11/03/2009

With BNSF purchase, Buffett bets on growth in container traffic
Warren Buffett says his railroad buy is an investment in America, but it's also a bet on a recovery in global trade.

10/27/2009

Health bill won't insure us from mounting deficit
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's top economic adviser said Monday that health care reform is essential to gaining control of the nation's deficit. But Christina Romer was only able to applaud congressional attempts to keep from adding still more to the nation's overspending.

10/20/2009

China not choosy in its dealings for oil
China is jabbing its elbows into the Texas oil patch.

10/13/2009

Texas has best, worst symptoms of U.S. health care
A lot of Texans are quite proud of the Lone Star State's medical establishment and were annoyed at last week's report that Texas ranks 46th among the states in providing health care to all of its citizens.

10/06/2009

Trade centers in Dallas-Fort Worth can help export taste of Texas
WASHINGTON – What's a Waxahachie corn dog machine maker to do when it wants to sell overseas?

09/29/2009

With hospital's real costs, insurers, individuals can negotiate prices
Hospital bills are baffling. Each hospital has a schedule of charges – what you might call list prices – for thousands of procedures. But hardly anyone pays these. People who don't have health insurance are the ones most likely to get hit with them.

09/27/2009

No country has perfect system, but there are lessons to learn
Tackling the high cost of health care is politically bruising and difficult work around the world. Among developed countries, only the Norwegians rival our level of spending. The French wrestle with rising costs every year. The Canadians are searching for a better model, and have had their eyes on France. But for all their troubles, the French and the Canadians – two bogeymen in the American reform debate – spend much less and live longer than we Americans.

No country has perfect system, but there are lessons to learn
Tackling the high cost of health care is politically bruising and difficult work around the world. Among developed countries, only the Norwegians rival our level of spending. The French wrestle with rising costs every year. The Canadians are searching for a better model, and have had their eyes on France. But for all their troubles, the French and the Canadians – two bogeymen in the American reform debate – spend much less and live longer than we Americans.

09/22/2009

Two Dallas-area clinics offer good, cost-effective health care
What does better, cost-effective health care look like?

09/15/2009

Employers are the customers in health care
Most of us have health insurance as an employee benefit. Your company shops around, tailors a package to suit what's needed, offers it to the workforce and bears most of the cost.

09/08/2009

In health care reform debate, all sides agree high costs must be curbed
WASHINGTON – Wednesday night, President Barack Obama is scheduled to try one more time to persuade Congress and the country to change health care.

09/01/2009

Texas should take lead in refocusing U.S. economy on exports
WASHINGTON – Japan's decision to throw out the old economic guard in Sunday's election is one more hint that the United States needs to come out of this recession with an economy led by exports – which means led by Texas.

08/25/2009

Local debates may shape the direction of health care
WASHINGTON – In Dallas, in Roanoke, Va., and in communities from California to Maine, health care debates are under way that might improve things without waiting for the federal government.

08/18/2009

Health care picks up where financial crisis left off
WASHINGTON – The angry town hall meeting will be remembered as a hallmark of the health care overhaul effort. But just a few months ago, the folks filling town hall meetings were pretty upset with Congress about bailing out the banking system.

08/11/2009

U.S. companies seizing sales opportunities in China
WASHINGTON – Growth spurred by tax money poured over the gears of the economy may not be the most immediate or enduring lubricant for putting people back to work. But when it's China that's doing the spending, U.S. companies have a here-and-now sales opportunity.

08/04/2009

Health habits should weigh heavier in debate
Doctors and insurance agents are in the front lines of the health care battles spilling from Washington across the nation this month. With politicians blaming them for the fix we're in, they've hunkered down, nursing their grievances and looking to fight back.

07/28/2009

Yes, models for cost-efficient health care do exist
WASHINGTON – Pencils are snapping as Congress struggles to curb health care costs that this year will consume $2.5 trillion, or one-sixth of the economy. Just a few blocks away, though, a meeting took place last week showing it can be done.

07/21/2009

Health care system can ill afford to continue with fee-for-service
There's plenty of controversy about extending health insurance and paying for it with new taxes. The bigger obstacle, however, is the inability of Congress and the Obama administration to find a way to rein in spending.

07/14/2009

Curbing speculative oil trading is a good move
WASHINGTON – Curbing speculation in oil prices is now a priority with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

07/07/2009

As health data becomes available, patients can demand better care
WASHINGTON – Light is starting to peek into the dark confusion of health care quality and costs.

06/30/2009

Is McAllen's health care problem the doctors or the patients?
WASHINGTON – Thanks to a June 1 New Yorker article cited by President Barack Obama and others, McAllen is now notorious for wasteful spending on health care.

06/23/2009

Jim Landers: North Texas' inland ports hurt by recession
This recession has seen the volume of international cargo containers moving through U.S. ports drop for 22 straight months.

06/09/2009

Mexico edges in on China's manufacturing turf
Should your manufacturing platform be in China or Mexico?

Mexico edges in on China's manufacturing turf
Should your manufacturing platform be in China or Mexico? Hands down, China used to win the sourcing game. Now Mexico is making a play for this work, with custom-made products and overnight delivery – a timeframe that China can't touch.

06/02/2009

Baylor hospital, feds agree on curbing health costs, but how?
Baylor Health Care System knows change is coming. The federal government is trying to find a way to provide nearly everyone with access to affordable medical care while curbing its extraordinary cost.

Baylor hospital, feds agree on curbing health costs, but how?
Baylor Health Care System knows change is coming. The federal government is trying to find a way to provide nearly everyone with access to affordable medical care while curbing its extraordinary cost.

05/26/2009

Insuring immigrants could cut cost of care for all
Immigration and health care are political Everests. There's widespread agreement that our current approach to both is broken and that we can't sustain the path we're on. To fix either one requires a daunting, exhausting climb through the clouds in search of consensus.

Insuring immigrants could cut cost of care for all
Immigration and health care are political Everests. There's widespread agreement that our current approach to both is broken and that we can't sustain the path we're on. To fix either one requires a daunting, exhausting climb through the clouds in search of consensus.

05/19/2009

Reducing retirees' health care costs may be up to you
WASHINGTON – Want a retirement savings strategy?

Reducing retirees' health care costs may be up to you
Want a retirement savings strategy? Quit smoking. Eat healthy. Lose weight. Exercise 30 minutes a day.

05/12/2009

Giant cargo airports key to Dallas' advancement, economist says
Long ago, I traveled with Dallas civic leaders to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and to the global headquarters of Japanese trading giants in Tokyo. The foreign big shots listened politely to the Dallas boosters. Then they tried to sell DART cars or something else to the city.

Giant cargo airports key to Dallas' advancement, economist says
Long ago, I traveled with Dallas civic leaders to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and to the global headquarters of Japanese trading giants in Tokyo. The foreign big shots listened politely to the Dallas boosters. Then they tried to sell DART cars or something else to the city.

05/05/2009

Green shoots in Texas and Mexico still easily trampled
WASHINGTON – For a global recession and a global flu scare, green shoots are poking above the gloom. Stock markets are rising. Mexico announced Monday that nonessential businesses, cafes, restaurants and museums will be allowed to reopen later this week.

Green shoots in Texas and Mexico still easily trampled
For a global recession and a global flu scare, green shoots are poking above the gloom. Stock markets are rising. Mexico announced Monday that nonessential businesses, cafes, restaurants and museums will be allowed to reopen later this week.

04/28/2009

Swine flu outpaces intent of officials to stop its spread
Once again, a virus is traveling much faster than the political will to stop it.

04/21/2009

Malpractice damage caps not a cure for high health care costs
Capping malpractice damages is a health care reform idea that has swirled around Washington for years. But would it make health care less expensive?

04/14/2009

Dying in hospital unpopular, costly in U.S., France
PARIS – It's easy to believe the French are masters at the art of life when it's April in Paris.

04/07/2009

Comparing French, U.S. health systems, their changes and their challenges
PARIS – Anna Marie Mattson grew up in Dallas but has lived in France since 1990. Her doctor offers a choice of traditional medical care, homeopathy or acupuncture. All are covered by national health insurance. If she wants, Mattson can also go to a spa and bill her heath insurance.

03/31/2009

Taxpayers want to know where money's going
WASHINGTON – In these grim times, readers want to know whether their tax dollars are being spent to help the ailing economy or are being wasted on schemes that don't make sense.

03/24/2009

U.S. inflation threat worries Chinese, too
WASHINGTON – Yes, we are sinners who lived beyond our means and borrowed until the house of cards fell down. On the other side of the world, however, China was sending its savings here in a flood of temptation. The Chinese didn't want to put all that money to work. We did. We just weren't very wise about it.

03/17/2009

It's the oversight, not size, on too-big-to-fail
WASHINGTON – Is "too big to fail" too big?

03/10/2009

Health care reform could really add up

03/04/2009

T. Boone Pickens progresses in wind energy, natural gas campaigns
Dallas energy entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens is making headway with his campaign to reduce oil imports with wind energy and natural gas.

02/24/2009

How to avoid oil prices' harmful extremes
There is a fearful symmetry to oil prices. When they were so high last summer, they were like the poet William Blake's fierce tiger, ripping into household income, ruining truckers and feeding inflation. But high prices spurred greater use of public transit, investments in alternate fuels and conservation – civic goods that could wear the guise of Blake's lamb.

01/13/2009

Senior health spending still heaviest U.S. debt
WASHINGTON – The federal government has gone on a borrowing binge in an effort to save the economy, and it's only going to get crazier in the months ahead.

12/30/2008

Consumers pull emergency brake, and global economy begins crashing
WASHINGTON – When a locomotive engineer hits the brakes, the cars behind him brake as well. Otherwise, the momentum of the trailing freight (or passengers) would crash the train together like a collapsing accordion.

12/23/2008

Wanted: Finnish oil engineers not afraid to fail
If you are looking through an awful economy for something to celebrate this week, take hope in failure.

12/16/2008

In business, English is necessary but not always sufficient
OLKILUOTO ISLAND, Finland – There are more than 4,000 Europeans building a nuclear power plant here – Poles, Germans, French, Finns, Swedes. What's the language spoken on the work site? English, even though none are native English speakers.

12/09/2008

Deflation can be a scary proposition
Waiting for deeper department store discounts? Waiting for more markdowns at car showrooms?

12/02/2008

Could Helsinki's heating, cooling system be used in Texas?
The cabbie worked the black Mercedes slowly through the slush and ice of Vilho Vuoren Street, looking for an address that wasn't there.

11/25/2008

Even in Finland, newspapers have problems
HELSINKI, Finland – The kids here are smart. Finland's 15-year-olds come out on top in international tests measuring math, science, problem-solving and reading comprehension. (U.S. kids come in below average.)

11/18/2008

Iceland's Marel offers opportunistic view of the future
GARDABAER, Iceland – This dark, snow- streaked island country has a shattered economy. Iceland's highflying banks have crashed. The national currency, the krona, fell 70 percent in value before foreign-exchange trading dried up. A severe recession is expected to knock 10 percent off the GDP in the coming year. Unemployment is likely to quadruple to 8 percent.

11/11/2008

California setting course for country's energy policies
LOS ANGELES – California may be leading the way on energy policies that lie ahead for the rest of us.