision which tops the political agenda in Washington and in state houses across the country.
March 13, 2013 |
AlterNet
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Campaign Finance Reform 
Democracy & Elections 
Economy & Opportunity 
Government Debt And Deficits Are Not The Problem: Private Debt Is

There are two quite different perspectives in the set of speeches at this conference. Many on our morning panels – Steve Keen, William Greider, and earlier Yves Smith and Robert Kuttner – have warned about the economy being strapped by debt. The debt we are talking about is private-sector debt. But most officials this afternoon focus on government debt and budget deficits as the problem – especially social spending such as Social Security, not bailouts to the banks and Federal Reserve credit to re-inflate prices for real estate, stocks and bonds.
March 13, 2013 |
Eurasia Review
The "Law" of Perpetuating Racial Entitlement

I attended the oral argument in the Voting Rights Act case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and I came away even more convinced that the Court should uphold the contested parts of the law.

Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act requires that covered states "preclear" their proposed election law changes with federal officials. Nine states plus parts of seven others are "covered," and many of these areas are in the South.
February 28, 2013 |
The Huffington Post
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Democracy & Elections 
Voting Rights & Voter Registration