Monthly Archives: January 2013

(Community Matters) Paul Krugman explains this unlikely proposal. Until the middle class feels secure again in jobs and our economic power reignited, corporate investment will lag and investors will continue seeking safer options. The article’s note about inflation easing the burden of public debt is important as are concerns for seniors without assets relying on fixed incomes. Wish we could index the minimum wage but don’t see a political chance in hell.

(Community Matters) I agree the City unnecessarily gave away citizens’ money. The project was already happening. I’ve watched and come to realize it is way too easy for some to give away or spend money that’s not theirs. We need reforms.

(Community Matters) Michael Barnes’ super profile on our dear friend and mentor, Bertha Means & her family

(Community Matters) After writing the posting below, I was thinking more about success metrics. Why is it that so many privileged Americans love spending so much time in Europe? We love the public spaces, old world architecture, museums, countryside, slower paced life styles. Hmm . . . . but we condemn their economic policies, their overburdened economies – and seriously, those lifestyles don’t appear sustainable given debt levels and GDPs.

And, then I remembered a story from many years ago which still bothers me. A dear friend, a Republican, once told another friend not to let me connect with their handy men/gardeners. She feared I’d offer to pay a better wage and would ruin their bargain.

Do some of us advocate policies which we know aren’t in the best interest of the broader public because we know they will benefit us? I don’t think this is the expected everyone-acts-in-their-own-best-interests. Adam Smith’s  invisible hand didn’t presume malevolence. Is there intention to maintain an underclass to serve the upperclass and their wealth ambitions?

(Community Matters)  I’m reading about southern states increasing state sales taxes and eliminating income taxes, resulting in higher taxes on the poor . . . . and reading economic development justifications. The metric of public economic success shouldn’t be the size of a public entity’s economy, the absolute wealth of that economy, nor even simple employment figures . . . . we should expand the benchmarks to include greater employment at liveable wages, higher rates of education attainment, lower rates of poverty, sustainability (infrastructure & environmental investment & stewardship) and yes also the robustness and competitiveness of an economy so as to continue supporting and encouraging entrepreneurial investment. Admittedly, it isn’t easy to balance these ambitions, but I fear we too often don’t even try.

Income Tax Could Be Eliminated By Many Republican-Controlled States

(Community Matters) I’m disappointed too that the top cabinet positions will be filled by beltway insider, white, straight guys. Maureen Dowd today.

We should acknowledge that Susan Rice was tossed off the roost by McCain and Graham. And, given that this administration agrees with affirmative action philosophically, this says they either couldn’t find any as well or better qualified candidates of color, alternate gender or LGBT, or they didn’t prioritize searching. The Obama White House failed to live up to its exceptionalism (in the aggregate) with these nominations.

(Community Matters) suggests reforms to weaken hyper-partisanship

(Community Matters) Can you name today’s top bands? Joene asked us this at dinner club and I couldn’t. Looked today at top selling songs on iTunes:

1. Taylor Swift: I Knew You Were Trouble
2. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: Thrift Shop
3. Will I Am: Scream & Shout
4. Bruno Mars: Locked Out of Heaven
5. The Lumineers: Ho Hey
6. Swedish House Mafia: Don’t You Worry Child
7. Pitbull: Don’t Stop the Party
8. Justin Bieber: Beauty and a Beat
9. Phillip Phillips: Home
10. PSY: Gangnam Style

Top Albums:

1. Various Artists: Pitch Perfect
2. Taylor Swift: Red
3. Various Artists: Les Miserables
4. Hollywood Undead: Notes from the Underground
5. The Lumineers: The Lumineers
6. Bruno Mars: Unorthodox Jukebox
7. Imagine Dragons: Night Visions
8. Chris Tomlin: Burning Lights
9. Mumford & Sons: Babel

(Community Matters) It isn’t religious discrimination to shun folks who promote prejudice. Kudos to the President and his inauguration team for disinviting evangelical pastor Louie Giglio. No one would question “discriminating” against leaders who preached against blacks or Jews or Mexicans  or women- though of course in the 60s, mainstream religious leaders were arguing that they should be allowed to do so. Their supporters in Congress and in state capitals around the country thought it was suppressing religious freedom to condemn racial and gender prejudice then too. Hell . . . some religious groups still discriminate based on gender and argue that it’s right too

(Community Matters) I suppose some might read the English Catholics’ arguments as threatening; I read them as desperate and signaling defeat of state sanctioned prejudice against gays & lesbians.

After centuries of persecution, Catholics have, in recent times, been able to be members of the professions and participate fully in the life of this country.

Legislation for same-sex marriage, should it be enacted, will have many legal consequences, severely restricting the ability of Catholics to teach the truth about marriage in their schools, charitable institutions or places of worship.

It is meaningless to argue that Catholics and others may still teach their beliefs about marriage in schools and other arenas if they are also expected to uphold the opposite view at the same time Towleroad

I don’t mean there won’t be setbacks and that we’re talking tomorrow . . . but victory for LGBT equality nonetheless.

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(Community Matters) The City considers another housing bond ballot initiative. Potentially interesting – as are ideas of how to fund even without bond monies. I agree it’ll probably never cost less to address the problem. I’d like to see more land banking and property trades for entitlements as part of the package.

Update: See Paul’s comments

(Community Matters) CNN: The nominees for best picture are “Argo,” “Django Unchained,” “Life of Pi,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Lincoln,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Les Miserables,” “Amour” and “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

The nominees for best actor are Daniel Day-Lewis (“Lincoln”), Hugh Jackman (“Les Miserables”), Denzel Washington (“Flight”), Joaquin Phoenix (“The Master”) and Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook”).

The nominees for best actress are Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”), Naomi Watts (“The Impossible”) and Emmanuelle Riva (“Amour”).

The nominees for best supporting actor are Robert De Niro (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Philip Seymour Hoffman (“The Master”), Tommy Lee Jones (“Lincoln”), Alan Arkin (“Argo”) and Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”). < /p>

The nominees for best supporting actress are Sally Field (“Lincoln”), Amy Adams (“The Master”), Anne Hathaway (“Les Miserables”), Helen Hunt (“The Sessions”) and Jacki Weaver (“Silver Linings Playbook”).

The nominees for best director are Steven Spielberg (“Lincoln”), David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Ang Lee (“Life of Pi”), Michael Haneke (“Amour”) and Benh Zeitlin (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”).