Houston may pay down residents’ personal debt — up to $3,000 per person — to help people buy homes (Texas Watchdog) “Houston taxpayers may foot the bill for people who want homes but can’t qualify for loans based on credit card debts, car loans or other bills.”
Phony Stimulus—The Congressional Budget Office Tells It As It Is (Marion Edwyn Harrison, Esq., Free Congress Foundation). “Despite the uncertainty of a precise outcome, CBO noted that in the short run the stimulus legislation probably would raise Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and increase employment. Over the coming years, however, the legislation likely will reduce output, primarily because it will result in a dramatic increase in Federal Government debt.” I can’t tell if this is good or bad.
Many Plans to Curtail Use of Plastic Bags, but Not Much Action (New York Times). Reporting on the progress of efforts to lessen the use of plastic bags. But is this a good idea? See Paper Grocery Bags Require More Energy Than Plastic Bags: Paper vs. plastic debate shows how good environmental intentions coupled with bad information lead us astray for countervailing view.
Politics in the Guise of Pure Science (John Tierney, New York Times). Examines the mix of politics and science as concerns global warming. “What would honest brokers tell the president about global warming? Dr. Pielke, who calls himself an Obamite, says he’s concerned that the presidents’ advisers seem uniformly focused on cutting carbon emissions through a domestic cap-and-trade law and a new international treaty.”