MORNING MESSAGE
The
report, “Waiting for the Payoff: How Low Wages and Student Debt Keep Prosperity
Out of Reach,” was issued this week by the People’s Action Institute. Among its
findings: It takes more than $15 per hour to earn a living wage in 42 states and
the District of Columbia ... New York State’s minimum wage of $9 per hour
provides only 44 percent of a living wage for a single adult and less than a
quarter of the living wage for a single adult with two children ... Arkansas had
the lowest hourly rate of any state, but at $14.58 per hour it was barely below
the $15 per hour minimum proposed by Fight for 15. The situation is even more
dire for working parents...
Living WAGE REPORT SHAKES UP ECONOMIC DEBATE
Marketwatch
covers People’s Action Institute “Waiting For The Payoff” report: “A single
adult needs to earn $17.28 an hour on average, or nearly $36,000 a year, to make
ends meet, according to a report released Tuesday by People’s Action Institute …
When factoring in student loan payments that figure rises to $18.67 an hour …
Nearly 70% of bachelor’s degree recipients leave college with student debt,
averaging roughly $30,100…”
College
costs rise again. Bloomberg: “The nation’s colleges and universities hiked
tuition and other prices yet again this year, continuing a decadeslong practice
of raising them above the rate of inflation … Tuition, fees, and room and board
at private nonprofit colleges rose 2.6 percent on average, when adjusted for
inflation, to $45,370 this academic year … In-state students at four-year public
colleges saw costs climb 1.8 percent, to $20,090 …”
WARREN FLEXES MUSCLE
Sen.
Warren “poised to take on an even more outsizeWAd role” in Senate. The Hill:
“Warren is expected to carry significant clout when it comes to filling
positions within a Clinton administration … A January 2015 email exchange
indicates that Warren had already provided Clinton with a list of names of
people she would like to see in administration positions.”
“Bernie
Sanders Is the Most Popular Politician in America” notes Mother Jones: ” His
favorable ratings are two points higher than those of President Barack Obama
(who is currently enjoying his highest numbers in 45 months). They are 10 points
higher than Hillary Clinton’s. They are 19 points higher than those of both
Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.”
GOP PANICS
Republicans
air drop $25M to protect Senate. Politico: “The investment from Senate
Leadership Fund, a powerful super PAC with ties to Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell, comes as Democrats shift resources from Hillary Clinton’s now almost
certain victory to down-ballot contests in hopes of delivering her a
congressional majority … Steven Law, Senate Leadership Fund’s president … said
the $25 million expenditure would narrow the GOP [cash] deficit but wouldn’t
erase it.”
Key
GOP House members scramble to save seats. The Hill: “Reps. Darrell Issa of
California, John Mica of Florida and Scott Garrett of New Jersey — former or
sitting panel chairmen who all represent suburban areas — are heading into the
final leg of the campaign in toss-up races that could eliminate 54 years of
Capitol Hill experience in a single night.”
Paul
Ryan’s future dimmed. Bloomberg: “Ryan is likely to withstand any attempt by
restive House Republicans to oust him as speaker next year, but Trump’s attacks
on Ryan may have done lasting damage to his stature among the party’s base, just
as he weighs a possible White House run in four years.”
CLINTON's MANDATE
Clinton
will have a mandate, says NYT’s Frank Bruni: “[Voters are] expressing
particular values. Those reasons and values are her marching orders, and there’s
nothing murky about them … to safeguard the very America — compassionate,
collaborative, decent — that [Trump] routinely degrades.”
“Hostility
Awaits Clinton” says American Prospect’s David Atkins: “For Democrats, GOP
obstruction has both an upside and a downside. The downside is that Republicans
may block the progressive legislative agenda … At the same time, Republican
overreach could set the stage for more GOP losses in the 2018 midterm.”
Wealthy
prepare for tax hikes. Bloomberg: “Clinton is proposing higher taxes on
Americans who make more than $250,000, including a 4 percent ‘fair share
surcharge’ on incomes over $5 million a year. She’s also trying to limit the
ability of the rich to lower their tax bills through clever planning. This has
made the election a hot topic at accounting and advisory firms that cater to the
wealthy.”
BREAKFAST SIDES
NYT
edit board proposes Obamacare fixes: “Congress and the next president could
further strengthen the health care law by offering subsidies to middle-income
families who currently receive little or no help. Lawmakers should also consider
applying to the health care exchanges the kind of reinsurance program Congress
has used to encourage insurers to participate in Medicare’s Part D prescription
drug benefit program.”
Al
Gore opposes Dakota Access Pipeline. The Hill quotes: “The non-violent
resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline is also one of the frontline struggles
that collectively mark a turning point in the decision by humanity to turn away
from the destructive path we have been following and aim instead toward a clean
energy future for all. The courage and eloquence of the Standing Rock Sioux in
calling all of us to recognize that in their words, ‘Water is Life,’ should be
applauded, not silenced by those who are driven by their business model to
continue spewing harmful global warming pollution into our Earth’s
atmosphere.”
Progressive
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