Economics
Vote Blue
Whether at the gas pump or supermarket, we are all feeling the impacts of higher prices. While Republicans have pointed fingers at President Biden and Democrats, these attacks are hypocritical and unjustified.
The causes of inflation include the global pandemic and Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine. And while Democrats have been working tirelessly to lower costs for families, Republican politicians have actively voted against solutions.
Trump’s failure to address the pandemic sent our economy into a recession and caused the unemployment rate to surge from 3.8% to ...
Supreme Politics
The recent big news story is the Supreme Court's leaked draft of the upcoming decision to overturn Roe vs Wade. This should be no surprise. It has long been expected.
Obama was outrageously denied an appointment and Trump made three appointments to the Court. These three judges were deliberately chosen for their opposition to abortion and their extreme positions on other issues. The current Supreme Court is a glaring example of a “packed” court dominated by extreme right wing ideologues. These judges are not impartial arbiters of the law.
Jim Hightower devoted ...
Poor People’s Campaign rallies to Washington D.C.
We will have a full story in our next edition of Middle Wisconsin.
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. organized low-income Americans of different backgrounds in a march on Washington known as the "Poor People's Campaign."
Over fifty-years later, thousands of protesters gathered Saturday to deliver that same message at the Poor People's and Low-Wage Workers' Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls.
The rally urged low-income voters to participate in the upcoming midterm elections and featured religious organizations, pro-democracy groups, labor ...
New Thinking Needed – Not More Pentagon Spending
In our country the endless increases in military spending are only matched by an equally endless propensity for wars and military conflicts.
Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget proposes $813 billion for the Pentagon. This is a 4% increase over the bloated $782 billion approved by Congress for 2022 – which was a 5.6% increase from 2021. Every year “defense” spending increases. It makes no difference which party is in control. It doesn't matter what the the real threats are to the country. It makes no difference how much of this money is unaccounted for, lost to ...
Union Busting is Disgusting
Union busting is not only disgusting, but also illegal. You have the right to organize in your workplace.
Today several of us from the Marathon County Central Labor Council found ourselves at Starbucks in Plover. What brought us there was the illegal dismissal of a 21-year-old employee, Kolton. The reason for his termination was that he’d broken company rules by being in the back of the store while he was off the clock and being present in April after the store closed when he was off the clock. Kolton admits to this but also states the store policies are selecti...
In Our Own Back Yard Series
In Our Own Back Yard Series
Tuesday, May 10 at 6 PM
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/92559912550
Join Zoom to Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 925 5991 2550
The topic of metallic mining has once again surfaced in Wisconsin. Congressman Tom Tiffany (7th congressional district) has been making many stops lately promoting sulfide mines in Wisconsin. Two places that are being considered for exploration are the reef deposit near the Dells of Eau Claire and the Bend deposit in Taylor County. It has become increasing difficult to ...
Inflation Isn’t Biden’s Fault
"Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair." Sam Ewing
Sam Ewing is a former baseball player and not an economist. But he provided a good definition of inflation. Inflation is the overall increase in prices for goods and services over time. We don't need economists to tell us inflation is occurring. It is pretty obvious when you go to the grocery store.
Why pieces are going up is a more complicated story. Despite inflation being a well defined phenomenon with known basic causes, economist ...
Pitchfork Economics
Economics is not an exact science. The economy, and the way we carve up the economic pie, is a political and social process. It is not set in stone and can be improved.
Building rural prosperity
The rural economy includes tourism, services, small manufacturing, forestry, government and many retired people.
The need for Goldilocks interest rates
Humans have engaged in economic activity for many thousands of years. Even hunting and gathering groups engaged in barter and trade.