http://www.standupeconomist.com/blog/in-the-news-26/ What is (and isn't) funny about economics Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:18:58 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.standupeconomist.com/blog/in-the-news-26/comment-page-1/#comment-3202 Nathan Rodriguez Tue, 11 May 2010 21:44:24 +0000 http://www.standupeconomist.com/?p=1049#comment-3202 Gas prices these days are just getting higher, i think the government should focus more on alternative energy.:,. Gas prices these days are just getting higher, i think the government should focus more on alternative energy.:,.

]]> http://www.standupeconomist.com/blog/in-the-news-26/comment-page-1/#comment-2059 Steve Clay Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:21:03 +0000 http://www.standupeconomist.com/?p=1049#comment-2059 Congrats on the NewsHour piece. BTW, I certainly think alcohol taxes should be much higher, but I think something like alcohol (which creates enormous public costs in law enforcement and ER visits) might be best served inefficiently. Yes I'm no fun at parties! <em> [YB: Okay, except that if you replaced poor service with higher taxes (and good service) then you'd get the same incentive effects... plus government revenue that you could use to fund programs or cut other taxes. That's why economists tend to prefer taxing mechanisms rather than things like poor service or waiting in line.]</em> Congrats on the NewsHour piece. BTW, I certainly think alcohol taxes should be much higher, but I think something like alcohol (which creates enormous public costs in law enforcement and ER visits) might be best served inefficiently. Yes I’m no fun at parties!

[YB: Okay, except that if you replaced poor service with higher taxes (and good service) then you'd get the same incentive effects... plus government revenue that you could use to fund programs or cut other taxes. That's why economists tend to prefer taxing mechanisms rather than things like poor service or waiting in line.]

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