Massachusetts

Tag, you're it! PSN's website uses tags to categorize content. You are viewing a list of content tagged as Massachusetts.
For a more organized view, please visit the Massachusetts state page.

The reality for working Americans is that wages have been largely stagnant for over three decades. For many workers -- especially those without a college degree -- pay has actually gotten worse, meaning that this generation is the first one in American history which is not doing signficantly better than the previous one. Part of the reason for these stagnant wages is that inflation was allowed to erode the federal minimum wage-- its inflation-adjusted value dropping from $9.12 per hour in 1968 down to just $5.15 per hour in 2005.

Back in 1968, the federal minimum wage was $1.60 per hour-- or if adjusted for inflation -- $9.16 per hour. Yes-- almost forty years ago, the minimum acceptable wage in this country was over $9 per hour.

In Indiana, critics are condemning a rushed $1 billion privatization of the states' social services work -- despite the fact that the companies bidding on the contract have mismanaged similar contracts in other states and, more tellingly, no one even bothered to determine whether the companies could do the job cheaper than current state employees:

Vermont cut a deal today for a plan promising universal health coverage, although the deal still leaves a few potential details up in the air for the future.

Congressional Quarterly Weekly by Shawn Zeller Originally Published April 14, 2006:

The stolidly liberal legislature of Massachusetts appeared to be playing entirely to type when it passed its landmark legislation to make the state the first in the nation to provide medical coverage to virtually all its citizens. But some liberals are rushing to denounce the plan. "This is being sold as achieving universal coverage," says Nathan Newman, policy director for the Progressive Legislative Action Network.

After the botched Massachusetts health care bill, it's nice to see Wisconsin is stepping up with a really bold health care plan.

Does it take two to tangle? Two New Jersey legislators are embarking on a six-month project to evaluate whether New Jersey can copy Massachusetts' recently adopted plan. Before they start hustling around the state, they ought to take a look at whether the Massachusetts plan is even going to work in Massachusetts and also think hard about whether it should be the starting point for negotiations.

Looks like it's a bad idea to play "Let's Make a Deal" with Mitt Romney. The Massachusetts Governor vetoed the employer assessment yesterday, a move that was expected to happen, but is still deeply disappointing. What makes it even more distressing is that the employer assessment -- a charge for medium and large businesses that choose to not provide insurance coverage to workers -- is that at $295 per employee, it was rather small, especially in comparison to the $1000 fine for individuals who "choose" to not have insurance, often because it is not affordable.

Looks like it's a bad idea to play "Let's Make a Deal" with Mitt Romney.

American Prospect co-editor Robert Kuttner turns his discerning eye toward Massachusetts' recent health care (pyrrhic?) victory.

Primary links

Sign Up

Navigation

Find

Search

Beyond the Minimum Wage: New Policies to Raise Wages

MA: Senate Votes for $8.25 Minimum Wage

IN: Rushed Social Services Privatization Condemned

VT: Maybe Universal Health Care

Libs Decry MassCare Plan

WI: Real Health Care for All Workers

NJ: Legislators Consider Mimicking Mass's Health Care Move

MA: Romney Vetoes Good Portions of Health Care Bill

MA: Romney Vetoes Employer Assessment

The Mass Health Care Mess?

Most Read

Recently Discussed