Deeply slashing income taxes could become a priority during Georgia’s 2014 legislative session. State lawmakers have already introduced two proposals meant to accomplish that goal during the upcoming assembly and some state leaders speak approvingly of the idea. A shift from income taxes to sales taxes would raise total state taxes for as many as four in five Georgia taxpayers. Conservative lawmakers are pushing for a plan that would do exactly that and are calling it ‘tax reform.’ North Carolina recently passed tax shift legislation and raised taxes on an estimated 80 percent of the state’s families. This is just wrong. This tax shift proposal would hurt families, businesses, communities and the economy.

In 2009 Yuengling Brewing busted its employees union, but apparently that wasn’t enough. On August 26, 2013 Yuengling Brewery owner Dick Yuengling Jr. spoke at the Pennsylvania Press Club about his desire to see so-called “right-to-work” policies implemented in Pennsylvania. Apparently Yuengling wants to deny workers the right to earn a good income and benefits for their families, while padding his bottom line. Just last year Yuengling was named on a list of the richest people in America, yet he wants to get richer. Along with advocating for right-to-work policies, he wants to cut the taxes his business pays. Corporations need to pay their fair share to help the economy, not find ways to pay less. Tell Yuengling to respect the working class.

These two companies are among the biggest employers of low-wage workers in America, and they can easily afford to give their workers a raise -- a perfect way to celebrate Labor Day week. McDonald's posted strong results during the recession by attracting cash-strapped customers, and its sales have continued to rise. Between 2010 and 2012, its annual return to investors was 15.7 percent, far better than the Dow Jones industrial average. McDonald's CEO, Steve Easterbrook, gets a big-whopper of a compensation package, valued at $7.9 million—about 400 times the earnings of a typical McDonald's worker, who earns roughly $10 an hour or less. Walmart, the nation's largest employer, also continues to do well—so well, it's hiking shareholder dividends 18 percent this year. It also pays its executives handsomely. Total compensation of Walmart's CEO, Doug McMillon, is now $25.6 million—more than 1,300 times the earnings of a typical Walmart worker, who earns $22,591 per year. Not incidentally, the wealth of the Walton family—which still owns the lion's share of Walmart stock—now exceeds the wealth of the bottom 40 percent of American families combined, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. So please join me in asking McDonald's Steve Easterbrook and Walmart's Doug McMillon to pay their workers at least $15 an hour.

Petition to increase minimum wage in Florida will help raise families and individuals out of poverty. Reduce public assistance.Save taxpayers dollars. Increase consumer spending.Create jobs and restore the dignity of work.

Reduce taxes, improve the economy and better provide for Social Security. The SS payroll deduction is taxable. Reagan's law taxes up to 85% of SS income - an unfair double tax. When employers contribute to SS, they deduct these funds as expenses. Employees should be treated the same way - a TAX-FREE CONTRIBUTION (like an IRA). The increase in take home pay will feed the economy.

If you'd like to work for a small construction firm, but the firm finds it impossible to provide you with workers' compensation insurance, should you not work at all, instead?

Millions of Americans remain unemployed but are no longer being counted in the common unemployment numbers typically broadcast. By looking instead at a more reliable statistic we see a drop of 5 percentage points in the percentage of the population EMPLOYED (over age 16) occurred with the economic meltdown. That percentage dipped from 63.4% to 58.5% and has only improved about 0.3 percentage points in about the last 3.5 years. In other words, we are not making progress in re-employing millions of Americans, we are only keeping pace with population growth with our limited level of job creation. Economists Paul Krugman and Dean Baker note that our unemployed or underemployed friends and family and other fellow Americans won't get full-time jobs back for even many more years without massive fiscal stimulus to restore normal demand levels in the economy. [Further explanation added 8/23/13, 8/28/13:] We need a wide range of (non-off-shorable) investments: from infrastructure construction (roads, bridges, rail, airports, harbors, canals); to rehiring of laid-off state and local employees foolishly laid-off (due to lack of federal emergency support to states); to design and manufacture of trains, spacecraft, and defense hardware; to broad-ranging scientific and technical research. The point is to get people back into productive work in the economy, spending money to fuel an upward spiral of increasing demand in the economy as more people can then buy more goods and services to fuel hiring of more and more people to meet the increasing demand. We have a skilled, energetic, intelligent citizenry to put back to work productively.

Religious institutions should be held accountable to the citizens who subsidize them. There is absolutely no good reason why churches, especially large and highly profitable ones, should not be paying taxes.

Owned by Dylan Lauren, daughter of famous fashion designer Ralph Lauren, Dylan’s Candy Bar is the largest unique candy store in the world, with $25 million estimated in annual sales. It is widely considered a ‘required stop’ for celebrities visiting NYC, such as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Katie Holmes, Janet Jackson, and Madonna. Yet, while our hard work has contributed to Dylan’s success, working for Dylan is no candy land. While Dylan Lauren is the 5th wealthiest heiress in the world, worth $4.6 billion, most of us associates started at less than $10/hour. In fact, at $13.99 per pound, a pound of bulk candy is worth more than our hourly pay. On top of the low wages, our schedules and hours change week to week. Nearly the entire sales staff is part time, yet they expect us to have open availability, making it nearly impossible for us to juggle other obligations such as second jobs, school, and family. They refuse to give us any guarantee of the amount of hours we will work each week, and yet they get angry with us when we look for a second job. The low pay and sporadic scheduling makes it hard for us to do what we do best – provide excellent customer service. We know that Dylan’s can do better, so we decided to get ourselves organized! Unfortunately, when we got together to deliver our own petition to management, they shrugged it off. Ignoring our concerns, they simply told us that any issues regarding compensation could only be addressed in one-on-one meetings with managers and not together as a group. Now we’re taking our petition to the public to show the company that we’re not alone! We are asking Dylan’s for: 1. A Living Wage: Increase hourly pay to $13.99 per hour, the price of just 1 pound of bulk candy 2. Just Hours: More stable scheduling with guaranteed weekly hours for all associates 3. End Favoritism: Establish a clear and measurable path for promotions so that advancement is based on hard work and not favoritism Let Dylan’s know you support our efforts to improve our workplace! To learn more about our campaign: • In These Times article: http://ow.ly/pQKE9 • Labor Press video: http://tinyurl.com/qgf5sgq • DNA Info article: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20131206/upper-east-side/workers-snicker-at-meager-payday-from-dylans-candy-shop

This affects every tax payer in the United States. Why should the U.S. Tax Payer subsidies multi-billion dollar corporations because they fail to pay their employees a DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING??

Our economy continues to suffer due, in part, because the US Senate refuses to vote on bi-partisan jobs bills that have been passed by the US House. It's time for the Senate Majority leader to allow those jobs bills to come to the Senate floor for a vote.

If you live in Montgomery or Prince George County in Maryland, are you tired of your water bill going up unstoppably? WSSC has been increased water rate charge for last 7 years (2007-2013) that lead to an eye-popping 160% increase of rate (from $8.45 to $13.52 per unit, and from average $1000 to $1600 per year.) In addition, for families with bigger size, the increase rates are even higher than families with smaller size, which results in double charging for big families. There is no any other public utility service carriers increase rates in such irresonpsible way. As a very conservative user and family, I personally see my bill from $60 per quarter (1 person) grew into $400 per quarter (4 persons), and will be $500 next bill with latest rate increase. Please join me to request 1. WSSC to operate more efficiently and stop the unstoppable rate hikes; 2. Revisit the anti-family-grow rate and change it to flat rate regardless household size. If you want mor information, you can google related topic, especially at www.stopwsscratehikes.org THANK YOU!