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

Consumer prices rise 1% in May alone; owners’ equivalent rent at 30 year high

Consumer prices rise 1% in May alone; owners’ equivalent rent at 30 year high; expect the Fed to keep stomping on the brakes Today is a travel day for me, so I’ll keep this relatively brief. People who were hoping inflation would abate did not get the news they wanted from the May CPI. Consumer […]

Health Care Costs — Paying More for the Same Services

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. […]

Labor market rents can cause business cycles

Robert Waldmann I’m not sure whether (more likely wherE) this has been noted in the literature, but wage differentials not due to differences in workers’ skill are enough to generate a business cycle. A verbal “model” after the jump. update: additional model with fixed capital added. The key reference from which this is not quite […]