Tag Archives: economics

7 Generations Radio: Sean O’Leary, Alternative Property Based Tax Proposal for WV–December 5, 2015

Host:  Joe Gray

Guest:  Sean O’Leary, Economist and Playright, Author of State of the State (WV)

Discussion:  Sean presents his proposal to raise the bulk of WV tax through property taxation as opposed to income and or sales taxes. A greater portion of the tax burden would be shifted to out-of-state residents who hold large tracts of WV property.  Sean argues that this could result in more money in the hands of WV consumers and this would be a boost to the economy.

Broadcast on WSHC radio from the campus of Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV.

Where’s the Minus for That?

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Think of Mother Earth as the biggest corporation of them all, too big to fail, share prices are falling dramatically, If it falls we all fall.  Capitalism is fatally flawed in its assumptions and practices. For example, why is not Mother Earth on the spreadsheets, the balancing of the books, or the list of the Fortune 500? And yet what could be more important?

What about the immorality of distribution? The horrendous inequality? Why do these not show up as minuses on the books? It seems all humanity could be crushed into slavery and it would still show up as a plus on the books…rising GDP. Where are future generations represented? When resources are depleted why is this not a minus for future generations? So, it’s all in the bookkeeping. Standard capitalist bookkeeping is not in touch with reality. It is its own matrix, in isolation from reality. So, if you love capitalism then fix it. Correct the way that books are being kept and GDP calculated. We need to either fix capitalism by changing the way we keep the books and calculate assets and liabilities and profit and loss, or we need to ditch it and find a new system that takes care of earth and people.

Another species extinct? Where does that show up on the books? Not a blip.  Oceans polluted? Where’s the minus for that? Streams and rivers deadly to fish and not safe for people to swim in?  Where’s the minus for that?  Fish full of mercury, poisoning our children, where’s the minus? Coal dust being sucked into our lungs? Where’s the minus? It probably shows up as a plus in medical services.  Nonviolent criminals removed from the economy and stowed away in prison warehouses, where’s the minus for these lost lives? But it’s a plus to the corporate prison industry. What about the throwaways, kids coming out of high school or college without jobs, without any means to pay their debts or afford a decent living? Many of them resort to drugs to ease their pain and they die or get locked up. Where does this show up on the books? Why are bombs and poisons pluses on the balance sheet,  as if they had no negative effects. We need to either correct the way we keep the books or we need to find another system.

What kind of bookkeeping counts A $100 increase in wealth to a billionaire as the equivalent to the same hundred dollars in the hands of the poorest of poor? Our bookkeeping methods distort the reality of value. It is a fiction, nothing but a fiction, an elaborate illusion.

If you love capitalism then fix all these things and I will join you.

Joe Gray

7 Generations Radio: David Manthos, Candidate for WV Senate, Oct 17, 2015

Host:  Joe Gray

Guest:  David Manthos, Skytruth employee and Candidate for WV Senate

Discussion: Issues facing WV and proposed solutions including the epidemic of drug addiction and deaths, environmental issues, unemployment and proposals to increase employment.

Broadcast on WSHC from the Campus of Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV on Oct 17, 2015

Note:  The audio commences midstream during the conversation.

7 Generations Radio: Vision for a New Society, WV economics and politics, John Christensen and Sean O’Leary, 9/5/15

Host:  Joe Gray

Guests:  John Christensen and Sean O’Leary

Topics:  Vision for a New Society (by Joe Gray), WV Politics and Economics, Arthur Laffer and WV taxation proposals, net metering, coal and solar energy, carbon tax proposal in Seattle, the post-factual world, jobs and sustainability in WV

Audio record of radio broadcast from WSHC Shepherdstown from the Campus of Shepherd University on 9/5/2015

 

7 Generations Radio–Comparative Economics: WV and Latin America

Host:  Joe Gray

Guests:  Sean O’Leary, WV Business and Economic author, blogger State of My State; and George Gray Molina, UN Chief Economist for Latin America

Discussion of West Virginia economic issues and comparison with how similar issue have been managed in Latin America.

Broadcast on WSHC Shepherd University Radio, July 5, 2014

 

7 Generations — What’s it all about?

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7 Generations is about life and its continuity, human and other.  it is about the belief that man has a niche to find in the natural order, that he has breached that and is in danger of destroying his/her self and much of the rest of nature as well.  The threats are the result of greed and a short term view of life.  But the threats are also because we have a mushrooming human population and limited resources.  They are because of our lifestyle and economic systems, and these are not easily changed.  We have become dependent upon corporate entities that have no emotional, human or spiritual makeup, save the bottom line.  We need to break that dependency by adopting locally sustainable ways that are not dependent on burning fossil fuels, or destroying the earth’s resources.  We also need to learn to rein in corporations so that they work to the benefit of mankind and the rest of nature.  We also face the threat of continuing resource wars as fossil fuel and other resources, including water, dwindle.  How will we head off or defuse those wars?  We have all the warning signs.  Only by working together will we have a chance of overcoming these threats.  Let’s have a discussion about these things. Let’s develop a vision for the future, a way out that will protect future generations.