High-density big cities are not going away
David Oshinsky in his book Bellevue quotes Thomas Jefferson’s reaction to the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, then the nation’s capitol: By November the streets were deserted, and more than 10 percent of the city’s fifty thousand residents were dead. Most of Congress was gone, along with President George Washington and Secretary of State […]
Inequality and four-year degree attainment
Four-year degree attainment is essential to eliminating income and racial inequality. As the chart below makes clear, those with a four-year degree or more work more and earn more. In a terrific analysis of four-year degree graduation rates by race Bridge documents how far Michigan has to go to eliminate the gap between Black and […]
Reforming capitalism: lessons from Denmark
Terrific Nicholas Kristof New York times column on Denmark. The article’s subtitle says it all: Danes haven’t built a “socialist” country. Just one that works. Similar to Finland, Denmark is a capitalist economy with widely shared prosperity. Each offers a model for how to realize the reformed capitalism that, as we have explored in previous […]
Needed: no red tape unemployment insurance
Terrific Bridge article on how hard it is for way to many out-of-work Michiganders to get unemployment insurance. The article’s title says it all: Michigan unemployment system designed to slow payments working all too well. Bridge writes: A big source of the problem, according to experts: The $52 million Michigan Integrated Data Automated System, known […]
B.A. holders value their education most
The Federal Reserve in its Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2019 measures well-being by education attainment. What they found is those with a B.A. or more value their education more than those with lower education attainment. Specifically they asked survey respondents who ever attended college “Overall, how would you say the […]
Segregation and structural racism
As America confronts the reality of structural racism, it is clear that we must fundamentally reform policing now. It also is clear that redesigning policing is not enough. We need to put on the table topics that have been off the table for far too long. One of those uncomfortable conversations we need to have […]
Great Recession lessons: More government aid, less red tape
In a terrific Washington Post op ed Neel Kashkari lays out Great Recession lessons that should guide us in dealing with our current pandemic-driven economic collapse. Kashkari is president and chief executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and oversaw the Troubled Asset Relief Program during the Great Recession for Presidents Bush and Obama. […]
Time for Michigan colleges to eliminate the SAT?
Paul Tough has a new op ed in the New York Times entitled Go Ahead, California, Get Rid of the SAT. It’s time for Michigan colleges to also consider doing away with the SAT as an admission requirement. As Tough notes one of the few good things about the pandemic is that it has led […]
Raising taxes now should be on the table
Bob Emerson and John Walsh in a guest column for Bridge lay out a set of principles that should guide Michigan policymakers as they deal with an unprecedented shortfall in state revenue this fiscal year and next. Worth reading! Both are former legislators and state budget directors. Emerson is a Democrat, Walsh a Republican. What […]
The case for no red tape cash benefits
The struggles way too many Michiganders are going through to get safety net benefits make clear that we need to go to no red tape cash benefits. The main reason for how difficult it is to get much needed benefits is that the system is designed to catch those who don’t “deserve” public benefits. Think […]