If my dear departed aunt heard about myriad cases of fraud, she probably would say ‘Well, it is going around.’ She did not limit her customary response to news of sickness or infectious diseases like measles or chicken pox. It…
Our ability to ignore crop prices, yields is a luxury
It is a measure of how wealthy a society we are that hardly anyone pays attention to farm prices besides farmers. Apparent shortages of basic grains, as happened in 2008 that drove prices to historic highs, disregarding inflation, prompt only…
Regulation of mines a matter of trade-offs
Some 187 miles and 103 years separate the two West Virginia mining towns of Monongah and Montcoal. They are linked by deadly methane gas explosions highlighting economic issues that don’t go away. What role, if any, should government take in…
Despite clamor, consumer finances are still ailing
Here’s a quick rule for evaluating news or opinion about the economy: Be very suspicious when someone uses a lot of hyperbole like ‘soaring,’ ‘slashed’ or ‘plummeting’ to describe changes in the economy. Our nation’s economic problems are serious, but…