Working Life

This is not entirely surprising, at least if you spend the time to talk to people and show a little courage. People do not mind raising taxes — if it’s done for the right reasons and if the burden is put in the right place. That’s what the 2012 elections showed.

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Since there is no money in being right about the election, pardon me while I strut for just a few hours, having nailed on the nose the Electoral College vote weeks before (Florida is going to end up in Obama’s column—the remaining votes are from heavily Democratic areas). But, moving quickly on to an important lesson, because bragging only carries you as far as the first yawn from a friend, there is a lesson to consider.

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All in all, it was a pretty nice night for the forces of pretty good — as opposed to the excellent Wellstone-like leaders we need. But, a note from the front-lines of collective bargaining where it matters long term– an initiative to lock in collective bargaining in Michigan was soundly defeated.

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Barack Obama will be re-elected president Tuesday night, and probably by a relatively comfortable electoral vote margin. The question for workers in the US, and around the world, is: does it matter who wins?

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One of the great myths that created the seeds of the financial crisis was that the ratings agencies–Standard and Poor and Moody’s–where “independent”. What a crock–the ratings agencies gave positive ratings to the crummy debt securities that were at the heart of what led to millions of people losing their jobs and they have been the water boys for the financial elite who peddled this crap. Now, we have a conviction of S&P: Guilty in a court of law.

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You can try to divine the various political strategies — from ad campaigns to get-out-the-vote operations — to try to understand how the election is going to turn out. But, one simple fact is the most persuasive: the Republican Party is filled with nuts.

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The enduring mystery — thought perhaps it isn’t a mystery when you dig deep enough — is why liberals/progressives have never taken stock of their complete failure at taking advantage of the greatest crisis in the so-called “free market” in half a century. This comes to mind when you ponder the somewhat comical hand-wringing underway among the leaders of the progressive movement over the prospects of a “grand bargain” around government fiscal policy.

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This is a simple straightforward post. I have argued that the election was over in the Spring. But, how much was that picture Obama had with Chris Christie worth? I reckon a 300-plus electoral vote win.

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I am always looking for someone to get out from the idiotic discussion about the phony debt and deficit crisis. Thanks, Rich Trumka.

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Cleaning up email, with one eye on big Sandy, I happened to catch this important observation: neither presidential candidates wants to talk about the tens of billions of dollars being sheltered abroad.

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