Economic Issues Archives | Patriot NOT Partisan

Why We Must Cancel Student Debt

January 4, 2021 Economic Issues, Student Debt

Sam is an eighth grade American History teacher in semi-rural Ohio. He’s great at it. He dresses up as Abe Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg Address, and his “Best Beards of the Civil War” competition has students discussing important names and dates on their lunch breaks. Each day, Sam’s passion for history overcomes teenage apathy and anxiety and replaces them

Why Gen Z Believes Representation on American Currency Matters

June 21, 2019 Civil Rights, Economic Issues, Women in the Age of Trump

Last month, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced that the Treasury Department will not unveil a redesigned twenty-dollar bill replacing Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on it while Trump still resides in the White House. Then, on June 14th, Alan Rappeport reported in The New York Times that “extensive work was well underway on a new $20 bill bearing the image

Chemical Castration and Alabama

June 20, 2019 Economic Issues, General Commentary, Healthcare

When people think about Alabama and what it's famous for, of peanuts, college football and Lynard Skynard come to mind. Many would like to think that it would welcome progressiveism to overcome its terrible history of Jim Crow laws. However, recent legislative actions in the state have proven that no matter how much good comes out of the actions of

Political Cartoon

March 30, 2018 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

Who will be next to leave the White House? Trump recently stated that he enjoys the chaos of the White House staff turnover. At the annual bipartisan dinner, he joked, "who's going to be next to leave? Steve Miller, or Melania?" Perhaps as a result of Trump's U.S. tariff proposal on steel and aluminum, Gary Corn resigned as director of

FOIA Litigation Reveals $138,093 in Department of Defense Expenditures at Mar-a-Lago and Trump Businesses

March 15, 2018 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Washington, DC — A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit from the transparency organization Property of The People has produced receipts and other documents revealing Department of Defense (DoD) expenditures at Mar-a-Lago and twelve Trump properties during the President’s first six months in office. The expenses, each made with DoD charge cards, raise serious questions as to whether Donald Trump

SNAPping the Backs of the Poor

February 13, 2018 Economic Issues

Continuing its non-stop war on the poor, the Trump administration this week proposed a radical change to SNAP benefits. This change, in addition to reducing the program by 30% would eliminate most recipients’ ability to procure fresh and healthy food on a reliable basis. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is the government program formerly known as Food Stamps. More than

AFT President Randi Weingarten Responds to President Trump’s Infrastructure Proposal

February 12, 2018 Economic Issues

WASHINGTON— Statement by AFT President Randi Weingarten in response to President Trump’s infrastructure proposal: “Infrastructure investment has always been a win-win for communities—fixing and building new roads, bridges and tunnels; modernizing schools and our energy system; and spreading 21st-century technologies across the nation, which all help create and sustain living-wage jobs and small business. It’s never been intended to enrich

#SchumerShutdown

January 23, 2018 Economic Issues, General Commentary, Immigration

#SchumerShutdown - the hashtag that GOP leaders are using to accuse Democrats of causing the shutdown became the trending hashtag. As the hashtag continues to boom, republicans are gaining a boost in efforts to blame Democrats. We should move forward with consideration for solution and compromise, not pointing fingers to blame. Contributing Editor: Jamie Domnick Twitter: @JNick9456 Instagram:JNick9456 Currently a

Alyssa Milano Speaks at Power to the Polls – Atlanta, Georgia

January 21, 2018 #MeToo, Civil Rights, Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary, Women in the Age of Trump

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Who Wants to be an Oligarch?

January 19, 2018 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Does Contestant Donnie Trump have what it takes? This parody makes following the money fun and suggests the so-called "nothing-burger" may in fact be a something-borscht with a side of definitely-a-thing caviar. About Rise and Resist Rise and Resist is a direct action group committed to opposing, disrupting, and defeating any government act that threatens democracy, equality, and our

BRINGING THE PEOPLE BACK TO THE HOUSE

January 18, 2018 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

While politics in the United States has grown more racially and ethnically diverse, and while women continue their march toward parity, the economic diversity of Congress has actually gone down. The shrinking of trade unions has removed the primary ladder for working people to rise to political leadership, and the result is a kind of economic segregation that marginalizes most

Kinds of Hunger

January 12, 2018 Economic Issues, General Commentary, Immigration

I’ve been teaching writing classes at a local university for well over a decade now. The quick math in my head tells me I’ve had thousands of students. I have to admit – I don’t remember them all. He was a forgettable kid when he walked in, but he didn’t remain that way for long. The first thing that caught

Hollow Populism

December 26, 2017 Economic Issues, Elections, General Commentary

McKean County, Pennsylvania: I’ve been visiting this place since I was a kid. It’s quiet, with good hunting. Next to the Allegheny River, near the northern border of the state, it’s removed from pretty much everything. There’s a college town about 25 miles away, but in the winter, the mountain roads are often impassable. As a young boy, I found

Women are equal. Period.

December 22, 2017 #MeToo, Civil Rights, Economic Issues, General Commentary

You’ve heard the statistics: 40% of women are the primary breadwinners of their home, if women got paid equally as men the US economy would double, etc. These statistics are irrelevant. Women don’t deserve equal opportunity because “it’s good for our economy” or “good for their children” or “good for their family.” A woman’s value isn’t dependent on her relationship

Why the Masses Vote to Make the Rich Richer

December 14, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Many explanations have been offered for the current political situation. How do Republicans control Congress when more votes are cast for Democratic congresspersons? Gerrymandering and vote suppression. How did Trump win so much support despite disadvantages that would have disqualified any previous candidate? White, working-class, tribalist anger over minority progress, stoked by Russian fake news. But how do the rich,

Not Fair

December 6, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary, Immigration

When I was about six years old, I was visiting with my grandmother. She was driving one of her out of proportionally large Cadillacs. Miles away, in the front passenger seat, sinking in the overly plush leather upholstery, I gazed out the window. I don't recall whether a conversation or something I saw outside prompted me, but I was protesting,

Black Eye Economics

December 1, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Black Friday…that wonderful American tradition when we show the rest of the world how prosperous our nation is by diving down shopping aisles, rioting in malls, and fighting over one available television to save money. When the Soviets did it for bread in the 70s and 80s, our nation ridiculed them, but since we do it for consumer electronics it

The Tax Bill is a Raw Deal for Women

November 27, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Nobody likes thinking about taxes—especially when it’s about raising them. But that’s exactly what will happen for hardworking women and their families under the tax bill being considered by Congress. The U.S. Senate is just days away from voting on a bill that will raise taxes on millions of women and families in order to pay for tax cuts for

The #GOPTaxPlan is a #BadDealForWomen

November 27, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

As the GOP tax bill vote looms ahead in the Senate—they could vote as early as Thursday or Friday—it’s imperative to understand which groups the proposed plan protects and which ones it would hurt, and how. In short, the tax plan would benefit corporations and the wealthiest Americans, while devastating our most vulnerable populations: low-income families, women, children, the disabled

Trump’s Tax Plan is a Blessing for Corporations, a Curse for Everyone Else

November 24, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Donald Trump and the Republicans want to cut taxes for the rich. They tell us this will give those at the top the freedom to reinvest, creating jobs, reinvigorating the economy, and raising wages. There’s one problem with this plan: it won’t work. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of economics and economic history knows that cutting taxes for the

A TAX SCAM CAROL – CHAPTER 5

November 24, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Chapter 5 Christmas Renewed Although Scrooge had not slept a wink and had traveled great distances since the ringing of one bell, he found himself possessed of a vigor he had not experienced since his childhood. Bright light streamed through the window, and he grabbed for his telephone, quite uncaring of the hour or the past. “Quickly,” he tweeted, “what

A TAX SCAM CAROL – CHAPTER 4

November 23, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Chapter Four The Final Spirit Ebenezer Trump had no sooner returned to his bedchamber, cap snugged tightly over his irreverent hair, under which thoughts of Tiny Mike Pence Sanders whirled a-gog, as though dancing to a fiddler filled with frenzy when a single skeletal hand penetrated the curtain surrounding its bed. So unexpected this was, and so terrifying, the

A TAX SCAM CAROL – CHAPTER 3

November 22, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

CHAPTER 3: THE SECOND OF THE THREE SPIRITS Awaking in the middle of a prodigiously tough snore, and sitting up in bed to get his thoughts together, Trump had no occasion to be told that the bell was again upon the stroke of One. He felt that he was restored to consciousness in the right nick of time, for the special

A Tax Scam Carol – Chapter 2

November 21, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Chapter 2 THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS. When Trump awoke, it was so dark, that looking out of bed, he could scarcely distinguish the transparent window from the opaque walls of his chamber. He was endeavoring to pierce the darkness with his ferret eyes, when the chimes of a nearby church struck the four quarters. So he listened for

A Tax Scam Carol – Chapter 1

November 20, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Preface I HAVE endeavored in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall put my readers out of humor with their Congress, with each other, and with their President. May it haunt their houses urgently, and may all wish to lay it. Their faithful Friend and Servant, B.J. Chapter One – Bannon’s Ghost Bannon was

The fight over taxes and why it matters for so much more than taxes

November 16, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

You’ve probably heard about the tax plan that President Trump and Republicans are trying to jam through Congress. But if you’re a normal person, your eyes probably glaze over when the subject turns to taxes. I am a nerd who spends all day thinking about tax policy, and I am constantly boring the people around me by talking about it.

No Taxation without Rep…er, Medication!

November 16, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

For those without children, baby showers provide the perfect opportunity to explore a foreign and fascinating world almost as alien as the bottom of the ocean. A short visit to any Babies R Us, Target, or even Barnes & Noble will reveal educational baby and toddler toys that new parents clamor for. Ridiculously simple, but so important to early cognitive

Toto, We’re All Going to Kansas: Trump and Ryan’s Dangerous Tax Folly

November 6, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

In 2012, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback started a grand experiment designed to forever prove the supremacy of Conservative “trickle-down” economics. Huge tax cuts, especially for large businesses and rich people were supposed to spur growth and wealth was supposed to flow downhill. Well, as we all know it’s not wealth that flows downhill. In 2016, years after Kansas had been

When Something Smells (White)fishy, Throw it Out!

October 31, 2017 Economic Issues, General Commentary

Heard the news Sunday that Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has (finally!!!) decided to back out of the (insane) three hundred million dollar contract with Whitefish Energy (who?). If you’re not up on the story, here are the pertinent details: Puerto Rico’s power grid was all but destroyed during Hurricane Maria (Yes, Mr. Trump, those are US Citizens over

Define Homelessness

September 13, 2017 Economic Issues, Healthcare

Imagine you get a call. Your mom had a heart attack and she's on the way to the hospital. You get in your car but your thoughts are racing. The spells. She's been saying she was having spells. For months. Dizzy spells. You asked her to see a doctor. She promised she would. But did she? You never thought she

Make the Economy Great Again

September 12, 2017 Economic Issues

#MAGA - We all know the hashtag. Depending on your ideological leanings, it's either a clarion call to a silent majority of true American patriots, or a dog whistle designed to prick up the ears of those who never quite left our country's racist past. It's divisive for sure, but believe it or not, it can be used to discuss

While We’re All Busy Watching The Trump Show, Wall Street Is Quietly Robbing Our Country Blind

August 7, 2017 Economic Issues

Donald Trump is the best thing to happen to Wall Street in twenty years. …This is because since the moment he took the oath of office, no one has so much as uttered a word about Wall Street. And much like Tyler Durden in Fight Club, Wall Street LOVES when no one is talking about it. (Also much like Tyler Durden Wall Street has an army of automatons wreaking mayhem throughout the land while those tasked with policing them are either incompetent,

This Veteran’s Journey From Conservative to Progressive

August 2, 2017 Economic Issues, Healthcare

My political journey has been rather counter intuitive. I served as a Marine Corps combat engineer officer from 1997 to 2005. I served two tours of duty in Iraq. I participated in the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003 and fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. I sound like a typical Republican, right? Not