A tragedy down in Rock County poses an economic question for the county attorney, one examined at length by at least one Nobel laureate: To what extent are decisions to commit crimes driven by rational calculations? In cases where a…
Author: Ed Lotterman
The USPS, a bypass and a little history
There’s a brouhaha over a special U.S. Postal Service program to serve remote settlements in Alaska. Costing some $76 million, paid for by everyone buying postage, the program doesn’t affect the national economy. But it highlights issues we face as…
When war provides economic lessons
In history, it is important to distinguish between the cause of an important happening and the precipitating event. A century ago this week, Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, next in line to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian…
Don’t blame Medtronic – tax system cries out for reform
Were he still alive, Judge Learned Hand probably would approve of Medtronic’s purchase of Covidien. Establishing a European foothold favorable to reducing Medtronic’s U.S. tax liabilities while still giving it effective access to profits earned overseas to fund corporate growth…
California drought can be mitigated
Don’t worry about not being able to buy almonds or garlic just because California has a water shortage. The fact that a lot of something is produced in a given geographic area doesn’t mean it can be produced only in…
Emissions plan is all politics
The Obama administration has proposed new rules intended to limit carbon emissions from electrical power plants. The rules are objectionable to virtually all Republicans as they extend federal environmental regulation, at least incrementally. They also are so bland and cautious…
A vital debate over Fed targets
Editor’s note: Previous versions of this story misstated the dates that the U.S. saw a tripling of average consumer prices. It was between the years 1967 and 1982. There is a hot debate about Federal Reserve policy right now that…
Bowl will be super for us – for a day
The Super Bowl is coming to Minnesota. Depending on how important football is to you, that may or may not be a big deal. But what does it mean for the local economy as a whole? Is it also a…
Fed has farmland impact
Because I jam the truck with tools, extra clothes, a laptop and a gun case, there isn’t much room for me to take Janet Yellen and Narayana Kocherlakota along the next time I go to our farm — much less…
Medical marijuana has its own economics
A bill to legalize the sale and use of marijuana for “medical purposes” is working its way through the legislature and probably will become law in one form or another. Similar initiatives are under way in several other states, although…