From "Obamacare" to "Obamefficiency"?

President Obama has just committed himself, through an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, to an executive order that


"... requires federal agencies ensure that regulations protect our safety, health and environment while promoting economic growth. And it orders a government-wide review of the rules already on the books to remove outdated regulations that stifle job creation and make our economy less competitive. It's a review that will help bring order to regulations that have become a patchwork of overlapping rules, the result of tinkering by administrations and legislators of both parties and the influence of special interests in Washington over decades."


Of course, as an economics instructor, I am always pleased when the government reviews its regulatory watch for the betterment of the economy.  But I do wonder if this "jobless recovery" can just be changed to a recovery with less oversight.  How long would it take to change the regulatory system?  Can it be done quickly and efficiently so we can get 15 million people that are willing and able to work back to work?  The President gave a poignant example of two agencies working somewhat against each other. 


"For instance, the FDA has long considered saccharin, the artificial sweetener, safe for people to consume. Yet for years, the EPA made companies treat saccharin like other dangerous chemicals. Well, if it goes in your coffee, it is not hazardous waste. The EPA wisely eliminated this rule last month.".  

That makes sense...I think.  Is saccharin bad for me?  If it is, maybe they should just ban it.  Luckily, I like my coffee black.  Of course, I wonder, if costs and benefits are being considered and then I read this quote:

"As the executive order I am signing makes clear, we are seeking more affordable, less intrusive means to achieve the same ends—giving careful consideration to benefits and costs"

How exciting is that?

President Obama continues to write that the future of regulation will mean more power to the consumer, less paperwork, decreased burdens on small businesses, one standard for car fuel efficiency instead of 50, and FDA rules for medical devices to list a few.  All of this sounds great but I am still wondering will we ever actually do it?

To wrap this long blog up the President continues to talk that loveable econ talk.  

"Yet according to current estimates of their economic impact, the benefits of these regulations exceed their costs by billions of dollars (consumer surplus?)." 

As I read the article I was inspired to cheer for self regulation of big government then I realized--that doesn't make sense!

The President ends the story with this quote "We can make our economy stronger and more competitive, while meeting our fundamental responsibilities to one another."

I sure hope so and SOON!  By the way, the President's move to the center of the political spectrum has moved his approval back into the majority (click here). 

        

Has Santa Become a Techie?

 
 Android is outselling the IPhone as a platform, but the IPhone is the single most popular model by a wide margin according to Nielsen Ratings.  Computers were the most purchased tech gift, then tv's, smartphones (non-IPhone), IPad, Blu-Ray players, E-Readers, and Wii's.  That was the top seven.  It was a great holiday shopping season for retailers both online and the traditional "bricks and mortar" stores.  UPS and FedEx were also pleased to see online sales up 13% from last year as well.  

Duffka is interested in the readers gifts?  How did the compare to the list below?  How did the holidays this year compare to the holidays of the last couple of years for you?

Google is a Monopoly--Who Cares?

Times are changing for Google...for the better.  According to their SEC filings, Google employs over 23,000 people.  They have assets valued at over $30 billion.  A gross profit over $14 billion.  Their stock price has increased from $100 per share in 2004 to $600 per share today.  The two founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the same age as Duffka but are worth considerably more.  Larry Page owns 40,000 shares at about $600 a share his holdings in Google are worth about $24 million.  Shriram Ram was the 1st investor in and currently owns 148,000 shares with a value of approximately $90 million.  All of that aside, Google offers many "free" services which are really supported by the massive amounts of revenue generated by the paid ads from the search engine.  The EU announced at the end of November that they are looking into accusations of how the search engine monopoly is being used to influence the search results to negatively impact competitors.  One of the most vocal complaints was from "Ciao" which is owned by Microsoft.  The Economist claims that because Google has turned itself into a verb it has a form of monopoly power.  The Economist asks the question "Can You Dominate and Not Be Evil?"  What do you think of Google's monopoly power?  Do they have it?  Should they be regulated?

  

Deficit vs. Recovery--The Leader is Recovery!

Rule number one in economics is people choose.  The second rule is more painful all choices involve costs.  Now that the leaders in Washington seem poised to increase the speed of the slow recovery, Duffka asks the question--what is the cost and, of course, the benefits.  According to Mark Zandi from Moody's Analytics, "The proposed temporary tax cuts and spending increases will provide a substantial boost to growth in 2011. Instead of another year expanding at no more than the U.S. economy’s potential growth rate — with job gains of 1.2 million and unemployment hovering near 10% — real GDP growth will accelerate to 4%, job gains will pick up to 2.8 million, and the unemployment rate will decline to around 8.5% by year’s end."  Economists know that close to 100% of spending on unemployment (it would be extended 13 weeks)  compensation is spent and that has a large stimulative effect.  Economist Paul Krugman of Princeton University, feels that businesses already have plenty of excess capacity (they are not using their fixed space productively) so they will not expand much this year and he thinks GDP will only be increased by .7%.  The tax plan also includes a temporary payroll tax reduction that will lower many firms marginal cost and average total cost possibly increasing output by firms adding variable inputs (labor) which can lower unemployment if not too many discouraged workers return to the labor force looking for work.  By the way the cost is expected to be over $700,000,000,000 over the next two years.  Economics rule number 6:  The Consequences of Choices Lie in the Future.  No worries--the national debt is still just a tad under $14,000,000,000,000.

                                                  Center for American Progress analysis. 

What do you think of the costs and benefits of this proposal?  Who might you or your family benefit?  What are the costs for you or your family?

 

         

Tracking Your Every Digital Move--Government or Advertisers?

Many people have long complained about the privacy issues regarding the Patriot Act and other government intelligence programs.  Now BlueCava CEO David Norris has found a way to track digital devices, including cell phones and computers, legally.  According to the Wall Street Journal, advertisers are looking for ways to legally track all of our movements in cyberspace.  Every computer user has some unique settings that set their fingerprint apart from other users.  This way, without knowing who the user is, advertisers can see where we click, what we like, and how we interact.  Fingerprinting is almost invisible, difficult to stop and somewhat permanent.  The advertising market is a $23 billion a year industry.  The idea behind BlueCava's information is to allow advertisers build profiles of the people using the devices it has identified.  Click here to see how this is accomplished.  

Duffka's wonders if tomorrow's leaders feel this is an improvement in advertising where the benefit exceeds the cost of privacy?   

 

WiFi at 35,000 feet? Does the Benefit Exceed the Cost

Recently, American Airlines has added WiFi to many of its flights.  According to the New York Times, it costs about $100,000 to ready a plane for wireless internet access.  Many of the initial users are satisfied with the actual access but dissatisfied with the usual airline issue--space for the laptop.  Additionally, American Airlines suggests using a car lighter power adapter to power the computers because outlets are limited.  In-Stat, an Arizona based research firm, reported that fewer than 1 in 50 passengers are paying the average $5 per hour WiFi fees.  At that adoption rate In-Stat notes that revenue stream will be about $95 million which is pennies to an industry that made $14 billion last year charging for food, baggage, and seat upgrades.  Duffka's students are currently learning about profitability based on market structure.  The airlines function in an Oligopoly market structure which is dominated by interdependence and game theory type decision making.  If Wi Fi attracts customers, than game theory suggests that the dominant strategy should be to include Wi Fi on all flights within the next five years.  Kayak.com has evaluated in flight Wi Fi here.  

Black Thanksgiving to Increase Total Revenue or Profit Maximization?

This year MORE retailers like Sears and Old Navy will be open on Thanksgiving.  Traditionally, Thanksgiving Day consumers assume stores are closed then open around 6 AM the next day with large bargains on a few popular items.  According to the National Retail Federation sales are expected to rise 2.3% this year which is a few basis points less than the historical average.  Sears (owned by Kmart) is desperate for a sales increase this year after reporting an even larger loss last quarter.  Duffka is curious...who is going to Sears on Thanksgiving?  Gap, which owns Old Navy and Banana Republic, expects most of their stores to be open.  Last year 18 million people shopped on Thanksgiving.  Most of them were 18-34 years old.  Kohl's has decided to stay closed on Thanksgiving so its customers and associates (employees) "can spend time with family."  I'm willing to bet that Kohl's will have a sale every weekend for the rest of their existence.  Duffka only shops at Kohl's when there are no sales.  Any thoughts on the new Black Thanksgiving?