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HomeFPA’s Bob Rodriguez Has a Message for Washington
Posted by Larry Doyle on May 17th, 2012 8:05 AM |
First Pacific Advisor’s Bob Rodriguez is a renowned money manager. I hold him in the highest regard.
The only issue I have in regard to Mr. Rodriguez is that he is not in Washington managing our nation’s fiscal policy.
The simple fact is Rodriguez knows of what he talks and relates it in language that is foreign to most politicians, that is, plain English.
With the ongoing budget fiasco, debt ceiling, and accompanying fiscal cliff on our horizon at year end, recent comments by Rodriguez should ring long, loud, and clear throughout Washington. (more…)
Those Uncle Sam Failed, Violated, and Left Behind
Posted by Larry Doyle on April 3rd, 2012 8:31 AM |
They are going to forget about me.
I have heard that line and iterations thereof from too many of our fellow citizens. Uncle Sam in the personage of Ben Bernanke, Tim Geithner, Henry Paulson, Mary Schapiro, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and many others can talk about the actions they have taken and will take to save our economy and our nation; however, in the midst of their supposed efforts they have failed, violated, and left behind tens of thousands of our fellow citizens in their wake.
Of whom and to what do I refer? (more…)
Questions of Fairness and Rectitude
Posted by Larry Doyle on February 8th, 2012 6:45 AM |
Stephen Moore wrote a commentary entitled A Fairness Quiz for the President in the Wall Street Journal yesterday which generated hundreds of comments. The comments seemed to break down largely along party lines. I think most of those commenting might not grasp the full picture.
With our nation in the midst of an increasingly confrontational political debate, I think it useful to promote serious questions of fairness and rectitude. In doing so, I would like to reference a fair bit of Mr. Moore’s commentary while passing over some of his more overtly political statements. Additionally, I include my own ‘sense on cents’ and add some of my own questions at the end. (more…)
SEC’s Robert Khuzami: “All Individuals Will Be Held Accountable…”
Posted by Larry Doyle on December 18th, 2011 7:35 PM |
What do we think of the SEC’s attempt to pursue former Freddie and Fannie CEOs Richard Syron and Daniel Mudd?
Is this a fully legitimate pursuit of justice against these executives? Could there be more than a whiff of political motivation on the part of the current administration buried in this pursuit?
As The New York Times reports the other day, SEC Accuses Fannie and Freddie Ex-Chiefs of Deception:
On Friday, S.E.C. officials trumpeted their actions in the Fannie and Freddie case as part of a renewed effort to crack down on wrongdoing at the highest levels of Wall Street and corporate America……….. (more…)
Dollar Devaluation, Stagflation, and How “You’re Getting Screwed”
Posted by Larry Doyle on April 29th, 2011 8:12 AM |
“Remain calm, all is well!!”
Such would seem to be the message put forth this morning by The Wall Street Journal’s lead headline, Officials Unfazed by Dollar Slide,
In recent days, the nation’s top two economic policy makers—Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner—have publicly expressed their desire for a strong dollar. But there is little indication of a change in policy from either the Fed or Treasury—or in underlying economic conditions—that would alter the currency’s downward course.
When thinking of Bernanke and Geithner, who do you think of first, Abbott and Costello or Laurel and Hardy? I am more in the former camp. “Hey, Abbbbbotttttt!!” (more…)
Is Capitalism Dead?
Posted by Larry Doyle on April 11th, 2011 8:20 AM |
While Uncle Sam in the persons of Ben Bernanke, Tim Geithner et al may promote the fact that our capital markets currently are a reflection of a rebound in capitalism, they would be wrong.
Our markets and the Wall Street banks that dominate them no more embody the true tenets of capitalism than the incestuous nature of the Wall Street-Washington relationship truly represents the best interests of the American public. As The New York Times highlighted this weekend, Banks Are Off the Hook Again,
Americans know that banks have mistreated borrowers in many ways in foreclosure cases. Among other things, they habitually filed false court documents. There were investigations. We’ve been waiting for federal and state regulators to crack down. (more…)
Will States, such as California, File Chapter 9?
Posted by Larry Doyle on December 3rd, 2010 6:38 AM |
Are those large waves roiling the world of municipal finance–and centered on California–to be feared?
Are they an indication of an oncoming tsunami? Or are they to be discounted and taken as just another “Hey, dude, don’t worry. Surf’s up!!”
Well, perhaps those less concerned about what is just ‘off the coast’ may care to ‘break out their boards’ but prudence dictates we take a harder look at what is causing the recent waves in the world of municipal finance. These factors include: (more…)
Beggar Thy Neighbor
Posted by Larry Doyle on October 5th, 2010 12:17 PM |
So much has happened along our economic landscape over the last two to three years that it is hard to weigh the magnitude and depth of many of the developments. That said, the simple fact is the tectonic plates underlying our global economy have shifted massively as a result of the enormous financial earthquake of 2008. While global governments and central banks have performed varying degrees of triage to save states, nations, and regions, the movements of the plates are continuing along under the surface. To that end, what is the economic reality now bubbling above the surface given the shift in our tectonic plates below? Let’s navigate and review the reality known as Beggar Thy Neighbor, defined by our friendly Investing primer as,
An international trading policy that utilizes currency devaluations and protective barriers to alleviate a nation’s economic difficulties at the expense of other countries. While the policy may help repair an economic hardship in the nation, it will harm the country’s trading partners, worsening its economic status. (more…)
Consumption Takes Another Leg Down
Posted by Larry Doyle on August 23rd, 2010 7:56 AM |
Do you increasingly feel that you are not receiving the full story in terms of our overall economy? Do you feel as if the ‘political class’ in Washington is speaking a different language than the ‘working class’ in the rest of the country? Do you scratch your head as to why economic releases are often immediately panned and quickly thereafter revised? (Case in point, the initial release of 2nd quarter GDP on July 30th was quickly thereafter projected to be halved.) For all of the above reasons, more and more Americans are relying on independent economic research and analysis. Two of my favorites in this camp (aside from Sense on Cents, of course!!) are John Williams of Shadow Government Statistics and Rick Davis of Consumer Metrics Institute.
I recently highlighted Williams’ work in writing, What Is the Real Rate of Unemployment in the United States? In that commentary, I referenced Williams as he had stated:
That began a lengthy process of exploring the history and nature of economic reporting and in interviewing key people involved in the process from the early days of government reporting through the present.
For a number of years I conducted surveys among business economists as to the quality of government statistics (the vast majority thought it was pretty bad), and my results led to front page stories in the New York Times and Investors Business Daily, considerable coverage in the broadcast media and a joint meeting with representatives of all the government’s statistical agencies. Despite minor changes to the system, government reporting has deteriorated sharply in the last decade or so. (LD’s emphasis) (more…)
Goldman Sachs and Uncle Sam’s “Games People Play”
Posted by Larry Doyle on August 17th, 2010 7:42 AM |
Why does it seem that whenever something really dicey happens on Wall Street, the crowd at Goldman Sachs is typically in the middle of it? How so? Let’s enter the world of new issue equity underwriting.
There is very little that is truly sacred on Wall Street. That said, one of the traditional “sacred untouchables” on the street of dreams has been the new issue equity underwriting spread. Maintaining this spread between a cushy 2% to 3% level is typically sacrosanct and actually more easily maintained now given the oligopoly that currently defines Wall Street. I have written extensively on how this game of oligopoly has been played on Wall Street circa 2010. (more…)
