Assorted content to end your week. – If there’s a more accurate description of the Cons’ entire political strategy than “taking advantage of the prejudice that’s already there”, I haven’t heard it yet. And Chris Lawson is rightly frustrated that Canadian politics are being dominated by such cynical and destructive
Continue readingTag: inequality
The Progressive Economics Forum: Economic Climate and Inequality
The December issue of the quarterly Economic Climate for Bargaining publication I produce is now on-line. This issue has a number of pieces on issues of inequality, including: Rising inequality is hurting our economy Labour rights, unions and the 99% Canadian economy bleeding jobs; public sector cuts to intensify Recession
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On clear symbols
I’ve theorized before that one of the most important tests as to how Canadians view their country over the next few years figures to involve public perceptions of Tim Hortons and other brands which have managed to tap into anti-elitist sentiment for the benefit of their own developing upper class.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Room for progressivity
Yes, I know some commentators are treating the latest from Kevin Milligan et al. as somehow proving a point that raising high-income tax levels won’t accomplish anything. But I’d think one has to strain rather hard to draw such an interpretation from a column that includes the following: What might
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Bruce Campbell comments on the link between rising inequality and declining democracy, while Rachel Mendleson notes that the erosion of workplace democracy and the labour movement is a key factor in both. – Meanwhile, Erin points out that while decades of corporatist policy
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Battle of the Wages study dispels myths about public sector wages
A comprehensive study released today by CUPE shows there’s no evidence public sector workers are paid consistently more than those in similar jobs in the private sector. Instead, overall average pay in the public sector is remarkably similar when compared against similar jobs in the private sector: only 0.5 per
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 – Policy Roundup 2
Following up on my earlier post, let’s take a quick look at the policy proposals that have been unveiled by NDP leadership candidates over the last couple of weeks. – Niki Ashton’s plan for a more inclusive economy includes plenty of noteworthy ideas, including a direct attack on structural discrimination
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content for your Sunday reading. – It’s bad enough that what’s passing for climate change discussion is an agreement to keep meeting for years on end that doesn’t really advance matters any from the early ’90s. – But lest there be any doubt, the Cons aren’t quite happy enough
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Jeffrey Simpson compliments the NDP’s leadership contenders for dealing with the issue of inequality, but rightly notes there’s a long way left to go: Good for the NDP leadership candidates for talking about income inequality in Canada. At their first leadership debate last
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Mind the OECD Credibility Gap
Further to Toby’s post, the OECD report on inequality is well worth a careful read. It bolsters, through careful empirical and cross country analysis, two key arguments long advanced by the labour movement and progressive economists: – key trends in the labour market – widening wage disparity between top earners
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2011-12-06 00:25:00
CANADIAN POLITICS: THE RICH GET RICHER: Oh my, is this “news” ? During good times the rich pull ahead as they manage to grab the fruits of expansion. In bad times guess what ? They keep pulling ahead. Good or bad they will get their paws into the till. Here’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Evening Links
Assorted content to end your day. – Toby Sanger posts about the OECD’s findings on inequality in Canada, with this particularly jumping out as to how much less progressive our tax system is now than it was two decades ago: Taxes and benefits play a smaller role in reducing inequality
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: OECD on Inequality
Following concern expressed by the IMF, the Conference Board and of course thousands of protesters around the world, the OECD has just released an extensive 400 page report on the problem of growing inequality: Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps on Rising. I haven’t read through it yet, and it
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2011-12-03 11:59:00
LOCAL EVENTS WINNIPEG: FORUM ON ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND BUSINESS:****************************** –WhenThursday, December 8, 2011Time5:00pm until 8:00pmWhereJames W. Burns Executive Education Centre , 177 Lombard Ave (2nd floor), Winnipeg, ManitobaDescriptionhttp://myuminfo.umanitoba.ca/index.asp?sec=712&too=200&eve=8&dat=12%2F8%2F2011&epa=52596Reception:Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served.What Does “Occupy” Mean to Business and How Should Businesses Respond?The I.H. Asper School of Business is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your midweek reading. – Rachel Mendleson reports on research showing that inequality is correlated to mortality rates within a particular city – with the sole exception of communities with a high proportion of immigrants. Which makes it awfully tempting to suggest that based on their combination of
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The New Politics Initiative: Ten Years After
Rabble.ca is running a series of reflections on the tenth anniversary of the New Politics Initiative, which sought to create a more democratic politics in Canada ideally as part of a revitalized NDP. The vision statement is here; my piece follows, and there are also contributions from Judy Rebick and Jim Stanford.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Evening Links
Assorted content for your evening reading. – Mitchell Anderson wonders whether weeding out corporate psychopathy might be the key to a more equal and sustainable economy. – But judging from the crumbs being tossed at Ontario’s poor (in the wake of gigantic corporate tax cuts), the problem looks to extend
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Frances Russell wonders what happened to the concept of the public good: Our political language about taxes has changed. Gone is “ability to pay.” The new catchphrases are “user pay” and “pay as you go.” The bottom-line message to citizens is “if
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Unequal = Indebted
The IMF find that rising inequality is a key driving force behind balance of payments problems and domestic instability in developed countries. “what unites the experiences of the main deficit countries is a steep increase in income inequality over recent decades, as measured by the share of income going to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Linda McQuaig points out how the Occupy movement has at least started to shift the terms of our political debate: Rather than hanging out at malls or zoning out on Facebook, these young people have endured real hardship in the Canadian near-winter
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