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The Financial Times recently published commentary by Jacob Weisberg deploring Amazon.com’s use of political and financial muscle to avoid collecting sales taxes on out-of-state purchases. Amazon, he notes, only recently relented because the company sees greater advantage in positioning warehouses closer to customers. Wall Street Journal writer Gordon Crovitz … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Category: Economic Theory, Internet, Internet regulation, Quick Takes, Tax Policy |
 Leave a commentYoung adults have done a better job than older Americans of reducing debt since the Great Recession, but they’re deferring some traditional parts of the American Dream to do so. That may be good personal budgeting, but the spending pullback is likely one reason for anemic economic growth. Political rhetoric in U.S. political campaigns suggests that factory jobs are all fleeing overseas, but a recent report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) suggests the facts aren’t quite that simple. There’s no doubt that factory work accounts for a shrinking share of total employment, but CRS says the … By Robert Hahn, Peter Passell | Category: Economic Statistics, Economic Theory, Quick Takes |
Leave a commentIt turns out that a court ruling rejecting New York Mayor Bloomberg’s bid to crack down on supersized soft drinks may have saved the Mayor from regulatory backfire. At least that’s the suggestion from a new study that suggests that food sellers would have responded with menu options that would … “We’re canceling our membership in the out-of-touch wireless-carrier-club,” proclaimed T-Mobile in announcing its Simple Choice pricing plan. That’s good news for consumers in the sense that more options are always – well, almost always – better than fewer. And the switch has probably already accomplished what T-Mobile set … Would a tiny tax on securities turnover corral the frightening volatility of global financial markets and raise a ton of revenue painlessly in the process? Or would it undermine innovation and drive trading to friendlier climes? There will soon be no need to speculate (pun intended). Eleven EU countries are … While some folks still struggle to understand the fuss about social networking, a growing number of lenders believe that watching individuals’ social network patterns and knowing who their “Friends” are is a pretty cool way to reduce loan defaults. According to Economist, German lender Kreditech, which makes small online … In a bid to boost the state’s struggling casinos, New Jersey has opened the door to online blackjack, slots and poker games run by the state’s licensed gambling operations. With any luck, the legislation will also serve as a template for online “prediction markets” that could help improve both … In his State of the Union address, President Obama identified climate change as one of his top priorities, which makes one wonder about the recent Bloomberg headline: “Obama to Stay Course on Biofuel Law…” If Bloomberg is right, Americans are going to continue to subsidize ethanol at … Microsoft’s Window’s phone operating system and Africa’s rising middle class may be a match made in heaven. That seems to be part of the thinking behind the new $150 smartphone that Microsoft and China’s Huawei Technologies introduced in seven African countries this month. The new venture could provide a … |
Professor Dieter Helm (Oxford) is a very fine fly fisherman, and an even better economist. If you haven’t done so, take a look at his new book “The Carbon Crunch: How We Are Getting Climate Change Wrong — and How to Fix It” for a bit of unconventional wisdom. He argues that politicians and the general public have not shown any real interest in addressing climate change. Helm argues that places like Europe should focus on setting a price for carbon that would cover consumption (and not just production), and that fracking could be a good “bridge” technology for reducing consumption of coal. The book is readable and insightful for those interested in the inside track on climate policy. 
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