“So what are we, chopped liver?” a disgruntled friend asked in reaction to a report indicating that while home prices had risen 17.2 percent over July 2012 for the Twin Cities metro area, they actually dropped for St Anthony Park,…
U.S.-Brazil cotton debacle will take a toll
Despite news reports about Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Brazil, few Americans are paying much attention to the current bobble in our relations with that giant country. Nevertheless, the event illustrates the degree of ongoing dysfunction in our…
A return to barebones regulation is ill-advised
As our nation becomes more densely populated, we impinge on each other more. What economists call “external costs,” where the actions of one person make another person worse off, become more common. Economic theory and much economic history make clear…
Fed chairman should be clear of Wall Street ties
Barack Obama’s choice to replace Ben Bernanke as chair of the Federal Reserve Board is important, but key issues as to why it is important are being ignored. That may lead to the wrong person getting the job. The first…