Financial System: Do We Need One?

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Monday August 10, 2009 · 9:36 AM PDT

2009/08/10 · 09:36

I am sure everyone reading this is aware of the problems created by
greed in our financial system. I raise a question whether we should
mend it or end it. And I give some links, facts
and food for thought for slower money, no intermediaries
and reference to turning back the process of controlling the money
supply out of financial institutions.

LEFF

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Wednesday July 22, 2009 · 2:36 PM PDT

2009/07/22 · 14:36

A participatory democracy alternative to big slow bail-out bills. The funds get approved by sortition juries, and where they spend it, until
it gets spent for fungible items like toilet paper. A slight variation on the version in my Participatory Democracy Blog

LEFF

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Monday July 06, 2009 · 10:16 AM PDT

2009/07/06 · 10:16

Obama and others have indicated that the growth in Medical Care is unsustainable. I am sure that all here are familiar with these
statements. I looked at health care employment by occupation and by
sector to see from where we might move people if the nation decided
it needed more health care employees.The entire health
care system employs 16.5 million people.
About ten million of these are actually doing health care such as technicians,
nurses aids, registered nurses and of course physicians.
By comparison, retail trade is 15,000,000 and restaurants employ 9.6 million
people.
All types of government from localities to states
to the federal government employ only 10,000,000 people.

Briefly, I look at statistics on the amount of money we are spending on
medical device manufacturers and our balance of trade in this important
area.

Poll

13 votes Show Results

Our nation should move people from

13 votes Vote Now!

Our nation should move people from

other sectors to the health care sector (please try to comment with which sectors)

4 votes

leave things about where they are now

5 votes

move individuals from health care to other sectors of the economy (please try to comment with which sectors)

4 votes

Tax Proposals

LEFF

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Sunday July 05, 2009 · 8:04 AM PDT

2009/07/05 · 08:04

As I was searching on the Trade Deficit, I found this wonderful
article by Warren Buffet originally published in Fortune He proposed
some
Our Trade deficit
has been growing dramatically
and for 2006 represented 2.2 trillion dollars imported
and 1.45 trillon exported about which Mr. Buffet expertly with statistics and
a wonderful analogy to two islands (Squanderville and Thriftville)
raised alarm.

The proposal is three fold:

A consumption tax, which has been raised before, whether it be the "Fair Tax" or a Value Added Tax or by having a tax based on income - savings
encourages exports and discourages imports. My proposal is the latter.

Taxing labor on imports.

Taxing consumption by organizations, whether it be bureaucracy, fancy
office buildings, perks for executives or marketing expenses.

LEFF

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Saturday July 04, 2009 · 2:22 PM PDT

2009/07/04 · 14:22

Median Voting for revenue sources and approval voting provide a meaningful
combination that allows both the Federal Government and State Governments
to solve their problems without the necessary for back-door agreements
or compromises, government close downs and budget gimmicks with which
we have been plagued.

LEFF

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Thursday July 02, 2009 · 1:00 PM PDT

2009/07/02 · 13:00

The problems with the New York State Senate are discussed with references.
I propose some alternative solutions, asking the question does a legislature, really need a speaker, president pro tem, etc.

Poll

24 votes Show Results

Does a legislature need a leader (speaker, president, etc.)

24 votes Vote Now!

Does a legislature need a leader (speaker, president, etc.)

Yes, absolutely

11 votes

Not essential, could function without one, but its a good idea

9 votes

A legislature is better off without a leader

4 votes

Does a Country Really need a Chief Executive?

LEFF

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Wednesday June 24, 2009 · 2:41 PM PDT

2009/06/24 · 14:41

Iran is only the latest situtation where the election of a President (or
Chief Executive Officer) was associated with violence.
Kenya
also had a problem. And there were many disputed elections which fortunately
had less violence. Examples are
Bangladesh, Ukraine in 2004, Zimbabwe and the United States
Bush Gore election come to mind.

This raises the question. Does every country need a chief executive
officer (president, prime minister)? After all most countries believed
they needed an army until
Costa Rica in its constitution and Panama banned
their army. Could a nation ban the institution and office of chief executive
as well?

LEFF

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Sunday June 21, 2009 · 9:10 AM PDT

2009/06/21 · 09:10

In the

Transparent Society
David Brin talked about having a society where everything
is observed and everyone can observe not only each other
but more importantly government functions such as
the police.

Here I talk about that for the accountancy function,
that all contracts and transactions are publically
available.

Poll

15 votes Show Results

Should all financial transactions be public and transparent

15 votes Vote Now!

Should all financial transactions be public and transparent

Yes

9 votes

No, I believe in financial privacy

6 votes

Debt Collection

LEFF

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Sunday June 14, 2009 · 1:25 PM PDT

2009/06/14 · 13:25

One judge, Noach Dear, has been
dismissing many debt collection agency lawsuits.
He was rated not qualified when he ran
for judge; he was involved with dubious schemes, but got elected anyway.
The Village Voice Reporter sat on the cases and documents some of the problems in the

LEFF

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Thursday June 11, 2009 · 1:13 PM PDT

2009/06/11 · 13:13

The Century Council, funded by the liquor-industry, split with Mothers
Against Drunk Driving over whether the highest drinkers are creating most
of the problem.

Three out of five alcohol-related crashes were associated with a blood
alcohol rate of at least 0.15. Twenty percent are below the legal limit of
0.08.

The latest data
show that a drunk driver has a one in two-hundred chance of being arrested.

Source Wall Street Journal, Wednesday June 10 2009 Page A11
Volume CCLII No 134

RSS

Financial System: Do We Need One?

Participatory Democracy and Stimulus Dollars (stimbucks)

Health Care Employment, Medical Manufacturing, Is Health Care Sustainable

Tax Proposals

State Budget Messes, A Long Term Solution

New York State Senate; does it really need a leader?

Does a Country Really need a Chief Executive?

XML, deontic Logic, contracts and the Transparent Society

Debt Collection

Drunk Driving Statistics