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Maybe Ed Glaeser should revisit basic American history.
Archive for February, 2011
February 18th, 2011
Category: Egypt
Last week I posted some cautionary thoughts about the outcome of what we have to call the military coup in Egypt. More details on the incentives and habits, and indicative recent decisions, of the army mandarins are coming out, and the picture is not pretty, whether you care about political or economic freedom. A clientist [...]
February 17th, 2011
Category: Illinois
Illinois’ budget season is upon us. The governor’s proposed budget will be painful for thousands of needy people across the state.
February 17th, 2011
Category: Uncategorized
This article about flood risk in San Diego sketches some plausible future scenarios and presents a vision of how coastal cities are responding to this anticipated threat. Such adaptation investments make a lot of sense and this is a nice case study. But, take a look at the comments posted at the end of the [...]
February 17th, 2011
Category: Microeconomics and policy analysis
Redistribution can be efficiency-enhancing, and while preventing a statistical death doesn’t have an infinite value, the value is pretty damned high: higher than the business lobby is now comfortable with.
February 17th, 2011
Category: Uncategorized
This new study written by researchers at the Public Policy Institute of California makes a number of excellent points about how policies that facilitate higher density development, encourage alternatives to solo driving and road pricing policies could reduce our carbon footprint. As California pursues SB375 these issues will be debated in detail.
February 17th, 2011
Can the assertion “Government is too big [or too small]” ever mean enough to support a serious conversation, much less a policy decision? How about “California [or the US; plug in your own jurisdiction larger than a small town] can’t afford [plug in a program]“? What could such statements mean, or be shorthand for?
February 16th, 2011
Category: Energy and Environment
When mining companies have to operate on private land, “that can become expensive.” This is another way of saying: “When firms mine on public land, taxpayers are probably being ripped off.”
February 16th, 2011
Category: Uncategorized
Are economists useful people? We are loved and we are modest but are we contributing to overall well being? This new paper raises my confidence in the role of “positivist” analysis. The authors provide a subtle statistical analysis of a key environmental policy issue. Do cleanups of toxic waste sites (Superfund) increase local property values? [...]
February 16th, 2011
Darrell Issa fires another know-nothing salvo at public health research