Mid-autumn, and movement newsletters are like fall leaves; all are loaded and listed below. We welcome new subscriber Eric Oatman, brother of our dear departed Bruce Oatman who would show this newletter around now and then. If any reader knows of anyone who'd happily be a reader, please put them in touch. Then enjoy your Days of Armistice and Fall of the Wall. --------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS: 1. Good Press: Carnegie Council, Miller-McCune, Obamaers, Yglesias 2. Movement Progress: Alanna: almost a one woman movement! 3. News: Press freedom & New oil dividend? 4. Numbers: Wall St wealth & Wages at cycle low 5. Letters: Earthsharing, SCI, AMI, Nicaragua, Galbraith, CGO 6. Likable links: Lifting the lid on the GFC 7. What You Can Do: After the Crash, Read J.W., Submit article, Next CGO 8. At the Margin: Quips and Quotes 9. Publication affairs: Contributors, About the Georgist News ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1a. Good Press: (Andrew) Carnegie Council Publications by Alanna Hartzok, Oct 20, 2009 In Policy Innovations (for fairer globalization) The Land Ethic: How to Address Inequality and Financial Instability www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/innovations/data/000150#at ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1b. Good Press: Miller-McCune medical website by Michael Scott Moore, October 21, 2009, who writes: This Land Is Your Land - and relevance for health care finance www.miller-mccune.com/europe/this-land-is-your-land-1559 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1c. Good Press: OBAMAers Dot Com/ by Obamaer, Oct 3, 2009, who writes: The Ideal Size Of Government - OBAMAers Dot Com I propose that competition between local governments to increase land rent revenues would lead to an optimal government involvement in health care concerns; too much or too little will have negative impact on land rent revenue vs. costs ... ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1d. Good Press: Yglesias, part of Think Progress by myglesias, Oct 4, 2009, who writes: The Continuum of Muslim Opinion I disagree with the argument that extraction of land rent counts as 'riba' [Koran's term for an unearned return to capital, far as I can figure]. The Saudi people owns that oil and they deserve a large share of the take from it. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Movement Progress: Almost a One Woman Show by Alanna Hartzok, earthrts at pa.net, October 24, 2009, who writes: In Warsaw, Poland, Oct. 15-16, I was one of 17 presenters with about 50 people attending at UN Habitat Global Land Tool Network regional conference on "Financing affordable housing and infrastructure in cities: towards an innovative land and property taxation system." Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Republic of Poland. In Costa Rica, I presented one hour with PowerPoint to 200 people from 41 countries on September 20, the Learning Day of the 4-day Summit of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace sponsored by Rasur Foundation, Academy for Peace of Costa Rica, and the government of Costa Rica. Also while in San Jose, Costa Rica, Wendy Rockwell organized a 90-minute seminar where I spoke with 14 economists, professors, engineers, political leaders, and journalists. Spoke to 50 people on October 3, 2009 at People Discerning the Crisis Conference in Harrisburg, PA. Hazel Henderson, in the BOOKS WE LIKE section of her website, had this to say about my book The Earth Belongs to Everyone: Alanna Hartzok has been working for land reform around the world and her influence has grown over the years. This book recounts her practical experience and her brilliant theoretical insights. Must reading for all those concerned with economic justice and environmental stability. The Earth Belongs to Everyone by Alanna www.ethicalmarkets.com/2009/10/12/... I was published at: CO-EXIST, 2 October 2009 Tax Policy for a World of Peace and Plenty for All on Znet's "Reimagining Society Project" at www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/22577 [This is a brilliant summary of the geonomic analysis of the recent financial collapse and our prescription for a fair and prosperous world - Ed.] ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3. News: Press freedom & New oil dividend? 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: The US had been ranked #40 for press freedom when its military was arresting or or abusing reporters. Now the 'beacon nation' is up to #20. "Press freedom better some places, but not in Israel or Iran" www.progress.org/2009/press.htm Black gold, despite its great value, has been a curse for poor countries. Is that about to change? "Nigeria plans 'to give 10% of oil cash'" to Delta residents www.progress.org/2009/oilrent.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: Wall St wealth & Wages at cycle low 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 a compendium of data on one sector: As people lose their jobs and homes, bankers look forward to bonuses - and the two economic extremes are connected. "Bailout Helps Fuel New Era of Wall Street Wealth" www.progress.org/2009/programs.htm Paychecks have shrunk, gold has climbed, yet - boosting hopes - some politicians propose cutting one of the most harmful taxes, payroll taxes. Wages tumble toward 18-year low www.progress.org/2009/payroll.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- 5a. Letters: Aussie newsletter, Earthsharing, latest issue by Karl Fitzgerald, Projects Coordinator, Earthsharing Australia, k2 at earthsharing.org.au, October 8, 2009, who writes: Headlining the latest issue of Earthsharing is, "Hudson tour jam packed". To receive our newsletter monthly, email me. Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------- 5b. Letters: School of Cooperative Individualism newsletter by Ed Dodson, ejdodson at comcast.net, October 11, 2009, who writes: To receive this newsletter, email me. Thanks. Also, I just uploaded a bit of writing by Henry Steele Commager on the history of economics as a scientific discipline. He says, inter alia, that in late 19th century America, "The control and exploitation of natural resources by private individuals or corporations and concentrating wealth and power in the hands of a few". This comes from a 1950 book he wrote titled The American Mind. There is more in the book that is well worth a reading. As time permits, I will scan in sections and get them up online to the SCI library. www.cooperativeindividualism.org/commager-henry_new-economics.html Mason Gaffney wrote: Before lending much credence to Commager, pls consider how much reactionary racism he slipped into his book with Nevins. My reply: No intent to raise Commager's status to that of an enlightened intellectual force, only that this bit of writing offers some criticism of how political economy was displaced by its component sub-disciplines. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5c. Letters: AMI Reports by Stephen Zarlenga, AMI, October 6, 2009, who writes: Three good things: 1) We had a wonderful 5th Annual AMI Monetary Reform Conference in Chicago. (See reports below and at our website www.monetary.org) 2) Great News regarding progress with introduction of the American Monetary Act. 3) The new AMI Bulletin (#6) by Robert Poteat, on inflation; you can blog your agreement/disagreement there. --------------------------------------------------------------- 5d. Letters: Nicaraguan Institute by Paul Martin, Director at ceihg.org, October 20, 2009, who writes: As we near functionality of the new building and the initation of a new stage of the IHG project, I am now leaning to renaming the IHG, the "Instituto de Derechos Economicos Henry George". In the latino world, putting the name of a historical figure on the name of an organization is very common and appropriate. I like the new name because it combines "Instituto", a place of study and dissemination of information, + "Economic Rights" which are a recognized yet progressive theme of public policy dialogue and debate, and "Henry George" as the historical reference for the Instituto's explanation and advocacy of the Common Right to equal access to the Earth's resources and the common economic values (Rent) created by general economic "progress", and the Producer's Individual Right to the exclusive ownership of the fruits of their own labor. --------------------------------------------------------------- 5e. Letters: Galbraith in China by Wendell Fitzgerald, wtfitzgerald84 at yahoo.com, October 25, 2009, who writes: Prof. James Galbraith, son of John Kenneth Galbraith, professor of economics at U. Texas, Austin, who spent four years in the 1990s as an official advisor to the Chinese, said at a recent conference that China funds its government out of land rents because it owns the land. Why? Because Sun Yat Sen was a Georgist. According to a Wikipedia article, it looks like China has the whole gamut of taxes. Their favorite is the VAT. But that does not mean they do not collect a bunch of land rent. Does anyone know about China's rent recovery and where one can find out more about it? --------------------------------------------------------------- 5f. Letters: CGO Election Winner by Sue Walton, CGO Administrator, October 19, 2009, who writes: The Executive Committee of the CGO is pleased to announce that PAUL JUSTUS has been elected to office of Council Secretary, replacing PIA DESILVA who resigned for personal reasons. The CGO officers thank members for participating in this election and thank Paul for his willingness to serve. --------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Likable link: Lifting the lid on the GFC by Bryan Kavanagh, AAPI (Val), Research Associate, Land Values Research Group, Melbourne, October 20, 2009, who writes: Anyone interested may click through my presentation to a packed audience at the Melbourne Town Hall with Steve Keen and Michael Hudson: http://thedepression.org.au/?p=1185 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 7a. What You Can Do: Order: After the Crash by Mason Gaffney by Widdy S. Ho, widdysho at aol.com This book by Mason Gaffney, now available from Wiley-Blackwell, is comprehensive and has high relevance to the times we are now in. It's part of the series, Studies in Economic Reform and Social Justice of the American Journal of Economics and Sociology. Mason Gaffney explains the current economic crisis by developing a general theory of how capital combines with land. His theory demonstrates how excessive investing in durable capital with slow payback can destabilize and then freeze employment at a low level, since our modern economy requires constant circulation and renewal of capital to function well. Combining that analysis with observed cycles of land speculation, Gaffney shows how a "perfect storm" formed and is now overwhelming us. After the Crash offers a distinctive framework for analyzing macroeconomics. It offers a superior alternative to Keynesianism, monetarism, rational expectations theory, and general equilibrium analysis. It reviews sympathetically the function of banks and deposit creation in their proper roles, while warning against banks' monetizing speculative and volatile land values by using them as collateral. Finally, this book criticizes orthodox economists for conflating land and capital in their thinking and their theories, and trivializing the value of land in their data sources. To order this book, please visit www.wiley.com Schalkenbach will be selling the paperback book at approximately half price ($39.95 from Wiley, $20 from Schalkenbach), but they are not yet in stock. As soon as they are in stock, you will be able to purchase them at discounted prices as will be posted on our online "bookstore" at www.schalkenbach.org. (Retail stores and non-Georgist institutions need to contact Wiley-Blackwell in order to purchase copies.) --------------------------------------------------------------- 7b. What You Can Do: Read a valuable book by J.W. Smith, October 27, 2009, who writes: My 2006 book that pushes Henry George's principles hard just reached $175 on the secondary market. The 2009 edition, digging deeper yet into Henry George principles, is at least twice as powerful a message. This deeper research is at www.ied.info/blog/1414/... As things continues to fall apart, I am stunned almost daily with amazing aspects of this collapse that, except for those reading blogs faithfully, not a whisper gets out to the citizenry. Economic Democracy: A Grand Strategy for World Peace and Prosperity, 2nd Edition by Smith J.W. (Paperback - Jan 1, 2006) 1 used from $101.75 (Hardcover - Jan 1, 2006) 1 used from $170.75 --------------------------------------------------------------- 7c. What You Can Do: Write articles for ALLiance: a Journal of Theory and Strategy by Chris Lempa, (chris at chrislempa.info) Oct 13, 2009, who writes: Fall Issue of ALLiance out. Seeking Winter Issue Submissions. Please consider submitting. The last three issues have included Georgist articles and I would love to continue the trend! The latest issue of ALLiance: a Journal of Theory and Strategy has been made available by Free Agent Chris Lempa. The issue can be read free of charge at: www.scribd.com/doc/19513771/ALLiance-3 --------------------------------------------------------------- 7d. What You Can Do: 2010 CGO Conference by Sue Walton, Sep 17, 2009 Come join the CGO in Albany, July 12-16th, 2010. We have chosen a hotel that has a full cooked-to-order breakfast included in 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 --------------------------------------------------------------- 8. the Margin: Quips and Quotes Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever. - Miss Snark, Literary Agent - English Teachers Listing to Port It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools. - Miss Snark, Literary Agent - English Teachers Listing to Port Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein --------------------------------------------------------------- 9. 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 Five, November 1, 2009