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Yearly Archives: 2013

Low Growth, the New Normal

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What does a future of low economic growth look like?  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) economic forecast estimates a real growth (adjusted for inflation) of less than 2% for the foreseeable future.  We have discussed before how this pattern is likely to hold through the next generation and around the world as population growth slows and new opportunities will come only through technology improvements.

The implications are vast, if for no other reason than investing and saving for retirement are going to be very different concepts than we have come to expect.  Everything changes – and a few things may even change for the better.  It’s worth thinking through, and carefully.

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Minimum Wage

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“Let’s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on.”
– President Obama, State of the Union Address

With these words a new policy direction was announced.  It’s not a small move, especially since it’s both the biggest effort to combat the Depression since the Stimulus Act and the biggest challenge to Republicans outside of the budget negotiations (which largely go nowhere).  But for many progressives a higher minimum wage is long overdue.  Even more important, linking it to a “living wage” sets a precedent that has not been a part of policy in most of my advancing lifetime.

How does this go down?  It’s a fight we haven’t seen for a while, so it’s hard to tell.  But it’s very popular and backed by solid research as a sound public policy.  If only it went even further …

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State of the Union

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The State of the Union address is Washingtoon pomp at its finest.  Everyone makes sure they have the right special guest and place near the teevee cameras to scene and be seen.  But this year  it’s also an important event because the newly elected President tells the nation what his last term will be all about.  This is my rough “live blog” of the big show.

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What’s in a Name?

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Nemo.  The name doesn’t exactly strike fear, but it has its share of loathing.  Who picked that dumb name?  Why would you name a winter storm after a fish?  Isn’t it just a publicity stunt by the Weather Channel?

I have to confess that I was as skeptical as anyone – until I found out whose idea it was.  It came from Bryan Norcross, and the intention wasn’t just to hype his employer.  “The fact is that Twitter needs a hashtag,” he told the NY Times, and that isn’t all there is to it.  By naming a storm they develop a shorthand that makes it easier to issue warnings and get people to take them seriously.  And that’s where Norcross’ reputation comes into play and why I’m willing to give it a chance.

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Another Pledge Drive!

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It’s Pledge Drive time at Minnesota Public Radio!   That means one thing to me – I better get my own Pledge Drive in while I can.  It’s been two years since I tried an in-blog pledge drive, and the results were mixed. But I have to try again.

Welcome to another Barataria in-blog Pledge Drive!  There’s a survey at the end where you can tell me just what you think anonymously and easily, whether you give or not.

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