Ratios between the top and the bottom

Professor Herman Daly points out the military, civil service, and universities manage to keep ratios between the top and he bottom salaries in their organizations within a range of 15/20 to 1 and seem to do okay with no lack of highly skilled, motivated, and competent leaders, yet the corporate spread in the United States is now up to 500 to 1. There appears to be no evidence that such ratios actually encourage performance across the economy.

ID Theft

With the increased occurrences of ID theft the solution it may be time to make theft of IDs a capital felony allowing for capital punishment.

Thanks, John Jenkins
865-803-8179  cell
Gatlinburg, TN

Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Blogs: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/ 
          http://alumcave.blogspot.com/

 

"Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle."

Max Grosvenor

More Does Not Mean Happier

In his 1975 State of the Union comments Richard Nixon said:

As we move into the decade of the seventies, we have the greatest opportunity for progress at home of any people in world history. Our gross national product will increase by $500 billion in the next 10 years. This increase alone is greater than the entire growth of the American economy from 1790 to 1950. … In the next 10 years we shall increase our wealth by 50 percent. The profound question is: Does this mean we will be 50 percent richer in a real sense, 50 percent better off, 50 percent happier?

Our economic system is not working

Constant economic growth is not possible. The measure of government is the Gross National Product (GDP) as if economic activity is good and more is better. The system to we use to measure progress does not.  

 

In 1965 Robert Kennedy said:

 

"Too much and for too long, we seem to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.  Our Gross National Product … counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage.  It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them.  It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl.  It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. 

 

Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play.  It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials.  It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile."

 

96 Hours to Anarchy

A little known situation is described in the New Economics Foundation's report "96 Hours to Anarchy." With our finely tuned just-in-time food supply system an interruption in the transportation system would result in empty shelves at grocery stores in just four days. A terrorist attack on fuel depots, rising oil prices, or a strike by drivers will have social and political consequences greater than we have ever considered.  

The Rich Do Not Create Jobs

How do the people who receive millions if not billions of dollars as executives personally create jobs? They do not. They give their money to people like George Bush and other unethical, immoral already rich folks such as our congress and president. Raise their taxes and eliminate all tax deductions for people as well as corporations. If you receive a dollar you owe fifteen cents. 

Thanks, John Jenkins
865-803-8179  cell
Gatlinburg, TN

Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Blogs: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/ 
          http://alumcave.blogspot.com/

"Find a priest who understands English and doesn't look like Rasputin."

---Aristotle Onassis

Verify Request for Abortion

Prior to performing an abortion it appears reasonable to require visual proof a fetus exists. Doctors who perform abortions upon request just might be likely to pretend they actually performed a procedure.  

Rules vs Regulations Private vs Public

Athletic events have rules which differentiate are thletic events. If not for rules how would the participants know they were playing football or basketball. Rules are necessary they define what one may and may not do and what is considered a rules violation and punishable what what that punishment should be. Rules define what is fair. Without rules games and matches could not be played. The participants would not know what to do.

 

Businesses have the same problem. Rules or as they are known as regulations. Businesses need rules so they will know what they may and what may not do. Regulations define what is fair. 

 

Sports have their rules committees to define the rules. Businesses do not. Government, representatives of The People, sets the rules. Government defines what is fair.