The Economist (September 7)
Argentina’s reimposition of currency controls “confirms the horrible reality that Argentina has once again become a financial outcast.” Most are quick to blame the current president Mauricio Macri. “In fact much of the blame for Mr Macri’s failure lies with his populist predecessor, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who …. left behind a gaping budget deficit, artificially low utility prices, statistics that were brazenly manipulated and ruinously high public spending.”
Tags: Argentina, Blame, Budget deficit, Currency controls, Fernández, Financial outcast, Macri, Manipulated, Populist, Reimposition, Statistics, Utility prices
Washington Post (November 18, 2013)
Little is definitively known about global warming, but it would be wise to take pragmatic measures. “Putting a price on carbon—through a tax on oil, coal and natural gas—that reflects global warming’s costs… would promote energy efficiency and favor renewables.” But how would one determine the size of that carbon tax? “We don’t know global warming’s full effects…. But we do know the size of the budget deficit, and we do know that revenue from a carbon tax might help finance a simplification of the income tax. By addressing multiple problems, an admittedly unpopular carbon tax might command broader support.”
Tags: Budget deficit, Carbon, Carbon tax, Energy efficiency, Global warming, Income tax, Renewables, Revenue, Support
