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
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Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2018 Links
The latest from the Saskatchewan NDP’s leadership campaign as the Saskatchewan Party’s election of Scott Moe brings the province’s political playing field into greater focus (while also offering a reminder of the fallibility of leadership campaign polling). – Trent Wotherspoon has unveiled his post-secondary education education policy (accompanied by endorsements
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your holiday reading. – The Star tells the stories of a few of the people working to make sure Christmas runs smoothly. And Erin McCormick points out other workers stuck in precarious (and largely care-related) positions who don’t have a choice but to take on holiday shifts
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Damian Paletta and Josh Dawsey report that cash for access is the only way for anybody to raise issues with the U.S. Republicans’ tax bills. And Ronald Brownstein views the tax debacle as conclusive evidence of the closing of Republican minds. –
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: Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week. – Jim Hightower writes that the risk of technology displacing workers is ultimately just one instance of the wider problem of corporate greed. And the New York Times is examining how the principle of total corporate control is the basis for the Trump administration’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Ben Steverman examines the unfairness of the U.S.’ tax system – which, like Canada’s, offers gratuitous giveaways to wealthy investors which force workers to pay more: Politicians have intentionally set tax rates on wages much higher than those on long-term investment returns. The
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Book review: Social policy in Canada (second edition)
Oxford University Press has recently released the second edition of Social Policy in Canada, co-authored by the father-daughter duo of Ernie Lightman and Naomi Lightman. I recommend this book as an excellent resource for students of social policy. It will be useful for classroom instruction, while also being a handy
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links
The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign. – Bruce Anderson and David Coletto take a look at public perceptions of Canada’s political parties. And the relatively small differences in public views of the NDP as compared to the Liberals may offer either a suggestion as to what grounds of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A wacky idea for getting more value from university administrators: pay them less and never mind competitiveness
PHOTOS: Alberta Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt serving pancakes at yesterday morning’s Premier’s K-Days Breakfast on the south lawn of the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton. Below: Just to stick with the photographic theme, even though it has nothing to do with the story, Premier Rachel Notley cooking up the flapjacks
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Recommendations of independent review of Athabasca University seem unlikely to survive Alberta political reality
PHOTOS: University of Saskatchewan Professor Ken Coates, author of the independent review of Athabasca University released last week. Below: Athabasca U President Neil Fassina, AU Board Chair Vivian Manasc, and Alberta Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt. Recent news reports about the continuing woes of Athabasca University and in particular coverage
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: A Response to the 2017 Saskatchewan Budget
I have an opinion piece on Saskatchewan’s recent budget in the Regina Leader-Post. Points raised in the opinion piece include the following: -Reductions in personal and corporate income taxes help the rich more than the poor (and this budget cut both personal and corporate income taxes). -Increases in sales tax
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Excellent Policy Initiative
Although perhaps less than perfect, New York state has taken a bold move in promising free college/university tuition for its residents whose families earn less than $100,000 per year. This will allow many more to secure higher education than would be possible without the bill; upwards of 80% of families
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: A Review of the 2017 Alberta Budget
Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a review of the recent Alberta budget. Points I make in the blog post include the following: -Alberta remains the lowest-taxed province in Canada. -Alberta’s net debt-to-GDP ratio remains the lowest in Canada. -For the third consecutive year,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: New board chairs appointed at Athabasca University and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
PHOTOS: Ray Martin at the side of NDP Leader Rachel Notley, back in the days before she was premier. He once sat in the Legislature with Premier Notley’s father, Grant Notley. Mr. Martin has been appointed chair of the board of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Below, Edmonton architect
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Athabasca U’s future seems brighter as Saskatchewan prof named to conduct sustainability review
PHOTOS: The participants in this morning’s Athabasca University news conference in Edmonton. From left to right: Saskatchewan Professor Ken Coates, Athabasca University Board Chair Margaret Mrazek, Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt and AU President Neil Fassina. Below: A closer look at Mr. Schmidt’s new beard; newly appointed Municipal Affairs Minister
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The Star argues that a crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance is a crucial first step in reining in inequality. Susan Delacourt wonders when, if ever, Chrystia Freeland’s apparent interest in inequality will show up in her role in government. And Vanmala Subramaniam
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Alberta Government names five new members to Athabasca University Board of Governors
PHOTOS: Treaty 7 Grand Chief Charles Weasel Head, newly appointed to the board of Athabasca University, with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. Below: New AU board members McDonald Madamombe, Debby Kronewitt-Martin, Lynn Hamilton and Cheryl Hunter-Loewen; and AU’s next president, Neil Fassina. The Alberta government has moved quietly but dramatically to begin the difficult work of […]
The post Alberta Government names five new members to Athabasca University Board of Governors appeared first on Alberta Politics.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Grim proposed Athabasca University budget to be shown faculty today projects insolvency by 2017-2018
PHOTOS: Athabasca University’s main building in the Town of Athabasca, 130 kilometres north of Edmonton. Below: AU’s logo; Interim President Peter MacKinnon; and Alberta Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt. Athabasca University Interim Presi…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.- Eric Reguly highlights the growing possibility of a global revolt against corporate-centred trade agreements:(A) funny thing happened on the way to the free trade free-for-all: A lot of people were becoming …
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