Economics


WEALTH AND MONEY: PART I

neglected neighborhood
PART I: THE DESTRUCTIVE/CONSTRUCTIVE CONTRADICTION   Born in the late 1800’s, Frederick Soddy and R. Buckminster Fuller led extraordinary lives. Soddy won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1921 and Fuller became well known for his work in architecture and the development of the geodesic dome. Soddy was a British citizen, Fuller an American. Both were deeply rooted in science and the laws of physics, and both spent the latter half of their life trying to apply their knowledge of physical reality to making the world work for everyone. Inevitably their quest led them ...

Read More


THE “S” WORD: SOME PERSPECTIVE ON ECONOMICS

economics perspective
Bernie Sanders, a self proclaimed “democratic socialist,” is running for President. The “S” word will be used like a club to pillory him and his supporters. Even if he fails to be nominated, Hillary Clinton will be branded a socialist as well. The partisan attack dogs and the media pundits will spread the usual fear, falsehood, and misinformation which the public will swallow without question. Words like “socialism,” “freedom,” “democracy,” ”welfare state,” and “free enterprise” are often thrown around rather loosely with little regard to ...

Read More


WITH UNIONS, EVERYONE BENEFITS

WITH UNIONS, EVERYONE BENEFITS The concept of Unions, workers banding together to improve their wages, hours and working conditions, has been the great equalizer for workers in the United States for over one hundred years. Only since 1971 have the public sector workers in Minnesota had the right to bargain collectively with their employers. A group interested in forming a Union goes through an election in the workplace. If a simple majority of eligible voters decide that they want a union, then everyone must be represented equally. Workers can choose not to be a ...

Read More


IMPROVING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

IMPROVING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Phil Anderson The problems facing Wisconsin's public schools are complex. There are no quick or easy fixes. But neither are the problems insurmountable. People of good faith, working together, can find ways to improve our schools. We should begin by admitting that we are all part of the problem. The problems of our schools reflect American society. The inequality, racism, poverty, and violence common to American culture are reflected in our schools. We cannot blame teachers or schools for the social problems we are unwilling to address ...

Read More


UNIONS BUILT THE MIDDLE CLASS

UNIONS BUILT THE MIDDLE CLASS By John Spiegelhoff The 1950’s and 1960’s are considered a time of prosperity for our country. Workers were paid a good wage and our economy was booming. Corporate CEO’s earned just a little more than the workers. Our country manufactured goods right here in America and manufacturing jobs were plentiful. Companies took pride in their workforce. They knew a well-paid workforce with benefits and a pension benefitted the entire country. Most people considered themselves middle class. Now people are wondering: what happened to our ...

Read More


POPE FRANCIS AND FREE MARKETS

Francisco
In a commentary on the CNN website about the visit of Pope Francis, Sean Duffy rushed to reassure conservatives that it is not “un-Catholic to support free markets.” He ignored that Pope Francis implored Congress to regulate free markets for the common good. Instead he dismissed the Pope’s message by linking it to Marxism and Che Gueverra. He claimed that Pope Francis has offended conservative Catholics. It is convenient for ultra-conservatives like Sean Duffy to twist the words of Pope Francis and sell him short as some sort of communist.  Rush Limbaugh has done ...

Read More


THE DAILY CALL

THE DAILY CALL By Virginia Kirsch “Mere passive citizenship is not enough. Men must be aggressive for what is right if government is to be saved from men who are aggressive for what is wrong.” By Robert “Fighting Bob” LaFollette; It is in this tone of Fighting Bob that articles are selected to keep our citizens informed and our democracy strong. The Daily Call is a free daily update from Wisconsin on news updates, commentary, links and support networks for progressives. Mark L. Taylor is the editor and invites you to read his daily post at www.thedail...

Read More


WHY UNIONS MATTER – Lest We Forget

Worker sitting on a forklift
WHY UNIONS MATTER Lest We Forget By Kath Michel Labor Day, held on the first Monday of September, was designated, in 1894, as an annual federal holiday to celebrate and show appreciation for the work of labor organizations and for their contribution to the American economy. After one hundred and six years, do we have anything left to celebrate?  The Wisconsin Governor and his ilk have waged an all-out war on unions in Wisconsin. With stout financial support from a boatload of backers including Charles and David Koch, the Bradley Foundation (whose president and CEO, ...

Read More


BACK TO ALEC, BACK TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Rep. Chris Taylor sitting at her desk
BACK TO ALEC, BACK TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS By Rep Chris Taylor (D-Madison) On the heels of a newly passed state budget that again leaves our K-12 public schools behind without ample and consistent funding, I recently headed back to where the school privatization push all began — the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. ALEC and its members, including the American Federation for Children, have become more powerful than our citizens’ voices at the state Capitol. Despite massive public urging from Wisconsin school superintendents, principals, teachers, ...

Read More


WORKERS INDEPENDENT NEWS

Workers Independent News
WORKERS INDEPENDENT NEWS (A Multimedia Voice for Workers) Doug Cunningham is the producer of Workers Independent News. This is a multimedia voice for workers. On the web you can read his daily labor news updates. You can also hear labor news on the radio. Check the website for a station near you. www.LaborRadio.org WIN (Workers Independent News) is the voice of working families in a world where the corporations dominate. There is no other national daily news on unions. Eleven per cent of US workers are unionized, a minority. News of unions are outgunned. For ...

Read More