How to Raise Americans’ Wages

Today, the drive to restore workers’ share has been narrowed down to the campaign to raise the minimum wage. That raise is long overdue. The real value of the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is less than two-thirds of its level in 1968, which, in current dollars, would be $10.71. But even raising that wage ... Read more

Gar Alperovitz and Michael Albert: A Conversation on Economic Visions

Gar Alperovitz and Michael Albert have been at the forefront of efforts to design and build an economy beyond capitalism for decades - efforts that have become even more relevant in our age of economic and ecological crises. Albert’s Participatory Economics (Parecon), ... Read more

Housing and the Construction of the Racial Wealth Gap

Yesterday, apropos of Paul Ryan’s remarks on “inner-city poverty” and a culture that “doesn’t value work,” I wrote about the policy that went into building our inner-cities and depriving whole communities of wealth and opportunity. Likewise, at MSNBC, Ned Resnikoff wrote an excellent piece ... Read more

A unique approach to community development

For fashion trends the world looks to Milan; Copenhagen has become synonymous with urban planning; but for community development, Manitoba is increasingly the source for inspiration and cutting edge policy. Manitoba's homegrown approach to community development is being studied by other cities looking ... Read more

‘Buy local’ campaigns produce results

Independent businesses in communities that have “buy local” campaigns saw revenues grow by 7 percent in 2013, triple the growth rate of businesses in areas without such efforts, a new study says. The revenue growth rate for businesses in areas without “buy local” efforts was 2.3 percent, said the study by ... Read more

The Real Illness Plaguing U.S. Healthcare: Inequality

Making sure everyone has a chance to rise to a level of well-being where their basic needs are taken care of is a laudable, and practical, dream for Americans. But a system that targets the assets of the poor for liquidation and provides care pegged to one’s income level is a system dedicated ... Read more