Donald Trump effectively campaigned in 2016 promising to fix problems plaguing "forgotten" Americans.  He hasn't delivered.  But forget his biggest legislative victory, a monumental tax cut primarily benefiting corporations and the already rich.  Likewise, ignore the hollow claims of a booming economy that has largely generated only low-wage, "gig economy" jobs. The President just this … Continue reading Trump’s budget proposal is a stab in the backs of “forgotten Americans”

Yesterday President Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate of impeachment charges brought by the House.  Neither witnesses nor documents were permitted to impede the drive of the pseudo-trial to POTUS's speedy exoneration. The Senate cult of Trump has, in effect, written the President a blank check for any other abuse of power he may … Continue reading Sliding from Constitutional Republic to Absolute Monarchy?

I guess it's time to pay serious attention to the horrendous state of our kids' health; the military brass say there's a crisis.  According to "Mission: Readiness," a national group of retired admiral and generals, 72% of 17 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. can't qualify for military service for a range of reasons, but one … Continue reading Do we need a “military readiness” crisis to address the nutritional needs of our kids?

Another Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and hence another opportunity to put the optimistically visionary civil rights leader of August 1963 front and center.  This is the King we love to celebrate, indeed venerate, every year, inspiring countless school kids to recite stirring lines about an America where character, not color, counts. But what … Continue reading Which MLK do we honor?

It’s well known that “right to work” Mississippi is not a union-friendly state. And public sector workers – including university faculty, staff and student employees – would seem to have the very least reason to unionize.  After all, state workers are prohibited, by law, from striking, the biggest power tool in the union toolbox.  Why … Continue reading Why State Workers Should Join Unions

I usually catch only the highlights of so-called debates among presidential candidates, the stuff of news cycle-friendly sound bytes.  Devoid of real discussion or dialog, the prime-time televised contests are far too heavy on theatrics and way too thin on substance to take seriously; they're surely not "debates" in any meaningful sense of the term. … Continue reading Will tonight’s Dem debate feature anti-war, truly progressive perspectives?

A Clarion-Ledger story today focused on Speaker of the House Philip Gunn's outlook for the legislative session just underway.   It doesn't sound good, certainly not from a social work/social welfare perspective.  Gunn offered no policy goals beyond "creating jobs."  What's the signal there?  Are still more incentives and tax giveaways to business (the bigger, the … Continue reading Republicans dominate Mississippi government: What should social workers do?

As much of the world worried whether the U.S. would plunge into yet another war in the Middle East, it became clear to many Americans that only mass public demonstrations might be "heard" by the Trump administration.  Within what seemed just hours after the assassination of Iranian general Soleimani, antiwar protests were staged by tens … Continue reading Organizing people is more important than ever

Calls for significant policy development to deal with a rapidly aging U.S. population have been steady for over twenty years now.  Like so many other areas of social welfare provision, however, this one remains sorely neglected. But demographic trends are relentless, and unless we're prepared to let older people simply "die in place," something's got … Continue reading What to do with the old and poor?

It's a commonplace that poverty is a major detriment to health.  But what about income and wealth inequality, apart from poverty per se?  Both cross-national studies and ones focused specifically on the United States arrive at the same definitive conclusion - Inequality in and of itself is harmful to your health. In the U.S., people … Continue reading Inequality makes people sick