Opinion Pieces by Get America Working!

Working Together: A Tax and a Tax Cut

admin — Sat, 26 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Proposals for energy taxes and carbon taxes have been around since the 1970s, but a carbon tax recently has become more admired in the American political dialogue. Some believe it would be a powerful tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Others see it as the most economical and efficient means of reducing those emissions.

Global Warming Response — Markets or Taxes?

admin — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:52:11 -0600

Testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on global warming this week, former vice president and now climate-change evangelist Al Gore urged Congress "to reduce taxes on employment and production and make up the difference with pollution taxes," principally on carbon dioxide emissions. Like the predictions of climate change, the idea of using revenues from energy (or, if you will, pollution) taxes to reduce payroll taxes is not new, but Gore deserves credit for bringing both to congressional attention at a critical time.

Making a lean-green tax shift

admin — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:53:08 -0600

Al Gore gave a speech at New York University recently in which he proposed lowering the payroll tax and substituting a "carbon tax" to make up the lost revenue. Conservatives and progressives, tax-cut hawks and Inconvenient Truth tellers alike should pay attention. Viewed from the right or left, tax shifting is an idea whose time has come.

Note to Obama: Tax Pollution and Energy Usage and Cut Payroll Taxes

admin — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:53:36 -0600

President Obama was elected on a broad call for change. The new administration says it wants to give Americans a tax cut. The new President also says he wants to stop global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Here's a way to link all three objectives.

Job Creation, Payroll-tax Leniency May Aid Economy

soutlaw — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:04:22 -0500

William Drayton is board chairman of Get America Working!, a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy group that seeks to create jobs through structural changes in the U.S. economy.

Many analysts view the news of spiking unemployment as evidence that the economy is in recession. They talk about a "perfect storm" of rising unemployment, anemic growth and inflation pressure, on top of the housing and credit crises.

Hugging The Third Rail: Unemployent Is So Bad, Washington May Finally Cut Payroll Taxes

soutlaw — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:19:37 -0500

I'm no economist, though I've worked with plenty of them. As a public interest and public policy PR consultant, the economic indicators I notice most are perceptual and rhetorical: things like the steady uptick in comparisons to the Great Depression, and the new CNN/Opinion research poll that says concern over unemployment has tripled in recent months, making it the top economic issue facing Americans. I also note the unemployment worries have prompted some counterspin, for example the cla

GAW! Press Release on Innovations Launch

jtaylor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:42:27 -0600

“Engage People, Retire Things” Explains the Connection Between Unemployment and Climate Change, and How to Get the Jobs/Climate Synergy Working Positively

Engage People, Retire Things

jtaylor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:15:19 -0600

When we think abouat fighting climate change, we naturally focus first on its direct causes. If it is caused by carbon build-up, our first thought is to cut or offset greenhouse gas emissions. Our thnking then glides logically on to finding ways of doing so, especially adopting new energy techonolges and launching carbon trading markets (which are key to stimulating innovative solutions, to lowering cots of abatement, to helping end the north-south impasse).
All this is essential

Want to Fight Cliamte Change? Hire Somebody

jtaylor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:42:39 -0600

With official U. S. unemployment at 10.2% and with Congressional debate on a climate bill sputtering, last week the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on how climate legislation might help fix the economy and create jobs. At the same time, President Obama announced he would hold a White House forum next month to gather new ideas for achieving the robust job creation that has so far eluded stimulus efforts, and opponents and supporters of cap-and-trade legislation both echoed the jobs theme, saying that in the end, any US climate bill must be a jobs bill.