May 14 Piketty on the U.S.: The birthplace of freedom and progressive taxation By Thomas Piketty French economist Thomas Piketty acknowledges that every society needs some degree of inequality. But when the bottom 50 percent of America owns only 2 percent of the wealth, we've strayed too far from America's legacy of progressive taxation and are… Continue reading
May 13 Watch Debating Piketty’s theory on how wealth begets wealth, widens the economic gap By PBS NewsHour In "Capital," French economist Thomas Piketty explores how wealth and the income derived from it magnifies the problems of inequality. Gwen Ifill gets debate on his data and conclusions from Heather Boushey of Washington Center for Equitable Growth and Kevin… Continue watching
May 13 How Piketty’s inequality theory explains Mr. Darcy’s wealth By Thomas Piketty French economist Thomas Piketty has made a splash with his prediction that inequality will grow in America. But the economic relationship that explains that inequality is hardly new; it's the same phenomenon that allowed Pemberley Mansion to enrich Mr. Darcy… Continue reading
May 12 Watch 8:54 Why do the rich get richer? French economist Piketty takes on inequality in ‘Capital’ By PBS NewsHour On a recent U.S. press tour for his bestselling book "Capital," French economist Thomas Piketty spoke to standing-room-only crowds about his examination of growing, global economic inequality. Economics correspondent Paul Solman interviews Piketty for his take on why inequality of… Continue watching
May 12 Inequality will worsen in America unless… Piketty’s Rx By Thomas Piketty The author of today's best-selling book about economics predicts that inequality is bound to get worse. His advocacy for an international tax on capital is well-known by now, but what else does he think can stem the tide of wealth… Continue reading
Apr 25 How nonprofit workers get squeezed when minimum wages increase By Paul Tipps, Jesse Inman Nonprofit workers like those at Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Service Center don’t want to be left out of the fight for a higher minimum wage but also realize that higher wages could come at the expense of some of their jobs… Continue reading
Apr 25 The missing piece of the minimum wage and inequality debate By Bill Hobson Nonprofit leader Bill Hobson is personally supportive of a $15 an hour minimum wage. But he knows his human services agency doesn't have the resources to pay their employees more without trimming staff and ultimately, cutting services Seattle's homeless depend… Continue reading
Apr 24 Why this ‘gender-crossing’ economist prefers ‘motherly libertarianism’ to government paternalism By Deirdre McCloskey Economist Deirdre McCloskey wants to be taxed to finance a minimum income, not a minimum wage. People couldn't persuasively beg with the former, she says, and the government would get out of the business of treating adults like children. Continue reading
Apr 23 Seattle’s Socialist councilwoman on why capitalism offers nothing for young people By Kshama Sawant Seattle councilwoman Kshama Sawant is a leader in Seattle's movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. But even that, she says, won't be enough to overcome an economic system that's not working for America. Continue reading
Apr 21 Calling out Social Security for its awful inequities By Laurence Kotlikoff Social Security's arcane provisions don't just disadvantage recipients who can't figure out what they mean. As Larry Kotlikoff explains, there are also structural inequities in the system that put certain groups, particularly lower-earners, at a disadvantage. Continue reading