Robert N. Pollin, Distinguished Professor in economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute, discusses why he believes investing in clean energy will produce both more jobs and a cleaner environment. He opposed moves by the Trump administration to roll back the Clean Power Plan put in place by the Obama administration. (The Real News Network, 10/13/17)
Day: November 6, 2017
Paul Krugman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and columnist for The New York Times gave the annual Philip Gamble Memorial Lecture Oct. 26 at the Mullins Center to an audience of more than 1,100 people. He says people are not as rational as many economists and contemporary economic models believe. Krugman says economic models that were used in the in the past that rely less on mathematical certainty are worth using because they are more accurate. (Gazette, Republican, 10/26/17; News Office assistance and release)
Gerald C. Friedman, economics, says critics of single-payer health care for the U.S. are missing an important point about the existing system, that is, that the U.S. is falling further and further behind other countries that currently provide health insurance. He says Americans pay four times as much for care as other comparable countries and life expectancy is 31 months shorter. Friedman also says while our health care system does come up with new technologies and cures, that isn’t helpful to people who don’t have access to care. (Huffiington Post, 10/18/17)
Gerald A. Epstein, economics and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute, is interviewed about claims that the tax cut program being promoted by President Donald J. Trump and congressional Republicans will boost the economy or create jobs. He says tax cuts for the middle class could boost the economy because people will spend the extra money but what Trump and Republicans are pushing is a cut for the very top earners and not consumers or small businesses. Epstein argues there is little evidence that cutting taxes for the top 1 percent will do anything for the overall economy. (The Real News Network, 10/24/17)
A political news story about how Democrats in Congress are missing an opportunity to exploit the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle environmental regulations related to climate change notes that Robert N. Pollin, Distinguished Professor in economics and co-director for the Political Economy Research Institute, has for years been making the argument that clean energy is a potent job creator, something conservatives don’t recognize or admit. (The Intercept, 10/23/17)
Michael A. Ash, economics, is interviewed in the Portuguese newspaper Publico about a new book, “Sombras,” he has co-authored with Francisco Louçã. (Publico, 11/2/17)
Gerald C. Friedman, economics, says the proposed merger between CVS and Aetna, if approved, won’t help ordinary people. “This is not good news for consumers,” Friedman says. “They will be lucky to be no worse off.” He also says there is a trend toward consolidation in the health care field. “The hidden story in healthcare is the monopolization of services,” he says. “It’s about integrating the health process and avoiding competition.” (Los Angeles Times, 10/31/17)
A new study by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) finds that the New York State park system and its visitors generated about $5 billion in spending that supports 54,000 jobs in the state and $2.8 billion in state GDP. Heidi Garrett-Peltier, a PERI research fellow who conducted the study, says, “The beauty and recreational opportunities parks offer are well known, but this study calls attention to the vital role parks play in the economy.” (Real Estate Weekly, 11/2/17)