Category Archives: Public policy

Lenten Reflections: Forty Things I Really Like And… (Day 33)–What price those peaches?

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

Markets. What else would warm the cockles of an economist’s heart? I was talking with someone the other day and let slip that I was trained as an economist. “Are you a Keynesian?” he asked. I laughed and replied that … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Digital age, Education, Financial markets, Government, Human relationships, Private enterprise, Public policy, Religion, Service economy, Social Media, Technology, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A bag full of it

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

In the spirit of intolerance, I have to draw this little piece of public policy to wider attention. Where I live, the local governments have imposed a bag tax: 5 cents for (paper and plastic) disposable bags, whether in supermarkets … Continue reading →

Posted in Bureaucracy, Economics, Government, Health care, Life styles, Public policy | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Hoodie done it

Looking in my wardrobe, I wonder what to wear. Should my choice be geared by style or by fear? A warm day, true, but would I feel good, If I put on the sweater with the big hood? What I … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on March 24, 2012 by | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Let’s hear it for intolerance

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

Once I had finished gorging pancakes on Fat Tuesday, I had to get ready for Lent. Forty days wandering and wondering in the wilderness of soul-searching requires the right gear. Sack cloth? Check. Ashes? Check. Stick? Check. Pocketful of locusts? … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Human relationships, Life styles, Politics, Public policy, Race and Ethnicity, Religion, Sports | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Rush to judgement?

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

It may be the curse of my training as a two-handed economist that leads me to see many things in an even-handed way: one the one hand…on the other hand. However, I woke up thinking about Rush Limbaugh! I hastily … Continue reading →

Posted in Human relationships, Language, Life styles, Media, News, Politics, Public policy, Social Media, Sports | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

In and out of the Mitt?

Posted on February 25, 2012 by

I am not a political analyst, but I try to notice what politicians say and what is said about them. I have been intrigued by the nomination race for the Republican Party presidential candidate. What has struck me–and others–is how … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, News, Politics, Public policy, Sports | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Laughable? Words have meaning.

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

My older daughter and I were in conversation about who would be the new president of the World Bank. She had seen a report in the Washington Post over the weekend, which outlined a range of potential candidates, among them … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Economics, Government, Human relationships, Life styles, Media, News, Politics, Public policy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ganging up…

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

I spent an enjoyable morning and early afternoon at a symposium at American University on gangs and gang violence in the Caribbean. The audience was largely bureaucratic–representatives from academia, diplomatic missions, international organizations. I did not see any representatives from the topic … Continue reading →

Posted in Bureaucracy, Caribbean, Crime, Economics, Family, Financial markets, Government, Human relationships, Language, Life styles, Public policy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Where are your aires and graces?

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

My second-grade daughter is very inquisitive, which is, of course, refreshing for her parents. She likes to read the morning’s newspapers with her mother, when they have breakfast, and has an ear open to the radio news reports. This listening … Continue reading →

Posted in Caribbean, Children, Economics, Education, Family, Financial markets, Government, Human relationships, Life styles, Media, News, Parenting, Politics, Public policy, Technology | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Trader’s Friday Fun

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

We should all understand that foreign exchange trading is not a get-rich-quick activity: money will not fall from the sky into our laps. It’s not a game, but a business. It’s hard, but, literally could be a rewarding part of life’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Education, Financial markets, Human relationships, Life styles, Private enterprise, Public policy, Service economy, Technology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment