The Bowtie Economist's Daily Dose of 70-Word Wisdom


Economist paints ‘happy’ picture for Louisiana, Baton Rouge economy, but warns of post-energy boom

04/10/2014

Renita D. Young of The Times Picayune writes about Elliot Eisenburg’s predictions on nola.com. Click here to read the article.

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Poor Policy

04/09/2014

Policies that didn’t help the economy recover from the Great Recession include tax credits for business investment and the first-time home buyer credit which didn’t exclude new homes as they incentivized new construction when there already was excess plant and…

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Persuading Persia

04/08/2014

While hoping for a change of regime in Iran that forswears nuclear weapons is a lovely idea, it’s not policy. Rather, for diplomacy to work with a recalcitrant partner such as Iran, you need a continuous coercive element. As such,…

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Lethargic Labor

04/07/2014

Two caveats from last Friday’s decent labor report. First, rising temp employment, formerly a leading indicator of full-time employment, is no longer. Since 4/10, the number of temp workers is up 58%, while overall employment growth is up 7.8%. Second,…

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Condiment Count

04/04/2014

The Friday File: The most popular condiment in the US is mayonnaise, and by a wide margin. Last year mayo sales totaled $2 billion. Ketchup was a distant second at $800 million, followed by soy sauce at $725 million, barbecue…

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Bogus Budget

04/03/2014

The proposed budget released by the White House shows the deficit declining to 1.9% of GDP in 2018 and a microscopic 1.6% of GDP by 2024. Don’t believe it. The budget fails to tackle entitlement reform, the Republicans will never…

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Hammers swing for Twin Cities home builders as housing market recovers

04/02/2014

Read this article by Annie Baxter featuring Elliot Eisenburg posted on MPR News. Hammers swing for Twin Cities home builders as housing market recovers

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Borrowing Beijing

04/02/2014

With growth in China slowing substantially and Chinese leaders still slavishly forecasting 7.5% GDP growth, expect Beijing to step in and support the economy with aggressive fiscal stimulus. The problem, increased reliance on debt and infrastructure spending along with the…

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Quick Cash

04/01/2014

In another nod to technological innovation, several of the largest US banks will soon allow their large depositors to print money directly on their home printers. While the Fed has remained mum on the subject, the U.S. Secret Service, the…

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Deflecting Deflation

03/31/2014

In an attempt to prevent deflation, the European Central Bank (ECB) is actively considering charging banks, rather than paying banks interest on deposits. Doing this, it’s hoped, will encourage bank lending to private firms, which will lower their borrowing costs.…

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