Economics and Investing:

Fort Knox Paradox – “If the Bullion Depository still contains over 147 million ounces of gold, why not audit it, prove the existence of the gold, and eliminate speculation?”

o o o

19 Facts That Prove Things In America Are Worse Than They Were Six Months Ago

o o o

Items from Professor Preponomics:

US News

From Regulating Uber to Subsidizing It (Government Waste Fraud and Abuse) Excerpt: “This misguided year-long initiative has a budget of $500,000 and will cover 20 percent of each fare for rides within the city’s limits and 25 percent of each fare for rides that start or end at mass transit stations.”

How Bureaucrats Think (My Gov Cost) Excerpt: “…in the public sector, government bureaucrats apparently cannot tolerate providing that level of service, even when they use the same technologies.”

Farm Subsidies: Milking Taxpayers (The Economist) Excerpt: “THE father of Major Major, a character in Catch 22, a novel by Joseph Heller, makes a good living not growing alfalfa. “The more alfalfa he did not grow, the more money the government gave him, and he spent every penny he didn’t earn on new land to increase the amount of alfalfa he did not produce.” Note: This is an older article but well worth reading.

Privatize the USPS (Downsizing the Federal Government) Excerpt: “Furthermore, the USPS borrows from the U.S. Treasury at subsidized interest rates, pays no federal or state taxes, is excluded from local zoning laws, and has the power of eminent domain. But even with these advantages, the USPS loses money because Congress prevents it from cutting costs. Congress blocks the company from closing unneeded post office locations, and it has blocked plans to end Saturday delivery.”

International News

Middle-Class Families “Resentful” as Government Takes Record £4.6bn Inheritance Tax Bill (The Telegraph) Excerpt: “It said more people have been hit by inheritance tax this year because of sharply rising house prices. Average year-on-year house price growth accelerated to 5.7pc last year with the average home now worth more than £200,000….”

Britain Abandoning Global Warming Taxes and Subsidies (The Daily Caller) Excerpt: “Great Britain slashed its generous subsidies for solar power Friday and is under immense pressure to end its carbon tax as industry threatens to leave the country.”

Personal Economics and Household Finance

39 Low-Effort Ways to Save Up to $9,340.67 this Year (Cheap Recipe Blog) Available through Amazon!

o o o

SurvivalBlog and its editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for details.