Category Archives: The Working Class and the Economy

Time to Make a Deal on the Federal Minimum Wage

Posted on January 14, 2019 by

The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 per hour since 2009.  Until last year, when the unemployment rate dropped almost to the level of full employment, wages were stagnant, exacerbating inequality.  In 2018, average hourly earnings went up … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Wade Rathke, Work, Working-Class Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Blaming Workers Again

Posted on January 7, 2019 by

Working-class people often get blamed for their troubles. They should have planned better, been less demanding, or just been smarter. Those are just some of the judgments that surfaced again in the weeks after General Motors’ announcement late in November … Continue reading →

Posted in Class and the Media, Contributors, Issues, John Russo, Labor and Community Activism, Sherry Linkon, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Real Government Help for Working-Class People

Posted on August 6, 2018 by

When I graduated college in 1975, the U.S. was in the midst of a recession, and New York City was on the verge of bankruptcy.  As a student, I’d commuted to Herbert Lehman College in the Bronx from my parents’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Iowa’s Next Election: Bridging the Urban-Rural and Class Divide

Posted on July 9, 2018 by

My home state of Iowa famously gave Barack Obama a convincing victory in the Democratic caucuses in 2008, the first triumph that launched a young U.S. senator from Illinois to become the first African-American president. Obama ultimately won two terms, … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy, Working-Class Politics | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Becky and the Grind

Posted on April 23, 2018 by

Becky and the Grind Becky’s aunt had given her $300 to catch up on her electric bill so the power would not be turned off in her apartment.  But when Aunt Millie checked with the electric company, the outstanding bills … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, Jack Metzgar, The Working Class and the Economy, Working-Class Culture | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Tax Justice and Class Warfare

Posted on February 12, 2018 by

When Trump Republicans passed the historically unpopular Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, they continued a 3-decades long GOP effort to reshape the tax code in ways that are hard to reverse.  Relying on what political scientists call path dependency, Republicans … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Issues, Jack Metzgar, The Working Class and the Economy, Working-Class Politics | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Uber, the “Metropocalypse,” and Economic Inequality in D.C.

Posted on February 5, 2018 by

Public transit infrastructure in Washington, D.C. is crumbling. Metro and bus services have been cut. Fares have gone up. And, safety remains a problem. After 40 years of deferred maintenance, poor management, and the lack of decent, long-term funding, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Contributors, Guest Bloggers, Issues, The Working Class and the Economy | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments