Food Stamps & Taxes Suggest We’re Nearing the End

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from...

European Markets Tank

European markets took a big hit today, obliterating any hope generated by yesterday’s rally. Contagion is back, baby!  … Italy and Spain led the downward trend, with the latter index briefly down over 4 percent.  Yields on Spanish government bonds...

Is the Fed Promoting Recovery or Desperation?

A lengthy beating to the Fed begins: On Friday, the Department of Labor reported that March non-farm payrolls increased by 120,000, falling well short of consensus expectations in excess of 200,000. …  On the payroll front, our present expectation is that April...

Fioretti: Not So Fast Rahm

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to have five financing giants bankroll $1.7 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects ran into opposition Monday from aldermen concerned about “hidden fees” and long-term leasing of city assets. During closed-door briefings with aldermen,...

Illinois Teachers’ Pension Troubles

It’s important to note that this fund do NOT include CPS teachers. Illinois public school teachers and retirees could have reason to worry about the kinds of pension checks they will be getting down the line.  … The Springfield State-Journal register...