Sunday, March 22, 2015

Why isn't the progressive People's Budget getting press?

Let me jump off of my previous post regarding Paul Krugman's column on the Congressional GOP's fiscal fraud. If you watched the dreck that is Sunday talk shows, you might not think there are other ideas out there on how our federal government should tax and spend. For example, there is The People's Budget, which was released by Rep. Mark Pocan and the rest of the Congressional Progressive Caucus at the same time as the GOP's budgets, and it takes a very different direction than the cynicism and austerity of the GOP budget.
The People’s Budget closes tax loopholes that companies use to ship jobs overseas. It creates fair tax rates for millionaires and provides needed relief to low- and middle-income families. It invests in debt-free college, workforce training and small businesses within our communities, helping return our economy to full employment and giving a raise to Americans who need it most. Investments in The People’s Budget boost employment and wages by addressing some of the biggest challenges of our time: repairing America’s rapidly aging roads and bridges, upgrading our energy systems to address climate change, keeping our communities safe, and preparing our young people to thrive as citizens and workers.

A fair wage is more than the size of a paycheck. It’s having enough hours, paid overtime, sick and parental leave, and affordable health and childcare. It’s being able to afford a good education for your kids and never living in fear that your job will be sent overseas. It’s knowing you can make ends meet at the end of the month. The People’s Budget helps achieve that with a raise for American workers, a raise for struggling families and a boost to America’s long-term global competitiveness.
And oh yeah, the Economic Policy Institute scored the items in the People's Budget and found that not only would the People's Budget add 4.7 million jobs this year through direct investment and hiring, but unlike the GOP's budget, the People's Budget actually will reduce the deficit after that and manage the debt.
Reduce the deficit- in the medium term. The budget increases near-term deficits to boost job creation, but reduces the deficit in FY 2017 and beyond relative to CBO’s current law baseline. The budget would achieve primary budget balance (excluding net interest) and sustainable budget deficits below 2 percent of GDP in FY2017 and beyond.

Target a sustainable debt level. After increasing near-term borrowing to restore full employment, the budget gradually reduces the debt ratio to a fully sustainable 66.0 percent of GDP by Y2025. Relative to current law, the budget would reduce public debt by $3.2 trillion (11.6 percent of GDP).
So explain to me how this proposal and past People's Budgets get little to no media coverage, while Paul Ryan's "magic asterisks" and other absurd, failed assumptions are held up as "deep thoughts worthy of discussion" that get Purty Mouth Pau-Lie a seat at all the Sunday talk shows? Especially when the People's Budget is more fiscally sound and has ideas that are supported by more people when you put the options to them in polls?

The answer to that question lies in who owns the media, and who pays for the ads in the media. And it's why a "balance in media" movement needs to happen sooner than later.

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