By Helen Scharber, CPE Staff Economist
On February 8, Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) introduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2007, a bill designed to limit the use of antibiotics in healthy farm animals. Though their surnames do not lend themselves as aptly to a bill about livestock, Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Snowe (R-WA) introduced a nearly identical bill to the Senate the following week. Why are lawmakers suddenly so concerned with porcine penicillin? As Snowe explains, “The [...] read more >
EconAtrocities/EconUtopias
Econ-Atrocity: America’s Beef with Antibiotics
Posted by emilykawano on March 21st, 2007Econ-Atrocity: The Perils of Cheap Corn
Posted by emilykawano on February 23rd, 2007By Heidi Garrett-Peltier, CPE Staff Economist
You are what you eat. And according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, that means we’re corn. Corn has now made its way into our diet in the form of fillers, sweeteners, oils, alcohols, pills, and breakfast cereals, not to mention of course the indirect path it takes through animal feed. Why should we care? Because cheap corn has been linked to obesity, and obesity will soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause [...] read more >
Econ-Utopia: The Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Posted by emilykawano on February 9th, 2007Econ-Utopia: The Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
By Matthew Riddle, CPE Staff Economist
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, grabbed headlines in Massachusetts recently when Governor Deval Patrick signed onto it, committing Massachusetts to a cut in its emissions of greenhouse gasses from power plants, and reversing Mitt Romney’s decision to abandon the agreement. In addition to rejoining RGGI, Patrick also outlined some proposals for its implementation, which may prove to be even more significant than his decision to join…
Econ-Utopia: Greenbacks for Green Energy
Posted by emilykawano on January 25th, 2007By Jonathan Teller-Elsberg, CPE Staff Economist
With Al Gore on Oprah giving his “inconvenient” PowerPoint presentation, new reports of melting ice sheets and rising sea levels, and the release of the British government’s Stern Review, which is the latest major estimate of the economic costs of climate change, the issue of global warming is becoming a part of mainstream politics and kitchen-table conversations. Since the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) is the main source of human-caused warming, [...] read more >
Econ-Atrocity: The 800-Pound Ronald McDonald in the Room
Posted by emilykawano on January 4th, 2007By Helen Scharber, CPE Staff Economist
When your child’s doctor gives you advice, you’re probably inclined to take it. And if 60,000 doctors gave you advice, ignoring it would be even more difficult to justify. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement advising us to limit advertising to children, citing its adverse effects on health. Yes, banning toy commercials might result in fewer headaches for parents (“Please, please, pleeeeeeease, can I have this new video game [...] read more >
Econ-Atrocity: The High Cost of the Holidays
Posted by emilykawano on December 20th, 2006By Helen Scharber, CPE Staff Economist
Dec. 20, 2006
Ahh, the holidays. So full of joy, laughter, good cheer”¦ and contradictions. The holidays are all about spending time with loved ones. Or are they all about finding the perfect gift? They are a time of relaxation and spirituality. Or perhaps a time of stress and consumerism? According to a 2005 poll by the Center for a New American Dream, more than three in four Americans (78%) wished that holidays were less materialistic, [...] read more >
Econ-Atrocity: Can enlightened capitalism save health care?
Posted by emilykawano on December 1st, 2006By Gerald Friedman, CPE Staff Economist
Dec. 1, 2006
A recent article in the New York Times (October 25, 2006) entitled “Hospitals Try Free Basic Care for Uninsured” raises an intriguing possibility. The Times reports how some local governments and hospitals have found that by providing primary care, supportive services, and preventive care for the uninsured they can save money by avoiding higher costs when conditions worsen down the road. Following the experience of a diabetic patient at Seton, a Roman Catholic [...] read more >
Econ-Atrocity: Will it matter if the Democrats win?
Posted by emilykawano on November 3rd, 2006By Gerald Friedman, CPE Staff Economist
As I write this, it appears likely that after 12 years in the wilderness, the Democrats will capture a majority in the House of Representatives and will make substantial gains in the Senate. (My favorite objective source, http://www.electoral-vote.com/, gives the Democrats a 225-208 lead in the House and a gain of 4 Senate seats to move to 49-51 in the upper body.) After 6 years of almost uninterrupted one-party rule, and the worst government [...] read more >
Econ-Utopia: Environmental Tax Shifting
Posted by emilykawano on June 28th, 2006By Jonathan Teller-Elsberg, CPE Staff Economist
In the U.S., talk of tax reform usually means debates about taxes on income and wealth. A little less common are discussions of flat taxes and a shift from payroll, income, investment, or property taxes to consumption taxes—that is, a federal sales tax.
We’ve seen the miserable results of lowering taxes on the rich, and we’ll be dealing with the massive government debts for decades to come. Flat taxes are simply another way to [...] read more >
