Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Predistribution

As I've long said, we don't need more redistribution, we just need better distribution in the first place.
$70,000 per year minimum wage
The idea began percolating, said Dan Price, the founder of Gravity Payments, after he read an article on happiness. It showed that, for people who earn less than about $70,000, extra money makes a big difference in their lives.
His idea bubbled into reality on Monday afternoon, when Mr. Price surprised his 120-person staff by announcing that he planned over the next three years to raise the salary of even the lowest-paid clerk, customer service representative and salesman to a minimum of $70,000.
Price clearly has a business model others would do well to emulate.

Update 6/172015:  More on predistribution here.

Anticipating

I'm perversely looking forward to how the right will use this against Hillary Clinton.



Because you know they'll find a way, don't you?

Bumbling Bravado

This tweet has just the right expression for GOP posturing:

What began, & nom-hopefuls are finishing… bumbling bravado on the world stage.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Minimum wage

I hear opponents of raising the minimum wage to a liveable level say things like: "If businesses have to pay their workers more, they won't be able to stay in business."

To which the obvious response is: if a business model requires underpaying/exploiting employees, then perhaps it's time to re-examine that business model.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

The Democrats' rhetorical Deficiency, ctd

Republicans are pushing through new "right to work" legislation in their ongoing effort to destroy the last vestiges of union (i.e. working people) power.

And who could be against the right to work?  Another example of the Republicans' ability to frame an issue, and the Democrats' rhetorical failure to respond.  It would not take that much to respond effectively in a way that makes the issue clear. For instance, when the expression "right to work" is used, it could jeeringly be referred to as the "right to be exploited".

Think back to George Bush's use of the term "death tax" to describe the estate tax (aka inheritance tax).  Who could be for a "death tax"? Again, a jeering reframing could make clear what the GOP is up to by referring to legislation to reduce/eliminate the estate tax as the "making rich kids richer bill".

It's really not that hard!

The Laugher Curve

Krgthulu makes it clear why the "Laffer curve" deserves its homophone.