Poverty will end when people think

[The following, originally posted in December, 2011, remains relevant and has received minor edits.] The mission of the Henry George School is to make available to everyone an education in political economy and social philosophy, based primarily on the works of Henry George. Anyone who understands George’s ideas knows the cause of poverty, and knows …

False Choices: Why a sound plan for economic recovery would not raise taxes, not cut government services, and not increase debt

“Responsible” politicians and pundits say that we face a tradeoff among higher taxes, reduced government services, and more public debt, lest current trends lead to ruinous inflation resulting in all three.  Those aren’t the only choices, and certainly not the best ones, asserts HGS instructor Chuck Metalitz.  Raising taxes on production leads economies to a …

What the Rich Own…

…and how they can be made to share it. Attempts to “tax the rich” have led us to exempt about half the population from paying federal income tax, while creating all kinds of other levies that discourage production while falling heavily on working people.  But if we look at who “the rich” really are, and …

Last chance this year for Progress & Poverty

Our last Progress & Poverty course of 2011 is an afternoon class, starting Thursday, Nov 17, 2:30 PM, at 28 E. Jackson. This is the modern version, just five class sessions to understand the nature of wealth and the principles which determine who gets it– and who doesn’t. Instructor for this section will be Bob …

No Farms, No Food

Urban sprawl threatens to destroy much valuable farm land.  We will look at data from one of the leading national organizations trying to mitigate this damage, The American Farmland Trust (AFT). Among other things they buy development rights from farmland owners to ensure the land’s continued use in agriculture, and facilitate community supported agriculture, which …

Economic Cycle Tour — Saturday

This bicycle tour will look at the city parks developed on both banks of the Chicago River.  We will cycle through the intense development of the old Chicago Dock and Canal property on the north side of the river facilitated by the $35 million bascule bridge on Columbus Drive which made the property much more …

Yes, you can still learn fundamentals of political economy this year

We have one more section of Progress & Poverty, Thursdays beginning November 17 (except Thanksgiving). See the schedule here and course description here. More sections will be offered in 2012, of course. Another option is on-line instruction thru the Henry George Institute. HGI assigns an individual instructor for each student, and some of these instructors …

Invisible Robbery Tour– Saturday

It’s not just traditional Chicago/Illinois corruption that robs working people of the wealth they make. Even squeaky-clean governments customarily allow a privileged few to levy a toll on the rest of us. This can’t be prevented in a democratic society as long as most of us don’t understand what we’re being robbed of. Originally designed …