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…
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…