Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Annie Lowrey highlights how low-income households are bearing the brunt of unequal inflation, as prices are increasing more quickly for their needs than for the luxuries bought by wealthier households. – Paul Krugman comments on the delicate sensibilities of billionaires who refuse to
Continue readingTag: Poverty
The Progressive Economics Forum: Ten things to know about the 2019-20 Alberta budget
I’ve just written a ‘top 10’ overview of the recent Alberta budget. Points raised in the post include the following: -The budget lays out a four-year strategy of spending cuts, letting population growth and inflation do much of the heavy lifting. -After one accounts for both population growth and inflation,
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Ten things to know about poverty measurement in Canada
I’ve written a blog post providing an overview of poverty measurement in Canada. Points raised in the post include the following: -One’s choice of poverty measure has a major impact on whether poverty is seen to be increasing or decreasing over time. -Canada’s federal government recently chose the make the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your election day reading. – Jagmeet Singh makes his case for Canadians to vote for what we believe in. Don Martin discusses how Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer have hurt their own causes as well as each others’ by focusing on negative messages. And Nora Loreto discusses
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Alexandra Zannis discusses the need to treat the end of poverty as a core policy goal. Peter Gilmer highlights how voters motivated by Christian ethics should be particularly focused on improving the condition of marginalized people. And Lynn Giesbrecht reports on Cindy Blackstock’s
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Ending homelessness in St. John’s: Ten things to know
I’m co-author of a recent blog post about the fight to end homelessness in St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador). Points raised in the blog post include the following: -Recent increases in federal funding for homelessness have made a very important difference to St. John’s homeless-serving sector. I’m referring here to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – David Moscrop writes that the Libs’ choice to break the promise of electoral reform to instead lock in an unfair and unrepresentative electoral system fits with their pattern of action: What of the strategic questions? Do the Liberals regret their decision to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – David Leonhardt discusses how the U.S.’ tax system has become definitively regressive, featuring this chart as to how the wealthiest few now pay a smaller share of their income than anybody else. – Ann Pettifor highlights how society suffers when rentier capitalism is
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The use of homeless shelters by Indigenous peoples in Canada
I’ve written a blog post about the use of homeless shelters by Indigenous peoples in Canada. The post is inspired by recently-accessed, internal analysis done by staff at Employment and Social Development Canada. One point raised in the blog post is that there is no clear indication from the presentation
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Suzanne Moore is encouraged that Greta Thunberg is challenging – and upsetting – a privileged male ruling class. Jennifer Ellen Good picks up on Thurberg’s theme that an obsession with growth at the expense of sustainability can only lead to disaster. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Ann Pettifor discusses how a Green New Deal will pay for itself while making use of readily available sources of financing. And Clive Thompson points out the positive social impacts of Dunkirk’s decision to offer free transit. – Meanwhile, Emily Holden reviews
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Peter Wade reports on new polling showing that American voters remain angry about a political system which benefits a privileged few at the expense of everybody else. Jake Johnson reports on Bernie Sanders’ message that it’s time for workers to win the class
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Mia Rabson reports on a new Climate Action Network report card showing that Canada’s plans for greenhouse gas emissions are as bad as any in the G8, projecting to lead to the same 4 degree temperature increase which would result from from Donald
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Richard Cannings comments on the need for governments to collect a fair share of revenue from wealthy individuals and corporations. And Erin Weir argues that Canada’s federal government shouldn’t subsidize Jason Kenney’s corporate tax giveaway with abatements on federal taxes. – Meanwhile, Paul
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Robinson Meyer writes about the latest IPCC report on how our climate crisis endangers the land we rely on. And George Monbiot responds by noting that it understates the need for changes in how we produce and consume food, while the Canadian Press
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – The Washington Post reports that July 2019 set new records as the hottest month ever measured on Earth. David Suzuki offers a reminder of the catastrophic consequences of failing to put and end to our climate breakdown. And Roger Harrabin warns against
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – The New York Times’ editorial board highlights how many of the people looking to defend a habitable planet from environmental destruction are being met with state-assisted violence in response. And Oxfam examines how Australian mining companies are exploiting west Africa to the tune
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
This and that for your mid-week reading. – Noah Smith writes about the unfairness and inaccuracy in blaming people for finding themselves in poverty. And Sarah Kaine and Emmanuel Josserand call out the business sector’s concerted efforts to normalize and spread systematic wage theft. – Joelle Gergis points out that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – CBC News highlights how cost-of-living issues look to play a key role in Canada’s federal election. And Jerry-Lynn Scofield points out that current asset valuations and economic assumptions are based on an entirely unsustainable combination of public, private and corporate debt loads.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: My review of Eric Weissman’s book on intentional homeless communities
I’ve just reviewed Eric Weissman’s book on intentional homeless communities. Points made in the review include the following: -Intentional communities in general are communities built around specific goals. But in the case of this book, I mean small communities of housing sometimes made from discarded, donated and recycled material, and
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