Economic Prosperity « BobWaldrop.net

Archive for the ‘Economic Prosperity’ Category

Can this be true? Social Security Can Be Saved!

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

I’m not sure why today’s news on Social Security hasn’t been noticed much by the blogosphere. I don’t wonder why it isn’t in the Mainstream Media because the MSM is the “Managed Media”, and this kind of news isn’t something that the Powers That Be want us to hear. There is too much political grist to be made by freaking people out over social security, especially the perennially popular game of driving a wedge between generations by telling young people that they are being cheated by Social Security since they are paying for “all those old folks” while they themselves “will never get nothing” out of the deal.

First, it’s true, “as presently formulated”, Social Security needs more money. But — and this is what goes unsaid in the mainstream AND the sidestream media discussion of Social Security — the amount of money needed, in terms of Social Security tax increases, is very small. These folks have crunched the numbers and present their spreadsheets (“showing their work”, as my grade school math teacher used to demand), proving that all we need for the Social Security retirement fund is a series of increases of .02%/year for ten years starting in 2026. Real Social Security Fix Ver 2.0 .

The disability portion of Social Security is actually in worse shape than the retirement section, and needs an immediate tax increase of .02% in 2010, .01% in 2011, and .01% in 2039.

So between the two, for most people we are talking one or two dollars a week to keep the Social Security system solvent.

Of course, even though I am not a graduate of any respectable business school, I have my own fix for Social Security which is also a fix for the income tax problem and indeed the problem of all federal taxes AND the deficit, which is a tax on the velocity of money, but alas for the common good, implementing “Bob’s Wacky Tax Plan” would involve the financial “industry” paying a fair tax on all of its activities. These days, the financial industry has managed to keep nearly all of its activity “off the books” for most tax purposes, and thus there are quadrillions of dollars in untaxed transactions out there being subsidized by our high rates on politically defined “income”.

But my tax, even though it is fair and just and would make it possible to abolish both the income tax AND the social security tax, will never happen because Congress and the President are slavish whores to the financial industry.

So it comes to pass that these guys at the “Angry Bear” are the best chance for a workable solution for the social security problem. Yes, it involves a tax increase, but it isn’t a very big tax increase. Anyone who would begrudge a dollar or two a week to save our nation’s primary retirement plan is someone with a hidden agenda and that hidden agenda is not the common good of all. Our Catholic Worker house delivers a lot of food to elderly people whose only income is Social Security. We need to give political support to practical efforts that will ensure that the system remains solvent for a hundred years and more.
Please pass this news around a bit. I understand it isn’t as sexy a deal as some of the news these days, but it has pretty major implications for everyone that plans to grow old before they die.

Posted in Economic Prosperity | 1 Comment »

Frugality is the enemy!

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Referencing the New York Times — When Consumers Cut Back -- Rod Dreher recently wrote Frugality is . . . the enemy? at his Crunchy Con blog. This produced an interesting series of comments, including this one by Yours Truly:

Regarding the statement — “Frugality is bad” — the first question to be asked is, “Bad for whom?” I submit that it is bad for the culture of death and gluttony, but good for a civilization of life, love, beauty, and wisdom. Frugality is a life raft to float our households to safety off the deck of a rapidly sinking Titanic. Those preaching that “Frugality is bad” would have us all stay on the deck and re-arrange the furniture, maybe paint the walls, and generally occupy our time with interior decoration while all around us the ship is sinking and the rough seas are rising. They would keep us all locked below decks in steerage, while the A-List Elites take our lifeboats and float their way to safety. (Recall that terribly poignant scene in the movie where the young Irish woman with flaming red hair cuddles her children in bed, telling them a story, as the waters rise, because they were locked below decks.) If people need any frugalista ideas, click on the link associated with my comment for the online version of the 5th edition of the Better Times Almanac of Useful Information, which has recipes and ideas for more simple, frugal, and sustainable living. http://www.bettertimesinfo.org/2004index.htm .)

This whole “frugality is bad” theme is coming up a lot these days. It is implicit in most of what the government is doing to rescue the rich from the present series of financial disasters.

But the idea that what’s good for individual families is “bad” for us as a collective, doesn’t pass the smell test. Our present terrible financial mess is the collective result of myriads of bad decisions made by hundreds of millions of people over long periods of time. It is not possible to rescue ourselves by encouraging people to make EVEN MORE bad choices. No, what should be encouraged are GOOD choices — like living within our means, frugality, and personal responsibility. Over time, better personal/household choices will produce a better overall macro-economic system.

What will that look like? Well I don’t know and I don’t know that anyone can know that. It will evolve over time, but because it rests on a stable foundation, it will be more stable over the long term. It will be an economic system that serves the common good — a radical concept I’m sure, but isn’t it about time for something as revolutionary as “economics for the common good”?

People talk about how terrible things were in Japan’s “lost decade”. Terrible for whom? The ordinary Japanese family has a high quality of life. We don’t read about riots in Japan over scarcity of goods, nobody is starving there, and if they are having a foreclosure crisis, that new hasn’t made it to the US media.

No, ordinary Japanese people are doing fine. The big time movers and shakers, however, have been making less money — and I suspect that a major reason for that is that Japanese households have been keeping more money for themselves. Thus, their economic security and quality of life are high.

And they have those strengths because of frugality.

Those here in the US who condemn frugality and publicly worry about its effects are carrying water for the same crooks, fools, thugs, and thieves who got us in the present mess. They don’t want us to strengthen our household economies, they want us to continue to feed their financial methamphetamine addiction.

Sure, there are consequences of household frugality for the present system. But it is going down for the count anyway. All of the present governmental effort are attempts to resuscitate a corpse.

A true financial rescue for our economy begins, literally, at home, as families get control of their budgets, increase their savings, and learn frugality and responsibility.

So yes, frugality is the enemy — of financial crooks, thugs, thieves, and fools.

Posted in Economic Prosperity | No Comments »

More bwahahahahahaha. . .

Friday, February 20th, 2009

The author of the HB 2151, which I had been describing as an Urban Livestock Liberation act, has made a slight change in the text of his bill, by adding this text:

“C. The provisions of subsections A and B of this section shall not apply to regulations by municipalities which lawfully limit the type and number of livestock in certain areas.”

Bwahahahaha. I think the title should now be changed to — “Encouraging Lawsuits in Oklahoma Act of 2009″. This opens a hole big enough to drive through a fleet of trucks hauling chickens and goats to backyard chicken coops and barns in Oklahoma cities.

In one paragraph, the legislators say that municipalities can’t regulate livestock. In the next paragraph, the legislators say that municipalities can regulate livestock.

So which is it? Can or can’t regulate livestock? I can see legal challenges to city ordinances and legal challenges to this law itself. And I thought the Republicans were supposed to be agin’ the trial lawyers. Yet, they hand them a fat opportunity for even more litigation like this. If this keeps up, Republicans will start getting phat checks from trial lawyers.

As I said in my earlier post on this subject, if we let the Legislature have enough rope, they will certainly hang themselves. Oklahoma moves deeper and deeper into a recession, while our legislature occupies its time with frivolous ideological legislation and pandering to special interests.

The confined animal feeding operation system certainly “needs” all the help it can get to stave off the economic and ecological irrationalities inherent in its structure, and the legislature will certainly try to extend its life, but the handwriting is on the wall — “mene, mene, tekel, u-pharison”, ancient Aramaic words for coins.

The interpretation today is that same as it was in the days of Daniel. Its days have been numbered and its “kingdom” is coming to an end. The CAFO system has been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Its business will be divided and given to another.

And who is the “another” we ask? Those farmers and ranchers who respect the integrity of the land, who do not create odoriferous pestholes of disease and corruption, who do not treat their animals with grave cruelty, whose business models are economic viable and environmentally sustainable. That is the future of livestock culture, not the accountant-designed, corporation-dominated, CAFO system which robs the land and the farmer and gives all the benefit to the corporations and retailers.

Posted in Economic Prosperity, Environmental Sustainability, Uncategorized | No Comments »

A visit to Clear Creek.

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

On Saturday I visited the Monastery of Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek, located about 15 miles west of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, “over the hill and through the dale” at the end of a gravel road.

It was the first time I had been there since they completed the first phase of their building project. The new residential wing of the monastery looks wondrous. It seems to have just grown organically out of the hilltop, complete with cloister and grand doors. I had lunch with the monks, and as usual, it was an amazing experience. There was no meat, but the menu was very European, as might be expected. Simple, but nourishing and filling. I had an opportunity for a nice visit with Fr. Bethel, the guestmaster, a tour of the new construction, and to hear None in the crypt chapel, which serves as the monastic chapel until their new church is built.

That afternoon I gave a presentation as part of a conference of the Catholic agrarians that are moving to the area. About 40 people were present. Other speeches were given by Fr. Willis (parish priest of the area), Mike Lawless, and Brother Joseph of the monastery. Fr. Prior also attended.

My presentation is here, it is also available as a PDF. The online documents include the handout I distributed with various useful resources.

Posted in Economic Prosperity | No Comments »

The Oklahoman asks, “Are we ready for the next energy crisis?”

Tuesday, April 18th, 2006

Today’s (Tuesday) business section of the Daily Oklahoman has a long article by Adam Wilmouth asking the question: Are we ready for the next energy crisis. From the answers quoted by various leaders of business, industry, and government, the answer is clearly “NO!”. This answer is also the conclusion of the folks at http://www.sustainlane.com which just releated a ranking of the 50 largest cities in the US based on how well prepared they are for an energy crisis. Alas for us, we were dead last on the list.

The article is at http://newsok.com/article/1818923/?template=business/main . The folks in Oklahoma’s energy industries seem to think we’ll be OK because high energy prices are good for their business. As energy prices rise, more money flows into the state. Unfortunately, that benefit is uneven. Those with economic ties to the energy industry will profit, but those without such connections will see less benefit.

Some point to the coming income tax cuts as a way for government to help consumers manage increased energy costs, but here again, the benefits will be uneven. Those who have higher incomes will benefit the most from the proposed tax cuts. Those with lower incomes will see little if any benefits. Yet, those same lower income people will see steep increases in the price of all the energy they use — for transportation, for home heating and cooling, and the embedded energy in products purchased. They don’t have any discretionary income to cushion these increases.

The mayor complained that the Sustainlane.com methodology “made it impossible” for Oklahoma City to receive a positive score. It is certainly easier to kill the messenger, but that doesn’t do anything about the bad news, which is that Oklahoma City is not prepared for a major energy crisis.

I like Mayor Cornett as a person. He has an engaging personality and I think he wants the best for Oklahoma City. But his thinking is mired in the 20th century era of cheap energy, and the expensive energy realities of the 21st century are simply not on his radar screen. He is not alone in this, the entire city council is as much in denial as he is, and if anything the state legislature and the governor are worse.

As this energy crisis goes from bad to worse (and doesn’t stop there but continues to get worse), Oklahoma will be hit hard. We will see an exodus of businesses heading for areas with a better understanding of the realities of the 21st century and which have a 21st century infrastructure to manage those realities. Jobs and money will leave the state. If workers can’t get to work, and shoppers can’t get to shop because of the high price of gasoline, there will be precious little working and shopping done in Oklahoma City. Where then does our much vaunted place in the globalized economy go? Down the toilet, that’s where it goes. It’ll make the collapse of the Penn Square Bank look like a prosperous bull market.

The Mayor seems to think that if things get really bad, we will “adapt quickly”. This is a bit of an understatement, but — someone correct me if I am wrong — I don’t think you can just go out and wave your magic fairy godmother’s wand and create an efficient and effective public transportation overnight.

When gasoline gets to five bucks a gallon, the line at the federal window for mass transit funds will be very long, and we will be very far back in the line. Even if we have the money, how long will the line be at the manufacturers of the buses and trains we will need?

If we do need a mass transit system on the fast track, we have the core of it in place right now in the form of Union Station, it’s rail yard, and the existing rail lines which serve all parts of the city except for the NW Expressway corridor. Alas for us, that rail yard is doomed to demolition by the “Highways Uber Alles” folks at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Oklahoma City government has no objection to this destruction of this important heritage transportation infrastructure. But with that system, all we need is some repair, some passenger loading facilities, and some rolling stock and the Oklahoma City Rapid Transit System could be in bidness. Every day we inch closer to the demolition of the heart of that system via the inexorable progress of the I-40 Crosstown Freeway project, which is a blight upon the landscape and will go down in our history as one of the most stupid public works projects ever attempted in this state. It is a great project for a century in which “highway congestion” was a big issue. Alas for us, that was the TWENTIETH century, and we now live in the TWENTY-FIRST century. Freeway congestion is not going to be a big issue as this century progresses. In fact, the I-40 Crosstown Freeway will be finished right about the time the interstate trucking industry converts almost completely to piggy-back rail (hauling the trailers between cities on rail cars, using the trucks only for the local delivery. (We shouldn’t forget that the present route of the I-40 Crosstown Freeway has more to do with the demands of the interstate trucking industry than it has to do with any local considerations.)

People should get ready for the economic maelstorms that will accompany the steady increase of energy prices in the 21st century. Can your household budget manage a 100% increase in your present energy costs? How about 200%? 300%? That’s where we are headed.

If the government refuses to lead, we the people must lead. And we do so by doing the things I talk about all the time. Spend less, save more, invest in serious energy conservation. Pay off your debts as quickly as possible and don’t take on new debt unless you are investing it in energy conservation or some other productive activity or a home. Spend your money as much as possible in the local economy. Buy food directly from farmers. Get ready to manage your daily commute without an automobile. Plant lots of edible landscaping.

And we need to keep bringing political pressure to bear on our local and state politicians. People should write letters and make phone calls to your city council people and to the mayor. The squeaking wheel gets the grease, and we need to squeak a lot louder. It may be time to start thinking about doing some public demonstrations, “honk and wave” type activities.

If anybody is going to get Oklahoma ready for the energy crisis, it is going to be folks like us, who are already aware of the coming problems. How we face this challenge has an impact on everyone around us. Let’s follow Gandhi’s advice, and be the change we want to see.

Posted in Economic Prosperity, Environmental Sustainability | No Comments »

WALDROP FINDS $722 MILLION TO BOOST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ECONOMY!

Thursday, February 2nd, 2006

Press Release – for immediate release February 2, 2006

WALDROP FINDS $722 MILLION TO BOOST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ECONOMY

For more information, contact Bob Waldrop, 405-613-4688, bwaldrop@cox.net

Website: www.bobwaldrop.net

“Everyone talks about economic development, but too often we don’t see the forest for the trees,:” says Bob Waldrop, candidate for mayor of Oklahoma City. “Oklahoma City will prosper as central Oklahoma and the state of Oklahoma prosper.” This is why the Waldrop campaign for Mayor is highlighting the seriously under-appreciated economic development possibilities of buying food directly from farmers.

“If the population of Oklahoma County bought its beef, pork, poultry, fresh vegetables, flour, butter, cheese, eggs, and milk directly from central Oklahoma farmers, this would pump $722,668,000 into the marketplace, creating as much as $2.1 BILLION in economic activity thanks to multiplier effects right here in central Oklahoma.”. Much of this money is being spent already, but it gets siphoned off out of the area into the pockets of transnational food corporations that control the food aggregation and processing markets. Waldrop says, “We get the food, but the money disappears. By buying locally produced foods directly from farmers, we get to eat the food and still have the money circulating in the area.”

Waldrop says, “Farmers generally receive 10 to 20 cents of the supermarket food dollar, depending on the product. By shifting more of the food dollar directly to the farmer, we strengthen the economy of central Oklahoma and that boosts the economy of Oklahoma City. This city rises or falls with the prosperity of the counties and towns that surround us. If we think we can become a world city while the rural areas around us are falling off the economic map, we need to understand that ‘denial’ is NOT a river in Egypt. Oklahoma has thousands of part-time farmers, and the fastest and cheapest way to create jobs in rural Oklahoma is to help those part-time farmers become full-time farmers who sell direct to the public. More jobs in rural Oklahoma means more prosperity in Oklahoma City.”

Customers in cities can shop at farmers markets, they can use friends or family in rural areas to contact local farmers, and they can use structures such as the Oklahoma Food Cooperative (Waldrop is the President of the cooperative) to make this almost as convenient as going to the grocery store.

Waldrop says, “Besides the economic advantages, meat from free ranging flocks and herds tastes better than meats from the industrial food system. Oklahoma grown vegetables and fruits are far superior than those shipped here from 2,000 miles away. All I have to do to prove this is put a plate in front of someone and hand them a fork. We have bought nearly all of our meats, poultry, eggs, cheese, flour, and vegetables directly from farmers for 2 years, and we aren’t going back to mystery meat and mooshy tomatoes. So it’s not as if anybody is being asked to sacrifice anything here. Local food is the next big thing in food, just ask any chef.”

“While everybody isn’t going to wake up tomorrow and change their food buying habits, every dollar spent directly with a farmer creates up to $3 in economic activity and puts more of the original dollar into the farmer’s pocket. That is good business for the farmer, and it is even better business for the city, because where do the farmers go to spend their money? They go to the city,” says Waldrop.

If elected Mayor, Waldrop promises to work with the State to change certain state regulations which make it difficult for farmers to sell some products directly to the public. Supporting Oklahoma farmers and creating local food systems should become a priority with Oklahoma City economic development planners. The City can set a good example by serving local foods at city events, making sure that local foods are sold and used at venues such as the Ford and Cox Centers, provide space on favorable terms for farmers markets throughout the city, and work with the school system, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, and the Oklahoma Food Policy Council to get Oklahoma food into school cafeterias.

DETAILS OF THE $722M LOCAL FOOD INDUSTRY POTENTIAL IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

Oklahoma County population: 680,000

US beef consumption per capita: 65 lbs

Oklahoma County beef consumption: 44.2M lbs

Value at $3.75/lb average price: $165.9 Million

Number of steers required/year: 126,437

Note: As the local food marketplace develops, buffalo is likely to become increasingly important. It tastes as good as beef, but has less fat and cholesterol than chicken. The Waldrop household uses as much buffalo as it does beef. Waldrop says, “Chicken fried buffalo steak is great!”

PORK

US pork consumption per capita: 51 lbs

Oklahoma County pork consumption: 34.7 million pounds

Value at $2.10/lb: $72.9 M

POULTRY

US poultry consumption per capita: 82 lbs

Oklahoma County poultry consumption: 55.8 million

Value at $2/lb: $111.6 million

TURKEY

US turkey consumption per capita: 13 lbs

Oklahoma County turkey consumption: 8.8 million lbs

Value at $2.50/lb: $22.1 million

EGGS

US egg consumption per capita: 21 dozen

Oklahoma county egg consumption: 14.3 million dozen

Value at $3/dozen: $42.9 million

MILK

US milk consumption per capita: 24 gallons

Oklahoma County milk consumption: 16.3 million gallons

Value at $3/gallon: $49 million

FRESH VEGETABLES:

US fresh vegetable consumption per capita: 195 lbs

Oklahoma County fresh vegetable consumption: 132.7 million lbs

Value at $1/lb: $132.7 Million

FLOUR

US flour consumption per capita: 138 lbs

Oklahoma County flour consumption: 93.9 million lbs

Value at 50 cents/lb: $46.9 Million

CHEESE

US cheese consumption per capita: 30 lbs

Oklahoma County cheese consumption: 20.4 million lbs

Value at $3.50/lb: $71.5 million

BUTTER

US butter consumption per capita: 4.2 lbs

Oklahoma County butter consumption: 2.8 million pounds

Value at $2.50/lb: $7.1 million

Sources:

Per capita consumption figures: Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, available online at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/foodconsumption/FoodAvailSpreadsheets.htm#mtredsu .

Economic multiplier effects of local food purchases: Oxfam America, citing USDA research, http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/where_we_work/united_states/news_publications/food_farm/art2564.html .

acomplia