Vernon Smith and I have a commentary in today’s Wall Street Journal (subscription required). Entitled “Socket to Arnold”, our point is that the existing system of average pricing is unfair to off-peak users. Off-peak users subsidize peak energy use, and that’s both inefficient and unfair: But current policy unfairly forces consumers to pay rates based …
Problems of overfishing in our oceans continue, notwithstanding the increasingly stringent seasons, schedules and quotas that governments are mandating in the fishing industry. Such unintended consequences emanating from following a command-and-control regulatory policy is not surprising — fishermen compensate for reduced numbers of fishing days by bringing in as large a catch as they can …
OK, so I got up early and banged out a few hours worth of work (editing, the kind of work that I can only do first thing in the morning, ugh), and then went to the gym … just got back, picked up my WSJ on the way back in, and saw this headline (subscription …
Many, many thanks to those of you who have offered your very generous assistance in helping me figure out why the right margin was not wrapping in Internet Explorer. Particular thanks go to Robert Prather and Steve Verdon, for efforts and suggestions above and beyond the call of civility and gentlemanly behavior to try to …
… gunpowder, treason, and plot! Guy Fawkes, notorious English traitor, is commemorated on this day for his failed attempt to blow up Parliament. From a Guy Fawkes website: To carry out their plan, the conspirators got hold of 36 barrels of gunpowder – and stored it in a cellar, just under the House of Lords. …
Ken Silverstein’s Utilipoint Issue Alert today discusses the proposed Exelon acquisition of Illinois Power in the context of the potential repeal of PUCHA, the Public Utility Company Holding Act of 1935. It’s a very interesting analysis. Arguments for the repeal of PUHCA may have gained footing since the August blackout, as one of the primary …
Craig Newmark has a post about Sam Peltzman’s work on mandatory seat belt laws and moral hazard. Actually, the post is about some snarkiness between Craig and Brad DeLong, but that is not my interest. My interest is in pointing out that the seatbelt phenomenon for which Sam Peltzman is known here — that mandatory …
Now that I’ve caught my breath … Tyler Cowen has a post on Paul Rubin and his new book on politics and evolution. Tyler addresses two things I intended to: Randall Parker’s comments on it, and Dennis Dutton’s review on Arts & Letters Daily, so I’ll not add anything more except to say please do …
How funny is this? Americans Demand Increased Governmental Protection From Selves: “The government is finally starting to take some responsibility for the effect my behavior has on others,” said New York City resident Alec Haverchuk, 44, who is prohibited by law from smoking in restaurants and bars. “But we have a long way to go. …
This Tech Central Station article by Laurence Kotlikoff is thoughtful and interesting. He alludes to something that I’ve been meaning to discuss here, but haven’t had time for: the contestability in the local voice market that is arising from the growth of voice over IP (VOIP) phone service. Anyway, it’s a good article; here’s a …
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