August 11, 2026

In which I express mock surprise at how well it pays to work for the President of the United States

Gawker tells the story: The White House says that many of those positions are considered nonpolitical jobs that come with their own pay schedules, and that what matters is that the total budget and average salary are decreasing slightly. But that doesn’t change the fact that White House staffers who stick it out are being […]

From the WSJ: “Republicans and Mediscare”

The reality is that Medicare “as we know it” will change because it must. The issue is how it will change, and, leaving aside this or that detail, the only alternatives are Mr. Ryan’s proposal to introduce market competition or Mr. Obama‘s plan for ever-tightening government controls on prices and care. Republicans who think they […]

Federal budget outraces CPI by four times

Did you know that federal spending has increased  faster than consumer prices? Four times faster? From 2000 to 2010, federal spending has increased 106% while prices (according to the Consumer Price Index) have only increased 26%. In other words, while the cost of stuff has risen only 26%, the government is spending roughly four times more than if […]

Does government spending have a multiplier effect on the economy?

If I didn’t lose you with that wonk-ish sounding title, there’s a good possibility I’ll lose you a little later, so let me summarize: new research suggests that government spending doesn’t actually help the economy all that much. Bear with me as I explain.  Some economists of the Keynesian persuasion believe that in a recession […]