My Big Election Takeaway
Time for Democrats to keep some promises.
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Over at The Economic Populist, I have a new piece assessing the results of Tuesday’s elections. This is not (not! not!) one of those attempts to predict what the results mean for future elections or the fortunes of the Trump Administration or whatever else may happen in the next few years, because that kind of prognosticating is for suckers.
I do, though, think there’s an important governing moment that needs to occur now that Democrats have seized the high ground on affordability and cost of living, if they want their political fortunes to continue to rise.
As someone who has worked to enact economically populist policies at the state level, the test for these leaders is clear: They now need to not only implement those ideas — which were very high-profile promises — but pair them with longer-term, more fundamental changes in the ways in which their states and cities interact with corporate power to bring down prices not just temporarily, but permanently, and return a sense of stability and predictability to costs.
You can read the rest here.
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION: I talked to MinnPost about the use of nondisclosure agreements in data center deals in Minnesota, which you can read here.
SIMPLY STATED: Here are links to a few stories that caught my eye this week.
My organization, the American Economic Liberties Project, alongside some great partners, launched a new state-based campaign to end subscription traps.
Meta (i.e., the owner of Facebook) is on track to spend more on lobbying in California than it ever has before.
The two largest U.S. corporate-owned water utilities want to merge.
Microsoft warned investors about rising local opposition to data centers.
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— Pat Garofalo
The real test for Democrats will be wheather they actually deliver tangible results on affordabilty now that they have the opening. Voters wont forgive another round of unfulfilled promses when people are still struggling at the grocery store.