Economy and Business
Psssst, Wanna Buy My Corporation?
Where's Charles Dickens when we need him? The novelist, who laid bare the shame of gross income inequality in 19th century England, came up with some perfect names for his more despicable characters, including Scrooge, Mr. Tulkinghorn, and Miss Havisham. So I'm...
When Corporations Get Too Big to Tax
Wouldn't it be nice if the government paid you on Tax Day? I'm not referring to getting a tax refund because you overpaid the federal government or a safety-net benefit labeled as a tax refund under the "Earned Income Tax Credit" rules. I mean an actual payment from...
Devaluing Work and Workers
The Great Recession leveled a blow to the middle and working classes from which they haven't yet recovered. Given that labor's pay and prestige in America peaked in the 1960s, this isn't exactly new. Still, it's time that all our leaders took this challenge more...
Occupying the Koch Brothers’ Lobby
The gabillionaire Koch brothers feel entitled to occupy the people's elections, barging in with sacks full of corporate cash. So, how would the brothers feel if the people barged into their political affairs? To find out, a few citizens recently paid a visit to Koch...
When Corporate America Gets Too Big to Tax
Derailing the High-Speed Trading Bullet Train Before It Crashes Our Economy
On the afternoon of May 6, 2010, the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its fastest nosedive ever. Within minutes, a trillion dollars in wealth went "poof." What happened? What actually set it off remains in dispute. Yet we do know that high-frequency traders,...
Waiter, Am I Subsidizing Your Pay?
Late April doesn't just bring flocks of tourists to Washington. It's when hundreds of members of the National Restaurant Association — a.k.a. the "other NRA" — swarm Capitol Hill for two intensive days of lobbying. With a $65 million budget and over 52,000 members,...
When Congress Serves the Other NRA
Of High-Speed Fastballs and High-Speed Trades
The sweet-swinging Detroit Tigers infielder Miguel Cabrera may or may not turn out to be, by the time he retires, the best hitter in baseball history. But Cabrera already holds a historic distinction Just before the opening day of the 2014 baseball season, the...
Ryan’s Joke Is on Us
My guess is that Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican Party's highly touted budget guru, doesn't have a very tight grip on the concept of irony. Otherwise, why would he choose April Fools' Day to release the latest version of what the GOP intends to do to federal programs...
