The Bear on Aug 26 2008 | Filed under: Economy, Energy Policy
Americans probably respond more to gasoline prices because tanking up is a uniquely painful experience. One stands at the pump and watches the bill increase penny by penny, a click at a time.
The Bear on Aug 26 2008 | Filed under: Economy
Investment analysts believe the government may soon have to pump $20 billion into each of the two mortgage giants just to keep them afloat, according to today’s New York Times.
The Bear on Aug 23 2008 | Filed under: Economy
An idealist would assume that those stark numbers would jump out at legislators in the most anti-business states and prompt a bracing re-evaluation of their spending, tax and regulatory regimes, as Paterson advocates. But no such luck.
The Bear on Aug 12 2008 | Filed under: Economy
What is true of individuals is true of states. Laws—and public policy in general—often shape the circumstances of states. The result can be economic successes or economic messes.
The Bear on Aug 09 2008 | Filed under: Culture, Economy
Without money, people who want to trade what they have for something else they want must barter with someone with a complementary interest. If a man has apples and wants oranges, he must find a person who has oranges and wants apples. Economists, with their usual talent for turning an unmemorable phrase, call this a “double coincidence of want.”
The Bear on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Economy
This is as clear a statement as I’ve seen any politician make regarding the absolute folly of the GSE bailout that unfortunately will probably be passed by the Congress before the week is out.
The Bear on Jul 25 2008 | Filed under: Economy
If Treasury Sec. Paulson can’t get a regulator who can rein in these two — and put them into receivership if they require taxpayer money — he should put the political blame squarely on Fannie and Freddie’s enablers in Congress.
The Bear on Jul 25 2008 | Filed under: Economy
Politics is largely the process of taking credit and putting the blame on others — regardless of what the facts may be. Politicians get away with this to the extent that we gullibly accept their words and look to them as political messiahs.
The Bear on Jul 24 2008 | Filed under: Economy
The long-term goal for conservatives is to eliminate Fannie and Freddie entirely. There simply is no need for the government to pass a housing subsidy through semi-private, for-profit corporations that expose the taxpayers to $5 trillion in potential liabilities.
The Bear on Jul 17 2008 | Filed under: Economy
With Fannie and Freddie on the ropes politically, let’s put them on a path to privatization and liquidation.
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