To solve the deficit, the numbers add up – but not the votes Ezra Klein The sudden proliferation of deficit-reduction plans is a reminder that the deficit is, at its heart, a math problem. To get the budget into “primary balance” in 2015 – that’s wonk-speak for a balanced budget before interest payments, and it’s […]

EEOC offers this information: The Commission heard testimony from a number of experts on the impact of the economic crisis on older workers, the legal issues surrounding age discrimination today, and best practices to retain older workers. Dr. William Spriggs, Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, testified that the rate of unemployment for […]

Econospeak’s Peter Dorman has an excellent debate going on with Sandwichman and cian, among others, about using GDP as a main measure of a healthy economy, the components of growing the economy, and the state of mainstream political economic discourse. We have touched on related issues on Angry Bear. Our own Rusty puts the question […]

Matthew Richardson, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business, offers his thoughts on risk management and the economy. Market Failure Cannot Be Resolved Without Regulation Matthew Richardson on November 23, 2010, 12:00 AM I am all for free markets and not mucking them up with government intervention. But the economic theory of regulation tells […]

by Tom aka Rusty Rustbelt Consumer Finance: Let Wal-Mart be a Bank One of the side effects of the “great recession” is damage to credit records and banking relationships for many people who get in financial trouble. Many of them will have trouble reestablishing banking relationship (that the banks caused the recession is irrelevant, of […]

by Linda Beale WaPo (inaccurately?) reports consensus forming on deficitcrossposted with Ataxingmatter The buildup in the corporate media supporting the corporatist wishlist on budgeting is growing.  First there was the clamor about the Bowles-Simpson road map to conquering the deficit–depicted as a reasonable, middle-of-the-road approach.  Bowles-Simpson is a neo-liberal/neo-conservative group of people with little understanding […]

The International Federation of Health Plans released its 2010 report today. (PDF here.) The good news is that the problem is clear: Americans pay too much for the same services. The bad news is (1) we’ve known that for years and (2) the factions who are gaining these excessive rents want to keep their sinecures. […]

by Bruce Webb Strengthen Social Security a coalition of progressive organizations determined to protect and strengthen Social Security, coordinated and hosted by Social Security Works (or maybe by now SSW is hosted by SSSC) produced the above graph. I didn’t see it on their website and so grabbed it from Ezra Klein’s post (which does […]

by Linda Beale Irish Bailout–impact on taxes uncertaincrossposted with Ataxingmatter As plans for the $100 billion bailout of the Irish economy and banking system by the European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank continues, Ireland’s downtrodden prime minister (who will call elections after the budget is finalized) has said that it “will not” […]