Category: Economics (Page 7 of 9)

WSJ: Oregon Realizes that Decriminalizing Hard Drugs was a Mistake

November 12, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

EUGENE, Ore.—Soon after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all drugs in 2020, Officer Jose Alvarez stopped arresting people for possession and began giving out tickets with the number for a rehab helpline.

People sprawled on sidewalks and using fentanyl with no fear of consequence have become a common sight in cities such as Eugene and Portland. Business owners and local leaders are upset, but so are liberal voters who hoped decriminalization would lead to more people getting help. In reality, few drug users are taking advantage of new state-funded rehabilitation programs.

Anybody could have seen this coming, but somehow, they still think they are smarter than the rest of us. In Econ 100, you learn that people respond to incentives. Remove disincentives to take hard drugs, and more people take hard drugs.

WSJ: When to Retire

November 8, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

WSJ: How to Know When It’s Time to Retire

Her finances were in order, and with friends passing away—including one just into retirement—she decided it was time. Still, when her last Friday arrived in June, she sat in front of her computer well into the evening, trying to convince herself to log off.
“It just felt like a part of my life was being cut,” she said.

WSJ: Americans in a Rotten Mood.

November 3, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

WSJ: The Economy is Great

So if the economy is so good, why are Americans so gloomy? Confidence readings are depressed. Some 69% of respondents to a Wall Street Journal survey in August said the country is headed in the wrong direction. President Biden’s approval ratings are mired around or below 40%, and approval for his handling of the economy is even lower.

When the government and media have been lying to us about everything else, why should we believe them about the economy?

WSJ: Buying a house could cost less.

November 2, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

WSJ: Realty Commissions

In recent years, technology has made a host of consumer transactions cheaper—from booking a vacation to buying stocks—but commission rates for selling a home haven’t really budged. That could soon change.

When I started working for real in the 1980’s, brokerage houses charged a minimum fee of $35 to buy or sell stocks. For small purchases, that was a big commission. Now, it’s virtually free to buy or sell. That opened the stock market to almost anyone.

Don’t leave your leaves.

October 15, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

Washington Post: Leave leaves

This article leans to heavy on the word “experts”, but people who read a column called “Climate Solutions” probably still work for the greater good as defined by experts.

WSJ: Everything is broken, but it might get better.

September 29, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

WSJ: Moral order is Crumbling

One would have to be incredibly naive or distracted to think that society is functioning properly. Very little of the federal government is operating in the best interests of the American people. On the local level, several cities have stopped enforcing laws and have gone quite feral.

WSJ: Electric vehicles aren’t working out like they’d hoped.

August 22, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

The Electric-Vehicle Bubble Starts to Deflate

It’s ironic, to say the least, that the U.S. is seeking to imitate China’s economic model at the moment that its industrial policy fractures. Look no further than its collapsing electric-vehicle bubble, which is a lesson in how industries built by government often also fail because of government.

BBC: Bud Light boycott hurts AB Inbev

August 3, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

BBC: Bud Light boycott over trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney hits beer giant’s sales

Even with the BBC slanting this article, it looks bad for AB Inbev

AP News: First new nuke plant is going online.

August 3, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

AP: First New Nuke Plant

ATLANTA (AP) — The first American nuclear reactor to be built from scratch in decades is sending electricity reliably to the grid, but the cost of the Georgia power plant could discourage utilities from pursuing nuclear power as a path to a carbon-free future.

BBC: If you use air conditioning, we will turn off your electricity.

July 28, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

BBC: Summer temperature strain the grid.

Nearly 200 million Americans are under “dangerously hot conditions” alerts with temperatures expected to soar past 100F (38C) in several major cities.

Those major cities are places where it often gets above 100 F in the summer, so no real surprise.