John A. Parnell, Ph.D.
The media’s incessant and dire warnings notwithstanding, the “fiscal cliff” is no cliff at all. Judging by some of the recent comments posted and a couple of emails I received over the past few days, I think it’s important to make this clear and simple. 1. The sequester was an abrogation of fiscal responsibility. It […]
Read MoreThe Wall Street Journal reported last week that Chinese regulators won’t let ships from a Brazilian miner (Vale) deliver iron ore, citing alleged “safety concerns.” The problem is not safety, but the undue influence of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In December 2011, the Valemax Berge Everest—a huge ship 50% larger than the next largest global carrier—unloaded […]
Read MoreWith the election behind us, attention has turned to avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff. Unless Congress and the President reach an agreement, various tax cuts will expire and automatic spending cuts will ensue. These include the 2% temporary payroll tax deduction, the end of the tax cuts passed in the Bush era, and a variety […]
Read MoreI wish Mitt Romney wasn’t a moderate and could have drawn a clearer distinction between himself and President Obama. I wish he had been more assertive in the last debate, especially on Libya. I wish Sandy would have hit after the election. I wish I knew what Chris Christie was thinking. All of this aside, […]
Read MoreWith only controlled and largely favorable interviews remaining before election day, President Obama released his so-called jobs plan. While he spent the last several weeks hammering Mitt Romney for a lack of specifics on his economic proposals, the President chose not to release his “plan” until after the final debate. The document is well crafted […]
Read MoreWith only 16 days until the election, President Obama and many in the mainstream media are making the case that while challenges remain, the US economy is headed the right direction. The Dow has risen over 60% since Obama took office, unemployment has declined back to 7.8%, interest rates are low, and inflation seems to […]
Read MoreThe Chinese trade dilemma is now a campaign issue. Although the Obama Administration is filing a WTO case against China claiming at least $1 billion in government subsidies related to autos and auto parts, the White House has delayed making an official determination on China’s currency policy. Mitt Romney says he will immediately classify China […]
Read MoreJust when you think you’ve seen all of the government subsidies for GM another one appears. But this one has three problems, not just one. In 2010 Michigan manufacturer Compact Power received a $150 million government grant to produce batteries for electric vehicles, including the Chevy Volt. Given the weak consumer demand for the Volt, […]
Read MoreAt a time when most states and private organizations are trying to shed the liability associated with guaranteed and defined benefit retirement programs, California is moving in the opposition. The plan still has another legislative hurdle, but it appears to have the political support necessary for passage. Under the proposal, an estimated 6 million California […]
Read MoreI’ve received some interesting water cooler and email comments after my recent blog post and appearances with Andrew Wilkow on his radio (Sirius) and TV (The Blaze) shows. I do my best to be fair to those with different points of view, so I will address the 3 best arguments I got about the GM […]
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