By Spencer Just to put things in perspective. Note, that January auto sales and retailers reports imply another down month.

Up to now most of the numbers used in the Pick your Pork series have been drawn from the initial House version of the bill. But now the action has moved to the Senate and it is time to shift our ground in response. So lets develop some links. CBO Director’s Blog: Macroeconomic Effects of […]

by Divorced one like Bush I think it’s time to reread the World Bank report on what creates wealth because it seems that the arguments against the stimulus are from a mind-set of very narrow thinking about what creates wealth. They all seem focused on what the World Bank report calls “Produced Capital”. Unfortunately, focusing […]

Robert Waldmann Thinks that this post by Mark Thoma discussing this Post by Menzie Chinn is unusually excellent. I suggest you go read it. If interested my thoughts on it after the jump. ideology. Its just not done to write that the debate is ideologues on one side non-ideologues on the other. In fact, he […]

by cactus Bad Bank Bail-out and A Better Approach E. Scott Reckard at the LA Times writes: The federal government has invested $45 billion in Citigroup and guaranteed more than $300 billion of its troubled loans. Answering complaints that bailed-out banks aren’t lending, Citi said Tuesday that it had committed $36.5 billion “to support U.S. […]

rdan The Washington Post had an article on the stimulus package, but this is the part that caught my eye. A filibuster does not seem to be the real problem. The most ambitious effort to cut the bill is being led by Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), moderates in their parties who […]

Robert Waldmann jumps into a conversation between Felix Salmon and Megan Barnett on limiting banker compensation. after the jump my comment which is addressed to Salmon. I don’t think that you’re surprised that I agree with you and disagree with Barnett. I’d say a strong argument for the cap is the good old moral hazard […]

Robert Waldmann responds to Arnold Kling’s response Arnold Kling was generous enough with his time to respond here to a post of mine Sorry I was AWOL. Thank you Arnold Kling for responding to me. I’m flattered. “Not quite. The more heterogeneous labor force does not necessarily raise the natural rate of unemployment. However, it […]

Well not really, they just repeat some talking points without giving numbers. (via Dean Baker) Stimulus plan should focus on private-sector jobs, not increased social spending Also, the $300 billion targeted for social programs, many of them Democratic favorites, would not generate much immediate economic activity. Improving teacher quality, providing additional cash for Head Start […]

by reader sammy The Case for No Stimulus For the last three months, Americans have been treated to a debate over what the government can do to ease the effects of the current recession and bring about a speedy recovery. Lawmakers of both parties are now considering a very large stimulus package. But there is […]