Congress should take this opportunity to make the tax system fully inflation-neutral. But neither inflation nor the Fed’s minor rate hikes will kill the economy. Nor will Putin’s war, which is stimulating the defense industry. Nor will ongoing slowdowns in Chinese production, which is stimulating home production. What can kill the economy is enough people, who should know better, talking it down.
What’s New
Should We Even Try to Recycle Plastics?
Pressuring plastic producers to recycle their products has gone on for decades. But two writers at the Atlantic have now concluded, “Plastic recycling does not work and will never work.” In the U.S. in 2021 only 5 percent of all post-consumer plastic was recycled. Furthermore, they say that the plastic producers deny this and those denials are “reminiscent of” the tobacco companies in making false claims. (For years, many tobacco firms rejected the idea that cigarettes caused cancer.)
Is Social Security Sexist?
Voter’s Guide on Health Reform
This brief Q & A covers all the major issues, including telemedicine, direct primary care, portable health insurance, Health Savings Accounts, continuous open enrollment, etc. There are two types of information: (1) what the issue is about and (2) how the two political parties have differed. This is an invaluable resource for voters and candidates alike. More
Protecting Seniors from Inflation
A Health Reform Whose Time Has Come
The basic idea: take all the spending and tax subsidies we now provide to private health insurance and use that money to give every American not on a government health plan a refundable tax credit. This money could be used to purchase health insurance and make deposits to Health Savings Accounts, from which people could purchase health services directly. Rep. Pete Sessions has a bill that would do just that. More
Why “Testing to Treat” for Covid Isn’t Working
Solution for Student Debt
Whatever Happened to the $15 Minimum Wage?
It seems like only yesterday that the $15 minimum wage was high on the agenda of every self-respecting progressive politician, including Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign. The “Fight for 15” was successful in several states and even went statewide in New York and California. So why aren’t we hearing more about the idea these days? It may be because labor markets are working, just like textbook economics say they should. More
David Theroux R.I.P.
It is with deep sadness that I must report the passing of David Theroux.