By Rachel Goldfarb, originally published on Next New Deal
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Mario Cuomo, the Speech and the Challenge to Democrats Today (In These Times)
Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Richard Kirsch and Dan Cantor point to Mario Cuomo's vision of mutuality laid out at the 1984 Democratic National Convention as an example today's Democrats should follow.
In making the case that Democrats had plans for a better future for our children, Cuomo looked back to the accomplishments of FDR and the New Deal. But despite the high unemployment rate in Reagan’s first term, the Governor did not propose any government programs to put people to work—unlike Roosevelt. That would mean more government spending, and a bigger short-term deficit.
None of this diminished what Cuomo accomplished that night in San Francisco. We honor Cuomo's celebration of diversity, welcoming of immigrants, concern for the poor and his unapologetic assertion of our mutual dependence on each other.
Our challenge today is to champion solutions to the grabbing of America’s wealth by the super-rich and powerful corporations at the expense of the middle-class, the stagnation of wages, suppression of the union movement and the lack of any government response.This is what defines today’s political economy. That is what defines today’s Tale of Two Cities.
Follow below the fold for more.
5 Books: Reading Race and Economics (The Nation)
Joelle Gamble, National Director of the Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network, recommends books on the intersection of race and economics to accompany an article on the economic dimension of #BlackLivesMatter.
Plunge In Wall Street Money Bolsters Populist Shift Among Democrats (HuffPo)
Paul Blumenthal says Wall Street's dramatic shift of campaign resources away from the Democrats isn't the cause of recent populist moves, but less campaign donations creates less industry pressure on the party.
- Roosevelt Take: Blumenthal links to Roosevelt Institute Senior Fellow Thomas Ferguson's work on where different industries make their political donations; read his most recent paper on that topic here.
Calls for 'A Living Wage' (Times Union)
Matthew Hamilton reports on a Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy forum, "New York's Cities: Confronting Income Inequality," which featured Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal.
Labor at a Crossroads: How We Know We Haven't Yet Found the Right Model for the Worker Organizations (TAP)
Sejal Parikh cites the recent closing of hundreds of Wet Seal clothing stores and subsequent brief worker outburst online as proof that with the right organization, these stories wouldn't fizzle out.
How Medicaid for Children Recoups Much of Its Cost in the Long Run (NYT)
Margot Sanger-Katz looks at a new study that shows a correlation between Medicaid eligibility and future earnings. Higher earnings means higher taxes, repaying the investment in childhood health.
Elizabeth Warren Is Taking Control of the Democratic Agenda (TNR)
David Dayen writes that Antonio Weiss's withdrawal from his Treasury nomination is proof that Senator Warren has quickly learned how to exert her power over all aspects of the Senate's work.