This week the Social Security Trustees reported that our FICA contributions plus interest, net of all benefits paid out, have increased the Social Security Trust Fund by $32 billion. The trustees also forecast that Social Security benefits are completely sustainable for the next two decades. The media hasn’t played these reports up much, perhaps because…
Of the responses to my recent essay, “Why I Became a Socialist,†I received this one negative reaction. I believe my reply to Mr. Wynman will help clarify the questions. I believe we need a revolution, hopefully a peaceable one. Unfortunately, those in control, when they feel threatened, will cause the violence when people get…
Editor’s Note: Washington’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce is on the job, weighing alternative carbon-pricing proposals. Some members of the panel have asked what our ideal policy would be for Washington State. Yoram Bauman shares his thoughts today. Alan Durning will share his argument for a California-style cap-and-trade system, with key modifications, another day. If I…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_iIaaHcwj4&feature=player_detailpage
Thanks to the fighting spirit of Jean and Byron Barton, last week SAFE members were able to stop their eviction from taking place. The blockade lasted 5 days, and ended in a final push to City Hall to demand justice for the Bartons. Thanks to the Seattle Mayor’s office, the Bartons are now safely in their home…
The Western Washington Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program held its Ninth Annual Public Meeting on Saturday, July 19th, at Kane Hall, on the University of Washington Campus. The theme of the meeting was: Health Care is a Human Right: Making It Real in Washington State. Here are videos of the speakers: •Health…
I spent most of my life a devout capitalist and over 20 years as stockbroker and investment banker. Today I am a Socialist. As the years went by, I observed the amoral practices of capitalism that rigged the system in the absence of regulation. The system forced otherwise good people into that mold because they…
I-1329 failed to make it to the ballot. I can’t say that I am surprised or even disappointed. It is certainly true that we need to undo the damage to democracy inflicted by dozens of Supreme Court decisions over the past hundred years or more, including recent decisions such as Citizens United and McCutcheon. MoveToAmend (MTA) has…
Lot’s of action at the Barton House yesterday. Here’s a brief recap: Yesterday morning at 7:30am, Sheriff’s deputies descended onto the Barton house. They had locksmiths with them, who immediately began changing locks as the deputies entered to speak with the Bartons. They broke down the back gate to the back yard, and came in three…
One commonly hears the claim “The Democrats are as bad as the Republicans.” This is a gross exaggeration, both nationally and here in Washington State. Why does the claim have so much traction? Who’s to blame for the misperception? Do the Dems themselves bear some responsibility? What is the Democratic Party doing to address that…