Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Fixing Social Security

If nothing is done, the Social Security Trust Fund is currently projected to run out in about 2033. At that point, projected benefits will fall by about 20%. The Boston Globe has an opinion piece about the coming Social Security crisis/crunch. It talks about how Canada deals with the problem. I have a subscription and […]

How health insurers profit by hoarding your data

A comprehensive All-Payer Claims Databases would help the health care system become more effective and efficient. The Department of Labor could do something about that, but hasn’t. Merrill at GoozNews is depicting why providers and software vendors closely guard patient information, maintaining exclusivity so as patients have to rely on them. Insurance companies follow suit […]

Biden Says Billionaires Pay an 8.2% Tax Rate. What Do Other Households Pay?

Let’s compare apples to apples here. Originally Published at Wealth Economics Uncle Joe has thrown out this 8.2% figure a couple of times, including in last night’s SOTU. Multiple folks have unpacked it; it’s not the standard “tax rate” measure. The usual “tax rate” is taxes divided by personal income, which doesn’t include accrued holding gains. The alternative […]

Addressing Credit Card late fees and Supply Chain Pricing

My beef has been with the Supply Chain. Yep, you can be forced into manufacturing less product due to part shortages. Unless you are air freighting that stuff or running OT, costs do not necessarily increase due to producing less. Another situation? In 2008, the calls would come in about raising prices in a take […]

What real spending and the unemployment rate portend for the 2024 Presidential election (so far)

A bit behind here as other things have distracted me in AZ. Health being one of them. A double dose of excellent reviews of the economy today. If there is one commentary (if you are rushed) on Angry Bear you should read concerning the economy, it is NDd’s reporting. Spending and Unemployment are in the […]

Representative DeFazio taking on Boeing

 Taking on Boeing, A senior manager for Boeing’s 737 MAX program testimony about Boeing manufacturing issues and its supply chain. The fatal MAX 8 crashes occurred in 2018 and 2019. He decided to speak up publicly and was then called to testify before Congress on the problems he says he saw up close. The story […]

No Longer Right to Work

We were living in Michigan when Engler and the Republican Legislature passed Right to Work Laws. The effort was meant to undercut Unions and saving costs for the Big Three automakers. Supposedly cars would be lower in costs to with the reductions reflected in prices to consumers. Never happened. Michigan reversed Right to Work Laws […]

Aggregate payrolls vs. total withholding taxes paid: which one has been telling the truer tale?

Aggregate payrolls vs. total withholding taxes paid: which one has been telling the truer tale?  – by New Deal democrat The drought in new data continues for today. So I wanted to take a further look at the two measures of total payrolls I discussed on Friday, one of which has been of some concern. […]

State Supreme Court takes to Task the U.S. Supreme Court

As you read this Slate article, this is something I was also thinking about. How did SCOTUS arrive at its decision and what was the basis or history supporting its decision? SCOTUS was interpreting what they thought it should be. Thomas was telling judges to study the history of gun control before they arrive at […]

trump’s TCJA Made the Tax System, Tax Season More Burdensome

In Angry Bear’s commentary Looking at the Trump 2017 Tax Breaks, we examined exactly what the TCJA did for citizens. By the end of 2025, the TCJA would add to the deficit an ~$2.2 trillion. If extended, we can expect another $1.5 trillion. Special exempts were written into the bill so those (business interests) who […]