Economy and Business
Tips Are for Servers, Not CEOs
When we give someone a tip, we expect the money will go to the workers who provided us with service. We might leave a little extra because someone went above and beyond for us. Or because we want that person to have a slightly easier time getting by. Whatever the...
The White House Vs. Working Stiffs
Have you noticed that Donald Trump constantly prefaces his outlandish lies with such phrases as: “To be honest with you,” “To tell the truth,” and “Believe me”? Why? Because like a snake-oil salesman, he constantly needs to convince himself that he's speaking the...
No Love for Working Families This Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air. Or so the marketers want us to believe, as Valentine’s Day ads sweep the nation into a frenzy of buying flowers, greeting cards, and confections to communicate our affection. Washington is less forthcoming with the adoration, especially for working...
Bad Bureaucracies Are Fraying the Social Safety Net
I've always believed in government. That is, I believe there are roles in society that can be best performed by a government — to serve the people, rather than a profit motive. But I'm fed up. It's like a crisis of faith. I'm trying to believe the best about the...
Americans Hate the Tax Bill Because It Wasn’t Written for Them
It’s odd that Washington Republicans are so loudly crowing about their passage of the Trump-McConnell-Ryan tax law. Odd because the people outside of Washington hate that law. Yes, hate. With a public approval rating of only 30 percent, the GOP’s trillion-dollar...
A California Trend Worth Catching: College for All
California can be an annoyingly trendy state. Think avocado toast, In-N-Out Burger, Hollywood fashion, even legal pot. But Californians are now in the vanguard to fix the serious problem of how to pay for public higher education. Over 44 million households in the U.S....
Colleges Are Screwing Both Teachers and Students
On Friday, January 26, I was in a good mood. I was about to start teaching for the spring semester on Monday. I had set everything up online, and my syllabus was ready. I'd even emailed my students to let them know which textbook to buy. Then I got a phone call from...
No, Big Corporations Shouldn’t Get Tax Breaks to Create Jobs
Governors and mayors insist that giving our tax dollars to corporations to lure them to move to our cities is good public policy. The corporations create jobs, those workers pay taxes, and — voila! — the giveaway pays for itself! Does it really work that way?...
How One Coal Baron Set an Entire Administration’s Energy Agenda
It's common knowledge that our political system is awash with money. And that money, despite some flimsy legal barriers, comes with strings attached. One coal baron's efforts to set an entire administration's energy agenda are the perfect case study. His name is...
Why Some Students Fail
Another semester is about to begin at the community college where I teach. Some of my students come from middle class backgrounds. They went to excellent high schools, enjoy financial and emotional support from their parents, and have what it takes to excel in...
