CITIZENS’ NATIONAL COMMISSION

ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND REFORM:

 

Ten Principles To Begin to Restore the American Economy

So That It Benefits the American People

 

The purpose of this essay is to solicit your help in responding to the threat to all Americans posed by the composition of The President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and what that committee might recommend for America’s future financial reforms. It seems appropriate to me that Americans respond to the threat posed by the highly conservative makeup of the President’s Commission, particularly its leadership, by comprising their own committee, agreeing to a set of recommendations that we feel are more appropriate for America’s future, and publishing our recommendations early enough in the election season that we might influence both American voters and our governmental representatives.

Although the banking, financial and automobile sectors of the U.S. economy have rebounded in recent months as a result of the infusion of massive federal funding through TARP, the situation for many Americans who work for a living is still grim. High unemployment, high underemployment, and wages that have not improved significantly in real terms over the past decade characterize the current economic situation for many Americans. In addition, consumer spending is still weak, and businesses are not investing sufficiently to provide a major boost to the economy by hiring more workers. In the Great Depression, the case most similar to this recession of 2008, the federal government took upon itself (as the only other source of job creation), the role of stimulating the economy by providing jobs for those citizens who were desperate for work. However, in this current crisis conservatives are demanding cutbacks in governmental spending and deficit reduction both at the national and at the state levels. This position might be good for the wealthy because they can employ the resultant cheap labor, but it is a disaster for those who are not wealthy. The representatives in Congress that we have elected to act on behalf of the majority appear to be acting instead on behalf of the wealthy, with an eye on the financing of their own re-election from contributions from wealthy individuals and wealthy corporations. That we will not tolerate.

To respond directly to those who believe in deficit reduction as the only way to resolve our current budgetary problems, I argue that deficit reduction at this time would result in a disaster for the majority of Americans. The majority of Americans earn their living by selling their labor in one way or another. This category of “working class” Americans (in this view) includes not only those hired by an employer (blue collar and pink collar workers, salespersons regardless of income, etc.) but also those “professionals” (such as teachers, university professors, health care professionals, higher level state and federal employees, etc.) but also self-employed businessmen, in short anyone who is employed or self-employed whose income does not derive from inherited wealth or investments. The reason why this is so is that reducing deficits now: (1) would result is massive layoffs, as state and federal governments would be required to fire pink collar (e.g., secretaries, clerks, etc.) as well as white collar workers; (2) would result in massive cutbacks in goods ordered by state and federal governments, reducing orders and income to small businesses whose income is based on supplying goods to those governments; (3) would result in massive additions to the numbers of the unemployed and underemployed; (4) would result in further importation of inexpensively-produced goods from overseas by both American businesses and state and federal governments seeking cheaper sources of goods because of restricted budgets; (5) would be a financial disaster for most retired Americans as conservative politicians cut payments to recipients of Social Security, moved Social Security monies from secure governmental repositories into “too-big-to-fail” banks whose bad investments started the current economic meltdown in the first place; and (6) would be a financial disaster for the majority of Americans who, at some time in their lives, face medical emergencies so great that, without Medicare or Medicaid, would be forced into bankruptcy, would be forced to sell their homes, and take on personal debts so large that they will never be able to pay them off. These are just a few examples of the disasters that Americans whose incomes depend on a stable and strong economy would face if deficit reduction were implemented now, in an already weak economy.

So, if you are employed, a self-employed businessman, a professional whose income is dependent on selling your goods or services to other Americans, a retired American whose livelihood is dependent in part on Social Security monies, a mother with dependent children who receives Social Security income for her children, an American who receives Medicare or Medicaid, think long and hard about what your vote will mean in the November, 2010 elections. Electing politicians who are ideologically and emotionally committed to budget reduction immediately at whatever costs, the elimination of Social Security (or its privatization), or the removal of the legal barriers that protect our food supply will result in a disaster for you, your children, and most Americans. The U.S. budget deficit can best be paid off when the U.S. economy overall and the household economy of average Americans have improved to the extent that the deficit can be paid down from a position of economic strength, not at the time of America’s greatest economic weakness since the 1930s.

Think about it. Could you live comfortably for the rest of your lives on what you have already saved? The wealthy can, but most Americans could not. Vote against those who want deficit reduction now!

To ensure that America grows in strength now, we urge that the following principles be adopted as the cornerstones for the revival and continuing health of the U.S. economy, and as the cornerstones of a secure and just future for democracy in America. Furthermore, we urge the American people to demand from their government and all its national, state and local representatives that these principles be implemented immediately. And, if they do not agree to work toward these principles, we urge Americans to vote in the 2010 elections for candidates who will.

 

1. IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT A MAJOR ECONOMIC STIMULUS TO CREATE MORE JOBS. THE GOAL IS FULL EMPLOYMENT-JOBS FOR ALL AMERICANS WHO ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO WORK

Americans should help other Americans get jobs so we can feed our families! The federal government should immediately commit itself to a major stimulus of the economy, a stimulus funded by borrowing from The U.S. Treasury (as Abraham Lincoln did) or from the Federal Reserve (but NOT by selling U.S. bonds to private domestic or foreign lenders). This borrowing will not result in the debt that conservatives say is inevitable by borrowing that money, nor in an inflation that will reduce the value of the dollar (see Brown 2010a) since that money will be owed by America to America. One important arena for America to address is the public infrastructure deficit (e.g., roads, bridges, air traffic systems, etc.). Congress should revisit and pass the National Infrastructure Development Act of 2007 (Schwartz 2008), begin to remedy America’s aging infrastructure, and provide the good paying jobs that American workers need. The initial federal stimulus to the economy in a response to this crisis was important, but too weak. The time for a stronger stimulus is now. Reducing deficits now will not create jobs, but rather eliminate even more jobs. The time for deficit reduction is when all Americans are employed.

Galbraith 2010

Brown 2010a: 8-9.

Schwartz 2008:

Stiglitz 2010: 29-31.

Borosage 2010a: 1, 8.

Weisbrot 2010: 9.

Pollin 2010: 10-18

 

2. IMMEDIATELY GRANT SUFFICIENT MONEY TO THE STATES TO FORESTALL BUDGETARY CUTS AFFECTING TEACHERS, POLICEMEN, AND FIREMEN, WITH THE CONDITION THAT THIS MONEY MUST BE SPENT ONLY FOR THIS PURPOSE.

The federal government must also immediately lend money to the states to help them out of their economic difficulties, difficulties related in great part to the collapse of the national economic system caused by the machinations in the financial and housing sectors. This aid should be specifically targeted to job creation and job retention funds, particularly for public employees such as teachers, policemen, and firemen. If the federal government can address the financial difficulties in the banking, financial and automotive sector, they should also see the difficulties that many states are facing because of shortfalls of revenue caused by the collapse of the economy. The need is great. Don’t shortfall teachers, policemen, and firemen. Federal support for the retention of teachers, policemen, and firemen means that your children will continue to receive adequate funding for local schools, and that your local police and firemen will continue to provide the services which you need.

Traub 2010: 4

 

3. REQUIRE THAT ALL AMERICANS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES

All Americans must pay their fair share of taxes, without exception. This principle obtains not only for human individuals, but for corporate “individuals” as well. If all those “individuals” who do not now pay their fair share of taxes were to pay them, the government’ deficits would be eliminated instantly. Ronald Reagan, faced with major deficits as a result of his previous year’s tax cuts (mostly for the wealthy), reinstated those taxes (Romano 2010). Working class Americans should not have their Social Security benefits cut while, on the other hand, wealthy Americans do not pay their fair share of taxes. Also, there should be no “loopholes” by which corporations, such as General Electric, which earned $10.3 billion in pretax income in 2009, paid no taxes. In fact, two out of every three United States corporations paid no federal income taxes from 1998 through 2005, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress (Browning). That is contrary to the sense of fair play which most Americans hold. If our representatives do not see the danger of a public disgusted by their government and its lack of concern for those who elected them, they should. Those representatives of the American people who act against the best interests of the American people will be held accountable.

Browning 2008

Yglesias 2010: 22-23

Romano 2010

Surowiecki 2010

 

4. HIRE FEDERAL AGENTS IN SUFFICIENT NUMBERS TO CATCH WHITE COLLAR CROOKS IN THE FINANCIAL SECTOR AND ELSEWHERE, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, CONVICT AND IMPRISON THEM!

The federal government should immediately hire sufficient federal agents in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Justice Department to investigate, prosecute, convict, fine and/or imprison those individuals or corporate officers that prey on American citizens. This is an arena that has been neglected and under funded for years, resulting in a loss of tax revenues to the federal government. Hiring additional federal agents at the SEC would be a way to add federal jobs that would also collect revenues for the federal government. It is important for the American people to see that those who prey upon them are punished, regardless of their status. Hiring additional inspectors at the Food and Drug Administration should also be done for the safety of our food supply. The inspection function of this agency has been grossly undermanned for decades. However, for this suggestion to have any worth, the Obama administration must act aggressively to prosecute those individuals and corporations that have committed these fraudulent actions against the American people for their own economic gain. For too long, Americans have waited to see rich crooks punished. Now is the time!

Stiglitz 2010: 29-31.

Kaplan 2010: 18-22.

Kessler 2001

Baker 2010c: 9

Ferguson 2010

Pelosi (2010)

 

5. SAVE AMERICAN HOMEOWNERS NOW.

The Obama administration’s Justice Department should immediately pause foreclosures at those lending institutions where there is any suspicion of inappropriate filings of legal documents or of outright fraud in mortgage lending, given the emerging evidence of massive fraud committed by major American lending institutions (Brown 2010b). State’s attorneys general should implement pauses as well. When, and if, these inappropriate filings or suspected fraud are dealt with, lending institutions should then be encouraged to refinance those homes in foreclosure at current market.

Banks that will not implement home refinancing programs at current market value to remedy the plight of millions of American homeowners who reside in those homes and who are in jeopardy of losing their homes due to the unwillingness of those banks to make loans in sufficient numbers to keep homeowners in their homes should be confronted by labor unions with the possibility of the withdrawal of union retirement and pension funds from those lending institutions (see vanden Heuvel 2010 for an example of this in New York City ). Federal and state governments should also indicate to these banks that these governments will withdraw any and all funds deposited at these banks unless they implement mortgage refinancing at current market values.

vanden Heuvel 2010: 16-17

Brown 2010b

Trumbull 2010.

Barr et al. 2008

 

6. MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM: CONTINUE SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS TO ALL QUALIFIED RECIPIENTS AS CURRENTLY MANDATED WITHOUT RAISING THE AGE CRITERIA. AS ANOTHER OPTION, INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF EACH INDIVIDUAL’S PAYMENTS FROM SOCIAL SECURITY SO THAT ELDERLY PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM NOW HAVE NO OTHER INCOME, CAN AFFORD BASIC ESSENTIALS.

There should be no reduction in social security payments, nor an extension of the age at which social security payments are made. Americans have made it abundantly clear in past years that they will not stand for any such reductions, and are willing to vote against those candidates who are for such reductions. The Social Security system is strong and healthy, despite claims by conservatives otherwise. There are sufficient incoming monies contributed by current workers to fund Social Security payments until 2039. A reduction in Social Security payments would adversely affect the U.S. economy now. Congress should also raise the cap on income for contributions to Social Security so that individuals who earn up to $250,000 pay their share of Social Security revenues.

Hill, Steven (2010).

MoveOn.org (2010a

Baker and Weisbrot 2001

Brown 2010: 8-9.

Grider 2010: 5-6.

The Nation 2010: 22

Reich 2010: 13-15

Morrissey 2010

 

7. CREATE A STRONG CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU

There must be a strong Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) established to protect ordinary Americans from exploitation by corporations such as Wright County Egg, one of the two corporations that was responsible for the salmonella outbreak this summer, and from the Peanut Corporation of America, which was the plant that sold salmonella-contaminated peanut butter early in 2009. We need, among other consumer protection laws, laws that would protect our food supply, and government agencies that have the authority to regulate the food supply. There is a comprehensive food security bill that “mandates more frequent inspections of factory farms and gives the FDA the tools to prevent deadly and costly food outbreaks before they ever happen” (change.org weekly). Should that legislation be passed, we need an organization that will see to it that consumers get the protection over their food supply that they need. It would be best for this consumer protection agency to be an independent entity, responsible directly to the president. It is that important! It is also essential that it be headed by someone who is willing to speak truth to power, someone who is not beholden to the corporate sector.

Dorfman 2010

Hillebrand 2010

Parsons 2010

 

8. AS A FIRST SMALL STEP TOWARD A LARGER GREEN ECONOMY: MANDATE THAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION USE ITS PURCHASING POWER TO IMPLEMENT SOME SMALL BUT IMPORTANT STEPS TOWARD ACHIEVING A GREENER ECONOMY.

The Obama administration should immediately mandate that some of its purchases be directed toward companies and goods that result in a greener economy. Two possibilities that can be implemented immediately present themselves. First, there are a variety of already available vehicles that could be used by the U.S. Postal Service, the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and other federal agencies at locations here in the United States that are battery powered (use no gasoline and thus reduce carbon emissions) and can be recharged overnight by plugging them into an electric outlet. Such purchases would benefit emergent green economy industries. Beyond that, the federal government should support the expansion of wind generated electricity production, which a recent report (Schoof) suggests could produce electricity at rates competitive to coal generated electricity provided that coal plants had to capture heat-trapping gas and bury it as part of their calculation of cost.

Parenti 2010: 15-20.

Schoof 2010

 

9. ENACT LAWS THAT ALLOW PUBLIC FINANCING OF CANDIDATES FOR CONGRESS, AND PROHIBIT CANDIDATES FROM ACCEPTING MONEY FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN PUBLIC FINANCING

The most serious threat to participatory democracy in America today is the annti-democratic influence of massive amounts of money from corporations and extremely rich individuals flowing to politicians who favor the unhindered concentration of wealth in the hands of those corporations and very rich individuals. The proposed Fair Elections Now act supports small-donor elections. However, it does not prohibit the flow of monies from corporations or extremely rich individuals to influence those politicians in favor of anti-democratic goals. The constitution mandates Congress work for “the general good.” The current system works against “the general good.” The current system needs to be changed.

Public Campaign

Wertheimer and Manes 1994

Common Cause 2010

MoveOn.org 2010b

 

10. RESTORE THE BALANCE BETWEEN MILITARY SPENDING AND SPENDING ON CURRENTLY UNDER FUNDED DOMESTIC NEEDS. The U.S. economy for average Americans is still in recession, despite the recovery in the financial sector, banking, and the automobile sectors. The federal government continues to fund military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to fund economic development in those countries when millions of Americans need jobs at living wages. It is time to re-examine the priorities that the military/security complex in America has thrust upon us, priorities to a great extent sold to us based on demagogic appeals to our fears. To many Americans, the fear of not being able to feed their own families is greater than the fear of threats from abroad. Do the right thing! Reduce military spending and provide jobs for unemployed Americans.

Glenn Greenwald 2010

Pollin and Garrett-Peltier 2007

Korb and Pemberton 2010

 

SUMMARY: WHAT RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS CAN DO INDIVIDUALLY: BREAK THE IMPASSE IN THE U.S. CONGRESS BY VOTING FOR CANDIDATES IN NOVEMBER, 2010, WHO SUPPORT THE ABOVE PRINCIPLES TO STRENGTHEN THE AMERICAN ECONOMY AND RESTORE AMERICAN FAMILIES TO FINANCIAL HEALTH.

Lessig 2010: 11-19.

Madrick 2010

Mann, Thomas E, and Norman Ornstein 2006.

 

RECOMMENDED READING

A selection of (mostly) recent books and articles (in print and on websites) about issues directly related to the concerns of this committee.

Baker, Dean (2010a). False Profits: Recovering From the Bubble Economy. Sausalito, CA: Polipoint.

Baker, Dean (2010b). Why Listen to Deficit Hawks? Calls to Cut Social Security Come From Economists Who Want To Line Wall Street Pockets With Money From Ordinary Workers. The Progressive Populist 16(12): 10 (July 1-15).

Baker, Dean (2010c). Treat Reckless Corporate Behavior Like Drunk-Driving. Top executives at BP, Massey, Goldman Sachs et al. might have acted more responsibly if they had faced the prospect of jail time. The Progressive Populist 16(14): 9 (August 15).

Baker, Dean, and Mark Weisbrot (2001). Social Security: The Phony Crisis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Barr, Michael S., Jane K. Dokko, and Benjamin J. Keys (2008). Who Gets Lost in the Subprime Mortgage Fallout? Homeowners in Low- and Moderate-Income Neighborhoods. Available at Social Science Research Network (SSRN).

Borosage, Robert (2010a). The Big Fix: When Democratic and Republican Elites Seek Consensus on How To Deal With “Out of Control” Federal Deficits, Hold on to Your Wallet. The Progressive Populist 16(4): 1, 8.

Borosage, Robert L. (2010b). America Cowed: Are We Too Frightened to Forge Our Future? The Progressive Populist 15(13): 13 (August 1, 2010).

Brown, Ellen (2010a). Deficit Fear Mongering: IMF-Style Austerity Measures Come To America: What “Fiscal Responsibility” Means to You. The Progressive Populist 16(6): 8-9 (April 1).

Brown, Ellen (2010b). Foreclosuregate and Obama’s “Pocket Veto.”

Brown, Ellen (2008). Web of Debt: The Shocking Truth About Our Money System and How We Can Break Free. Fourth edition. Ithaca, NY: Third Millennium Press.

Browning, Lynnley (2008). Study Tallies Corporations Not Paying Income Tax. New York Times

Common Cause (2010). Campaign Finance Reform: A New Era.

Dorfman, Margot (2010). Women, Financial Reform, and Consumer Protection.

Ferguson, Charles (2010). Break The Banks. Newsweek

Galbraith, James (2008). The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. New York: Free Press.

Galbraith, James (2010). James K. Galbraith Champions the Beast Manifesto.

Greenwald, Glenn (2010). The Sanctity of Military Spending.

Greider, William (2010). Whacking the Old Folks. The Nation 290(22): 5-6 (June 7).

Greider, William (2009) Come Home, America: The Rise and Fall (And Redeeming Promise) of Our Country. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Books.

Hayes, Christopher (2010). Deficits of Mass Destruction. The Nation 291(5 & 6): 3-4 (August 2/9).

Hightower, Jim (2010). Wall Street Profits, Subsidies, and Lobbyists. The Progressive Populist 16(10): 3 (June 1).

Hill, Steven (2010). Secure Retirement for All Americans: Guaranteeing the American Dream with Expanded Social Security. (In order to view the following document, please copy the following website address and paste it into your browser.) http://growth.newamerica.net/sites/newamerica.net/files/policydocs/Hill%20-%20Social%20Security%20-%2013-Aug-10%20-%20spaced%20graphs.pdf

Hillebrand, Gail (2010). Should an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency be created?

Institute for Economic Democracy, The (2010). Private Banks Creating Money Is Really Only A Circulation of Money. (In order to view the following document, please copy the following website address and paste it into your browser.) http://www.ied.info/articles/an-honest-bank-is-so-simple-you-can-run-it/logical-reasons-proving-private-banks-do-not-create-money

Johnson, Simon, and James Kwak (2010). 13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown. New York: Pantheon.

Kaplan, Ester (2010). A Rump Group at Labor. The Nation 290(14): 18-22 (April 12).

Korb, Lawrence, and Miriam Pemberton (2010). A Unified Security Budget for the United States, FY 2011

Lessig, Lawrence (2010). How To Get Our Democracy Back: There Will Be No Change Until We Change Congress. The Nation 290(7): 11-19 (February 22).

Madrick, Jeff (2008). The Case for Big Government. Princeton : Princeton University Press.

Madrick, Jeff (2010). Inequality in America and What To Do About It. The Nation 291(3 & 5): 21-22 (July 19/26).

Mann, Thomas E, and Norman Ornstein (2006). The Broken Branch: How Congress is Failing America and How To Get It Back on Track. New York: Oxford University Press.

Morrissey, Monique (2010). Social Security is Sustainable.

Mosely, Walter, (2010). Ten Things To Foster Socially Responsible Corporations. The Nation The Nation 291(5-6): 8 (August 2/9).

MoveOn.org (2010a) Top 5 Social Security Myths.

MoveOn.org (2010b). Fight Washington Corruption.

Nation, The (2010). Dispatches: Social Security Warning Bells. The Progressive Populist 15(13): 22 (August 1).

Newman, Katherine, and Elizabeth Jacobs (2010). Who Cares? Public Ambivalence and Government Activism From the New Deal to the Second Gilded Era. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Parenti, Christian (2010). The Big Green Buy: How Obama Can Use the Government’s Purchasing Power to Spark the Clean-Energy Revolution. The Nation 291(5-6): 15-20 (August 2/9).

Parsons, Sarah (2010). Bisphenol-A Poisons Pregnant Women – and Everyone Else, Too. Change.org

Pelosi, Nancy (2010). Letter To Justice Department About Mortgage Crisis. (In order to view the following document, please copy the following website address and paste it into your browser.) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/documents/california-letter.pdf

Pollin, Robert (2003). Contours of Descent: U.S. Economic Fractures and the Landscape of Global Austerity. Brooklyn, NY: Verso.

Pollin, Robert (2010). 18 Million Jobs by 2012: How Obama Can Save His Presidency. The Nation 290(9): 10-18 (March 8).

Pollin, Robert, and Heidi Garrett-Peltier (2007). The U.S. Employment Effects of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities. Washington, DC: Institute for Policy Studies. (In order to view the following document, please copy the following website address and paste it into your browser.) http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/working_papers/working_papers_151-200/WP151.pdf

Public Campaign (2010). 2010 Fair Elections Now Act Bill Summary.

Reich, Robert (2007). Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life. New York: Knopf.

Reich, Robert (2010). Inequality in America and What To Do About It. The Nation 291(3 & 4): 13-15 (July 19/26).

Roberts, Paul Craig (2010). How the Economy Was Lost: The War of the Worlds. Oakland, CA: AK Press.

Rollwagen, Jack R. (2010). The Real Goal of the Glenn Back Rally. The Progressive Populist 16(17): 11, October 1, 2010.

Romano, Andrew (2010). What Would Reagan Really Do? Newsweek (July 19): 30-35.

Schoof, Renee (2010). Wind Energy Can Power Much of East Coast, Study Says. Truthout.

Schwartz, Bernard (2008). Redressing America's Public Infrastructure Deficit: Testimony Before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Sirota, David (2008).The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington. New York: Crown

Steel, John (2010). The Danger of Invisible Corporate Power. The Progressive Populist 15(13): 11 (August 1).

Stiglitz, Joseph H. (2010). Moral Bankruptcy: They Knowingly Trashed Our Economy. Why Are We Letting Wall Street Off So Easy? Mother Jones 35(1): 29-31 (January/February).

Surowiecki, James (2010). Soak the Very, Very Rich. New Yorker. August 16.

Traub, Amy (2010). War On Public Workers. The Nation 291(1): 4 (July 5).

Trumbull, Mark (2010). Geithner: Abandoning Fannie Mae Not a Solution to Mortgage Crisis.

vanden Heuvel, Katrina (2010). Move Your Big Money. The Progressive Populist 16(14): 16-17 (August 15).

Washingtonsblog (2009). The Rising Tide of Unemployment in America. How Bad Will it Get, and What Can We Do? (In order to view the following document, please copy the following website address and paste it into your browser.) http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2007/08/unemployment.html

Weisbrot, Mark (2010). National Public Debt, The Least of Our Worries. The Progressive Populist 16(6): 9 (April 1).

Wertheimer, Fred, and Susan Weiss Manes (1994). Campaign Finance Reform: A Key to Restoring the Health of Our Democracy. Columbia Law Review 94(4): 1126-1150.

Wolfson, Marty (2010). Myths of the Deficit. Dollars & Sense: Real World Economics.

Yglesias, Matt (2010). Inequality in America and What To Do About It. The Nation 291(3 & 5): 22-23 (July 19/26).

 

Jack R. Rollwagen, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

Editor and Publisher (1972-present) of the Journal: URBAN ANTHROPOLOGY and STUDIES OF CULTURAL SYSTEMS AND WORLD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT