Saturday, January 14, 2017

@16:45, 1/14/17

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1
Opinion

Silicon Valley Takes a Right Turn

Microsoft, Facebook, Google and Amazon used their PACs to support Republican Congressional candidates more than Democratic ones in 2016.

"Most tech executives and employees remain supportive of Democrats, especially on social and cultural issues. The Republican tilt of the PACs at Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Facebook suggests, however, that as these companies’ domains grow larger, their bottom-line interests are becoming increasingly aligned with the policies of the Republican Party."

No surprise.  
Votes win local elections. 
There is a curve of diminishing returns for money on media I hope.

2
Business Day

Studies Find Higher Minimum Wage May Have Losers

As more cities and states raise their minimum wages, researchers question how much difference the changes will make for the working poor.

If paying more than the minimum brings higher profits . . .
Pay more than the minimum.
It is the differential that matters and not the absolute number.

3
Business Day

A Big Test for Big Batteries


yes

4
N.Y. / Region

New York Traffic Deaths Dip Again. It’s Not Enough, Mayor’s Critics Say.

The overall number of fatalities dropped only slightly last year as pedestrian deaths rose, leading some to question whether Bill de Blasio’s safety campaign has stalled.

Traffic is up and the number did not rise. 
That is success.

5
N.Y. / Region

Mayor de Blasio Scrambles to Curb Homelessness After Years of Not Keeping Pace

A surge in homelessness, and criticism of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s handling of it, has become one of the visible and vexing issues of his first three years in office.

Presumably building subsidized shelter stopped for a reason.
"The decision to halt shelter openings for much of 2015 was the mayor’s, made after neighborhood complaints about homeless shelters".

The Homeless do not vote.

6
Opinion

Race Issues and the Women’s March on Washington

Women urge one another to “join hands” and march in unity. “We should have conversations on race, but I also believe that we are women first,” one writes.

Both race and gender matter.
This moment is about gender.
There will be another moment about race.
Numbers are the count.

7
The Upshot

In Obama’s Farewell, a Warning on Automation’s Perils

The soon-to-be ex-president connected the economic disruptions caused by technology to a rise in political polarization.

The Luddites are extinct.
The arts and crafts movement stumbles on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_and_Crafts_movement

The Chinese are learning.

8
N.Y. / Region

De Blasio Makes Affordable Housing Gains, but Critics Fear It’s Not Enough

The de Blasio administration built or preserved about 22,000 housing units in New York City in 2016, but advocates say the need is still great.

As long as there is the rumor of work in the city there will be more homeless in the city.


U.S.

John Lewis Puts Race at Center of Jeff Sessions Hearing

Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, said the law-and-order mantra of the nominee for attorney general harked back to the civil rights era.

"“We need someone as attorney general who’s going to look out for all of us, and not just some of us,” Mr. Lewis, a Democrat, told the Senate Judiciary Committee".
John Lewis remembers.

10
Business Day

E.P.A. Affirms Fuel-Economy Goals, Frustrating Automakers

Automakers are expected to ask the incoming Trump administration to review the decision by federal regulators to maintain standards for reducing harmful emissions.

The facts are not dependent on party affiliation.
Congress can change the law with a super majority.

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