{Cross posted from dkos Social Security Defenders Group} If we back up a bit and examine Social Security absent the lenses of the various economic and ideological stakeholders, it is clearly not in crisis. But it does face challenges, or at least one challenge viewed three different ways. The challenge is stated pretty simply: under […]

The employment report was one of the best seen this cycle. Total payroll employment rose 192,000 and private payroll employment rose 222,000– one of the strongest this cycle. Moreover the household survey reported employment gains of 250,000.Part of the strength obviously was just a make up for the very weak gains in January because of […]

Lifted from an e-mail in reaction to two links here and here I sent to Beverly Mann concerning Judge Clarence Thomas. (e-mail slightly revised for clarity) by Beverly Mann Clarence and Ginny Thomas, the Go-To Folks for Liberty Hi Dan, I’m obviously very supportive of the political goals of both of the organizations whose web […]

I WAY underestimated the simplicity of ECB policy. I think that the terse monetary policy objective explains quite well the ECB’s announced stance on policy today: The primary objective of the ECB’s monetary policy is to maintain price stability. The ECB aims at inflation rates of below, but close to, 2% over the medium term. […]

by Mark Provost re-posted from Economic Populist with permission of author Corporate Profits Soaring Thanks to Record Unemployment In a January 2009 ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos, then President-elect Barack Obama said fixing the economy required shared sacrifice, “Everybody’s going to have to give. Everybody’s going to have to have some skin in the game.” […]

There is a new estimate of the effect of $ 60 billion spending cut on GDP and employment. Since this estimate was made by brilliant economist* Ben Bernanke aided by the staff of the Federal Reserve Board, it will get a lot of attention. Bernanke said that a $60 billion cut along the lines being […]

H35 provides for these amendments to the MA teachers retirement system by Gov. Duval Patrick: An Act Providing for Additional Pension Reform and Benefits ModernizationThis legislation filed by Governor Patrick proposes further pension reforms to achieve the following objectives: Update the system to reflect demographic changes, such as the fact that people are living and […]

The times are tense and tempers fray…I found this little snippet funny in a way that fits the times. I don’t know where it came from, but would love to know.

Guest post by Steve Roth crossposted at Asymptosis Too Big to Fail? Wall Street and Main Street: How Big Are They People are forever talking about banks that are too big to fail. But you rarely hear about the larger issue: The financial industry is too big to fail. Click for larger graphic.) Note that […]