deregulation

In this short Animate, radical sociologist David Harvey asks if it is time to look beyond capitalism, towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that could be responsible, just and humane.

Since the 1970s, the U.S. has been on a path towards increasing income inequality. New census data shows the trend has been magnified by the recent economic depression and that while a small percentage of households are doing exceedingly well, the majority of Americans are struggling to survive.

Pennsylvania residents may soon see a bank-breaking increase in electricity prices as rate caps on utilities are due to expire by 2010.  In 1996 the Pennsylvania legislature decided to deregulate the public utilities, however at that time they capped the electricity rates for consumers for several years.  But those rate caps are about to expire spelling trouble for Pennsylvanians. To get a glimpse of our future check out the recent report from Labor Justice Radio 84,000 households slated to be shutoff in Baltimore, which focuses on the dramatic increase in utility costs since electric companies were deregulated.

While in Baltimore,members of Labor Justice Radio spoke to Maria Alwine of the Maryland Coalition for Baltimore Gas and Electric Reregulation. In this interview, Alwine explains that since deregulation, gas and electric fees have more than doubled and currently 84,000 Baltimore households are slated to have utilities shut-off. Alwine also discusses the organizing people are doing to get Baltimore Gas & Electric re-regulated.