by Lindy Davies
This year’s conference began with an excellent, thought-provoking presentation by Andrew Theising on how local real-estate intrigue has kept the East St. Louis waterfront undeveloped. However, the conference as a whole offered little about the reality — or the work to be done — on the ground. Continue reading
by Edward J. Dodson
Some years ago as I was slowly building a biographical history of the Georgist movement, I came across a 24-page book titled Whose World, written in 1944 by Margaret E. Bateman. It was clear to me that she was a knowledgeable follower of Henry George, familiar with many of the leading lights of the Georgist movement around the world. Later, I would learn that the book was published by the Henry George School in New York and that Margaret Bateman then the Director of the school. Continue reading
by Lindy Davies
Excerpted from a chapter in Rent As Public Revenue: Issues and Methods
A great many people have come to believe that society really must get serious about climate change. Although skeptics complain about the conjectural nature of “the science” on this issue, it is generally recognized that we cannot be 100% certain about long-term global processes. No one knows for sure how severe the consequences of unchecked greenhouse-gas warming will be, or when things will start to get really bad. However, the probable effects of climate change are sobering. Continue reading
by Lindy Davies
I am someone who tends to give to panhandlers. I got tired of wrestling with my conscience every time a poor person asked for help, and I could afford the 50¢ (though nowadays it’s inflated to $1). When I went wandering about New York City on weekends, I made sure to have a supply of quarters in my right front pocket — but, one weekday afternoon I was walking down Park Avenue, thinking of other matters, when a guy asked me for help. My hand went into the proper pocket, and came out holding a $20 bill. What could I do? I had to look him in the eye and say, “Sorry — this is all I have, and I can’t afford to give it to you.” Continue reading
by Lindy Davies
Officials kept telling interviewers that nothing on this level had ever happened, that the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey was a millennial event. This seems to have been both true and not true — really, more the latter. Continue reading
by Polly Cleveland
Georgists often claim that we can and should tax land values down to zero, or almost zero. However, this claim depends on ignoring how taxes are spent. As Mason Gaffney has shown, All Taxes Come Out of Rent (ATCOR) — including bad taxes like sales taxes. Moreover, all deadweight loss or “Excess Burden Comes Out of Rent” or EBCOR. Less obviously, all subsidies and spillovers from public investments go into rent, call this ASGIR. Let’s take three examples to follow the implications. Continue reading
On May 19th, a forum explored the issues raised by Mason Gaffney in a special issue of the American Journal of Economics and Sociology (Nov. 2016). Held at Manhattan’s Open Center, the event was sponsored by the Journal, the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation and the International Union. Three featured speakers and three respondents shared a wealth of provocative information on the challenges and opportunities in water policy today. Continue reading
by Mike Curtis
Adapted from Mike’s keynote speech at the 2017 CGO conference.
It’s been nearly 50 years since I became acquainted with Henry George, and I have never been so haunted by his words as I am today. Continue reading
by Adam Jon Monroe, Jr.
Helen Keller found in Georgism, “a splendid faith in the essential nobility of human nature.” Indeed, our problem is not with some group. Georgists don’t personally blame landlords for poverty. The tax system forces people to “buy in” or remain disadvantaged. We are trapped by popular ignorance of basic economics. Continue reading
by Scott Baker
It was terrible news to hear of the passing of Andy Mazzone. I had just talked to him a week before, and he was full of plans and ambition. Those of us who knew and supported him know that he took a moribund school and propelled it into the 21st century, limited by restrictive internal rules. Continue reading