Daily Digest – February 26: Where Is All the Corporate Cash Going?
February 26, 2015
Why Companies are Rewarding Shareholders Instead of Investing in the Real Economy (WaPo)
Lydia DePillis looks at Roosevelt Institute Fellow J.W. Mason’s new white paper on how the shift towards increased shareholder payouts since the 1980s has decreased corporate investment.
- Roosevelt Take: Read J.W. Mason’s paper, “Disgorge the Cash: The Disconnect Between Corporate Borrowing and Investment,” here.
Hewlett-Packard Shows How to Fatten Shareholders While Firing Workers (LA Times)
Referencing J.W. Mason’s paper for context on the impact of shareholder payouts on the larger economy, Michael Hiltzik explains how H-P has managed to fire workers and increase payouts at once.
Don’t Wait Until 2016 to Make Political Change (HuffPo)
Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network National Director Joelle Gamble argues for the need for young people to participate in governance, not just elections.
The Push for Net Neutrality Arose From Lack of Choice (NYT)
Steve Lohr speaks to Roosevelt Institute Fellow Susan Crawford, who agrees that the current approach to net neutrality makes sense while cable is most people’s only option for high-speed Internet.
The Lawyer Who Went from Fighting for Guantánamo Bay Inmates to Going After Shady Banks (Vice)
David Dayen profiles Josh Denbeaux, a lawyer who is fighting back against foreclosure abuse in the courts and trying to develop class-action suits for homeowners facing illegal foreclosures.
New on Next New Deal
Launching Our Financialization Project with “Disgorge the Cash”
Roosevelt Institute Fellow Mike Konczal introduces our Financialization Project, which aims to define and explain the topic, as well as J.W. Mason’s paper. Learn more about the project here.
Millennials Want More Than Obama’s Keystone Veto
Roosevelt Institute | Campus Network Senior Fellow for Energy and Environment Torre Lavelle says the veto isn’t good enough, because Millennials are seeking a real commitment to transforming energy usage.