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

Matt Yglesias says the median household is probably richer than the median household in 1989

by Robert Waldmann Matt Yglesias says the median household is probably richer than the median household in 1989.  Oh that we have come to this.  Take the mike Matt Despite rising health care and education prices, we don’t have fewer people going to college or seeing the doctor and we do have bigger houses, more […]

Comment sections debate

LOL….  ah well, I hadn’t read the comment section of Kenneth Thomas’s and Maggie Mahar’s posts  before I put up the Popular Science post.     Lifted from comments. Hans September 25, 2013 12:00 am Anything is more affordable especially when someone picks up the tab.. I sorry Ms Mahar, but you are a dolt […]

Senator Sanders on the The Transformation of American Society

This is an 11 minute clip of his speech, “The Lone Star Strategy.” It is worth a listen. The Lone Star Strategy Senator Bernie Sanders Republicans’ efforts to cut food stamps and defund the Affordable Care Act are just “the beginning of the game,” Sanders said. “All of these issues are related to something that […]

Kochcare vs. Obamacare: Finally, Finally, Obama Comes Out Swinging

Mr. Obama also singled out sponsors of a “cynical ad campaign” discouraging Americans from signing up for the new health care program by arguing that it would effectively put the government into the room when women undergo gynecological exams and men undergo colonoscopies. “These are billionaires several times over,” Mr. Obama said, evidently referring to […]

Maggie Mahar Healthbeat Blog: Reverse “Sticker Shock” Part 2 –Subsidies Mean Enormous Saving for Older Americans

In the past I have written about how government tax credits will help young adults (18-34) who must buy their own coverage because they don’t have access to “affordable, comprehensive” employer-sponsored coverage. But older Americans forced to purchase their own insurance will save even more. Precisely because a 50-year-old’s premiums may be three times higher […]

TPP, Fast track, secret to you

Sorry for such thin postings lately but life happens. Hat tip to stormy for this reminder of a trade agreement not making the news. Use TPP in search to see other postings from Kenneth Thomas and Dan Becker: Via Truthout comes this item So far, the TPP has been drafted with an unprecedented degree of […]

Maggie Mahar Healthbeat Blog: Reverse “ Sticker Shock”— Why are Insurance Rates in the State Marketplaces Lower Than Expected? — Part I

Even Forbes’ columnist Avik Roy is recanting. Earlier this month he acknowledged that under Obamacare, many Americans who buy their own coverage in 2014 will find that insurance is significantly more affordable than it was in the past: “Three states will see meaningful declines in rates: Colorado (34 percent), Ohio (30 percent), and New York […]

Do investors really not get it regarding US paying it’s debt?

A question has been nagging me. First, does the rest of the world not get that the republicans are playing a game with the US’ bank account? Does anyone really believe that the US won’t pay as in the renter just skipped out the back door? Or maybe I should say; as in the capital […]

McCutchen vs. Federal Trade Commission

In response to my e-mail on an Oct. 8th  decision on McCutchen vs Federal Election Commission by the Supreme Court that could expand the role of money in elections, Beverly Mann writes:   … the argument in McCutchen is that it makes no sense to have this artificial divide between “issue” advocacy and candidate advocacy—that is, to […]

Obamacare Defunding and the Mandate

This is pure political fantasy. I will pretend to take Republicans seriously. They claim that Obamacare is unpopular (true) and tha the people want them to defund Obamacare. It is clear that the most unpopular part of Obamacare is the mandate (the Medicare entitlement reform which is included in House budget resolutions and of which […]