Paul Krugman, Texas and Truth-O-Meter

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who pundits as a New York Times columnist, alighted in Austin this week to keynote a Texas Observer awards ceremony. (He liked his breakfast, too.)

Krugman's touch-down reminded us he's got a mixed, tending to True, record on the Truth-O-Meter (items compiled to the right).

Krugman, who wrote columns about Texas when Gov. Rick Perry was considered a presidential prospect, can be provocative. Texas is not a hell hole, he once wrote, though he's skeptical the state is home to economic miracles.

Skepticism is always good, right?

Related rulings:

"The average Republican voter thinks there should be some revenue as part of this deal."

— Paul Krugman, Sunday, July 31st, 2011.

"There are actually half a million fewer government employees now than there were when (President Barack) Obama took office."

— Paul Krugman, Monday, July 11th, 2011.

"Large majorities" of the public "oppose major changes to Medicare" and favor higher taxes on the wealthy.

— Paul Krugman, Monday, April 18th, 2011.

Says taxes paid by the poorest residents of Texas are above the national average.

— Paul Krugman, Monday, February 28th, 2011.

Texas leads "the nation in the percentage of residents without health insurance."

— Paul Krugman, Thursday, January 6th, 2011.

Says that "data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggest that the Texas budget gap is worse than New York’s, about as bad as California’s, but not quite up to New Jersey levels."

— Paul Krugman, Thursday, January 6th, 2011.

A proposal to reduce the deficit "involved large tax cuts for the top bracket."

— Paul Krugman, Sunday, November 14th, 2010.

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