I suspect few people know that the original Social Security Act set up not one but two retirement systems. Title 2 set up what we recognize as Social Security today, a worker funded retirement based on an insurance model. Title 1 set up something quite different. The history can be found on the SSA.gov website […]

The following is a point of information for healthcare statistics. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which began in 1996, is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc.), and employers across the United States. MEPS collects data on the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently […]

by cactus I had some more or less random thoughts: 1. If Obama wins the election, in five or six years expect the folks on the right to blame the state of the economy in 2008 on him. They’ve had more than enough practice – how many times have you heard about how the stock […]

The best comment I’ve seen on a blog in a long time. That is why he gets the big bucks.

The editors of the WSJ agree with Brad DeLong that the Fannie/Freddie problem is that their short-term cash flows may be(come) impaired: The most immediate danger is that investors will shrink from rolling over the debt of the two companies, leading to a run a la Bear Stearns….With so much on the line, we’ve been […]

Go. Read. Express Sympathy. Suggest he to donate the speaking fee to CEPR or the EPI.

Have a good week end folks.

John Carney at Dealbreaker notes the official reason the White House prefers that the government takeover Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: The reason the Bush administration is leaning toward bringing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship rather than backstopping the two home mortgage companies is that concern about moral hazard problem. Bailing out Fannie […]

By: Divorced one like Bush I am responding to a post put up at Crooks and Liars: The McCain campaign small business myth. It presents that the myth is found in the number of small businesses in existance and what percentage of them earns $250,000 or more. I love C and L, but this is […]

Calculated risk is out today and just reported the head line trade data and linked to the Wall Street Journal calling the improvement in the trade balance a surprise But the real trade deficit improved from $ -46,966 M (2000 $) in March to $-46,679 in April and $-43,589 M in May. Remember, the improvement […]