Big Banks Must Step Up to Address the Revenue Crisis

The big banks live in a parallel universe. In their universe, the financial meltdown was beyond their power to stop.  The recession that left more than 1/10th of the American workforce unemployed is a shame they had little to do with.  The massive government bailout of the financial system was an opportunity to make aContinue reading “Big Banks Must Step Up to Address the Revenue Crisis”

Living wage jobs are scarce in Northwest and Colorado

The recently released 2010 Northwest Job Gap Study, Searching for Work that Pays looks at living wages in each county in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The study also compares the number of job openings paying a living wage to the number of job seekers in each state. The key findings are disturbing: 48%Continue reading “Living wage jobs are scarce in Northwest and Colorado”

The Bank of North Dakota: What a Bank Should Be

It’s been a heated election season. When the political dogfights get all the attention, it’s easy to forget that there good policies and institutions out there that receive bipartisan praise, are working well, and deserve to be built upon. The Bank of North Dakota is an important example. Founded in 1919 in response to aContinue reading “The Bank of North Dakota: What a Bank Should Be”

Banks and Foreclosures: Where’s the Accountability?

Over the past several weeks Bank of America, Ally, and GMAC have announced that they have will be halting foreclosures in the 23 states that require a judge to sign off on foreclosures before eviction. Did this decision come from enlightened bank management who understand what is needed to stabilize the housing market and pullContinue reading “Banks and Foreclosures: Where’s the Accountability?”