The Council of Georgist Organizations has reformatted its annual conference as an extended on-line series. The first session, How Land Speculation and Credit Expansion Create Boom/Bust Cycles, will be this Sunday, May 17, noon CDT. Speakers:Speaker bios are here.
All interested are welcome to attend, using the zoom link
or by phone using the password 779472 at one of the numbers listed here.
Illinois Forward: A 5-year plan for balanced budgets, declining debt and tax relief
Adam Schuster suggests that raising taxes won’t cure the distress of our state and local governments. He presents a fair alternative.
In his new Illinois Forward report, the Illinois Policy Institute’s Adam Schuster finds that “The state’s fiscal crisis has been built during nearly two decades of spending more than it brings in, driven primarily by unsustainable and rising costs for public sector pensions. As a result, Illinois’ overall financial health is perhaps the worst in the nation.
“Fortunately, Illinois can still be brought back from the brink if elected leaders get serious about bipartisan spending reforms that have seen success in other states. The three commonsense proposals in this report show how.
“Illinoisans deserve a state government that respects their wallets and provides them with valuable services. Unsustainable pension costs and ever-rising tax burdens deprive them of both.”
The full report is available here. Following his presentation, Mr. Schuster will respond to questions and comments from attendees. Note that the report was not produced by and is not endorsed by the Henry George School. The School sponsors this event to encourage thoughtful discussion of public finance issues.
This presentation will be rescheduled for a later time.
Introducing Progress & Poverty, a single session providing an overview of Henry George’s most important ideas and how they apply here and now, will be presented twice in January, on Thursdays January 9 and January 16. The first session will be done by veteran HGS instructor George Menninger, and the second by instructor Chuck Metalitz. Both sessions are free, but building management requires that you pre-register, which can be done thru Eventbrite for January 9 and January 16. Both sessions are at 333 S Wabash, and start at 6:15PM. If you’re intruigued, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for our full Progress & Poverty course which begins January 23.
For those who’ve already taken Progress & Poverty with us or another Henry George School, or the equivalent course at the Henry George Institute or elsewhere, we also offer the advanced Applied Economics: International Trade course.
On a day when we should think seriously about who is entitled to the bounty of America, consider our Invisible Robbery Tour. No charge. Details here.
We’re told that the economy has recovered and prosperity reigns. It may be easier to find work, but getting a decent wage that pays for housing, health care, and other necessities of life is as tough as ever for many. The problem isn’t new, and the cause isn’t difficult to find. Nor is the remedy obscure, once you understand how the economy works.
Henry George’s classic work, Progress and Poverty, is a superb guide in this endeavor. It draws on ideas of the great classical economists, historians, and philosophers. Thoughtful academics, activists and others in subsequent decades have brought the ideas up to date and showed how they’re even more applicable in the 21st century.
In less than two hours, Introducing Progress and Poverty provides an overview of the course and the ideas therein. Even if you have no intention of enrolling in the ten-session course, this first session will change your understanding of where the economy is headed, why, and how it might go elsewhere. There’s no obligation but preregistration is required.
Also, we’ll wish HG a happy 180th birthday at our customary Henry George Day celebration in Evanston on September 2 (labor day). This is a potluck and all friends of the School are welcome. Information here.
The Political Economy Book Club is back in action with a new meeting place, Bridgeport Coffeehouse’s Loop location (73 E Jackson Blvd). The June/July selection is Jack London’s The Iron Heel, which looks back on the 20th century from the 27th. This Tuesday evening group will cover the first half of this book on June 25, and the rest on July 23. Details on our events page.
Also, the Council of Georgist Organizations will hold its 2019 conference in Pittsburgh on July 23-27. Full details are on the CGO site.
A big loss for Georgist education. Lindy Davies, head of the Henry George Institute, died Tuesday. Thru HGI or otherwise, Lindy was the source of much of the material used in our classes, including a helpful series of videos. He also oversaw online and paper correspondence courses for HGI, and was Editor of the Georgist Journal.
Unfortunately, the family are left with serious medical bills. Donations are welcome at their gofundme page.
Free presentation at 6:15 pm on Thursday, April 11, 2019
Michael Belsky, executive director Center for Municipal Finance at Harris School University of Chicago, will discuss ongoing research into the state and local pension crisis in Illinois.
When: 6:15 pm Thursday April 11, 2019
Where: Signature Office
333 S Wabash Ave #2700
Chicago, IL 60604
Registration is required for this free presentation.
email events@hgchicago.org or call 312 362-9302
We’ll present Introducing Progress & Poverty at the Levy Center in Evanston, 6 PM on Tuesday, March 19. The session is complete in itself, but it also comprises the first class of the Progress & Poverty course for those interested in a more complete exploration. Details in the links.
When:
6 PM
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Where:
Levy Center
300 Dodge Ave
Evanston, IL 60202
Contact:
Chuck Metalitz
phone 312 362-9302
email chuck@hgchicago.org
