An acquaintance of mine who’s very statistically savvy (and quite conservative) posted the following link on Facebook today. I replied as follows (I’ve replaced a link here with a clickable image): As a statistics guy, you know way better than most how important sample size is. There was a 30-year plateau in the HADCRUT data, […]

Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency? — Joseph N. Welch, head counsel for the United States Army while it was under investigation by Joseph McCarthy‘s Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for Communist activities, an investigation known as the Army-McCarthy hearings.  Spring 1954. Shortly after the Denver debate two weeks ago, […]

Comes to mind: the one about the two British ladies who meet at the Ascot races. “My dear,” says the first. “What a lovely hat. Where did you get it?” “Oh darling,” says the second, looking somewhat pained, “don’t you know, we have our hats.” It comes to mind as I ponder the rather grudging […]

by Mike Kimel The 1964 Tax Cuts and  Economic Growth – Paul Ryan Edition  During last week’s Vice Presidential debates, Paul Ryan stated: “Jack Kennedy lowered tax rates, increased growth.”  There was some commentary about Biden’s response (“Oh, now you’re Jack Kennedy.”) but just about everyone seems to miss what I think is the important point. Take […]

by Linda Beale If Europe Adds a Financial Transactions Tax, Will We Follow? Has the time come for the US to impose a financial transactions tax?  It would have several positive features.  First, it would raise revenues, which are sorely needed for everything from climate change action to infrastructure improvements to aid for needy families.  […]

David Zetland passes along some income figures via Aguanomics (re posted).  (Dan here…There are more American billionaires and millionaires, so not to worry) : Cornelia and I were discussing household income and living standards, and I mentioned that median wages in the US were around $35,000.* She was shocked, saying that they were much higher […]

In the Vice Presidential debate Ryan said that the Kennedy tax cuts generated so much growth that tax receipts increased enough to offset the revenue losses. When I look at the data it sure looks like this claim is another one of his Any Rand fantasies.  The economy did grow rapidly after the Kennedy tax […]

Biden’s use of the famous Lloyd Bentsen put-down of Dan Quail—“Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy”—is getting pretty good play among the punditry. (Yay!)  Now, hopefully, Obama and Biden will educate the public about the tax rates on the wealthy and on capital gains in, say, 1963.  And on whether, y’know, America was a European-style socialist […]

Not surprisingly, the pundits have concluded that, while the debate last night will stop the bleeding for the Dem ticket—stop the momentum for Romney/Ryan—it won’t make a difference beyond that. People don’t vote for the vice presidential candidate; they vote for, or against, a presidential candidate. And anyway, Biden smiled too much!  And Ryan was […]