“THE BEST-LAID SCHEMES O’ MICE AN’ MEN gang aft agley.” I thought you were all about feet up, eyes closed, and mind free to roam. So far my retirement has been a buzz of activity, far flung from my best efforts to find peace and nothingness. Who am I? Do I know myself? I’m so […]
Think, Dream, Play: Popeye, Olive and me
I HAVE DONE WHAT ANY NORMAL PERSON WOULD DO under the circumstances. I have packed a slab of thick-sliced hickory-smoked bacon on my face. Of course. That’s what my grandma did when my grandpa had a stye. Of all the indignities a person must suffer! A stye! Really. A flippin’ stye! Well that’s just great.
Matt Talbot: Examining post-WW2 growth of income gaps
TO HEAR MANY CONSERVATIVES DESCRIBE IT, the relations between labor and capital ought to be a frictionless market, where each side negotiates for a piece of the profits generated. Here’s the actual “Market” for labor, absent some counter-balancing force to stand up for labor:
Lawrence Grossman: Calling out budget dishonesty
LAST WEEK THE VOLCKER ALLIANCE PROJECT ON TRUTH AND INTEGRITY IN GOVERNMENT FINANCE released a report, Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting, examining in detail the budgeting practices of California, New Jersey and Virginia. It assessed the effectiveness of each state’s practices, highlighting the need for effective and transparent budgeting practices by “shining a spotlight […]
A Different Drummer: Burden of dreams
I HAD A NIGHTMARE LAST NIGHT. I dreamt I was propelled into the future 20 years and took a drive across America, except that it was now called America Inc. I was driving a gas-powered SUV that got 12 miles to the gallon. Someone had killed the electric car. Four-wheel drive was the only way […]
Matt Talbot: Finding common ground with the 1 percent
YOU KNOW HOW I’M ALWAYS GOING ON ABOUT how the rising inequality of the last 30 years or so is ominous, given the tendency of situations like ours to end in tears for everyone? Well, it turns out that there is a genuine, certified billionaire entrepreneur who agrees with me. His name is Nick Hanauer, […]
Matt Talbot: ‘Pro-life’: A nice idea
SOMEONE ONCE ASKED GANDHI what he thought of Western Civilization, and he responded that he thought it would be a good idea. I would probably give a similar response if someone asked me what I thought of the “pro-life” movement. I am familiar with the arguments in favor of abortion rights. The majority of my […]
Matt Talbot: A progressive candidate to raise progressive issues
VERMONT SEN. BERNIE SANDERS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I mentioned a while back that I was not particularly thrilled with Hillary Clinton, the only other Democratic candidate who is currently in the race. As I wrote of Hillary in January of […]
Roger Straw: Valero report not likely to withstand further scrutiny
THE CITY OF BENICIA issued an announcement on May 21, delaying its release of a revised draft environmental impact report on Valero Benicia Refinery’s proposal to construct an offloading facility for delivery of crude by rail. With this delay, the city will have spent more than two and a half years processing Valero’s proposal and […]
Matt Talbot: America should look back to look ahead
IN LAST WEEK’S COLUMN, I promised to discuss in more detail the need for jobs that fulfill three conditions: they should not require a college degree; they should be good-paying; and they should be plentiful. The 30 years after World War II saw a labor landscape that fulfilled all these requirements. It was the golden […]