New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and his minions are exposing themselves to the public just how corrupt they really are! The House Republicans are trying to pass a stand alone $14.3 billion aid package for Israel by taking $14.3 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Funding for the IRS brings in significantly more than it costs.
The IRS announced on Friday it is launching an effort to aggressively pursue 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships that owe hundreds of millions of dollars! For each dollar spent auditing the top 1% of U.S. earners, the IRS brought in $3.18; for each dollar spent auditing the top 0.1%, the group that Bernie Sanders hi lighted, brought in $6.29. So I guess that it’s pretty obvious who they are protecting!
You would have to be in a coma not to see who these Republicans are working for!
"They continue to believe – wrongly – that inflation is being pushed by wage increases rather than by corporate profits." They don't believe that! They know the truth. Powell is a leader in the class war that Warren Buffet said they are winning. Powell has degrees in politics and the law. He could have used his education for the common good, but instead used it for his own benefit and became an investment banker. As for my exploited colleagues in nursing, even though nursing is a science and an art, stop believing you will be treated as professionals as long as you are paid by the hour and considered an overhead expense instead of the heart and revenue generators of the U.S. healthcare system. Profit shouldn't have anything to do with healthcare. We should have single-payer universal health coverage like other countries. Stop believing you will be treated like professionals until you demand to be valued and treated as professionals. Organize and strike until your patient load is safe for your patients and the stress doesn't break you.
Thank you, Professor Reich (Bob). I feel as if I am getting a new college education reading your articles. Of course I particularly enjoy & trust because I am very progressive in my views. Among other credentials, your UC Berkeley years add credibility in my view. Keep writing and we'll keep reading!
I am wondering whatever happened to the ideal of a 'general strike'? Could all workers in the country go on strike to demand a cap on CEO pay, for example? Who would organize such a strike?
Oct 31, 2023·edited Oct 31, 2023Liked by Robert Reich
Professor Reich, thank you for highlighting some good news in these troubling times. The House, now run by crazy ultra-conservatives are exposing themselves more and more as a bastion totally in favor of protecting the privileges of the Ultra-Wealthy billionaires by defunding the IRS. They are also demonstrating their active role in attempting to exploit the divisions between those that support Israel to defend itself and those who demonize Israel for responding to Hamas’ first strike of the war with devastating death and kidnapping. This fuels Antisemitism and and that division in our own country. they are also demonstrating that they will take no bipartisan action without attempting to hold up legislation for ransom such as defunding the enforcement arm of the IRS.
Just yesterday, our forum for deep and open discussion was invaded by a Troll, likely paid by an inimical enemy, attempting to stoke anti-semitism among our participants. (Thank you for deleted his posts.) Fortunately based on the data, those in favor of the actions of our Unions and in favor of a functioning government are still the majority of the population. Thank you for the good work in education us and bringing these troubling events into clearer and clearer focus. DEMOCRACY WILL PREVAIL.
I am delighted to see that unions are speaking up and speaking out against these corporations that take all the profits and expect their workers to continue on with absolutely nothing. Naturally, I expected to see someone claim that it is workers wages that is causing inflation. That is probably because Jerome Powell and his colleagues might be getting a little something, something from these corporations. Too late!! America is waking up to these lies and corruption!! The UAW and other labor unions are pulling the mask off these horribly selfish, money hungry corporations and I am so glad. Unionize America!!!
I recognize the climate strategy to transform our energy systems away from fossil fuel to clean energy. However, allowing Oil and Gas industries to continue selling domestic oil at “Cartel” prices to American citizens, extends their exorbitant profits, adversely affects our economy, and makes it that much harder to transform our energy systems.
Perhaps you will see the need in the enclosed to balance our economy and avoid economic and political upheaval. Also, actions taken here will not adversely affect any strategy to transform our energy systems.
Respectfully.
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525
214-738-3386
October 20, 2023
Joe Biden, President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500-0005
RE: An Executive Order to Clear the Deck to Win in 2024
Joe,
Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Regan due to inflation in our economy being the key issue.
Today, you face a similar situation, where wage and social security increases cannot keep up with inflation, and regardless of what is done society remains in gloom, due to economic conditions.
Enclosed is a previous letter of October 14th to you outlining steps that can be taken to vastly reduce our inflation, improve social outlook, and put you in far better position to win over any opposition in 2024.
An Executive Order should be enough to clarify competition being essential for all businesses to operate in our domestic economy, which takes precedence over any alleged removal of restrictions on exporting goods.
Also enclosed is an excerpt “As of October 23, 2023” that illuminates the point.
The Oil Companies, by act of Congress, have been allowed to sell oil and LPG gas on the international market. No one considered that it is not a restriction that oil companies be regulated on domestic price or continue to compete on domestic price as they did before they were allowed to sell oil and gas on the international market.
Instead. Oil companies are selling oil to American consumers at the International Cartel price. Their only argument can be that if they must continue to live with competition domestically, then because there is more profit in exporting oil, the domestic market will suffer shortages and mayhem will be the result.
The obvious answer is to impose a regulation that domestic markets must be satisfied (which is the case today) before oil or LPG gas can be exported. This will restore domestic competition to the oil and gas industry, which is the very foundation on which all business enterprises are supposed to operate in our domestic economy.
Charging “Cartel” prices for domestic oil and gas, creates great inflation, which is further doubled by the increase of cost of goods being transported, along with increased heating costs, manufacturing costs, insurance costs, and ultimate cost of living, and has our economy overinflated by at least 30%, which is “why” society is in gloom and wage and social security increases cannot keep up with the cost of inflation.
Moreover, maintaining this hyperinflation works against our ability to keep the dollar as the world currency, works against our ability to shorten the workday and workweek, without cutting the daily, weekly, or monthly pay, while increasing overtime to outweigh the cost of fringe benefits, to have more people paying taxes, less people draining taxes, and provide for a sharing in the wealth of productivity. Also, it works against our ability to raise taxes on those earning over $400.000.00 a year, to help pay down our enormous National debt, which is no different than a war debt. recognizing that we can have a handful of people making a fortune, or we can have democracy, but we can’t have both.
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525 214-738-3386
CC Kamala Harris, Vice President, USA, Other Interested Parties
NOTE: Tom Berry is a former Illinois State Legislative Director for the United Transportation Union, now SMART-TD
September 14, 2023
Joe Biden, President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500-0005
RE: An Effective Approach
Joe,
I’ve written you several letters on regulating domestic gas and oil, and thus far you have not directly answered any letter I have sent you. Thus, I am at a loss as to whether you are on the path to regulating domestic rates of return, or prices on oil and gas
But in any case, before Congress acted to allow oil companies to export oil, competition was the watchword of oil companies competing, and gas was no exception in the domestic market.
Allowing oil and gas to export out of the country, and for them to comply with OPEC set price standards, does not mean that they can charge American customers at cartel prices for oil and gas extracted in the United States. Allowing them to do so destroys competition and enriches the oil and gas companies at the direct expense of US Taxpayers. Also, it compounds into other areas in our economy, and wage and social security increases cannot keep up with the resultant inflation.
A simple rule imposed that oil and gas cannot be exported unless the domestic market is first satisfied, (which would include any action taken to replenish strategic oil supplies), will restore domestic competition, engender a better tomorrow, and insure your reelection in 2024.
Respectfully,
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525
214-738-3386
CC: Kamala Harris, Vice President, Other Interested Parties
Inflation is defined as rising prices and falling value of ones purchasing dollar. It is businesses that control prices and they need to stay profitable. So they raise prices to keep up with increase demand and increase cost of supplies and increase wages. But it is a whole lot easier to raise prices than for workers to get better pay. We have price inflation way ahead of wage inflation.
Another example of callous, craven corporate corruption in our Manipulated Market economy is this:
In 1950, 26.6% of total federal revenues came from corporate taxes, while 39.9% came from citizen taxes. By 1983, 3 years into the voodoo, Trickle-UP tax "reform" shoved through Congress - on a party-line (R) vote - by (R)onald the Dim (are there any of our societal woes that cannot be traced to Bonzo's co-star??), the corporate share had dropped to 6.2% (yup, that's correct!) while citizen's share grew to 48.1!
Fast forward past Chickenhawk George's corporate tax cut, partly offset by increases by Clinton and Obama, to Der Gropenfuhrer's massive tax windfall for Big Biz - again, by (R) party-line vote - and the corporate share was 6.6% while we Little People were coughing up 49.6%.
In 2023, thanks to the efforts of Biden and the Dems to, once again, pull citizen's fat out of the fire, the corporate share is projected to grow to 11.3% with the People's share down to 48.5%.
All of this corporate conniving has, of course, been abetted by Citizens "United" which was, one more time, shoved through Congress by (R) vote, then blessed on a 5-4 vote by (R) Justices, all of whom were appointed by (R) presidents.
And yet, the smooth-brained (R) base of TFG's beloved "poorly educated" citizens continue to vote (R) because (D0s support providing Unalienable Rights to ALL citizens.
Vote (D) - it's our only hope of restoring citizen control of our gov't.
There are 2 things that make authoritarian rule impossible.
The first is a United population where individuals gather for the common good at the individual level. That's unions.
The second is an educated population. The GI bill, even though segregated did educate a huge number of people with free university and funding that continued with $200.00 tuition at some state universities or nothing at all.
The 1960's and 1970's terrified oligarchs who knew their control was slipping and when the writing was on the wall for the Soviet Union collapse during the Carter administration, they knew they had to step in so the bought a few judges and with Buckley vs Valero and citizens United, bribery was legalized with a tax deduction for politicians
The first thing their actor did was end unions.
Their actor had already ended free university in California but tripped up badly when black Panthers scared him into regulation of firearms by showing up armed in the California state house.
The actor began his campaign whetr the KKK was the strongest because a message needed to be sent, "we hate all the same people you do" and that was enough to guarantee poverty in every red state and the undying support of the very people they're making poorer every year because "we hate the same people cuz we're better then them" while cashing an ever smaller social assistance check and certain the lottery will make them millionaires any day now🤦🏻♂️🤦🏿♂️
Now foreign governments can completely buy US policy and create world wars.
Corporations are going to be pissed with the competition 😏
I agree! If every large to moderate sized company were unionized it would be a huge win for democracy. I would settle for 30 percent. We are on the cusp of something but, I’m not sure which way the stats will go. A few years ago long before trump, I felt a black evil cloud was descending on the world. This time I’m not sure if this new cloud is really good or really bad. We are on the cusp of oblivion or a real change in the world.
Unionize America before it is too late!
New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and his minions are exposing themselves to the public just how corrupt they really are! The House Republicans are trying to pass a stand alone $14.3 billion aid package for Israel by taking $14.3 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Funding for the IRS brings in significantly more than it costs.
The IRS announced on Friday it is launching an effort to aggressively pursue 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships that owe hundreds of millions of dollars! For each dollar spent auditing the top 1% of U.S. earners, the IRS brought in $3.18; for each dollar spent auditing the top 0.1%, the group that Bernie Sanders hi lighted, brought in $6.29. So I guess that it’s pretty obvious who they are protecting!
You would have to be in a coma not to see who these Republicans are working for!
"They continue to believe – wrongly – that inflation is being pushed by wage increases rather than by corporate profits." They don't believe that! They know the truth. Powell is a leader in the class war that Warren Buffet said they are winning. Powell has degrees in politics and the law. He could have used his education for the common good, but instead used it for his own benefit and became an investment banker. As for my exploited colleagues in nursing, even though nursing is a science and an art, stop believing you will be treated as professionals as long as you are paid by the hour and considered an overhead expense instead of the heart and revenue generators of the U.S. healthcare system. Profit shouldn't have anything to do with healthcare. We should have single-payer universal health coverage like other countries. Stop believing you will be treated like professionals until you demand to be valued and treated as professionals. Organize and strike until your patient load is safe for your patients and the stress doesn't break you.
Thank you, Professor Reich (Bob). I feel as if I am getting a new college education reading your articles. Of course I particularly enjoy & trust because I am very progressive in my views. Among other credentials, your UC Berkeley years add credibility in my view. Keep writing and we'll keep reading!
JTC
I am wondering whatever happened to the ideal of a 'general strike'? Could all workers in the country go on strike to demand a cap on CEO pay, for example? Who would organize such a strike?
Professor Reich, thank you for highlighting some good news in these troubling times. The House, now run by crazy ultra-conservatives are exposing themselves more and more as a bastion totally in favor of protecting the privileges of the Ultra-Wealthy billionaires by defunding the IRS. They are also demonstrating their active role in attempting to exploit the divisions between those that support Israel to defend itself and those who demonize Israel for responding to Hamas’ first strike of the war with devastating death and kidnapping. This fuels Antisemitism and and that division in our own country. they are also demonstrating that they will take no bipartisan action without attempting to hold up legislation for ransom such as defunding the enforcement arm of the IRS.
Just yesterday, our forum for deep and open discussion was invaded by a Troll, likely paid by an inimical enemy, attempting to stoke anti-semitism among our participants. (Thank you for deleted his posts.) Fortunately based on the data, those in favor of the actions of our Unions and in favor of a functioning government are still the majority of the population. Thank you for the good work in education us and bringing these troubling events into clearer and clearer focus. DEMOCRACY WILL PREVAIL.
Outstanding article, Professor. Thank you again for your thorough research and understanding of the issues. I learn so much by reading you.
I am delighted to see that unions are speaking up and speaking out against these corporations that take all the profits and expect their workers to continue on with absolutely nothing. Naturally, I expected to see someone claim that it is workers wages that is causing inflation. That is probably because Jerome Powell and his colleagues might be getting a little something, something from these corporations. Too late!! America is waking up to these lies and corruption!! The UAW and other labor unions are pulling the mask off these horribly selfish, money hungry corporations and I am so glad. Unionize America!!!
We should also unionize more workers - and cover things other than pay. Vacation, health care, and sick leave are examples.
RE: Resolving 30% Inflation
October 27, 2023
Joe Biden, President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500-0005
RE: Resolving 30% Inflation
Joe,
I recognize the climate strategy to transform our energy systems away from fossil fuel to clean energy. However, allowing Oil and Gas industries to continue selling domestic oil at “Cartel” prices to American citizens, extends their exorbitant profits, adversely affects our economy, and makes it that much harder to transform our energy systems.
Perhaps you will see the need in the enclosed to balance our economy and avoid economic and political upheaval. Also, actions taken here will not adversely affect any strategy to transform our energy systems.
Respectfully.
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525
214-738-3386
October 20, 2023
Joe Biden, President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500-0005
RE: An Executive Order to Clear the Deck to Win in 2024
Joe,
Jimmy Carter lost to Ronald Regan due to inflation in our economy being the key issue.
Today, you face a similar situation, where wage and social security increases cannot keep up with inflation, and regardless of what is done society remains in gloom, due to economic conditions.
Enclosed is a previous letter of October 14th to you outlining steps that can be taken to vastly reduce our inflation, improve social outlook, and put you in far better position to win over any opposition in 2024.
An Executive Order should be enough to clarify competition being essential for all businesses to operate in our domestic economy, which takes precedence over any alleged removal of restrictions on exporting goods.
Also enclosed is an excerpt “As of October 23, 2023” that illuminates the point.
Respectfully,
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525 214-738-3386 CC: Kamala Harris, Vice President, Other Interested Parties
October 14, 2023
Joe Biden, President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500-0005
RE: Resolving 30% Inflation
Joe,
The Oil Companies, by act of Congress, have been allowed to sell oil and LPG gas on the international market. No one considered that it is not a restriction that oil companies be regulated on domestic price or continue to compete on domestic price as they did before they were allowed to sell oil and gas on the international market.
Instead. Oil companies are selling oil to American consumers at the International Cartel price. Their only argument can be that if they must continue to live with competition domestically, then because there is more profit in exporting oil, the domestic market will suffer shortages and mayhem will be the result.
The obvious answer is to impose a regulation that domestic markets must be satisfied (which is the case today) before oil or LPG gas can be exported. This will restore domestic competition to the oil and gas industry, which is the very foundation on which all business enterprises are supposed to operate in our domestic economy.
Charging “Cartel” prices for domestic oil and gas, creates great inflation, which is further doubled by the increase of cost of goods being transported, along with increased heating costs, manufacturing costs, insurance costs, and ultimate cost of living, and has our economy overinflated by at least 30%, which is “why” society is in gloom and wage and social security increases cannot keep up with the cost of inflation.
Moreover, maintaining this hyperinflation works against our ability to keep the dollar as the world currency, works against our ability to shorten the workday and workweek, without cutting the daily, weekly, or monthly pay, while increasing overtime to outweigh the cost of fringe benefits, to have more people paying taxes, less people draining taxes, and provide for a sharing in the wealth of productivity. Also, it works against our ability to raise taxes on those earning over $400.000.00 a year, to help pay down our enormous National debt, which is no different than a war debt. recognizing that we can have a handful of people making a fortune, or we can have democracy, but we can’t have both.
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525 214-738-3386
CC Kamala Harris, Vice President, USA, Other Interested Parties
NOTE: Tom Berry is a former Illinois State Legislative Director for the United Transportation Union, now SMART-TD
September 14, 2023
Joe Biden, President
United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500-0005
RE: An Effective Approach
Joe,
I’ve written you several letters on regulating domestic gas and oil, and thus far you have not directly answered any letter I have sent you. Thus, I am at a loss as to whether you are on the path to regulating domestic rates of return, or prices on oil and gas
But in any case, before Congress acted to allow oil companies to export oil, competition was the watchword of oil companies competing, and gas was no exception in the domestic market.
Allowing oil and gas to export out of the country, and for them to comply with OPEC set price standards, does not mean that they can charge American customers at cartel prices for oil and gas extracted in the United States. Allowing them to do so destroys competition and enriches the oil and gas companies at the direct expense of US Taxpayers. Also, it compounds into other areas in our economy, and wage and social security increases cannot keep up with the resultant inflation.
A simple rule imposed that oil and gas cannot be exported unless the domestic market is first satisfied, (which would include any action taken to replenish strategic oil supplies), will restore domestic competition, engender a better tomorrow, and insure your reelection in 2024.
Respectfully,
Tom Berry
3124 San Jacinto St.
Dallas, TX 75204-5525
214-738-3386
CC: Kamala Harris, Vice President, Other Interested Parties
Inflation is defined as rising prices and falling value of ones purchasing dollar. It is businesses that control prices and they need to stay profitable. So they raise prices to keep up with increase demand and increase cost of supplies and increase wages. But it is a whole lot easier to raise prices than for workers to get better pay. We have price inflation way ahead of wage inflation.
Another example of callous, craven corporate corruption in our Manipulated Market economy is this:
In 1950, 26.6% of total federal revenues came from corporate taxes, while 39.9% came from citizen taxes. By 1983, 3 years into the voodoo, Trickle-UP tax "reform" shoved through Congress - on a party-line (R) vote - by (R)onald the Dim (are there any of our societal woes that cannot be traced to Bonzo's co-star??), the corporate share had dropped to 6.2% (yup, that's correct!) while citizen's share grew to 48.1!
Fast forward past Chickenhawk George's corporate tax cut, partly offset by increases by Clinton and Obama, to Der Gropenfuhrer's massive tax windfall for Big Biz - again, by (R) party-line vote - and the corporate share was 6.6% while we Little People were coughing up 49.6%.
In 2023, thanks to the efforts of Biden and the Dems to, once again, pull citizen's fat out of the fire, the corporate share is projected to grow to 11.3% with the People's share down to 48.5%.
All of this corporate conniving has, of course, been abetted by Citizens "United" which was, one more time, shoved through Congress by (R) vote, then blessed on a 5-4 vote by (R) Justices, all of whom were appointed by (R) presidents.
And yet, the smooth-brained (R) base of TFG's beloved "poorly educated" citizens continue to vote (R) because (D0s support providing Unalienable Rights to ALL citizens.
Vote (D) - it's our only hope of restoring citizen control of our gov't.
What can be done about Jerome Powell? The constant interest rate hikes are devastating to mortgage rates🤮
There are 2 things that make authoritarian rule impossible.
The first is a United population where individuals gather for the common good at the individual level. That's unions.
The second is an educated population. The GI bill, even though segregated did educate a huge number of people with free university and funding that continued with $200.00 tuition at some state universities or nothing at all.
The 1960's and 1970's terrified oligarchs who knew their control was slipping and when the writing was on the wall for the Soviet Union collapse during the Carter administration, they knew they had to step in so the bought a few judges and with Buckley vs Valero and citizens United, bribery was legalized with a tax deduction for politicians
The first thing their actor did was end unions.
Their actor had already ended free university in California but tripped up badly when black Panthers scared him into regulation of firearms by showing up armed in the California state house.
The actor began his campaign whetr the KKK was the strongest because a message needed to be sent, "we hate all the same people you do" and that was enough to guarantee poverty in every red state and the undying support of the very people they're making poorer every year because "we hate the same people cuz we're better then them" while cashing an ever smaller social assistance check and certain the lottery will make them millionaires any day now🤦🏻♂️🤦🏿♂️
Now foreign governments can completely buy US policy and create world wars.
Corporations are going to be pissed with the competition 😏
I agree! If every large to moderate sized company were unionized it would be a huge win for democracy. I would settle for 30 percent. We are on the cusp of something but, I’m not sure which way the stats will go. A few years ago long before trump, I felt a black evil cloud was descending on the world. This time I’m not sure if this new cloud is really good or really bad. We are on the cusp of oblivion or a real change in the world.
Robert Reich -
Thank you for continuing to write so clearly and convincingly.
It seems it is widely held that UAW's wage increases will be added to the cost of autos. Can you write something to show otherwise?
Charlie Kennedy, Scotsburn, NS.
The Re Birth of the UAW Union and its Stand On Living Wages wages hopefully portends a new age of a real middle class. 👍👍👍