Tag Archives: Richard Eskow

The Village Still Ignores the Most Important Point

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Joe Firestone | 2 Comments

In recent posts I reviewed two commentaries by Abby Huntsman on Social Security and other entitlements, also noting points made in other critiques of her narratives. Abby’s commentaries are here, and here, and my critiques are here and here. The most important point I emphasized in my two rebuttals is that there are no fiscal solvency or sustainability issues related to Social Security, or other parts of the safety net, but that the issues involve only the willingness of Congress to appropriate entitlement spending, and either the removal of current constraints on Treasury to spend appropriations such as the debt limit, or the willingness of the Executive Branch to use its current legislative authority either to a) generate sufficient seigniorage from platinum coins to spend such appropriations; or b) use a type of debt instrument, such as consols, which aren’t counted toward the debt limit.

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Posted in Joe Firestone

Tagged #PCS, Abby Hunstman, congress, consols, DC village progressives, deficit spending, platinum coin seigniorage, Richard Eskow, Social Security, SS, SS solvency, the Fed, Treasury

How to Restore the Good Name of Government

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Joe Firestone | 63 Comments

By Joe Firestone

Why is it that Washington village “progressives,” and their associates in other parts of the country who are nevertheless part of the Washington village culture, often ask useful questions, but, almost always deliver, underwhelming answers? Here’s an example from Richard Eskow, probably the best writer at Campaign for the American Future.

How do we restore the good name of government spending, which is especially important during periods of high unemployment and slow growth like these? First, by supporting those politicians who are unafraid to make the case. Second, by demanding that the reluctant ones take a bolder stand – without mixing their messages between spending and premature austerity. Third, by rejecting the insanity that today’s Republican Party represents. Some in the GOP are even opposing infrastructure spending – as America’s bridges, schools, highways and dams decay around us.

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Posted in Joe Firestone

Tagged Campaign for the American Future, debt, democrats, fixing the debt without breaking america, full recovery, High Value Platinum Coin Seigniorage, HVPCS deficit, medicare, MMT, modern money theory, republicans, Richard Eskow, rule of law, safety net, Social Security

What Happens Now?

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Joe Firestone | 19 Comments

In the aftermath of the great 2013 government shutdown/debt ceiling crisis, and the kicking of the can down the road while maintaining austerity once more, the subject on many minds is where do negotiations over fiscal policy go from here? Will the new “budget committee” produce more austerity and do a grand bargain including the “chained CPI”? Will Congress finally turn towards economic growth and job creation, or will we continue to have more shutdowns and debt ceiling crises in 2014?

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Posted in Joe Firestone

Tagged Alex Wagner, austerity, budget committee, chained CPI, debt ceiling, debt ceiling crisis, entitlements, Government shutdown, grand bargain, Greg Walden, Harry Reid, Joan McCarter, Nancy Pelosi, Patty Murray, paul ryan, President Obama, Richard Eskow, sectoral financial balances model, sequester, SFB, Social Security, tea party, The Long Depression

Richard Eskow Asks: Which Side Are You On?

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Devin Smith | 16 Comments

By Joe Firestone

Richard Eskow of the Center for the American Future, posted a very good one a couple of days ago. He used the old union meme “which side are you on” to beat up the President and Congress about Social Security being placed on the negotiating table. I thought his writing on it was striking. Here’s some of it:

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