Radio Transmissions

These are audiotapes of my NPR commentaries taken from NPR’s archives. They’re really an excuse to reproduce “At Home With The Ehrlichs,” in which I turn the Social Security debate into a Great Gildersleeve-type radio program, and got my son Nick, then 18, to do it with me. (He was the star of his high school’s musical comedy program and just killed his part, just listen and see.)

I’d did most of these by sitting down at the mike and making believe I was Eric Sevareid, tossing the wrath of God around the room. That’s not how I sounded, of course, but it was a great fantasy.

If you’re good, I’ll tell you who Eric Sevareid was.

Oct 25, 2005

Fed Chair: A Tough Job to Prepare For

President Bush's nominee for Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, could get his Senate hearing next month. Ev Ehrlich, undersecretary...

Nov 1, 2004

Wal-Mart Eyes Japanese Retailer

Commentator Ev Ehrlich thinks Wal-Mart's effort to acquire an interest in the Japanese retailer Daiei could be the best thing to reach...

Apr 22, 2004

Presidential Politics and Open Trade

Commentator Ev Ehrlich urges both President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry to reconsider their campaign positions...

Feb 20, 2004

Should Comcast Buy Disney?

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says any time a cable or satellite company tries to buy a content producer, the projected profits rarely...

Jan 5, 2004

At Home With the Ehrlichs

The debate over who will pay for social security reminds commentator Ev Ehrlich of an old-time radio drama. Listen as he and his son...

Oct 16, 2003

Can Business Get Good Policy Done?

Commentator Ev Ehrlich thinks both political parties are doing their best to avoid tackling some crucial economic issues. Businesspeople...

Sep 4, 2003

America Must Lead on Trade

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says that next week's world trade talks in Mexico need to address the problems of the world's poorest countries....

Jul 22, 2003

Making Singapore Safe for American Gum

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says just because people in Singapore can chew gum after years of a national ban does not equal American success...

Jun 23, 2003

Star Trek and the Fed

Commentator Ev Ehrlich reflects on the Fed, interest rates and Star Trek.

May 21, 2003

The Dangers of Unilateralism

As Iraq's reconstruction project gets under way, commentator Ev Ehrlich says the Bush administration should cooperate with the Europeans....

Mar 18, 2003

The Economics of War in Iraq

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says as the country prepares to go to war in Iraq, lawmakers on Capitol Hill should consider the war's economic...

Feb 7, 2003

Deficits – Once an Issue

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says deficits are a cloud looming on the national horizon, and it would be wise to deal with them sooner than later.

Dec 11, 2002

Eliminating Tariffs

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says he supports Trade Representative Robert Zoellick's proposal to eliminate tariffs on manufactured goods around...

Oct 27, 2002

Home Ownership as an Anti-Recession Strategy

The economy received a surprising boost recently when the Commerce Department announced that housing starts surged in September....

Sep 24, 2002

Jack Welch and Corporate Pay

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says dismay over the lucrative retirement package of former General Electric CEO Jack Welch is misplaced. Instead,...

Sep 9, 2002

A Decade of Stagnation?

Despite concerns over an economy suffering from deviant corporate accounting and plummeting stock figures, Commentator Ev Ehrlich says...

Mar 31, 2002

Japanese Baseball

Baseball has long been known as "America's Pastime," but a recent influx of foreign players is changing the face of the game. Commentator...

Feb 21, 2002

Different Recessions Are Different

Commentator Ev Ehrlich looks back at the recessions of the 1970's and 80's, their causes and what this tells us about America's current...

Dec 26, 2001

Lessons From Enron

Now that Enron has disintegrated, commentator Ev Ehrlich thinks it's a good time to look at the company and see what and where it went...

Nov 5, 2001

Our Dependence on Oil

Commentator Ev Ehrlich wonders why nothing has been done to alter America's energy dependence on fossil fuels, despite the obvious...

Oct 19, 2001

Defense Spending and the Economy

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says that although spending for defense used to be lauded as a boon for the economy, it may not have the same...

May 23, 2001

In Praise of Rouge Artists

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says the American impulse to embrace its rogue artists is the same spirit that gives the U.S. a keen edge in the...

Mar 25, 2001

An Interview With the Pets.com Sock Puppet

Commentator Ev Ehrlich consults the pet.com sock puppet about what lies ahead for companies like the one he used to work for before it...

Mar 7, 2001

Census Population Data

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says census data reflect millions more people in the U.S. than population projections suggest. He thinks foreign...

Jan 25, 2001

Right Brained Economy

Commentator Ev Ehrlich says computers are changing the qualities the economy seeks in its managers. The ability to analyze is becoming...

Dec 25, 2000

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Commentator Ev Ehrlich deconstructs the Christmas song, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Listen here.