The end of summer has seen an upsurge in movement progress. A UK Party, a UK pop music group, and a Central American nation have all taken a strong interest in geoist ideas. Read on, and if any reader knows of anyone who should also be a reader, please put them in touch. Then enjoy your New World Day and Halloween. --------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS: 1. Movement Progress: Co-op Party, Hartzok trip, Muse group 2. Good Press: Age, Daily Bell, Take Your Power Back 3. News: Landowners in war zones & tax dollars in academia 4. Numbers: Young incomes & Green billionaires 5. Letters: Earthsharing and Dunkley 6. Obituary: Bruce Oatman 7. Likable links: Op Ed News and ALLiance 8. What You Can Do: Curtis workshop, Blog contest, Next CGO 9. At the Margin: Quips and Quotes 10. Publication affairs: Contributors, About the Georgist News ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1a. Movement Progress: UK's Co-op Party adopts LVT by Dave Wetzel, September 20, 2009 We still have a long way to go in the UK Labour Movement but at least LVT is making some limited progress. Congrats to the Labour Land Campaign members and others who have continually raised LVT in the Co-op Party over many years and to all Co-op Party members and their National Executive Committee at their Annual Conference in Edinburgh, September 2009. The Co-op Party has adopted LVT in their Manifesto for the next UK General Election. http://party.coop/pdf/dat_news_file-70.pdf --------------------------------------------------------------- 1b. Movement Progress: Hartzok on home page of PROUT by Alanna Hartzok, September 18, 2009 The Prout Research Institute of Venezuela posted a review of my new book, The Global Financial Crisis, the Land Problem and New Economics Public Finance Policy. See it at http://www.priven.org/ I received an invitation to speak at Global Alliance conference in Costa Rica and addressed 200 people from 40 countries on the holistic integrated green tax shift; my talk received tremendous interest and positive response. Also spoke to group of political leaders, economists, academics, journalists and engineers, and with interest now here I think Georgists can move ahead. Now am with Wendy Rockwell in Cloud Forest in Monteverde which was settled by Georgist Quakers. Next go to Nicaragua to formalize partnership with Paul Martin for Earth Rights International Education Center. --------------------------------------------------------------- 1c. Movement Progress: Pop Group to Produce Geo-film? The British rock group Muse (quite big in Europe) gave an interview in which the bandleader used the term "geoism" while extolling its virtues. As a coiner of the term, I emailed the band, asking them if they'd like to help make a movie I'd written that likewise extols the virtues of geonomics yet in a story setting (entertain and enlighten simultaneously). They quite genially asked to see a copy. Keep your fingers crossed. And if you have editorial talents, feel free to offer them. Also, while visiting Germany in August, six of my contacts (mostly Greens, some then in office) came through with invitations to speak at events, including a meeting at the prominent Max Planck Institute. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2a. Good Press: The Age (daily, Melbourne, Vic., Australia), Letter to The Editor, Tuesday, August 11, 2009 by Andrew J. Gunter, Hawthorn East (via reader John Massam) Your editorial and Moreland Mayor Lambros Tapinos rightly identify rates and taxes as able to provide incentives to more appropriate development of urban land, yet few councils take even Moreland's partial approach and impose higher rates on vacant land. Only one, Monash, goes the whole hog with the strongest incentive to develop under-utilised urban land available to local government in Victoria, site-value rating. Too bad that a group of Monash councillors are considering repealing it. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2b. Good Press: The Daily Bell by Scott Smith, Issue 395 - Sunday, August 30, 2009 (via Wyn Achenbaum) Ingo Bischoff on why a land tax is good ... http://thedailybell.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2c. Good Press: The blog, Take Your Power Back By greathierophant at yahoo.com Take Your Power Back: GEONOMICS: Meet the Minimum Needs of All (MMNA) If some who are enabled to take, hold and benefit from the biospheric natural resources ... pay little if any[thing] for its use ... Though they are well weaponized, we must re-witness the need for removal of this take (while the rest were poorly organized), by the global elite by raising consciousness on 'ground rent' unpaid by them on natural resources that ... http://empowermentagainstevil.blogspot.com/2009/09/... --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. News: Landowners in war zones & tax dollars in academia To keep up with the latest in the world of economic justice, try visiting the daily news site, the Progress Report. You'll find such articles as: Political insiders control business and big business controls politics. Is it bad enough to make some ready to rebel? "Sugar and Political Power in Pakistan" http://www.progress.org/2009/feudal.htm Krugman and his cohorts are making excuses for ignoring the warnings by outsiders. Time to change the old guard? "How the Federal Reserve Bought the Economics Profession" http://www.progress.org/2009/academia.htm Sending the progress.org link to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers is a great way to establish a shared frame of reference for a discussion about how to solve economic issues. --------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Numbers: Young incomes & Green billionaires Want all the current indicators in one place? Periodically, The Progress Report publishes just such an article. To give readers greater breadth, depth, and the most salient facts, many articles at the Progress Report are not single articles but compilations on one theme, offering data on one sector: Government spending is up but incomes are not. If not you, who does get the politicians' largesse? Who has lobbyists? "Incomes of young in 8-year nose dive" http://www.progress.org/2009/agegroup.htm How do the powerful stay on top in changing times? Actually, some don't while other global rich are going green. "While billionaires are fewer, some turn to apt-tech" http://www.progress.org/2009/tycoons.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- 5a. Letters: Aussie newsletter, Earthsharing, latest issue by Karl Fitzgerald, Projects Coordinator, Earthsharing Australia, k2 at earthsharing.org.au, September 21, 2009 Headlining the latest issue of Earthsharing is, "Prof Hudson tour growing". To receive our newsletter monthly, email me. Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------- 5b. Letters: Change datum in address book by Godfrey Dunkley Kindly start using my new Email address (godfrey.dunkley at gmail.com) as the present on telkom will discontinue in a few months time. --------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Obituary: Bruce Oatman, November 22nd, 1937 - August 17th, 2009 by Erica Oatman, September 24, 2009 Bruce Ward Oatman died on August 17th, 2009 after a year long battle with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in New York City at the age of 71. He was born on November 22nd, 1937 in New York City, the son of Frederic and Margery (Ward) Oatman. He graduated from Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY, after attending Roosevelt High School in Yonkers for his Freshman and Sophomore years. He graduated from Harvard in 1959, followed by a master's degree at the New School for Social Research. Bruce was a sociology professor specializing in urban sociology for many years, teaching at SUNY Oneonta and Fordham University. He then went on to work for the City of New York for nearly 25 years, specializing in working with the mentally ill and homeless AIDS populations. He retired in 2007. Bruce was introduced to Georgism about 1991 at the Henry George School of Social Science and taught a variety of courses there for 11 years. He was cofounder and member of the resuscitated Common Ground NYC chapter. He was elected to the Board of Directors of Common Ground-USA in 2008 but had to resign due to his terminal illness. Bruce chaired the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Henry George School of Social Science, on which he had served since 2003. His colleague, Education Director Dr. Cay Hehner, said in tribute, "Bruce had a keenness of intellect, open-mindedness, generosity to a fault, an inclusive nature a good Protestant work ethic." Bruce was also elected to the Robert Schalkenbach board of directors in June 2008. Bruce loved choral music and in 2008 joined the Mendelssohn Glee Club of New York City as a second tenor. The Mendelssohn is the oldest men's chorus in the nation, except for the Harvard Glee Club, in which Bruce also sang. He is survived by two daughters, Rachelle Oatman and Erica Oatman, a brother, Eric F. Oatman, sister-in-law Jane Oatman, and a niece, Alison Oatman. A public memorial service will be held at Community Church of New York on Saturday, October 17th at 2:00 pm. (40 East 35th Street, NYC). In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: The Bruce Ward Oatman Memorial Library Fund C/O The Henry George School of Social Science 121 East 30th Street New York, NY 10016 http://www.henrygeorgeschool.org/ Contact Information: Erica Oatman: erica.oatman at gmail.com 453 East 14th Street, Apt. 11H New York, NY 10009 (212) 929-8191 Rachelle Oatman: rachelle.oatman at gmail.com 18 Clifton Place Brooklyn, NY 11238 (917) 475-4539 Eric F. Oatman: ericoatman at earthlink.net 318-B Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013 (212) 233-4746 --------------------------------------------------------------- 7a. Likable link: Op Ed News by Scott Baker - Author, Community Activist, New York City, September 28, 2009 I published a new article in support of HR 1337 - a bill to tax carbon directly, instead of the complicated Cap and Trade Bill 2454 which may never reduce carbon, and which won't benefit taxpayers as HR 1337 would, by returning the 96% of the tax straight to taxpayers. You can read my article in Op Ed News (I am a Senior Editor and Writer there) here: www.opednews.com/articles/Support-the-Carbon-Tax-Bil... Support the Carbon Tax Bill HR 1337, not Cap and Trade Bill 2454 My other Georgist articles: The end of the Bubble Economy Geonomics and the true cost of poverty Exposing the Fiction of Low Tax States Geonomics and the true cost of poverty Geonomics: what ever happened to the movement Henry George started? A new form of Capitalism: Geonomics A new form of capitalism is needed: Geonomics Single Tax, True Remedy to Inequity to Boom/Bust Cycle are here: http://www.opednews.com/author/author24983.html If we work together, we can achieve Greatness. --------------------------------------------------------------- 7b. Likable link: ALLiance By J Nick Puglia, 11 September 2009 Fall Issue of ALLiance out. Seeking Winter Issue Submissions. The latest issue of ALLiance: a Journal of Theory and Strategy has been made available by Fre33 Agent Chris Lempa (chris at chrislempa.info). The issue can be read free of charge at Scribd. An easy download is available from http://libertyactivism.info/wiki/ALLiance:... Issue 2 features articles by Darian Worden, Nick Louras, Fred Foldvary, Kevin Carson, Jim Davidson, Lucy E. Parsons, and James Tuttle who is now helping Chris with the work load. It also includes Recommended Reading and Online Resources sections. ALLiance has now partnered with Corvus Distribution to offer affordable hardcopy versions of the journal. If you would like to help keep this valuable publication growing consider donating, submitting an article or shopping with an advertiser. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 8a. What You Can Do: Henry George Workshop with Mike Curtis to be hosted at Ahimsa Village October 18, 2009, 10AM to 2pm. Bring a lunch. Light refreshments and snacks provided. Suggested donation: $5 Seminar Leader: Mike Curtis, former Dir. Henry George School of Social Science, NYC; Trustee and life long resident of the Arden Land Trust in Delaware, and a School of Living member. Please RSVP to Bob Flatley e4bob at yahoo.com or 814-355-0850 if you plan to attend this important workshop! Ahimsa Village Learning * Community * Sustainability 4022 S. Eagle Valley Rd, Julian, PA 16844 814-355-0850 A member of the School of Living - www.schoolofliving.org ---------------------------------------------------------------- 8b. What You Can Do: Blog Competition All of you who have a blog may want to enter a blog contest that Free To Choose Network is putting on for the Hernando de Soto documentary about property rights and entrepreneurship in the developing world. http://www.freetochoosemedia.org/production/power_poor/blogcontest.php --------------------------------------------------------------- 8c. What You Can Do: 2010 CGO Conference by Sue Walton Come join the CGO in Albany, July 12-16th, 2010. We have chosen a hotel which has a full cooked-to-order breakfast as part of the rate as well as indoor pool and free shuttle to both the Albany International Airport and the local Amtrak and Bus Depot. Albany is served by 6 trains a day from NYC and numerous buses. To be put on our mailing list, please contact Sue Walton: sns at swwalton.com --------------------------------------------------------------- 9. At the Margin: Quips and Quotes The worst thing about censorship is - Kirrily 'Skud' Robert - http://netizen.com.au/ If true happiness can only be achieved through a state of nothingness, you're going down the right path. Actually, we couldn't find the page you requested. Please check the URL. - a Japanese help desk reply I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself. - Lone Man (Isna-la-wica), Teton Sioux --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 the 25th of this month. 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 http://www.Georgist.com/ ==================================================================
The Georgist News, Volume Twelve, Number Four, October 1, 2009