David Cay Jonston has been doing outstanding work on explaining what has been happening in our economy for years. He describes himself as a Republican but one who is extremely worried about the growing inequality in our society and the growing inability of our government to meet the needs of our people as a whole.
Here is a video of his on the latest news on wages (click on image for video):
His related article:
First look at US pay data, it’s awful
Anyone who wants to understand the enduring nature of Occupy Wall Street and similar protests across the country need only look at the first official data on 2010 paychecks, which the U.S. government posted on the Internet on Wednesday.
The figures from payroll taxes reported to the Social Security Administration on jobs and pay are, in a word, awful.
These are important and powerful figures. Maybe the reason the government does not announce their release — and so far I am the only journalist who writes about them each year — is the data show how the United States smolders while Washington fiddles. (read more)
Then here is his critique of tax cut proposals and what they will do (again click on the image):
Here’s a related article:
Orwellian tax talk By David Cay Johnston
The author is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.
Political tax talk is becoming Orwellian: Secrecy is Democracy. Auditors Reduce Collections. Tax Cheats Will Be Caught With Fewer Auditors.
Let’s start in Kansas, where the Lawrence Journal-World broke the news on Sunday that economist Arthur Laffer, father of curve-on-a-napkin tax policy, is advising the state on a new tax structure. The news is not so much that Laffer is getting $75,000 of taxpayer money, but that Governor Samuel Brownback wants advice only from business leaders; no wage earners allowed behind these officially closed doors. (read more)