Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

The Doomsday Scenario

by Tom aka Rusty The Doomsday Scenario So why are conservatives so excited about health care reform? Many see the progressive left pushing a gradual move to the Doomsday Scenario, something like this: 1) private health insurance is hyper-regulated, underwriting standards are eliminated, and premium costs rise astronomically 2) employers, especially smaller employers, drop coverage […]

The Hoover Institution

by cactus For the last few decades, a many prominent conservatives and libertarians have been associated with the Hoover Institution. The Hoover of the Hoover Institution is Herbert Hoover, the guy who was president during the Crash of 1929 and under whom the Great Depression unfolded. Now, I’ve been thinking about how conservatives and libertarians […]

Mankiw quotes CBO on medical Spending

hby Spencer On Monday Greg Mankiw quoted a CBO study on health care spending. An Ounce of Prevention …is expensive, says CBO:the evidence suggests that for most preventive services,expanded utilization leads to higher, not lower, medical spending overall. That was the end of his quote from the study. He did not quote the part of […]

For example, average workers ruin the economy?

rdan The Sacremento Bee has forwarded this story (h/t reader Denis) The unionized government work force has roughly 200,000 or so employees represented by 12 labor organizations. It’s a vast, diverse group ranging from custodians to doctors, clerks to engineers. And don’t forget non-union managers. All get different contract deals with varying terms. In a […]

Health insurance plans-Goldman Sachs and Congress

rdan NYT reports on $40,000/year health plans as we discuss health payment options for health care. Goldman Sachs is one of the nation’s richest banks, and hundreds of top Goldman employees have a health care package to match — one of the “gold-plated Cadillac” plans cited by those involved in the health care debate in […]

CBO’s Long-Term Projections for Social Security: 2009 Update

by Bruce Webb Summary from Director’s Blog CBO’s Long-Term Projections for Social Security: 2009 UpdateFull Report: Long-Term Projections for Social Security: 2009 Update This newest report on the long-range health of Social Security shows a shape not much changed from last year’s but with some changes in the detailed dates and numbers. Per this report […]

Employment report follow up

By Spencer, Yesterday in describing the employment report I said: Moreover, the manufacturing work week rose from 39.5 to 39.8 hours and overtime hours were 2.9 hours versus 2.8 in the second quarter. Much of this was auto and confirms the other reports that at least auto output is rebounding. I was criticized and accused […]

How to be a Communist and a Fascist at the Same Time

by Bruce Webb Those of us with a passing knowledge of the development of Communism and Fascism within the larger context of the Popular Revolution vs Reaction tend to scratch our heads when people accuse Obama and his whole program of being both. After all in Europe, the historical cradle of each, the movements have […]

Can the U.S. Government do anything right ?

Robert Waldmann I hate to type that headline given the health care reform debate, but I am alarmed by Karen DeYoung’s article in the Washington Post about new efforts to get Afghans to stop producing opium — all new this time with carrots. The problem is that the price of wheat is too low. The […]