We can’t leave it to chance/markets to make the investment in ourselves
As ThinkProgress has reported, American income inequality has skyrocketed over the last three decades. The wealthiest Americans have captured a large share of the nation’s economic prosperity, and their incomes continue to rise even as middle class wages remain stagnant. This income inequality has serious repercussions for the middle class, jeopardizing their economic ability and their political power.
But it doesn’t just affect people who are currently in the workforce. It has also contributed to a growing education gap that is affecting low- and middle-income children, according to a Center for American Progress report on income inequality and the middle class. The lowest-achieving students from high-income backgrounds are more likely to obtain a college education than the highest achieving students from low-income backgrounds, the report showed:
Perhaps most stunningly, there is evidence that low-income children who demonstrate aptitude for postsecondary education do not have the same access as children from higher-income backgrounds. The U.S. Department of Education reports that the probability that a top-scoring low-income student completes college is about the same as the probability that a low-scoring high-income student does, while the probability that a top-scoring middle-income student completes college is about as likely as a middle-scoring high-income student.
As income inequality continues to increase, the gap in educational attainment is growing too. The achievement gap between high- and low-income students is 30 to 40 percent larger than it was a generation ago, according to the paper, and income inequality is the primary reason. Areas of the country in which the middle class makes a higher share of income, meanwhile, demonstrate higher scores on achievement tests.
These problems lead to cycles of inequality that persist through generations. As Alan Krueger, chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, notes, the future economic mobility of American children is more closely tied to their parents’ income than it is in any other developed country. That means that rising income inequality, and the growing education gap it leads to, is jeopardizing the future for millions of American children before they even have a chance to change it.
It must have been the attack ads criticizing clean energy that caused Republican Rob Hatch to speak up. A 10-year veteran of the wind industry, Hatch, who calls himself a former “Iowa farm boy,” has expanded his wind business to 28 employees.
And now he’s defending his livelihood from the “oil billionaires spending millions of dollars on false smear TV commercials” in a spirited op-ed:
It is difficult to watch these people air their TV ads slapping around the president’s support of my employees’ jobs and ridiculous claims that he created jobs in Mexico and China. The president kept our doors open and our employees working because of the wind-production tax credit and 1603 Treasury grant program. And we were able to keep jobs in Iowa. The majority of the people I employ here in Alta are either farm kids or still working on the family farm in the evening. Today, the school district in Alta receives somewhere between 16 percent and 20 percent of its revenue from wind turbines. And almost 30 percent of the taxes paid into the county are off wind turbines. Wind is an American success story in Iowa.With 2,900 turbines in Iowa providing 20% of the state’s electricity, creating more than 215 businesses, 6,000 jobs, and helping spur more than $14.46 million in annual lease payments to farmers and other landowners, wind has been a major driver of economic activity. And that activity is benefiting business owners like Hatch:
I can tell you that I’m not reaping massive profits like the oil billionaires funding these ads with their billions in subsidies and tax breaks. Right now my wife and I are living invoice to invoice, praying we have enough money to make payroll every two weeks. I have missed Christmas concerts, wedding anniversaries and school plays and sacrificed so much more to keep my business going.These economic success stories have been well documented. They involve people like Nathan Crawford, a wind technician based in Fraklin County, Iowa, who we visited in December:
The status that comes with possessing nuclear weapons is a major factor
contributing to nuclear proliferation. This could be reduced substantially
by changing the nature of what these weapons represent.
Among other things, nuclear arms represent status, power, security, pride,
and technological prowess. We change this by: the most powerful, prosperous
states moving toward the elimination of their own arsenals.
The United States, Russia, Britain, France, and China possess most of the
world’s nuclear weapons and should begin to proportionately reduce their
own stockpiles.
These weapons provide more then an excuse, but a misplaced ideal that
motivates the actions of an increasingly militarized world. One in which
armed might is still the first rule of diplomacy.
The world’s major nuclear powers moving toward total nuclear
disarmament will have the greatest impact on changing the ideal
of possessing these weapons, from status symbol, to that of being
an outcast among nations.
While constructing a system for the final elimination of these weapons, the
international community should keep all options on the table to protect itself.
The United States, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, India, Pakistan, and
Israel should all move toward eliminating their nuclear stockpiles. This could
be done cooperatively, transparently, and proportionately, thus reducing the
status of these weapons, making them less attractive to attain.
Signing petition to eliminate nuclear weapons shows support for the
Start Treaty - (U.S./Russian nuclear weapon reduction treaty)
It makes sense for the United States & Russia to lead the way since we posses
most of the weapons.
Make your voice heard at Global Zero http://nukesout.org/
As the 2013 National Defense Authorization Bill hits the House floor, the American people should be going through the roof!
The FY 2013 military budget (NDAA) is up for a vote in the House this Friday. It contains more than $642 billion of taxpayer money to pay for a war the majority of Americans oppose; nuclear upgrades that threaten non-proliferation agreements; programs and weapons that even the Pentagon doesn’t want. The bill also promotes reckless threats on Iran, enables reckless actions by Israel and prohibits the transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo to the United States.
Austerity for the Pentagon at a time when the deficit is huge and vital domestic programs are being cut? Not a chance if the House Armed Service has its way. It’s not just the Republicans, who are at fault. The majority of Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee also voted in favor, producing a lopsided 56-5 margin for an outrageous bill. Partisan rhetoric should not obscure the reality that if this over-sized military budget passes the Congress, it will be paid for by programs that affect the most vulnerable-food stamps, school lunches, health insurance for low income children, “Meals-on Wheels” for the elderly.
House members have introduced a host of important amendments. With $88 billion authorized to continue the war in Afghanistan. Barbara Lee has introduced an amendment (#158) to cut all funding except for the purpose of withdrawing all of our troops safely from Afghanistan. Representatives McGovern, Conyers, Kucinich, Frank and others have introduced worthwhile amendments aimed at stopping the war, preventing a military confrontation with Iran and curtailing the use of drones. We don’t yet know which of these measures the Republican majority will allow on the floor for a vote.
What Can be Done?
We can raise our voices with the clear message that it’s long past time to prioritize domestic needs and that Congressional Representatives who say the military is too bloated need to stop voting for the money.
Find out who should be representing you here. Then call the Capitol Switchboard today: 1-877-429-0678.
Ask your Representatives to support ALL amendments designed to end the war in Afghanistan, avoid a military intervention in Iran, curtail drone attacks and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the military budget.
And when it comes time for a vote on the entire Pentagon budget bill (H.R. 4310) let the Representative know that the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act is unacceptable to you and the majority of constituents. Urge your member of Congress to vote NO.
Please circulate this measure widely to family and friends.
Rusti and Gael
co-conveners of the Legislative Working Group, UFPJ
The FSA seems to be claiming that it has killed Asef Shawkat. (This has NOT been reported elsewhere yet).
6 or 8 high-ranking officials were rushed to the Shami hospital in Malki, according to the LCC, after they were poisoned by a chef. Malki is the richest neighbourhood in Damascus, and is home to the president’s house.
Shortly afterwards, there were reports of heavy gunfire in Malki and neighbouring Abu Rumaneh. Further downhill, in Shalaan, there was apparently a large explosion.
Is this the night that changes it all? Or just another moment in Syria’s enduring tragedy.