ECONOMIST RESPONDS TO HARDISTY

Mark Evans, an economics professor at California State University, Bakersfield, criticizes both Dianne Hardisty and the column she wrote about former Congressman Bill Thomas, R-Bakersfield, about the reappointment of Ben Bernanke to head the Federal Reserve. You can read Evans' opinion column, which appeared in the Feb. 16, 2010 edition of The Bakersfield Californian, at http://tinyurl.com/yfvp99b/

Thomas, who now is co-chairman of the congressionally appointed Fiscal Crisis Inquiry Commission, was interviewed by The Californian's former editorial page editor, Dianne Hardisty, about the economy, its meltdown and the role of federal regulators, including Bernanke. Read Hardisty's column at http://tinyurl.com/ydy8svf/

Mark Evans claims Thomas' criticism and the Hardisty column unfairly blamed Bernanke. He also claims the deeply divided Senate confirmation vote on Bernanke's continued leadership of the Fed threatens that agency's independence.