Progressive Breakfast: Get Ready For The Next Wave Of Education "Reform"

MORNING MESSAGE

Education activists are rejoicing that the latest versions of No Child Left Behind reauthorization coursing through Congress may give struggling schools a way to have more control over their own governance and destiny ... But if this new flexibility comes to pass, it’s no time to take a victory lap ... As anti-democratic pressures appear to be easing on the federal front, they are ratcheting up in states across the country. In fact, the next form of education “reform” may be as bad or worse than what NCLB imposed.

Hillary Speaks On Reforming Capitalism Today

Hillary Clinton speech today to unveil policies promoting “long-term growth” instead of “short-termism.” Bloomberg: “For the top income tax bracket, capital gains taxes would be determined using a sliding scale … [New tax incentives designed] to better align executives’ financial interests with boosting long-term value … [Stock buybacks would receive] more transparency …”
Clinton tries to lean populist without alienating donors. Politico: “[She intends to plant] a clear flag in populist, tax-raising territory while also not deeply aggravating many of [her] big Wall Street donors … Clinton will not pitch the change as an effort to raise significant new tax revenues but rather as a way to boost long-term growth … The Friday speech will not be Clinton’s big ‘taking on Wall Street’ moment, though that will soon follow, aides say… [But the approach is] more nuanced than the soak-the-rich and break-up-the-banks mantra of her challengers…”
Clinton refuses to embrace Glass-Steagall. WSJ: “In response to a question about Glass-Steagall, she said: ‘I think it’s a more complicated assessment than any one piece of legislation might suggest.’ … Clinton said that people advocating for new bank rules should remember that it was not just banks, but mortgage companies, insurance companies and non-commercial banking entities who were ‘as big if not bigger contributors to the collapse’…”
Clinton struggles with issues raised by “sharing economy.” The Hill: “…Clinton has adopted a cautious approach shared by other national Democrats: She acknowledges that policymakers should look at labor rules to reflect the way the on-demand economy is changing work, but doesn’t tie those firms to her worries about contractor misclassification.”
Fight for $15 goes national. NYT: “Just this week, workers in Los Angeles County and Washington, D.C.; employees of fast-food chains in New York State; and members of the University of California staff all learned that they may soon be earning at least $15 an hour … Republicans and many business owners are dead set against it … [Sanders] introduced a bill on Wednesday that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour … Martin O’Malley of Maryland has also voiced support for a $15 federal minimum … [Clinton] stopped short of endorsing a $15 hourly minimum …”

Jeb Bush Attacks Medicare As We Know It

Jeb Bush says he wants to “phase out” Medicare for younger workers and “move to a new system.” WSJ: “On Thursday, at a town hall meeting in Gorham, N.H., Mr. Bush was confronted about his Medicare plan. ‘I paid into it to it for all these years just like all these other seniors here and now you want to take it away?’ a woman asked … Mr. Bush called Medicare an ‘actuarially unsound healthcare system’ and Social Security an ‘underfunded retirement system.'”
Sanders takes aim. The Hill: “‘It is an indication of how far right-wing the Republican Party has become when its “moderate” candidate, Jeb Bush, at a forum sponsored by the billionaire Koch brothers, is now talking about phasing out Medicare,’ Sanders [said.]”
Bush also calls for end to energy subsidies. NYT: “…Bush was captured on video saying that the United States should phase out tax credits that subsidize the wind, solar, oil and gas industries and allow market forces to lower the cost of energy.”
Bush aides say “Democrats were taking him out of context.” Bloomberg: ” Bush never said he wanted to replace Medicare, spokesman Tim Miller argued, adding that the former governor was referring to the changes … such as increasing the retirement age and means testing to make wealthier Americans pay more … when he talks about eliminating ‘credits’ for energy, that’s likely to have a disproportionate effect on renewable sources. Solar and wind energy producers get their tax benefits in the form of tax credits. Oil and gas producers typically don’t…”

Transportation Bill Tweaked

Social Security cut dropped from Senate transportation bill. The Hill: “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) persuaded 14 Democrats to switch their votes [by agreeing] to scrap an offset that would have raised $2.3 billion by stopping the payment of Social Security benefits to people with felony warrants.”
More changes, votes expected. Roll Call: “…two Democratic sources said the base text of the Senate’s highway bill would be further revised to strike an offset related to the Hardest Hit Fund under the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program. The inclusion of that provision had drawn the ire of senators from states with particularly high levels of foreclosure. Further changes are possible until the Senate formally proceeds to the vehicle. That vote’s expected Friday morning.”
Some Dems still unhappy with revenue measures. The Hill: “[Rep. Joseph] Crowley [objected to] a provision in the Senate bill that would generate $1.9 billion for roads by extending guarantees on mortgage-backed securities [saying] the fees will result in people paying more for their mortgages … Democrats said Republicans are trying to avoid the reality that the gas tax needs to be increased to help pay for roads.”

Climate Regs Will Save You Money

New report finds pending EPA climate rules will lower energy bills. The Hill: “Sates can significantly lower electricity bills for consumers and businesses if they take the right steps in complying with the Obama administration’s climate rule for power plants … Synapse Energy Economics analyzed what would happen if states focused their efforts on expanding carbon-free energy production and energy efficiency programs … ‘2030 bills are expected to be $35 per month lower than in a business-as-usual … scenario…'”
Offshore wind coming to RI. NYT: “It is a much more modest beginning than was originally expected. Only five turbines will spin in the waters off Rhode Island; other, more ambitious projects like Cape Wind in Nantucket Sound and its 130 turbines remain stalled. But its backers see it as one that could lend credibility to other efforts.”

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