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Fed's Hoenig Calls for Rate Hikes

By Anonymous

From Kansas Fed President Thomas Hoenig: An Economy at Risk: Tough Decisions Ahead. A few excerpts:

"While I am convinced the economic recovery we all want will develop, it will be slower and more fragile than we hope for."
...
"I would direct you to an article by Martin Barnes, the managing editor of Bank Credit Analyst, published in May. In estimating the effect on consumption growth if the annual savings rate steadily increased from zero to 8 percent between now and the end of 2013, the article suggests that consumer spending would grow at an average rate of only 1.3 percent per year. This would be a significant reduction of consumption growth, the slowest since the 1930s."
...
"The markets won't be fooled by artificially low rates for long. Market participants realize that a period of high deficits and accommodative monetary policy are an invitation to increased inflationary pressure. I suspect we are experiencing the first signs of the markets' concerns in the rising rates and increased volatility in longer-term Treasury markets. I suggest strongly that we need to be alert to the markets' message and begin in earnest to bring monetary policy into better balance before inflation forces our hand."

It is interesting that Hoenig believes growth will be sluggish for some time, and he is still advocating raising rates. This will not happen any time soon.

Full post as published by Calculated Risk on June 03, 2009 (boomark / email).