This and that for your Sunday reading. – Simon Enoch challenges Scott Moe’s misleading rhetoric on equalization by pointing out that Saskatchewan could easily afford child care and other programs which Moe criticizes other provinces for funding – if only the Saskatchewan Party hadn’t blown the proceeds of a boom
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Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – The OECD examines the generational implications of inequality and poverty – with the descendants of poor children in some countries requiring up to nine generations to project to reach an average income. – Dean Baker writes that the Trump administration is only seeking
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Michal Kalecki discusses how full employment shifts the balance of power from corporations to workers. Roland Kupers reminds us that inequality is a matter of policy choices – and that there’s broad public support to reduce the level we’re stuck with at
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Ten things to know about the 2018 Saskatchewan budget
I’ve written a ‘top 10’ blog post about the recently-tabled Saskatchewan budget. Points raised in the blog post include the following: -This year’s budget was quite status quo. -Last year’s budget, by contrast, included a series of cuts to social spending. Last year’s budget also announced cuts to both personal
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Five things to know about the 2018 Alberta budget
On March 22, the NDP government of Rachel Notley tabled the 2018 Alberta budget. I’ve written a blog post discussing some of the major ‘take aways’ from the standpoint of Calgary’s homeless-serving sector (where I work). Points made in the blog post include the following: this was very much a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Amir Sufi and Atif Mian discuss how household debt tends to drive both the booms and busts of the business cycle. Which means there’s plenty of reason for concern about a Canadian economy reliant on household debt to paper over income insecurity and
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: On Government Finances and Debt
In Alberta Views this month, we have a debate column pair about government debt written by economist Trevor Tombe, and former PC finance minister Ted Morton. There are a number of respects in which I find Morton's arguments are profoundly flawed, and I would like to take some time to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Andrea Gordon offers the latest on the inequality caused by forcing schools to rely on fund-raising for basic equipment and activities. And Wanda Wyporska comments on the class pay gap which sees children of less wealthy parents face lifelong disadvantages: The report
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Zoe Williams highlights how misleading framing has caused far too many people to accept destructive austerity and inequality: Not unreasonably, given the financial crash and its worldwide consequences, the economy was seen as intensely volatile, susceptible to grand forces whose actual nature
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Panel discussion at federal NDP policy convention
Yesterday I spoke on a panel discussion on economic inequality, along with Andrew Jackson and Armine Yalnizyan. We were guests at the federal NDP’s policy convention in Ottawa. The panel was moderated by Guy Caron. Topics covered included the minimum wage, basic income, affordable housing, the future of jobs, gender
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Harriet Agerholm comments on the connection between income inequality and a growing life expectancy gap between the rich and the rest of us. – May Bulman notes that after a generation of austerity, children of public sector workers are increasingly living in poverty
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Kenneth Rogoff writes about the dangers of presuming that economic growth (at least in stock markets if not wages) can withstand political upheaval. Marco Chown Oved reports on the strong support for Democracy Watch’s petition to raise corporate taxes and close loopholes. Rajeshni
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Tom Parkin writes that job numbers inflated by part-time employment shouldn’t distract us from the consumer debt and wage stagnation which are living more and more people with precarious financial situations. Ben Leubsdorf reports on the recognition by members of the American
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Wanda Wyporska highlights the UK’s corporate executive fat cats, and argues that it’s long past time for the public to stop rewarding them: So let’s put fat cat pay in context. Yes it has come down slightly, as Sir Martin Sorrell has
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Richard Partington writes that the poorest Britons stand to bear the brunt of the next wave of technological change through further diminished employment prospects. But Peter Goodman points out that a stronger social safety net in Sweden (among other countries) tends to ensure
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading. – Larry Elliott suggests we shouldn’t be duped into thinking that policy biased in favour of the corporate sector is a necessity rather than a choice. And John Falzon notes that inequality too is the product of political decisions rather than an inevitability,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Matt Bruenig examines the multi-million-dollar increase in the household wealth of the U.S.’ top 1% over the past decade. And Ian Welsh discusses how the extreme concentration of wealth bleeds into political choices: The corruption of vast inequality is that it makes some
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Matt Bruenig writes about the U.S.’ alarming growth in student debt – which combined with diminished career prospects is leading to dim future outlooks for far too many young workers. And Eric Grenier’s look at the latest release of data from Canada’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Peter Goodman examines how a basic income could relieve against some of the most harmful effects of capitalist economics. And Sarah O’Connor discusses the plight of towns which have been left behind by economic change. – Meanwhile, Matt Bruenig offers a reminder that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – The Economist examines the latest research showing the amount of money stashed in tax havens is even higher than previously estimated. And the Guardian calls for action on the IMF’s conclusion that we’ll all end up better off if the wealthy pay
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