Arizona special election 2018: ALS patient and activist Ady Barkan stumps for Democrat Hiral Tipirneni
Arizona special election 2018: ALS patient and activist Ady Barkan stumps for Democrat Hiral Tipirneni
Be a Hero is an offshoot of the Center for Popular Democracy’s CPD Action group (Barkan previously worked for the center) and will concentrate on boosting Democratic candidates focused on...
Be a Hero is an offshoot of the Center for Popular Democracy’s CPD Action group (Barkan previously worked for the center) and will concentrate on boosting Democratic candidates focused on protecting health care and entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare, as well as ousting Republican incumbents who voted for the GOP tax plan or have voiced support for cutting entitlements.
Read the full article here.
Tax reform stumbling block
Don’t look for a tax reform roll-out as soon as Congress comes back despite the aggressive timetable laid out by White House legislative director Marc Short. Part of the reason is that it probably...
Don’t look for a tax reform roll-out as soon as Congress comes back despite the aggressive timetable laid out by White House legislative director Marc Short. Part of the reason is that it probably won’t be ready yet. But it also has to wait until after the GOP congress passes a budget resolution, people close to the matter tell MM.
Because if Republicans lay out their tax reform plan beforehand, Democrats could use the budget vote-a-rama process in the Senate to try and attack individual pieces of the plan.
Read the full article here.
Statement on McDonald’s Pay Increase
For Immediate Release: April 1, 2015
Contact: Ricardo A. Ramírez, rramirez@populardemocracy.org, 202-905-1738
Statement on...
For Immediate Release: April 1, 2015 Contact: Ricardo A. Ramírez, rramirez@populardemocracy.org, 202-905-1738
Statement on McDonald’s Pay Increase
Ana María Archila, Co-executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) released the following statement after McDonald’s announced a pay increase for some of its workers:
“McDonald’s move on salary is a testament to the power of organized workers at the grassroots level: When workers come together to denounce injustice, change happens. But this is not nearly enough – not by a longshot. With the new wages set to average only $9.90 and limited to company-owned stores, and only five days of paid leave, the change is small in both heft and scope.
“While we congratulate workers for moving the ball forward, at the Center for Popular Democracy we pledge to continue the vigorous fight alongside fast food workers for a $15 minimum wage and a fair workweek that gives them a chance at a balanced and dignified life.”
###
'Secure scheduling' rallies focus on giving hourly workers more stability
'Secure scheduling' rallies focus on giving hourly workers more stability
Dive Brief:
New York City Mayor DeBlasio and several advocate groups gathered recently to show support for the introduction of “Fair Workweek” legislation, designed to ensure that 65,000...
Dive Brief:
New York City Mayor DeBlasio and several advocate groups gathered recently to show support for the introduction of “Fair Workweek” legislation, designed to ensure that 65,000 hourly employees in the fast food industry receive fair notification on work hours.
Currently, employers nationwide aren’t required to provide their hourly employees with advance notice of upcoming shifts. As a result, too many families can't budget in advance, plan for education or family care, or secure a necessary second job, according to advocates.
The New York City event echoes the demands of coalition of New York-based advocates who launched a national campaign on Sept. 6. The groups — the Center for Popular Democracy, the Rockefeller Foundation and the online organization Purpose — are asking for scheduling at least two weeks in advance, eliminating on-call assignments that leave employees "scrambling for child care and unable to hold second jobs with uncertain paychecks."
Dive Insight:
Employers do realize that predictability and fairness are reasonable demands, but more often than not, labor cost (and in some cases, labor shortage) creates problems when trying to create better schedules. Frontline managers are expected to create the schedules while also trying to keep costs down, and balancing the two expectations isn't always successful.
What it will take is better workforce planning, with some technology solutions already available to help make that happen, say experts. Also, there are potential negative legal and compliance outcomes for employers who don't follow state and local laws that already require "reporting pay" time be allowed.
By Tom Starner
Source
Bill Would Offer State "Citizenship" to Immigrants in New York
Fox News Latino - June 16, 2014, by EFE - A group led by New York state Sen. Gustavo Rivera launched Monday a campaign that proposes awarding state "citizenship" to the estimated 2.7 million...
Fox News Latino - June 16, 2014, by EFE - A group led by New York state Sen. Gustavo Rivera launched Monday a campaign that proposes awarding state "citizenship" to the estimated 2.7 million immigrants who live in the Empire State, regardless of their immigration status.
"We have failed with immigration reform nationally and what we want is to provide an opportunity for the almost 3 million people who live and contribute to the public treasury in our state to take part in its political, civic and economic life," Rivera told Efe Monday before introducing the bill.
Dubbed the New York Is Home Act, the bill contemplates granting citizenship to immigrants who can show they have lived in the state and paid their taxes for the past three years, and who promise to obey state laws, continue paying their taxes and agree to serve on a jury.
Immigrants who fulfill these requisites will receive a new document allowing students to pay in-state tuition and receive financial aid to attend state universities, be eligible for healthcare under Medicaid, obtain a driver's license, have the right to vote in local and state elections and even run for public office.
"We're starting out here in New York but the idea is to extend this movement across the country to other states like California, Illinois and Texas, and to treat our fellow workers, students and store owners as they deserve," Rivera said.
The campaign that kicked off Monday at Manhattan's Battery Park, with the Statue of Liberty in the background, has the backing of political and religious leaders of the region, along with the support of organizations like the Center for Popular Democracy, Make the Road New York and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Source
Escuelas charter en Nueva York requieren mayor escrutinio
Las escuelas independientes (charter) han proliferado en las últimas dos décadas con repetidas promesas de mejorar la calidad de la educación. Su ascenso ha sido tan rápido que hoy en día, el...
Las escuelas independientes (charter) han proliferado en las últimas dos décadas con repetidas promesas de mejorar la calidad de la educación. Su ascenso ha sido tan rápido que hoy en día, el número de alumnos matriculados en muchas escuelas públicas está disminuyendo vertiginosamente, y se tiene previsto que en la próxima década algunos distritos pierdan hasta un tercio de sus estudiantes con relación a principios de siglo. Muchos distritos afectados por esta tendencia se están viendo forzados a despedir maestros, enfermeros y otro personal importante que apoya a los alumnos que quedan en las escuelas públicas.
La ley federal Every Student Succeeds, promulgada a fines del año pasado, no hará sino acelerar esta tendencia. Se proyecta que la ley aumentará al doble el gasto en escuelas charter durante la próxima década.
Sin embargo, a pesar de la explosión en ese sector, la supervisión se ha quedado atrás y, hoy en día, hay cada vez más motivos de preocupación. En un estado tras otro, las investigaciones han revelado mala administración, abusos y fraude descarado en las escuelas charter, incluso en aquellas elogiadas por sus buenos resultados. Una encuesta reciente de escuelas charter en todo el país realizada por el Center for Popular Democracy, descubrió que han despilfarrado la asombrosa cantidad de $216 millones desde 1994.
La ciudad de Nueva York no ha sido inmune al problema. En la extensa red de KIPP, por ejemplo, la escuela pagó casi $70,000 para llevar al personal en viajes de varios días al Caribe para fines presuntamente educativos, pero se detectaron pocas actividades de desarrollo profesional durante la estadía, según descubrió una auditoría en el año 2006.
En 2010, Joel Klein, secretario del Departamento de Educación, ordenó que la East New York Preparatory Charter School cerrara sus puertas después de que se reveló que la fundadora y directora de la escuela se había nombrado superintendente y se había dado un aumento de $60,000.
Muchas otras escuelas charter en toda la ciudad enfrentan preguntas sobre gastos cuestionables. El informe del CPD descubrió que muchas escuelas en la ciudad no documentaban sus gastos, no divulgaban casos de conflicto de intereses ni usaban licitaciones competitivas para asegurarse de comprar productos y servicios al mejor precio.
No se puede permitir que continúe esta situación, particularmente porque se tiene previsto que las escuelas charter aumenten exponencialmente en años próximos. El informe del CPD recomienda varias maneras de asegurar que los gastos de dichas escuelas se mantengan en regla, lo que incluye auditorías para detectar y evitar el fraude, y mecanismos para aumentar la transparencia de quienes operan escuelas charter.
Los encargados de dictar la política deben redoblar sus esfuerzos para promulgar medidas de supervisión incluso más estrictas y asegurar que todas las escuelas charter gasten su dinero sensatamente. A no ser que vigilemos este sector más estrechamente, en años próximos podrían desaparecer millones, perjudicando así a estudiantes y padres de familia en toda la ciudad.
By Kyle Serrette
Source
Democrats to introduce bills to challenge arbitration system
By Nick Niedzwiadek
ALBANY — Democratic lawmakers are expected to introduce a pair of bills to counter how corporations use binding arbitration to limit their financial exposure in legal...
By Nick Niedzwiadek
ALBANY — Democratic lawmakers are expected to introduce a pair of bills to counter how corporations use binding arbitration to limit their financial exposure in legal disputes.
Consumer advocates say corporations are increasingly requiring potential employees and consumers to agree to binding arbitration in the event of a dispute as a precondition for employment or use of a product. They say that such proceedings lack transparency, put people on an uneven playing field against well-heeled corporations and can leave people with little other legal recourse.
Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner of the Bronx and Sen. Brad Hoylman of Manhattan are expected to introduce a bill that would amend state labor law to allow employees or organized labor organizations the power to bring legal proceedings against an employer for potential violations as a stand-in for the Department of Labor — independent of any private employment agreement. The state would recover a portion of the fines assessed as part of such proceedings.
Senator Jose Serrano of the Bronx and Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh of Manhattan would establish a similar process for private citizens to seek civil penalties on behalf of the state for violations of consumer protection statutes if the applicable public agency fails to pursue them due to a lack of resources.
“Too often large companies take advantage of consumers by forcing them into signing 'take-it-or-leave-it' contracts that include hidden clauses requiring forced arbitration that heavily favor businesses,” Serrano said in a statement. “My legislation will create a level playing field and give the power back to the consumers in New York State by allowing them an opportunity to fight back when they are victims of fraud."
Several of the legislators are expected to announce the legislation at a protest in Manhattan on Thursday along with New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Tish James, according to organizers. Joining them will be a number of progressive groups, including the Center for Popular Democracy, Citizen Action, Make the Road New York and New York Communities for Change. The event will coincide with the release of a report called: “Justice for Sale: How Corporations Use Forced Arbitration Agreements to Exploit Working Families.”
"Legal rights are worthless if there's no remedy when laws are broken,” Kate Hamaji, a research analyst at the Center for Popular Democracy who authored the report, said in a statement. “Forced arbitration essentially allows corporations to opt out of the justice system by creating a private parallel system that makes it prohibitively expensive to seek justice and creates incentives for arbitrators to rule in favor of companies."
The report can be found here.
Charter School Issues Discussed
WBGZ Radio - February 1, 2015, by Dave Dahl - Charter schools in Illinois are in the cross hairs of a new report alleging a lack of accountability leading to between $13 million and $27 million in...
WBGZ Radio - February 1, 2015, by Dave Dahl - Charter schools in Illinois are in the cross hairs of a new report alleging a lack of accountability leading to between $13 million and $27 million in fraud.
“At a time when (Chicago Public Schools are) crying broke, and public schools are grossly under-resourced, and there’s a public demand for transparency and accountability around every corner,” says Action Now executive director Katelyn Johnson, “it seems unconscionable that CPS and the state of Illinois would not invest in rigid financial oversight of charter schools.”
Johnson’s group is supporting the Center for Popular Democracy in the report, “Risking Public Money.”
Andrew Broy has a differing viewpoint. He’s the president of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and dismisses the other two groups as union-funded and anti-charter to begin with.
“The question” about accountability, he says, “is if there are challenges with an internal governing board, how do we uncover that and make sure it’s taken care of, and the current law equips districts with all the tools they need to make sure that happens.”
Source
Man with ALS confronts Flake on plane over tax bill vote
A progressive activist who identified himself as diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) confronted Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on an airplane this week over Flake's vote on the GOP tax-reform...
A progressive activist who identified himself as diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) confronted Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on an airplane this week over Flake's vote on the GOP tax-reform bill.
Activist Ady Barkan, a staffer at the Center for Popular Democracy, questioned Flake on Thursday after the Arizona Republican voted in favor of the GOP tax-reform bill that passed the Senate in a late-night session last week. Videos of the 11-minute conversation were posted on Twitter.
Read the full article here.
White House: Obama won’t discuss interest rates with Yellen
President Obama met with Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen on Monday, but one of the most pressing topics for the central banker was not on the agenda.
Obama did not plan to discuss...
President Obama met with Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen on Monday, but one of the most pressing topics for the central banker was not on the agenda.
Obama did not plan to discuss interest rates with Yellen, according to White House press secretary Josh Earnest. He argued such a conversation could undercut the chair’s independence in setting monetary policy.
“I would not anticipate that, even in the confidential setting, that the president would have a conversation with the chair of the Fed that would undermine her ability to make these kinds of critical monetary policy decisions independently,” Earnest told reporters ahead of the meeting.
The closed-door discussion is instead an opportunity to “trade notes” on broader economic trends in the U.S. and abroad, as well as on a new set of regulations on Wall Street financial firms.
Obama and Yellen talked about the growth outlook, “the state of the labor market, inequality and potential risks to the economy,” the White House said after the meeting.
Vice President Biden also attended the meeting with Yellen in the Oval Office.
The meeting comes at time when Yellen is grappling with whether to raise interest rates further amid conflicting signs about the health of the global economy.
Yellen hiked the benchmark rate to 0.25 percent last December, the first such increase since the 2008 recession.
But since then, the central bank has taken a cautious approach to further hikes.
Reserve officials left the rate unchanged last month and reduced their estimate of the number of increases that could take place this year from four to two.
Yellen said late last month the economic recovery remains on track in the U.S. despite signs of weakness abroad, such as low oil prices and anemic growth in China. Inflation has also yet to hit the Fed’s 2 percent target.
She indicated she would take a wait-and-see approach on rate hikes until the economy shows more signs of improvement.
“I consider it appropriate for the committee to proceed cautiously in adjusting policy,” she said in a speech at the Economic Club of New York.
Election-year politics could complicate the Reserve’s decision-making process.
Progressive groups are wary of further rate hikes, worried that upping the cost of borrowing could slow the pace of hiring and economic growth.
The left-leaning “Fed Up” campaign circulated a questionnaire to presidential candidates Monday asking whether the Fed “should be intentionally slowing down the economy in 2016” by raising rates.
Republican leaders have frequently accused Obama of being too reliant on Fed policy to drive the recovery, which they say hasn’t spread to large segments of the economy.
Obama hasn’t publicly commented on interest rates. But he has sounded a more optimistic tone than Yellen on the economy, trumpeting a string of positive employment reports and rising wages.
Jared Bernstein, a former chief economist for Biden, expressed confidence Yellen would be able to insulate her decision-making from the political debate.
“The Yellen Fed, and particularly Chair Yellen herself, has been extremely data-driven, and I expect that to continue,” he said.
“What will be motivating her is less electoral politics and more the actual state of the real economy,” he added. “People worried about the fed loosening in an election year to help the incumbent party. I don’t think that is in play this year.”
Did you know 67% of all job growth comes from small businesses? Read More
Obama does not meet frequently with the Fed chair to discuss the economy. Yellen’s last one-on-one sit-down with the president occurred in early November 2014.
“I think the president has been pleased with the way that she has fulfilled what is a critically important job,” Earnest said.
Even while he offered praise for Yellen, the spokesman said Obama “cares deeply about preserving both the appearance of and the fact of the independence of the Federal Reserve and the chair.”
By Jordan Fabian
Source
3 days ago
3 days ago