Merry Late Winter. Welcome aboard to new subscribers Richard Murphy
(Director, Tax Research LLP, UK), Zach Young (Missouri planner and
activist), Dhirendra Singh (Associate Urban Planner, Superior Global
Infrastructure Consulting, New Delhi, India), and Ernest "Rollee"
Rolstone, CCO, Energy-Synergy Intra-Global (a 69 year-old native of
California in Marin County but has lived in Thailand for the last 15
years), among others. If any reader knows of anyone who should also be
a reader, please put them in touch. Meanwhile, read on to discover the
progress made in Connecticut and elsewhere, the good news coverage
everywhere, the figures from telling indicators, and how to
participate in reshaping the world.
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CONTENTS:
1. Movement Progress: Lobbying CT; Hudson in Malaysia; International
land course; Nica building; UK coalition; Foldvary talk;
Georgist Party
2. Good Press: Weeklies in Philadelphia and Rochester
3. News: Lots of change agents making geo-waves
4. Numbers: Erection Index correct; All bubble gains gone
5. Letters: Fred Harrison's Call to Action
6. Corrections: Pell obit
7. Likable links: Harrison video; Recession song; HG newspaper
articles; Income security
8. What You Can Do: Read magazines; Join web debate; Attend
conferences
9. At the Margin: Quips and Quotes
10. Publication affairs: Contributors, About the Georgist News
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The 2009 CGO Conference in Cleveland has an e-brochure
By Sue Walton, sns at swwalton.com, February 20, 2009
The CGO's 2009 conference brochure will be going to print on about
4/1. Please contact Sue or Scott Walton at 888/262-9015 or at sns at
swwalton.com if you would like to receive a copy. Also let us know if
you would like to receive it via email.
Do we have your email address? In order to be a more responsible
organization which is concerned about the environment, the Council of
Georgist Organizations intends to send as much of its correspondence
out via email as possible including conference brochures. Please
submit your current email address to Scott & Sue Walton, CGO
Administrators, at sns at swwalton.com.
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1a. Movement Progress: New England lawmakers hear the logic
by Wyn Achenbaum, wyn at achenbaum.com, February 18, 2009
Three of us spent a day in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford
to testify in favor of two LVT bills currently before the Connecticut
legislature, along with about eight others who supported it (including
some who have just recently come around, and some who sited booths
over the years at various state and municipal conventions over the
years). One other person who might have been negative was neutral. No
one spoke against it. I stayed till the end to be sure. Not the last
hurdle, but clearly a good start at the state enabling legislation
level. We take our opportunities as we get 'em.
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1b. Movement Progress: Michael Hudson, geo-crescent rising?
by Michael Hudson, UM-KC, michael.hudson at earthlink.net,
February 11, 2009
Just got back from Malaysia, where I've been appointed advisor to the
incoming government for financial and fiscal policy. I was picked up
at the airport by the head of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, and
after a big meeting the major industries all got on board --
construction, oil, palm oil, etc. So we're going to try and make it a
model state.
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1c. Movement Progress: From Free to Fee
Alanna Hartzok, Co-Director, Earth Rights Institute,
Alanna at earthrights.net, February 16, 2009
The new Land Rights and Land Value Capture online course currently has
nearly 200 people enrolled from 41 countries! Certificate awarded upon
course completion. Graduates are invited to build movements for
implementation in their countries. We have several implementation
projects underway. There will soon be a fee charged for enrollment. If
you want to enroll for free, go now to
http://www.course.earthrights.net/ and sign into the Earth Rights
Advisors Class for Georgists. We need more class facilitators in order
to expand the numbers worldwide. It is tremendously gratifying to
interact with people from around the world as they take the course so
please consider becoming a facilitator. This course has a Forum
feature that can allow us to easily organize movements for
implementation worldwide, as well as a Mass Contact feature whereby
all those enrolled can receive messages.
Editor's Note: Alanna's new book is getting reviewed all over the
place, too. See the article mentioned in the News section, posted at
the Progress Report.
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1d. Movement Progress: IHG Nicaragua News
by Paul Martin, ceihg at ceihg.org, February 12, 2009
Greetings from the Instituto Henry George of Managua, Nicaragua! Or as
you will soon know us, the "Centro Educativo Internacional Henry
George." We are proud, and a bit surprised ourselves, to announce that
the IHG will be hosting our first CE "Comprender La Economia" course
in our new building on March 2nd! Those of you who have been
supporting us through this nearly two-year ordeal of preparation and
construction will appreciate the feeling of being blindsided by
fruition. Unlike Henry George, I have not fallen to my knees and wept,
but the thought of not paying rent is pretty good. We still have a
long way to go to making the building as it needs to be, but by
George, we can at least grind out a CE course on our home turf now!
For those of you who have been asking about when a good time to come
down may be, I would say anytime after you read this message would be
fine.
Please be sure to update the new CEIHG website address on any list you
may have: www.ceihg.org. Also, our PO Box LE-145 is no longer in
service. All correspondence should go to: IHG/Paul Martin frente Radio
Ondas de Luz Colonia Largaespada Managua, Nicaragua
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1e. Movement Progress: New UK group to capitalize on crisis
By Carol Wilcox, carol.wilcox at talktalk.net, February 17, 2009
Coalition for Economic Justice is the title of a new UK-based,
non-partisan coalition of LVT campaigners. This was initiated by the
Labour Land Campaign because we felt it was time to 'take advantage'
of the current crisis, largely caused by land price speculation, to
promote our tax reform. Representatives from more than a dozen
different groups, plus several individuals, are participating. An
initial press release has been generated, a letter sent to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, and a seminar has been
arranged for 24th March in the House of Commons, sponsored by one of
the UK's most prominent and respected politicians -- Vince Cable.
John Lipetz has been chairing and organizing the meetings and was the
originator of the idea.
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1f. Movement Progress: Public talk by Prof. Foldvary
by Dr. Fred Foldvary, SCU Economics, fred at foldvary.net,
Feb 21, 2009
At Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, on February 23rd, in Daly
Science Bldg, Fred Foldvary, Civil Society Institute Director,
explained "Why the Crash of 2008 was not a Market Failure".
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1g. Movement Progress: New Georgist Party
by jeepndesert, New World Liberty
http://newworldliberty.wordpress.com/
The Georgist Party of America - New World Liberty
On the state level, privatization of the education system would be
encouraged with current sales and real estate taxes used to offer an
equal monthly prebate as a georgist land rent dividend to make taxes
progressive and give the people ...
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2. Good Press: Rochester City Newspaper
by Joshua Vincent, Executive Director, Henry George Foundation
USA/Center for the Study of Economics, joshua at urbantools.org,
February 17, 2009
Evan Lowenstein is showing his pluck by pushing for LVT in concert
with HGFA and CSE and his local allies in Rochester. This is in
response to the Rochester LVT article in last week's edition of
Rochester City Newspaper. It's starting to look like a movement.
http://rochestercitynewspaper.com/....
Also, we are moving soon, and have many extra copies of Georgist
material that we are now winnowing. If anyone has a need, let me know,
and we will get them off to you.
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3. News: Lots of change agents making geo-waves
Samples from the Progress Report, the movement's daily news site:
* A Canadian businessman breaks ranks and fingers land speculators
and anoints a land tax to correct the economy. "Henry George's
land tax idea is on the lips of many"
* Actress Vanessa Redgrave and others are in the news for pushing a
fundamental geo-reform that has always worked. "Geonomics -- Meet
the Minimum Needs of All"
Sending the progress.org link to friends, family, neighbors, and
co-workers works wonderfully to help achieve a shared frame of
reference in which can take place a discussion on how to solve
economic issues.
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4. Numbers: Erection Index correct; All bubble gains gone
Want all the current indicators in one place? The Progress Report
often publishes just such an article, such as these two:
* The new, world's tallest building. Soon's you hear that boast, you
know a new recession's coming -- if you've read Phil. "The Erection
Index Points True Again"
* The nest egg of American families is smaller now than seven years
ago -- but homes are more affordable for others. "Seven years of
so-called wealth gains, gone"
These and more are viewable http://www.progress.org/
Bookmark it!
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5. Letter: Call to action
by Fred Harrison, fred.harrison at talktalk.net, February 12, 2009
In a 3-page review of current global conditions, I appeal to Georgists
in general to take relevant action now. If you deem it worth
forwarding on to like-minded folk, please be my guest.
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6. Correction: Obit of Senator Pell
by Yisroel Pensack and Cathy Orloff, February 1, 2009
Editor note: Last issue's compression of a NY Times article Yisroel
sent erased the punctuation that showed what remarks he and Cathy made
(this software deletes brackets). Here are the corrected parts.
Yisroel's comments are in parentheses.
Yisroel: Mr. Pell was best known for devising legislation that created
the program that has dispensed (financial tuition-aid) grants (but NOT
land grants) to tens of millions of poor and middle-class college
students.
Last month's article said, "the Amtrak system. It likewise lifted land
values." I, Yisroel, did NOT say: "It likewise lifted land values."
Cathy: (With)out the citation of the Providence Journal of 1993, your
paragraph makes it appear that I, Cathy Orloff, wrote in 2008 that
"each year a Pell attends the ceremony."
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7a. Likable link: Exciting and Topical Video
by Fred Harrison, February 2, 2009
We can make tax reform an exciting, viewable -- and topical -- issue;
our film discusses the benefits to the UK, USA, and Australia of
shifting taxes off labor and onto land:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ki-Od1MMa78&feature=channel_page
Note the first comment on the film, from a complete stranger...
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7b. Likable link: The Slump Song
by David Chester, February 12, 2009
Humor anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azxNL-T3IFQ
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7c. Likable link: Henry George's writings
by Ed Dodson, February 20, 2009
For those who are interested in the evolution of Henry George's
positions as the years came and went, I point you to the listing for
George in the School of Cooperative Individualism biographical history
section. As I format and upload additional writings by George from his
newspaper days, gaps will be closed. Here is the link to the section
that includes George's biographical information and links to his
writings:
www.cooperativeindividualism.org/georgists_unitedstates-ga-gi.html
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7d. Likable link: Income Security For All
by Steve Shafarman, February 5, 2009
A new web site is loaded with information. If you look closely, you
might see the contributions to the cause by luminaries such as Martin
Luther King, Reagan speechwriter Charles Murray, futurist Hazel
Henderson who coined "think local, act global", not to mention some
geonomists. www.IncomeSecurityForAll.org
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8a. What You Can Do: Read Georgist Magazines
Available to IU subscribers and others is issue 27 of the IU
Newsletter, covering:
* Vanessa Redgrave endorses The Silver Bullet
* Conference 2009 "The African Future"
* New Hartzok book
* Principal of mega-university comes out for LVT
* free Clyde Cameron CDs
* IU news and reports
If you'd like to receive paper copies of the Newsletter, just let the
office know.)
International Union for Land Value Taxation
212 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HG UK
Ph 020 7917 1899; Fax 020 8881 4429; Skype (theIU.org)
email: office at theIU.org
The February 2009 issue of EarthSharing Australia is out on the web.
To see it, contact Karl Fitzgerald, k2 at earthsharing.org.au
The February 2009 issue of Freedoms' Edge is out in pdf. To see it,
contact David Brooks, davidsb1 at igpond.com
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8b. What You Can Do: America's Economic Report -- Daily
by Ed Dodson, SCI, ejdodson at comcast.net, February 26, 2009
My commentary appears today. Add your own comments. Agree or disagree.
But, create some discussion?
http://www.economyincrisis.org/articles/show/2519?
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8c. What You Can Do: Speak at Green Economics Conference
By Volker Heinemann, Director, Green Economics Institute,
greeneconomicsinstitute at yahoo.com, January 24, 2009
The 4th Annual Green Economics Conference will be at Mansfield
College, Oxford University, England, 31 July to 1 August 2009. The
organizer, the Green Economics Institute, calls for speakers and
papers. All papers received for the conference are published in the
conference proceedings and considered for a peer reviewed academic
journal, The International Journal of Green Economics. One can also
join the fast growing international network.
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8d. What You Can Do: Attend Monetary Conference
By Stephen Zarlenga, Director, AMI, February 4, 2009
To remove the monetary power from the private banking establishment --
from those who have repeatedly abused it with disastrous effect -- see
the American Monetary Act at
http://www.monetary.org/amacolorpamphlet.pdf
Our 2009 AMI Monetary Reform Conference, at Roosevelt University in
downtown Chicago, from Sept. 24-27th, has a great lineup of speakers,
including some surprises. It will focus on today's opportunity, and
what participants can do to make a difference. The normal registration
is $395. For those associated with AMI Chapters, the donation is $195.
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9. At the Margin: Quips and Quotes
If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has
not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word
would be "meetings."
-- Dave Barry
The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.
-- Dave Barry
Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that
he knows no more.
-- Cowper
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10. Publication affairs: Contributing to this issue
Along with those acknowledged above with each blurb,
Editor: Jeffery J. Smith
Assistant Editor: Caspar Davis
Archivist: Stewart Goldwater
Owner: Robert Schalkenbach Foundation
Founder: Adam Monroe
Send your news and other interesting material to the Georgist News,
jjs at geonomics.org or gn at progress.org. The deadline for the next
issue is March 25.
The Georgist News, a project of Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, is an
email newsletter brought to you free of charge. Its purpose is to keep
you updated on the latest news, citations, events, and initiatives of
relevance to people who, like Henry George, seek a world free from
special privilege and the causes of poverty.
Do you know someone who'd enjoy reading the GN? Please forward them an
issue and ask them to subscribe, or send us their eddress. As always,
it's free. Thanks.
The Georgist News is also available on line at
http://www.Georgist.com/
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The Georgist News, Volume Eleven, Number Nine, March 1, 2009