This article originally appeared  on radio station KBOO's website.

Three years into the government's announced recovery, working Americans find themselves poorer than when the recovery began. While the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression has exposed corrupt bankers, unregulated speculators and a government willing to serve the interests of the one percent regardless the cost, the wealthy continue to prosper. Economist Richard D. Wolff credits the occupy movement with exposing these symptoms of capitalism but believes we must go deeper to resolve the decades-old causes of the crisis, reaching back to the 1970s when a century-old pattern of rising wages for workers ended.

This week, Jo Ann and Dave talk with Dr. Wolff about the deep-rooted causes underlying the current crisis, how those cause have made economic injustice chronic and how we build on the occupy movement's initial steps to create a better future. Dr. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and regularly teaches at the Brecht Forum in Manhattan. His most recent published work is Occupy the Economy: Challenging Capitalism which he co-authored with David Barsamian.

Jo Ann Hardesty is a former state legislator, former director of Oregon Action and past board president of Portland Community Media, as well as a long-time leader in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Dave Mazza is a journalist and former editor of The Portland Alliance who has covered and been involved in Portland's civil rights, environmental, labor and peace movements for over 20 years.

Co-Hosts: Jo Ann Hardesty and Dave Mazza

Producers: Dave Mazza and Jo Ann Hardesty

Program Engineer: Steve Nassar

<>Audio Editor: Alicia Olson