Thrilled to get to say this in @nytopinion, with @JosephEStiglitz as a partner: states and cities need federal fiscal relief, but they also need to step up and *raise taxes.* This is an EMERGENCY! https://twitter.com/nytopinion/status/1301483087541473287">https://twitter.com/nytopinio...

Revenues are cratering! Congress should fix it!

But they haven& #39;t. And "tax receipts are down" is not an answer to "my kid doesn& #39;t have enough to eat or a safe place to stay."

If you aren& #39;t compelled by the humanitarian crisis around you, let& #39;s talk about the economics...

Teachers teach our kids, but they also support their families and provide customers for businesses. During a recession, teacher layoffs cut $1.50 - $2.50 from the economy for every $1 saved in the budget, right now.

Same for housing support, food assistance, healthcare...

Raising $1 in taxes from the rich only costs 35 cents.

Local leaders: https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚨" title="Polizeiautos mit drehendem Licht" aria-label="Emoji: Polizeiautos mit drehendem Licht">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📢" title="Lautsprecheranlage" aria-label="Emoji: Lautsprecheranlage">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📢" title="Lautsprecheranlage" aria-label="Emoji: Lautsprecheranlage">RAISING TAXES TO INCREASE SPENDING WILL HELP YOUR ECONOMYhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📢" title="Lautsprecheranlage" aria-label="Emoji: Lautsprecheranlage">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📢" title="Lautsprecheranlage" aria-label="Emoji: Lautsprecheranlage">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🚨" title="Polizeiautos mit drehendem Licht" aria-label="Emoji: Polizeiautos mit drehendem Licht">

Or settle in for disaster: state/local cuts delayed the recovery from Great Recession by 4 years! @joshbivens_DC https://www.epi.org/blog/a-prolonged-depression-is-guaranteed-without-significant-federal-aid-to-state-and-local-governments/">https://www.epi.org/blog/a-pr...

Even in the pandemic, many people can afford to pay much more. 2/3 of rich households have lost NO employment income since March!

Meanwhile the poor pay more of their income in state and local taxes than the wealthy. https://itep.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/whopays-ITEP-2018.pdf">https://itep.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/whopays-I...

So let& #39;s dispense with "tough choices" talk.

These are tough choices:
"Buy food or buy medicine?"
"Risk my life at my essential job, or risk eviction when I can& #39;t make rent?"

"Raise taxes on the rich or slash public services and crash my local economy?"

Easy choice.