Fed on Overdrive

It’s not easy keeping the financial world in perfect balance.  It’s especially hard when you are the only one trying.

The role of the Fed and its chairman, Ben Bernanke, has been increasing dramatically and it rightly scares many people – especially those who think it is doing the wrong things.  But the criticism highlights a much bigger problem – in many ways, the Fed is the only institution actually doing something.  That has naturally led them into places that they should not be and would not be if our government was functioning properly.

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Five Years On

Today is the Fifth Anniversary of Barataria. This humble blog was started on a drippy April day before most people were aware of economic troubles echoing through the halls of power. It’s a good excuse for a party, which is to say a little bit of self-indulgence and reflection. Join in the fun and let us all know what you think!

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Where’d the Jobs Go?

What happened to the jobs?  Did the economy really crash down on job creation in March?  If so, what’s to blame – higher gasoline prices?  Is seasonal adjustment playing a role?  These are the questions that the mainstream press is asking after a weak addition of 120k jobs were added in the March report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

For all the hand wringing, one possibility never comes up – that the data are simply whacked.  That may seem unlikely, but given that a different labor report comes out with a potentially better method of collecting the data you never know.  Let’s be fair and call it a bit of a mystery for now.  Here’s why:

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New Season, New Reasons

One deep, soaking overnight rain and in a few days everything is bright and green.  That’s how the Sudden Spring is settling into Minnesota so early in April.  It means a lot to everyone, but here in Barataria it’s nearly time to celebrate five years of perspective, ideas, and discussion.  Time to do something different and fun!

Please forgive this for being a bit self-indulgent.  It is a blog, after all.

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Buzzer Beater

As we reach the end of March, it will soon be time for more monthly and quarterly data on jobs and the economy.  This election year, a lot will probably hinge on what we see from those reports.  A job now is likely to be a very happy voter by November, but a job later on may still leave some lingering anxiety when it comes time to vote.  The clock is running out.

Good thing Obama, an NCAA hoops fan, knows how to slam the buzzer-beater.  Or does he?

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