Economics
YOUR TAX RECEIPT
People like to complain about taxes. Polls tell us most people think the tax system is unfair and they pay too much. But what most people think is rarely reality. There are many false beliefs about who pays, how much we pay and where it all goes.
“Most conservative criticisms about the ill effects of taxes are exaggerated or untrue. Taxes are in fact good -- they are dues we pay to enjoy the numerous vital benefits that government provides for our society” This quote is from Dr. Douglas J. Amy, Professor Emeritus of Politics at Mount Holyoke College and author of ...
Costs of Foolishness
“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” Bertrand Russell (1872 –1970), British philosopher
The fools and fanatics currently in control of our country have no understanding of what government is about, how it operates, or the importance it has for people and society. But they are “certain of themselves” and their anti-government ideology. Many people are going to be hurt, and many will literally die from their ignorant, mean spirited, shortsighted actions.
John Adams ...
Destroying America
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” President Abraham Lincoln
“If President Trump wants to change our nation’s laws, he has the right to ask Congress to change them. He does not have the right to violate the United States Constitution. He is not a king.” Senator Bernie Sanders.
Our country is in crisis. Our government has been seized by a dictator wannabee and a cabal of super-wealthy, authoritarian extremists who want to destroy all the social progress of the last ...
Building the Resistance
The 24-Hour Economic Blackout
Back in December I wrote about using our power as consumers to oppose the Trump wrecking crew. (“Now what? Tactics for resistance,” The Duluth Reader, Thursday December 5, 2024). In that article I suggested taking the fight to the wealthy Trump supporters by reducing our spending and not buying from companies that supported him.
I am not the only one pushing this tactic. I recently got an email saying that comedian Jon Stewart has been calling for Friday, February 28 to be a “24-hour Economic Blackout.” I have not found Jon's ...
Wisconsin Forests at Risk
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. Dr. Seuss in the children's book “The Lorax”
Wisconsin Green Fire recently published a report that speaks for trees and all the other organisms in Wisconsin's forests. “Wisconsin Forests at Risk: Engaging Wisconsinites in Another Century of Forest Conservation” is a warning about the declining health of forests across the state. They say, “Wisconsin’s forests have long enriched our state’s economy and quality of life. Yet, just when we need healthy, diverse, and ...
The Age of Plastics
“Welcome to the Plasticene. If you’re under age 70, it’s possible you’ve lived in the Plasticene for your entire life. It’s a new geologic age some scientists have proposed to mark the near-universal spread of plastic around Earth. Since the 1950s, researchers say, we’ve been living in the Age of Plastics.” Kristen Minogue, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Geologists have divided the 4.5 billion years of earth's history into a geologic time scale. These divisions, or “geochronologic units,” include eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages. We ...
The Myth of Recycling Plastic
“The idea that recycling can solve the problem of plastic waste has always been a fraud, and it's always been a way for the industry to sell more plastic,” Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity.
As I wrote about recently, the use of plastic has increased enormously, creating a huge worldwide problem with plastic trash (“The age of plastics,” December 19, 2024). Much of this plastic is for single use products like packaging and shopping bags. Recycling is suppose to mitigate these problems. But for many reasons, recycling plastic simply ...
RETURN OF THE ROBBER BARONS
“We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a
few, but we can’t have both.” - Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
Born in 1856, Brandeis lived through the “Gilded Age” and the “Roaring 20’s.” He saw the unethical
practices, the exploitation of working people, and the corruption of politicians brought on by the
fabulously wealthy, the “Robber Barons” of that age. Brandeis saw how democracy was destroyed by
gross inequality, he saw how the rich were able to buy and sell “elected” officia...
Community Outreach Task Force
Outreach Fundraiser
Hello all, We need your help. Please donate. (Links below) We’re gearing up for the winter season. Over the last 5 years we have been making a positive difference for those in need in the community, helping them to survive in the harsh winter elements. We are the only 100% volunteer-based outreach group in the community. Even though we receive a good amount of physical donations, sometimes it isn’t enough, and we need to rely on raised funds to purchase supplies. In the last 2 years we’ve gone from serving 30 people to over 60 on ...
Vote for the Climate and Against Ignorance
This month, the Southeast has faced two devastating hurricanes. Not only are families forced into shelters, but entire communities have been wiped from the map. And the road to recovery will be long, arduous, and uncertain. Our hearts should go out to all the victims.
Yet the science is clear, that human-caused climate change is making these storms more severe. We experience stronger, longer, and deadlier weather phenomena than ever before, even here in Wisconsin with more extreme flooding, drought, wildfire smoke, and inconsistent snowfall. This has a bona fide ...