A couple of years ago, Robert Gassler referred to one of my favorite articles, E.J. Mishan "Pangloss on Pollution" Swedish Journal of Economics 1971 73:1 (March): pp. 113-20.
Here is his description Part I is a bogus interview with a fictional Dr. Pangloss who sounds like he studied at Chicago and then turned right. No environmental problems, the poor like their lot, etc. Part II is where Mishan trashes Part I, and his conclusion is environmentalist. p. 114: Here is an example of the good doctor's philosophy: "you know my experience, and in all my reading of history, I have never yet come across any unambiguous evidence in of the demand among poor people for quiet or cleaner. If anything, the evidence points in the other way; the poor the people, the more they tend to settle in the dirtiest and noisiest parts of the city." a couple years later, Mishan applied for a job in Chico. Sad to say, he was unsuccessful. -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
