News
MSNBC | 'I won't pay' movement spreads across Greece
In light of austerity measures, citizens ignore tolls, transit ticket costs, even bills for healthcare
CNN Money | Home sales inching up
Sales of existing homes recorded modest gains in January, the third straight month of month-over-month increases.
Econ Comments
WSJ | The Myth of Corporate Cash Hoarding
Companies hire more workers when there's income to pay them. They don't liquidate financial assets.
Cato Institute | Fannie, Freddie Lose Relevance
On Feb. 11, the day that Hosni Mubarak resigned as president of Egypt, the Obama administration released its report to Congress on reforming America's housing finance market.
Real Clear Markets | Collective Bargaining Doesn't Work In the Public Sector
Although Walker is being demonized as a union buster, in truth he's only asking for the same powers to manage his budget and workforce that President Obama already enjoys.
Minyanville | What the Decline in Durable Goods Orders Says About Manufacturing Sector Health
December's report noted that aside from aircraft orders, durable goods orders were up 0.5%. But a few months of aircraft weakness doesn't explain the nine-month trend.
AEI | Public Unions Force Taxpayers to Fund Democrats
Wisconsin, which led the nation on civil service a century ago and on welfare reform in the 1990s, may be showing the nation the way ahead once again.
WSJ | Waiting for Hurricane Charlie (Crist)
All Americans will pay if Florida doesn't reform its insurance market.
Real Clear Markets | Controls On Bank Capital Are - Yet Again - Exposed As Worthless
In short, the only regulation so far not mentioned by the political and economic establishment is the only one that would actually work for banks, and all other economic entities: Let them fail.
Blogs
Café Hayek | The power of the rich
I think fixing the relationship between the financial sector and the power of government, particularly the Fed, is the single biggest problem we face as a democracy and as an economy. The exploitive nature of this relationship, what is often called crony capitalism, has led to terrible misallocations of capital and to resentment from the body politic about the fairness of the political process.
Atlantic: McArdle | The Best Things in Workplaces Aren't Free
The people making this argument seem oblivious to the fact that all these things cost employers money. I think they understand that pensions and health care are expensive, but they seem to view the last four as freebies. Yet they obviously have monetary value to employees (who tout their willingness to give up pay in order to secure these things). They also have monetary value to employers.
Independent Institute | What’s Holding Back the Recovery?
What’s holding back the recovery? My answer: the failure of private investment to recover fully.
CSM: Growthology | Is American education getting worse?
Inequalities within the US education system are more important than differences with other countries.
