Jul 23 Is Unemployment Any Guide to Future Growth? Question: How reliable is unemployment data as a guide to future economic growth? Paul Solman: Not much at all, I wouldn’t think. For one thing, employment tends to FOLLOW growth — for the obvious… Continue reading
Jul 22 Are Geithner and Summers Too Close to Wall Street? By Business Desk Question: Are Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers too close to the players that produced this economic crisis — so close that they will not have the vision, values, or mindset that will allow them to take the difficult steps that… Continue reading
Jul 21 Why Do CEOs Make So Much Money? Question: Why do CEOs make so much money? The answer must be supply and demand, but I would like to hear a good analysis of the cost benefit. I do realize too however: Would… Continue reading
Jul 20 Is Madoff’s Sentence a Deterrent for Future Swindlers? By Business Desk Question: I wonder whether the Madoff sentence is a sufficient deterrent for future potential criminals. If he is rumored to have stolen approximately $60 billion, then $60billion/150 years comes out to about $400 million per year. That figure is… Continue reading
Jul 20 Ask Fed Chief Ben Bernanke About the Economy By Business Desk Paul Solman: My longtime motto: There is no big time. But if there were, this might be your chance to become part of it. You can pose an economic question here — not to me or even one of my… Continue reading
Jul 17 A Little Poetry for California’s Crisis Paul Solman: Questions keep coming in about the likelihood and consequences of a California default on its bonds. One unexpected result might be anger for the ages. Here’s Lake Poet William Wordsworth on the 1842 bond default of Pennsylvania,… Continue reading
Jul 16 Simon Johnson on the Future of the U.S. Auto Industry Paul Solman: The fourth in this week’s series of conversations with economist Simon Johnson concerns the future of the suffering American auto industry. Johnson weighs in on whether the new GM will make it and responds to the… Continue reading
Jul 16 How is the U.S. Savings Rate Determined? Question: How is the U.S. savings rate, which has gone from near zero percent in the past to 6.9 percent recently, determined? And a more elaborate question: Is it truly the difference between what is earned and what is… Continue reading
Jul 15 Simon Johnson on Cap and Trade Paul Solman: The third in this week’s series of conversations with economist Simon Johnson has to do with the cap and trade debate — whether cap and trade is a good idea, the feasibility of a carbon tax, and… Continue reading
Jul 15 Reader Response: What Will Drive America’s Future Growth? Paul Solman: Viewer John David wrote these questions in an email back in April, responding positively to an interview with marketing expert Paco Underhill, which aired again last night. I only just got around to answering him, which began… Continue reading