Economy | Coral Gables Watch

Basic Economics of Trade Agreements (Krugman)

July 1, 2011 Leave a comment

The case for free trade is about microeconomics, about raising efficiency. There’s no particular reason to think that trade liberalization is good for fixing problems of inadequate demand. I mean, you learn in Econ 101 that aggregate spending is Y = C+I+G+X-M; that is, consumer spending, plus investment spending, plus government purchases, plus exports, minus imports. Trade liberalization raises X, but it also raises M. For any individual county it can go either way; for the world as a whole it’s a wash, since total exports equal total imports.

via Wrong To Be Right – NYTimes.com.

Filed under Business and Commerce, Economy, International

Job Market Weak, Still!

June 23, 2011 Leave a comment

Hard to have economic recovery if there are many “consumers” without a job.

This is the 11th straight week with initial claims above 400,000, and the 4-week average is at about the same the level as in January. This suggests the labor market weakness in May continued into June.

via Calculated Risk: Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims increase to 429,000.

Filed under Economy, National

For The Record–Obama Did Too Little Stimulus, Not Too Much

June 7, 2011 Leave a comment

It seems like governments are being run by people who are too optimistic about the future. We have one in Coral Gables, and, no doubt, one in Washington that has led into a very slow recovery. No one talks about the 20 unemployed/underemployed. Sad, but true.

By fall 2009 it was obvious that the pessimists — those who warned that the aftermath of the financial crisis would be a prolonged period of high unemployment, not the V-shaped recession and recovery envisioned in the original stimulus plan — had been right. The case for doing more — and at least for demanding more action, so that the other party could at least be accused of obstructionism — was overwhelming.

via The Fatal Pivot – NYTimes.com.

Filed under Coral Gables, Economy

Fl Development Management is Dead

June 4, 2011 Leave a comment

Gov. Scott Signs Damaging HB 7207

Without fanfare, on Thursday, June 2 Gov. Scott signed into law the damaging HB 7207. Among other things, this sweeping growth management legislation virtually eliminates any meaningful state checks and balances over local government decisions, decimates citizens’ ability to effectively challenge decisions, and opens Florida’s rural lands for sprawling development. We thank the dedicated citizens who made numerous calls to their Legislators and the Governor to try to halt this attack on Florida’s quality of life.

Here is some recent newspaper coverage on this issue:

St. Petersburg Times — An obituary for Florida Growth Management, June 5, 2011

Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Gov. Rick Scott reverses 25 years of growth management policy, June 3, 2011.

Palm Beach Post — Growth management loses muscle, June 3, 2011.

Florida Current — DCA positions being filled even as department appears headed towards elimination, June 3, 2011.

Visit 1000 Friends at www.1000fof.org, on Facebook, or Twitter (@floridafriends) to find out the latest on growth management in Florida.