By SueN
- Article: Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies, Glenn Greenwald.
- Article: Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work?.
- Guest: Dan Gainor, the T. Boone Pickens Fellow and the Vice President of the Business & Media Institute. “Should the economy go to pot?” Pot is the fourth largest cash crop in the US, first in Hawaii and California. Why not decriminalize pot and tax it, save a lot of money? He said decriminalizing it encourages it. CATO Institute report on Portugal decriminalization, Time article. Prohibition. He says organized crime adapts. How to keep drugs out of the hands of children?
- Bumper Music: Because I Got High, Afroman.
- Article: Antitrust in China. Leave it to the communists to save capitalism.
- Bumper Music: Walk On, U2.
- Clip: [Thom Hartmann]: What's the best thing to do when your drains are running slow or clogged up?
[Joe the Plumber]: Well, what I find the best thing to do is flush your pipes out. I always tell my customers at least once a week in the kitchen, usually that's where, you know, if you have a garbage disposal or ? you fill up both basins, or the single basin, with cold water, hot water really doesn't make a difference, and flush your pipes at least once a week, help that keep it going strong, because the food settles in the pipe and then creates blockages. So flushing the pipes out helps tremendously. Transcript.
- Article: Joe The Plumber Slurs Gay People: I Would Never Let "Queers" Near My Children.
- Decriminalization won't happen in the US because evangelicals? But Mormons are against caffeine. Portugal is over 90% catholic, very conservative.
- Contact NORML for advice how to get pot which would benefit the local economy. James' doctor told to get pot for pain, even though it is illegal, it is non addictive. Legalizing pot would lose its mystique for teens. Pot could help the economy - reduced policing costs, more income. Police know prohibition is a failure. Thom has had some on the show. StopTheDrugWar.org. Removing penalties. The prison and justice systems are largely independent contractors, make lots of money. In 2003 the largest construction-based industry was private prisons. Thom's friend Stanley sold drug-testing kits.
- Bumper Music: Crazy, Gnarls Barkley.
- Article: Did the Mormons baptize Obama's mother, after her death, without his knowledge or consent?
- Guest: John Berlau, Director of the Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who says that taxes stifle wealth. Corporations avoided taxes when the Vatican became a tax haven in 756, then the Hanseatic league. Transfer pricing. Kennedy speech, he tried to take it on without success. Republicans and Democrats like Max Baucus want them to continue evasion. 83 of the top 100 companies have subsidiaries in tax havens. A territorial tax system is what most countries have - earnings within the country are taxed there. Companies selling to themselves, deciding a price between subsidiaries that means paying the least tax.
- Bumper Music: I'll take you there, Staple Singers.
- Article: Leveling the Playing Field: Curbing Tax Havens and Removing Tax Incentives For Shifting Jobs Overseas. "In 2004, the most recent year for which data is available, U.S. multinational corporations paid about $16 billion of U.S. tax on approximately $700 billion of foreign active earnings – an effective U.S. tax rate of about 2.3%."
- "Taxes are what we pay for civilized society." Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
- Article: Business lobby and some Democrats voice opposition to Obama’s crackdown on offshore tax havens. "Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, called for “further study” of Obama’s proposals within minutes of the president’s announcement yesterday. Representative Joseph Crowley, a Democrat on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said he’s wary because the tax changes would hurt Citigroup Inc., his New York district’s largest private-sector employer."
- Article: Obama Plan on Tax Havens Faces Hurdle in Congress. "Natalie Ravitz, a spokeswoman for Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, said that any tax overhaul should not lead to “unintended consequences.” "
- Speech: Remarks by Senator John F. Kennedy at the Massachusetts State C.I.O. Convention, Massachusetts, December 3, 1953. " As Christmas approaches, I would recommend to our respected President and his able Cabinet of businessmen that they restudy the role of businessmen as Dickens set it forth in his "Christmas Carol." You all remember the words of Jacob Marley's ghost to his partner, Ebenezer Scrooge: "But you were always a good man of business", said Scrooge… "Business," replied the Ghost, "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business." Let us hope that our businessmen's government will heed this advice. Republicans and Democrats, labor and management, men and women of all races and creeds and national origins, all must see that we are led by those who make mankind their business. Together we can demonstrate to a disillusioned nation that promises can mean performance - that responsible opposition can mean constructive legislation - and together we shall make real and meaningful the promise that for all of us is America."
- We know what we would like to do with the Republicans on the issue of tax havens: throw them out of office. Taxes are the price of admission to a civil society, for all the infrastructure that we use (list). The White House says they pay an effective tax rate of 2.3%. France says that you can not borrow money there by issuing a bond if you incorporate in a tax shelter. What will we do about the Democrats? Senate finance chair Max Baucus called for a further study. Barbara Boxer, unintended consequences. Citigroup, GE, Proctor and Gamble. In 1953 rep. John Kennedy speech.
- Bumper Music: Freedom, Paul McCartney.
- Bumper Music: Piggies, George Harrison, Beatles (video).
- Articles: Ricardo's "On labor" 1814, "On profits" 1816.
- 45-51 vote last week in the Senate against the bankruptcy law. $42m spent by over 60 organizations to lobby. Dick Durbin pushed it as hard as he could. Support him, call about tax loopholes. The next big argument, phony, will be that corporations don't pay taxes, they pass them on to consumers. Not true. Ricardo on profits. The system is broken.
- The Tax Gap series, the Guardian.
- Article: Stealth Price Increases On Consumer Products, Jim Hightower.
- In the Guardian' "tax gap" series they said that banks could afford the best legal minds to avoid taxes. Barclays structural markets. Over 40% profit from the US. Banks help customers and have their own tax havens. The rich will find ways to defend their wealth. Jim Hightower's spot on toilet paper, dimpled bottles. The US received 35-42% taxes from corporations in the '50s, today across the board it is 7%. Competition paradigm. How about cooperate, but compete with CEOs, the rich? CEOs used to make 30-40 times the average pay, now it is much higher because the top tax rate got dropped. Roll back, but that is not on the table.
- Feliz Cinco De Mayo! It is Thom's birthday on the 7th, Shawn's tomorrow, when Thom will be back in Michigan for his mother's funeral. Thursday viewing, Friday service, Saturday the funeral and one of his brother's birthday. Instead of condolences, please donate to Salem Childrens' Village, Hunter School in New Hampshire in the name of Jean Hartmann, Thom will thank you. Peter B. Collins will be guest hosting Wednesday and Friday, and Carl Wolfson and Christine Alexander, Thom’s co-hosts at KPOJ, on Thursday.
- Money never goes away, it just moves, like water - what happened to 401(k) money? It migrated up to the very wealthy, 40(1)k and IRAs a re the biggest scams. They wanted average people to think of themselves as stockholders, you hope you won't run out of money before you die, unlike pensions.
- False consciousness.
- Corporations don't pass costs on if competition is keeping the price down. If they are passing the costs on, they are a monopoly and should be busted up.
- Report: Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. STERN REVIEW: The Economics of Climate Change Summary of Conclusions There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we take strong action now. The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global response. This Review has assessed a wide range of evidence on the impacts of climate change and on the economic costs, and has used a number of different techniques to assess costs and risks. From all of these perspectives, the evidence gathered by the Review leads to a simple conclusion: the benefits of strong and early action far outweigh the economic costs of not acting. Climate change will affect the basic elements of life for people around the world – access to water, food production, health, and the environment. Hundreds of millions of people could suffer hunger, water shortages and coastal flooding as the world warms. Using the results from formal economic models, the Review estimates that if we don’t act, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least 5% of global GDP each year, now and forever. If a wider range of risks and impacts is taken into account, the estimates of damage could rise to 20% of GDP or more. In contrast, the costs of action – reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change – can be limited to around 1% of global GDP each year. The investment that takes place in the next 10-20 years will have a profound effect on the climate in the second half of this century and in the next. Our actions now and over the coming decades could create risks of major disruption to economic and social activity, on a scale similar to those associated with the great wars and the economic depression of the first half of the 20th century. And it will be difficult or impossible to reverse these changes. So prompt and strong action is clearly warranted. Because climate change is a global problem, the response to it must be international. It must be based on a shared vision of long-term goals and agreement on frameworks that will accelerate action over the next decade, and it must build on mutually reinforcing approaches at national, regional and international level. Climate change could have very serious impacts on growth and development. If no action is taken to reduce emissions, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could reach double its pre-industrial level as early as 2035, virtually committing us to a global average temperature rise of over 2°C. In the longer term, there would be more than a 50% chance that the temperature rise would exceed 5°C. This rise would be very dangerous indeed; it is equivalent to the change in average temperatures from the last ice age to today. Such a radical change in the physical geography of the world must lead to major changes in the human geography – where people live and how they live their lives. Even at more moderate levels of warming, all the evidence – from detailed studies of regional and sectoral impacts of changing weather patterns through to economic models of the global effects – shows that climate change will have serious impacts on world output, on human life and on the environment. All countries will be affected. The most vulnerable – the poorest countries and populations – will suffer earliest and most, even though they have contributed least to the causes of climate change. The costs of extreme weather, including floods, droughts and storms, are already rising, including for rich countries. Adaptation to climate change – that is, taking steps to build resilience and minimise costs – is essential. It is no longer possible to prevent the climate change that will take place over the next two to three decades, but it is still possible to protect our societies and economies from its impacts to some extent – for example, by providing better information, improved planning and more climate-resilient crops and infrastructure. Adaptation will cost tens of billions of dollars a year in developing countries alone, and will put still further pressure on already scarce resources. Adaptation efforts, particularly in developing countries, should be accelerated. The costs of stabilising the climate are significant but manageable; delay would be dangerous and much more costly. The risks of the worst impacts of climate change can be substantially reduced if greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere can be stabilised between 450 and 550ppm CO2 equivalent (CO2e). The current level is 430ppm CO2e today, and it is rising at more than 2ppm each year. Stabilisation in this range would require emissions to be at least 25% below current levels by 2050, and perhaps much more. Ultimately, stabilisation – at whatever level – requires that annual emissions be brought down to more than 80% below current levels. This is a major challenge, but sustained long-term action can achieve it at costs that are low in comparison to the risks of inaction. Central estimates of the annual costs of achieving stabilisation between 500 and 550ppm CO2e are around 1% of global GDP, if we start to take strong action now. Costs could be even lower than that if there are major gains in efficiency, or if the strong co-benefits, for example from reduced air pollution, are measured. Costs will be higher if innovation in low-carbon technologies is slower than expected, or if policy-makers fail to make the most of economic instruments that allow emissions to be reduced whenever, wherever and however it is cheapest to do so. It would already be very difficult and costly to aim to stabilise at 450ppm CO2e. If we delay, the opportunity to stabilise at 500-550ppm CO2e may slip away. Action on climate change is required across all countries, and it need not cap the aspirations for growth of rich or poor countries. The costs of taking action are not evenly distributed across sectors or around the world. Even if the rich world takes on responsibility for absolute cuts in emissions of 60-80% by 2050, developing countries must take significant action too. But developing countries should not be required to bear the full costs of this action alone, and they will not have to. Carbon markets in rich countries are already beginning to deliver flows of finance to support low-carbon development, including through the Clean Development Mechanism. A transformation of these flows is now required to support action on the scale required. Action on climate change will also create significant business opportunities, as new markets are created in low-carbon energy technologies and other low-carbon goods and services. These markets could grow to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars each year, and employment in these sectors will expand accordingly. The world does not need to choose between averting climate change and promoting growth and development. Changes in energy technologies and in the structure of economies have created opportunities to decouple growth from greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, ignoring climate change will eventually damage economic growth. Tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy for the longer term, and it can be done in a way that does not cap the aspirations for growth of rich or poor countries. A range of options exists to cut emissions; strong, deliberate policy action is required to motivate their take-up. Emissions can be cut through increased energy efficiency, changes in demand, and through adoption of clean power, heat and transport technologies. The power sector around the world would need to be at least 60% decarbonised by 2050 for atmospheric concentrations to stabilise at or below 550ppm CO2e, and deep emissions cuts will also be required in the transport sector. Even with very strong expansion of the use of renewable energy and other lowcarbon energy sources, fossil fuels could still make up over half of global energy supply in 2050. Coal will continue to be important in the energy mix around the world, including in fast-growing economies. Extensive carbon capture and storage will be necessary to allow the continued use of fossil fuels without damage to the atmosphere. Cuts in non-energy emissions, such as those resulting from deforestation and from agricultural and industrial processes, are also essential. With strong, deliberate policy choices, it is possible to reduce emissions in both developed and developing economies on the scale necessary for stabilisation in the required range while continuing to grow. Climate change is the greatest market failure the world has ever seen, and it interacts with other market imperfections. Three elements of policy are required for an effective global response. The first is the pricing of carbon, implemented through tax, trading or regulation. The second is policy to support innovation and the deployment of low-carbon technologies. And the third is action to remove barriers to energy efficiency, and to inform, educate and persuade individuals about what they can do to respond to climate change. Climate change demands an international response, based on a shared understanding of long-term goals and agreement on frameworks for action. Many countries and regions are taking action already: the EU, California and China are among those with the most ambitious policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol provide a basis for international co-operation, along with a range of partnerships and other approaches. But more ambitious action is now required around the world. Countries facing diverse circumstances will use different approaches to make their contribution to tackling climate change. But action by individual countries is not enough. Each country, however large, is just a part of the problem. It is essential to create a shared international vision of long-term goals, and to build the international frameworks that will help each country to play its part in meeting these common goals. Key elements of future international frameworks should include: • Emissions trading: Expanding and linking the growing number of emissions trading schemes around the world is a powerful way to promote cost-effective reductions in emissions and to bring forward action in developing countries: strong targets in rich countries could drive flows amounting to tens of billions of dollars each year to support the transition to low-carbon development paths. • Technology cooperation: Informal co-ordination as well as formal agreements can boost the effectiveness of investments in innovation around the world. Globally, support for energy R&D should at least double, and support for the deployment of new low-carbon technologies should increase up to five-fold. International cooperation on product standards is a powerful way to boost energy efficiency. • Action to reduce deforestation: The loss of natural forests around the world contributes more to global emissions each year than the transport sector. Curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way to reduce emissions; largescale international pilot programmes to explore the best ways to do this could get underway very quickly. • Adaptation: The poorest countries are most vulnerable to climate change. It is essential that climate change be fully integrated into development policy, and that rich countries honour their pledges to increase support through overseas development assistance. International funding should also support improved regional information on climate change impacts, and research into new crop varieties that will be more resilient to drought and flood."
- Book: "The Global Deal: Climate Change and the Creation of a New Era of Progress and Prosperity", Lord Nicholas Stern. "In October 2006, Nicholas Stern, one of the greatest economists and public intellectuals of our day, made headlines around the world with his report, which reviewed the costs and benefits of dealing with global warming. The world’s community has learned that it must act to mitigate global climate change, but until the Stern Review, no one knew how much it would cost, and how to do it. Now, Stern has transformed his report into a powerful narrative book for general readers. The Global Deal evaluates the economic future, and the essential steps we must take to protect growth and reduce poverty while managing climate change. The future Stern outlines is optimistic and pragmatic; he believes we have the capacity and creativity to change. But we need the will to inspire our political leaders to drive a new global strategy."
- Guest: Lord Nicholas Stern. His book, "The Global Deal: Climate Change and the Creation of a New Era of Progress and Prosperity". The costs and benefits of dealing with global warming. Cost benefit ratio, doing nothing economically bad. It is 30 million years since it was previously as hot as it is going to be. Nature of market failures. Externalities. Markets are the best way to allocate resources. Price for greenhouse gases. Cap and trade, legal limits. Different approaches, applications. Carbon tax? His preference? We need a bit of each, gas tax and cap and trade. Advantages and disadvantages. Move towards auctioning.
- Article: Animal heroes: Their mission is a soup kitchen of sorts, for 'four-legged angels'. "Shirley Jacobs, a retired psychotherapist, sums up her life's mission on a straightforward flier she often distributes at the supermarket. "We all should work to turn Palm Beach County into a no-kill community, to stop the killing of over 18,000 healthy dogs and cats each year!" reads her mission statement. The volunteer, "76 going on 40," runs a mom-and-pop mission she calls PETDOCS, the Prevent Euthanasia To Dogs or Cats Society, with her husband, Charlie Jacobs, 85. While the couple's mission may sound ambitious, it is simple in concept. The Jacobses collect food donations for the dogs and cats of poor, struggling local families. This entails setting out collection boxes at a local Publix store, where people drop off donations of pet foods."
- Inflation tax, Federal Reserve. The rich get money from us. Thom would do away with the fractional banking system, take over the Fed. The president appoints the chairman, and that is it. The reasons why if there was no inflation, the system would collapse.
- Bumper Music: Follow Me, Uncle Kracker (video).
- Article: Can Fish Be Sad? Do They Cry?
- Article: Claim: Fish Get Seasick - if they are subjected to weightlessness in a tank in a plane.
- Article: The castaway dog who swam SIX miles through shark-infested waters, then survived FOUR months on a desert island. Sophie Tucker.
- Corporate taxation. Should democracy be supported by corporations? Pacifica. They are using the commons. Levy fees. Thom said it would be hard on small businesses starting out.
- Jay Marvin, AM 760 radio morning show host, is very ill.
- Corporate personhood, they demand equal rights. Sue the government for discrimination. If we lose money for years, it is called a hobby. They do it to drive out competition. Corporate tax cheat law.
- Member of the day and winner of a DVD of Dalai Lama Renaissancewas moonbat666 for:
“Marijuana is a gateway drug,” says Jared Followill, “It leads to sweat-pants and Cheetos.” (Rolling Stone) April 30 2009 Everyone has addictions. We trade them hopefully for less harmfull ones. I gave up booze, cigs, LSD, and a few more for a little Delta 9 Tetra-hydro-cannibanol. It’s a great pain releiver and it’s as good as a dozen beers. The drug should be treated just like alcohol. I’m pretty sure I’m much better off than doing all of the other more harmfull ones. Thom, I roll my joints with filters, I roll with a bill and slide the filter in just ahead of the paper. It smooths out the smoke and you don”t loose much THC. Take the little bit of weed remaining and save it for your pipe. It’s chamber weed. Great show. Dave from MN.
- Ellen Ratner of Talk Radio News. Condolences. Boehner opposed to a timetable for Iraq but Obey is for. Victoria asked Gibbs about Swat valley, the deteriorating situation, what would the president tell Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to do when they meet tomorrow, not much of an answer. The Taliban surrendered one region, because people were going to throw them out? The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, and the video of them whipping a woman, shocked people. The Taliban is self limiting if we do not unite them and Pakistan against us, like parts of Afghanistan and Iraq. The drone attacks are accepted more.
