From an interview with Rickey Gard Diamond on Vermont Public Radio in 2013 celebrating the 30th anniversary of Vermont Woman newspaper's first issue. She was, already, more than thirty years ago, proposing another kind of "revolution" and ways to do it without utilizing fear. It is in these ideas and inspirations that Screwnomics was born. Read the rest of the interview here.
No to Oligarchs' Back Room Deals
The Republicans want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which affects fully one-sixth of the US economy. Fair enough, if they can get the votes. But their replacement bill is being created behind closed doors without any hearings or the chance for amendments—just the way EconoMan likes it.
EconoMan is Screwnomic’s name for the insider club of men of a particular class and a particular race, who control American economic policy. They grow so brazen, they apparently believe their wealth and position entitles them to govern without pesky hindrances like debate, hearings, democratic process, and the like. Despite the American constitution, today’s EconoMan appears to believe that money alone measures a person’s true worth. He forgets our national agreement to tend the commonwealth, which surely includes our health. He wants health insurance socialism for the wealthy, not for you.
The new Republican health care bill repeals $600 billion in taxes on the richest Americans, like Warren Buffet, who called it “a huge tax cut for guys like me.” It won’t cut health care costs—so without the rich paying their fair share, who do you think will be left with the bill? EconoMan can afford to fund toadies in Congress and buy ads to convince you all his ideas are the only American ones. We could use a lot more women like Senator Claire McCaskill who here calls out EconoMan’s Republican politicians who serve the few, not the many.
All of us need health care at some point in our life—all of us need to share the costs fairly and figure out ways to get healthier and bring down outsized US healthcare bills. So let’s talk out in public like we hear Republicans and Democrats have done in generation’s past. Want to know more about EconoMan and his ways? Watch for future posts and news about our coming book: Screwnomics: How our Economy Works Against Women and What We Can Do to Make Real and Lasting Change.
An American Dream Redux
The American Dream meets up with reality in this newest housing report from the NLIHC. The 2008 Mortgage Crash made ore Americans renters. Some who lost homes have decided not to risk it again, especially since workers must be mobile to find work. Fewer Americans expect to remain rooted for the life of a 30 year mortgage in the new gig-economy.
As demand for rentals increases, so do rents. The darker the blue on this map, the higher a state's rent costs--but none are in line with today's federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. If you're working full-time (as about 2 million Americans do at that wage), you couldn't afford a two-bedroom apartment
Even the median wage for many of the fastest-growing jobs (many of them held by women) like nursing assistant, retail salesperson, home health aid, and food service prep work falls short of what's needed even for a one-bedroom apartment--assuming you need to heat it and eat once in a while. Traditionally housing is expected to cost about 30 percent of your income. What percentage are you paying?
The NLIHC "Out of Reach" report for 2017 shows exactly 12 US counties have rents in line with wages. If we assume the homeless and couch-surfers are the problem, we turn our back on the American dream: an average worker should be able to keep a roof over her head. Towns, cities, and non-profits can look for new solutions like smaller spaces, energy efficiency, co-housing, cooperative housing, and public banking for housing rehab and building equity with elbow grease. Increasing the minimum wage--and paying $15 an hour for fast-food workers is just a start.
www.citylab.com/equity/2017/06/rent-is-affordable-to-low-wage-workers-in-exactly-12-us-counties/529782/?utm_source=atlfb
