Pots, Black Kettles, and Transparency in Government “The presidency is the most powerful political position on earth, and the idea of enabling the voter the chance to see how a candidate has handled his or her finances is a central part of making sure the right person gets the job.” –“I Support You, Donald Trump....Read More
Home Schooling — When “Home” is Somewhere in the Cascade Mountains I guarantee that — at least for a few overweening parents of pre-college kids — the Ivy League admission “royal flush” scored by the 17 year-old son** in the indie film “Captain Fantastic” will be the takeaway from the provocative and occasionally inspiring movie....Read More
Needed: a Law That Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Their Tax Returns “Until Donald Trump, every major-party presidential nominee since Richard Nixon has released his or her tax returns (except Gerald Ford, who released a summary in 1976). The simple reason is that, on at least one subject, Nixon got it right: The American people...Read More
Trail Blazers vs. Trail Followers “Women have made it to a point where a woman who’s been first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state can win a presidential nomination. Now let’s see how long it takes for someone who’s a little less overqualified to get the nod.” –Gail Collins, “Hillary on the March“; The...Read More
Mixing Apples and Oranges Are real estate prices in rural South Dakota and Mississippi really twice as much as in Dallas? That’s the takeaway, at least superficially, from a NYT piece profiling homes in South Dakota, Mississippi, and Dallas that are all now on the market for around $800k. Prices Per Square Foot; “A Creek...Read More
Shiller: Why Smart Money Can’t Stop a Housing Bubble At least according to economist (and Nobel Prize winner) Robert Shiller, housing is more prone to bubbles than stocks for two reasons: 1) housing supply eventually responds to higher prices, satisfying demand (and then some); and 2) unlike stocks, it’s not possible to short housing —...Read More
