Drum Major Institute: 2008 Year in Review

8/6/2019 Drum Major Institute: 2008 Year in Review

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2008was theyear under-regulatedmarketsfailed and

Americansvoted forchange.

YeAR iN ReVieWDECEMBER 200

ALSO INSIDE:

The Best and Worstof Public Policy

The DMI Injustice Index

State of the Cities

Eye on the Right

Recommended Reading


2/24

2008

MI staff and interns who contributed to the 2008

ear in Review include: Amy Traub, Christin Cato,

ia Franklin, Matt Graham, Hana Greenberg,

arry Moroz, and Justin Stec.

esign by Randi Hazan / Hazan & Company

over photo: Carl Pendle / Getty Images

nterior photos: Unless otherwise noted, images are

om Flickr and are used under a Creative Commons

cense. The credits listed are usernames.

his page: gordon c, James.Chen, respres / Page

: Jeff Kubina / Page 2: sobergeorge / Page 3:

Margan Zajdowicz (stock.xchange) / Page 4:

gvvnd / Page 5: wildpianist / Page 6: LA Wad /

age 7: noahwesley, gordon c / Page 8: Marshall

stor / Page 9: Jeff Kubina / Page 17: Stefan

aklin (epa/Corbis) / Pages 1819: Wigwam Jones

Page 20: respres / Page 21: Stuck in Customs /

age 22: Coyote2012 / Page 23: LaJ / Pages 24-5: woodsy (stock.xchange)


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The following exchange between Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of theFederal Reserve and Congressman Henry A. Waxman, Chair of the House

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, occurred at a hearing of that

committee on October 23, 2008.

Chairman Waxman: [In your statement, you said] I do have an ideology. My

judgment is that free, competitive markets are by far the unrivaled way to organize

economies. We have tried regulation, none meaningfully worked. That was your

quote. You have the authority to prevent irresponsible lending practices that led to the

subprime mortgage crisis. You were advised to do so by many others. Now, our whole

economy is paying its price. You feel that your ideology pushed you to make decisions

that you wish you had not made?

Mr. Greenspan:Well, remember ideology is a conceptual framework with the way

people deal with reality. Everyone has one. You have to. To exist, you need an ideology.

The question is whether i t is accurate or not. What I am saying to you is, yes, I found a

flaw in the model that I perceived is the critical functioning structure that defines how

the world works, so to speak.

Chairman Waxman:In other words, you found that your view of the world, your

ideology, was not right, it was not working.

Mr. Greenspan:Precisely. Thats precisely the reason I was shocked.

Alan Greenspan is shocked. The rest of us are losing our homes, losing our

retirement savings, losing our jobs as the result of a conservative ideology thatworshipped an infallible market. So ends 2008.

This year we witnessed bailouts for Wall Street and immunity for

telecommunications companies that spied on their customers. We missed

opportunities to save homeowners, invest in infrastructure, prevent global

warming, and let working people take time off to care for their sick. But from the

halls of Congress to City Halls and Statehouses throughout the country, we also

saw the beginnings of a renewed appreciation for the positive role the public

sector can play in improving peoples lives. Although the federal government was

slow to act, Cleveland went after predatory lenders. New York drew the line on

labor standards and said bosses couldnt treat their loyal employees like outside

contractors. And California encouraged a more sustainable model forcommunity growth. Congress did the right thing for returning soldiers and took

action to help offenders coming out of prison reintegrate with society. And in

November, voters turned out in record numbers for candidates promising an

economic approach very different from Alan Greenspans.

In this Year in Review, the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy offers a first

look back at 2008 through the best and worst of the years public policy, on-the-

ground stories from five American cities, an idiosyncratic election timeline, a

recommended reading list for progressives, a hawks eye view of what the think

tanks on the conservative right are up to, and the 2008 DMI Injustice Index, with

a by-the-numbers appraisal of the Bush legacy.

T Yar tUndr-rguatdMart Fad

Contents

The Best and Worst 2

of Public Policy

Presidential Election 10

2008: Highs, Lows

and Opinion Polls

The DMI Injustice Index: 16

The Bush Legacy

Eye on the Right 18

State of the Cities 21

Reading List: 24Ten Progressive

Reads Worth a Peek


4/24DMI / 2008 Year in Review

Good public policy has the powerto move America orward. The Besto Public Policy scours the country

or the most promising local, state,and ederal initiatives proposed orenacted in 2008.


5/24

revenues. Legislation proposed by Senator

Dick Durbin would have stopped the bleeding.

The measure allowed bankruptcy judges to

modify the terms of subprime mortgages

made on a homeowner primary residence,

something they can already do for vacation

homes, family farms, and commercial real

estate. By letting judges reduce the principal

owed to the current fair market value of the

property, change payment schedules and

lower interest rates, the bill would have

helped homeowners afford their mortgage

payments, preventing 600,000 foreclosures

and preserving $72.5 billion in wealth at no

cost to the American taxpayer. Lenders,

meanwhile, would continue to receive

payments, often netting a greater return than

they would through foreclosure. So why did

the mortgage industry lobby so aggressively

against the bill that they ultimately killed it?

The Center for Responsible Lending points to

a mismatch between the interests of investors

who own the loan and servicers who handle

payments (and have little interest in avoiding

foreclosures). For leveling the playing field

between folks who own one home and those

who arent even sure how many houses they

have, the Helping Families Save Their Homes

in Bankruptcy Act finds a permanent home on

our list of the best policies of 2008.

Cacatn Cracdwn

Everyone knows about former New York

Governor Eliot Spitzers shortcomings, but his

prize policies get less ink. One highlight:

Spitzer systematically cracked down on

crooked businesses that cheated their

employeesand the state. Heres the skinny:

a lot of people get hired for jobs, but

employers incorrectly list as many as 10

percent as independent contractors rather

than employees. Misclassifying lets the

bosses save a bundle by ignoring minimum

wage requirements, overtime pay, workers

comp, and Social Security and Medicare

taxes. Employees miss out on benefits, while

the state and federal governments lose tax

revenue. So Spitzer issued Executive Order

17, establishing a taskforce on employee

misclassification to link city agencies that

The BesT oFPUBliC PoliCY

Carng t Ar

Los Angeles has the busiest port in the nation.

It supports a million jobs and a critical flow of

cargo. But its also a dirty place: it fouls the air

throughout the region and contributes to

global warming. Ships, cargo-handling

equipment and freight trains all pollute, but

the worst culprit is dirty diesel trucks. The

problem, though, is that port truck drivers are

independent owner-operators who are already

in the poorhouse due to rising fuel and

maintenance costs and low prices per ton

hauled. Most dont even have health insurance.

Theres no way they can afford to upgrade to

cleaner, greener trucks. So this year, the LA

Harbor Commission mandated that trucking

companies hire the drivers now exploited,

giving drivers a chance to get employee

benefits (and even unionize) and ensuring that

port trucks are owned by folks who have the

resources to retrofit or shift to cleaner

vehicles. Although temporarily delayed by the

Federal Maritime Commission, the program

should get back on track shortly. The whole

move is part of a larger Clean Air Action Plan

that aims to cut overall port emissions 45

percent by 2012. For combining environmental

and economic justice in a way that helps truck

drivers and residents of the LA area to breathe

free, Los Angeles Clean Trucks Program finds

a comfortable berth on our list of the best

public policies of 2008.

hdng nt hm

If you declare bankruptcy, the judge can

modify the terms of the mortgage on your

summer bungalow in Nantucket. But if, like

most Americans, you have only one home and

are at risk of losing it to foreclosure, theres

nothing the courts can do. This problem

should have been addressed yesterday: more

than 3 million homes are expected to be in

foreclosure by the end of 2008. The effects of

these foreclosures have spread, devaluing

nearby houses and eating away property tax

I you declarebankruptcy, the

judge can modiythe terms o themortgage on yoursummer bungalowin Nantucket. But i,like most Americansyou have only onehome and are atrisk o losing it tooreclosure, theresnothing the courtscan do.


6/24

treatment when you get sick. Thats the ideal

at least, and San Francisco is moving towards

it more swiftly than any place else in country.

Uninsured city residents can enroll in the

Healthy San Francisco program for a sliding-

scale fee based on income. Once enrolled,

participants pick a medical home from any

of the 27 participating public and non-profit

health clinics throughout the city. Participants

still dont have insurance that will follow them

throughout the country and the world, but

they do have regular access to health care at

home by the Bay. Yet thats just part of the

program. The other component, in effect for

the first time in 2008, requires that all city

employers with more than 20 workers

contribute at least $1.17 per hour worked per

employee to pay for health care. Employers

can put the cash toward private insurance.

They can contribute it towards the city clinic

system. Or they can set up health care

accounts. But they cant avoid making some

provision for their employees health.

Employer groups sued to stop the plan, but

lost in court. As of October, nearly 31,000

San Francisco residentsout of an estimated

73,000 who were uninsuredget to see a

doctor whenever they need to. For an

innovative approach to expanding health

coverage, Healthy San Francisco gets a hale

and hearty place on our best of 2008 list.

Wat t expctWn Yur expctngFamy lav

What do Liberia, Papua New Guinea,

Swaziland, and the United States have in

common? They and we belong to the small

community of nations without a law

guaranteeing some form of paid time off work

for new parents. The Family Leave Insurance

Act introduced by Representative Pete Stark

looks to change all of that. The bill

establishes an insurance fund to cover up to

twelve weeks of paid leave per year for

employees to care for a new child or a

seriously ill family member, or to recuperate

from a serious health condition of their own.

Leave could also be used for emergencies

that arise from a military deployment. The

deal with taxation, enforcement and labor,

pool their resources, and get a yearly report.

Results? In a recent sweep, the task force

found nearly $19 million in unreported wages,

$3 million in underpayments to workers and

$1 million in unpaid taxes. And, the task force

is around to stay. Governor Paterson recently

continued Executive Order 17 with his own

Executive Ordernumber 9 (now thats a

potion we can welcome). By giving workers

and the state a fair shake from the boss, the

crackdown on misclassified employees earns

a place on the best of 2008.

on Mr Canc

No one benefits when prison gates turn into

revolving doors. Every year, almost 700,000

criminal offenders are released from prison to

reenter civilian life. But two out of three of

them will be rearrested within three years. So

what is the criminal justice system doing to

combat the sky-high rate of recidivism and the

threat that it poses to public safety? In many

cases, the answer is nothing at all. A third of

the nations correctional departments offer no

transitional programs and those that do exist

are often woefully inadequate in preparing and

supporting ex-offenders for life outside the

prison walls. The Second Chance Act,

sponsored by Representative Danny Davis and

Senator Joe Biden, signed into law in April, is

a welcome change of course. The new law

increases drug treatment support systems

and provides access to educational and job

training programs for ex-offenders. The law

also creates incentive programs for employers

who hire former offenders. For helping the

men and women leaving our prisons return to

their communities as law abiding and self-

sufficient citizens, The Second Chance Act

improves public safety for everyone and joins


haty san Francc

Everyone gets to see a doctor. Not just an

overworked E.R. staffer who will see you after

a five hour wait when youre facing a medical

crisis, but a primary physician who can

provide routine preventive care as well as

very year, almost00,000 criminalenders areeleased rom

rison to reenterivilian lie. Butwo out o three them will beearrested withinhree years.

T Btand Wrt fPubc Pcy

DMI / 2008 Year in Review


7/24

Tamng Txc Ty

Whether a toy car or an action hero, who can

forget their first beloved toy? We played late

into the night and awoke early to find comfort

and imagination in these plastic gems. We

never worried whether we would suffer

because of our imagination. But the presence

of dangerous toxic ingredients in our

childhood treasures (like lead, cadmium, and

plastic softening agents called phthalates)

allowed toy companies profit to come before

our kids. Not anymore. This year the state of

Washington pushed back against toy

manufacturers by passing the Childrens Safe

Products Act. Washington now holds the

strongest standards in the country, banning

toxic chemicals in toys and childrens

products sold in the state. While Governor

Gregoire made some concessions, particularly

for educational toys with internal electronics,

she still showed the kind of courage we should

expect from our leaders. By passing the Act,

Washington also blazed a path for similar

federal legislation (the Consumer Product

Safety Improvement Act was signed into law in

August). Now standards are higher nationwide,

and the nations kids are better off. Because

we shouldnt have to think about long term

brain damage when playing house, the

Childrens Safe Products Act gets lots of play

on our list of the best of 2008.

A Nw Gi B frNw Vtran

The original GI bill of 1944 changed the

American landscape: it stimulated the

economy and fortified the middle class by

providing education and home loans to

veterans of WWII. Like that act, the New GI

Bill, introduced by Senator Jim Webb, offers

critical educational assistance to this

generations veterans. The bill fully covers

college tuition up to the cost of the most

expensive in-state public school. And a

monthly living stipend is supplied so that no

veteran needs to choose between school and

keeping a roof over his or her head. But dont

think that this bill sailed into law through

peaceful seas. Both President Bush and

fund would be financed by employer and

employee contributions equal to 0.2 percent

of annual earnings; businesses with fewer

than 20 workers could opt out of the program

or choose to make a smaller contribution.

Lower-income workers would receive their full

paycheck while on leave; others would get a

reduced portion of their usual earnings.

Unfortunately, the bill never came to a vote in

2008. Still, for ensuring Americans can spend

time with their families when it matters most,

without losing a paycheck to do it, we

welcome the arrival of Family Leave Insurance

Act onto the best of 2008 list.

Wn infratructurAttac!

Preventable floods collapsing bridges

breached levies How many cataclysmic

events does it take before we realize that

neglecting the nations public infrastructure

costs lives? The American Society of Civil

Engineers latest Report Card for Americas

Infrastructure gave the nation a D average,

and estimates that $1.6 trillion needs to be

invested into infrastructure related projects

by 2010 just to get the country back on track

for acceptable maintenance. This abysmal

status quo is not only responsible for

catastrophic loss of life and property, but also

for commuters using 5.7 billion gallons of gas

and spending 46 hours a year stuck in traf fic.

Senators Chris Dodd and Chuck Hagel are

taking steps to help improve this state of

affairs by introducing the National

Infrastructure Bank Act. The proposed

National Infrastructure Bank will help states

and localities to launch infrastructure

improvement projects with a federal price tag

of $75 million or more which would usually

fall by the wayside due to prohibitive costs.

While the bill never came to a vote in 2008,

the need continues to grow. By protecting

American lives, the environment, public

health and the economy through stronger

infrastructure, this bill fills a critical gap in


Preventable oodscollapsing bridgesbreached leviesHow many cataclysmevents does it takebeore we realize thaneglecting the nationpublic inrastructurecosts lives?


8/24

The WoRsT oFPUBliC PoliCY

Bad B? Dprtt Wrr

You wouldnt want to work for the folks who

ran the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in

Postville, Iowa. According to employees, they

hired kids as young as 13 to work dangerous

jobs, ignored overtime laws, physically abused

employees, neglected safety, and turned a

blind eye to sexual harassment. When workers

tried to organize to improve conditions, the

bosses busted up the union. But when the law

finally stepped in, it wasnt the bosses who

faced criminal charges. It was the employees.

On May 12, immigration authorities (known as

ICE) arrested 389 undocumented immigrants

working at the plant, holding many of them in

a building used to exhibit cattle. The bosses,

at first, got a free pass from the feds (although

state labor authorities stepped in later). ICE

has traditionally refrained from enforcement

actions in workplaces where labor standards

were being investigated by other government

agencies. After all, fear of a raid could make

immigrants and their co-workers all the more

reluctant to speak out about illegal conditions

that affect all employees. Thats still the rule

on paper, but the Postville action and other

recent raids seem to suggest a new de facto

policy. These days, bosses with labor trouble

can call the feds and just might find ICE willing

to cart some troublesome employees away

and intimidate the rest. For turning

immigration enforcement into a tool of labor

suppression, the ICE raids rank among the

worst of 2008.

Rct Fud Watr

Although energy drinks are on the rise,

nobody would guess that rocket fuel might be

found in their tap water. For most of us,

quenching thirst doesnt mean we want to

blast off. But perchlorate, a chemical found in

rocket fuel (like the fuel that propels the space

shuttle) and missiles (like those tested by the

Department of Defense) has been found in tap

Senator John McCain vehemently opposed it,

claiming that it would decrease re-enlistment.

In fact, the battle was so fierce that the new GI

Bill had to be included in a war spending

measure to assure passageeven though its

cost for ten years is equivalent to just about

one week of the Iraq war effort overall. The

Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance

Act goes into effect immediately and is sure

to cultivate a new cadre of dedicated students

and future leaders. Because education for

veterans is a sound investment in the future,

and the least we owe the men and women who

volunteered to serve our country, we salute

the New GI Bill as one of the best of 2008.

Cafrna Cutt spraw

So you want to be green and drive less. But if

you live in one of Californias sprawling

subdivisions, theres not much you can do:

public transportation isnt available, you may

live far from where you work and shop, and

even sidewalks and bike lanes are nonexistent.

Multiply that situation by millions, and youve

got an exponential increase in car travel

statewide and a tremendous obstacle to the

Golden States ambitious goals for cutting

global warming pollution. The solution? Create

incentives so that new development is denser

and gets built in proximity to mass transit.

And while youre at it, make sure theres

affordable housing, lots of flexibility for local

governments, and fewer traffic jams. Thats

what California did. On September 30,

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a

bill with the uninspiring name of SB 375,

creating unprecedented links between zoning,

transportation, and housing regulations and

subsidies to overhaul land use planning

throughout the state. The legislation was

supported by an unlikely bipartisan coalition

of real estate developers, affordable housing

advocates, and environmentalists. If all

works well, the state will see more sustainable

neighborhoods and shorter commutes over

time. For showing the nation how to grow

green on a massive scale, Californias law

is zoned for a prime spot on our best of

2008 list.


Create incentives sothat new developmentis denser and gets built

in proximity to masstransit. And while youreat it, make sure theresaordable housing, lotso exibility or localgovernments, and ewertrafc jams. Thats whatCaliornia did.



9/24


10/24

billion from the federal Treasury to avoid going

broke. The summers gas pain was real, but

this solution was a phonyand one of the

worst public policies of 2008.

Rd iandRun wt scr

In bad economic times, when budgets run

short, states have to make difficult choices.

Some raise taxes and fees; others take out the

scissors and cut spending. Some borrow;

others sell off state property and lay off public

employees. Many do a combination of all of

the above. But few react to a budget shortfall

as poorly as Rhode Island did in 2008. The

Ocean States most recent budget cut services

to the poor, the sick, children and the elderly.

State health care cuts will raise medical costs

for 7,800 poor families and eliminate coverage

completely for 1,000 low-income parents.

Hundreds of kids will be kicked out of early

education programs. College students are

losing scholarships and facing higher tuition.

Affordable housing funds are diminished. $10

million to local municipalities to aid the

elderly, support veterans and fund police has

dried up. The state transit system may have to

cut service by 20 percent, despite increased

demand. The state stopped funding for

repairing deficient bridges. When food banks

and homeless shelters are on the chopping

block, its time to think about raising more

revenue, but Rhode Island legislators ignored

calls to reverse recently enacted tax breaks

for the states wealthy residents. Governor

Donald Carcieri even boasted about his

accomplishment: we have worked together to

reduce spending and balance the budget

without raising taxes. For harsh service

cutbacks to those who rely on state support

the most, Rhode Islands budget massacre is

among the worst of 2008.

Bratng W latn

Meet Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County,

Arizona. He calls himself the toughest sheriff

in America, and that reputation has gotten

him re-elected in this conservative region

since 1992. But the crimes hes most

economic gains to both countries. But the

benefits for most Americans are hard to see.

The track record of NAFTA-style trade pacts

doesnt inspire much confidence: while they

may promote economic growth, the gains flow

overwhelmingly to corporate coffers while

middle-class workers may lose jobs and see

their wages decline. The situation is even

worse in a nation that turns a blind eye to

anti-union violence. In essence, this pact

would increase opportunities to outsource

U.S. jobs to a place where wages are kept low

because working people literally fear for their

lives if they stand up for their internationally

recognized rights on the job. There is one

piece of good news: the deal wont go into

effect without approval from Congress. As of

press time, that wasnt forthcoming. For

flouting human rights and labor rights in

pursuit of the right to more easily move

money over borders, the proposed Colombia

trade agreement is hereby ratified as one of

the worst policies of the year.

Ga Tax CutRun n empty

During the heat of summer 2008, as a nation

of drivers groaned under the burden of $4.00

gasoline, politicians saw an opportunity for

some hot air. What the nation needed, insisted

officials and candidates alike, was a summer-

long gas tax holiday. Unfortunately, the

proposal itself was a vacation from reality. The

federal gas tax is just 18.4 cents a gallon, so

suspending it would save most drivers no

more than $10 a month. Whats worse, there

was never a guarantee that tax savings would

be passed on to consumers at alloil

companies could simply raise prices and use

the tax cut to fatten their bottom lines; in fact,

many economists projected that this was the

most likely outcome. Meanwhile, the lost

revenuea projected $9 billion over the

course of the summerwould have been a

blow to the federal Highway Trust Fund, which

finances road repairs and generally keeps the

nations transportation systems running. It

turns out to be a good thing the trust fund

didnt lose that money: even with the gas tax

revenue, the highways needed an extra $8

Whats worse, therewas never a guaranteethat tax savingswould be passed on toconsumers at alloil companies couldsimply raise pricesand use the tax cutto atten their bottomlines; in act, manyeconomists projectedthat this was the mostlikely outcome.




11/24

plans move costs from employers, who may

previously have paid for comprehensive health

care benefits, to employees, who must now

pay high health care deductibles out-of-pocket.

Studies suggest cash-strapped patients tend

to skimp on needed care as a result. For

generous public subsidies to lousy insurance

plans, Georgias new health insurance law is a

prescription for poor health and one of the

worst of 2008.

N Warrant?N Prbm!

For years, telecommunications companies

spied on Americans without warrants. At the

behest of the Bush Administration, the

companies illegally monitored citizens

private e-mail correspondence, phone calls,

password-protected internet activity, and

other personal communications. The

surveillance violated Americans Fourth

Amendment right against unwarranted

searches and seizures, the Foreign

Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the

contractual rights of private customers who

signed privacy agreements with these

companies. But in July 2008, Congress

announced that it was all good. A new law

reauthorizing domestic surveillance authority

included provisions granting retroactive

immunity from lawsuits to

telecommunications companies that illegally

cooperated with the Bush Administration. In

short, the telecoms could never be held

accountable for their actions. National

security experts were at a loss to explain why

the Bush Administration had to dodge flexible

surveillance laws to gather intelligence in the

first placeor how granting impunity to

private companies would make the public

safer. But Bush insisted, and ultimately

Congress caved. The result sets a dangerous

standard for public and private power that

victimizes ordinary Americansand never

has to answer for it. For undermining the rule

of law and setting a perilous precedent,

theres no need for a wiretap to find out that

this is one of the worst policies of 2008.

interested in arent murders, rapes,

burglaries or assaults: they are violations of

immigration law. And many of the countys

Latino residentsregardless of their

immigration statusappear to be targets. So

says the Mexican American Legal Defense

and Educational Fund (MALDEF), which sued

Arpaio this July for racial profiling. At issue

are the sheriffs broad crime suppression

sweeps through Latino neighborhoods and

locations where day laborers seek

employment. According to MALDEF, residents

who appear to be Latino are stopped on the

slightest pretexta broken taillight, perhaps,

or walking outside the crosswalkor for no

reason at all, and interrogated about their

immigration status. And a stop may be

enough to detain citizens and legal residents

for hours while their immigration status is

verified. What a way to spend an afternoon!

The sweeps have spread fear and mistrust of

law enforcement through the countys Latino

communities, but theres little evidence they

have affected criminal activity. For

discriminatory policing that has nothing to do

with public safety, Arpaios biased crime

sweeps are among the worst of 2008.

Grga Uncvrd

One in five Georgia residents under age 65

lacks health insurance, and most of the

uninsured live in poverty. So one might expect

that the states new health care policy

expected to cost $223 million by 2013would

address this population. Unfortunately, state

lawmakers had a different beneficiary in mind:

the insurance industry. The new law, signed by

Governor Sonny Perdue in May, cuts taxes for

individuals and small businesses that buy

high-deductible health plans and the insurance

companies that sell them. According to the

nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy

Priorities, 67 percent of the benefits will go to

the insurers. CBPP also finds that the policy is

unlikely to reduce the number of uninsured

Georgians. But it is likely to shift some people

with other health care coverage into high-

deductible plans. So whats the prognosis for

those that make the switch? A higher bill for

their medical care. High-deductible health

For years, telecomcompanies spied onAmericans withoutwarrants. At the behesthe Bush Administrat

the companies illegalmonitored citizens pre-mail correspondencphone calls, passwordprotected internet acand other personalcommunications.


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28.0

31.0

34.0

37.0

40.0

43.0

46.0

49.0

52.0

55.0

58.0

61.0

64.0

AVER

AGEPOLLNUMBERS

Presidential Election 2008: Highs, Lows and Opinion Pol

Obama

Campaign event

Real world event

McC

January 28:President Bush delivers State of theUnion Address, calling for economicstimulus legislation that isntloaded up with measures like anextension of unemploymentbenefits, despite the fact thateconomists see extending benefitsas one of the most efficient meansof stimulating the economy.

February 1:The Department of Laborannounces that the nation lost17,000 jobs in January. This is thefirst drop in employment in nearly

five years, and a clear sign ofdifficult economic times to come.Construction and manufacturingare among the sectors losing thegreatest number of jobs. At thispoint, 1.38 million Americans havebeen out of work for at least sixmonths without finding a new job.

February 13:Federal economicstimulus legislationsigned into law. Thebill gives tax cuts tobusiness and rebatechecks to households,but does not extendunemploymentbenefits.

March 10:Gas prices hit a new peak of $3.27 a gallon.Analysts widely predict that prices at thepump will exceed $4.00 a gallon during thesummer months. According to the FederalHighway Administration, Americans drove11 billion miles less in March 2008 thanthey had the previous March, the sharpestyearly drop for any month since the agencybegan recording. Rising prices for food addto a budget squeeze for consumers.

March 14:The federal government bailsout investment firm BearStearns, subsidizing its takeoverby JP Morgan Chase. BearStearns collapse is traced to its

heavy investment in mortgage-backed securities, which areplummeting in value as the realestate market declines.

April 23:A Senate filibusterkills the LillyLedbetter Fair PayAct. The bill wouldhave restoredAmericans abilityto sue for wagediscriminationafter this right wascurtailed by theSupreme Court.

May 15:California SuCourt rulesthe state mrecognize ssex marriag

January 3:Senator BarackObama winsIowa caucus.

January 8:Senator JohnMcCain winsNew Hampshire

primary.

January 30:Candidates JohnEdwards and RudyGuiliani drop outof the presidentialcampaign.

February 5:Super TuesdayMcCainemerges as Republicanfront-runner. SenatorHillary Clinton winsmore states, Obamamore delegates.

March 4:McCain secures Republicannomination. Clinton winsOhio, Texas.

March 18:Obama respondsto criticism ofhis relationshipwith Rev. JeremiahWright with amajor speech onrace relationsin America.

April 6:Speaking at a fundraiserin San Francisco, Obama implies that joblosses lead small-town voters to get bittecling to guns or religion or antipathy towapeople who arent like them

April 15:McCain calls for summer-long suspension of federalgas taxes.

April 26:Clinton winsPennsylvaniaprimary.

May 6:Obama wCarolina

January 26:Obama winsSouth Carolinaprimary.


13/24Chart represents averages of head-to-head McCain vs. Obama polls as calculated by RealClearPolit

June 6:The Bureau of Labor Statisticsannounces that unemploymentspiked to 5.5% in May. A Senate

filibuster kills major legislationto address global warming.

June 12:Supreme Court rules thathabeas corpus claims applyto Guantanamo detainees.

June 18:Bush asksCongress toend the federalban on offshoreoil drilling.

June 29:Bush signs a warspending bill thatincludes a 13-weekextension ofunemploymentbenefits and aNew GI Bill witheducation benefitsfor recent militaryveterans.

July 9:The Senateapproves anexpansion offederal wiretapauthority, grantingimmunity totelecom compa-nies that allowedwiretappingwithout a warrant.

August 8:The OlympicGames begin

in Beijing.

September 29:The U.S. House ofRepresentativesfails to passlegislation bailingout Wall Street.The Dow JonesIndustrial Averagefalls 778 points onthe following day.

October 10:ConnecticutSupreme Courtlegalizes samesex marriage.

October 30

The CommeDepartment the sharpestconsumer spsince 1980.

September 5:The Bureau ofLabor Statisticsannounces thatunemploymentreached 6.1% inAugust, its highestrate in 5 years.

October 3:Congress passes, and Bushsigns legislation providing a$700 billion bailout of WallStreet firms.

September 14:Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy after the federagovernment refuses to offer a bailout similar to thoseprovided to Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie Mae and FreddIt is the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history, with tcompany facing unprecedented losses from its investin mortgage-backed securities.

July 30: Bush signs the American HousingRescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act intolaw. Home foreclosure activity has nowincreased 55% and housing prices have fallena record 17.5% since July 2007. The legislationestablishes a voluntary program for lenders torefinance mortgages and receive a guaranteefrom the Federal Housing Administration. Thebill also extends an unlimited line of credit tothe quasi-governmental housing financeagencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The lawdoes little to stem the tide of foreclosures andfails to stabilize either the housing market or thenations credit markets.

June 3:Obama wins enough votesto secure the Democraticnomination for President.

June 7:Clinton suspendsher campaign andendorses Obama.

June 19:Obamaannounces hewill forego publicfunding of hiscampaign.

July 9:The Washington Timespublishes article in whichMcCain advisor Phil Grammsays the U.S. is a nationof whiners in a mentalrecession.

July 18:Obama begins anine-day trip toEurope and theMiddle East.

August 8:McCain forcefully reacts against theRussian invasion of Georgia, implyingObamas weakness on foreign policy.

August 16:At a Presidential Forumin California, McCainsuggests that anyonemaking less than $5 milliona year is middle class.

August 20:During a media interview,McCain is unable to statehow many houses he owns.

August 23:Obama selects SenatorJoe Biden as hisrunning mate.

August 25:DemocraticConvention begins.

August 29:McCain selectsGov. Sarah Palin ashis running mate.

Sept. 4:RepublicanConventionends.

September 15:McCain announces that despite turmoilon Wall Street, the fundamentals of oureconomy are strong.

September 24:McCain suspends his campaign towork on bailout legislation.

September 26:First presidential debate.

October 7:Second presidential debate

October 1:Obama and McCain vote infavor of legislation bailingout Wall Street.

October 15:McCain invokes the Plumber in fpresidential deba

October 19:Former Secreof State Colinendorses Oba

NovembVoters elBarack OPresiden

There was the election news, and then there was the real world. This special election feature tracks both, illuminating howcampaign happenings (top of the page) and real world events (at bottom) interacted and may or may not have influenced tpolls between Senators Obama and McCain (red and blue lines in the middle).


14/246

How will Americas 43rd President be

remembered? This year DMIs Injustice

Index marshals hard-hitting statistics

for a by-the-numbers assessment of

George W. Bushs presidential legacy.

2008

InjusticeIndex:The Bush Legacy

DMI / 2008 Year in Review6

Date that the United

States invaded Iraq:

3/19/2003

Cost of the Iraq War

through 2008:

$567 billion

Approximate cost of

the privately funded

George W. Bush

Presidential Library,

whose manager insists

it will discuss thewar upfront:

$250 million

Year the library is

set to open:

2016

Year by which the No

Child Left Behind law

mandates that all

students nationwide

must achieve grade-

level proficiency inreading and math:

2014

Number of societies

on earth that has ever

succeeded in achieving

universal student

proficiency, according

to testing expertRobert Linn:

0

Amount by which No

Child Left Behind has

been underfunded

since its inception,

according to Senator

Tom Harkin:

$70.9 billion

Number of points the

Dow Jones Industrial

Average dropped on

September 29, 2008:778

Overall change in

stock market wealth

between October 2007

and October 2008:

-$8.4 trillion

Date President Bush

signed legislation

phasing out the

federal estate tax:6/7/2001

Increase in the number

of U.S. millionaires

since that year:

928,000

Increase in the

number of Americans

living in poverty since

that year:4.4 million

Cost of all Bushs tax

cuts from 2001 to

2007:

$1.3 trillion

Date President Bush

announced that his tax

cuts would encourage

more investment andstrengthen the

foundation of our

economy so that every

American who wants

to work will be able to

find a job.:

5/28/2003

Rank of the business

cycle that included

these tax cuts

compared to allbusiness cycles since

1949 in terms of

employment growth:

last

Rank in terms

of investment:

last

Percentage differencein viewership of the

episode with the Bush

cameo, compared to

the shows season

average:

-27%

Approximate proportionof Americans who

approved of Presidents

Bush handling of the

Presidency in October,

2008:

1 in 5

Proportion of

American adults

currently incarcerated

in a prison or jail:

1 in 100

Date on whichPresident Bush

commuted the prison

sentence of I. Lewis

Libby, the Vice

Presidents former

Chief of Staff, who was

convicted of perjury

and obstruction of

justice:

7/2/2007

Percentage change inthe number of full

time staff monitoring

hazardous goods at

the Consumer Product

Safety Commission

during Bushs tenure:

-16%

Percentage change inthe number of federal

investigators who

monitor employers

compliance with

minimum wage,

overtime, and child

labor laws during

Bushs tenure:

-23%

Opening weekend box

office gross of Oliver

Stones Bush biopic W:

$10.6 million

Opening weekend box

office gross of Michael

Moores 2004

documentary

Fahrenheit 911, whichintensely criticized the

Bush Administration:

$23.9 million

Number of days during

his presidency that

Bush spent on vacation

at either Camp David or

his Texas ranch, as of

August 2008 (including

partial days off):

916

Total number of years

in Bushs presidency,

if these vacation days

are subtracted:

5.5

Proportion of U.S.

workers who have

no paid vacations

or holidays at work:1 in 4


15/24

Weve barelyscratched the surface.What about global warming andthe environment? Illegal spying,torture, and extraordinary rendition?

Immigration, transportation,and civil litigation? Share yoursuggestions for additional statistics

that convey the legacy of theBush years on the DMIBlog athttp://www.dmiblog.com

Date on which

President Bush

received a presidential

daily briefing entitled

Bin Laden determined

to strike in U.S. while

in the midst of a

month-long vacation:

8/6/2001

Date on which a FEMA

report warned that

Hurricane Katrina could

greatly overtop levees

and protective systems

in New Orleans,

displacing more than a

million residents, a

warning which came

when the President was

again in the midst of amonth-long vacation:

8/27/2005

Date of a second

warning, from the U.S.

Department of

Homeland Security, that

Katrina would likely

lead to severe flooding

and/or levee breaching:

8/29/2008

Date that President Bush

told ABC I dont think

anybody anticipated the

breach of the levees.:

9/1/2005

Date on which George

W. Bush announced

I believe were

overextended if we

dont stop extending

our troops all around

the world and nation

building missions,

then were going to

have a serious problem

coming down the road:10/3/2000

Date on which the

United Nations chief

weapons inspector, Han

Blix, informed the U.N.

Security Council that he

had found no evidence

of weapons of mass

destruction in Iraq,

although inspection

and monitoring efforts

would continue:3/7/2003

Proportion of U.S.

public schools that

are failing to meet

No Child Left Behind

standards as of

October 2008:

2 out of 5

Percentage increase

in overall school

performance when

previously uninsured

children were enrolled

in public healthcoverage, according

to a California study:

24%

Change in the number

of children with health

coverage during

President Bushs

tenure:

-78,000

Percentage of

President Bushs total

vetoes that blocked

expansion of childrens

health insurance:

20%

Number of times he

cited the superiority

of private insurance

programs in his

message explaining

the first veto toCongress:

5

Year when President

Bush made privatizing

Social Security the

centerpiece of his

State of the Union

Address, assertingthat your money will

grow, over time, at a

greater rate than

anything the current

system can deliver.:

2005

Change in the real

median income of

non-retiree households

since 2000:-$2,010

Estimated home

equity lost by

American families with

the bursting of the

housing bubble:

$4 trillion

Year that subsidiaries

of the U.S. Treasury

Department struck

down laws in Georgiaand New Jersey that

were intended to rein

in predatory lending

and prevent

foreclosures within

those states:

2003

Year in which the

Federal Reserve

issued its own rules

to rein in predatorylending and prevent

foreclosures:

2008

Number of home

foreclosure filings

in the first three

quarters of 2008:

2.2 million

Number of

surrounding homes

likely to suffer price

declines as a resultof this number of

foreclosures according

to the Center for

Responsible Lending:

40.6 million

Date on which President

Bush appeared on the NBC

game show Deal or No

Deal, joking that he wasthrilled to be anywhere

with high ratings:

5/21/2008

Percentage of BushSupreme Court

appointees who ruled

that factory worker

Lilly Ledbetter would

get no recompense

from her employer

despite proving 20

years of pay

discrimination:

100%

Number of judgesBush appointed to

the Supreme Court

as president:

2

Number of Supreme

Court Justices who

ruled to stop the Florida

recount in Bush v. Gore,

effectively handing the

2000 election to

George W. Bush:

5

Date on whichVice President Dick

Cheney announced

history will be the

judgeand history,

I believe, will say, job

well done.:

10/3/2008


16/24

T Cmpttventrpr inttut

Competitive Enterprise Institute fellow Steven

J. Milloy is quick to decry what he regards as

fear-mongering by environmentalists, but

hes perfected the technique himself. The

lights may soon go out in Washington, D.C.

he warns ominously in one article, And it

could happen where you live too. Your

electricity is in danger, Milloy writes, because

of environmentalists who want to conserve

energy before building more coal-fired power

plants. Environmental zealots, Milloy

explains, want to continue their anti-energy

jihad against essentially defenseless coal-

based electricity producers. Milloy comes to

the rescue of the poor vulnerable coal

industry by suggesting that they deny the

scientific consensus on human-induced

global warming all together. After all, thats

what he and his $3 million organization do,

with generous support from the oil industry.

Of course, theres no evidence that anyone

has actually faced a blackout caused by

environmental activism. Whats more, coal-

fired power plants present human health

risks beyond the carbon emissions that

contribute to global warming; its toxic

mercury emissions can lead to brain damage

and nervous system disabilities among

adults, children, and developing fetuses. But

thats another fact to obfuscate another day.

Well-unded right-wing thinktanks have succeeded in shapingthe nations political debate ordecades. Eye on the Right castsa critical looks at the argumentsand agendas these organizations

peddled in 2008ideas all toolikely to become the conservativemarching orders o 2009.



17/24

parenthood, Marshall shows no interest in

extending these lessons to young men. Public

policies like paid family leave and universal

preschool that the rest of the world uses to

make it easier for parents to balance work

and family also go unmentioned. Instead,

girls need more encouragement to develop

this character of self-sacrifice... Now

celebrating its 35th birthday, the Heritage

Foundation enjoys a $43.6 million annual

budget to promote its successful agenda of

deregulation, tax cuts, hawkish foreign policy

and, yes, shockingly retrograde messages for

young women.

T hvr inttutn

The Hoover Institutions endowment may have

grown to $437 million, but the ideas of

Herbert Hoover never go out of fashion at the

think tank he founded. Hoover Institution

fellow John F. Cogan teams up with American

Enterprise Institute fellow R. Glenn Hubbard

to insist that in the midst of economic

turmoil, the nation must both balance the

budget and retain the staggeringly costly

Bush tax cuts. In a Wall Street Journal editorial

in April, Hubbard and Cogan warn of the

horrors to come if the Bush tax cuts are not

extended. Taxes would choke off the

[economic] recovery, they insist without

evidence. But most upsetting, if tax cuts

expire the promise of higher revenues would

encourage Congress to continue its profligate

spending. Which spending is that? The

giveaway is that the authors define any

spending growth not for defense or homelandsecurity as excess. Sure, retaining the tax

cuts while balancing the budget would require

the nation to change entitlements to slow

their cost growtha slick way of advocating

cuts in our Social Security benefitsbut

dont worry: increasing the size of the

Defense Departments procurement budget

by 25 percent would add just 0.1 percent to

annual federal spending.

T Amrcan entrprinttut

Landlord trying to illegally evict you? Abusive

ex-spouse about to get custody of the kids?

You need a lawyerfast. But if you cant afford

to pay out-of-pocket, and your case isnt

potentially lucrative enough to hire

representation on a contingency basis, you

may be out of luck. Legal aid programs are

too under-funded to meet the need. So every

day, Americans with important claims related

to their health, housing, sustenance, child

custody, and safety are forced to go to court

without legal counsel; frequently, they lose

their case. Dont worry, says the American

Enterprise Institute, those people are probably

liars who are unworthy of representation

anyway. AEI Resident Fellow Ted Frank argues

that providing access to a lawyer to low-

income people in important legal matters

a right that is also called Civil Gideonis a

socially wasteful proposal that would make

it difficult for judges to determine who is not

one of the liars (apparently, he means those

rich enough to pay a lawyer). Worst of all,

according to Frank, Civil Gideon could provide

elderly tenants free legal help to avoid

eviction. If that happened, these low-income

seniors might be encouraged to intentionally

refuse to pay rent. With annual revenues of

$28.4 million, AEI has no problem making

rent, or hiring lawyers for that matter. Too bad

they use those resources to prevent the rest of

us from attaining justice.

T hrtag Fundatn

Has all the focus on expanding young

womens educational and professional

horizons obscured their path to the married

life they dream of? frets the Heritage

Foundations Director of Domestic Policy

Studies, Jennifer A. Marshall. While its easy

for young women to become rocket scientists,

according to Marshall, girls need to

understand more about how to become good

wives and mothers. While ostensibly talking

about issues of work-life balance and how

some [career] dreams come with conditions,

in the form of delayed marriage and

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Environmental zealMilloy explains, wanto continue their anenergy jihad againsessentially deenselcoal-based electriciproducers.


18/24

T Cntr frimmgratn stud

The name may sound impartial and even

academic, but the Center for Immigration

Studies is anything but. True, this anti-

immigrant organization uses less hateful and

inflammatory rhetoric than many of its

counterparts, but the overall goal remains the

same: terminating virtually all immigration,

legal or otherwise, to the United States.

Scratch the surface of the studiously objective

language and some familiar right-wing

preoccupations with race and culture turn up

quickly. In an essay in the National Review

Online, for example, CIS Executive Director

Mark Krikorian excoriates GOP presidential

nominee John McCain for being an ideological

multiculturalist. Krikorian argues that McCain

has not flip-flopped convincingly enough.

Because McCain opposed English-only ballot

initiatives, supported bilingual education

programs for students learning English, and

has not taken a hard line against affirmative

action in Arizona he strike[s] at the coherence

of the American nation. Whats more, McCain

dares to have more evolved views on American

identity than Theodore Roosevelt expressed in

1918. The Center for Immigration Studies

boasts of being the nations only think tank

devoted exclusively to immigration, but

gratuitous attacks on McCains liberal

stances on global warming and judges

suggest a far broader right-wing agenda.

T Cat inttut

You might imagine that the meltdown of the

nations financial sector would have prompted

some soul-searching in the halls of this

libertarian think tank. After all, the

consequences of the deregulation and lack of

public oversight that Cato has spent decades

advocating for are devastating the American

economy. Right? Not so, says Cato. It isnt lax

regulation of irresponsible lenders that

brought down the economy, but planners

trying to socially engineer our cities. Thats

right: zoning ordinances caused the financial

crisis. In an essay with the uncompromising

title Why Government Planning Always Fails,

Catos Senior Fellow Randal OToole makes the

case that government efforts to protect open

space and fund mass transit systems are the

real causes of the housing bubble because

these government interventions can increase

home values. The upshot? We need toll roads,

privatized transit systems, and an end to

zoning and environmental laws that weaken

individuals rights to do whatever they please

with their property. And by the way, we know

that New Deal planning did more to prolong the

Depression than to end it. Well then. Hope

they have a sound investment strategy for their

$23.5 million in assets.

T Manattan inttut

Forget about raising the minimum wage or

expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Neither can impact poverty in this country

because, according to Manhattan Institute

Fellow Steven Malanga, In America, the

poor dont work. Call the Census Bureau!

Someone has disappeared the more than

9 million working poor Americansand the

families theyre trying to raisefrom

Malangas set of statistics. But maybe that

doesnt matter. Malanga, and many of his

colleagues at the $12 million a year

Manhattan Institute, are really concerned

about a subset of Americans in poverty:

poor girls without a high school education

having children by a man who wont marry

and support them. Despite welfare reform,

some of these single mothers with young

children arent in the workforce yet. Yet in the

Manhattan Institutes worldview, theres no

point in improving their access to childcare

or education and job training either because,

in the words of MI City Journal editor Andrew

Klavan, beating poverty in America

nowadays is largely a matter of personal

behavior. Instead, Klavan suggests making

movies that teach the value of staying in

school and getting married. Bring your

own popcorn.

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19/24


20/24


21/24


22/24

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Bk by Jm K. Gbih

Free markets make for a great slogan. But

in practice, the free market policies of the

Reagan era deregulation, privatization,

balanced budgets, tax cuts, free trade, andtight monetary policy have spectacularly

failed to produce the promised benefits to the

public. Today, these ideas are no more than

cover for a corporate republic that

manipulates government to benefit powerful

private interests. Now, Galbraith argues, it is

up to liberals to stop kowtowing to the myth

of the free market and publicly recognize the

positive role government must play in meeting

the challenges before us.

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A soaring Army suicide rate. Rising substance

abuse among troops and veterans. Family

stress so severe it leads to divorce. These are

among the first signs that the nation is not

adequately assisting soldiers with serious

mental health injuries from the wars in Iraq and

Afghanistan. With nearly half a million troops

expected to return home with psychological

wounds, the scope of the problem is enormous.

One in three Iraq War veterans faces severe

psychological damage from combat-related

depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress

disorder. Yet the IAVA reports that for many

veterans, treatment for these injuries is

virtually inaccessible. Supporting the troops

means the Defense Department and Veterans

Affairs must stop covering up mental health

problems and provide improved screening andtreatment quickly.

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The nations two greatest challenges,

according to civil rights and environmental

activist Van Jones, are poverty and the

environmental crisis. Green jobs can solve

them both. A substantial public investment in

the green economy will produce hundreds of

thousands of jobs weatherizing homes,

constructing wind farms, planting green

roofs, and the like. Public policy must ensure

that these are good jobs and that members

of disadvantaged communities receive the

support and training necessary to attain

them. Do it right, and green jobs will help

to fully engage low-income people and

communities of color in the vital effort to

save the planet. After all, the green economy

should not be just about reclaiming thrown

away stuff. It should be about reclaiming

thrown-away lives.

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Metropolitan areas are the engines of

American prosperity. How can the next

president use that insight to benefit the

nation? Brookings argues that to unleash

the potential of a metropolitan nation,

Washington needs to lead on issues like

climate change and globalization where

metropolitan areas cannot go it alone;

empower metropolitan areas to deal with

local issues by encouraging problem solving

that reaches across city-suburb boundaries;

and effectively collect and disseminate the

data necessary to promote the most effective

policies. The result is a coherent and rational

approach to policymaking. Lets hope

Washington is listening.

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These tax cuts will pay for themselves. How

many times have you heard that whopper

from a conservative candidate or pundit? The

idea is that cutting taxes will stimulate so

much economic growth that public revenue

will actually increase. This would be a pretty

TeNPRoGRessiVeReADs WoRThA Peek

Re

adin

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23/24

neat trick if it worked. Unfortunately, it

doesnt. This succinct report crunches the

numbers from the Bush years and previous

administrations and finds that tax cuts lose

revenue, and when they are deficit financed,

they can also contribute to poorer economic

performance over the long term.

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Bk by rik s ih Fkkk Mmdh

Corporations can move jobs and investments

anywhere in the world, but if working people

try to cross borders they are likely to be

marginalized and exploited. This penetrating

analysis explores U.S. immigration and

globalization through the lens of Fekkak

Mamdouhs real life experiences as animmigrant working at the World Trade

Centers Windows on the World restaurant

and as an organizer in New Yorks restaurant

industry. The conclusion? Immigrants and

citizens have a common interest in increasing

power for working people in the U.S., and

equalizing global opportunity so that people

worldwide dont need to abandon their homes

and homelands to have a decent life.

Frt Annua survy n t MddCa and Pubc Pcyrp by h Dm Mj Ii

f Pbic Picy

The media focuses on the red-blue divide, but

DMIs poll finds that middle-class Americans

share a broad consensus on public policy:

they support a universal health insurance

plan, requiring employers to provide paid

family and medical leave, making it easier for

employees to join labor unions and allowing

bankruptcy judges to change mortgage

payments to keep homes out of foreclosure.

But the middle class may find it difficult to

hold their Congressional representatives

accountable on these vital issues: although

most try to follow Congress, they seldom hear

from their reps, and dont actually know how

they voted on issues of importance.

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Americas broken health care system has

been making us all sick for some time. This

report shows that the situation has

deteriorated substantially on President Bushs

watch. At last count, nearly two-thirds of non-

elderly U.S. adults struggled to pay medical

bills, went without needed care because of

the cost, were uninsured for a time, or were

underinsured. That adds up to 116 million

Americansa constituency for reform if ever

there was one.

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Chck Ci, sm Pizzigi d Mik

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Ah, the life of the hedge fund manager. Not

only do the top 50 guys (yes, mostly guys) in

that august profession rake in 19,000 times

what the typical U.S. worker earns, but they

get tax subsidies from the rest of us to do it.

This report documents how highly paid

money managers and CEOs enjoy taxpayer

largess to the tune of more than $20 billion

per year and suggests policies to end the

public assistance windfall for billionaires.

hw t Ru t Wrd: T CmngBatt ovr t Gba ecnmy

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Should the world be run by multinational

corporations or U.S. military force? Mark

Engler argues that the power struggle

between those two visions of globalization

provides a unique opportunity for those

seeking none of the above. Progressive

movements in the U.S. and throughout the

world can take advantage of the clash among

elites to press for a democratic globalization

based on economic justice, human rights,

and self-determination.


24/24

T Drum Majr inttut fr Pubc Pcy

The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-partisan, non-profit think tank

generating the ideas that fuel the progressive movement. From releasing nationally

recognized studies of our increasingly fragile middle class to showcasing progressive

policies that have worked to advance social and economic justice, DMI has been on the

leading edge of the public policy debate. Founded during the civil rights movement,

DMI equips those on the frontlines with the tools to more effectively advance an agenda

of social and economic justice, including research, model policies, policy-driven Web

sites, and even young talent. For more information, see

hp://.dmmjii.g

Drum Major Institute for Public Policy

40 Exchange Place, Suite 2001

New York, NY 10005

Drum Major Institute: 2008 Year in Review

Documents

Transcript of Drum Major Institute: 2008 Year in Review