Today, John Boehner bowed to the inevitable logic of the impending political season and placed a “clean” debt ceiling increase bill on the floor of the House. At this writing, the bill passed with 28 Republican and 193 Democratic votes. Now it moves on to the Senate, where it is expected to pass in time to allow the Treasury to keep issuing debt instruments.
Tag Archive for joe firestone
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read, William Black
Professor Krugman’s Nervous Tic? Joe Firestone – New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
Professor Krugman’s Nervous Tic?
Paul Krugman’s recent post makes some good points about the myth of the undeserving poor. But does he have a nervous tic? When criticizing conservative economic views, doesn’t he always seem to genuflect slightly to conservative opinion in order to … Continue reading →
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read
Are Deaths Due to Lack of Health Insurance Seriously Underestimated? Update – New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
Lately, I’ve had the feeling that “progressive” journalists and commentators too often pull their punches in calling attention to social problems, by underestimating the magnitude of problem-related statistics such as the unemployment rate and the number of fatalities due to lack of health insurance in the United States. My theory about this is that “progressives” are being defensive in their approach and bending over backwards to give the right wing the benefit of the doubt by understating numbers out of an abundance of caution.
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read, William Black
Are Deaths Due to Lack of Health Insurance Seriously Underestimated? New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
Since 2010, those consequences have included anywhere from approximately 150,000 to 187,000 fatalities due to lack of health insurance. That’s unconscionable and immoral,
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read, William Black
Bernie Sanders: Self-shackled Champion of the People – New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
I gotta love Bernie Sanders, because he seems so much like people I grew up with and like myself too, and he also seems to have that passion for equality and democracy that is so important for the future of America. Sometimes I think Bernie is one of the few champions of the people left in Congress. But I also think that along with other progressives he has constructed chains for himself that prevent him from being as effective a champion of the people as he otherwise might be.
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read
Dick Durbin Insults Everyone Else’s Intelligence About Social Security – New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
The “. . . may run out of money. . . . ” and “. . . dealing with entitlements. . . “ memes, in reply to Chris Wallace’s question together suggest that a deal trading increased revenues for Social Security and other entitlement cuts is acceptable
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read, William Black
What Happens Now? New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
In the aftermath of the great 2013 government shutdown/debt ceiling crisis, and the kicking of the can down the road while maintaining austerity once more, the subject on many minds is where do negotiations over fiscal policy go from here? Will the new “budget committee” produce more austerity and do a grand bargain including the “chained CPI”? Will Congress finally turn towards economic growth and job creation, or will we continue to have more shutdowns and debt ceiling crises in 2014?
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read
Off the Debt Limit Hook for at Least the Next Four Months – New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 1 Comment
Provided that the Senate and House follow through on the scenario now on the table, it looks like the game of chicken worked for the Democrats this time. We’re off the hook on default and Government shutdown for now, and Washington village pundits are in full-throated cries of celebration.
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read
Rationalization and Obligation, Part I: No Magic Bullets? New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
The media and politicians in both parties are still largely echoing the Administration’s framing of the fiscal situation and absolving the President of his share of the blame for the debt limit crisis. They’re reinforcing his message They’re also preparing the way for a compromise, that will, almost certainly, result in hurtful cuts to Government spending including renewed consideration of “the Great Betrayal,” also known as “the Grand Bargain,” including passage of the chained CPI cuts to Social Security over the objections of a large majority of the American people.
Contributors- Economic and Financial, Must Read, William Black
Stop “the Great Betrayal:” Kabuki Update – New Economic Perspectives
by Joe Firestone • • 0 Comments
It now looks like the big media and leaders in both parties are no longer focusing on the Government Shutdown crisis, but are now moving on to the notion that the shutdown is melding with the upcoming probable breaching of the debt limit to create a combined mother of all fiscal crises.
