Regional population growth and increasing trade with Mexico are creating severe traffic congestion along Interstate 35 and at the Laredo bridge crossings. The construction of a new Interstate Highway 69 has been offered as one solution to this problem. This analysis examines the economic impacts of building Interstate 69 and its potential impact on job creation in the counties along its projected path. Using the IMPLAN input-output modeling system, construction of Interstate 69 will support $4.2 billion in economic activity in the counties through which it will pass. More importantly, based on an analysis of Interstate 27 in west Texas, it can be projected that Interstate 69 will spur a 2% gain in regional employment above any usual economic growth.

Policy makers and households are concerned about the impact of rising energy prices on low-income households. In a trend starting in the 1970s, low-income households are spending an increasingly disproportionate share of their income on home energy. The burden on a household imposed by energy prices can be analyzed through four factors: energy price, energy consumption, income level, and level of assistance provided to help with the costs of energy. The combination of these factors indicates that the energy burden is continuing to be disproportionately large for the nation's poor. Therefore, policy makers make further efforts to alleviate this burden by modifying energy pricing regulation.

This paper analyzes stock index reactions to interest rate actions by the FOMC. Unlike previous analyses this study utilizes macro-economic indicators and accounts for pre-decision market expectations. Results indicate significant reaction of the stock market to the actions of the FOMC regardless of interest rate actions matching pre-decision market expectations. Binary dummy variables representing the five days following an FOMC meeting indicate a significant reaction for days one; two and three of the Dow Jones model and for day five of the NASDAQ model. The magnitude of the coefficients are 0.17%, 0.09%, -0.07% and -.15% respectively. These findings may be sensitive to a priori choices regarding the definition of the market expectation variable.