Dream Come True
Dream Come True
Alyssa Milano and Ady Barkan attend the Los Angeles Supports a Dream Act Now! protest on Wednesday.
Alyssa Milano and Ady Barkan attend the Los Angeles Supports a Dream Act Now! protest on Wednesday.
See the photo here.
Avoiding 'Regressive Mistake,' Fed Holds Off on Rate Hike — For Now
Update 3 PM EDT:
In a decision that aligns with progressive demands, the Federal Reserve ...
Update 3 PM EDT:
In a decision that aligns with progressive demands, the Federal Reserve announced on Thursday that it would keep interest rates near zero in light of "recent global economic and financial developments" and in order to "support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability."
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders issued the following statement today after the Federal Reserve announced that it would hold off on raising interest rates:
“It is good news that the Federal Reserve did not raise interest rates today. At a time when real unemployment is over 10 percent, we need to do everything possible to create millions of good-paying jobs and raise the wages of the American people. It is now time for the Fed to act with the same sense of urgency to rebuild the disappearing middle class as it did to bail out Wall Street banks seven years ago.”
The New York Times reports that the Fed’s decision, "widely expected by investors, showed that officials still lacked confidence in the strength of the domestic economy even as the central bank has entered its eighth year of overwhelming efforts to stimulate growth."
Progressives cheered the news, with Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute saying, "Today’s decision by the Federal Reserve to keep short-term rates unchanged is welcome. [...] We hope they continue their pragmatic, data-based approach and allow unemployment to keep moving lower, and only tighten after there is a significant and durable increase in inflation."
He continued: "Tightening before the economy has reached genuine full-employment is not just a mistake, it’s a regressive mistake that would hurt the most vulnerable workers—low-wage earners and workers from communities of color—the most."
However, Reuters reports that "the central bank maintained its bias toward a rate hike sometime this year, while lowering its long-term outlook for the economy."
Which means that pro-worker organizations, which have largely opposed a rate increase that they say would slow the economy and stifle wage growth, will have to keep up the fight.
"We applaud Chair Yellen and the Federal Reserve for resisting the pressure being put on them to intentionally slow down the economy," said Ady Barkan, campaign director for the Fed Up coalition, which rallied outside the Federal Reserve on Thursday.
"Weak wage growth proves that the labor market is still very far from full employment," Barkan continued. "And with inflation still below the Fed’s already low target, there is simply no reason to raise interest rates anytime soon. Across America, working families know that the economy still has not recovered. We hope that the Fed continues to look at the data and refrain from any rate hikes until we reach genuine full employment for all, particularly for the Black and Latino communities who are being left behind in this so-called recovery."
Earlier...
Progressives are cautioning the U.S. Federal Reserve against slowing the economy by raising interest rates "prematurely"—a decision the Fed will announce Thursday.
The U.S. central bank will issue its highly anticipated short-term interest rate decision following a two-day policy meeting, with a 2 pm news conference led by Fed Chair Janet Yellen.
As CBS Moneywatch notes, "[t]he decision affects everything from the returns people get on their bank deposits to how much consumers and employers pay for credit cards, mortgages, small business loans, and student debt." That's because a higher rate makes it more expensive for individuals and businesses to borrow, with rising bank lending rates shrinking the nation's money supply and pushing up rates for mortgages, credit cards, and other loans.
Just before the announcement, the advocates, economists, and workers of the Fed Up coalition will be joined by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) at a rally outside the Fed, calling on the central bank to keep interest rates low to allow for more jobs and higher wages.
"The point of raising rates is to rein in an overheating economy that is threatening to push inflation outside the Fed’s comfort zone," explained Josh Bivens of the Economic Policy Institute in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. "But inflation has been running below the Fed’s target for years—and its recent moves have been down, not up."
Furthermore, wrote economist Joseph Stiglitz at the Guardian earlier this month: "If the Fed focuses excessively on inflation, it worsens inequality, which in turn worsens overall economic performance. Wages falter during recessions; if the Fed then raises interest rates every time there is a sign of wage growth, workers’ share will be ratcheted down—never recovering what was lost in the downturn."
Progressive activists opposed to an interest rate hike overwhelmed the Fed's public comment system on Monday in a last-minute effort to sway the central bank. Raising the rate, they said, would be catastrophic for working families, particularly in communities of color that are still struggling. The Fed Up campaign, which includes groups like the Center for Popular Democracy, Economic Policy Institute, and CREDO Action, say the central bank "privileges the voices and needs of corporate elites rather than those of America's working families."
"A higher interest rate means that fewer jobs will be created, and that the wages of workers at the bottom will remain too low to live on," wrote Rod Adams, a member of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change in Minneapolis, in an op-ed published Wednesdayat Common Dreams. "That’s because when the Fed raises rates, they are deliberately trying to slow down the economy. They’re saying that there are too many jobs and wages are too high. They’re saying that the economy is exactly where it should be, that people like me are exactly where we should be."
However, at this point, "many observers believe the Fed will not raise rates this week," analyst Richard Eskow wrote on Wednesday.
"The Fed is really the central bank of the world. If the Fed raise rates a little bit, it will have an impact all over the world, particularly in emerging markets," billionaire private equity professional David Rubenstein told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Thursday.
"I think the Fed is sensitive to that," Rubenstein said, "and I think therefore the Fed is likely to wait for another month or two to get additional data and probably telegraph a little bit better than it has now that it's about ready to do it at a particular time."
Meanwhile, global markets are fluctuating wildly in anticipation of Yellen's announcement and subsequent news conference.
But as Eskow noted, Thursday's real surprise "is that there’s any question at all what [the Fed] will do. That suggests that our economic debate is not yet grounded in economic reality, at least as most Americans experience it."
While the Guardian is providing live updates on the Fed's decision, others are making comment under hashtags that reflect the unbalanced economic recovery:
Source: CommonDreams
Progressive New Yorkers Launch “13 Bold Progressive Ideas for NYC In 2013”
NEW YORK, NY
Progressive Council Members Rally with Broad Coalition of Community Groups, Grassroots Leaders, Policy Experts and Labor Unions
...
NEW YORK, NY
Progressive Council Members Rally with Broad Coalition of Community Groups, Grassroots Leaders, Policy Experts and Labor Unions
Today, the Progressive Caucus of the City Council, in partnership with over 30 endorsing organizations, launched “13 Bold Progressive Ideas for NYC in 2013.” This policy platform, available at the interactive website www.13boldideas.org articulates a progressive vision for New York City in the new legislative session. By uniting around this shared agenda, New York’s major progressive organizations will inform the debate in the upcoming elections and push for key priorities such as police accountability, low-wage worker organizing, paid si ck days, and equitable Hurricane Sandy recovery.
“It’s time to restore New York City’s place as a beacon for equality, compassion, and democracy,” said Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Brad Lander. “ In this important election year, the City Council’s Progressive Caucus is proud to stand united with NYC’s labor, community, and civil rights organizations in pursuit of these 13 Bold Ideas for the investments, policies, and reforms that our city so badly needs.”
“The 2013 elections provide a unique opportunity to promote a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial justice agenda in New York City and to unify around key progressive policy issues, such as police accountability, low-wage worker organizing, paid sick days, and equitable Sandy recovery,” said Andrew Friedman, Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy. “The Center for Popular Democracy is honored to support the Progressive Caucus’ work to build a more just New York City.”
“We are proud to have the support of so many organizations and unions as we unveil our vision of building a more livable, affordable, and sustainable city,” said Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Melissa Mark-Viverito. “When low-wage workers thrive, all New Yorkers are better off. That’s why improving the lives of these workers is such a central component of our policy agenda. Whether it’s paid sick time, boosting wages or defending the right to organize, we in the Caucus stand ready to improve working conditions for this vital sector of our economy.”
“Bold and progressive are words long associated with this great city,” said Hector Figueroa, President of 32BJ SEIU. “This platform offers an exciting – and attainable – vision for a livable, affordable and sustainable city. We’re ready for new ideas and new energy, and have a unique opportunity in 2013 to rebuild our infrastructure, recommit to responsible development, confront climate change, and make New York City the most immigrant and working family-friendly city in the world.”
“Though the New York Civil Liberties Union can only address portions of this progressive agenda, we share the commitment to a New York City where all people are treated fairly, equally and with dignity,” said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director, NYCLU. “That’s why we welcome the Progressive Caucus’ bold ideas to ensure that all children have the opportunity to get a decent education, in a respectful and supportive environment, and to ensure equal justice for all — fair and just policing , meaningful accountability and oversight of the NYPD, protection for immigrants and government transparency. These bold ideas are a significant part of the progressive agenda and will enhance the lives, liberty and dignity of New Yorkers and help make New York a fairer and more just city.”
“I am excited to be a part of the 13 Bold Ideas that will transform our City in a positive and progressive direction,” said Council Member Jumaane Williams. “This mission statement is a blueprint for ensuring that every New Yorker is able to live up to their potential. Action items like greater police accountability, reforming local government and ensuring a quality education for our children are issues we can all rally around in the coming year.”
“I am proud to lend my voice to help articulate a progressive vision for New York City,” said Council Member Margaret S. Chin. “Our vision is a City where prosperity is shared among all New Yorkers – not just the very wealthy; where all of our civil rights are upheld; where a hard day’s work is rightfully compensated; and where all New Yorkers have access to quality public education, health care, and childcare. Now is the time for change. I want to thank all the organizations that have pledged to support a more sustainable, more equal and fairer New York City.”
“We are thrilled to be part of this effort to make New York City a truly progressive city,” said Sherry Leiwant, Co-President, A Better Balance, “and we are delighted that paid sick days which we have been trying to pass for almost four years is a major part of this agenda.
“We applaud the Progressive Caucus and their Council Members for the launch of 13 Bold Ideas,” said Javier H. Valdes, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road Action Fund. “The elections of 2013 provide us with the opportunity for us to come together and create a collective vision for a more equitable New York.”
“The diversity of the groups represented in the Progressive Caucus is a symbol of what we are trying to achieve across the city — to provide a voice for ALL New Yorkers,” said Council Member Stephen Levin. “By launching 13 Bold Ideas we stand together to move New York City forward.”
“These 13 bold ideas will help cement a solid agenda within the New York City Council that will help us to continue toward building a city that is affordable and sustainable for all,” said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. “There is no opportunity like the present to shed light on issues which are close to New York City’s working class. I stand by my fellow progressives in pushing to implement these initiatives which I believe will strengthen and develop our City’s middle class. Together we will build a coalition of partnerships that will continue to enact equal justice for all and enhance our government in an effort to provides results for all people.”
“New York City — one of the most economically unequal cities in the nation — desperately needs bold ideas like these,” said Dave Palmer, Executive Director of the Center for Working Families.
“The Local 1180 motto is ‘We make New York work for all New Yorkers,’” said Arthur Cheliotis, President, Local 1180. “It reflects our belief that the work the members do in our complex government facilitates government services to all New Yorkers. These 13 Bold Progressive Ideas will help make our government work for all New Yorkers. It offers a vision and plan of a city government that will act in the interest of New Yorkers in every walk of life by offering an equal opportunity to excel and contribute to the common good. These 13 Bold Progressive Ideas offer concrete proposals to ensure that our government protects us from intimidation, manipulation and exploitation by the rich and powerf ul. They move us closer to a transparent, accountable and effective government, by and for all the people, which is at the core of the democratic principles we cherish as New Yorkers and Americans. We must make these 13 Bold Progressive Ideas the bulwark of New York City’s Government.”
“This is a bold platform for a more just city,” said Bill Lipton, Working Families Party. “The City Council will see tremendous turnover this year. A platform like this will help the voters know which candidates share a vision for a city that works for all of us.”
“Hurricane Sandy exacerbated many long-standing economic and social inequities – making worse homelessness, unemployment, and health disparities for many low-income New Yorkers,” said Brian Pearson, Community Organizer, VOCAL-NY. “Yet this tragedy also presents an opportunity to rebuild in a way that is equitable and just. We must build back a better, more sustainable New York where all New Yorkers have access to affordable housing, good jobs, and quality health care.”
“The 13 Bold Ideas are a rallying cry for progressive New Yorkers,” said Alex Low, President, New Kings Democrats. “This is a blueprint for creating a more just, fair and equitable New York City, and for ushering in real democracy to the New York City Council.”
“This is a strong policy agenda built on justice, fairness, and a high quality of life and would make New York a model for cities around the world,” said Té Revesz, Chair of Citizen Action of New York City. “If implemented, these ideas would allow all residents the opportunity for success, revitalizing the concept of the American dream.”
“To move New York City forward in a meaningful and fair way, our elected officials must address key issues facing our city such as police accountability, paid sick leave for all workers and improving the quality of mass transit and public education,” said Aliya Quraishi, Board Member, Greater NYC for Change. “13 Bold Ideas sets out to bring these issues to the City Council and I strongly support this initiative.”
“Demos is proud to support the Progressive Caucus’ 2013 agenda,” said Amy Traub, Senior Policy Analyst, Demos. “These principles and policies are essential to building a New York where we all have an equal say in our democracy and an equal chance in our economy.”
“The 13 Bold Ideas advance good jobs that provide sustainable wages, strengthen the social safety net, further the call for permanent affordable housing, and build a stronger and more direct democracy,” said John Medina, a member-leader of Community Voices Heard Power. “ In this important and historic year, these Bold Ideas would move New York to be a beacon in the fight for the working poor and for those unable to work. We are proud to unite with the Progressive Caucus and the other organizations supporting the 13 Bold Progressive Ideas because this is the year for action.”
“2013 is a unique opportunity for young people to help shape New York City to truly realize its progressive potential: for many young voters, it will be the first time they will elect a new Mayor, a new Comptroller, a new Public Advocate, a new Borough President and a new City Council Member,” said Stefan Ringel, President, Brooklyn Young Democrats. “The Brooklyn Young Democrats represent the voice of students, young professionals and activists all across Kings County; we are the current and future stakeholders in our communities. By advancing legal and economic equality, investing in our youth and creating sustainable and affordable neighborhoods, the 13 Bold Ideas will ultimately change the Borough for the b etter for years to come. The Brooklyn Young Democrats will continue work to see that progressive ideas don’t just remain ideas, but become successfully implemented and ensure that the future for all Brooklynites – young and old – is a bright one.”
“For a fully functionally 21st Century economy, New Yorkers need a government that fosters connectivity, educates them for the future, and supports an innovative economy,” said Noel Hidalgo, Open NY Forum / Code for America’s NYC Brigade. “Through Local Law 11 of 2012 and BigApps, all New Yorkers are starting to take advantage of participatory, transparent and innovative government. With further public and private collaboration, we can build a New York for all New Yorkers.”
Endorsing Partner Organizations 1199 SEIU 32BJ SEIU 350.org A Better Balance Association of Neighborhood and Housing Development ALIGN Barack Obama Democratic Club Brooklyn Movement Center Brooklyn Young Democrats CAAAV Center for Popular Democracy Center for Working Families Citizen Action of NY – NYC Chapter Civic Engagement Table Coalition for the Homeless Community Service Society Community Voices Heard Power CWA Local 1180 Demos FUREE Greater NYC for Change Hell’s Kitchen for Change Hotel Trades Council Lambda Independent Democrats Make the Road Action Fund Metropolitan Council on Housing NEDAP New Kings Democrats New York Communities for Change Professional Staff Congress CUNY South Bronx Unite UnitedNY Urban Justice Center VOCAL-NY Working Families Party
A Push to Give Steadier Shifts to Part-Timers
New York Times - July 15, 2014, by Steve Greenhouse - As more workers find their lives...
New York Times - July 15, 2014, by Steve Greenhouse - As more workers find their lives upended and their paychecks reduced by ever-changing, on-call schedules, government officials are trying to put limits on the harshest of those scheduling practices.
The actions reflect a growing national movement — fueled by women’s and labor groups — to curb practices that affect millions of families, like assigning just one or two days of work a week or requiring employees to work unpredictable hours that wreak havoc with everyday routines like college and child care.
The recent, rapid spread of on-call employment to retail and other sectors has prompted proposals that would require companies to pay employees extra for on-call work and to give two weeks’ notice of a work schedule.
Vermont and San Francisco have adopted laws giving workers the right to request flexible or predictable schedules to make it easier to take care of children or aging parents. Scott M. Stringer, the New York City comptroller, is pressing the City Council to take up such legislation. And last month, President Obama ordered federal agencies to give the “right to request” to two million federal workers.
The new laws and proposals generally require an employer to discuss a new employee’s situation and to consider scheduling requests, but they do not require companies to accommodate individual schedules. Many businesses have opposed these measures, arguing that they represent improper government intrusion into private operations.
In a referendum last year, voters in SeaTac, Wash. — the community near Seattle that also passed the nation’s highest minimum wage, $15 an hour for some workers — approved a measure that bars employers from hiring additional part-time workers if any of their existing part-timers want more hours. The move was a response to complaints from workers that they were not scheduled for enough hours to support their families. Some San Francisco lawmakers are seeking to enact a similar regulation.
Representative George Miller of California, the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, plans to introduce legislation this summer that would require companies to pay their employees for an extra hour if they were summoned to work with less than 24 hours’ notice. He is also proposing a guarantee of four hours’ pay on days when employees are sent home after just a few hours — something that happens in many restaurants and retailers when customer traffic is slow.
That happened to Mary Coleman. After an hourlong bus commute, she arrived at her job at a Popeyes in Milwaukee only to have her boss order her to go home without clocking in — even though she was scheduled to work. She was not paid for the day.
“It’s becoming more and more common to put employees in a very uncertain and tenuous position with respect to their schedules, and that ricochets if workers have families or other commitments,” Mr. Miller said. “The employer community always says it abhors uncertainty and unpredictability, but they are creating an employment situation that has huge uncertainty and unpredictability for millions of Americans.”
While Mr. Miller acknowledges that his bill is unlikely to be enacted anytime soon — partly because of opposition from business (and a Republican-controlled House), he said the bill would bring attention to what he called often callous scheduling practices. His bill, similar to one in the Senate sponsored by Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, has a “right to request” provision that would bar employers from denying requests from workers with caregiving or school-related conflicts unless they had a “bona fide” business reason.
Corporate groups protest that such measures undercut efficiency and profits. “The hyper-regulation of the workplace by government isn’t conducive to a positive business climate,” said Scott DeFife, an executive vice president of the National Restaurant Association. “The more complications that government creates for operating a business, the less likely we’ll see a positive business environment that’s good for the economy and increasing jobs.”
Mr. DeFife pointed out that the daily ebb and flow of customers necessitated flexibility in scheduling.
David French, a senior vice president of the National Retail Federation, said many people chose careers in retail because of the flexible work hours.
“These proposals may sound reasonable, but if you unpack them, they could be very harmful,” Mr. French said. “Where employers and employees now work together to solve scheduling problems, you’ll have a very bureaucratic environment where rigid rules would be introduced.”
While many of these workers are not unionized, the labor movement has often battled against part-time work and ever-changing schedules. But as unions have grown weaker, employers have felt freer to employ part-timers and use more volatile scheduling. Unions still push for workers to get more hours — and those pressures are one reason Macy’s and Walmart have adopted programs letting employees claim additional, available shifts by going onto their employers’ websites.
In a climate where many retailers, restaurants and other businesses are still struggling after the recession, economists point to the increased uncertainty faced by employees. About 27.4 million Americans work part time. The number of those part-timers who would prefer to work full time has nearly doubled since 2007, to 7.5 million. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 47 percent of part-time hourly workers ages 26 to 32 receive a week or less of advance notice for their schedule.
In a study of the data, two University of Chicago professors found that employers dictated the work schedules for about half of young adults, without their input. For part-time workers, schedules on average fluctuated from 17 to 28 hours a week.
“Frontline managers face pressure to keep costs down, but they really don’t have much control over wages or benefits,” said Susan J. Lambert, a University of Chicago professor who interpreted the data. “What they have control over is employee hours.”
Ms. Lambert said flexible, not rigid or unpredictable, hours would become as important an issue as paid family leave. “The issue of scheduling is going to be the next big effort on improving labor standards,” she said. “To reduce unpredictability is important to keep women engaged in the labor force.”
David Chiu, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, has created a business-labor group that is trying to find the middle ground.
“We’ve learned that predictability in hours is important not just to help workers juggle their lives, but for economic security — to help workers take a second job to live in expensive cities like San Francisco or New York,” Mr. Chiu said. “We’re confident that we can move forward with policies that work for workers as well as business’s bottom line.”
Sharlene Santos says her part-time schedule at a Zara clothing store in Manhattan — ranging from 16 to 24 hours a week — is not enough. “Making $220 a week, that’s not enough to live on — it’s not realistic,” she said.
After Ms. Santos and four other Zara workers recently wrote to the company, protesting that they were given too few hours and received just two days’ notice for their schedule, the company promised to start giving them two weeks’ advance notice.
Fatimah Muhammad said that at the Joe Fresh clothing store where she works in Manhattan, some weeks she was scheduled to work just one day but was on call for four days — meaning she had to call the store each morning to see whether it needed her to work that day.
“I felt kind of stuck. I couldn’t make plans,” said Ms. Muhammad, who said she was now assigned 25 hours a week.
A national campaign — the Fair Workweek Initiative — is pushing for legislation to restrict these practices in places including Milwaukee, New York and Santa Clara, Calif. The effort includes the National Women’s Law Center, the United Food and Commercial Workers union and the Retail Action Project, a New York workers’ group.
“Too many workers are working either too many or too few hours in an economy that expects us to be available 24/7,” said Carrie Gleason, director of the Fair Workweek Initiative and an organizer at the Center for Popular Democracy, a national advocacy group. “It’s gotten to the point where workers, especially women workers, are saying, ‘We need a voice in how much and when we work.' ”
Source
City Council group urges JP Morgan Chase to ditch Trump council
City Council group urges JP Morgan Chase to ditch Trump council
As CEOs flee President Trump’s business advisory councils, the City Council’s Progressive Caucus is calling on JP Morgan Chase to do the same.
The move comes as multiple CEOs have ditched a...
As CEOs flee President Trump’s business advisory councils, the City Council’s Progressive Caucus is calling on JP Morgan Chase to do the same.
The move comes as multiple CEOs have ditched a Trump council on manufacturing business in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday. Trump did not condemn white supremacists until Monday; on Tuesday he again insisted violence had come from “both sides.” Merck CEO Ken Frazier was first to depart, calling it a “matter of personal conscience” to stand against intolerance.
Read the full article here.
Should Chicago Spend Money on a Police Academy?
Should Chicago Spend Money on a Police Academy?
Chicago spends 39 percent of its municipal budget on policing, while New York spends just eight percent and Los Angeles spends 26 percent, says the Center for Popular Democracy. This means the...
Chicago spends 39 percent of its municipal budget on policing, while New York spends just eight percent and Los Angeles spends 26 percent, says the Center for Popular Democracy. This means the city has less funds for things like schools and social services.
Read the full article here.
The ‘Resistance,’ Raising Big Money, Upends Liberal Politics
The ‘Resistance,’ Raising Big Money, Upends Liberal Politics
WASHINGTON — It started as a scrappy grass-roots protest movement against President Trump, but now the so-called resistance is attracting six- and seven-figure checks from major liberal donors,...
WASHINGTON — It started as a scrappy grass-roots protest movement against President Trump, but now the so-called resistance is attracting six- and seven-figure checks from major liberal donors, posing an insurgent challenge to some of the left’s most venerable institutions — and the Democratic Party itself.
Read the full article here.
D-FW activists travel to annual Fed summit in Jackson Hole, Wyo., to spread their message
Lemlem Berhe is one of a handful of activists from the Dallas-Fort Worth area visiting Jackson Hole, Wyo., in hopes of getting their message heard. That message: Raising interest rates now would...
Lemlem Berhe is one of a handful of activists from the Dallas-Fort Worth area visiting Jackson Hole, Wyo., in hopes of getting their message heard. That message: Raising interest rates now would stunt wage growth and hurt working families and communities of color.
“Fed officials think the economy has recovered enough to raise interest rates, slowing down job and business growth, but working families like mine in Dallas know otherwise,” Berhe said. “That’s why we’re in Wyoming this week, to ask them to prioritize job growth and higher wages.”
As part of the national FedUp Coalition, local members of the Texas Organizing Project and the Workers Defense Project are in Wyoming for the Federal Reserve’s annual summit, where the world’s most powerful central bankers discuss economic policies that affect people everywhere. The top U.S. banker — Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen — is not attending the event, which began Thursday and ends Sunday.
This is the first time anyone from either group has traveled to the Fed’s annual summit in Jackson Hole.
This year’s Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium comes as the Fed faces a difficult decision on when to start raising interest rates, rising debates on income inequality and wages, and worries about slowing Asian economies, most notably in China.
With the U.S. unemployment rate at 5.3 percent in July, some say it’s time to raise interest rates, which have been near zero for nearly seven years. Recently, some economists and one Fed banker have called for a delay given concerns about slower global economies.
On Friday, the organizing groups in Jackson Hole held a public demonstration and teach-ins on topics such as full employment and the selection process for regional bank presidents, with renowned Columbia University economist Joseph Stiglitz. Today, he wrote an op-ed column in the Los Angeles Times about why the Fed should not raise interest rates.
In addition, the Texas Organizing Project also made a second request in a video posted to its Facebook page and in a tweet to meet with Robert Steven Kaplan, the newly named president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, soon after he starts his new job on Sept. 8. Kaplan is attending the summit.
Kaplan will replace Richard Fisher, who retired in March after a decade leading the Dallas Fed. Last week, immediately after the regional bank named Kaplan, the Texas Organizing Project suggested he meet with some of its members in Dallas once he arrives.
Earlier this year, the group and the FedUp Coalition asked to meet with Dallas Fed board members to seek more openness and participation in the search process for Fisher’s replacement. Their request was denied, but a meeting was arranged with two bank officials. I wrote about it.
FedUp claims that full employment is when the nation’s unemployment rate is 4 percent or lower. If that was the case this year, the Dallas economy would be $19.9 billion stronger at $476.8 billion, it would have 204,300 more workers employed, which would mean 162,500 fewer people would live in poverty.
In addition to Berhe, two other Texas Organizing Project representatives in Jackson Hole are from Dallas: member Nayeli Ruiz, 21, and community organizer Kenia Castro.
The Austin-based Workers Defense Project has two D-FW representatives in Jackson Hole: AdanArostegui andElliott Navarro.
“We believe that our members should be involved and learn what the Fed does,” said Diana Ramirez, a community organizer for the Workers Defense Project in Dallas. “No one really knows.”
Source: Dallas Morning News
Amazon Not Happy with Seattle’s New Compromise Head Tax
Amazon Not Happy with Seattle’s New Compromise Head Tax
An open letter May 14 to the city of Seattle from about 55 elected leaders—some from cities on Amazon’s short list for HQ2—rebuked Amazon for its tactics and its opposition to the tax proposal. “...
An open letter May 14 to the city of Seattle from about 55 elected leaders—some from cities on Amazon’s short list for HQ2—rebuked Amazon for its tactics and its opposition to the tax proposal. “We urge you to remain steadfast in your commitment to this effort to reduce homelessness and the persistent inequities faced by all of our cities,” the leaders wrote to their Seattle colleagues.
Read the full article here.
How Municipal ID Cards Make Cities More Inclusive
This week Newark, New Jersey, ...
This week Newark, New Jersey, became the latest in a growing number of cities to adopt a municipal ID program. The IDs, available to all residents 14 and older, will be especially useful to undocumented immigrants, the homeless, formerly incarcerated people, and other populations who may not be able to present documents typically required for state-issued cards.
One notable addition to this list: transgender people. Unlike other forms of state and federal identification, Newark’s new card will not list the holder’s gender. The omission is expected to benefit those who do not identify with the gender listed on their birth certificate or other official documents.
Gender sensitivity is a relatively new development within the relatively newphenomenon of municipal IDs. In 2007, New Haven, Connecticut, became the first city in the U.S. to offer city IDs, followed by several cities in California (including San Francisco and Los Angeles), Washington, D.C., New York City, and a few others. In every case, undocumented immigrants were the main target group for the cards. But when San Francisco launched its ID program in 2007, the city made a point of omitting a gender marker (“male” or “female”) from the card, and in 2014 New York City became the first jurisdiction to allow local ID card holders to self-designate their gender.
Michael Silverman, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, hopes that more cities will embrace self-designation on municipal IDs. “Since transgender people face so much discrimination based on sex, it’s important that they have ID that matches who they truly are and how they appear to the outside world,” he says. It’s a human rights issue, since IDs confer access to virtually every aspect of public life. When applying for jobs, public benefits, or other services that require identification, the option to affirm one’s gender identity (or omit it) can be significant. Sometimes, Silverman says, ID is the “only layer of support” for a person’s gender identity.
Gender markers are just one battleground in the struggle for gender-flexible documentation, however. Most states don’t allow people to change the gender on their birth certificates unless they undergo sex-reassignment surgery—difficult-to-define procedures that many transgender people either do not want or cannot afford. TLDEF has represented transgender people in West Virginiaand South Carolina who were asked to remove wigs, makeup, and other items associated with female gender expression before taking their driver’s license photos, and the ACLU recently sued the state of Michigan for requiring proof of reassignment surgery to change gender markers on state IDs.
But Silverman senses a sea change in public attitudes on gender identity, buoyed by the high-profile stories of Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner. In Newark, New York, and San Francisco, gender identity has become part of the conversation surrounding municipal IDs—one that has so far focused on the legal rights of undocumented immigrants. Silverman predicts that, moving forward, “municipalities will look to what other similar cities have done, and will take the concerns of the local transgender population into account when they plan these types of programs.”
In a 2013 report on municipal ID programs across the U.S., the Center for Popular Democracy wrote that “cities that offer ID to their residents regardless of immigration status are making a powerful statement of welcome and inclusion.” The same goes for cities who do so regardless of gender identity.
Source: The Atlantic's CityLab
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