[PEN-L:11877] minimal optimal scale query

Dear Pen-L'rs, Does anyone know of any recent work (last 5-10 years) on estimates of the minimal optimal scale for various manufacturing industries (or agriculture) in the US and/or Europe? I'm trying to document the hunch that returns to scale in industry can be realized at much smaller levels t

[PEN-L:11853] URGENT I.O. CONSULTANCY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Call for consultancy support. I must, I'm afraid, be a bit coy about this project, but if we can drum up some general interest from PEN-L members and within your networks it would be great. The consultancy begins in September and runs throughout the month, with most work being done in the thi

[PEN-L:11856] FW: BLS Daily Report

BLS DAILY REPORT, THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1997 RELEASED TODAY: CPI -- On a seasonally adjusted basis, the CPI-U rose 0.2 percent in July, following increases of 0.1 percent in each of the preceding four months. The food index increased 0.3 percent in July The energy index continued to ex

[PEN-L:11860] Re: Swing

On Sun, 17 Aug 1997, Laurie Dougherty wrote: > > The genius of the industrial union movement was the realization that mass > production was not going to go away. The genius of the New Deal was the > recognition that mass production required mass consumption to keep it > going. Every culture con

[PEN-L:11863] UPS strikers' support rally in Chicago

FROM [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sunday, August 17, 1997 Folks-- I just got back from a VERY spirited rally for the striking UPS workers that was held in Teamster Local 705 here in Chicago. The big, beautiful hall was filled with supporters--mostly out of the labor movement--and many were standi

[PEN-L:11862] Re: A Prostitute on Prostitution

Folks: > > The recent exchange on prostitution came to an end and I am not interested > in reopening it where we left off, but I think most of you will find the > following communication of considerable interest. It comes from Sera > Pinwell, a woman working in the sex industry in Australia --o

[PEN-L:11864] Privatization Conference; Speaker Needed

The Institute for Community Research of Hartford, Connecticut, is holding a one-day conference entitled "Privatization for the Common Good? Implications for Social Health and Welfare." ICR is a feminist-oriented organization. They are looking for a woman economist to address the question, "Can M

[PEN-L:11865] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap

On Mon, 18 Aug 1997, Max B. Sawicky wrote: > Social policy debates have gotten so stupid it is > hard to see them as informed by any kind of > theory, liberal or conservative, much less anything > as high-falutin as risk theory. While your cyncism is well-taken, the issue of risk is not a very

[PEN-L:11868] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap

Nathan Newman asked, >Any other thoughts on how risk theory plays an implicit or explicit role >in social policy debates? Thanks, Nathan, for giving me an opportunity to plug Daniel Ellsberg's 1961 classic "Risk, ambiguity and the Savage axioms", in which Ellsberg showed experimentally that deci

[PEN-L:11872] Re: Swing

Louis - You're right - the 1940s do seem to be a pivotal turning point in terms of popular consciousness. Thanks for the reference to George Lipsitz. Sounds like an interesting piece. I didn't experience "the cold war anti-Soviet propaganda pieces ... in public school." No - I got my dose in

[PEN-L:11871] Argument for National Healthcare?

The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition -- August 18, 1997 Manager's Journal The Case Against Employee Benefits By CRAIG J. CANTONI United Parcel Service's battle with the Teamsters over pensions and part-time workers points to a broader problem: The American system of employer-provid

[PEN-L:11869] UPS strike web page

>X-From_: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sun Aug 17 16:31:39 1997 >Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 13:07:38 -0400 (EDT) >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Unverified) >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Michael J. Dollard) >Subject: Aug. 17th Update to Solidarity Website > >New York Solidarity >(http://crisny

[PEN-L:11867] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap

> From: Nathan Newman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [PEN-L:11865] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap > > Social policy debates have gotten so stupid it is > > hard to see them as informed by any kind of > > theory, liberal or conservative, much less anything > > as high-fa

[PEN-L:11866] One more note

I am leaving for the Blackfeet Reservation at Browning tomorrow. Until a few years ago, AIDS was unknown on the reservation; now there is an emerging problem. The sources of AIDS are: drug addicts, Indian women who have been involved with prostitution in urban areas and have returned to the re

[PEN-L:11861] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap

> From: Nathan Newman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [PEN-L:11855] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap > Any other thoughts on how risk theory plays an implicit or explicit role > in social policy debates? Social policy debates have gotten so stupid it is hard to see them

[PEN-L:11859] Panglossian Economists

August 18, 1997 EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK / By MICHAEL M. WEINSTEIN Dr. Doom Becomes Dr. Pangloss Every economist gets used to the ridicule. We peddle the "dismal science." We know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. Two economists produce three conflicting opinions. But now, courtesy o

[PEN-L:11858] A Prostitute on Prostitution

Folks: The recent exchange on prostitution came to an end and I am not interested in reopening it where we left off, but I think most of you will find the following communication of considerable interest. It comes from Sera Pinwell, a woman working in the sex industry in Australia --one who is al

[PEN-L:11855] Re: Risk and Unequal Opportunity under cap

On Sun, 17 Aug 1997, Rosenberg, Bill wrote: > --- Forwarded Message Follows --- > From: "Young, Jim" > Organization: Lincoln University > to maximise their expected utility. Lindley (1971 p70-76) considers > that most people would wish to behave in a decreasing risk-averse >

[PEN-L:11857] FW: Daily Report

BLS DAILY REPORT, FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1997: BLS News Release: "International Comparisons of Manufacturing Productivity and Unit Labor Cost Trends, 1996" indicates that manufacturing productivity in the United States increased 3.2 percent in 1996, the same rate as in 1995. Of eight foreign economi

[PEN-L:11854] RE: Black Male Employment

I found the figures presented by Doug & Michael on black male incarceration shocking. Getting back to the original question, are the '95 and '96 figures meaningful? The change between the two years is quite small. It would be interesting to compare the change to the margin of error in the surve

[PEN-L:11873] Re: Panglossian Economists

At 08:54 AM 8/18/97 -0700, Louis Proyect wrote: >August 18, 1997 > >EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK / By MICHAEL M. WEINSTEIN > >Dr. Doom Becomes Dr. Pangloss > [SNIP] > >I have to admit, however, that an alternative explanation of these figures >strengthens the canard that economists know the price of everyth

[PEN-L:11874] UPS News On Web; Correction to Rally Time (SF)

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] August 17, 1997 We have created a new UPS Strike page. The first item on the new page is an ACTION CALL to build rallies in support of the strikers at the UPS center Thursday, August 21st, and every Thursday thereafter until the strike is won. The rallies are from 5: