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Sunday, March 8, 2026

For Israel’s Netanyahu, Trump grants prayers with some unwelcome caveats – WaPost

“…Netanyahu’s determination to initiate hostilities led Trump to believe an Israeli attack was inevitable and that the best course of action was to involve U.S. military power to ensure its success, said two people familiar with this thinking. ‘It was a false premise because the United States could have told Israel “no,”‘ said the adviser to the president. ‘But it was a clever tactic, and it shifted the momentum in favor of military action.’

“Netanyahu in late February called Trump with a specific piece of intelligence: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his inner circle would be gathered at a single known location in Tehran on a Saturday morning. Israel was ready. Trump decided to go for it. ‘Trump felt like he didn’t have a choice,’ said one of the people familiar with the president’s thinking…”

Estimating the Cost and Impacts of the SSI Restoration Act – Roosevelt Institute


Key Takeaways

  • SSI serves approximately 7.4 million people who are disabled or elderly, yet its maximum monthly benefit (just under $1,000 for individuals in 2026) frequently leaves recipients living below the poverty line.
  • The program’s core financial rules are functionally frozen; income disregards have not been updated since 1972, and asset limits—currently capped at $2,000 for individuals—have remained unchanged since 1989.
  • The SSI application process is so demanding and slow that initial disability determinations typically take over eight months—and much longer with appeals. In fiscal year 2023, more than 30,000 individuals died while waiting for a decision on their benefits.
  • The SSI Restoration Act of 2024 aims to modernize the program by raising benefits to the poverty line, eliminating burdensome rules like the in-kind support and maintenance provision, ending the asset limit marriage penalty, updating disregards, and indexing all numbers to inflation.
  • Our analysis shows that fully funding these reforms would reduce poverty among SSI recipients by 60 percent at a cost of roughly $61 billion per year—about the cost of a single tax provision in last year’s reconciliation bill.”

CCSE work on this issue:

SSI Needs Fixing: Chronic neglect is choking off access to Social Security’s critical backstop – and pushing more blind, disabled and old people into poverty – Karl Polzer

Social Security’s disability program desperately needs fixing – WashExaminer op-ed

Important article:

Value-Based Payment And Managed Care Will Not Solve The Affordability Crisis – Health Affairs

Absolutely on target. Public and private purchasers in the US need to hold the line on prices and technology diffusion. But they are ineffective bargainers on behalf of patients, workers, and taxpayers. Insurance companies, for example, in the long run benefit from higher prices because they pocket a percentage of the cost of what is insured. A slice of 10% of GDP produces half the revenue as a slice of 20%. Government “bargainers” work under Congress and the Executive branch, which are highly lobbied by the “medical/financial/industrial complex”. On one side of the table, businesses and professions act on a strong incentive to make more money. On the other side, negotiators lose the tug of war on prices and costs, bit by bit. Also, in the US, government purchasing, to the degree it is effective, is split between Medicare and the states (Medicaid). In countries controlling medical costs, government purchasing is monopsonistic and has greater leverage.

Profiting from Elder Harm: The Push to End Psychiatric Drugging in Nursing Homes – CCHR

Should the practice of sedating the elderly in nursing homes be loosened? – msn/WaPost

“…President Donald Trump’s administration is reviewing whether to loosen restrictions on these medications, saying it wants to recognize benefits when the drugs are used appropriately. The move comes after a sustained lobbying campaign by groups backed by the manufacturers of antipsychotics…”

Long-Term Trends of Psychotropic Drug Use in Nursing Homes – HHS OIG

“OIG found that from 2011 through 2019, about 80 percent of Medicare’s long-stay nursing home residents were prescribed a psychotropic drug…”

Roughly half of U.S. workers wouldn’t pay taxes under Democrat’s plan – DNYUZ/WaPost

“Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is expected to release the measure next week as Democratic Party lawmakers search for a sharp economic message to counter last year’s Republican tax law.

“Under Van Hollen’s proposal, workers making at or below a “living wage” — $46,000 for taxpayers filing individually, or $92,000 for married couples filing jointly — would not have to pay federal income taxes. Tens of millions of additional middle-class workers would also receive a tax cut under the proposal, but they would still have to pay taxes. The measure would be paid for by a new surcharge on millionaires that would raise roughly $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years…”

Data center tax exemption debate heats up in Virginia – Dogwood

Workers, Speaker Scott criticize plan to axe data center tax exemption as budgets advance – Virginia Mercury

“The Senate proposal to end the sales and use tax exemption that’s saved data centers over $1 billion annually passes with bipartisan support.”

So, should they split the difference? The state of Virginia needs to raise about $90 billion a year.

How Did This State Become the Data Center Capital of the World? – Inside Climate News

“From America Online to the rise of AI, Virginia has been good for an industry now transforming the economy and grid. Has the industry returned the favor?”

Trump to meet defense execs today. These companies could benefit amid weapons stockpile fears – Fortune

The cost of Trump’s Iran war: $5 billion and counting – Responsible Statecraft

“The Pentagon will likely ask for $50B more in emergency funding.”

Record-high deficits and debt already are straining the US government’s ability borrow money through the bond market. The Iran war could likely lead to higher interest rates, higher deficits, and more conflict over whether to cut spending on social programs or raise taxes.

As Trump’s attack on Iran triggers Congressional constitutional responsibilities both to declare war and authorize its cost, legislators have continued ceding power to the executive branch.

Donald Trump says there is only one thing that can limit his global powers – himself – MSNBC

Will members of Congress one day realize that they are functioning as advisory bodies to the executive branch rather than the co-equal center of power laid out in the Constitution?

Trump may be wagging a bigger dog than he expected. Who’s wagging Trump?

Time to End the American-Israeli Alliance – American Prospect

“If Secretary of State Marco Rubio is to be believed, Israel basically buffaloed the Trump administration into starting a war with Iran. ‘We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action,’ he told reporters recently. ‘Obviously, we were aware of Israeli intentions and understood what that would mean for us, and we had to be prepared to act as a result of it.'”

America’s 20 Largest Low-Wage Employers and the Affordability Crisis – IPS

“This report analyzes the 20 largest employers of low-wage U.S. workers, a group we’ve dubbed the ‘Low-Wage 20.’ Together, the Low-Wage 20 companies employ approximately 6.7 million people in the United States. Their median worker wages in 2024 ranged from $9,602 (Ross Stores) to $47,607 (MGM Resorts) — compared to an average CEO compensation of over $18 million.

“…we find that most of these firms pay their workers so little that employees are forced to rely on public benefits like SNAP and Medicaid. Yet their CEOs make, on average, nearly 900 times more than their median employees — and their companies often spend billions on stock buybacks, artificially hiking their stock prices (and with it, CEO pay) instead of raising pay for workers.”

Comment: The federal government also subsidizes these companies indirectly through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC, along with Medicaid and SNAP (included in the graph above), make it easier for employers to pay low wages – below what workers need to cover the cost of living. In 2025, US taxpayers shelled out $64 billion in EITC to 23 million workers. The average household received about $2,916 in EITC. How much of this spending flows into corporate coffers?

State Rundown 3/4: Budget Realities Set In – ITEP

“As many state legislative sessions near or cross the halfway point, lawmakers are facing tough choices. Some are leaning into budget cuts, like in Idaho where the Senate passed a 4 percent budget cut and teed up the possibility of another 5 percent reduction next year. In Nebraska, a refusal to decouple from 2025’s federal tax changes or pause scheduled income tax cuts means the legislature must find an additional $330 million to close the shortfall.

“Other lawmakers are rejecting expensive tax cuts that were previously on the table or are considering proposals to raise revenue. The Georgia House did not pass its property tax elimination bill, and the Florida Senate appears unlikely to pass the House’s property tax elimination bill. Meanwhile, lawmakers in New York are pushing for higher income taxes on the state’s wealthiest, and Maine lawmakers are working to tax nonresident homes to help lower property taxes for residents…”

Related CCSE op-eds:

Want ‘affordability?’ Start by retooling your state’s regressive tax system. – Karl Polzer/Hill

New governor prioritizing ‘affordability’ should push reforming Va.’s regressive tax code – Karl Polzer/Richmond Times-Dispatch

Thanks to the Hill for running our op-ed:

Trump’s 401(k) proposal could be a major step toward retirement security – Karl Polzer

“To succeed, Trump’s proposal must meet two fundamental requirements: funds to save and invest and accounts overseen by a fiduciary. The millions of workers with no money left over from their paychecks after covering the cost of living need more than just access to a retirement account — they also need money to put in that plan, week by week and month by month. This is why, without congressional action, most low-income workers will likely still be left out…”

What we propose:

Commanders Accused of Framing Iran War as Biblical Mandate, Jesus’ ‘Return’ – Military.com

“…A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that President Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to independent journalist Jonathan Larsen as published on Substack…”

Veterans ‘split’ over Iran strikes. Some see payback, others see another ‘forever war’ – Task & Purpose

Some veterans have questioned whether there was justification for a military campaign, especially without an official sign-off from Congress. … In a Feb. 28 statement, American Legion National Commander Dan Wiley called on federal lawmakers to fulfill their ‘constitutional responsibility’ and ensure the U.S. military has ‘clear objectives, strong force protection, and a strategy to prevent prolonged conflict.'”

Report: Kurds expected to launch Iran ground offensive after receiving US arms – Haaretz

Yin or Yang:?

AI Will Destroy Millions of White Collars Jobs in the Coming Months, Andrew Yang Warns, Driving Surge of Personal Bankruptcies – Futurism

Companies Are Laying Off Workers Because of AI’s Potential—Not Its Performance – Harvard Business Review

“While the question of how artificial intelligence may create, destroy, or change jobs is one of the most important of our time, many predictions about our current moment have proved quite wrong—about the volume of jobs lost (too pessimistic), the number of new jobs created (too optimistic), and the time frame in which major changes in labor markets will take place (much slower than predicted).”

Comment: Productivity gains notwithstanding, a too rapid evisceration of the white-collar workforce would further strain an already sputtering consumption and debt dependent economy. Millions of laid-off office staff would join a blue-collar workforce that already has difficulty covering the cost of living. Some might settle for lower paying service jobs instead of long-term unemployment. Could owners and managers profiting at the top of the economic pyramid increase spending enough to drive economic growth?

Will Congress abandon its Constitutional duties even more? Will the legislative branch assert even an advisory role in declaring war?

Briefers to Congress undercut WH claim of imminent Iranian threat; key Intel Dem: Trump ‘lying to us and the American people’ – CNN

GOP, Trump set for war powers confrontation with Democrats after Iran strikes – Hill

Affordability anyone? The president didn’t mention the possibility of wartime gas prices in his state of the union speech to Congress last week.

Iran and the impact on the global economy – Michael Roberts

“Two things need to happen before oil prices shoot up to $100/b or above.  First, there must be significant and prolonged disruption of all traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, given that the Strait carries about one in five barrels of oil in the world. Second, the missile and drone attacks must start hitting oil production installations.  So far, these installations across the Middle East have been studiously avoided – and that includes Iran’s.”

Recent SNAP Changes will Cost the Feds Less by Putting the Burden on Families and States – Taryn Morrissey/Briefing Book

“The One Big Beautiful Bill will cost states more while SNAP participants will receive less.”

“…Nearly half of all children in the U.S. have participated in SNAP at some point before their 18th birthday. More recent research using administrative data in Virginia finds that nearly half of children receive either SNAP or TANF prior to their sixth birthday…

“Research indicates that the typical SNAP-participating household’s food consumption and diet quality falls short of nutritional guidelines. Some point to the TFP and SNAP benefit amounts as being too low to support a nutritious diet (even after the 2021 TFP reevaluation), particularly with recent food inflation, noting that benefit levels do not consider the time and labor costs of preparing food at home, nor do they account for different family compositions (e.g. health conditions, age of individuals). Further, because SNAP benefits are fixed across the lower 48 states, their purchasing power varies geographically. Research has found that in areas with higher food prices – places where SNAP benefits don’t go as far – children receive less preventive health care and miss more days of school due to illness. Consistent with this, other studies have found that the temporary SNAP benefit increase in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 reduced food insecurity and delays in needing but not being able to afford health care, and that higher SNAP benefits reduce ER visits for hypoglycemia. Beginning in January 2026, the Trump Administration allows states to apply for SNAP Food Restriction Waivers to prevent the purchases of foods like soda and candy using SNAP benefits…”

The article suggests several ways that policymakers can improve the SNAP program.

The Marketplace Illusion: Coverage Without Care – Health Affairs

“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established health insurance Marketplaces to expand coverage, improve affordability, and enhance consumer choice. However, coverage alone does not guarantee care—especially in states such as New Mexico, where plan design fails to reflect the geographic realities of care delivery…

“In New Mexico, the state’s Marketplace offers only health maintenance organization (HMO) plans, which rely on narrow, in-network providers and exclude out-of-network protections—an approach ill-suited to a region where many residents live hours from the nearest in-network provider. Much of New Mexico is rural or frontier, with small towns and isolated communities spread across vast desert, mountain, and plateau landscapes. Many residents live hours from urban centers such as Albuquerque, Las Cruces, or Santa Fe, and provider shortages are widespread…”

New Yorkers describe horrid apartments at Mamdani’s rental rip-off event – msn/WaPost

“…The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) published a report Monday that found that 89 percent of residential buildings in the city had no major housing code violations over the past two years…”

Another instance where reporting an average distorts what’s happening at the bottom. It’s more than likely that buildings housing the lowest-income residents experience the most code violations. So, what’s the percentage of those buildings with major code violations? 20%? 30%? 40%?

Sunday, March 1, 2026

…He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more…”

Isaiah 2:4

Opinion: Corporate America’s new slogan is ‘make more, pay less’ – Kathryn Anne Edwards/Midland Daily News

“As corporate profits soar, the labor share of income in the U.S. has cratered. The last two years saw wages and compensation fall to the lowest levels since 1941.

“These two developments — workers get less money, corporations get more — are absolutely related.

“Meanwhile, CEO compensation has skyrocketed over the past six decades, rising from 21 times that of the average worker to 281 times…”

State-by-State Estimates of the First Year of Trump’s Tax Policies: All But the Richest Americans Face Higher Taxes – ITEP

“Taking all the policies of President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress into account, all but the richest Americans are paying higher taxes on average in 2026 than they did last year. These policies include:

  • Dramatically increased tariffs on goods from abroad, a tax that economists widely agree is mostly borne by American consumers.
  • The termination of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC), which had made health care more affordable for millions of people.
  • The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which overwhelmingly benefits the rich and corporations.”

The Trump administration’s macroeconomic agenda harms affordability and raises inequality – Josh Bivens/EPI

Health care execs make a killing. Nurses sweat for every dollar:

HCA details 2026 exec bonus plan – Becker’s Hospital Review

“Target award opportunities for 2026 are as follows:

  • CEO Sam Hazen: 175% of base salary
  • Executive Vice President and CFO Mike Marks: 125% of base salary
  • Executive Vice President and COO Jon Foster: 125% of base salary
  • Executive Vice President-Chief Legal and Administrative Officer Mike McAlevey: 100% of base salary
  • Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Mike Cuffe, MD: 100% of base salary”

Striking Nurses From Coast to Coast Stood Up to Corporate Forces and Won – Truthout

“Nurses in New York, California, and Hawaii claimed big contract victories after showing their power on the picket line.”

“…Union activity has surged in the United States in recent years. In 2025, nearly half a million people who weren’t unionized, joined unions, bringing the total number of unionized people to 16.5 million. While this is not a large percentage of the population, according to the Economic Policy Institute, more than 50 million workers wanted to join a union but couldn’t. At a time of ongoing economic insecurity, there is a strong desire among workers to join forces and take on corporate employers.”

How We Organized a Union at Whole Foods – Labor Notes

Eastern Shore farm workers receive funds from settlement involving alleged labor abuses – yahoo!/Virginian-Pilot

See Previous Posts

Featured

Thanks to The Hill for running our op-ed:

Trump’s 401(k) proposal could be a major step toward retirement security – Karl Polzer/Hill

“To succeed, Trump’s proposal must meet two fundamental requirements: funds to save and invest and accounts overseen by a fiduciary. The millions of workers with no money left over from their paychecks after covering the cost of living need more than just access to a retirement account — they also need money to put in that plan, week by week and month by month. This is why, without congressional action, most low-income workers will likely still be left out…”

Thanks to the Richmond Times-Dispatch for publishing this column:

New governor prioritizing ‘affordability’ should push reforming Va.’s regressive tax code – Karl Polzer

“…It will take some time for the new governor and Democrats running the state legislature to find effective ways to make life in Virginia more affordable. Reducing the tax burden on low-income families should be part of their agenda. Meanwhile, legislators should avoid adding taxes that hit the poor the hardest.”

States Can Push Back Against Reckless Federal Tax Policy. Here’s How. – Governing

Beware of Republicans bearing cash!

Substituting Cash for Health Insurance Can Drive Up Costs, Medical Bankruptcy – Karl Polzer/CCSE

Not! (for now)

Senate GOP health care plan fails on mostly party-line vote – Hill

As suspected, the two health care subsidy votes were performative art organized by Senate leaders setting a high bar (60/100 votes). Clock’s still ticking for millions of Americans needing health insurance they can afford.

Health Care–Related Savings Accounts, Health Care Expenditures, and Tax Expenditures – JAMA
“Conclusions and Relevance: Participation in FSAs is associated with higher health care expenditures and tax expenditures, while HSAs are not associated with reduced expenditures. Tax policy could be better targeted to enhance insurance coverage and health care accessibility.”

Why Substituting Cash for Insurance Can Drive Up Both Total Costs and Individual Medical + Financial Risk – Statement to US Senate Finance Committee

Submitted to Finance Committee Hearing: “The Rising Cost of Health Care: Considering Meaningful Solutions for All Americans”

“No matter how many adjustments the government might make, giving people money to leave the risk pool and bargain on their own with the players in health system undermines the basic concept of insurance – which is pooling risk and resources to make hard-to-predict future expenses more affordable.”

A ‘conservative/progressive’ path to negotiating Social Security solvency: Bend the cost curve, grow revenue, and protect low earners – Karl Polzer/IQInk

Updated Oct. 8, 2025

“This paper presents options – some favored by conservatives, others by progressives – as a framework for negotiating an equitable solution to Social Security’s financing shortfall.  Taken together, the changes could generate up to twice as much in savings and revenue as needed to balance Social Security’s books…

“Congress could strike a deal drawing about half the savings needed to fix Social Security through a gradual benefit reduction by changing the formula for determining initial benefit levels while protecting the lowest earners.  The rest of the gap could be filled through tax increases.  These financing options provide room for targeted benefit improvements to help the lowest income pay their bills and families raise children.”

Judge says Trump administration ‘used antisemitism as a smokescreen’ against Harvard – USA Today

Trump Administration’s Cuts to Harvard Funding Are Unconstitutional, Judge Rules – msn/WSJ

CCSE correspondence with Harvard President Garber

“Prediction: Harvard University will be teaching students from all over the world long after what remains of Trump and his brain trust rest in silence beneath the ground. BTW, White House staff could benefit from taking free public finance courses at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Harvard has a positive fund balance. The United State government, not so much.”

No peace, no prize. – Karl Polzer

“Republican members of the US Congress, which is financing Israel’s now escalating ethnic cleansing of Gaza, have nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.  It is hard to fathom the depth and irony of their fawning depravity.  The Nobel prize is clearly a trophy that he covets. But shouldn’t a peace prize have something to do with reducing conflict and killing? The US president and Congress, including a majority of Democrats, are doing the opposite of making peace.  They are facilitating Israel’s daily, systematic killing, starvation, and displacement of entire populations of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank…”

Trump ‘1-2 punch’ shifts tax burden from top onto middle-and lower-income Americans – Karl Polzer/CCSE

“Economists and business analysts increasingly agree that Trump’s tariffs are raising prices. There is far less awareness that the historic spike in tariffs – coupled with the tax cuts just made permanent by Congress – comprise a major shift in the tax burden. Taken together, these two changes promise to make the US tax system more regressive. In our increasingly unequal country, taxpayers at the bottom of the economic pecking order are taking on proportionally more of the tax burden as the well-off shoulder less…”

New capitalism III: Capital – Branko Milanovic

“Why is capital so concentrated and why so few have it?”

“The new capitalism has even in the rich countries failed to produce what Margaret Thatcher, and Friedrich Hayek before her, called ‘property-owning society’. (For good measure, Thatcher added ‘democracy’ too.) Even when we include income from forced savings that becomes pension wealth, between one-half and almost 90 percent of the population in rich countries are financial-capital destitute. That percentage becomes more than 90, or even more than 95, in less developed countries…”

Related CCSE work:

Half of Americans have no retirement savings — here’s how Congress can look after them …. op-ed

How the U.S. Retirement Saving System Magnifies Inequality – Society of Actuaries

Growing inequality has shrunk Social Security’s revenue. Revitalizing its tax base could help restore solvency without cutting benefits.

New Capitalism in America: Richest capitalists and richest workers are increasingly the same people – Global Inequality

Branko Milanovic: The World Under Capitalism – Stone Center/Toronto Public Library

Prof. Milanovic discusses two types of capitalism – “liberal capitalism” in the US and “political capitalism” directed by the Chinese Communist Party. Both systems have produced relatively high levels of income inequality.

Comparing United States and China by Economy – Statistics Times

2025 Social Security groundhog day:

US needs $28 trillion more over 75 years to pay promised benefits

“A few months after the Trump Administration chain-sawed Social Security’s leadership and staff, four newly installed senior officials overseeing the program released the annual report on its declining financial condition.  This year’s actuarial forecast is a bit gloomier due in large part to a benefit expansion enacted by the previous Congress.  However, in the big picture, not much has changed.  Social Security’s looming insolvency remains…

“As I have pointed out to the Senate Budget Committee, the process of spending down Social Security reserves already is increasing overall federal spending and pushing up annual deficits. Drawing down reserves in the Social Security trust funds requires the Treasury to sell bonds (or find other sources of revenue) to raise cash to pay the program’s 74 million beneficiaries.

“On pp. 51-52, this year’s report estimates that Social Security will draw down $181 billion from the combined trust funds in 2025 with the amount rising to $405 billion in 2033. As a result, the federal government is gradually moving to finance part of the program’s benefits through newly issued debt substituting for now-insufficient payroll taxes...”

More on these issues can be found in these CCSE articles and testimony:

‘Trump kids accounts’ in budget bill would drive up inequality and raise the national debt – Karl Polzer/CCSE

“Helping young people learn how to save and build up money for college and adult life are worthy goals. But new ‘Trump kids accounts’ embedded in the massive Republican tax and spending bill before the US Senate not only duplicate existing programs.  They also would widen financial gaps between families in our already very unequal country.  In addition, tax subsidies for money invested in Trump accounts would go mostly to well-off families and push up the national debt…”

Failure to prosecute and jail law-breaking employers is wasting $$ billions in the fight against illegal immigration – Karl Polzer/CCSE

“The federal government has had authority since 1986 to criminally prosecute individuals and companies employing workers not legally in the United State, but it has rarely used that authority regardless of the administration in office. A one-year snapshot taken during Trump’s first term found that no company was criminally prosecuted for having workers not authorized to be in the country, a Syracuse University study shows…

“Changing the equation to incentivize employers to help enforce, rather than skirt, the nation’s immigration laws does not mean subjecting them to cruel and unusual punishment.  No need to suspend billionaires and entrepreneurs in cages from a tower or use branding irons.  It does mean applying and stiffening laws against hiring illegals and tax avoidance.  Financial penalties, public shaming, and loss of contracts could be a start.  If that isn’t sufficient, start putting law-breaking employers in jail.  They are lining their pockets by stealing jobs from American workers, both native born and those immigrating legally.”

Thanks to the Virginian-Pilot for running our op-ed:

Many questions, few answers about exempting tips from taxes – Karl Polzer/Virginian-Pilot

“Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to exempt tipped income from state taxes — like President-elect Donald Trump’s on a national level — could help some low-wage workers.  However, it also poses risks for others and raises complex issues facing scrutiny as the state legislature begins its work…”

To provide access to all readers (the newspaper’s op-eds are gated), below is the original submission including links to sources:

Youngkin pitch to exempt tips from taxes could benefit some.  A better option is raising the $2.13 tipped minimum wage.

Statement to 11/20/24 US House Appropriations Committee hearing on Social Security:

A way to ensure Social Security can meet short- and long-term promises to American workers and their families: Bend the cost curve, grow revenue, and protect lower earners – CCSE

“As keeper of the federal government’s purse strings, the House Appropriations Committee plays a part in maintaining Social Security’s commitment to American workers, their families, and taxpayers.  First, Committee members can weigh in as Congress and the Treasury find hundreds of billions of dollars annually in cash outside the appropriations process to draw down Social Security reserves.  The Committee can also help ‘leave room’ in future budgets for revenue increases that might be necessary to keep Social Security solvent as it coordinates with House Ways & Means, Budget, and other Committees on tax and spending issues.”

A ‘conservative/progressive’ path to Social Security solvency: bend the benefit cost curve, grow revenue, and protect lower earners – CCSE

The next President and Congress will face daunting fiscal issues.  In the shadow of historic levels of national debt, lawmakers will be bargaining over trillions of dollars of taxes and spending as they deal with expiration of the Trump tax cuts.  On top of that loom major Social Security financing gaps.   Paying promised benefits will require the government to raise more than $2 trillion in cash over the next eight years and more than $24 trillion to achieve long-run solvency.

This paper presents policy options – some favored by conservatives, others by progressives – as a framework for negotiating a solution.  Taken together, the changes could generate more than twice as much in savings and revenue than needed to balance Social Security’s books. 

Four ‘low-budget’ ways Congress can help working-class families raise more children – Karl Polzer/ Washington Examiner op-ed

– Expand the child tax credit to help more working-class parents and grandparents raising kids.
– Provide Social Security credit for unpaid work raising young children.
– Update/improve SSI so more people with disabilities can work, save.
– If taxes must go up, hold the working poor harmless.

Click here for longer version including references and related articles.

It’s Social Security ‘groundhog day’ as trustees repeat annual forecast of declining finances

“…The trustees’ report, however, neglects to mention how Social Security already is impacting the overall federal budget.  As pointed out to the Senate Budget Committee, the mechanics of spending down Social Security’s reserves require the Treasury to draw funds from general revenue and issue new debt to the public.  As a result, Social Security is gradually and organically moving to paying for current benefits through debt substituting for now-insufficient payroll taxes that it traditionally relies on.”

Missing the obvious: life expectancy in the U.S. is closely related to income – Karl Polzer

“The underlying theory is simple:  More income and wealth allow people and governments to support more years of life.  Fewer resources put them at a disadvantage.  Some politicians who see the connection may be leery of talking about it.  Doing so would lead to awkward questions about improving working and living conditions for millions of Americans and dealing with growing economic inequality.

“The strong relationship between income and longevity is clear when comparing states… (E)ight of the nine states with the lowest median household income also are among the bottom nine in longevity.  Similar clustering occurs comparing the highest ranked states across the two categories. Seven of the nine states with the highest median household income also are among the top nine in life expectancy.   

“Realizing they are rowing in the same economic boat could prompt states to join forces on policy changes, particularly Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, New Mexico, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and others ranking at or near the bottom…

“Presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley strongly proposes raising the program’s retirement age on the premise that increased life spans are undermining Social Security’s long-term solvency.  If long-held assumptions about longevity were challenged, and potential losses to low-income workers and low-income states caused by raising the eligibility age came to light, would she change her position?  Republican candidate Donald Trump, by the way, opposes cuts in Social Security as do most Democrats…”

Thanks to the Washington Examiner for running this op-ed:

Senate minimum wage bills make bipartisan compromise possible – Washington Examiner

For longer version with references, see:

Senate minimum wage bills make bipartisan compromise possible.  Now for the political energy to get it done. – Karl Polzer/CCSE

Previous work on this issue:

One way to make living easier in Virginia – letter to WaPost

Yes, raise the minimum wage, but don’t stop there – op-ed

Analysis: Considerations on Raising the U.S. Minimum Wage To Help Workers and Families While Minimizing Negative Impacts

The US should take a hard look at the Netanyahu government’s brutality before giving it more weapons – Karl Polzer/CCSE

“More Americans are rightly asking if Israel could neutralize Hamas without massive destruction and loss of civilian life.  Indiscriminate air attacks by the Netanyahu regime already have killed and injured tens of thousands of Gazans with no end to the violence in sight.  To put this in perspective, imagine how Washington, D.C., would look if a foreign government with the power to fence in the District of Columbia dropped a comparable number of bombs here while shutting off access to water and food and destroying most of the capital area’s housing and medical system.  UN officials say conditions in Gaza are catastrophic.”

Thanks to the Washington Post for publishing our letter to the editor:

One way to make living easier in Virginia – Karl Polzer/letter to WaPost

“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) told reporters he is ‘concerned about the cost of living in Virginia and we’re continuing to evaluate how best to address that,’ as reported in the Nov. 26 Metro article ‘Budget battle looms in Virginia. Facing a tighter fiscal environment and Democratic control of the legislature, Mr. Youngkin and fellow Republicans could help working families without denting the budget by making an expected Democratic push for a higher minimum wage a bipartisan affair.

“The GOP has been trying to attract more minority and working-class voters. However, party leaders have stopped short of addressing core economic issues, such as supporting higher wages and better benefits, and mainly stress cultural issues…”

Background Information on these issues provided to Virginia legislators

McCarthy & Co. offer themselves up on the cross to help motivate lazy poor people back to work

Work requirements are a policy failure: Why are they still an option? – The Hill

Thanks to the Washington Post for running our letter:

“Letting Americans Down”

“How can House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), President Biden and Senate leaders claim to represent the working class and poor when Medicaid work requirements are a focal point in the debt ceiling standoff and the Trump-era tax cuts are not? According to the Congressional Budget Office, the work requirements in the Limit, Save, Grow Act would have a tiny impact (about $5.6 billion in fiscal 2025) on the nation’s $31.4 trillion national debt, but they would increase the number of uninsured and state costs and have no effect on hours worked by Medicaid recipients.

“In contrast, ending the Trump-era tax cuts, which disproportionately benefit the wealthy, could put a major dent in the national debt….”

Because most of this site’s readers won’t be able to get through the newspaper’s pay gate, here’s the draft of the letter sent to the Post:

Debt ceiling negotiators focus on a ‘speck’ in benefits for the poor, ignore the ‘logs’ in their own eyes.

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