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Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture
Austerity is Dead
It’s Time to Focus on Jobs & Growth
For the better part of three years Washington has been gripped by an obsession with the deficit, but a new paper out from the Center for American Progress today argues that it’s time to abandon austerity, ditch deficit hysteria, and instead focus on jobs and economic growth.
What’s changed since Washington caught deficit fever in 2010? A lot, as it turns out.
- The deficit has been significantly reduced and stabilized.
- We have already enacted significant deficit reduction: $2.5 TRILLION worth, three-quarters of which has come from spending cuts.
- Health care spending has grown much more slowly than expected, due in part to Obamacare.
- The intellectual argument in favor of austerity collapsed in a somewhat spectacular fashion.
- The implementation of austerity in Europe has been nothing short of disastrous. Unemployment in the Eurozone is at a record high and the UK’s austerity almost resulted in triple-dip recession and has actually resulted in more, not less debt.
- What hasn’t changed? We continue to have tepid growth and the economy is not creating nearly as many jobs as it could or should be.
In fact, we don’t even need the painful and ill-conceived sequester cuts to achieve the level of deficit reduction that we originally set out to, hence the report calls for replacing it for the next three years.
So instead of painful austerity and needless hysteria about the deficit and debt, we ought to be making investments in order to grow the middle class and the economy along with it. The report identifies $82 BILLION worth of pro-growth investments:
- $50 BILLION to fix our crumbling infrastructure.
- $20 BILLION for early childhood education.
- $12 BILLION for the “Pathways Back to Work Fund,” which would help provide opportunities for the long-term unemployed, young people, and low-income people.
Now is the perfect time to make these kinds of investments as interest rates on government bonds are unusually low right now.
In addition to all of these key facts, it’s also time to recognize some political realities. Since Republicans refuse to negotiate in good faith toward a so-called “grand bargain” there is no point in continuing to pursue one. Instead, we ought reset the debate, replace the sequester for three years with an achievable package of cuts and revenue increases, and turn our attention toward making the investments we need to fuel jobs and growth.You can read the entire report in all of its wonky goodness HERE.
In addition to all of these key facts, it’s also time to recognize some political realities. Since Republicans refuse to negotiate in good faith toward a so-called “grand bargain” there is no point in continuing to pursue one. Instead, we ought reset the debate, replace the sequester for three years with an achievable package of cuts and revenue increases, and turn our attention toward making the investments we need to fuel jobs and growth.You can read the entire report in all of its wonky goodness HERE.
BOTTOM LINE: Austerity is dead — or at least it should be.
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Taking on the Patent Trolls
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| Taking on the Patent TrollsOur patent system is meant to encourage innovation and invention. But in recent years, companies called “patent trolls” have used abusive patent litigation designed to threaten innovators in order to extract settlements based on questionable claims.
It costs the economy billions of dollars and undermines American innovation, and today President Obama issued five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations designed to protect innovators from unnecessary litigation and improve the quality patents in our system. Learn how the Administration is taking on patent trolls to protect American innovation. |
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Immigration reform bill
We are fast approaching the critical moment that our movement has made possible: S. 744, the bipartisan immigration bill, is expected to be introduced to the full Senate early next week for debate, amendment and a full vote.
We must keep up the pressure to ensure the bill we have been fighting for continues to move forward.
Dial 888-891-3271 or click here to call your Senator now.
We have proven the power of our movement before. Our calls, faxes, and contacts to the Senate helped advance the bill this far — but as this bill moves to the full Senate, it will be even more vulnerable to amendments that could jeopardize the path to citizenship for millions of families.
The Senate has the opportunity to make history by passing a reform law that keeps families together and strengthens our country by creating a pathway to full citizenship. We must make sure that the Senate passes this important bill. Millions of American families depend on it.
Click here to be immediately connected to your Senator and tell them to support immigration reform.
With hope,
Donna De La Cruz Reform Immigration FOR America
P.S. We need your help to ensure that Congress hears our message. Forward this email to your friends — together we will make immigration reform a reality!
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