"Words that make actions speak louder."
The bailout package failed. Republicans didn’t line up behind their leadership, unconvinced about the size, the urgency or even the rightness of rescuing tycoons from their own mistakes. Congress may soon try again, especially because the market showed its contempt for the failure. The temptation will be to scale back, to find a solution below […]
The economy is sinking. Wages are flat, costs are rising and bridges are collapsing. Wall Street doesn’t know which way is up. The bail out is coming now and the stimulus checks came in the spring. But three quarters of Americans (still) think the country is on the wrong track. The answer is right before […]
Last year on August 1, the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour. Thirteen people died and more than 100 were wounded. A school bus carrying 52 children teetered on the brink but did not fall. This bridge is not alone. Our nation’s infrastructure is deteriorating, dying of old age and neglect. Making Sense […]
Why is it that people who question globalization are treated like Neanderthals? You’re a protectionist, critics charge. Globalization is here to stay; you can’t turn back the clock, you Neanderthal! Besides, look at all the great stuff we get for cheap! Well, we can get a lot of great stuff. A lot of it is […]
I had the privilege Tuesday morning of attending a hearing by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on the issue of America’s decaying infrastructure. It was an important hearing and everyone said the right things. If that sounds encouraging, keep the good mood for a moment. Soon you’ll […]
A brand new Gallup poll reports: “Americans prioritize protecting the environment over economic growth by 49% to 42% — but this seven-point margin is near the low of the past couple of decades.” This simple, perhaps disappointing poll, hides as much as it reveals. First, the good news. Even in this time of economic stress, […]
Modern conservatism is dying. There’s still an election to be held, but conservatism as we’ve known it since Ronald Reagan is failing—ground down in the desert of Iraq, drowned in the floods of Hurricane Katrina, foreclosed by the housing crisis and poisoned by toys imported from China. The American people are figuring this out. While […]
Today’s New York Times worries “That the Good Times Were Mostly a Mirage.” The chair of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, gave our (former) prosperity and stability a name. He called it “the great moderation.” But radical conservatives mounted a multi-decade campaign against that moderation. They removed regulations, shrunk the divide between government and business, […]
What a difference a year makes. The Republican-controlled 109th Congress doubled student interest rates and cut $12 billion out of student aid. The new Democratic 110th Congress has cut the student interest rates and put $20 billion into aid programs. The money comes directly out of the banks’ pockets and into the pockets of students […]
At last we get a little good news. The new Congress is presenting to the President a package of legislation designed to help working families afford the skyrocketing cost of college. He’s threatened to veto it but we’ll get to that later. Start with the good news. Help is needed • Last week’s Census data […]