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)
Author: sgilroy
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)
An article on Puerto Rico’s recovery following the widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Maria details how a working paper from August by researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) identified the island as fertile ground for renewal through green rebuilding efforts and a self-sufficient energy system. The paper argues that creating a renewables-based power grid emancipated from the fossil-fuel industry could blaze a path to socially fair and climate-resilient energy sovereignty for the island. PERI calculates that about $2.2 billion in annual investments is needed to establish a more socially equitable, decentralized energy infrastructure that is accessible to all residents. The main financing vehicle would be a carbon tax, starting at $25 per ton, rising incrementally to $150 per ton by 2050. The tax would yield $300 million for new energy investment, which would then be used to leverage private investment promoted through various subsidies, similar to the incentives structures used to boost solar and wind on the mainland. Robert Pollin, co-director of PERI and distinguished professor of economics, is quoted. (The Nation, 10/4/17)
Heidi Garrett-Peltier, Political Economy Research Institute, says spending on the military does create jobs, but says her research shows that spending on education, renewable energy and healthcare creates more jobs per $1 million spent and uses less energy. She also notes that military spending is much less transparent than spending in those other sectors. (The Real News Network, 9/29/17)
Gerald C. Friedman, economics, writes in The Conversation how implementing “Medicare for all” would be much less expensive than a single-payer health insurance program for the country. He says this is because Medicare offers modest coverage and already has a funding stream in place, both from taxes and premiums. He says it would also cost less because although it still uses private insurers, administrative costs would be lowered and hospital monopolies would be unable to overcharge what private insurers pay. A columnist writing about why a single-payer system would be better for ordinary Americans cites research done by Friedman that finds 95 percent of households would save money with a single-payer health care system. (UPI.com, Cleveland.com, 9/20/17)