Lifted from comments, by Cedric Regula, from the post on Stedwegg. I think I should add some historical context here since the econ news on the problem with the PIIGS is focusing only on “the problem is they can’t depreciate there own currency and make everything better”. Ten years ago the PIIGS and others were […]

by Linda Beale Friday Animations–Bush Tax Cutscrossposted with Ataxingmatter It might be worth reminding everbody about now that the Bush tax cuts were a poor idea even when they were first proposed. Like so much else done by the Bush administration (and pushed by the right generally), they amounted to yet another means of redistributing […]

By Noni Mausa The Opposite of Bankrupt Some time ago I wrote about dollars as bizarre IOUs, with no names,dates or specific obligations. They are free-floating promises, whichcan be used to command the efforts of the other people who accept themas valid. I give you ten promises, and you give me a sack of potatoes. […]

Well no there isn’t more under the fold. Let the creativity fly! Hmm proactive commenting! First Amendment bonanza!

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Health Care : Regulatory Weirdness Nursing homes (SNFs and NFs) are very highly regulated, more regulated than hospitals. Included in the regulatory regime is a minimum of one survey per year by the state, with additional state and federal surveys possible. I’ve read hundreds of the voluminous survey reports and […]

Given the other recent economic data that suggested the economy was improving and that the economy might actually be achieving self-sustained growth the November employment report was a major disappointment as the unemployment rate ticked up from 9.6% to 9.8%. Non-farm employment was little changed as it only ticked up 39,000, less than half the […]

Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture points to Pro Publica regarding Tarp and other bailout monies: Pro Publica has been maintaining a list of bailout recipients, updating the amount lent versus what was repaid. So far,  938 Recipients have had $607,822,512,238 dollars committed to them, with $553,918,968,267 disbursed. Of that $554b disbursed, less than half […]

My hat tip to Diane at Economistmom and her essay on the scrambling in Congress around the Bush tax cuts: … In other words, let’s try to avoid doing something with the Bush tax cuts that seems totally crazy given what we say our fiscal policy goals are for both adequately supporting the (still fragile) […]

by Mike Kimel Cross posted at the Presimetrics blog. I guess when you’re a very not famous (co-)author like yours truly, people start contacting you with information about their books. I got an e-mail today from another currently very not famous author plugging his book, and I found it to be an interesting concept. The […]

by Beverly Mann Wealthy people hire people? I didn’t know that.Crossposted with the Annarborist “Unemployed people hire people? Really? I didn’t know that. The truth is the unemployed will spend as little of that money as they possibly can.”(here)—Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona and Economics Nobel Prize laureate Actually, of course, since Shadegg is right […]