Economics
America the Beautiful
The same short-sighted, profit-centered thinking that opposed creating the National Parks hinders creating the “good change” we need today.
Still fighting for $15 minimum wage
Wisconsin has been at $7.25 an hour since 2010 when the state made the increase to keep up with federal minimum wage.
Defending America from the U.S. Department of Defense
In his final year in office, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had also been the 5-star general who led the allied forces against Nazi Germany in World War II, warned Americans against the dangers of maintaining an oversized military and the military-industrial complex itself. He knew this joining of industry and the military could easily grow out of control, could easily drain rather than protect the nation, could easily become a threat to the future of democracy.
Here is a portion of a speech President Eisenhower gave to the American Society of Newspaper Editors in ...
PUBLIC BANKING UNIT V: THE BANK OF NORTH DAKOTA PRESENT
In 2009, in the midst of the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930’s, only one state ran a large budget surplus, cut personal and business taxes, and had the lowest unemployment and foreclosure rates in the nation. North Dakota.
Quoting from the “Public Banking Legislative Guide” by the Public Banking Institute in 2011, during some of the worst times of the Great Recession:
“While lawmakers across the country struggle with difficult, even heart-breaking budget dilemmas, the North Dakota legislature debates whether to cut taxes or ...
PUBLIC BANKING – UNIT II: THE COST OF “INTEREST”
Let us assume a state needs to replace an aging bridge on one of its state highways. If the contractor’s bid for supplying the materials and completing the construction is two million dollars, the tax payers of that state will eventually pay close to four million dollars for the bridge. How can this possibly be? The answer in a word is - - “interest.”
The near doubling of the cost of most public projects, from bridges, to schools, to water and sewage systems, is the result of the legal process of fractional reserve banking through which the quasi-public US Federal ...
DO YOU MISS FARMING?
“Do you miss farming?”
I’ve heard that question often in the past few months. I appreciate being asked. Occasionally it comes from farmers who admit they couldn’t do what I’ve done—leaving the farm, that is.
I understand. I realize because we were more of what I call a one-off situation. It was truly easier for us. There wasn’t a long line of previous family owners in our case.
There are a number of things that make me realize the difference. The most significant is the pride folks take in how many generations of direct descendants are linked to the ...
WHERE’S THE COMPASSION FOR DAIRY FARMERS?
You rarely hear complaints from farmers about their job because they love what they do, but you will hear an earful about the weather, milk prices and the occasional tractor breakdown. June is Dairy Month. There is no better time to recognize the work dairy farmers do and the challenges they face.
Farmers need to be expert mechanics, scientists, business owners and creative geniuses to make a farm thrive. Factors beyond their control make even the smartest or the hardest working farmers face bankruptcy.
Farmers have seen glorious and terrible times throughout our ...
US- CHINA TRADE TENSIONS? WHAT’s at stake for Central Wisconsin’s Agriculture?
With the U.S. imposing billions of dollars of new tariffs on Chinese imports and Beijing retaliating with tariff increases on June 1 on $60 billion worth of goods, largely agricultural, what will be the fallout in central Wisconsin?
A free public forum on June 18 will address the many areas impacted by the tariffs, including ginseng, dairy, corn and soybeans. Facing millions of dollars in lost revenue, what can these producers do to stay in business?
WIPPS is partnering with UW-Madison Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) to launch its inaugural “East Asia Now” ...
MODERN MONETARY THEORY UNIT III: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING FUNDS TAXES
Imagine for a moment that this popularly held belief is true – that the US Federal Government has no money of its own and depends on taxes to fund any government spending. Think about this. Ask yourself the obvious question. If the US Federal government has no money of its own and depends on tax dollars for its operation, where did the tax dollars people pay each year come from in the first place?
Well, we would all answer, “I work hard for my wages or salary and part of the money I earn is taken away from me to pay my federal and state taxes. That’s where federal ...