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

No Social Security Increase Next Year

NYT reports No Social Security Increase Next Year: One feeling reported was this: “I just hope there is some way to reconsider that decision (on the COLA) because it is going to affect so many people,” Edelman said. “I can’t understand why the Congress hasn’t seen that there’s been an increase in everything.” The explanation […]

Misleading tax and spend rhetoric–public worker "overcompensation" and "too-high pensions"

by Linda Beale Misleading tax and spend rhetoric–public worker “overcompensation” and “too-high pensions”crossposted with Ataxingmatter In my earlier ataxingmatter post on how tax rhetoric is used in political campaigning and think tank propaganda, I noted that our nation is threatened by an epidemic of misleading tax rhetoric. The GOP for four decades has made tax […]

Discouraging Greg Mankiw From Working Would be Good for the Economy

by Mike Kimel Discouraging Greg Mankiw From Working Would be Good for the EconomyCross posted at the the Presimetrics blog. A few days ago Greg Mankiw had an op ed piece in the NY Times talking about how even small increases in the marginal tax rate would keep him (and by extension, other talented folks […]

Who’s bringing home the dough?

…Corporations. Since earnings season is now well underway, I decided to look at the breakdown of aggregate domestic income (gross domestic income). Corporate profits are up 44.7% since the outset of the US recovery, while wages and salary accruals are up just 0.9%. The chart above illustrates the peak-trough losses (total loss), trough-Q2 2010 gains […]

Greg Mankiw’s anti-tax arguments

by Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter Greg Mankiw’s anti-tax arguments[edits 3:00 pm] When academics write about our own experiences in op-eds and blog posts, we risk making a common error–assuming that we can view ourselves objectively and that we can rationally dissect the pros and cons of our own situations as illustrative of humanity in general […]

GINNI THOMAS v. CLARENCE THOMAS

by Beverly Manncrossposted with The Annarborist GINNI THOMAS v. CLARENCE THOMAS “The Supreme Court, issuing its first orders accepting cases for the new Term, on Tuesday edged toward analysis of the government’s authority to label information it has as a “state secret” and thus to prevent its disclosure in court. It will do so, though, […]

How exactly do you create a job?

by Noni Mausa How exactly do you create a job? Raising and Training Omadiki How exactly do you create a job? The president is blamed for not doing it (but warned not to do it directly.) Business is exhorted to do it, (but not blamed for not doing it.) But what is the “it” that […]