Dave Jamieson — AFL-CIO To Democrats: We'll Work To End Your Career If You Cut Social Security Or Medicare

With fresh Capitol Hill budget battles on the horizon, the head of the leading labor federation planned to issue a blistering warning to unions' Democratic allies on Monday, saying the AFL-CIO would "never stop working" to end the political careers of Democrats who cut entitlement programs.

"No politician … I don’t care the political party … will get away with cutting Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. Don’t try it," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said, according to prepared remarks for a speech in Las Vegas, Nev.

According to the draft, which was supplied to HuffPost by the AFL-CIO, Trumka stressed his point for Democrats who may be wobbly on the issue.

"This warning goes double for Democrats," he said. "We will never forget. We will never forgive. And we will never stop working to end your career."

The Huffington Post
AFL-CIO To Democrats: We'll Work To End Your Career If You Cut Social Security Or Medicare
Dave Jamieson

Understanding Modern Money: A Tutorial for Labor – Guest Post

This is the second part of a series of guest blogs by Michael Merrill. He has written these pieces to introduce MMT to labor. In the first segment—posted yesterday—he argued that Americans should not be fooled by the claims that our government is broke. That piece is timely, given what is going on in Washington. From the perspective of MMT, the claim that Uncle Sam has run out of money is beyond stupid. In this second guest blog, Michael restates or repurposes the principles of MMT. With Michael’s permission, here is part 2. I encourage everyone to take a look at the newsletter: http://www.esc.edu/labor-studies-center/local-768-newsletter/. It is a nice antidote to the hysteria in Washington that has shut down our government. – See part 1 at: http://www.economonitor.com/lrwray/2013/09/30/yes-we-can-afford-prosperity-guest-post/#sthash.8Jcmdffi.dpuf

Economonitor — Great Leap Forward
Understanding Modern Money: A Tutorial for Labor
L. Randall Wray | Professor of Economics, UMKC

Randy Wray — Yes We Can Afford Prosperity! Guest Post

I just received a copy of the recent newsletter of the Health Services Employees, Local 768, District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO. It contains three articles by Michael Merrill, Dean of The Harry Van Arsdale Jr Center for Labor Studies, SUNY. Michael presents a good application of MMT to support his argument that our sovereign government can, and should, do more to promote shared prosperity.

While there are a couple of things I might have stated somewhat differently, there is so much in the newsletter that is worth reading that I thought it would be good to post each of Michael’s articles as guest blogs. In the first blog he counters the nonsense that Uncle Sam is too poor to do much to dig our country out of the deep hole in which it finds itself. In the second he presents the principles of MMT, with his own twists. In the final piece, he provides a brilliant defense of public sector workers.

So with Michael’s permission, here is part 1. I also encourage everyone to take a look at the newsletter: http://www.esc.edu/labor-studies-center/local-768-newsletter/. It is a nice antidote to the hysteria in Washington that threatens to shut down our government.

Economonitor — Great Leap Forward
Yes We Can Afford Prosperity! Guest Post
L. Randall Wray | Professor of Economics, UMKC