J. Patrick Patterson

Associate Editor at In These Times

Writer at Freelance

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Articles

Many Evictions Are Informal or Illegal-Just-Cause Protections Can Help

3 weeks ago | inthesetimes.com | J. Patrick Patterson

just cause e•vic•tion noun 1. a law that protects renters from being arbitrarily kicked out of their homes How big is the eviction problem? Millions of people are evicted in the United States each year. Many of these evictions are informal or illegal; for example, a landlord simply changes the locks without notice. An additional 7.6 million evictions are threatened annually, according to data from the Eviction Lab.
Sapphopalooza stuns at the Music Box Theatre

1 month ago | chicagoreader.com | Micco Caporale |Savannah Ray Hugueley |Taryn McFadden |J. Patrick Patterson

It’s a great time for sapphics in Chicago—maybe not as good as it was five months ago, when there were more federal protections and resources allocated for women, nonbinary people, and the LGBTQ+ community. But it’s a better time than when homosexuality was pathologized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, women needed a male signatory to open a bank account, and most public trans women wanted husbands, never wives or girlfriends.
We Should All Get Ready For A May Day 2028 General Strike

1 month ago | progressivehub.net | J. Patrick Patterson

If we’re going to build enough collective power to win universal healthcare and the right to retire with dignity, then we need to tighten up. By J. Patrick Patterson, In These TimesMay Day 2028nouna plan to make union contracts expire May 1, 2028, all across the country — to precede a general strike, led by the United Auto Workers, for concessions from the ruling class. Whoa, seriously? UAW President Shawn Fain sure seems serious.
Why Everyone Should Be Preparing For May Day 2028

1 month ago | inthesetimes.com | J. Patrick Patterson

May Day 2028 noun a plan to make union contracts expire May 1, 2028, all across the country — to precede a general strike, led by the United Auto Workers, for concessions from the ruling class. Whoa, seriously? "The call for aligning contract expirations and planning for a general strike is powerful in and of itself.” —Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants UAW President Shawn Fain sure seems serious.
The Big Idea: Capitalist Realism

Mar 26, 2025 | inthesetimes.com | J. Patrick Patterson

cap•i•tal•ist re•al•ism noun the idea that capitalism is the only viable way to organize the economyour collective inability to imagine an alternative to capitalism Can you give an example? The government’s response to the 2008 financial crisis.
The Big Idea: Social Housing

Feb 20, 2025 | popularresistance.org | J. Patrick Patterson

Above photo: Illustration by Kazimir Iskander. Nearly half of U.S. renters struggle to make rent. Social housing offers a permanently affordable solution for working people. so•cial hous•ingnoun1. permanently affordable housing run as a public good rather than a profit centerWhat makes it “social”?
The Big Idea: Social Housing

Feb 19, 2025 | inthesetimes.com | J. Patrick Patterson

J. Patrick Patterson February 19, 2025 so•cial hous•ing noun 1. permanently affordable housing run as a public good rather than a profit center What makes it “social”? “Social” as in “addressing the needs of society.” With of U.S. renters already rent-burdened (spending more than 30% of their income on rent), and profit-hungry developers spurring rampant gentrification, social housing would allow people to stay in their homes regardless of market fluctuations.
Big Idea: Ranked-Choice Voting

Feb 11, 2025 | inthesetimes.com | J. Patrick Patterson

J. Patrick Patterson February 11, 2025 noun an electoral system in which voters order candidates by preference, as an alternative to first-past-the-post systems Sounds complicated. It doesn’t have to be! Here’s how it works: If more than 50% of voters choose the same top candidate, we have a winner, same as ever. Otherwise — when no candidate crosses that threshold in the first round — votes for the least popular candidate get redistributed to voters’ next choice.
Black dreams are greater than hoops

Nov 7, 2024 | chicagoreader.com | J. Patrick Patterson

If there’s a sport worth obsessing over, it’s basketball. What a beautiful game: shoes squeaking across shiny hardwood floors, the swish of the net when a perfect shot whips through, a contest that requires teamwork but celebrates individual style. When I was a grammar school hooper, my dad gave me the 1995 book Hoop Dreams: A True Story of Hardship and Triumph by Reader columnist Ben Joravsky.
The Child Tax Credit Is Great For Parents And For Turning Out The Vote

Nov 4, 2024 | inthesetimes.com | J. Patrick Patterson

J. Patrick Patterson November 4, 2024 child tax cred•it noun 1. A U.S. tax break for families based on income and number of children How’s it work? As it stands, the federal Child Tax Credit provides families with up to $2,000 for each qualifying child at tax time. Up to $1,700 of that credit is “refundable” in 2024, which means the family can claim it even if they don’t have taxable income.