economists calling for more stimulus

As seen as CEPR:

Congress will be more likely to move on a third stimulus when economists recognize and speak out about the inadequacy of the second stimulus. In an effort to promote forward thinking by economists, and challenge those who have not yet faced up to the severity of the current recession to examine economic developments more closely, CEPR is keeping an honor roll of economists calling for a third stimulus.

Go to the list of economists making this call.

um, yeah. this is capital C Cornell.

TLR and I went to the campus today, to the library, 'cause he wanted to fetch some articles. I'm not overwhelmed by libraries, but...this campus kinda puts me in "My Place."

Cornell is serious shit, yo. And I'm going to f-in teach here. What is up wi' dat, yo?

Cornell is serious. There's a vibe that permeates the campus. Ppl here ain't fuckin' around.

So my inferiority complexes come out to play in a place like this.

I'm going to teach...HERE?!?!? Okay, breathe.

I am worthy. I am worthy. I am worthy.

I have been in the academy long enough to know who is super smart and who isn't, and I'm not worried about 'smarter than me" people, but I don't have the energy or the inclination to deal with people who BELIEVE they are THE SHIT and smarter than me and everyone else on the planet and all that bs.

But in a place like this...I know the stakes, I know the jockeying for position...the valuing of people and their intellects. One part of me knows where I stand... and another part of me just doesn't feel like playing this game. Any more.

Ah, academics. The. Ivory Tower.

You're Rich, Your Speeding Ticket is Higher

What a fascinating concept, assigning speeding fines by how much income a person has. And of course, it would be one of those Scandinavian countries doing it.

5 Really, Really Expensive Speeding Tickets from mentalfloss

Does this help the forecasters?

This is a fabulous snapshot.

another Mankiw plea to get us to pity the rich

Today Greg Mankiw once again makes the case that our society is already too rough on the rich. We tax them too much.

That is, even before the Obama tax hikes, the rich face average tax rates more than twice those of the middle class, and about seven times those of the lowest quintile.

OK, sure Dr. Mankiw, I'll give you that. The 32% 'effective federal tax rate' paid by the top 1% is indeed a higher percentage than the 4% paid by the bottom 20%.

But seriously, you're overstating the case. Again.

Federal taxes are the most progressive taxes we have. Every American also pays state and local taxes. The most regressive of our taxes is the sales tax. And you know that the sales tax is not a federal tax.

If the CBO report you site included ALL taxes, not just federal taxes, we would see less progressive effective tax rates.

Furthermore, it appears to me that the report delineates tax rates on the books, not actual taxes paid. I'd like to see a report that accounts for deductions and tax breaks and such.

Nota Bene, friends: No economist is as objective as s/he claims to be. There's always more to the story.