Is the Stimulus Plan "Macho"?

Check out this short piece in Slate by Jennifer Barret* that refers to several other articles questioning whether or not the stimulus plan could also achieve an ancillary goal: gender equality in the workplace.

Linda Hirshman [in her New York times editorial, "Where are the jobs for women?" asked of the 3.5 million jobs promised by the rescue package. Why not add more in female-friendly fields like child care, education, and social services, asked Barbara Bergmann, vice chair of the Economists' Policy Group for Women's Issues, in an open letter to President Obama that has garnered more than 600 signatures.

Yes. I signed the letter. I'm a sucker for such things. If we're taking the leap into economic engineering (analogous to social engineering), why not engineer this as well?



*She excitedly and mistakenly questions: "Is the stimulus package really better for men than for women? That's what many prominent feminists, and even some male economists, are saying." with a link on the "male economists" to an article by female economist, Randy Albelda... OOPS!

Craft Beer: Recession Proof?

Mike Haupert answers the question with an affirmative.

Pearl Street Brewery is getting ready for its 10th anniversary.

"Our business has grown about 30 to 40 percent in the last year," says Brewmaster Joe Katchever.

That's not something many businesses can say in this economy. But industries, like microbreweries, are booming. Economists say it's because a high-end beer is a small luxury people can justify.

"(People say) 'I can't afford the $40 bottle of whisky, but I'll go get myself a sort of "niche" beer," says UW-L Economics Professor Mike Haupert. "(They say) 'it's not the can of beer I'd get at a grocery store, but it's not going to set me back the same amount."

Which is good news for Pearl Street Brewery. They've expanded sales from the La Crosse area to all of western Wisconsin, something they credit to people thinking beer is an affordable indulgence.

"Our sales haven't really tapered off, or changed since this recession officially started, or people started talking about it at the end of the summer," Katchever says.

See the video and story here.

Tighten the ranks

In a Forbes article, William Easterly acknowledges that during a crisis, economists revert back to the basics (at least in the development field). See his article here.

Visualizing Store Openings

A dynamic map, plotting the openings of Target and another of Walmart openings. Both chains clearly have very different geographic strategies.

Why Study Economics?

President Obama's Stimulus Proposal

The President outlined his plan for a stimulus package in his weekly address. Click here for a summary of the proposed recovery plan.

Bringing home the bacon

Taggert just pointed me toward a great Freakonomics blog that tells us that 26 percent of wives earned more than their husbands in 2006.

Times are a-changin!