Working Life

    You know how the proponents of the so-called "free trade" deal with Colombia have argued that the U.S. just has to move ahead with the deal to show support for the great protectors of democracy in Colombia? Er…get me rewrite on those speeches. From Reuters on Monday: Colombian government ministries and other state institutions […]

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    Today there is more news on the deaths of construction workers in New York City. Apparently, our mayor–who never saw a nice, shiny building project he didn’t like no matter if most residents in the city can never afford to live in those nice, shiny buildings–has noticed that a bunch of construction workers are, […]

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   A momentary reflection away from what I usually write about. Every day that Jimmy Carter continues his works of peace and humanitarian outreach justifies the day that I cast my first vote in a presidential election for him some…okay, a lot of years ago. His recent foray to establish another line of communication with […]

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It doesn’t astound me that people are angry and bitter. What astounds me is that somehow the goodness of most people keeps them from taking to the streets in mass rioting. To wit:    A whole bunch of very powerful and wealthy financiers create an economic disaster and who suffers? Citigroup, caught in the midst […]

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    This is what makes me weep that I am a Democrat (from yesterday’s National Journal’s CongressDailyPM): House Speaker Pelosi today offered some hope for passage of a free trade agreement with Colombia, but said it would fail if the White House tries to jam the deal down Congress’ throat. "Perhaps we can get some […]

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To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, you haven’t met a real elitist until you consider the life of John Paulson. His salary last year: $3.7 billion. That is not a misprint: three billion, seven hundred million dollars. Now that’s doing elitism in a big way. Welcome to the new Gilded Age.   Today, Institutional Investor Magazine releases […]

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  Like a lot of workers, construction workers aren’t seen by most people going to and from work, home or whatever else they happen to be doing–until a construction worker dies some horrible death. Their deaths are, I think, shrugged off as the inevitable cost of "progress" and "economic activity". But, these deaths do not […]

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    Simon Romero, a correspondent for The New York Times in South America, seems to spend most of his time trying to write up the next slanted article against Hugo Chavez. So, it’s no wonder that he lets the obvious evade him. Well, today is different–a bit. I’m going to guess that his editors in […]

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    I know this won’t shock those of you who already know something is up. But, the details are important–from the folks at the Economic Policy Institute: Over the last 60 years, the U.S. tax code has dramatically shifted away from corporate taxes and toward taxes on individuals, especially through the payroll tax, the financing […]

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  Right now, the so-called "free trade" deal with Colombia is floating dead in the water. But, once the sniping goes away over process, the horse-trading will begin. And the Democratic freshmen in the House may end up being key votes.   By now, we know that Speaker Pelosi is blocking a vote right now, […]

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