Prominent bailout critic to speak at Bates

Jeffrey Miron, senior lecturer and director of undergraduate studies in Harvard University’s economics department, presents a lecture titled “Bankruptcy or Bailout: A Libertarian Perspective on the Financial Crisis” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in Chase Hall Lounge at Bates College, 56 Campus Ave.

Sponsored by the Bates economics department and the Bates Republicans and Libertarians, the event is open to the public at no cost.

Miron is a prominent libertarian economist. He has published nearly 40 books and articles on business cycle theory and government regulation of personal behavior such as alcohol and drug use, and gun ownership.

Miron has argued that the recent bailout of financial institutions was misguided, and that the economy would have been better served had the institutions instead been allowed to fail. He has written for CNN on the topic and was one of 166 academic economists who signed a letter to congressional leaders in September 2008 opposing the government bailout plan.