Obama has picked Christina Romer to chair the CEA. Romer is a good pick who knows alot about recessions, how to fix them and macro economics in general.
However, one thing that you will probably not read in news stories on the pick is some of the work she has done. National Journal writes:
“At the same […]
Archive for November, 2008
Nov25th2008
Nov24th2008
Bruce Bartlett, conservative economist, pretty much sums up my reaction to Obama’s choice of economic team:
So far, I am very impressed. Larry Summers at the NEC is brilliant. Tim Geithner at Treasury inspires confidence. Peter Orszag at OMB tells me that we will get honest numbers on which to base policy for a change. And […]
Nov24th2008
“The one sector that definitely needs to contract is the financial sector. Maintaining Citi as a zombie bank is not really constructive. I would feel better if it were carved up, with the viable pieces sold to other firms and the remainder wound down by government. In my view, getting the financial sector down to […]
Nov24th2008
“The Democratic Party is allied with the unions, a marriage of head and heart. Obama has promised to support the “card-check” legislation that the unions see as vital for expanding their membership and bargaining power. The state of American auto manufacturing — an example of union power in action — ought to give him pause. […]
Nov21st2008
As The Union Big Three Crash, The Non-union Honda Hires
Published by in Economics and Unions. 0 CommentsABC News reports:
Detroit may be in the doldrums, but Greensburg, Ind., is celebrating its shiny new auto plant.
Honda Motor Co. opened a new factory in the town of 12,000 in October, bringing jobs and hope.
Honda CEO Takeo Fukui flew in from Tokyo for the plant’s dedication ceremony Monday, eager to take advantage of the trouble […]
Nov20th2008
The Economics Of The Minimum Wage On Teenagers
Published by in Economics, General and Minimum Wage. 2 CommentsCharlene Kalenkoski and Donald Lacombe, both Associate Professors of Economics at Ohio University, have a new paper on the effects of the minimum wage on teenagers. They write:
Abstract:The relationship between minimum wage increases and youth employment is investigated using county-level data and spatial econometric techniques. Results that account for spatial correlation indicate that a 10% […]
Nov19th2008
“I don’t see any reason to think that $25 billion would actually turn these firms around or even forestall collapse for very long. The car industry in general is in a big slump, and these companies in particular have been on a downward trajectory for a long time. You could buy General Motors for $1.75 […]
Nov17th2008
“I think it would be a terrible mistake to simply write a check to the auto industry without demanding major, major restructuring of its labor contracts. Without that the money will simply go down a rat hole and the automakers will just be back again in a year or two asking for more money. Obama […]
Nov14th2008
First, I sincerely congratulate Obama on his win. Though I disagree with him on some policy issues, there were alot of things I liked about him. With that said, I’d like to reflect on some possible outcomes of an Obama presidency, things that I will have an interest in throughout the next four years.
Black Culture: […]
Nov11th2008
I came back from my vacation Sunday and while catching up with all of the politics, especially as a resident of California, I kept coming across pictures of proposition 8 (making marriage between man and woman only - constitutional) protests. Many of the protesters had signs that claim gay marriage is about equality, family values, […]
Nov3rd2008
The Rustbelt Model-Coming to a theater near you?
Published by in Capitalism, Economics and Unions. 3 CommentsI have to say, having lived in Michigan for 2 years, I can still visualize the extent to which strong unions, a heavy reliance on big government and a general hostility to free markets can destroy an economy. Obama’s economic policies remind me of the same characteristics that brought the upper-Midwest to its knees. […]
Nov3rd2008
“Irresponsible individual voters ought to abstain rather than vote badly. This thesis may seem anti-democratic. Yet it is really a claim about voter responsibility and how voters can fail to meet this responsibility. On my view, voters are not obligated to vote, but if they do vote, they owe it to others and themselves to […]
