Robert Pollin is Distinguished University Professor of Economics and Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His most recent book (with Noam Chomsky) is Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal.
The underdogs may have enough in the tank to surprise us again next year.
Spending the same money on education, or clean energy, would bring many more jobs—among other benefits.
It’s not only bad politics for states to use budget crises to bust unions—it’s also bad economics.