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

Republican Dilemma on ACA: the Good Parts Take Money

This will be short and sweet, consider it a Health Care Open Thread. ‘Repeal and Replace’ is a pipe dream. Because all the good parts of ACA including guaranteed issue, coverage of pre-existing conditions and inclusions of young people on their parents’ policy actually cost money. At least up front. Which has to come from […]

Where the ACA Should Go Next?

On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Dan <cdansplace2@aol.com> emailed: Rortybomb, New Piece on Where the ACA Should Go Next Rorty touts the 2009 House Bill which calls for a Public Option and described here To improve ‘Obamacare,’ reconsider the original House bill Maggie Mahar replies: Originally I favored a public option, but in […]

The IMF and Sovereign Debt

by Joseph Joyce   The IMF and Sovereign Debt   The continuing inability of the Eurozone economies to break out of their current impasse means that any optimistic projections of declining debt to GDP ratios are unlikely to be achieved. As long as European governments continue to raise funds in the financial markets on favorable […]

Ho hum or bizarre?

Any one knowledgeable?…leave a comment on winners and losers. Deal book today describes rather ho hum changes in capital requirements for banks with a positive spin: FED’S DIET PLAN FOR BANKS The Federal Reserve said on Monday that it planned to increase the pressure on large financial firms to slim down, DealBook’s Peter Eavis writes. […]

Measuring Slack with Short-term & Long-term NAIRUs

It is commonly known that the CBO projects potential output, but they also have 2 measures for the natural rate of unemployment… a Short-term & a Long-term rate. (link) The description at FRED economic data says… “The natural rate of unemployment (NAIRU) is the rate of unemployment arising from all sources except fluctuations in aggregate […]

Ted Olson Wants Congress to Bar the Koch Brothers’ Contributions to Incumbents. I Say: Good Idea!

Post updated below. —- Forty-six Senate Democrats have concluded that the First Amendment is an impediment to re-election that a little tinkering can cure. They are proposing a constitutional amendment that would give Congress and state legislatures the authority to regulate the degree to which citizens can devote their resources to advocating the election or […]