The Cato Institute sought to make clear where they and the world’s smartest economists stand on the Pelosi-Reid-Obama Debt plan by running a full page ad in the New York Times, Washington Post and other major newspapers this week that includes 200 signatures from major economists who oppose the stimulus: Notwithstanding reports that all economists are now Keynesians and that we all support a big increase in the burden of government, we do not believe that more government spending is a way to improve economic performance. More government spending by …
The Cato Institute recently published a podcast with Don Boudreaux, chairman of the economics department at George Mason University. He discusses why central planning for energy policy won’t work and why innovation and market-driven incentives will. Dr. Boudreaux blogs at Café Hayek, is the author of a great new book called Globalization, and his renowned for his clear and concise letters to the editor. You can listen to the podcast here.
Writing from the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Atlantic’s Megan McArdle recounts a Thomas Friedman presentation on global warming where Friedman mused “about how great it would be if we could be China for a day — have the government get in, totally reorganize the energy market, and then go forward from there.” Friedman is spending a little too much time away from Washington. According to the Advanced Notice for Proposed Rulemaking leaked widely last week, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to do just that. Using authority derived from the Clean Air …
As Mark Twain might have said if he followed spectrum policy: the reports of the death of central planning in Washington have been greatly exaggerated. As early as next week, the Federal Communications Commission may vote on a plan mooted by Chairman Kevin Martin to auction off 25 MHz of spectrum to the highest bidder, with a catch: Reportedly, the licensee will have to use the spectrum to offer free broadband service, with a network to be built out on a timetable specified by the FCC – and with content that …
