Equal Time with Anthony Pollina, Carl Etnier, & Traven

September 6, 2010: Labor Day Edition

The Labor Day theme show combines a reprise of an interview relevant to labor movements' work for greater equality and a new interview about ways to save energy and money commuting to work.

Kate Pickett is co-author of The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger, and the book asks, Which is more important for a strong society--high overall levels of wealth, or equal distribution of wealth? The authors argue that more equal countries and US states have greater longevity, fewer homicides, more trust, and other better outcomes, but average wealth doesn't matter much. The interview is edited from her appearance on the show on February 1, 2010.

Ross MacDonald, manager of the Go Vermont carpool and vanpool service for the Agency of Transportation, talks about the many tools they have to help people find a carpool or vanpool partner.

Carl Etnier hosts.

Joel Geier, author of Contradictions of the Recovery: Can Economic Crisis Return argues that the banks have their fragile recovery, purchased by the largest financial bailout in history, while high unemployment continues. There is no confidence that recovery is sustainable without ongoing state stimulus; yet the stimulus/Great Recession has produced deficit and debt problems triggering a new stage of the crisis: the possibility of sovereign debt default as in Greece. There is general agreement in both corporate parties to solve this crisis by cutting the standard of living of the working class; cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; and more state and municipal budget cuts. Our solution is to organize the fight back to resist austerity.

Vermont labor activist Paul Fleckenstein talks about the upcoming December 5th conference, "Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Building Democratic, Fighting Unions & Defending Public Programs in Hard Economic Times." Paul explains that Corporate America has created a dangerous economic crisis, and workers are paying the price for it.
How do we defend jobs, health care, retirement, and public services--already deeply eroded by 30 years of rollbacks and cutbacks? How do we lay the groundwork to fight for more?

Today on Equal Time, hosted by Carl Etnier:

First guest: The AARP's project Transporting the Public is building a coalition to increase transportation choices in the state. Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur, the associate state director of AARP in Vermont, will explain what transportation choices their members want to see.

Second guest: In the Button-Up Vermont program, Vermonters learn to save heating dollars. Paul Markowitz coordinates the program, and he'll talk about upcoming workshops. Upcoming in November, the two-hour workshops are scheduled in Westford, Chelsea, Tinmouth, South Burlington, Putney, Thetford, Starksboro, Huntington, Hardwick, Greensboro, Waterbury, and Warren/Waitsfield. For details of the workshops and the schedule, go to the Button-Up Vermont page. Contact Paul Markowitz at 229-6307 or paulmarkowitzvt.com.

(Updated after the show)

Mark Brenner, labor economist at Labor Notes warns that nearly $4 trillion worth of retirement savings were wiped out in the first weeks of the financial freefall. Half of the drop was concentrated in traditional pension plans. While most workers in these plans haven't had their benefits cut, unlike the 46 million people riding the stock market with 401(k)s, the storm clouds are gathering. How do we restore retirement security in the face of disappearing defined-benefit pensions and private savings?
Mark will speak at the Dec. 5th Vermont Workers Conference.