News, Opinions & Events
It’s official. In the latest round of ‘let’s pretend” to care about Gaza civilians, Biden and his administration confirm they are aiding and abetting Israel in pursuing their extermination. Biden has been one of the weakest and least moral presidents in US history.
U.S. says no policy consequences for Israel despite lack of Gaza aid – msn/WaPost
“The State Department confirmed Tuesday that Israel will face no policy consequences for the lack of aid reaching the hunger-ravaged Gaza Strip, following a warning last month from the Biden administration that it had 30 days to improve access or potentially lose some U.S. military assistance…
“U.S. demand #1: ‘Ahead of winter, surge all forms of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza’: No aid entered northern Gaza from Oct. 1 to 14, the day after the letter was delivered to Israel, and humanitarian officials say there has been little meaningful change in the month since…
“U.S. demand #2: ‘Ensure that the commercial and Jordan Armed Forces corridors are functioning at full and continuous capacity’: By Israel’s own admission, it has not resumed commercial deliveries to Gaza…
“U.S. demand #3: ‘End isolation of northern Gaza’. The isolation and deprivation in the north have only deepened since Oct. 13 despite U.S. pressure, according to aid groups and civilians trapped there.”
Biden’s Gaza policy leaves the Middle East in flames – Juan Cole/LA Progressive
Israeli forces kill 14 people in Gaza, force new displacement in the north – Reuters
If Israel doesn’t help Gaza’s civilians, Biden has to stop supplying weapons – Daivd Ignatius/WaPost
“Administration officials speak of U.S. policy failures with anguish and shame.”
“The burden of civilian suffering in the year-long Gaza conflict is intolerable. Israeli defense leaders told the Biden administration several months ago that they had achieved their major military goals there. But the war continues, in part because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no clear plans for a ‘day after’ transition.”
The writer of this column calls for Biden to do the right thing. But he also repeats the false premise that the Netanyahu government lacks a clear plan. Its plan is clear: kill or displace as many Palestinians and take as much of their land in Gaza and the West Bank as politically and militarily feasible:
Trump win means ‘time has come’ to annex parts of West Bank, Israeli minister says – msn/WaPost
“Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory Monday, saying that ‘the time has come’ to extend full Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank…”
‘A hollow and limited apology.’ New Zealand survivors of abuse in care speak in their own words – AP
Oneida Indian Nation reacts to Biden’s ‘long overdue’ apology on boarding school policy – USA Today
Biden apologizes for ethnic cleansing of American Indians in the past while continuing to fund ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.
Biden can still save what remains of Gaza, and his sorry legacy – Al Jazeera
Haaretz: Netanyahu is Carrying out Ethnic Cleansing in Northern Gaza – Palestinian Chronicle
“The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an editorial on Sunday accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military of orchestrating an ‘ethnic cleansing operation’ in Gaza’s northern region.”
Nearly 70% of Gaza war dead are women and children, UN says – BBC
My family and I survived the war in Gaza. We know Trump’s America won’t save us. – MSNBC
“With Trump soon back in the White House, we Palestinians are bracing for even more fear and trauma in the years ahead.”
Fareed’s take: Democrats blew it by making 3 big mistakes – CNN
“People are in pain.”
What — and who — does the Democratic Party stand for? Why didn’t Dems push to raise the minimum wage to a living wage?
Progressives aren’t the problem in the Democrat coalition – Slate
Poorer voters flocked to Trump — and other data points from the election – FT
US election 2024: inflation, immigration and identity – Michael Roberts
Americans Deliver Message to Democratic Party: The Economy isn’t Working – Japan News/WaPost
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wins reelection in Washington’s 3rd District – WaExaminer
“Perez frequently breaks with the House Democratic caucus, particularly on votes related to the border and the economy. She’s been a consistent critic of her own party, telling the New York Times in July that they ‘don’t respect people that work for a living.'”
Democrats’ working-class exodus sets off reckoning within party – USA Today
“…Trump won 50-46% among voters whose income is less than $100,000, a staggering turnaround from Biden’s 56%-43% advantage with this group in 2020. Meanwhile, Harris won voters who earn $100,000 or more 51%-46% over Trump, who in 2020 topped this more affluent group of voters 54%-42% over Biden.”
Nebraska paid sick leave ballot measure passes – Daily Nebraskan
Red states embrace Trump — and progressive policies – msn/Axios
Workers Win Sick Leave and Union Perks. Tipped Workers Await Trump’s Promise. – Barron’s
A sea change? Which party will be fight hardest for the working class?
Democrats for years have championed both paid family leave and sick days. But they prioritized family leave, which would help the professional class the most, over paid sick days which benefits low-wage workers most. From the perspective of low-wage workers, providing five paid sick days should be a priority. Much more expensive proposals to mandate many weeks of paid family leave are harder to enact, and end up excluding many low-wage parents. California’s family leave program is one example:
This Health Affairs article provides background on how “progressive” think tanks have prioritized paid family leave, which is politically targeted to help higher-income families that already have paid sick days, while failing to advance paid sick days:
Trying to develop a better, more equitable family leave program than California and other states have — which will take years and may never happen due to the cost — should not slow down efforts to make sure all workers can get some time off to go to the doctor without losing pay. Most employers already offer paid sick days, which higher-paid employees take for granted. Mandating employers that do not will result in a level playing field for those doing the right thing for their employees and their families.
Trump tells Palestinian president he wants to end Gaza war – msn/Axios
Trump and Netanyahu, newly empowered, to reunite; Israel risks overplaying its hand – Times of Israel
“Prime minister got the outcome he wanted in the US elections. Now Biden has two months to leave a legacy, and Trump must decide which camp will lead his foreign policy”
Featured
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.
The nation’s biggest banks in effect have become today’s payday lenders.
Which U.S. Households Have Credit Card Debt? – St. Louis Fed
46% of American households held credit card debt in 2022.
– 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.
CCSE work contributes to Congressional hearing on financing Social Security
Center on Capital & Social Equity (CCSE) analysis and advocacy were evidenced during the June 4 House Ways & Means subcommittee on Social Security hearing of the program’s trust fund. Over the past years, CCSE has worked to explore issues affecting low-wage workers and lay groundwork to defend their Social Security benefits when Congress eventually refinances the nation’s most important social program.
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:
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
“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.
“Legislative Choices for Paying Promised Social Security Benefits”
Statement of Karl Polzer, Center on Capital & Social Equity,
U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing: “Protecting Social
Security for All: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share”
Has DT crossed the line into delirium tremens?
“It came out of his mouth during a campaign speech last month.”