David F. Ruccio — Creative economy—one year on

We know that inequality has been growing in many U.S. cities and metropolitan areas since the crash of 2008. Back in 2011, I suggested that “a creative way of getting out of the current crises created by capitalism” would be for cities, regions, and states to establish something like an Office of the Creative Economy, whose task would be to “grow a diversity of noncapitalist enterprises.”

As it turns out, New York City did just that, by approving a city budget that contains a $1.2-million program—the New York City Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative—to fund a community of nonprofit providers to facilitate the development of cooperatives. The idea is to build on the experience of Cooperative Home Care Associates—the largest worker-owned cooperative in the country—and start new businesses, support existing businesses, and expand the promise of workplace democracy to hundreds of low-income residents throughout the five boroughs.…

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Creative economy—one year on
David F. Ruccio | Professor of Economics, University of Notre Dame