Deck the halls

Yesterday's post featured a song by my friend and co-worker Arnie Alpert, aka New Hampshire Slim. Just to show that he's not a one-trick pony, I'm featuring today another of his recent efforts.

As I mentioned yesterday, Arnie's work has appeared in the Industrial Workers of the World's Little Red Songbook. I like to think of him as a latter day Wobbly, riding the rods, booming into the hobo jungles, putting up silent agitator stickers in lumber camps, speaking to the masses on soap boxes and regaling his fellow workers with subversive songs. I like to think of him doing these things, although I don't think he does a lot of them. Maybe the regaling.

Again, you know the tune. Enjoy...

Deck the halls with fairer taxes, FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA
Put away the budget axes
Unemployment compensation
Helps the jobless, helps the nation.

Giving workers more employment
Helps restore yuletide enjoyment
Do not touch our old age pensions
We demand U-I extensions

Taxes on estates and wealthy
Makes the budget be more healthy
Organize for higher wages
Do not raise retirement ages

Cut excessive defense spending
Time for wars to all be ending
Put this on your year-end wish-list
Bring the soldiers home for Christmas

FAUST, REVISITED. Here's Lawrence Mishel of the Economic Policy Institute on the Obama administration's deal with Mephis...I mean some people in Congress:

Who got what out of (Monday's deal between President Obama and Republican leaders) is clear. The Republicans got tax cuts for the best-off two percent and lower estate taxes for the very wealthiest families, neither of which will do much if anything to create jobs. President Obama won policies that will put or keep money in the pockets of the unemployed and middle and low-income families, which will increase spending and create jobs. That’s what a payroll tax holiday for workers, unemployment benefits and the various tax credits will do: create customers for business and create jobs, which is our biggest need right now.

In two years, the American people will have a clear choice about who the tax code will favor. That debate will, I hope, highlight the hypocrisy of those wanting to deepen the deficit by extending tax cuts for the rich while simultaneously cutting health care, Social Security and domestic public investments in the name of deficit reduction.

And, while we're at it, here's Paul Krugman's take on it.

MISSING THE MOMENT. This item looks at what happened with the failure of climate change legislation.

THE DREAM REVISITED. Some people are scaling back their version of the American dream.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED