Category Archives: Finance and Economics

More Nerd Humor from Climate Scientists

Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

The above video is a humorous little ditty (warning: some profanity) about climate change that I discovered via Joel Makower’s Twitter feed. In my opinion, the nerds in this video push the evidence for the anthropogenic causes of climate change a bit … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Climate Change, Finance and Economics, Humor, International Security, Media, Policy, Politics, Science | Tagged Climate change, Climate scientists, nerd humor | Leave a comment

My Favorite Governor

Posted on Friday, May 13, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

There are very few politicians who tell it like it is. However, the rare politician who does, can be a godsend. Governor Chris Christie is one of those politicians. I just wish he would run for President. I wanted to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Education, Finance and Economics, Policy, Politics, Taxes, Unions | Tagged Governor Christie, Harvard School of Education, New Jersey | 10 Comments

Another Data Point Against Obamacare

Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

“The medical marketplace has really become dominated by the large national carriers…It’s really because it’s not anywhere we feel we can compete effectively.” — Richard Jones, Guardian Life Insurance spokesman Last week I received a letter from my former healthcare … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Healthcare, Media, Policy, Politics | Tagged Guardian Insurance, Healthcare, Mitt Romney, Obamacare, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President | 6 Comments

Obama’s National Mileage Tax Is a Bad Idea

Posted on Monday, May 9, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

The Obama Administration has recently floated the idea of a national mileage tax. The government would install electronic tracking equipment in vehicles to determine how many miles drivers traveled, and drivers would pay the tax electronically at gas stations. The President … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Policy, Politics, Predictions, Taxes | Tagged Congestion charge, Mileage tax, President Obama, Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatves Office | 21 Comments

Is the Next Election a “Lock” for Obama?

Posted on Sunday, May 8, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

With the successful elimination of terrorist mastermind, Osama bin Laden, President Obama’s prospects for an election victory in 2012 seem much brighter. In the wake of bin Laden’s death, Obama’s approval ratings have surged 9 percentage points since April from 47% … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Central Asia, Defense, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, International Security, Media, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Predictions, Taxes, Terrorism, War | Tagged Decision 2012, Democrats, President George Herbert Walker Bush, President Obama, Republicans, Unemployment | 8 Comments

Bush vs. Obama: Unemployment

Posted on Saturday, May 7, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Update: Click here for the most recent jobs statistics. I posted an article last month that compared the unemployment rate under President George W. Bush with the unemployment rate under President Obama at that time. I felt compelled to publish this article because … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Media, Policy, Politics | Tagged President Bush, President Obama, Unemployment | 53 Comments

Should I Buy a Hybrid or an Electric Vehicle? (Part VII): Carbon Analysis

Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Yesterday I relaxed my $0.40 per kWh electricity price constraint to see if the two EVs and one PHEV would be more attractive at a lower cost of electricity. It turned out that the Nissan Leaf did become a more attractive option provided … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, California, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Climate Change, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Investing, Policy, Politics, Predictions, Taxes | Tagged California, carbon emissions, carbon tax, Chevy Volt, Corolla, EV, Gasoline prices, HEV, ICE, Leaf, Nissan, PHEV, Prius, Roadster, Tesla, Toyota | 6 Comments

Should I Buy a Hybrid or an Electric Vehicle? (Part VI): Fuel and Electricity Sensitivity Analysis

Posted on Monday, May 2, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Yesterday I concluded that purchasing a Toyota Prius might make sense if gasoline prices remained at or above $4.00 per gallon, and if I used the vehicle for 20,000 or more miles annually. A critical assumption underlying this analysis was … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, California, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Climate Change, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Investing, Predictions, Taxes | Tagged California, Chevy Volt, Corolla, EV, Gasoline prices, HEV, ICE, Leaf, Nissan, PHEV, Prius, Roadster, Tesla, Toyota | 10 Comments

Should I Buy a Hybrid or an Electric Vehicle? (Part V): Mileage and Fuel Sensitivity Analysis

Posted on Sunday, May 1, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Yesterday I concluded that purchasing a Toyota Corolla was the most economically efficient decision given my circumstances. However, I also suggested that it still might make sense to purchase a Prius under certain conditions.